For Hire or For Vanity

Jan 28th, 2013
by Jane.

For me, 2012 was the ‘year of the venue’. It was a year of intensive venue research, exhibition proposal writing and gut-wrenching refusals in the search for venues for my curatorial project, This ‘Me’ of Mine. It was also, curiously, a year of increased contact from galleries wanting me to exhibit with them. And before the flutter of excitement starts at the romantic thought of galleries beating a path to the door, let me clarify – they were all vanity galleries.

I’ve always had a very clear notion of venues to avoid, namely ones that charge me to exhibit. However, this year has taught me some very valuable lessons on this point and I’ve learned it isn’t as clear cut as that. There is a difference between vanity galleries and galleries for hire – important differences you should pay attention to in your own search for venues. ‘For Hire’ is not necessarily money spent in vain.

The key difference is in the kind of space each venue offers. A vanity gallery will often offer you a room, a wall, or square footage/meterage in conjunction with lots of other artists who have been offered the same deal for space – indication: a hodgepodge of work with no clear theme. They may even offer a full gallery space, but rarely is there any marketing support or promotion or any other kind of services to help you present your exhibition. You’ll be given the keys and you’re on your own; sweep the floor, fill the holes and turn off the lights before you lock the door and hand over the key.

Hire galleries should offer the whole gallery to your project. They will support you to varying degrees, depending on their own resources. They may offer promotional & press contacts, technical support for installation, web & email promotion, private view bar, invigilation, and arrange key contacts for public outreach events related to your project. In short, they become partners in presenting your exhibition; an immense value to you and your vision. Another difference is in their business structure. Hire galleries often are charities and the fees they charge for their space is part of their income. They often are engaged in education, community development and other socially worthwhile causes. Vanity galleries are strictly for profit.

Arguably, the most important difference between a vanity gallery and a hire space is reputation. Vanity galleries are given no credence in serious art communities and exhibiting with one will do your career no favours, you will not be taken seriously – period. Hire spaces often are integral to their local communities and are respected by professionals in the arts community. Exhibiting with an artist-led hire space is an important building block in the positive development of your career.

Here are some key points to look for in identifying a hire space from a vanity gallery:

Hire Spaces offer…

  • Charitable status
  • Funding from national or local arts councils
  • Partners with universities, art colleges or other arts organisations
  • Respected reputation amongst arts community
  • Quality exhibitions rotating on a regular schedule
  • An exhibition selection committee
  • Key contact person as liaison & support
  • Some level of support for promoting your project
  • Sharing of contacts & information needed to help you promote your project
  • Some level of technical support, even if it is only supplying filler & paint after your exhibition comes down
  • History of critical review in local and regional press

Vanity Galleries offer…

  • An allocated space for your work within the gallery or
  • A defined number of pieces allowed for exhibit for a certain amount of money
  • Promise to market & promote to gallery list, though list is not likely to be shared with you
  • Poor reputation amongst other artists and arts community in general
  • High rates and/or short exhibition time
  • No support
  • No reviews

Generally, if you feel like you are being sold space; it’s likely a vanity gallery. If you feel like your project is being considered on its merits for an appropriate mix with the gallery’s mandate; it’s likely a hire space. If you’re still not sure whether the gallery is reputable, talk to some of the artists who’ve exhibited there, search online for comments on the space or reviews of past exhibitions, ask your local arts council or other arts organisations in the area and you will quickly learn whether it is a space you should embrace or avoid.

Further Reading:

- Michelle Aragón defines the differences between gallery types on her art scene today site.

- Joanne Mattera discusses the pros and cons of co-op galleries and vanity galleries in her blog post: Marketing-Mondays: Co-op Galleries, Yes. Vanity Galleries, No.

- And Brian Sherwin debunks one artist’s list of benefits from a vanity gallery experience in his article, Vanity Gallery – art scam or art opportunity.

Note: These views are from art scenes in the US where vanity galleries are more prevalent. However, these views and opinions also offer some interesting insights into issues of running an artist cooperative in addition to views on the debate of vanity vs. hire (or co-op as the case may be).

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A Good Proposal

Sep 10th, 2012
by Jane.

image for A Good Proposal (c)2012 Jane Boyer

Writing a proposal is a particular form of writing – concise and precise is the key.  Whether you are writing a proposal for your own project or for someone else there are certain guidelines to follow for success.  Proposal writing requires summation, stating key points, giving planning details to realise the project and description of concepts, needs and people or work involved.  In short, it’s a presentation in writing.  Proposals are rigidly structured documents and you will be required to follow the structure exactly, there is no room for ‘fancy’ in proposal writing.  However, good writing is paramount.

Proposals take time.  They should be well researched and seriously considered in order to convey the important aspects of your project.  The language used in proposal writing is different too.  Often it requires a neutral voice, not the first person.  For example:  ‘The project will be funded by….’ rather than, ‘I will fund the project by….’   Your ego and self-identity which is visible by using the first person ‘I’ should not factor in the proposal except where your background is stated and that should be factual in nature.  It simply is annoying to read, ‘I’, ‘I’, ‘I’ throughout a proposal, so keep it neutral.

The form of a proposal changes with the purpose, many elements are the same but may carry different significance depending on what the proposal is for.  For example, an exhibition proposal is focused on the exhibition premise, artists, artworks and the exhibition presentation; a budget is considered as supporting material often.  However, a grant proposal requires detailed attention to the budget for a project and is one of the main elements in the proposal; artists and artworks may be considered as supplementary.  So pay attention to the requirement and the focus of each kind of proposal.

The main points of any proposal:

 Summary

 Aims & Objectives

 Project Plan

 Who is involved & what do they bring to the project

You may be given a proposal application form to fill out.  Follow the directions and the word count exactly – do not exceed a word count limit.  This is often a challenge and one of the reasons to give yourself plenty of time.  Fill out the form as fully as possible; this should be in its entirety.  If there is a section you cannot fill out, communicate with someone from the destination organisation to get help with the section and briefly write in the application why you have no information to give for the section.  This reason should be acceptable with the organisation before you state it.  DO NOT LEAVE IT BLANK.  Often a section requires an attachment, for example a list of images, write ‘See Attached’.  Be sure your attached information is professionally presented on your letterhead with your name and full contact details, the project name and a page title to identify it, such as IMAGE LIST.  You want to be sure any loose papers can be easily identified and reassembled with the proposal application.

If you are not given a proposal form, you will need to create your own proposal presentation.  Each page in the presentation should be identified with you and the project title so nothing gets lost; chances are you will be sending loose unbound pages in a folder.  Use your full letterhead for the cover letter and then use a more subtle letterhead version for the following pages.  If you have a snazzy letterhead design you don’t want to give your assessor a headache by page three.  Think about how you would receive the pages if you were the assessor and lay them out accordingly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Generally speaking, these are the main points of any proposal:

-          Summary

This should be one to three short paragraphs giving an overview of the project and its goals.  It should contain background information or questions which have inspired or informed the project, what you intend to do and present as part of the project, what form the project will take and what you hope to achieve as a result.  It is the first thing an assessor will read and often the assessment will stop there.  So be through but concise, poignant and informative; encapsulate the whole history of the project from conception to desired future outcome, naming the most important aspects of the project and its goals – do it within 300 words.

-          Aims & Objectives

These should be three or four bullet point sentences stating the goals you wish to achieve through the project.  Keep them succinct and direct.  They should be straightforward and achievable with no flowery fussiness.  This is common sense talk for the project.

-          Project Plan

  • What is your plan?
  • How are you going to achieve it?
  • How are you going to assess the results?
  • What is your timetable for the project?
  • What do you need to realise the project?

This is the nitty-gritty of your proposal and the answers to these questions will need to be clearly stated and achievable.

-          Who is involved and what do they bring to the project?

This may be the group of artists you are working with, speakers on a symposium panel, venue partners, supporters or sponsors for the project or anyone else who has a stake in your project.  Think of this as an introduction, you should briefly give background, credentials and perhaps one major achievement if it is pertinent to their participation in your project.  You may also need to give contact information for these people so be sure you have their permission to be named in the proposal.

Other points which may factor into your proposal:

-          Your background details and experience

-          Special instructions for installation, transport or anything else requiring special explanation

-          Balanced budget

-          Background or inspiration for the project

See the ‘Further Reading’ section below to find examples for writing exhibition proposals, grant proposals and sponsorship proposals.

Good luck!

Exhibition Proposals with a Punch by Cindi Huss gives insightful information on how to write an exhibition proposal and is an excellent guide.

Grant Space offers a huge amount of information on writing grant proposals and related issues from just this one page! The information on grants available through Grant Space will be most useful to readers in the USA.

Vivek Singh offers good advice on how to win sponsorship money in his blog All About Presentations. He covers the basics of what should be in a sponsorship proposal and offers a free Sponsorship Proposal Template download. This is from a business perspective but the concepts are the same for the arts.

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Reading Room curated by Becky Huff Hunter

Jul 3rd, 2012
by Jane.

Carol Mavor film stillOpening July 6th at Little Berlin in Philadelphia, Reading Room, curated by Becky Huff Hunter, traces intersections between art and writing through film, audio, performance, text, painting and blogging.  This exhibition explores some of the ways in which contemporary visual artists, poets, writers, and scholars practice in the rich seam between art and writing. Focusing on works with particular sensual, personal, or material immediacy, Reading Room seeks balance between expression and analysis.

The show includes a short film made as a way of “getting lost” in art historical research; symbols and text incorporated into dyed silk history painting; a painter’s searchingly honest blog; poems made in response to post-impressionist portraits of women; a tribute to a beloved grandmother translated into scratchy, makeshift Welsh; and audio/video performance around reading objects, sleep, and everyday life.  This exhibition is a wonderful opportunity to see work by respected British and American artists in a Philadelphia artist-led space.  British contributors include Tamarin Norwood fresh from her Tate Britain performance series, and Gillian Allnutt, a TS Elliott Prize shortlisted poet.

Artists and Writers
Gillian Allnutt | Anthony Boswell | Emily Erb | Beth Lewis | Carol Mavor | Tamarin Norwood

OPENING: First Friday, July 6th from 6-10PM

EXHIBITION DATES: July 6-29

Performance: AVATARS by Matt Kalasky, an artist and arts facilitator living in Philadelphia, USA, who currently serves as the Director and Chief Editor of the online arts, culture and media publication: The Nicola Midnight St.Claire.

“By June of 1992, Palvis and Kremen were exchanging electronic messages nearly everyday. Sometimes more. On June 5th they put forth a 77 message foray. Discussing everything from Hollywood Picture’s recently released Encino Man (Gary making a rather convoluted argument concerning Marxist labor alienation and the prehistoric id) to local Fresno politics,baseball, restaurants, and finally pizza toppings. The average length between messages was 13 minutes…”          from AVATARS

Other Events: There will also be an art writing workshop and a closing panel discussion featuring novelist Rachel Pastan, philosopher BJ Elicker, and some of the show’s artists.

Little Berlin is located in the Viking Mill, a historic textile-mill turned artist space in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia located at Boston St. at Coral St. – enter through the courtyard at Coral St.

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The Art of Interviewing

Jun 18th, 2012
by Jane.

Image for The Art of Interviewing

I’ve been involved with a lot of interviews lately, both reading and writing them.  I must admit some of the interview styles I’ve encountered recently have been less than enlightening.  Writing a good interview involves active listening, insight and empathy with your subject – and lots of background research.  Here are some tips on conducting and writing a good interview:

Know your subject – do as much research into your interviewee’s background, practice and other relevant information as you can.  Read existing reviews, essays, articles and other interviews written about them and also read the texts they have written.  You want to have a good grounding and general understanding of who they are, what they do, how they view their world and how their world views them.  The more you know the better your questions will be.

Ask the questions which pop up as you research – this may be obvious, but don’t let those little sparks get lost as you read.  In the course of doing research you are bound to come across ambiguities, contradictions and things left unsaid – ‘grey areas’.  If a question pops up as you’re researching, write it down, even if it isn’t a fully formed thought in your mind, you can adjust it later.  This ‘grey area’ information can be the seed for an interesting interview.  After all, you don’t want to just ask the same questions someone else has already asked; you want your questions to be insightful and thought provoking for both your subject and your readers.

Wear your critical hat – conducting an interesting interview is akin to writing an exhibition review; you should bring the same critical thinking to bear.  Carefully consider your subject’s work and allow your own insights into their work to form your questions.  Challenge your subject – respectfully; she will prefer that to sugary sweet compliments or attacking belligerence.  Sincere compliments and straight forward questions will be appreciated. Your subject has worked hard to build their career; they’ll be up for the challenge of thoughtful questions on their practice and they will respect you for the background research you’ve done into their career.

Be interested in your subject – this may not always be possible, especially if you have been given an assignment to interview someone you don’t know, but making the effort to find an interesting aspect in your subject’s career will work in your favour.  It is painfully obvious when an interviewer is not interested in their subject; the interviewee is bored, the interviewer is bored, the conversation is lacklustre and the written interview is dismal.  Don’t do it to yourself, find something of interest and build the interview around it.

Prepare your questions in advance – interviews are best when the discussion is lively, however that takes a great deal of trust on both sides and is often indicative of a strong existing relationship.  If you are a good conversationalist you may be able to conduct this kind of interview with ease, but if conversation doesn’t come easily to you it’s best to prepare your questions in advance.  Even if you are good at conversation, I would suggest preparing questions in advance.  You want to stay on course and to the point of your topic.

Listen – you are giving your subject a chance to speak in depth about their work.  You’re asking for their opinions and points of view, listen to them.  What they tell you may encourage further questions or different questions, be flexible and go with that improvisation.  It may be the golden nugget for your interview.  Even if you are conducting a written interview via email, adjust your questions according to the responses you receive when needed.  An interview is a conversation and you want to facilitate that as much as possible.

And finally some basic information on tools, place and style: 

~ Use good reliable recording equipment so you can focus on the conversation, taking notes can be a distraction, and be sure your subject has agreed in advance to a recorded interview.  It is especially important to inform your subject of being recorded if you are conducting a phone interview – this often is a legal requirement.

~ Choose a quiet relaxed setting for your interview if you can; sitting comfortably will help ease tension.  Stay relaxed even if your stomach is riding a beast roller coaster; your nervousness will make your subject nervous.  Maintain open body language and make eye contact, this will help both of you to relax and converse.

~ When conducting a written interview, make sure your questions are expressed clearly in good understandable English – this is not the place to show off your big word vocabulary.  But having said that, match your tone and intelligence to that of your subject.  You want to meet toe to toe and talk about issues that matter to the person you’re interviewing, the interview and to you.

 

Further reading:

Shreyasi Majumdar writes a good basic article on conducting a journalistic interview, and Emily Lytle talks about nerves and the importance of being prepared when interviewing artists – falling off the chair and playing dead is not recommended!  Mitch Joel presents an interview style which is relaxed and ‘heart to heart’.  By the way, his blog is an interesting one for following the world of digital marketing and media connection.

 

 

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What’s time got to do with it?

May 23rd, 2012
by Jane.

I’ll be in London for the next two weeks on curating business. If you’re in London and are free Friday May 25th, come to the PV for:

What's time got to do with it? poster

Independent artist and curator, Jane Boyer, invites the artists of Rejected, to ask ‘What’s time got to do with it?  In an unusual move of inviting artists from one show to continue in another of a different, but related theme, Boyer has continued the celebration of rejection to include a second chance for work which has passed its ‘use by’ date.  “All of us have work we’ve shoved in a corner and is gathering dust because we feel it’s no longer current,” says Boyer.  “But who decided that,” she continues, “a work of art is best judged by other criteria not the artificial limitation of a date.”

On the heels of Rejected, a show celebrating rejection at A-side B-side Gallery, comes ‘What’s time got to do with it?’ a show which removes the artificial  limitation of a creation date at Core@Nolias Gallery.  Art once created with passion deserves a second chance for the limelight.

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How to Write an Exhibition Review, Part 2

May 2nd, 2012
by Jane.

Right.  You’ve been to the exhibition, you’ve considered the artwork and presentation, you’ve taken copious notes, now you’re ready to put it all together.  If you are working with magazine style specifications follow those instructions exactly; your editor will count on you to deliver articles that meet the style specs.  If you don’t have those guidelines, head the article with this information laid out on your professional letterhead:
Your Name: Exhibition Title
Venue Name
Website
Venue Address
Exhibition Dates

An exhibition review is roughly 800 words, some magazines require fewer words and some allow more.  It has a basic structure of introduction, discussion, and closing information.  Introduce the exhibition by communicating the show premise as stated by the curator.  Present the curator and her relationship to the premise, the exhibition and/or the venue bringing in background career information which is relevant to the situation.  Introduce the artists chosen by the curator stating the artists’ relationship to the premise and/or reasons why the curator chose them.  If it is a large show with a lot of artists, introduce them as the group, school or historical period they’re with then talk about individuals in the body of your review.  The introduction is also the place to introduce your review theme.  If you see a different angle on the premise or a sub-text which is suggested by the show but not discussed, or simply your agreement or disagreement with the premise; whatever your take on the show, state it here.  This will lead you into the body of your review and discussion of the works.  All this should happen in the first paragraph or two.

When discussing the work, a good place to start is with what you find most striking.  Be sure to ‘situate’ the artwork by clearly describing the work, what the artists intentions were for the piece, and place it historically by date and artistic movement.  While describing artwork is vital to a review, don’t make the fatal mistake of stopping at the description – add your own insights, comments and opinions; these should build on the review theme presented in your introduction.  Your insights are the reason people will read your review.  You’re making a case for or against the exhibition and to do so properly, it is important to give examples and reasons.  It’s not necessary to talk about every piece of art in the show, just discuss the ones pertinent to your theme.  A good fleshy theme will present several examples and sound reasoning which moves the reader through the exhibition.

End the review by giving some background on the venue if your audience is unlikely to be familiar with it, including the relationship to the curator, artists or exhibition, if noteworthy.  Give touring information if the show travels or info on other events or products scheduled with the exhibition.  You could also mention any major awards pending or just received by the artists, curator or venue.

It’s likely you will be sending images with your review.  Be sure they are sized and formatted correctly for you magazine or on-line destination.  You should also type up corresponding caption information to accompany your review; make sure this information is titled in such a way that obviously relates to the information in the image file names. It’s no good naming your first caption #1a when there is no #1a in the file name of the image. Be sure to duplicate the exhibition information at the top of the page so the caption list can be easily identified with your review.

Caption information should include:
Artist Name
Title of Work
Date of Work
Medium
Dimensions
Courtesy of the Artist and Gallery Name
Photographer’s Credit

It’s likely all this information will be contained in the file name of the image.

So that’s it!  Good luck and happy reviewing.

Further Reading:

In a short comparison of styles, Megan Abrahams writes a well-balanced piece on L.A. RAW: Abject Expressionism.  Patricia Cronin reviews the same exhibition presenting an insightful and well developed thematic viewpoint of the premise.  Her review pulls out the ‘abject’ palpably while furnishing important historical information and relationships.

 

 

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How to Write an Exhibition Review, Part 1

Apr 19th, 2012
by Jane.

Writing an exhibition review is an important and rewarding activity for an artist and essential for an aspiring art writer.  For an artist, writing from the ‘other side’ will shed light on your own practice in ways you wouldn’t expect and for a writer; the exhibition review is the cornerstone of your writing career.  It’s not as hard as it may seem, especially with some pointers.

Part 1 covers the things you should consider when looking at the show.

Before You Go:
-          Look through event listings to see what’s on and choose something that  grabs your attention.  Writing about something that intrigues you is a good place to start.
-          Find out who the press contact is and make a date with the gallery or museum to review the show.  Be on time, look professional and be sure you have a business card to leave with the press manager.
-          Have everything you need to take notes or record your thoughts as you walk through the exhibit.  Plan to spend as much time as you need and go alone this is business, not an afternoon looking at art.
-          Research the exhibition and the background of the curator and the artists; you should be familiar with the show premise and the individuals involved.

When You Arrive:
-          Take note of your first impressions of the space, the work and the presentation, these may contribute to an important aspect of your review.
-          The press manager may or may not walk the show with you, go along with either situation.  Make the most of their presence by asking questions, but then ask to be left alone to consider the show and take your time.  I’ve spent as much as five hours considering a show.   The amount of consideration you give to the work will be evident in your review.  If you need to go back, do so.

Walk the Show:
After you’ve spent time with the press manager and absorbed their slant on the exhibition, start again from the beginning – literally.  These are the things to consider as you look:

What strikes me?
-          Do the works relate well to the show premise?
-          Have the curators developed relationships well?
-          Do these relationships further the show premise?
-          Does the premise relate to current or past art practice?
-          How is it relevant to art history?
-          Are the artworks well crafted?
-          Is it easy to view the works?
-          Does the gallery space facilitate the show experience?
-          Does the space create a relationship to the work/premise?
-          What is the reaction of other viewers to the show?

What are the artists saying in their work?
-          Read the artist’s supporting materials and consider what the artist is doing.
-          Have they achieved their aim?
-          What is behind their work (links to cultural identities, philosophy, art history, politics, sociology/psychology, etc.)?
-          Is this influence evident?
-          Has the artist made a poignant response to these influences?
-          Is the artist breaking new ground?  How and Why?

Has the curator succeeded?
-          Is the premise developed fully?
-          Did the curator make good choices?
-          Do the relationships between works create another level of experience for understanding the work or exhibition?
-          Does the physical positioning of work communicate something more about the artwork or premise?
-          Is there a sub text evident in the presentation and/or among the relationships of the artworks?

Research anything or anyone who has been mentioned or quoted that you are unfamiliar with, it will add depth to your review and further your personal knowledge base.  Find a theme and develop it in your review.  For example, if there is a subtext running through the show, develop it by referring to various examples which give evidence to the subtext.  Include how decisions by the curator in placement or presentation reinforce this subtext.   Discuss what didn’t work and why; state this clearly and cogently giving your reasons for saying so.  It’s no good giving an opinion without reasons to back it up.  Offer clear, succinct examples of how it could have worked better.  Stay balanced and honest in your point of view, remember, the people you’re critiquing have feelings; even if you hate what you see, say so honestly and in a fair way without trash-bashing.  The term ‘art criticism’ means the discussion of art, discuss the art and experience you have before you.

When You Leave:
Speak with the press manager before you leave and thank them.  Make arrangements to get images from the show.  Usually the press manager will want a list of the images you want in an email, be sure to communicate the kind of image files and size you need if you have specifications from a magazine.  The press manager will probably greet you with a press kit, if they haven’t, be sure to get as much written information on the show and artists before you go.  (Follow up to let the press manager know when your review is published).

Part 2 will discuss how to compose and structure the review…

Further Reading:

Judy Radoul presents some very fine examples and clear advice for critical writing in Notes on Writing Exhibition Reviews.

Writing about Paitning is a thorough and scholarly article by Robert M. Seiler from the University of Calgary.

If you enjoyed this article, visit the Bookshop to find a selection of books on writing about art. Take an additional 10% discount plus free shipping worldwide on book purchases made through May 14.

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Additional 10% off Book Purchases until 14 May 2012

Apr 14th, 2012
by Jane.

Now is a great time to purchase books in the Rebecca Projects Bookshop!  The Book Depository is offering a further 10% discount on their already discounted prices through 14 May 2012.  Use the coupon code below to get your discount when you place an order through this site.

10% Discount / APMA12 Coupon Code / Book Depository

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A Fond Farwell

Mar 20th, 2012
by Jane.

 

Untitled (wave) (c)2009 Jane Boyer

Untitled (wave) (c)2009 Jane Boyer

 

What can I say?  It has been a sheer delight working with Becky and I will miss her.  But I take comfort in knowing that even though my public association with Becky will no longer be, we are still in regular contact sharing our knowledge and love of art and our passions for helping independent artists.  That’s where Rebecca started after all, and that is where we still connect.  So, in a way, nothing is really changing; our friendship and professional association simply is returning to its private state.  Becky is moving onto some very exciting things.  With deep heart-felt thanks, I wish her all the best in her new life with Mike and with each new endeavour coming her way.  I know she will succeed brilliantly – she is a rising star!  Do keep in touch with her on her site.

In the meantime, it’s business as usual here at Rebecca, albeit with a few readjustments and realignments.  Rebecca – writing services for the arts will adopt the name Rebecca Projects and will be a full service arts consulting business – still offering all the great writing services as before but with many other expanded areas of service.

Rebecca Projects will provide:

Independent art career coaching covering topics:

Creating an artist archive and organizing your practice

Professionalizing your presentations

Pricing your work

Developing your career history

Exhibition and promotion strategies for getting your work seen

Business consulting for artist-led organizations including:

Finding income generating assets

Consultation in writing organization documents such as business plans and member charters

Marketing and promotion strategies

Writing services including:

Press releases

Catalogue essays

Artist statements and biographies

Web copy

Editing services

In the coming weeks the Rebecca site will undergo some changes as things are reorganized, please bear with the transformation process and stay tuned, I think you’ll be interested in what’s coming…

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Curtseying Out…

Mar 10th, 2012
by Becky.

Jubilee Woods, Wikimedia Commons

Today, you’ll find me in a lilac rose-strewn, wooded nature reserve in Pennsylvania, just east of the Susquehanna River. In a flowery prom dress and Red Riding Hood jacket, I’m getting married to Mike, the American love of my life.

I’ve been living in the USA (transplanted from the North of England) since May of last year, working with various galleries, artists, and publications in Philadelphia. It’s been wonderful – if tough, at times – and I have decided to stay.

It’s also been a busy ten months of pushing out of my comfort zones. I’ve interviewed a legendary war photographer, an infamous YBA, and an inspiring artist-adventurer; been interviewed three times myself; spoken on Agnes Martin; curated and programmed an exhibition of contemporary photography; rescued a beautiful dog; organized performance events with a transatlantic reach; and finally finished reading this book!

Working with the brilliant Jane Boyer on Rebecca has also been a fantastic experience, sharing our skills, knowledge and passion for the benefit of independent artists everywhere – and learning a lot in the process.

But as I start the next phase of life, I’ll be stepping down from this project in order to focus on magazine writing and my creative practice.

So, a big thank you is in order to Jane, and to our amazing readers, clients, and Twitter supporters. And, if you’d like to follow my upcoming projects and publications, take a look at my portfolio site.

Warmest wishes,
Becky Hunter

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