Get Out the Art Group

 About six years ago at Laura Van Duren's birthday party, I looked around the room and was swept over with feelings of inferiority towards all the cool artists in their sophisticated clothes, gathered at the pizza table. In a burst of determination, I approached four of them, including the host, and asked them to help me start a Get Out the Art Group, where we could strategize about showing our work. Surprisingly, they all accepted, and we've been meeting every 4-6 weeks ever since, with some gaps due to Covid. One member left, and another has joined, and it's become a delightful and insightful tribe.

This group is not a critique group. We're more focused on overcoming hurdles to getting out work out in the public eye. We gather at each other's studios or at an outside table at the Paradise Park Cafe. Perhaps you have seen us there, laughing and gesturing wildly. Sometimes one of us will set a timer so each member can have a guaranteed 20 minutes to kvetch and strategize and share whatever they want. Through them I learn about museum shows and new galleries, and we compare social media tactics. They are a sounding board for finding new venues and discerning best practices with galleries. We have worked through shipping and pricing questions.

We have listened to each other's artist's statements and crafted elevator pitches--short three minute explanations of our work that we can recite if we get the ear of Someone Important at an opening or studio visit. We have also become loyal attendees of each other's openings, so if the gallery is sparsely attended, there's someone to talk to.

We keep count of the rejections. Whenever I get a Dear John letter from a gallery, I think, "I can't wait to tell GOTA about this!" We're aiming at getting 100 closed doors.

In the past year, I have reached out to four new artists who do amazing work but are just beginning to show it to the world, and GOTA 2 was born. It's a kinder, gentler group, incredibly affirming. In this group more time is spent showing the new work people are making and sharing how to overcome creative blocks.

This brings to mind a question I've been thinking about a lot since I turned 60: is art important for the art's sake, or is art important for the way it draws people together? I'll be sorting that out for the rest of my life. Right now, though, I know that I am very grateful for the companions I have for the journey.

Do you have an art group that has helped you to be creative? Are you interested in starting a Get Out the Art Group? Here are my suggestions: keep it small--no more than 5 or 6 people. Invite artists who are at a similar point professsionally as yourself more or less. Celebrate attempts rather than representation or sales. Perhaps set a timer so everyone has a chance to speak. Be loyal--go to each other's openings and open studios when you can.

If you would like to see the GOTA groups' work, follow them on Instagram: @leahkorican, @danazed, @laura_van_duren, @quitecontrarypress,@gretchendailydrawing, @wheatfield43, and @debraacollins. Their websites are leahkorican.com, danazed.com, lauravanduren.com, mvmarsh.com, BarbaraHaberart.com and Debraacollins.com.