Save the Date | #ArtistHotline Returns to Twitter on August 16

Get key takeaways from July’s #ArtistHotline, and mark your calendars for the next #ArtistHotline: August 16, 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM EST.

#ArtistHotline is a monthly Professional Development Day for Artists on Twitter. If there is one common thread between each month’s Twitter chat, it’s the importance of community for artists and arts professionals. Many of the individuals and partnering organizations who join this online conversation agree: networking and support from other artists are invaluable in an artist’s career.

The importance of community and resource-sharing is why we bring #ArtistHotline to you on the third Wednesday of each month. We’ll be online again on Wednesday, August 16, from 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM EST, and we hope you’ll add your voice to this forum. Read Participate in #ArtistHotline: Tips to Take Best Advantage of the Day to learn how you can take part.

July Topics

During July’s #ArtistHotline, we tacked a variety of topics via tweet. They included:

• Finding the time and space to create new work;
• Dealing with burnout;
• Feeding your creativity with rest, inspiration from others’ work, and play

Key Takeaways from the “Creative Materials” Guest Chat

While #ArtistHotline is an all-day Twitter event, we devote a two-hour window to one special topic each month. In July, we hosted a “Creative Materials” Guest Chat. We heard from artist Jennifer Collier and Director of Education for Materials for the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, John Cloud Kaiser.

We covered several creative workarounds to the high cost of materials, and talked about the aesthetic value of upcycled work. We tweeted about:

• Cutting costs and shipping fees by buying in bulk, on your own or as part of a group; 
• Sourcing materials from thrift stores and flea markets, or finding free reusable materials from places like Materials for the Arts, local businesses, or artist groups on social media;
• Keeping a running list of what you need, and planning in advance, to save time on gathering supplies;
• Factoring in your time as an expense;
• Repairing damaged materials, or, incorporating that damage into the character of the finished work;
• Leading with the materials by working with their limitations instead of against them; 
• Adding new layers for viewers to engage with your work by using upcycled materials 

Read the full day’s conversation in our Wakelet recap, and be sure to join us for our next #ArtistHotline Twitter chat on August 16, 2017, 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM EST. As part of the day, we’ll host a “Residencies 101” Guest Chat from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST. Meanwhile, be sure to follow @nyfacurrent on Twitter for the latest updates!

Inspired by the NYFA Source Hotline, #ArtistHotline is an initiative dedicated to creating an ongoing online conversation around the professional side of artistic practice. #ArtistHotline occurs on the third Wednesday of each month on Twitter. Our goal is to help artists discover the resources needed, online and off, to develop sustainable careers.

This initiative is supported by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation.

Image: Mathanki Kodavasal