Are We Really In Charge Of Where We Want To See Our Work?

Last class we talked about galleries and if we would like to be represented by them. Choosing galleries is difficult because it involved many factors. One factor is the type of work that you are making, if your a sculptor then you probably shouldn't be represented by a gallery who only shows paintings. Theres also the issue of who is shown by that gallery, and how your work relates or doesn't. I wouldn't see my work being displayed anywhere near a Warhol or a Buzz Spector piece. I have to know the type of work that I am making and find a gallery that will best suit the work. Honestly I think this is one of the most difficult tasks an artist has to learn.

Public Art Programs, Yay or Nay?

Public Art Programs are a big yes for me. I come from a community that isn't closely tied to the arts. I was always told that Art would not get me a job, but I learned later on that it depends on the environment and the community that I am surrounded by. Moving to Sarasota opened do many doors and opportunities for my art. I am constantly surrounded by a community that are active in the arts and appreciate the artists. This helps me professionally as well as personally. It helps me push myself to be the best artist I can be. To those who are artistic I suggest to surround yourself with people who support your cause because it helps you develop.

How is the Crit Useful?

We discussed the chapter we read in 7 Days in the Art World that talked about the Critique(The Crit).
What I really thought about after class was that there are so many factors that can affect the artist and their work. Be it positive or negative feedback, the work could be directly affected. It scared me because I started to think how I would react to a critique that may be negative. It is hard because our work can be personal, or we become attached. However, over time I have allowed myself to take in criticism in a way that I can still make work and not fear the type of art I will be making.

Public Art Programs

This past week we discussed some of the Public Art Programs that we had to research outside of class. What I learned was that there are still communities that want to be involved with the Arts. This makes me so happy because I come from a community that tries to do public art programs, but simply due to budget cuts they go un noticed. There is also the discussion that if you plan to become an artist then you will never have a job. For me to transition from that type of environment into Sarasota, it was a major difference. This community is so involved in the arts and loves for the public to participate. This brings the community together and spreads the art. There needs to be more communities like this out there.

The Interview

Last class we were able to do a group exercise of mock interviews. We were split up into a panel section and an interviewee section. I happened to be one of the interviewee's. Even though this situation is a fake one it can still make you nervous. Being observed by other people and being aware of their presence is nerve rattling. I think that as we move through school we sometimes assume that an interview will come easy to us, even if we don't practice. Not saying it cant be done, but to me your perceptions change as soon as you enter the room. I was able to complete my mock interview and even had really great feedback. I have to admit for this interview it was difficult because on the inside I constantly thought about how a real one would play out.

Recognition, is it Positive or Negative?

Today in class we talked about artists being recognized on an international, or high profile level. The one question that we all could ask was, is that a good or bad thing for the artist? Generally if an artist's work reaches the eyes of viewers all over then they could receive amazing attention, jobs, and potential clients. The way I see it, this type of notice can be both positive and negative. Positive because people are going to see the work and have great things to say, and negative because there are always people who will not like or understand the artwork. However, the negative remarks can be seen as a double edged sword. I say this because this offers critics to write about the work, and gives the artist even more notice. Some writers have such power and respect, that by them even writing about you could really benefit your career.

Museums Matter!

In class today there were many presentations, all discussing specific museums around the country and some outside of the U.S. What went through my mind the whole time was the fact that I have never been to most of them. As an artist I think it is important to see the most art that you can, and specifically in museums. I believe this because it gives me historical and contemporary context at the same time. There are so many different museums that house hundreds of different collections. I want to make it a goal to see most of the museums that we learned about today. The Tate, MoMa, Philly, SFMOMA, and the Guggenheim are ones that I know I could visit. To be able to personally view the work in these exhibitions would be phenomenal!




-Muriel Holloway

Auction Houses

I really enjoyed last class because I was able to learn so many new things about Auction Houses from my classmates, as well as my own research. There were quite a few auction houses that caught my interest, such as Christie's, and Sothebys. I was really impressed with their collections, past auctions and over all professionalism. From their websites I could see how easy and pleasant their websites were. I also liked hearing what type of art that my classmates would bid on. It helps me gain a little more info on them as artists, and how that might affect their work.

Spanish Master Revealed

Last class I really enjoyed the article talking about Velazques. We discussed how we thought if the painting was a self portrait. My classmates gave great reasons for backing their statements. I believed it was a portrait because of the expression and the figure's gaze in the painting. If it wasn't a self portrait the figure would be looking and facing a different direction. To draw oneself, you have to look into a mirror so you can get the proportions and expressions down properly. You are also looking at yourself, so your gaze is aimed directly at you, just like a living persons.

VALUE

Muriel Holloway
2/9/15
Business of Fine Art
Mark Ormond



The word value is often mentioned when talking about many different things. When we think of that word, many different things and meanings come to mind. It makes me wonder if my meaning or idea of value is the same or vastly different from others. While in class I thought about how often I have to look at my art in terms of value. Sometimes I don't even think about where my art will go and if others would prescribe value to it. Last class made me wonder how the art of the past had value when there are so many forms of it. Also who is the one that declares it? There are endless discussions in the world of art so it really just makes my head ache at the thought.

Where Do You Want Your Art To Go?

Muriel Holloway
1/31/2015



The discussion that took place last class was extremely important to me. The ideas of location, price, and  selection went through my mind constantly. Until now I haven't really thought of the specific places or prices that I want my work to be or sold at. Not saying that I must show my work or price it in order to see it as a success, but rather I just think that experience needs to be gained in order for me to do that. By having experience it allows me to have more opportunities to show in galleries and also gain recognition. Selection is important because I would never want to show my worst piece to a possible gallery. They want to see your work possibly from the past even until now. By doing this it allows them to select specific pieces that they like or believe will fit in with their specific gallery. Knowing key factors like this is crucial for my personal and professional development.

My Thoughts on Pam Sumner's Presentation

Muriel Holloway
1/24/2015
Business of Fine Art
Mark Ormond




Pamela "Pam" Sumner as she prefers, was a very great person to learn about and speak to. Her presentation listed all of the different types of skills and experiences that she learned as a student, artist, and person. Her slides were rich in valuable information that I found crucial. She described herself as a generalist and her progression in her career path shows just that. She taught us that things may not happen in a periodical order, and thats ok! Some things that you learn big or small, can always come back and be used in the future. There are constant opportunities around us, we just need to take them and run. Throughout the slide lecture she would take time to ask us questions about ourselves. These questions ranged from "Are you a generalist, why or why not?" to "What are your earliest memories of making artwork?" These questions may seem to be in a strange order, but during her presentation they made perfect sense. I believe that by asking ourselves these questions we can ultimately make the right decisions in choosing our career paths. And also having fun as we do so.

Thoughts For Tomorrow

January 15, 2015

Art Biz


Yesterdays class brought up quite a few questions that I wanted to start asking myself. One of the questions I came up with was, "Do I make work that I feel like people need to understand me, or simply because I want to?" I also thought about all of the different types of galleries that show only specific types of artwork. As a sculptor I have to think about where and how I want my work to be displayed. This makes thing a little tricky because then I have to think about the other types of art are showing in the gallery that I am interested in to show my piece. It made me realize that sometimes things really aren't that simple.

Throughout this course I hope I can learn more about these types of spaces and learn more about the industry. I also hope that by taking this class I will learn some tricks and hints on how I could either display in a gallery or assist. Overall I think this will be an exciting as well as valuable course to be in!