Members of the general public enjoy their visits to art centers and museums without much thought as to how the art got into those spaces in the first place. Who decides on what to show and when to show it? Who decides what works to put next to one another and where to put a nail in the wall or a pedestal on the floor? Or even what color to paint the walls? All of these decisions, and more, fall under the purview of curators and exhibition directors in those non-profit spaces. In this episode of The Art Biz I talk with Collin Parson, the Director of Galleries and Curator at the Arvada Center for Arts and Humanities in the Denver suburb of Arvada, Colorado. Collin reveals how the exhibition process works at their venue: his timeline, rotating gallery spaces, and the decision makers at the organization. We also discuss how he selects artists for shows, what makes an artist easy and fun to work with, and why it’s important that artists keep him informed. Be sure to pay attention to some of the big mistakes he sees artists making.

Highlights

• Collin’s background of artists and his work as a curator. (1:30)

• Curating a massive space and Collin’s approach to rotating exhibitions. (10:50)

• Scheduling artists into a gallery’s calendar isn’t as simple as it seems. (19:15)

• Why Collin generally doesn’t accept exhibit proposals. (22:52)

• What makes an artist fun to collaborate with? (26:48)

• What Collin wishes every artist would do—and not do. (33:03)

• Studio visits and what curators expect from artists. (38:25)

• Finding inspiration for the most memorable shows. (45:35)

• Details about juried shows and artist rosters. (48:55)

• Balancing curating exhibits, making art, and a personal life. (55:03)

Mentioned

• Collin Parson

• Charles Parson

• Arvada Center Galleries and Exhibitions

• Meow Wolf in Denver

• Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art

• Steve Farland’s warrior chair-sculptures

Resources

 

• artbizsuccess.com/curator-parson-podcast

• How to Price Your Art free report

• Art Biz Connection community

 

Guest Bio

Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Collin Parson currently serves as the Director of Galleries and Curator for the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities in Arvada, Colorado and is a former member at the historic Pirate: Contemporary Art cooperative and past artist-in-residence at RedLine Denver. An arts administrator, artist, curator, and designer he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Design and Technology with emphasis in Lighting and Scene Design from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his Master in Arts in Visual Culture and Arts Administration from Regis University in Denver. His creative work involves the control of light and color to create vivid geometric light and space works. He has had the privilege of jurying many arts festivals and exhibitions and has received numerous awards and recognition for his curatorial projects. He was awarded 100 Colorado Creatives by Westword magazine in 2013 and featured in many television and print productions. Parson is the son of Colorado sculptor Charles Parson, whose experience with the regions arts community helped Collin long before his professional career began. Growing up in a family of artists, Collin is proud to be continuing the educational and creative traditions.

First posted: artbizsuccess.com/curator-parson-podcast

For too long I have been noticing artists posting things like this on social media: ‘Fresh off the easel! What do you think?’ or ‘I'm experimenting with <this or that>. Let me know what you think!’

What do I think? Do you really want to know what I think?

In this solo episode of The Art Biz I want to talk about feedback. When you ask people ‘what do you think’ you are asking for their feedback, whether it’s intentional or not. We are often too quick to ask for feedback, and we ask for it in ways that can be more damaging than anything. In this episode, I’ll share what I’ve learned from wise women and from paying attention to my students and clients. I’ll give you tips on the right way to ask for feedback—in the right environment and with specificity. I’ll also share with you how to handle unsolicited advice and the best way to offer advice to others, all so that you can get better feedback when you are seeking to improve.

Highlights

• The best time and way to ask for feedback. (1:36)

• 4 criteria to meet before asking for feedback. (2:25)

• You don’t really need feedback from everyone else. (5:35)

• When feedback actually becomes necessary in order to improve. (7:45)

• Asking for feedback from the right people. (9:15)

• How to ask for feedback with specificity. (11:14)

• The right way to offer feedback to others. (12:38)

• How to respond to feedback graciously. (14:33)

Resources

• artbizsuccess.com/feedback

• Art Biz Connection

 

Mentioned

• Stumbling Toward Genius podcast with Cynthia Morris

• Playing Big: Practical Advice for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead by Tara Mohr

• The Art Biz Episode #61 — The Value of Critique Groups for Artists with Patirica Miranda

Quotes

• “We’re often too quick to ask for feedback, and we ask for it in ways that are damaging.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “You shouldn’t care what everyone thinks.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “You need time to figure out what you think about your art before you ask others what they think about it.” — Alyson Stanfield

• “At some point, feedback is necessary when you want to improve, but you have to set up the parameters.”— Alyson Stanfield

First posted: artbizsuccess.com/feedback