VAO Member Blogs – Supria Karmakar

We’ve added a new page to the VAO Blog: links to VAO member blogs.  As we add new links, we’ll introduce them here.

Supria Karmakar   – “Encaustic Musings” – Encaustic Mixed Media & Collage

“Magical, Vibrant and Translucent – This medium inspires and feeds my soul, creates joy and harmony…join me here on my journey and musings about this wonderful world of encaustic mixed media and collage.”

 

VAO News – April 2008

VAO ONLINE GALLERY

April Feature VAO Online Gallery Artists

Click on the images above to see each artist’s full VAO Online Gallery webpage with images and artist statements. To create your own VAO Online Gallery webpage, contact Jocelyn DeBackere.

VISUAL ARTISTS PROFILE POLL

In the last issue of Agenda and VAO News we invited artists fill out the first VAO Artists Poll and tell us a little bit more about their successes and challenges in their visual arts careers.

We heard about many wonderful successes from our participants. From selling out complete exhibitions, to bridging the gap between craft and art, to quitting their day jobs, to building up the courage to make the kind of art they wanted to make, and many more exciting achievements.

We have received such a positive response from this poll, that we want to continue this conversation. VAO will be publishing a new poll each month for you to tell us a little bit more about the details of your experiences as a
visual artist.

To keep the dialogue going, some of your responses will be shared in upcoming issues of Agenda for other artists to read.

Every artist finds themselves on a very unique path shaped by where they’ve come from and where they want to go with their artwork. In the April Poll we want to hear more about your profile as an artist in Ontario. Click Here or on the image above to begin the poll.

VAO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP SERIES

Visual Arts Ontario proudly presents this series of workshops to help artists with the business side of their careers. Even though the series has begun there are still spots available for upcoming workshops!

This is a great opportunity to learn more about the business of being an artist as well as meet other visual artists in the community.

PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT Wednesday, April 2nd, 6-8pm (Date Passed) PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR WORK Wednesday, April 9th, 6-8pm (Date Passed) DIGITALLY IMPROVING YOUR DOCUMENTATION Wednesday, April 16th, 6-8pm (Date Passed) MARKETING YOUR ART Wednesday, April 23rd, 6-8pm

MARKETING ART ONLINE Wednesday, April 30th, 6-8pm MARKETING ART INTERNATIONALLY Wednesday, May 7th, 6-8pm PACKING AND SHIPPING Wednesday, May 14th, 6-8pm GRANT WRITING Wednesday, May 21st, 6-8pm

For more detailed workshop descriptions and to registration visit the Events section at www.vao.orgor email info@vao.org

NEWS & EVENTS

Upcoming Regional VAO Workshops Marketing Strategies – Port Hope Tuesday April 8th, 1-4pm VAO in partnership with The Arts Council of Northumberland is hosting a workshop on Marketing Strategies at the Chemical Centre for the Performing Arts. For registration or more information: Dorette Carter, agn@eagle.ca Online Marketing Strategies – Haliburton April 24th, 1-4 Visual Arts Ontario in partnership with The Arts Council of Haliburton Highlands will host a workshop on Online Marketing Strategies at Fleming College. For more information and registration: Jim Blake, 705-457-3555, info@haliburtonarts.on.ca Career Development – Pembroke Saturday May 10, 1pm VAO in partnership with The Valley Arts Council is hosting a career development workshop at Festival Hall. The workshop will coincide with the Council’s Annual Juried Exhibition. For registration and information: Iris Sheilds, shields.iris@gmail.com. For more information on hosting a VAO workshop in you community, contact Kim McBrien.

Enriching Our Work in Culture: Professional Development in Ontario’s Cultural Sector Here are some key findings from Cultural Careers Council Ontario (CCCO) and Ipsos Reid’s research study. Thank you to the VAO Members who participated in this survey last Fall. - Extensive self-employment in the cultural sector; 79% of professional artists in Ontario are self-employed or sole proprietors - Artists have high levels of education and low levels of pay: 66% have university degrees (compared to 19% of Ontario adults overall); 49% make less than $20,000 a year from their artistic practice - More than 80% of artists feel that professional development benefits career advancement, creativity and income growth; more than 84% participated in professional development (compared to 35% of Ontario’s workforce overall); artists usually pay for their own professional development. The full report, as well as an executive summary, are downloadable from CCCO’s website at www.workinculture.on.ca/news/index.cfm

VAO GALLERY

Upcoming Exhibitions ROLLAND E. PROULX & J.R. MATHEWS Dual Exhibition Exhibition runs March 26 – April 8. Extended to April 15. Opening Reception: Thursday April 3, 7-9pm KELLY BORGERS The Contact Photography Festival Exhibition runs April 23 – May 13 Opening Reception: Thursday May 1, 7-9pm LYNN HUNTLEY-WYCZOLKOWSKI The Contact Photography Festival Exhibition runs May 14 – June 3 Opening Reception: Thursday May 15, 7-9pm Submissions For Gallery Rental The VAO Gallery is currently accepting submissions for 2008 & 2009. For submission guidelines and a floorplan of the gallery click here. For information on showing in the VAO Gallery, contact Mitchell Chan