"Today I'm out wandering, turning my skull into a cup for others to drink wine from. In this town somewhere there sits a calm, intelligent man, who doesn't know what he's about to do!"
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There are many types of registries, but the one I am a part of is like a reference guide of artists (via Chicago Artist Coalition). It's a terrific tool for artists...even on the fundamental level of forcing you to organize your materials: proper documentation of your work, all the necessary accompaniments (resume, statement, pricing, etc.) All of this organizational stuff is daunting to pull together, but in CAC's registry, it seemed like a logical marketing tool and also because they offered it as a benefit to members (albeit there is a fee). more...

Having a website that I built from scratch and maintaining it as often as possible is probably one of the most beneficial things that one could do. During grad school, I was still rather unfamiliar with simple things like working with Photoshop to get my artwork documented and ready for print. Just getting out of the studio to spend a few minutes on sending out email was a chore and was not really considered as a useful networking tool at the time. more...

The beginning of my international career in art was established in the 80's at the Rekwizytornia (The Property Room) Gallery, at the Contemporary Theatre in Wroclaw/Poland. At the time I was organizing many international exhibitions including presentations of legendary Richard Demarco, Director of the Edinburgh International Festival of Music, Drama and Dance from Scotland and Jurgen Blum Kwiatkowski, Director of the Museum Modern Art Hunfeld from Germany. I also organized exhibitions of Italian artistic group from Bergamo, and other artists from Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden. more...

There are many challenges to being an artist and making time for studio practice is one of the most difficult. As I've matured, my life has become increasingly complex with responsibilities as a parent, teacher, homeowner, perpetual home restorer and most recently, Chair of the Department of Art Theory and Practice at Northwestern University. Balancing multiple commitments is a little like spinning plates on sticks, equal parts skill and dumb luck. I have developed a few strategies that help sustain my studio practice and insure that I have 5-6 hour blocks of time to focus on my work. To preserve this time, I make careful choices about what I have to do. It means that things that I would like to do, or should do, often remain on the "to do" list for months at a time. more...

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I literally put the artwork into the public domain (invited or not). For some time, I have been producing projects that are designed to function in public spaces in addition to my straight documentary efforts. These artworks are not traditional public sculpture or murals, but are more aligned with the Message in a Bottle concept – ephemeral, require response, and free to take home for the random passerby. more...

“Momma, don’t let your babies grow up to be artists”, somebody once wrote. And...what?...it was “Cowboys”?
”Don’t let your babies grow up to be COWBOYS”
Are you sure? I would have sworn it was artists.
It’s a lot tougher being an artist - in Chicago at least - than being a
cowboy. And if you think it’s tough being an artist, try being a Black one.
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My mother always told me that it is better to be safe than sorry. Though Mama doesn’t always know best, these are words to live by.
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