Artist Story: Sara Schnadt

I love artist networks and contributing to infrastructure that supports artists to thrive. This is why I am CAR’s co-founder and artist-techie. As an unexpected outcome, though, I have had the amazing opportunity to grow my own art network like never before. In fact, there have been several unexpected outcomes that have defined my own art practice. As you might imagine, my understanding of professional practice has deepened, affecting how I approach my work and my career. Also, my work has grown in scale and complexity as I have learned at CAR to think big, manage learning curves, and implement elaborate projects. And lastly, participating in national dialogue about technology innovation for CAR (at conferences and meetings on the cutting edge of new trends) has influenced the subject matter of my work as well.

 

CAR’s influence served me particularly well recently when I participated in the Chicago Loop Alliance's new Pop-Up Art Loop program as one of their two pilot projects. Here’s how….

 

Working for CAR, and being exposed every day to so many great artist stories, resources, and best practices has caused me to be proactive and thorough when responding to opportunities that come my way. Because of this, when I was asked (as a former participant in the MCA's 12x12 series) to bring a version of my studio to the MCA for their works-in-progress series and talk to the public about my work, I did just that. I literally brought most of my studio and set it up on the ground floor of the museum. This was a great experience, and made for all sorts of rich dialogue with the public, who were delighted to see an artist’s studio.

When another former 12x12 artist stopped by whom I didn’t know and spoke to only briefly, he was also able to get a great sense of my work. A few months later, when his gallery asked him to recommend artists for a one-off project, he suggested me. And then, in turn, when the president of the Loop Alliance asked this gallery (where he also shows) for recommendations for their pilot program, I was suggested. As a pilot project for this new effort to vitalize unused storefronts in the Loop with temporary artist projects and galleries, the press has been amazing, with features in Time Out, The Sun Times, and a spot on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight . They even made a short film about my piece!

I share this story because it is my experience with CAR that has taught me to have the kind of follow-through that has, time and again, incited a fortuitous series of events. This is the most serendipitous one so far, and certainly the most visible. You just never know where showing up fully for your art will lead.

During the planning and install period for the show, project management skills were a life saver. Confirming a space for my piece took several false starts due to potential spaces getting leads on permanent renters. We got the go ahead on a Wednesday evening, and due to our extended timeline securing a space, were due to open the following Tuesday. And, as mentioned before, I have a day job.  

I had a piece developing in my studio that was a great fit for a storefront space at the time that I was approached in October for the show to open for the holidays. However, since I make large-scale site-specific installation, I didn’t commit to the project until I had seen the final space and agreed on a budget for building my piece for that particular space. I wanted to be sure I could deliver a strong piece and that I wouldn’t overextend myself in the process. 

Over the 45 evening and weekend hours I spent installing between Thursday and Monday, the following were the most helpful project management strategies I relied on: First, plan out the entire process. Then figure out which elements you can delegate and get help with. Then, make sure you schedule quiet solo time at the beginning and the end of the project for creative decision-making. And, as with any process of making something entirely new, build in a generous buffer of time for things to go differently than you expect. I did all of these things, and with the help of three very kind friends, the install was smooth, relaxed most of the time, and actually very fun.

After the piece was up, my art network and outreach experience really kicked in. As a pilot project, my piece did not have an opening reception. There was also no established audience as the whole idea is very new here in Chicago, and the venue itself (unlike a regular gallery) has no built-in art audience either. Alongside the Loop Alliance’s successful efforts to grow an audience through great press (an effort which took hold toward the end of our opening month), I sent out emails to my own mailing list (which includes lots of local artists and curators and administrators because of my interaction with them through CAR).

I sent an announcement for the show and later the film, and made regular Facebook and Twitter updates. I also made sure to be out and about at openings all month and produced a postcard to hand out when my work came up in conversation. This all took quite a bit of time and energy and happened directly after the install. But I considered it a gesture of respect for my own investment thus far—and for this great new program—to do my due diligence making the piece visible. I also have had such an amazing time being part of many and varied local art dialogues because of CAR, and I wanted to make the effort to include this new piece in the conversation.

Aesthetically, the piece I created, Network, is all about the idea of existing simultaneously in an ordinary and a virtual space. You can see it on my website and in the short film. My understanding of network visualizations, technology research (required for many of my art projects now), and accessible visualization of technology concepts are all very much at play, and front and center in my imagination because of constant stimulus from CAR. At the end of January, for example, because of both my art practice and my work for CAR, I got to attend an invitational technology open conference hosted by Google here in Chicago for technology innovators and creative entrepreneurs. This kind of experience is so inspiring for my work, as is the ongoing technical visioning for the development of CAR.

Although all the activity ended up being a bit much for one month (I had another show, a site specific piece Network Hub for the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare also go up in December), it’s rewarding to see that my work with CAR is invaluable to my practice. I also value the work for its own sake and find it extremely satisfying. But December’s activity has prompted me to adjust my schedule to a four-day week so that I can have more balance in my time to go along with the complementary nature of being an artist and working for CAR. This is a huge step for me personally and artistically, and I am looking forward to seeing how both practices unfold in this new configuration and continue to cross-fertilize.

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Pop-Up Art Loop will be expanding the number of active galleries with the goal of having upwards of 20 downtown by the spring. They have begun an open proposal process and are working with local art professionals and curators to review. To find out more about participating, see the Call for Artists on CAR and visit PopUpArtLoop.com.

Sara Schnadt is a Chicago-based artist working in new media, installation, and performance art. She has shown her work locally in a temporary storefront gallery with Pop-Up Art Loop, 12x12: New Artists New Work at the MCA Chicago, Looptopia, Site Unseen Performance Festival, with Balloon Contemporary, and at Antena Gallery. National and international shows include Exchange Rate public projection series in LA and New York, Upgrade! - Chain Reaction in Skopje, Macedonia, CINEA Paris, FreeManifesta in Frankfurt, and the Busan Biennale in Busan, South Korea. Sara is a recipient of the Illinois Arts Council Fellowship and Special Projects Grant. Sara also co-curates the IN>TIME Performance Series and is co-founder and webmaster for Chicago Artists Resource website at the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.