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Troubleshooting the Artist Statement: A User Guide

Teachers
Celine Wong Katzman
Date
August 18, 2020 to September 15, 2020 (5 classes)
Time
1pm to 4pm ET
Location
Online (Zoom)
Cost
$550 Scholarships available learn more...
Deadline
Applications closed on August 4, 2020

Apply Now

Description

This workshop offers a combination of practical writing and critical thinking skills. Enrollment is open to anyone including artists, designers, creative technologists, engineers, architects, and others whose practices are difficult to define. Much like a user guide helps non-technical readers understand a system, an artist statement introduces an unfamiliar audience to the artist’s practice and informs them about the references, questions, and thought processes behind the artist’s work. We will consider the artist statement as a practical communication tool (for grant and residency applications) as well as a more intimate map for guiding the direction and values of one’s practice.

Course of Study

Students will:

  • practice presenting their own work and give feedback to others
  • participate in writing exercises and one-on-one editorial meetings
  • read and discuss texts written by artists
  • engage in group discussions about the challenges of maintaining an honest practice
  • imagine alternatives to capitalist institutions as the context for our creative work

The instructor, Celine Katzman, will offer her guidance as a curator and writer who is committed to supporting artists and creative practitioners engaged with new technologies. By the end of the workshop, students will cultivate clear and compelling artist statements.

This workshop is adapted from the Artist’s Tool Kit, a class offered during the Fall 2018 SFPC ten week session, taught by Taeyoon Choi with teaching assistance from Celine Katzman.

Expectations

Materials required for this class:

  • A computer capable of using Zoom (for class) and Google Docs

Is this class for me?

This class may be for you if:

  • You are a practicing artist who has not yet dedicated time to writing an artist statement
  • You are a practicing artist who would like to rewrite my artist statement
  • You are not an artist, but I make creative projects in my spare time and I am interested in thinking about why I make them
  • You are interested in engaging with creative practitioners in different fields
  • You want to better articulate and explain “what I do” creatively to friends, family, and peers
  • You are applying for grants and residency programs, or any program where I need to produce a statement of purpose, personal statement, or artist statement
  • You want to figure out how to align my creative practice with my personal values and politics
  • You have an intermediate English language reading and writing capability (ESL students are very welcome!)

Meet the Teachers

teacher

Celine Wong Katzman

Celine Wong Katzman is Curator at Rhizome and serves as one of seven co-directors at the School for Poetic Computation. Previously she was a NYSCA Curatorial Fellow at the Queens Museum. Celine is committed to supporting creative practitioners experimenting with new media, particularly those who engage in a thoughtful and community-oriented approach. Her writing appears in publications such as The Nation, Art in America, Rhizome, as well as in the New Museum's exhibition catalog, The Art Happens Here: Net Art's Archival Poetics and Paper Monument's Best! Letters from Asian Americans in the arts. She holds a B.A. in Visual Art with honors from Brown University.

she/her · website · twitter · instagram

How do I apply?

Apply Now

Applications open until Applications closed on August 4, 2020.

You can expect to hear back from us about the status of your application on . Please email us at admissions@sfpc.study with any questions you have.

How much does it cost to attend?

For 5 classes, it costs $550 + processing fees, for a one-time payment. We also offer payment plans. Participants can schedule weekly or monthly payments of the same amount. First and last payments must be made before the start and end of class. *Processing fees apply for each payment.

SFPC processes all payments via Withfriends and Stripe. Please email admissions@sfpc.study if these payment options don't work for you.

Applicant FAQ

For more information about what we look for in applicants, scholarships, and other frequently asked questions, please visit our applicant FAQ.

Interested in more learning opportunities at the School for Poetic Computation? Join our newsletter to stay up to date on future sessions and events, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. Support our programming through scholarships. Get in touch over email.