Art is primarily a solitary activity. Although some artists collaborate or share studios, most of us spend our time alone with our work and our thoughts, and we value that solitude. But art is also a form of communication, and other artists are often very savvy about understanding the work of others and connecting in that way is valuable. And who better to understand the ups and downs, the challenges and rewards of art life than another artist? Today Rebecca and Jerry discuss the benefits of being part of an artist community.

Artist communities can take many forms--from a few artist friends getting together on a casual basis to organized critique groups to online communities and membership programs. Workshops also serve as gathering points around a shared interest, and often relationships continue afterward. An artist group or community can be formally organized with a definite structure, or a looser arrangement created simply by connecting with people in your region. Many artists have a deep desire for connection with other artists and it just takes one person taking the risk of reaching out to others.

All these kinds of community offer benefits to the artists involved, including honest feedback, emotional support, and shared resources and ideas. It helps to have a central focus for a group, but it need not be rigidly defined. Many artist communities have a purely social aspect, even while they have a broader agenda like critique or studio visits. And there can be unexpected benefits that would not be foreseen when setting an agenda for a group.

During the pandemic a lot of artists found themselves feeling isolated, without the usual and natural ways of getting together with other artists such as gallery openings and events. Now that things have loosened up a lot of people who got involved in an art group during that time deeply appreciated the growth and support, they received from other artists, and many artists have a different awareness of the importance of artist communities than they did previously.

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Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.

Also-- please visit https://www.espacioart.org to learn about Rebecca and Jerry's newest project, Espacio, dedicated to providing beautiful living and working spaces for artists and writers. Espacio's first offering is Casa Clavel, a modern, fully equipped house opening this September in the beautiful cultural city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. A few booking openings are still available in 2023, so please incquire if you are interested.

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Special Guest: Jerry McLaughlin.