I am excited to be taking part in the 6x6 Summer Blog Tour, which has been arranged by Baang and Burne Contemporary. As a nomadic artist the concept behind Baang & Bourne and their unique approach to exhibitions appeals to my senses.
I asked the director Kesha Bruce, keshabrucestudio, some questions to find out more:
- On your website you ask the question “What if there were no more art galleries?” why do you feel this question needs to be asked?
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| Kesha Bruce |
Too many artists are stuck in the mindset that all they need to do is to find a gallery to represent them and then all their career problems will be solved. It’s an old art world myth that keeps getting perpetuated from generation to generation of artists. In reality, it rarely works that way. Gallery’s come and go, sales slow to a crawl, or as we’ve seen recently, many galleries go out of business. That leaves artists in a very vulnerable position if they don’t already have a solid marketing plan of their own in addition to working with galleries. It’s a dangerous thing to hand responsibility for your career over to someone else. If an artist wants to have a successful career over the long term they have to understand that they need to take charge of the marketing and selling of their work.
- As part of 6x6, you are having a web-work marathon. I have never heard of this, so could you tell me what it is and how it can benefit artists such as myself?
One of the things artists still find most difficult is getting an effective website up and running. For 6x6 we’ve teamed up with a company that gives website building workshops especially for artists. You come with your laptop, images, and your artist statement, and you leave with a fully built and functioning website.
In addition to the website we’re hosting a discussion panel and a workshop to help artists understand what exactly goes into building a website that not only displays their work, but one that functions in a way that can build relationships and ultimately their collector base.
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| Charlie Grosso |
- Your upcoming event 6x6 is described as the art version of a music festival, what does that mean and why have you taken this approach?
My business partner, Charlie Grosso, and I have always believed that the art world should take a few pointers from the music industry in terms of bringing audiences and artists together in a relaxed, fun, and really enjoyable way. At a rock musical festival people who love music come to see several different groups, take home all the sounds, and then go home with music dancing in their head. That’s exactly what we intend to do with 6x6. Everyone who attends will get to see the work meet the artists and even take part in a workshop or attend a panel discussion. It’s about being interactive and making the art viewing experience more personal and less passive. Art should be more rock’n roll!
Checkout: http://www.keshabrucestudio.com
Baang + Burne website: http://baangandburne.com/
To read Kesha’s weekly articles on art, art marketing, and creativity and to download a free copy of her guide “The 5 Step Art Career Make-Over” visit www.KeshaBrucestudio.com.
