to fail and fail big: A Study of Mid-Career Artists, Success and Failure Part 2

to fail and fail big: A Study of Mid-Career Artists, Success and Failure Part 1

Tweets from "to fail and fail big."

On Wednesday, May 1, 2013, The Field hosted a Panel Event, "to fail and fail big: A case study of Mid-career artists, Success, and Failure," at SITI Company. The panel was facilitated by Georgiana Pickett, Executive Director, Baryshnikov Arts Center. Panelists included award-winning performer and art-maker, Okwui Okpokwasili; Moira Brennan, Program Director, The MAP Fund; producer Thomas O. Kriegsmann and critically acclaimed musician, Somi. 

The following is a chronological record of tweets that were posted real time during the event: 

5/1/13 3:36 PM

Gearing up for To Fail and Fail Big our panel event at SITI Company tonight. See you there 

5/1/13 7:14 PM

Here we go! Will it be frightening? Will we fail? Will we succeed? Will we move the field forward? Let's find out!

5/1/13 7:23 PM

Why are we having this conversation? To discern the conditions that help artists thrive so the sector can help more artists thrive!

5/1/13 7:31 PM

From Okwui Okpokwasili, "Do I feel successful? No. But I feel really f**king lucky."

5/1/13 7:41 PM

Seems to me that many successful artists are failing regularly! How? Work-in-progress showings as an integral piece of creative practice.

5/1/13 7:45 PM

"The only opposition is the mindset of the culture at large. Until this shifts, we will never have enough money for experimental art."

5/1/13 8:07 PM

"The best presenters are the best bc of their plasticity...their ability to break the mold." Producer, Tommy Kriegsmann

5/1/13 8:14 PM

Choreographer, Kimberly Bartosik, was told, "Being a white woman right now is really not working in your favor."

5/1/13 8:22 PM

Does the system that created established artists even exist anymore? Great question.

Tweet #9 - retweeted by Kerry McCarthy and commented on by Karen Harvey "Maybe it's an illusion - because maybe the established artists were actually the beginning of the 'system' they thrive within?"

5/1/13 8:25 PM

You keep on going. You develop a certain skin. Your success or failure cannot be what is reflected back at you from anybody.

5/1/13 8:28 PM

There's a sense of entitlement to be creative in the younger generation that's not in line with our economic culture.

5/1/13 8:36 PM

So many of you said it's not necessarily about failure, it's more about risk-taking and building an environment that champions those risks.

  

Post-Sandy Help for Artists

We hope you are safely recovering from Hurricane Sandy and taking advantage of the many resources that are popping up and/or volunteering when you can. The Field is also aware that the storm and its aftermath have had an impact on your art-making and managing your art, so we’ve gathered our resources and we’re making them available to anyone who needs them—for FREE!
Check out what is coming up and take advantage!

AFTER SANDY: How to Apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance
Monday, November 12, 6-7pm OR Friday, November 16, 11am-12pm
At The Field
With Shawn Rene Graham
FREE
Have you lost work or income due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy? If so, you may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). Join Artist Services Manager, Shawn René Graham, and get help with the fine print and process of applying. The deadline for applying for DUA is December 3, so sign up now!
At Governor Cuomo’s request, President Obama declared several counties in New York as major disaster areas. DUA is a Federal program that provides payments to people in a federally declared disaster area who have lost work or income due to the disaster. Read more about the Disaster Unemployment Assistance here.

Fundraising After Sandy
Monday, November 19, 6:30 - 7:30pm
At The Field
With Cara Liguori
FREE!
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, is it safe, tacky or completely taboo to ask folks to support your art projects? What can/should you do if you were depending on end of year giving to meet your income goals? Join a group of your peers and Field Development Manager, Cara Liguori, to ask your most pressing questions and to share your opinions. The right way forward is going to be different for everyone, so let’s put it all out there and discuss.


Looking for more? Check out the following listings and information:

LMCC's Emergency Grants List:
http://www.lmcc.net/uploads/grants/forms/2012-Fundraising-Emergency_Grants.pdf

NYFA's Emergency Grants List:
http://www.nyfa.org/source/content/content/disasterresources/disasterresources.aspx?DRID=54&CID=5&UDRID

Volunteer in the Rockaways: Sign up to reserve your seat on a bus to the Rockaways to help with Hurricane relief and clean up. https://rockabus.com/

Occupy Sandy: An off-shoot of Occupy Wall Street, this organizing effort is looking for volunteers and donated goods. Find out more at: http://interoccupy.net/

Dance: Dance/NYC Help them tell your story and help you by writing Lacey Althouse at
lalthouse@dancenyc.org. Join the conversation on Twitter @DanceNYC #sandydance.

Theatre: ART/NY www.art-newyork.org   They are collecting information re: immediate losses and
expect to provide further assistance so stay in touch with them.

Did you know? Information about MAP Fund and Helpful Hints for Applying

The Field’s Shawn René Graham sat down with MAP Fund Program Director, Moira Brennan, for an info session on applying to MAP. This is what we learned!

A little background:

Did you know that the MAP Fund is 24 years old? It is the oldest direct grant for performing art activities in the US and is only second to the NEA in funding resources. They give away $1.2 million annually to up to 40 projects in all performing disciplines—theater, music, dance—and they receive about 1,000 applications every year.

Application review process:

The MAP Fund has three goals in mind when reviewing applications:
1. They are looking for contemporary works that challenge conventions
2. They are interested in the issue of “the other” or diversity in your work
3. They fund proposals that demonstrate excellence of execution.

They want to make it the simplest application form, by keeping it streamlined and only asking for essential info, which includes project description and artist statements, a budget, and work samples.

Funding is usually granted to artists who have been producing work publicly for at least two years. The average award is 10-25% of the applicant’s total budget.

MAP Fund is excited about international projects, but unless the project includes a US-based performance it is unlikely to get funded.

Helpful hints & suggestions:

Project Descriptions and Artist Statements: Resist throwing all of your collaborators’ thoughts into your proposals. Be focused on your vision so that the panelists can see that you are in command of your own project. Make your artistic statements grounded and related to your artistic process; it should be 80% practical and 20% philosophical. Be sure to include a clear execution plan in your project description. There are links in the application that tell you what to write, follow them closely.

Work samples: Make sure your work samples grab the viewer’s attention within the first 5 seconds. Find sections of your work that are explosive. Work samples should be thought out carefully and should include clear descriptions. Your text should direct the panelist’s eye and hold their hand.

Budgets: MAP Fund panelists are keen on artist’s fees. Always include as much detail as possible and break down artist payment fees more than anything else.


For more information about MAP Fund, visit mapfund.org

If you are a Sponsored Artist with The Field and you want to apply to MAP Fund, you must register through us. Contact Shawn René Graham (shawnrene@thefield.org) immediately to apply.

Quick Notes and Quirky Wisdom

A short-hand recap of our Seasoned Process panel-discussion

In case you missed out on The Field’s panel, A Seasoned Process: Sustaining Creativity & Weathering Change, we were frantically scribbling notes! Here’s a smattering of sage advice and topical tips (and our rough interpretations) for being an artist, making work, and enjoying the longevity of your career.

A huge thank you to our panelists for their honesty and openess—Eve Beglarian, Donna Uchizono, Keith Reddin, and Judy Tate—and our insightful facilitator, Todd London!

Here we go…

“A career in the arts is not linear…It’s by definition unpredictable…you’ll be following a path that hasn’t been built yet…you can’t look for external validation because there aren’t any marks on the path.” –Eve Beglarian

“…it’s a constant set of corrections to get back on course, rather than staying on a designated path.”
–Judy Tate, on being an artist and the practice of making work

 “The next thing I’m going to do is just for me.” –Keith Reddin, on taking a break from making for presenters or funders, and to reconnect with his creative practice

 “Don’t take things personally…” –Donna Uchizono, on how it is impossible for all the good projects that are submitted to funders to get awards they deserve

“Have the confidence that it’s all going to work out and be ok—even if that confidence is artificial, because you can’t really know” –Eve Beglarian, advice on the financial instability of being an artist

“It’s been a financial disaster [laughs], but it’s been great. I felt a kind of freedom from promotion.”
–Donna Uchizono, on producing a show that was invite only with no advertising.

“Tension wants to resolve itself.” –Judy Tate, on having trust in your process and that the work has the power to resolve itself

“…I try not to be that introspective. I lose faith all the time…I took that vow of poverty and I haven’t left the monastery yet.” –Keith Reddin

“I have to re-commit to this every day.” –Donna Uchizono on keeping “faith” in her work and staying true to it

“We’re talking about bodies of work, sustaining the art. It isn’t about this piece, it’s about a life’s work.” –Todd London

Why Fiscal Sponsorship and How to Get the Most Out of it.

Shawn René Graham, The Field’s Artist Services Manager and a Dramaturg who’s worked extensively in dance and theater (read: she’s been on both sides of the art-making/arts administration divide), breaks down why, when, and how fiscal sponsorship can be most useful to artists.

First off, we’ve got a new mantra for you: “Think business.” According to Shawn René, the key to being a successful and financially astute artist is to deftly straddle art-making and arts administration. She says, “artists need to think of themselves in two ways: as art-makers and as business people.”

A huge part of being a savvy business person is planning ahead. If you want to grow your budget through strategic and sustainable long-term fundraising, and/or if you’re seeking large gifts or applying to family foundations for institutional funding, you need non-profit affiliation.

What’s the difference between a fiscal sponsor and becoming your own 501©3? Primarily, the difference here is in time commitment and scale of operations. Becoming a 501©3 and maintaining that status with the IRS is a huge load of work and can be very complicated; you want to be really sure that it’s right for you before you dive in. A fiscal sponsor, on the other hand, provides many of the same non-profit benefits with a fraction of the work.

So once you’ve swallowed that pill, what are some practical ways to get the most out of your fiscal sponsor and fiscal sponsorship in general? Shawn René breaks it down:

1. Take inventory of the resources that you have—and the ones you still need. What skills or support structures do you bring to the table? In what areas do you require further expertise? This will help you identify what it is you need from a fiscal sponsor. It’s also super useful if you’re looking to barter with other artists.

2. Choose a fiscal sponsor that’s right for you. Think about what kind of relationship you want to have with your fiscal sponsor and what you expect them to provide for you. Do you need help with professional development (budgets, writing, touring, publicity)? Then choose a fiscal sponsor that offers resources on these topics (and be willing to receive critical feedback!).

3. Be ready to talk about your art-making history. Draft a personal timeline of your artistic work so you can visualize this and keep track. Know yourself, your process, and your work.

4. Be ready to learn, understand, and know your value in the marketplace. You are a contributor to the economy. Being fiscally smart is about fortifying partnerships, marketing yourself, and being connected in a network of artists, funders, and stakeholders.

5. Make the time commitment. Running a company (or even just the administrative tasks of an individual artist) takes time and attention. You need to be prepared to deal with the day-to-day upkeep, so build it into your calendar.


So now you’re thinking business. You’re ready to take the plunge. Who are some fiscal sponsors you can turn to? Well, there’s us: The Field. There’s also NYFA, Fractured Atlas, New York Live Arts, and Pentacle to name a few. Shop around, do your research, compare prices and benefits offered. And as always, contact us if you have any questions!