What’s your advice for younger artists?

First, keep making art for yourself, following your passions and based on your personal experiences, feelings, thoughts, whatever. But please, make it your own. I say this because it can be very easy to be seduced into making work that seems marketable, popular or “trendy.” No one wants to see how you make art like someone else, rather they want to see what YOU are creating through your own unique lens.

Related to that is the suggestion that you should always be looking at other artists’ works. Go see as many exhibitions in person as you can even if it means traveling afar, and if you can’t do that, well even if you can, do lots of research online. This also means engage your fellow artists, ask them for studio visits and for recommendations of other artists to know and consider. In other words, please be an active member of your community. And when I say “community” I mean the larger, arts community which encompasses the local to the global. (Full disclosure, I set that charge for myself and then sometimes, well oftentimes, I get overwhelmed. How can you keep up with everything?! You can’t, and that’s ok too, just do your best to know what’s happening.)

The other suggestion I always make is to be kind and respectful to everyone you meet. The art world though big, is actually very small and you will inevitably see and interact with many of the same people at different points in your life. If you seem like a difficult or mean-spirited person to work with, well…curators talk and exchange information all the time. You don’t want to be the subject of that conversation.

Having said that, I also want to be clear and say that being “difficult” does not mean you cannot express your opinions on an installation, project, or whatever it might be with a curator or whomever you are working. Rather, make sure that your viewpoint and proposals are based on sound, thoughtful arguments which also take into consideration the curator, institution and their limitations. Like I said before, curators want you to have a unique/personal viewpoint so do engage in good, meaty conversations and exchanges.

Finally, I would say, create your own opportunities. I’ve often heard students or younger artists bemoan the lack of attention they are receiving from directors, curators, gallery dealers, whoever. That’s to be expected, accept that fact. Your job is to create those opportunities. Maybe it’s by mounting shows in spaces you create or even in your own home and then inviting others. Be proactive and creative in how you achieve that. Please know, I understand that this is an added burden of being an artist, but in reality no one is going to create opportunities for you out of the blue and certainly not with as much passion and creativity as you will for yourself. I say, embrace this “burden” and run with it.

I’ll end with more practical tips…when you have studio visits try to have at least water and a bathroom ready and waiting. When I do studio visits, especially out of town, I’ve got multiple appointments and I’m running all over. Being able to use the facilities and have some water is so welcome. Secondly, if you ask someone for a studio visit make sure you know your audience. It helps if you have done research on the person coming to visit and their institution as you can often use that information to help shape what you share and how. Thirdly, send follow up messages such as a thank you note as well as updates in a friendly, non-demanding way. I get lots of such updates and while I may not respond to all, especially if it seems like a mass message, I look at them and am aware of what this person is doing. And finally, and I think this is the most difficult, if you really want to be an artist, keep making work no matter what. The passion for making will often times be the only thing that sustains and fulfills you. If you have that passion please feed it, even when time seems short, or you’re tired. Sustained engagement with your practice is the most important thing you can do for yourself.