Anchor by Darren Mahuron

The Art Palaver headquarters is in Fort Collins. A town of about 145,00 people in Northern Colorado. Ft Collins frequently makes many “best of” lists put out by various magazines and news organizations. Such as:

• 5th Best Places for Business and Careers: Forbes – June 2011
• One of the Top Ten Places to Retire in the Nation: Charles Schwab’s On Investing – Spring 2011
• One of the Top 10 Best College Towns: Small-Sized Cities Category, USA Today – September 2010
• One of the Greatest Places to Live in the West: American Cowboy magazine – April 2010

The list of lists goes on and on. But unlike our neighbor Loveland, which was named the #2 art town in America, Fort Collins is not know for its art. But that is not for a lack of trying on the part of the artists that live here.

One artists in particular, photographer Darren Mahuron, has worked especially hard over the years to create a place for artists to publicly express themselves in Fort Collins even when their art did not fit into the status quo set by the established art scene in Ft Collins.

I’ve known Darren for a few years now, in fact I interviewed him way back in 2006 for ZAF622, the art webzine that spawned Art Palaver, and I can tell you he is one of those rare human beings that brings his creativity and his artistry to everything he does, even bike safety posters. (watch the video)

In the video below Mr. Mahuron shares his struggle of being an artists in a town like Ft Collins and the proactive steps he took to try and change things as well as the lessons learned along the way. I believe they are lessons that artists everywhere can learn from but especially any artist anywhere that has lamented about not living in New York City or Los Angeles.

I encourage you to take the time to watch it and I especially encourage you to use the comment form to start a discussion. I know this is a battle being fought all over and I also know that if we can begin to dialogue about it we can begin to form a community around it. And it is through community that we positively change the world.

Art- A Social Responsibility by Darren Mahuron from Darren Mahuron on Vimeo.

Having trouble seeing the video? Click here.

Connect with Darren on his website: SummitStyle.com

Lessons Learned In Attempting To Foster An Art Town is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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Probably one of the most known and referenced tool Cameron offered is the idea of the morning pages.

Here is how they are described on The Artist’s Way Online website:

“In order to retrieve your creativity, you need to find it. I ask you to do this by an apparently pointless process I call the morning pages. Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages– they are not high art. They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only.”

This practice of writing whatever comes to mind every morning is an exercise in cleaning out the cobwebs of the mind as well as straightening the clutter that gets in the way of our own creativity. And don’t get hung up on the fact that it is writing. Doing this stream of conscious writing would serve anyone well whether you are a painter, sculptor, or politician.

Many people swear that the practice of morning pages is a big part of their creative success. I am one of them.

When I do them.

Which brings me to the reason I am writing you today. I always intend to write mine and I have some good streaks from time to time but I’ll admit there can be weeks or months that go by without me doing my morning pages. Until recently when I discovered the wonder website that is 750words.com.

750 Words is a website created by Buster Benson to help you do this creative exercise. Here is what he says in regards to 750 Words and The Artist’s Way morning pages”:

“750 Words is the online, future-ified, fun-ified translation of this exercise.”

It is fun because it not only scores your progress but you earn badges as you go. The scoring system is very similar to bowling and encourages you to keep a streak going. For an artist like me who is drawn to computers and technology it is really helping me write more and keep at my three pages a day.

I encourage you to check out 750words.com and see if it adds to your creative life.

But I know many artists are not big fans of being on the computer, I encourage those artists to check out The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. To get a taste of the book she has a PDF available here of her “Basic Tools” which include instructions for the morning pages as well as The Artists Date.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments on what you do to keep the creativity flowing.

Did You Write Your Morning Pages Today? is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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Artsy Shark interviews Johanna Moore about how emerging artists can better present their work.

Are you human? Check out this artist who uses CAPTCHA as a basis for his street art.

Photographers will find 32 FREE software solutions here.

Ever thought about how nice it would be to see your art on prime time television? That thought is not entirely out of reach now.

What to be more creative? Ignore everybody.

What do you do with a degree in fine art?

And what does happen to $100 Millions dollars of artwork when it is stolen?

Sports and art do sometimes go together.

Never forget to keep creating.

Sunday Reading | Art News And Articles From Around The Web is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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HR Giger is probably best known for his creature which was brought to life in the franchise of Alien films. But for almost 50 years Giger has been producing artwork and has established himself as one of the word’s best Fantastic Realism artists.

Born in 1940 in Chur Switzerland he know resides in Zurich Switzerland. But JustSayGo‘s television host and travel journalist Ron Stern caught up with Giger at his bar in Gruyeres Switzerland. The artist is not known for giving many interviews, especially on camera, which is what makes the exclusive interview so special.

Ron was also able to talk to Giger’s wife Carmen Maria Giger who mentions having a poster of Giger’s work when she was 17 but had no idea who the artist was.

He is an artist that has had a career most artists would envy. Early in his career he set himself apart by using a freehand airbrush technique to develop his own unique and now well known style.

In 1977 he published the book Necronomicon which is what was the visual inspiration for director Ridley Scott’s film Alien. The director commissioned HR Giger to design the film’s title character as well as the film’s alien environment. These designs earned Giger an Oscar in 1980 for Best Achievement in Visual Effects.

Giger’s work also had an influence on rock n roll. His work graced the cover of many notable musicians such as Debbie Harry, Danzig, and Celtic Frost, just to name a few. His most well known though is probably Emerson, Lake, and Palmer’s 1973 album Brain Salad Surgery. Sadly the original art work from that double cover was recently stolen and is still missing.

Today HR Giger’s work can be found through out Europe. You can find more information about HR Giger, his work, and where it is currently on display at his website.

Rare HR Giger Video Interview is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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This will most likely be my last post of 2009. I prefer to stay in touch more often but life has presented some opportunities that I must take advantage of. And for the next couple of weeks I will not be able to post. But I think the timing is good because I know most of us get busy and have little time for activities like reading blogs.

I have big plans for Art Palaver in 2010 so I hope you’ll stick around to see what is up ahead. A new direction has risen out of the art marketing webinar experiment I recently did. If you missed it I put on a series of 14 webinars dealing with selling art online. The feedback was better than I expected and it has fueled my desire to take them up a notch to provide you with even better information on how to be successful as an artist in this new economy we find ourselves living in. If you want to check out the webinars the first two are available for free download right here. Also let me know if there is any specific topic you’d like to see covered.

This blog is called Art Palaver but I don’t talking about why I named it that enough. I know there is a lot of confusion with the word “palaver.” Many people, especially in the US, have never heard the word before so they do not know what it means. It is a word that has a few meanings but in this context it means “to have a long discussion.” This blog is a long discussion about art. In 2010 I am going to really play on the art discussion theme by hitting the streets and the phone lines to have talks with all kinds of folks about art. I believe conversation is a big part of true education.

What is better? Read a book about rocket science to gain some understanding? Or sit down and have a discussion with a rocket scientist? I believe I would learn a lot more from that talk with the rocket scientist than if I spent the same amount of time readying a text book about the subject. For now though that is the only hint that you get. You’ll have to come back in January.

Another big goal I have for 2010 is to attempt to foster more of an online community around Art Palaver. Because I do believe that we are all in this together and artists do better when they are part of an artistic community of knowledge and support. There are many art groups that focus on the ways to create art but few that focus on the business of being an artist. Selling art is part of the process whether you like to admit that or not. But it is a charged topic with many strong opinions attached to it. Which is why we need to talk it out among a supportive community so you can find what works for you and your art career.

Before I go I’d like you to do something for me. Write down where you’d like your art to be in a year from now. Come December 2010 how much would you like to have sold? How many shows do you want under your belt? What new medium do you want to venture into? What gallery do you want to make a connection with? Write down all your hopes and dreams for 2010, no matter how big or small, just get them all down on paper. Write them big and clear and visit them often. And be sure to keep them someplace so you can find them in December of 2010 and see how many you pulled off.

Now that you’ve done that get out a very fine pencil and write down your fears and the beliefs you have on why you wont reach your goals in 2010. (Otherwise known as excuses.) Write these down small and with an erasable pencil. Now spend some time thinking about the truth of these fears and excuses. Are they 100% true? You’ll find they are not. Then finally throw them away, let them go, exhale them.

Thank you all for a great 2009. It was a great year for me and Art Palaver. I learned a lot and made some great friends along the way. I am looking for 2010 being even better.

Live to Create!

We Are All In This Together is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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Do you have an art video you would like to see featured on Sunday Art Video? Contact me with a link and I’ll check it out.

Sunday Art Video | Zeger Reyers Rotating Kitchen is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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• What is the best form of marketing? Word of mouth of course. But how do you build it? This commonplaces article has six good thoughts on doing it online.
• Here is an impressive list of 66 different art sites around the internet.
• Wondering what companies in the U.S. best support the arts? Americans for the Arts has the BCA 10 for 2009.
• Algonquin Illinois is looking for artists to create bicycle racks. This PDF has all the info.
• Want to know what professional art buyers think? There’s a blog for that.
• Create awesome tilt shift macros shots using old car headlights.
• Artists libraries.
• You’ll here me say this a lot, this is one of the best tools for blogging and marketing yourself on the internet. (How do you think if find all these links?)
• Use art to grow your community.
• Can you guess what the most popular oil painting of 2009 was? Give up? Click here.

Do you have any art news or links you want to share here? Contact me and I’ll check them out.

News And Links For Artists From Around The Web is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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Take simple inexpensive material to create art. Place that art in a public environment that animates the work. Gain recognition from around the world.

That formula worked for Joshua Allen Harris. And this short video gives us a glimpse of the artist, the work, and the process.

Don’t see a video? Click here.

Sunday Art Video | Street Artist Joshua Allen Harris is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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• Artist Jeanne-Claude died this week at the age of 74. She was known for large installation works around the world.
• Artfest International posts a profit for the 3rd Quarter of 2009.
• The definitive rankings of 50 fine art roles by importance and prominence. (#12 out of 50 is not bad)
• It is not always good to be the richest artist in a given category.
• Selling without galleries. It must be done in this day and age, readers of Art Palaver know this.
• To burn or not too burn? That is the question in the music industry these days. (I don’t agree with Lily Allen)
• Digital artists and designers who can be found on Twitter.
• The world has moved on. Artists of all mediums could learn from the current state of the music industry.
• Free shipping is smart marketing for an artist selling online.
• Use social media to find deal on Black Friday.

Art News And Links From Around The World is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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This video features Southwest Airline’s flight attendant David Holmes, now known as the rapping flight attendant. By using his creativity David makes his job more interesting for him and also brings a lot of joy to those around him. A great example of why it is important we all recognize our own creativity and live an artistic life.

Don’t see a video? Click this link.

Sunday Art Video | Creating Art In All Areas Of Your Life is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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You’re a musician. Fancy. You’ve come to the conclusion that you’re ready to get out there and expose your musical self to the world. Exciting.

I want to tell you something…not to crush your hopes and dreams but to be honest with you. Most folks fancy themselves musicians these days. Most folks are excited to expose their musical selves.

“But I’m really ready. Like, REALLY ready,” you say.

Fantastic. But first, you must find a place to play and you must claim your spot on top of the stack of submissions at the venue you choose. There are ways to do this. Are they surefire? Negs. However, they will at least give your music a better chance of landing on stage rather than in the trash.

RESEARCH YOUR VENUES

Different venues cater to different crowds. Some focus specifically on one genre of music while others run the gamut. Figuring out what venues might actually host your music before you start sending out e-mails and albums will save you more time than you think. Less wasted communication efforts means more time to hone your craft, correct? Or perhaps more time to nap. Regardless, you’re not wasting your time or the time of someone reading your e-mail.

Once you have a venue picked out, take a bit to figure out how the place operates. Get to know it best you can. Have a meal with it. Get an idea of what nights they have live music. Read some history. Figure out why you want to play there. A stage is a stage, sure. But if you find out something about the venue that tickles your fancy, then that excitement should come through when time comes to make contact.

Before you make contact (please note BEFORE), do your best to figure out how the person in charge of scheduling shows prefers to receive submissions. Phone? E-mail? Snail mail? Digital Press Kits? Actual CDs? Poke around on the venue’s Web site and see if you can figure this out. If after that you still can’t find the infos, put a call in to the venue.

3,2,1…CONTACT

You’ve done your research. You’re excited about a place. You know in what format they prefer music to be submitted. Now you just have to hit send on that form e-mail you digitize to all venues or drop your CD-R with what is apparently your musical moniker scribbled on it in the mail.

I jest. Do not do either of these things. Time for some sub-points:

If Submitting Electronically

• Make it as easy as possible to listen to your music. Good ways to go are links to a Sonicbids or MySpace page (I’ve always had the best luck listening on Sonicbids). If you are going to e-mail tracks to the talent buyer, make sure they are in MP3 format. Not WMA or AAC. MP3s are universal and can even be played within some e-mails, depending on the provider. If you are going to link to a personal web site, make sure your music is easily found there and in working order. If I have to poke my way around a site or download a track from some place I’m not familiar with, I usually don’t listen.
• Form e-mails may save time, but I can sniff them out from a mile away. Personally, I give less priority to acts sending out these types of feelers because I’d rather have someone playing who e-mailed because they want to play at the venue where I work. At least take the time to include a personal note that shows you have some knowledge of the venue and the talent buyer’s name.
• Include the dates you’re looking to play and be willing to take opening slots. It’s been said that the quickest way to kill a career is to take top billing.

If Submitting via Mail or In Person

• Make me WANT to listen to your music. In other words, the presentation of your album should reflect the quality of the music. Sharpie scribbles on a CD are not becoming. Neither are cracked cases. Good album art & packaging is worth investing time or money or both in. There could be a stack of demos on my desk and if one comes across in creative or beautiful or beautifully creative packaging, I will give it priority because i am intrigued. Trust me here…I’m not the only one who thinks this way. Here is some required reading from the All Songs Considered Blog: “You Can Tell A CD By It’s Cover” (http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2008/05/you_can_tell_a_cd_by_its_cover.html)
• If you drop an album off somewhere, make sure and include contact info. This sounds like common sense, but more often than you think I get a CD with a “thanks for listening” note taped to it and no contact info.
• Press packs are nice if they don’t look like a book report you’d hand in to your high school lit teacher. I don’t need 4 pages of people you’ve played with and bands you’ve been in and a short history of your immediate family’s personal struggles. Let me know a bit about who you are in a concise and creative manner. When creating a press pack, be sure to reference the two tips above…and do the required reading.
• If by chance you get to actually meet the person in charge of booking shows at your venue of choice, don’t walk in like you own the place. They might be nice enough to let you play their stage. Shake a hand. Be interested in the room. Thank them for at least giving you a listen…and then hand them the most beautiful thing they’re ever going to listen to (refer to the three points above…and do the required reading).

THE FOLLOW THROUGH (also known as patience)

It’s been a little while and you haven’t heard anything from the venue you researched and submitted your easily listened to/beautifully packaged music to. Patience. You can try dropping a line to the venue just to make sure they got the package or e-mail. Sometimes persistence pays off, sometimes it annoys people. Ask if you should check back again or wait to hear from them. Keep looking for venues and submit your music the right way. Eventually, you may get a spot somewhere. When this happens, there are a few things to remember:

• Be on time to soundcheck and be respectful of the venue and sound tech.
• PROMOTE YOUR OWN SHOW. Don’t expect that the venue will do this for you.
• Keep open lines of communication leading up to the show, responding you any e-mails or phone calls you receive in a timely manner.
• Be thankful. Thank the folks at the venue profusely the night of the show and then send a little note of thanks the week following the show. These notes…and the hopefully kind words they contain…do wonders. I will invite someone back to play again because I know they appreciated playing in the first place.

Those are the basics. Be brave, young one. Put your music out there. Make people want to hear it. The extra effort will be noticed. Expose your musical self in the proper manner and have a nice time.

Chris Hess is a good friend of mine so I can vouch for his experience in the music biz. He currently manages a unique not for profit coffee house in Fort Collins, Colorado, Everyday Joes. A large coffee house that is also a music venue. Because of Chris the coffee house has hosted such great musicians as Trace Bundy, Sleeping at Last, David Bazan, Katie Herzig, Tickle Me Pink, and Danielle Ate The Sandwich just to name a few. More of Chris’s words can be found on the Everyday Joe’s blog and Chris’s personal blog Whiskey and Cardigans.

How To Land Your First Gig is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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