I am very excited to share that my friend, Kate Kramer, a lecturer in critical writing at the University of Pennsylvania, just published an excellent new book. (And my work is in it - woot! Thank you Kate!)
This book, "Artists Write to Work: A Practical Guide to Writing about Your Art" encompasses so much that I wish I had learned when I was an art student. Art school taught me process, technique, history, theory, critique - all great stuff - but something big was missing. I learned how to express myself in my work - but I did not learn anything about the business of art. Great art speaks for itself, right? Well, most times not nearly loud enough.
Marketing your work, and marketing yourself as an artist, is a discipline unto itself. It very often centers around the written word - artist statements, resumes, press releases, grants, calls for entry, even titling your work - effective writing is at the base of all of it.
This book, full of enthusiasm and wit, walks you through how to be an effective writer and advocate for your work - how to toot your own horn with pride and confidence. The book itself is adorable - compact in dimension, smartly designed with a bright orange ribbon to hold your page. Inside the lessons teach you how to write content for marketing your work, complete with templates, photographic examples and workbook exercises. The photos feature the works and writings of multiple artists (including me) illustrating up close how this is done.
To all of my artist friends, this is a must read. No matter how good you think you are, this will make you better. To all my art instructor friends, I highly recommend that you consider making this as a required read for your students. Please go check out the book yourself, it's for sale on Amazon: Artists Write to Work: A Practical Guide to Writing about Your Art.
Very well done, Kate! And thank you so very much - I am forever honored to be included in this staggering work of heartbreaking genius! I only wish I'd have had this 20 years ago!
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