Professional Artist 101

What does it mean to be a professional artist?

Working at The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (NAGB)* we often have persons come in, asking to rent gallery space for exhibitions and how does one get their work in the NAGB. This shows us that there is a gap in the education between being taught art at your local high school or for persons just delving into their art for the first time, to becoming a professional artist. This new series, Professional Artist 101 will help with those looking to make that transition and will be a monthly article with tips and pointers, like who is a professional artist, how to establish a network or get into the art community, how to exhibit your work and how to eventually get your works in a prominent space like the NAGB.

 Hard at work: Nastassia Pratt prepping to start a painting.

Persons often ask if they only work on Sunday or the weekend would they be considered an artist. In this aspect an artist works should not be judged by the time of the day or week they choose to work rather it is if your consistent, does the community know your working, when last has anyone seen your work has your work grown or changed? These are the things that should be considered rather than what day you choose to work. However a professional artist works and does not only work when inspiration strikes, or when they have the money for this specific thing, they make sacrifices and get the results they want.

As we delve into this more we will extend the full answer to this question so please leave a response and join the discussion.

* In British and Commonwealth usage, the word gallery alone implies a public gallery. The Bahamas having been a British colony adheres to this term of gallery rather than museum. The NAGB is not a commercial gallery.

AW

Feature from the Exhibition: Rootsy

Rootsy

Jackson Petit

Acrylic on canvas

 48 x 32

D'Aguilar Art Foundation Collection

Rootsy is currently on display at The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, as part of the Permanent Exhibition: The Bahamian Domestic. Originally on display as part of his solo exhibition, The Surface Beneath, Petit produced this piece after winning the 2012 Central Bank competition.

In this piece Petit explores the notion of masking oneself, be it personally or for a wider audience, as the individual in the painting stares at the audience with vacant eyes. Crowned in local foliage, Petite purposely chooses to integrate the Bahamian landscape into his work. This creates connections between artist, artwork and viewer, as the natural motifs provide a familiar point of reference. This common ground culturally integrates the work within a wider dialogue of 'Bahamian art'. Further, it situates the individual in the painting within a natural and cultural landscape, and poses the question: who is he masking himself from? As a Haitian-Bahamian artist, Petit actively integrates his personality and history into his work. Rootsy is thus, a form of self-portraiture, exploring the artist's own identity as it relates to his person, but also his history and culture.

As a central piece in The Bahamian Domestic, Rootsy is a particularly strong choice as it directly relates to the exhibition's exploration of Bahamian social and cultural identity. Remaining masked, the piece explores notions of 'Bahamianess' and what, as a nation, we choose to show and choose to hide. This focus on depth, on seeing beyond simple everyday existence, encourages viewers to look below the surface, deeper even. Coupled with the other pieces in The Bahamian Domestic, Rootsy is part of a larger call to notice one's physical, social and cultural landscape and one's place in it.

The Bahamian Domestic is on display on the bottom floor at The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. The Gallery is open from 10AM to 4PM, Tuesday to Saturday and 12PM to 4PM, Sunday.

AK

The Bahamian Domestic is on display on the bottom floor at The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. The Gallery is open from 10AM to 4PM, Tuesday to Saturday and 12PM to 4PM, Sunday.

Biography of the Artist:
Jackson Petit (born 1983, Nassau, The Bahamas) was educated at The College of The Bahamas and Toronto Film College, Toronto Canada. From 1998 to 2004 he was a participant in the FINCO Summer Art Workshops and has taken part in numerous group exhibitions. He won The Central Bank of The Bahamas Art competition six times in various categories and received top honors in the CLiCO Caribbean Art Competition in 2003.

Further Reading:
The Bahamian Artwork Collection: Jackson Petit
Jackson Petit 'Removing The Mask'

Book Of The Month: Seven Days in the Art World

Hello!

This is my first blog post since I've returned to the NAGB. We're unveiling a new feature, Book of the Month, that will highlight a tome from out Art Library. Our Art Library is a great resource in the area of Bahamian & regional art, artists and art movements-with both onsite and online access. Online access, through the catalog link above, permits users, both abroad and on the family islands, to search our catalog. Online links for articles have been provided, where available. We cater to artists, students, teachers and the general public. The curriculum and research needs of COB lecturers, COB students, and primary and high school teachers, is a priority for us. Researchers and scholars overseas who need information on Bahamian art and artists are encouraged to email us at info@nagb.org.bs

Note: The library is solely a reference facility, therefore materials will not be loaned out.  Black and white copies will be provided of any material needed for research, to a limit to be specified in adherence to copyright laws.

The first book that we shall feature is a nonfiction book that focuses on fast paced vignettes from the art world. Travelling from Christies to the Basel Art Fair, Thornton attempts to portray the everyday adventures that take place in this competitive field.

Synopsis:

A fly-on-the-wall account of the smart and strange subcultures that make, trade, curate, collect, and hype contemporary art.

The art market has been booming. Museum attendance is surging. More people than ever call themselves artists. Contemporary art has become a mass entertainment, a luxury good, a job description, and, for some, a kind of alternative religion.

In a series of beautifully paced narratives, Sarah Thornton investigates the drama of a Christie's auction, the workings in Takashi Murakami's studios, the elite at the Basel Art Fair, the eccentricities of Artforum magazine, the competition behind an important art prize, life in a notorious art-school seminar, and the wonderland of the Venice Biennale. She reveals the new dynamics of creativity, taste, status, money, and the search for meaning in life. A judicious and juicy account of the institutions that have the power to shape art history, based on hundreds of interviews with high-profile players, Thornton's entertaining ethnography will change the way you look at contemporary culture.

AK