1. Know who you are contacting.  Research the galleries and make sure they could be a good fit.
2. Be prepared.  Have all your material ready–contacting them and saying you need time to create a new prints its not a good first impression.
3. Be Professional.  Beyond the obvious of not having any misspellings, make sure your emails and other materials are clear and professional.  Dont sound like you are wining or demanding anything.
4. Build Relationships.  Attend openings and talk to the owner a few times.  Networking is important in any business.
5. Ask for What You Want.  You can ask to have a studio visit or meet with a gallery owner but know what is appropriate.  For example, dont ask a gallery you dont know to represent you or sell your work right away.  But you can ask, if you know them a bit, to look at your work.
6. Be Patient but Persistent.  Continually contact the gallery and update them with new work or shows a few times a year.

Some highlights and notable mentions are:

Gonzalo Puch at Julie Saul Gallery

Some William Eggelston’s at David Lusk Gallery of Memphis.

 
Marvin Shaouni at curiously named The Butcher’s Daughter of Ferndale, MI

 
Thomas Wrede at Wagner-Partner gallery, priced at $9650.

Chan Hyo Bae at Purdy Hicks Gallery, London.

 
Philipp Lachenmann from Galerie Andreas Binder

Isaac Layman at the West Coast (Seattle) Lawrimore Project

 
Joni Sternback unique tintype, at Rick Wester Fine Art

 
Alice Miceli at Meulesteen

What I found–besides a great documentary on Joseph Papp–was the feeling of nostalgia.  The ’70s and ’80s seemed freer and somewhat chaotic.  The was City going broke; a mysterious disease, AIDS, was overwhelming New York; and it was a time that was not over ruled by the pursuit of the bottom line and sometimes David overcame Goliath.

Joseph Papp was that David, slaying multiple Goliaths’s, including Robert Moses, city planner, and other naysayers that couldnt believe (or want) free culture in the form of Shakespeare.  Joe Papp brought his scruffy Brooklyn background to the cultural elite and presented a way to see things anew.  He also championed new playwrites and new actors.

But what was most intruging about Joe Papp in Five Acts at the Tribeca Film Festival was how it made me feel.  Joe Papp, and the film, made it seem like almost anything was possible with drive, determination, and the belief that something should be changed–and did something about it.  This notion, by the way parallels the directors Tracie Holder and Karen Thorsen struggle to get this film made.  It took them nearly 18 years to make it.

You might have to wait for it to be shown on WNET’s American Master’s in 2013, but look for it. (The preview and world premier had the directors as well as Mandy Patinkin and others in a Question and Answer session, which was great).

I was just watching Michelangelo Antonioni’s La Notte, a great film for its beautiful languid shots of contemporary Italian cities (Milano) and thought of the work of the contemporary fine art photographer, Harry Callahan.  There seems to be so much of a parallel between these two artists, working at roughly the same time (1950s, ’60s and ’70s).

What struck me in La Notte was the use of afternoon light as the female character strolls the streets, similar to Callahan’s work in Chicago and Providence.

Interesting too, is how both Anonioni and Callahan use the architectural elements of the city to describe these psychological moments,  alienation and slightly foreboding feelings.

Digital Media has quickly changed the face of distribution for news, music and books, and a similar sea change is taking place in the film industry. Erick Opeka, VP of Digital Distribution for New Video, will provide a comprehensive overview of the current and future digital distribution landscape. Topics covered will include current business models (ad-based, transactional, subscription & VOD), current distribution platforms (iTunes, gaming consoles, Hulu, Netflix, etc.), marketing & merchandising, and future trends. Erick will also lay out several key strategies for securing a digital distributor and maximizing revenue.

New Video is a leading entertainment distributor and the largest aggregator of independent digital content worldwide. As Vice President of Digital Distribution, Erick Opeka directs the company’s content strategy, development and operations across multiple digital platforms, including cable TV, subscription and ad-supported video-on-demand (VOD), electronic sell-through, TV, and IPTV. Erick’s team manages content distribution for more than 400 filmmakers, TV and film producers, and small to midsize distributors. Previously, he spearheaded New Video’s business development efforts, leading to the company’s selection as the first iTunes aggregation video partner.

Advance registration is required at www.artspire9.eventbrite.com

Thursday, May 10
6:00PM to 8:00PM
$10 Artspire and NYFA artists (Fiscal Sponsorship, Fellows, Bootcamp, Immigrant Artists, Mark, SOS)
$15 Other artists
Eventbrite adds a small ticket processing fee.

New York Foundation for Arts, 20 Jay Street, 7th Floor, Brooklyn

For more information contact mediaarts@nyfa.org ]]> http://www.stevegiovinco.com/blog/nyfa-digital-distribution-101-a-primer-for-filmmakers/feed/ 0 http://www.stevegiovinco.com/blog/nyfa-legal-clinic-for-artists-contemporary-fine-art-photographers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nyfa-legal-clinic-for-artists-contemporary-fine-art-photographers http://www.stevegiovinco.com/blog/nyfa-legal-clinic-for-artists-contemporary-fine-art-photographers/#comments Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:54:11 +0000 admin http://www.stevegiovinco.com/blog/?p=2244 New York Foundation for the Arts, NYFA, is offering its legal clinic for those that qualify.  This is a great resource for artists, contemporary fine art photographers, film makers, and the like.  Slots fill up fast though.

I meet Beverly Stacy of Facade Interactive, a web designer and developer, recently and was impressed and think she’d be great for contemporary fine art photography/ers.  She’s not just a web designer: she really understands both the business of getting a site done as well as the creative side balanced with functionality.  She has some great portfolio sites great for photographers and artists, that are very clean and focus on the artwork.

I’d recommend Beverly!  Just thought I’d let you know.

The International Photography Hall of Fame is moving.  Where is it now?  Oklahoma City.  Where is it moving?  To Saint Louis.  I came across this from the St. Louis Post Dispatch site just now, and was struck by the oddness of the current and future location–no disparaging implied, as I attended undergraduate school in Saint Louis.

The local involvement and motivation comes from Saint Louisians David Hanlon, Robert Bullivant, Robert Bishop, Ellen Curlee (who had a gallery in downtown Saint Louis), Karen Kotner, Leslie Laskey, Michael Swoboda and Katherine Wood.

A range of contemporary fine art photography and photographers were awarded by the Guggenheim Foundation in 2012.  I love many of the Guggenheim Fellows, including a Yale MFA Photography classmate, Dornith Doherty.

The complete list are:

• Elizabeth B. Barret
• Peter Bogardus
• Stephen DiRado
• Dornith Doherty
• Doug DuBois
• Wendy Ewald
• Peter Galassi
• John Gossage
• Bill Jacobson
• Fazal Sheikh
• Sara Terry