By now it is commonly known that most visual artist top earners are male. The ideal artist image to this day is still the image of the young (preferably under 35), white male. Considering that most art programs enroll more female students than male, that leaves one wondering, what happens to these women and why are there not more networks specifically for female artists? After searching the net for a bit, I came across a gallery in Chicago that is specifically for women, Woman Made Gallery. Enthused, I read through the information on their site:

Woman Made Gallery is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization founded in 1992. Its goal is to support women in the arts by providing opportunities, awareness and advocacy. It specifically accomplishes this through exhibitions which raise public awareness and recognition of women's cultural contributions.

Sounds very support worthy. However, a bit further down the page, I came across this:

Solo Exhibitions

In addition to thematic group shows, WMG schedules solo shows where professional women artists have the opportunity to exhibit a more comprehensive body of work than is possible in the group shows. These solo shows give gallery visitors a chance to experience both a more in-depth look into the work of an individual artist.

Solo show artists are selected by invitation only. WMG does not accept unsolicited proposals but selects solo show artists from a large pool of individuals whose work is already well known to the Gallery Staff. Usually, the artist is a current member of the gallery, has been previously accepted into WMG group exhibitions, has been involved in other gallery functions such as jurying a show or volunteering, and/or is part of the online registry. The criteria for inclusion are a consistent body of quality work, a strong content, feminist orientation, how the work in the solo show complements the group show planned for the same time period, professional activities as an artist and professional attitude.

The current fee for a four-week exhibition is $500, which includes placing up to 15 images on our website. Solo Show artists are responsible for printing their own invitations and sending invitations to their personal mailing list. WMG includes Solo Show artists in emailed newsletters, on our website, in press releases and on our juried group-show invitations..


Ok, now where to start? I looked at their current call for art (http://womanmade.org/pdfs/text2014.pdf) which comes with the price tag of a $30 submission fee. In case one gets accepted, there is another $10 administrative fee for shipped work. WMG also doesn't pay for insurance while the work is exhibited. But let's say you feel this expense is all worth it, because, after all, that's what it takes to be eventually considered for one of their solo shows until....until you realize, there are more expenses. You get to spend $500 to exhibit and print your own invitations. Yippieehhh. Now how is this so different from vanity galleries? Because some form of selection took place?

Yes, I am upset. I am upset because I think if you truly want to support women, make means available to do so. Do not set up a system where women, yet again, have to pay under the disguise of a non-profit in order to maybe get the chance to exhibit.

When looking online for artist residencies, one is confronted with an overwhelming plethora of options. But how to distinguish "good" from "bad" ones?

Interestingly, despite the number of options, there are hardly any residency reviews to be found. There is one new website, ratemyartistresidency.com, that, once more people submit their experience, sounds like a promising resource. However, it will still only be one. Considering that most residencies last from two weeks up to several months and are not free, more information on what is to be expected should be available. The following are a two statements extracted from websites that highlight some positive and negative aspects of different residencies that I found after hours of research, indicating the utter lack of available information:

1. This summer, the Santa Fe Art Institute in New Mexico began a new family residency initiative, quietly but radically changing the landscape of access for artist-parents and creating an important model for other programs originally designed for single artists.  On their site, you'll find the following statement:
The SFAI recognizes the lack of residency opportunities for artists to be able to take advantage of residencies without having to leave their children behind. We are taking responsibility in doing our part to close that gap by offering an environment that supports both creative opportunities and the needs of artists with children.
http://www.culturalreproducers.org/2013/08/family-residency-initiative-santa-fe.html

2. “I went to Elsewhere in Greensboro, North Carolina, this past summer as part of their first round of Southern Constellation Fellowship recipients. Southern Constellation is a newly created residency program that is funded through the National Endowment for the Arts. Each fellow receives housing, food, and an honorarium. This is a project-based residency, so residents are expected to create work in the space that responds to its archive of materials in some way. There are a number of people, referred to as “curators,” working at Elsewhere who manage different aspects of the space. There is a production curator who handles communication with the residents and ensures that they are undertaking projects that are in line with the mission of Elsewhere. This was an interesting residency. I am not a huge fan of very rustic living situations, so if the idea of living in an old thrift shop without air conditioning for a month and sharing a shower with 8 to 12 people is not appealing, I would not recommend this one."
http://burnaway.org/importance-residencies/

I think the SFAI approach deserves our attention and points in the right direction, though there is definitely still some way to go. On the other hand I wonder why we don not see loads of "rustic living"-style criticism. Why would artists accept the status quo just like that? Maybe because a residency is a potentially career-boosting entry on their CVs, and you wouldn't goof on that. And when you're over 35  ("emerging") and beyond "nomadic" romanticized artist lifestyle, you probably abandon residencies altogether.
So, rate your residency at www.ratemyartistresidency.com!

And the answer is: Yes! The paper summed up here looks at the right and left brain hemispheres and their link to original ideas (whatever that may be).  So this is some food for the common artist's legend going back to the groundbreaking works of Ernst Kris and Otto Kurz (http://www.d498.de/oca/1104kris1.shtml) However, it is not suggested to violate your left forehead. No artistic success guaranteed! You guessed it.

Source:
www.united-academics.org/magazine/homefeat/higher-creativity-through-brain-damage

Study examines the connection betweencreativity and dishonesty. A blog posting on united-academics.org sums it up: the researchers found that creative people are more likely to cheat than less creative peopleG possibly because  creativity promotes the ability to justify behavior which in turn leads to dishonest behavior. Curiously enough the study starts with measuring creativity. 


Check it out here:
www.united-academics.org/magazine/mindwbrain/creative-people-more-likely-to-cheat

One Thamsanqa Jantjie recently made his international breakthrough as a performance artist. His appearance as a sign language interpreter for US president Barack Obama at the Nelson Mandela memorial was covered by media networks worldwide. His performance was regarded as outstanding by many critics. Not only did he fool the security, standing next to the president of the United States. The signs he made up showed wit and timeless elegance. Later, he claimed the suffer from schizophrenia, making his personal artist's legend complete. Jantjie also stated that he saw angels coming down from the sky which distracted him from a proper translation. This probably refers to the art historical motif of divine inspiration. In any case, this career move is a lesson for all emergent artists.
The performance inspired plenty viewer comments on Youtube, of which we have selected a few.


"This genius has taken the world of trollage to a whole new level. "

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"here is another philosopher! I think like that because you watch the world facts and you see what happens around the world. The facts that Africa is helpless for not other reason that the Africans. It is almost a scientific fact: wherever the Africans are, things are fucked up. No one here can name me a single example of a black nation that can sit together with any western power, white, and be compared to any of them in terms of development, economic, political stability and so on. Zero, nada, not even half. Upbringing? I think i can call this "observation" of simple facts. "

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"this is real sign langauge!!! the interpretation is below!
"I have 15,000,000.00 (fifteen million) U.S. Dollars and I want you to assist me in distributing the money to charity organizations. I agree to reward you with part of the money for your assistance, kindness and participation in this Godly project. This might come to you as a surprise and the temptation to ignore it as unserious could come into your mind but please consider it a divine wish and accept it with a deep sense of humility."

---

"Mandella has been dead since the fucking 26th of June, why is all this shit going on now?"

Journalist Reports on Fraud +++ Artist Masquerades as Outsider +++ "Art is all about Fabrication" +++ Other Artist's Reactions mixed - One says: "happens all the time",  Another: "I mean, outsider? Really?

Visual Arts writer Jen Graves of www.thestranger.com reports on an experienced US-based artist who pretends to be an "Outsider Artist", i.e. being self-taught, "authentic", new to the art scene. Except that she wasn't. She just made it all up, looking for a new marketing concept. Big Deal, you might say, but isn't it peculiar that someone deems it profitable to be an outsider artist - in 2013? It all puts a spotlight on how strong the pressure on artists has become. Or, how willingly we adopt the concept of an "artist's legend" the art world imposes on us. As a consequence, artists lie. Indeed, we all try to showcase a proper CV featuring shows at high-ranked venues. Not enough entries in the list? Add some "open studio" shows, declare something as a "project", include "private collections" featuring your work, or list your teaching experience. You need an artist's statement - why not write it yourself. Don't forget to use art-speak in abundance: "X' work inquires the visual plot of aesthetic transgression by re-framing the political rupture into a language of space". Artists lie when they apply for grants and open calls for shows with the most obscure titles. Yes, my work is about "Tangent Spaces of the Innuit People" all the time. Most of all, artists lie to themselves: Life as an artist is the only one we can imagine, we are autonomous, we are happy. We believe in solidarity among peers, we deny the fact that our shows attract but a few people - most of them friends. And as much as we rail against institutional gatekeepers and commercial success, even so we want to climb up the ladder, too. To get back to our impostor: to be an outsider artist alludes strongly to the legendary idea of artistic authenticity. Now this is, and in the history of art always has been, a contradictory notion. You're either in or out. But more important it reveals a craving to leave it all behind. Says Graves: "I left refreshed. A conversation about art without any tired jargon!" Read the full article here The Lies of the Artists

How would it look like if artists stuck to the truth? Here is an honest application for a residency where the artist was expected to live in an igloo-like fiberglass structure swimming on a lake without shower or toilet for six weeks.

Dear Curatorial Staff,

It is with a great lack of enthusiasm that I reviewed your call for the 6-week residency proposals for Indy Island. However, since Andrea Zittel is involved with it, and she is a bigger name in the art community, I feel that squatting in your fiberglass igloo for several weeks will look really good on my artist CV.

So, here is my proposal: instead of having to use the restrooms of the visitors pavilion and shower in the museum, during my residency, I would like to add a shower and toilet to the igloo. Since the materials purchased with the $3000 budget are property of the Indiana Museum of Art anyway, I think that this is a very useful long-term investment and will improve the working conditions for artists.

I am claustrophobically inclined and the idea of staying for six weeks in this small, cavern-like space with a perpetually wet floor on which I would have to sleep is anxiety inducing to me ( which in turn will cause my IBS to flare up and make frequent trips to the visitors pavilion necessary; hence the toilet on the premise). I am also a bit concerned about the food situation. There does not appear to be a fridge or some way to cook. I think that's another proposal in the making.

Overall, staying in this spot for several weeks with such limited resources (although I am glad that I will be loaned an iPad), while having to work, not seeing my family and be available for the public does not sound very appealing at all. But, I am eager to make a name for myself and I guess that means sacrifices have to be made.

Very Best.