Explore To Inform Your Work

There is a limit to how much I will be able to teach each of you in this class, so it is imperative that you also seek information on your own. I think it can be honestly written that each of you has the goal of becoming a successful artist and conceptual thinker during your time in the DRHS Art program. Knowing that truth, it is essential that you seek to inform your own artwork by knowing what is being produced at the highest levels in both the academic and professional art arenas.

My last Blog entry introduced the artists of this the Venice Biennale, one of the most innovative and celebrated art exhibitions in the world. Hopefully, you took the time to explore the work and investigated the meaning behind the making of the imagery that was on display. Now, I would like to challenge each of you to explore some of the work that is being produced at the university level. One of the best resources for your work is the internet, as it can immediately connect you to the images and concepts that are being produced in America's most prestigious art schools.

Take the time to explore some of the online galleries of the schools that I have listed below. Look with an open mind, and do not be quick to judge what you see. Remember, the artwork in the 21st century is more often about ideas than it is about technique. As you look through these galleries ask yourself questions, and take notes on what you find interesting. It's not wrong to borrow parts of ideas for your work as long as it truly becomes "your idea" by the time you have finished with it. Here are some schools to explore:

School of Visual Arts
Rhode Island School of Design
Carnegie Mellon
Corcoran Museum School
Virginia Commonwealth University
Parsons School of Design
Savannah College of Art and Design

In addition to viewing all of these online galleries, please make a conscious effort to explore the local galleries around Richmond. Below is a list of some of the most forward-thinking galleries that Richmond has to offer:

1708 Gallery
Page Bond Gallery
Red Door Gallery
Art Space
Reynolds Gallery
ADA Gallery
Plant Zero
Gallery 5