Arts.Biz Ltd

Art Therapy as an Art Career

7th May 2012 7:38AM

What exactly is Art Therapy? To explain it briefly it is a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of communication.

Its not necessary to have any skills or experience in art to go have art therapy as the diagnosis from what they express with painting or drawing is the main concern of the therapist, not how well they can paint something. The use of art as a way to express and communicate ones thoughts and feelings is a way to show things that they may otherwise not be able to express verbally or in other ways. The whole idea is for the clients to be able to make changes and grow on a personal level through the use of the art materials in a safe environment.

A career in art therapy does not mean you need to be an artist however most art therapists do have a considerable understanding of art processes that assist their therapeutic practice; they work with both individuals and groups in a variety of residential and community based settings like adult and child mental health services, learning disabilities centres as well as places like youth and family centres, palliative care and in the prison service.

Its not an easy career by any means, as the art therapist's work is sometimes challenging and calls for skill and sensitivity and is often mentally taxing; It’s a very rewarding career however and most art therapists will tell you of the job satisfaction they get from helping others heal and recover.

To become a registered art therapist you need to have a tertiary qualification in a field such as, teaching, nursing, psychology, fine arts or art education, and a postgraduate diploma or masters degree in art therapy. Details of training institutions in NZ below

http://www.whitecliffe.ac.nz/programmes/postgraduate/maat/

Psychotherapy at AUT Auckland

Interactive Drawing Therapy - Auckland

http://www.arttherapy.co.nz/links_careerstraining.php

When it comes to Art therapy, well a picture speaks a thousand words!

http://artsbiz.wordjot.co.nz/posts/art-therapy-as-an-art-career/

How to make a Monster: The Art & Technology of Animatronics exhibition

22nd March 2012 5:12PM

Enter a world where art meets technology and animatranics brings monsters to life! This exciting exhibition is based around the various stages in the creation of monsters and creatures made for motion pictures from script writing to creature design and mechanics.

Every aspect of animatronics is included. Experiment with different lighting effects, touch the guts of the pitch black aliens, direct dinosaurs and see how mechanical eyes respond to the movements detected by motion sensors.

How to Make a Monster, the art and technology of animatronics was created by John Cox's Creature Workshop Pty Ltd.

Visual Effects Academy Award winner for Babe, John Cox has more than 35 years experience making creatures and monsters for feature films including Pitch Black, Scooby Doo, Narnia - Dawn Treader, Peter Pan, George of the Jungle 2 and Inspector Gadget 2.

Runs until 15th July 2012

Where: The Waikato Museum, 1 Grantham St, Hamilton
Cost: Adults $12, kids $6
Time: 10:30am – 4:30pm
Further Details: www.waikatomuseum.co.nz

Information provided by creativehamilton.org.nz

http://artsbiz.wordjot.co.nz/posts/how-to-make-a-monster-the-art-technology-of-animatronics-exhibit/

Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival 2012

15th February 2012 4:04PM

It’s that time of year again, where the Hamilton Gardens will be hosting a magnificent feast of arts and entertainment over 2 weeks starting this Friday the 17^th February 2012.

Head lining this year’s programme is Dame Malvina Major, who we are very proud to have back living in the Waikato. There is plenty to see and hear from the National Painting and Printmaking awards through to top comedy and music acts, plenty of theatrical productions and outdoor film events where you can sit on the lawn and watch the big screen, don’t forget to take along a deck chair and a picnic for those ones!

For more information and the full programme, check out the Hamilton Gardens arts festival site http://www.hamiltongardensartsfestival.co.nz/home/

http://artsbiz.wordjot.co.nz/posts/hamilton-gardens-arts-festival-2012/

Artist in Residence

26th January 2012 10:03AM

What Is an Artist-in-Residence? Well the specifics vary from program to program, but basically an artist-in-residence usually means you're given somewhere to live, some to money to live on, and a studio to work in for a set period of time. This can be anywhere from a week to a year. In return you may be expected to teach, donate a painting, hold an exhibition, or simply work in an open studio so people are exposed to an artist, so they can watch you at work and talk to you. Again, it varies. But doesn’t that sound great!?!

The benefit to an artist is that it takes you out of your usual routine and away from your everyday stresses. It exposes you to a new environment and your work to new people. Sometimes there are other artists in residence at the same time, sometimes you’re the only one.

You need to weigh up whether being an artist-in-residence is something you'll find beneficial as only you can decide, based on your personal circumstances like for me having a family means it is difficult to take time out form regular life. You also need to consider if your style of working will fit into what is expected of the program you may be accepted for.

So how do you find an artist-in-residence program? There are many to choose from all over the world as well as in our own backyard. The best place to look is on the internet, try using keywords such as "artist-in-residence", plus a location if you want to be somewhere specific.

For New Zealand opportunities, check out these sites –

http://www.creativenz.co.nz

http://mccahonhouse.org.nz/residency/artistsinresidence.asp

http://nzcontemporary.com/residencies/govett-brewster-art-gallery-artist-in-residence-programme/

and some overseas opportunities can be found here

http://www.resartis.org/

http://www.asianz.org.nz/our-work/arts-and-community/artist-residence-exchanges

Artists I have spoken to who have been part of such programs have benefited really well from the experience. As we all know its hard work making ends meet and being productive with your work whilst trying to not compromise your art, so things like this can take away the stress of money woes while you put all your time and energy into focusing on your art.

http://artsbiz.wordjot.co.nz/posts/artist-in-residence/

Waikato Nesian Festival 2011

26th October 2011 5:24PM

Waikato Nesian Festival is running for the third year this year and is about celebrating our diverse Pacific heritage. The festival will be held at the Caludelands Common Grounds. on Saturday 26th Novmeber 2011 10am until 4pm. Its free to attend and should be a good day out for the whole community.

Food, live performances, stalls, arts and crafts and much more will be happening through the day.

Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Maori, Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti, Solomon Islands,Tokelau, Tonga, Niue and Tuvalu are the cultures featured, if you are interested in performing or having a stall at this wonderful event please give either

Vitinia Waqairatu a call on 022 037 1013 or 07 834 1482

Papaloloa on 07 834 1482

Angeline McCormakc on 027 203 7268 or 07 9576644 or

Louisa Humphry on 027 2216704 or 07 8471107 for more information and they will rpovide you with the necessary application forms.

Check out the attached poster for more information

http://artsbiz.wordjot.co.nz/posts/waikato-nesian-festival/

Hamilton Fringe festival 2011

28th September 2011 4:31PM

Hamilton’s Fringe Festival this year is the biggest Fringe Festival ever. Over 300 local artists, performers and directors are presenting a riotous smorgasbord of art events which started on the 22^nd September and end on the 2^nd October so you need to get in quick. New and emerging talent steps up into the limelight alongside established artists in this annual celebration of our regions enviable creative abundance.

The Hamilton Fringe Festival focuses on encouraging original and explorative expression, Visual art, comedy, film, theatre, music, dance and poetry are all featured, so there is something for everyone.

York Street Studios (a place I used to hang out at in the 1980s when it was Mandrill Studios.) presents ‘York Street Studio Band Experiments which is a ‘battle of the bands’ format music competition with a twist. The event features bands of many different styles, and it has gained a solid reputation within New Zealand for choosing bands that have moved on to great success. Previous contenders include Cornerstone Roots, Katchafire, Sora Shima, Dick Dynamite & the Doppelgangers and Knights of the Dub Table. The final night of this is at Flow Bar on Friday the 30^th September at 9.00pm.

Another event not to be missed is the Glamilton Hurley Burley Burlesque Show, which is on Friday the 30th Sept and Saturday the 1st October starting at 10.00pm at the Meteor Theatre.

Bombshell Burlesque & Burlesque Divas present to you Through the Keyhole Pretty Peepshow. Originally from the late 1800s, burlesque has once again shimmied its way into popular culture. Geared toward the adult crowd this burlesque spectacle involves, cheeky comedy, vaudeville fun, glamorous costumes, sassy routines, and a hint of tease. The lovely Miss Betsy Rose Lee, who is also the Crowning Miss Burlesque NZ 2011 headlines the show. $25 presale, $30 limited door sales or $40 VIP table (6 to a table – includes glass of bubbly and cupcake. Sorry no door sales on VIP tables) Please note this is an R18 show.

All in all the Fringe festival has many delectable delights and there are oh so many that I can’t list them all here, so here is the link to their fabulous site programme page, the designs which were created by one of our clients Leighton Davies. http://hamiltonfringe.co.nz/categories/programme/

http://artsbiz.wordjot.co.nz/posts/hamilton-fringe-festival-2011/

J Stewart Art Exhibition

9th September 2011 2:59PM

One of our clients, Jamie Stewart is having his first solo art exhibition here in Hamilton and would like to extend an invitation to our subscribers to attend the opening function on Thursday the 15th September 2011 at 7.00pm.

The exhibition will be held at the old Abode building in Collingwood Street, Hamilton.

An exhibtion cultivating New Zealand Landscape and beauty.

We hope you will be able to support Jamie by visting his exhibition if you are in or around Hamilton during his exhibition which runs from the 15th to the 21st of September 2011

http://artsbiz.wordjot.co.nz/posts/j-stewart-art-exhibition/

Crowd Funding

23rd August 2011 9:04PM

All of us at times may need to get funding for our projects and anyone who has tried, successfully or not knows how difficult it can be to achieve what with budget cuts, recessions, and of course the millions of others also applying for limited funding amounts in competition with each other.

Crowd funding is the new way to get funding for your projects. The following article on The Big Idea website explains it in more depth and has some great links to other sites that you will find most useful. In a nutshell crowd funding is about getting your fans to put in small amounts of money and help build up to the required amount needed for the project. The artist/musician/actor etc. engages the fans in the process by doing things like giving them film credits etc. or like in one situation where I helped a fellow artist to attend a residency overseas, I received a share certificate, a newsletter and a postcard from her while on her overseas trip and a small artwork created from the residency as a thank you for helping make it happen.

Well worth considering if you have a large fan base you can call on and a worthwhile project that would encourage them to assist you with.

Here is the link to the article

http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/news/columns/msbehaviour/2009/jun/57204-crowdfund-your-creativity

http://artsbiz.wordjot.co.nz/posts/crowd-funding/

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

13th July 2011 9:29AM

When I teach an art class or mentor any other artists, I always advocate that they read this book. I usually also ask my art students to do the artists pages at the beginning of class if we have enough time as it helps to clear the mind and focus on being creative. Obviously the whole concept is much more complex than that which is why I am recommending it as a must read for artists, especially if suffering from an artistic block as it can help you refocus.

The basic principle is that creative expression is the natural direction of life, Julia Cameron takes you through a comprehensive twelve-week program to recover your creativity from a variety of blocks, including any limiting beliefs, fears, self-sabotage, jealousy, guilt, addictions, and other inhibiting forces, replacing them with artistic confidence and productivity.

What I got most from this course was the morning pages and artist's dates. Morning pages are three pages of writing, which sounds scary but it all depends on how big the pages are, these need to be written daily, and are about absolutely anything at all. Its not a novel or something to share with your friends, it’s a mind clearing technique that gets rid of all the stuff going on in your head, like for me, it may be what the day holds for me, exhibitions to curate, fears about how something is or isn’t working, shopping I need to get done and things I need to do with my family etc. This exercise helps overcomes your internal censor.

The artist's date is a weekly block of two hours spent observing, experiencing, and sensing what is going on around you. It’s about taking time for yourself by yourself and seeing things without the distraction of other people etc. For instance try visiting your local park or a beach both with and then without friends, you will be surprised how much more you will ‘see’ when you are on your own.

If you are struggling to focus or need that extra boost of artistic confidence then reading this book will help you along the way. Julia has a whole range of other books as well but this particular one is my must read for all artists.

http://artsbiz.wordjot.co.nz/posts/the-artists-way-by-julia-cameron-22/

But it's not a real job!

28th May 2011 2:51PM

How many times have I heard “But it’s not a real job.” Or better yet when I tell people Im an artist they ask “Ok, so what else do you do, like what’s your ‘real’ job?”

Some say that it isn’t a realistic career choice, and the myth of the “starving artist” stereotype is still very much alive and kicking? Its certainly not easy being a successful fine artist (someone who makes a living by creating original, one-off pieces of art) but some people do succeed with it. New Zealand is no different to anywhere else in that we have full time fine artists here too. Think Colin McCahon, Ralph Hotere, Michael Smithers, Dick Frizzell and so on. Being a full time artist is just like any other self employed role, you need to adjust your lifestyle to the fluctuations of the income and be prepared to do things that we call your “bread and butter.” That can be either working part time or creating a line of goods or services that sell easily and make you a regular income. I myself work part time in an art gallery and at times have taught night classes in art as well as mentored other artists to help make a regular income as well as having a merchandise range from my artwork so I can continue to practice my art and not worry about when the next big sale might be. I have been a full time artist but that’s another story, things can happen in life where you have to reassess if it’s for you or not. Working in art galleries has allowed me to see the other side of the arts business and meet people who have become influential to my art whom Id never likely to have met in my studio at home so Im reluctant to give it up. Only a handful of artists will make it to the level of the four artists I just mentioned, it takes a lot of hard work, the ability to market yourself, a lot of talent and certainly some luck is involved also. So what else can you do in the arts field?

A career in art is not limited to being a painter or sculptor. Behind every piece of art in the media or magazines for instance, there’s a graphic or commercial artist. Graphic artists put the magazines together; illustrators draw the cartoons and graphics. There are website designers and computer-graphic artists as computers don’t draw the images themselves; they’re just the tool, a modern version of a paint brush! And what about animation? There is also film, TV, and stage set building. We have world class facilities here in New Zealand, Weta Workshop for instance, who were behind Lord of the Rings and Avatar. There needs to be someone developing things like computer games and graphics for your phone, the list is endless. You can also do what I do and work in an art gallery or museum. Teaching art is a great way to stay within the creative industries and then there is also art therapy. Some artists get paid to do mural painting and we can’t forget about face painting, a summer job I did as a teenager to earn a bit of cash at a local mall.

There is also photography, interior and landscape design, shop-window design or window dressing, a job I trained in also, back in the days when I believed what I was being told in that fine art wasn’t a real a job! We need framers for our work so framing can be an option. Clothing design, look at all our successful designers in New Zealand. We always need someone to design our furniture and what about lighting design. Then there is architecture and engineering. Hairdressing is a creative sector, and yes I did that too, but again that’s another story for another day! These all require creative skills and, even if in your heart you long to be a fine artist, working in any of these fields will complement what you do at your easel in your 'own' time.

Part of being a successful artist is being able to sell yourself, good marketing skills are so important. The world will rarely come to you; they don’t know you are there, so you need to let them know you are. In this day and age a web presence is almost a must. Having a website to showcase your art allows the whole world to see you and is also useful when you want to show someone your latest work, much better than lugging a photo album around with you! I personally use webwidgets for my site. Theyre affordable, helpful and easy to use and give you the control to change things yourself, which is important for artists to be able to do.

Art will not always about making money although we need that to survive and to buy more supplies so we can keep on creating. You have to decide what's more important to you: money or having a job/career you thoroughly enjoy. Assess your priorities and make your choices accordingly. Do without rather than go into debt for a non-essential item or trip (and take a critical look at what you consider essential). Wouldn’t you rather be able to say: that you lived an interesting, creative life or that you lived in a huge house had a flash new car and the latest fashions? Would you regret not finding more time for your art?

Some people choose a job simply because it pays the bills and leaves them with plenty of time to pursue a fine-art career part time whether its in the arts industry or not and if this works for you then all good, the best of both worlds perhaps? It takes a lot of determination and hard work to make a career as a fine artist. You need to create paintings people want to buy, some see it as selling out to paint stuff that goes with someone else’s curtains. But I think you need to be realistic, if you have a studio full of work that’s not moving because it’s all your heart and soul type stuff then you’re going to have to rethink things if you want to make money from this career. I find its best to do acombination of commercial stuff and some from your heart and soul and then you are more likely to be successful. If you manage to make it to be a top artist you can paint what you want to your hearts content, make it your goal!

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