Brief

You will be applying to one residency and two exhibition opportunities. You will identify the three opportunities that are the best fit for you, research the organizations, prepare your application and portfolio materials, and submit to the opportunities before the deadline. The exhibition opportunities can be for group or solo exhibitions, shows of your own work, or curatorial projects of the work of other artists.

For this assignment, you will upload to Learning Suite the following:

• A 100–200-word Word doc explaining how these opportunities were the best fit for you. This document should also include the language from each opportunity that outlines what the opportunity is and what they are looking for including a list of submission materials.
• A PDF of all three completed submission forms. These can be screen grabs assembled into a PDF, the submission forms as PDFs assembled into a single document, or a Word doc with your submission to these opportunities.
• A link to the portfolio(s) you used to submit to the opportunities. Make sure these are labeled so it is clear which portfolio belongs to which opportunity.

Tips

• When identifying opportunities, weigh the cost-benefit ratio. Many opportunities cost money. Some are just scams to part artists from their money, and other are legitimate. Select the opportunities that are realistic, but will get you the most bang for your buck. There are a lot of free opportunities as well.
• Physical exhibitions are generally seen in a more favorable light than online exhibitions (with the exception of internet-based art). Take that into consideration when selecting opportunities.
• Run your submission material by the instructor and/or other faculty members before sending it in to the opportunity. They can provide useful feedback on ways to best frame your work and yourself for success.
• Never wait until the last minute. Submit at least 24-hours early. Technical difficulties (computer updates, bad WiFi, crashes, lost files, etc.), misunderstood time zones, and clocks that aren’t synced can lead to disaster. In addition, late submissions tell the organization that you can’t be trusted to meet any future deadlines for exhibitions, etc.
• Build a timeline for yourself to write statements and bios, take pictures of your work, format images, assemble images, update your CV, and more. Build in some buffers for hiccups in your schedule. I always recommend a 10–15% buffer. For example, if an opportunity is three week away (21 days), make 2–3 of those days buffers in case thigns don’t go according to plan (and they never do).

Grading

Assignment grades will be based on the following:

Conceptual Concerns (45%)

Student demonstrates evidence that they understand and inventively integrate conceptual concerns. The student’s research is evident and ample given the allotted time.

• Excellent: Student demonstrates conversational familiarity with the material—making interesting connections between material.
• Average: Student is able to relate material, but not do much interesting with it.
• Below Average: Student struggles to demonstrate a grasp of the material and shows no facility in connecting ideas or new thinking.

Articulation (45%)

When selecting a thesis or POV, the student is able to succinctly and plainly build a case using good storytelling techniques.

This includes proper spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, grammar and formatting for written assignments; and annunciation, confidence and focused arguments for oral assignments.

• Excellent: Student understands modes of writing and presentation including style guides and is able to nimbly employ these tools in their writing and speaking.
• Average: Student makes some stylistic and formatting mistakes by ignoring provided guidance.
• Below Average: Student repeatedly makes the same mistakes and ignores instructor input and suggestions.

Following Instructions (10%)

The student adheres to the guidelines provided for the course and the assignment. If the paper has a particular framework, the student adheres to that framework. If an assignment is to be submitted as a Word doc on Learning Suite, the student does not email the instructor a PDF.

• Excellent: A detail-oriented student who takes instruction and fastidiously executes it within their work.
• Average: A student who misses some details because they didn't read instructions thoroughly or take proper notes when instructions were given.
• Below Average: Student ignores basic instructions and guidance given for assignments.

On-time Submission

You will lose 5 points for each 24-hour period that the assignment is late. For example, if your assignment is submitted 5 minutes late, that is within the first 24-hour period, so you lose 5 points. If your assignment is submitted 73 hours late, then you will lose 20 points.

Learning Outcomes Addressed

Professional Development Awareness

Demonstrate an awareness of and preparation for graduate studies, teaching opportunities, professional gallery work, or other art related activities connected to alternative applications, and interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary opportunities

Portfolio Development

Develop materials for presentation to art venues.

Brief

You will select one option for self-promotion from the list below and invest 20–25 hours of concentrated work creating promotional material for yourself.

• Web portfolio
• Digital promotion
  • Two new populated social media channels dedicated solely to your art
  • Set up a digital newsletter service and produce your first four unique newsletters
• Physical promotion
  • Outline a plan and budget for a physical newsletter and produce your first four unique newsletters
  • Print giveaways: pick one option and produce at least 50—business cards, postcards, zines, books, etc.
• Other: you propose an alternative to the instructor

If you create physical media, you will submit that in person to the box outside the instructor’s office by the deadline. If you create digital media, you will submit a link or links to view that media on Learning Suite. Everyone should submit a 100–200-word explanation of their choices via Learning Suite as a Word doc.

Requirements and Tips

• It is recommended that you consult with the instructor on whatever option you select so that you can make this work both for the class, and for your own art practice.
• Don’t go the cheapest route just to be cheap. This is not only an assignment, but an investment in your future. You are an artist already, so let’s make this professional. You aren’t graded on how much money you spend, but whatever you do should look and function great.
• Web portfolio option
  • You need to have at least one portfolio page with a minimum of fifteen artworks with the option to see images close to full screen, a CV that is both a web page and a downloadable PDF, an about page that includes your artist statement and bio, a link to contact you with your email listed.
  • There is a learning curve here, so don’t assume you can crank this out in a couple of days.
  • Make sure images are high resolution and of suitable dimensions for close to full-screen viewing.
  • Consider how you will organize the site for now, and how it might grow. For example, will you add categories? Will the site be organized by date, medium, exhibitions, series, etc.?
  • Select a hosting option that works for you now and in the future.
  • We offer Art 240: Print and Web Design for Studio Artists where you can learn more about coding and customizing websites, so you can further refine this site if you want.
  • It is not required that you register a custom domain name, but it is recommended to reserve/register one sooner rather than later to lock down something that works for you. You don’t want someone else stealing yourname.com if you can help it.
• Digital promotion option
  • Social Media
    • Consider which social media channels are the best fit for you, your work, and your audience(s).
    • Each social media channel should have at least 15 unique posts centered on your artwork and/or you as an artist. Each channel can feature the same works and general information, but the posts should take into account the unique qualities and flavor of the channel. Auto cross-posting is not allowed—i.e., posting to IG with an auto cross-post to Facebook.
    • Think about the type of content (I dislike that word) you prefer. Don’t just make generic posts. Make things that are engaging. For example: consider showing your process in videos; post a brief conversation you have with a friend about one of your paintings; write the story about how an artwork came about.
    • Allow the tone and format of your posts to reflect who you are and what your artwork is like.
  • Newsletter
    • Pick a service or process that will work for you. That could be an all-inclusive service like MailChimp, or something you cobble together, like managing your list via Excel or Google Sheets, and sending out emails using your own email client. Maybe even a texting service might be an option.
    • What will be the frequency of your emails and how will that shape the type of content you produce. For example, if you plan to email weekly, will it just be a single image of a work you completed with a brief story; whereas if you are sending quarterly, will you have more of a news section and a list of current and upcoming shows?
    • Think hard about ways to draw people in and engage them with your newsletters. What will be the length? Will you have recurring features like “What’s in the studio?,” or “Currently enjoying.”
    • What will be your subject lines?
    • Will you include images? How?
    • Read up on how to produce HTML emails and understand their limitations.
    • How will you submit these emails for the assignment?
• Physical promotion option
  • Newsletter
    • Outline a plan and budget for a physical newsletter—how many do you plan to produce; will they be black and white or in color; will it be a zine, a series of stickers, a one-pager, half-letter, or full sheet? Get actual quotes from printers for production costs and the post office for mailing costs.
    • What will be the frequency of your newsletters and how will that shape the type of content you produce. For example, if you plan to mail monthly, will it just be short and sweet; whereas if you are sending quarterly, will you have more of a news section and a list of current and upcoming shows?
    • Think hard about ways to draw people in and engage them with your newsletters. What will be the length? Will you have recurring features like “What’s in the studio?,” or “Currently enjoying.”
    • Will the newsletter be more like its own piece of art, or strictly informational, or somewhere in between?
    • What will the design be like? Will it be hand written and drawn, or layed out with a computer? What about the envelope? Will there be one? Will it be plain white, designed, etc.
    • There are opportunities for hand-written notes or little unique drawings. Is that something that is appropriate for your artwork, and is that something you’d invest time in?
  • Print giveaways
    • These should promote your work and provide contact information and a URL.
    • You should produce at least 50 of these. For professional printing, they may not take orders less than 100.
    • What will fit stylistically and thematically with your work? Is your work casual or formal? What color palette might befit your work?
    • Be creative about what you produce, but think strategically about how they will be used, so they don’t just get thrown away.
    • What are ways to make your information sticky, or keep you in the front of people’s minds? For example, what if a portion of your business card’s paper was embedded with flower seeds that could be torn off and planted. So, whenever the recipient looks at their garden or the plot of land outside their apartment, they see the flowers and remember you.
    • Will these be professionally printed, printed by you using a Riso/intaglio/litho/photocopy/letterpress method, or handmade?
    • There are services out there like Moo.com and Vistaprint that do decent jobs and have plenty of paper and printing options. There is also BYU Print and Mail where you can talk to actual humans and brainstorm options based on their capabilities.

Grading

Assignment grades will be based on the following:

Conceptual Concerns (45%)

Student demonstrates evidence that they understand and inventively integrate conceptual concerns. The student’s research is evident and ample given the allotted time.

• Excellent: Student demonstrates conversational familiarity with the material—making interesting connections between material.
• Average: Student is able to relate material, but not do much interesting with it.
• Below Average: Student struggles to demonstrate a grasp of the material and shows no facility in connecting ideas or new thinking.

Articulation (45%)

When selecting a thesis or POV, the student is able to succinctly and plainly build a case using good storytelling techniques.

This includes proper spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, grammar and formatting for written assignments; and annunciation, confidence and focused arguments for oral assignments.

• Excellent: Student understands modes of writing and presentation including style guides and is able to nimbly employ these tools in their writing and speaking.
• Average: Student makes some stylistic and formatting mistakes by ignoring provided guidance.
• Below Average: Student repeatedly makes the same mistakes and ignores instructor input and suggestions.

Following Instructions (10%)

The student adheres to the guidelines provided for the course and the assignment. If the paper has a particular framework, the student adheres to that framework. If an assignment is to be submitted as a Word doc on Learning Suite, the student does not email the instructor a PDF.

• Excellent: A detail-oriented student who takes instruction and fastidiously executes it within their work.
• Average: A student who misses some details because they didn't read instructions thoroughly or take proper notes when instructions were given.
• Below Average: Student ignores basic instructions and guidance given for assignments.

On-time Submission

You will lose 5 points for each 24-hour period that the assignment is late. For example, if your assignment is submitted 5 minutes late, that is within the first 24-hour period, so you lose 5 points. If your assignment is submitted 73 hours late, then you will lose 20 points.

Learning Outcomes Addressed

Professional Development Awareness

Demonstrate an awareness of and preparation for graduate studies, teaching opportunities, professional gallery work, or other art related activities connected to alternative applications, and interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary opportunities

Portfolio Development

Develop materials for presentation to art venues.

Brief

Using the Google sheet template, create a five-year plan for two main professional goals. Write the name of the each goal on each tab at the bottom of the sheet. Then place the corresponding steps in the cells above. Be creative and thoughtful about how you go about this. Add appropriate detail without getting unnecessarily granular (you don’t need to include when you plan to pay your tithing, for example). The text you have can be short, but must tell a story to the instructor so they can follow your thinking. Add comments if you need. You want this to be more than an assignment—it should be a useful tool for you to achieve your goals.

Add additional columns as necessary. Change the headers for the columns if it makes it more useful to you.

For this assignment, you will upload to Learning Suite the link to your Google sheet that houses your Five-year Plan. Be sure to change the share settings of the document to “Anyone with the link can edit.”

Tips

• Consider the various steps that will help you get to where you want to be.
• Challenge yourself while remaining reasonable.
• Consider that there will be more detail that you are not capturing, but should be mindful of in order to keep up with your plan. For example, on the “Example” tab, I indicate that I will apply to two exhibitions quarterly. This is easily attainable, but it means I need to be constantly researching opportunities so that I can keep up with the applications.
• The goals you pick should be professional goals. Do not include “Get Married” as a goal. You may include that as a step within a larger goal, if it is pertinent—having a partner that is bringing home the bacon can be an important consideration—but your goals should be related to your professional aspirations.
• Use this and hold yourself accountable. Make alterations if necessary as you go so it remains relevant and helpful.

Grading

Assignment grades will be based on the following:

Conceptual Concerns (45%)

Student demonstrates evidence that they understand and inventively integrate conceptual concerns. The student’s research is evident and ample given the allotted time.

• Excellent: Student demonstrates conversational familiarity with the material—making interesting connections between material.
• Average: Student is able to relate material, but not do much interesting with it.
• Below Average: Student struggles to demonstrate a grasp of the material and shows no facility in connecting ideas or new thinking.

Articulation (45%)

When selecting a thesis or POV, the student is able to succinctly and plainly build a case using good storytelling techniques.

This includes proper spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, grammar and formatting for written assignments; and annunciation, confidence and focused arguments for oral assignments.

• Excellent: Student understands modes of writing and presentation including style guides and is able to nimbly employ these tools in their writing and speaking.
• Average: Student makes some stylistic and formatting mistakes by ignoring provided guidance.
• Below Average: Student repeatedly makes the same mistakes and ignores instructor input and suggestions.

Following Instructions (10%)

The student adheres to the guidelines provided for the course and the assignment. If the paper has a particular framework, the student adheres to that framework. If an assignment is to be submitted as a Word doc on Learning Suite, the student does not email the instructor a PDF.

• Excellent: A detail-oriented student who takes instruction and fastidiously executes it within their work.
• Average: A student who misses some details because they didn't read instructions thoroughly or take proper notes when instructions were given.
• Below Average: Student ignores basic instructions and guidance given for assignments.

On-time Submission

You will lose 5 points for each 24-hour period that the assignment is late. For example, if your assignment is submitted 5 minutes late, that is within the first 24-hour period, so you lose 5 points. If your assignment is submitted 73 hours late, then you will lose 20 points.

Learning Outcomes Addressed

Professional Development Awareness

Demonstrate an awareness of and preparation for graduate studies, teaching opportunities, professional gallery work, or other art related activities connected to alternative applications, and interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary opportunities

Portfolio Development

Develop materials for presentation to art venues.