CAA News

The painter and writer Mira Schor and the sculptor and multimedia artist Janine Antoni will participate in the Annual Artists’ Interviews, taking place in ARTspace during the 2013 Annual Conference in New York. This session will be the thirteenth installment of the popular series, which features two major practicing artists in back-to-back interviews. The talks will be held on Friday, February 15, 2013, from 2:30 to 5:00 PM at the Hilton in New York. Stuart Horodner, artistic director of the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center in Georgia, will interview Schor. Klaus Ottmann, director of the Center for the Study of Modern Art and curator at large at the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, will interview Antoni.

Mira Schor is a painter, writer, and educator who was born in 1950 into a family of artists in Manhattan. Entering her fifth decade as an artist, she has used the medium of painting to address a wide range of issues: language, corporal materiality, feminist politics, art history, and critical theory. She has also worked in artist’s books and sculpture and has a longstanding engagement with works on paper.

As an art writer and editor, Schor works in the belletristic tradition of John Berger and Virginia Woolf, with her essays combining the candor of a village storyteller with the rigor of a critical approach and maverick fearlessness. Her latest book is A Decade of Negative Thinking: Essays on Art, Politics, and Daily Life (2009), and she writes regularly about the intersection of art and life for her blog A Year of Positive Thinking.

Schor is based in New York and Provincetown, Massachusetts. Read CAA’s full profile of the artist, which includes more images of her work.

Janine Antoni’s work is an amalgam of shamanistic ritual, quotidian task, and daredevil action. Her performances include using her dye-soaked hair to mop a gallery floor; sleeping in a bed set up in a gallery and then weaving a blanket based on the pattern of her rapid eye movements; and walking across a tightrope of hand-plied hemp that she made herself, suspended eight feet above the ground. The arduous process of the performance is often combined into installations with sculpture, photography, and video. It is Antoni’s desire that her artwork be understood as a felt experience, one that combines emotional content and intellectual engagement. In each piece, no matter the medium or image, a conveyed physicality speaks directly to the viewer’s body.

In a conversation published in 2011 in the Brooklyn Rail, she elaborates on the importance of this imagined relationship with her work’s audience: “When I’m making work I spend a lot of time fantasizing about what the viewer will do and think; I enter their body, and imagine them walking up to my sculpture. My work is a way for me to feel connected and to feel present in the world. I try to make work that elicits empathy. I’ve been known for chewing 600 pounds of chocolate, being dumped in tubs of lard, and mopping the floor with my hair. I do these extreme acts because I feel like it puts the viewer in a very emphatic relationship to my sculpture.”

Antoni lives and works in New York. She participated in the 2011 Annual Conference, speaking on the popular Centennial session “Parallel Practices: When the Mind Isn’t Focused on Art.” Read CAA’s full profile of the artist, with several photographs of her work.

Images

Top: Mira Schor, The Dreams of All of Us, 2012, ink, rabbit skin glue, oil, and gesso on linen, 24 x 28 in. (artwork © Mira Schor; photograph provided by the artist)

Bottom: Janine Antoni, Lick and Lather, 1993, two self-portrait busts: one chocolate and one soap, 24 x 16 x 13 in. (artwork © Janine Antoni; photograph provided by the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York)

Many of you began your CAA membership as students, so you know how important the Annual Conference is for young artists and scholars breaking into the field. From networking to interviewing to attending panels, the conference enables them to get more involved in the visual-arts community and fosters their professional aspirations. Every year, students apply for CAA’s travel grant to help them cover the costs of getting to the conference. In the past three years, though, CAA has only assisted about 30 percent of those who apply. Please help CAA’s student members to reap the benefits of the Annual Conference by increasing our travel-grant fund through Indiegogo, a crowd-funding website! Make a contribution yourself or share our campaign via Facebook, Twitter, or other social media by reposting this link: http://igg.me/p/230278?a=1266837. Every share increases the chance that we’ll meet our goal of raising $4,000!

We at CAA greatly appreciate your membership and commitment.

As a CAA member, you have access to a diverse range of mentors at Career Services during the 101st Annual Conference, taking place February 13–16, 2013, in New York. All emerging, midcareer, and even advanced art professionals can benefit from one-on-one discussions with dedicated mentors about artists’ portfolios, career-management skills, and professional strategies.

You may enroll in either the Artists’ Portfolio Review or Career Development Mentoring—please choose one. Participants are chosen by a lottery of applications received by the deadline; all applicants are notified of their scheduled date and time slot by email in early 2013. Both sessions are offered free of charge. Conference registration, while encouraged, is not necessary to participate. All applicants must be current CAA members.

Artists’ Portfolio Review

The Artists’ Portfolio Review offers CAA members the opportunity to have digital images or DVDs of their work reviewed by artists, critics, curators, and educators in personal twenty-minute consultations. Whenever possible, CAA matches artists and mentors based on medium or discipline. You may bring battery-powered laptops; wireless internet, however, is not available in the room. Sessions are filled by appointment only and are scheduled for Thursday, February 14, and Friday, February 15, 2013, 8:00 AM–NOON and 1:00–5:00 PM each day.

To apply, download and complete the Career Development Enrollment Form or fill out the paper form in the 2013 Conference Information and Registration booklet, which will be mailed to all individual and institutional CAA members in October 2012. Send the completed form by email to Lauren Stark, CAA manager of programs; by fax to 212-627-2381; or by mail to: Artists’ Portfolio Review, College Art Association, 50 Broadway, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10004. Deadline extended: January 4, 2013.

Career Development Mentoring

Artists, art historians, art educators, and museum professionals at all stages of their careers may apply for one-on-one consultations with veterans in their fields. Through personal twenty-minute consultations, Career Development Mentoring offers a unique opportunity for participants to receive candid advice on how to conduct a thorough job search; present cover letters, CVs, and digital images; and prepare for interviews. Whenever possible, CAA matches participants and mentors based on medium or discipline. Sessions are filled by appointment only and are scheduled for Thursday, February 14, and Friday, February 15, 2013, 8:00 AM–NOON and 1:00–5:00 PM each day.

To apply, download and complete the Career Development Enrollment Form or fill out the paper form in the 2013 Conference Information and Registration booklet, which will be mailed to all individual and institutional CAA members in October 2012. Send the completed form by email to Lauren Stark, CAA manager of programs; by fax to 212-627-2381; or by mail to: Career Development Mentoring, College Art Association, 50 Broadway, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10004. Deadline extended: January 4, 2013.

Image: A mentoring session at the CAA Annual Conference (photograph by James Rexroad)

For the 101st Annual Conference, taking place February 13–16, 2013, in New York, CAA seeks established professionals in the visual arts to volunteer as mentors for two Career Services programs: the Artists’ Portfolio Review and Career Development Mentoring. Participating as a mentor is an excellent way to serve the field and to assist the professional growth of the next generation of artists and scholars.

Art historians and studio artists must be tenured; critics, museum educators, and curators must have five years’ experience. Curators and educators must be currently employed by a museum or university gallery.

Artists’ Portfolio Review

CAA seeks artists, critics, curators, and educators to serve in the Artists’ Portfolio Review. In this program, mentors review and provide feedback on digital images or DVDs of work by artist members in personal twenty-minute consultations. Whenever possible, CAA matches artists and mentors based on medium or discipline. Mentors provide an important service to artists, enabling them to receive professional criticism of their work.

Interested candidates must be current CAA members and prepared to give five successive twenty-minute critiques in a two-hour period on one of the two days of the review: Thursday, February 14, and Friday, February 15, 2013, 8:00 AM–NOON and 1:00–5:00 PM each day. Conference registration, while encouraged, is not required to be a mentor. Please send your CV and a brief letter of interest to Lauren Stark, CAA manager of programs. Deadline: December 14, 2012.

Career Development Mentoring

CAA seeks mentors from all areas of studio art, art history, art education, film and video, graphic design, the museum professions, and other related fields to serve in Career Development Mentoring. In this program, mentors give valuable advice to emerging and midcareer professionals, reviewing cover letters, CVs, digital images, and other pertinent job-search materials in personal twenty-minute consultations. Whenever possible, CAA matches participants and mentors based on medium or discipline.

Interested candidates must be current CAA members and prepared to give five successive twenty-minute critiques in a two-hour period on one of the two days of the review: Thursday, February 14, and Friday, February 15, 2013, 8:00 AM–NOON and 1:00–5:00 PM each day. Conference registration, while encouraged, is not required to be a mentor. Please send your CV and a brief letter of interest to Lauren Stark, CAA manager of programs. Deadline: December 14, 2012.

Career Development Mentoring is not intended as a screening process by institutions seeking new hires. CAA does not accept applications from individuals whose departments are conducting a faculty search in the field in which they are mentoring. Mentors should not be attending the conference as candidates for positions in the same field in which mentees may be applying.

Working as a projectionist or room monitor at the 101st Annual Conference, taking place February 13–16, 2013, in New York, is a great way to save on conference expenses. All candidates must be US citizens or permanent US residents. CAA encourages students and emerging professionals—especially those in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut—to apply for service.

Projectionists

CAA seeks applications for projectionists for conference program sessions. Successful applicants are paid $12 per hour and receive complimentary conference registration. Projectionists are required to work a minimum of four 2½-hour program sessions, from Wednesday, February 13 to Saturday, February 16; they must also attend a training meeting on Wednesday morning at 7:30 AM. Projectionists must be familiar with digital projectors. Please send a brief letter of interest to Lauren Stark, CAA manager of programs. Deadline: December 14, 2012.

Room Monitors

CAA needs room monitors for two Career Services mentoring programs (the Artists’ Portfolio Review and Career Development Mentoring), several offsite sessions, and other conference events, to be held from Wednesday, February 13 to Saturday, February 16; they must also attend a training meeting on Thursday morning at 7:30 AM. Successful candidates are paid $12 per hour and receive complimentary conference registration. Room monitors are required to work a minimum of eight hours, checking in participants and facilitating the work of the mentors. Please send a brief letter of interest to Lauren Stark, CAA manager of programs. Deadline: December 14, 2012.

CAA’s Services to Artists Committee invites artist members to participate in ARTexchange, an open forum for sharing work at the 2013 Annual Conference. Free and open to the public, ARTexchange will be held on Friday, February 15, 5:30–7:30 PM, in a central location at the Hilton New York. A cash bar will be available.

ARTexchange is an annual event showcasing the art of CAA members, who can exhibit their paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculptures, and digital works using the space on, above, and beneath a six-foot folding table. Artists may also construct temporary mini-installations and conduct performance, sound, and spoken-word pieces in their space. In the past, many ARTexchange participants found the event to be their favorite part of the conference, with the table parameter sparking creative displays.

To be considered for ARTexchange in New York, please send your full name, your CAA member number, a brief description of the work you want to exhibit (no more than 150 words), and a link to your website to Lauren Stark, CAA manager of programs. Artists presenting performance or sound art, spoken word, or technology-based work, including laptop presentations, must add a few sentences about their plans. Accepted participants will receive an email confirmation. Because ARTexchange is a popular venue with limited space, early applicants will be given preference. Deadline: December 14, 2012.

Participants are responsible for their work; CAA is not liable for losses or damages. Sale of work is not permitted. Participants may not hang artworks on walls or run power cords from laptops or other electronic devices to outlets—bring fully charged batteries.

Image: the artists Jeff Schmuki and Wendy DesChene, founders of PlantBot Genetics, demonstrate their products during ARTexchange at the 2012 Annual Conference in Los Angeles (photograph by Bradley Marks)

CAA has extended the deadline for session proposals for the 2014 Annual Conference in Chicago to Friday, September 14, 2012. Conference sessions cover the breadth of current thought and research in art, art and architectural history, theory and criticism, pedagogical issues, museum and curatorial practice, conservation, and developments in technology.

The 2014 program is shaped by four broad submission categories: Historical Studies, Contemporary Issues/Studio Art, Educational and Professional Practices, and Open Forms. For Open Forms, members may submit themed panels that feature alternative formats such as panel discussions or interviews, or even sessions that provide alternate speaking lengths, rather than the usual five speakers in twenty-minute presentations.

You must be a current CAA member in order to submit a proposal. Please visit www.collegeart.org/proposals/2014 for complete details on the process.

Image: Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate, 2004, in Millennium Park (photograph by Bradley Marks)

Many CAA members might not be aware that the Annual Conference Committee has approved the ability for artists and art historians to propose a wide variety of sessions in alternative formats for this year and subsequent conferences. Through its Open Forms category, members may submit, for example, themed panels that feature alternative formats such as panel discussions or interviews, or even sessions that provide alternate speaking lengths, rather than the usual five speakers in twenty-minute presentations. These are just some of the many possibilities that members may suggest. Of particular interest are sessions making use of new technologies, such as Skype, or other means to expand the scope of material that can be shared with session participants.

The new sessions will be added to the standard session process as a way of encouraging dynamic and experimental approaches to the conference. CAA supports this as part of its 2010–2015 Strategic Plan in which exploring alternative formats for the annual conference is a goal. A Board of Directors–appointed Task Force to Review Annual Conference Technologies, under the leadership of CAA’s vice president for Annual Conference, Jacqueline Francis, is currently investigating a wide variety of possibilities (including digital formats) for our conference and will be making recommendations to the board for changes at meetings in the coming year. An exciting innovation already in place for our coming 2013 conference is free Wi-Fi for conference goers. As CAA further explores how to implement new technologies and related new formats for presentation, member-driven ideas at upcoming Annual Conferences will be of particular interest for the board. As such, all members are encouraged to consider an alternative session proposal along with the traditional models.

To submit a proposal for an Open Forms session, please visit http://www.collegeart.org/proposals/2014. Deadline extended: September 14, 2012.

The Exhibitor and Advertiser Prospectus for the 2013 Annual Conference in New York is now available for download. Featuring essential details for participation in the Book and Trade Fair, the booklet also contains options for sponsorship opportunities and advertisements in conference publications and on the conference website.

The Exhibitor and Advertiser Prospectus will help you reach a core audience of artists, art historians, educators, students, and administrators, who will converge in New York for CAA’s 101st Annual Conference, taking place February 13–16, 2013. With three days of exhibit time, the Book and Trade Fair will be centrally located at the Hilton New York, where most programs sessions and special events take place. CAA offers several options for booths and tables that can help you to connect with conference attendees in person.

In addition, sponsorship packages will allow you to maintain a high profile throughout the conference. Companies, organizations, and publishers may choose one of four visibility packages, sponsor specific areas and events such as the Student and Emerging Professionals Lounge, or work with CAA staff to design a custom package. Advertising possibilities include the Conference Program, distributed to over six thousand registrants, and the conference website, seen by thousands more.

The priority deadline for Book and Trade Fair applications has been extended to Friday, November 16, 2012; the final deadline for all applications and full payments, and for sponsorships and advertisements in the Conference Program, is Friday, December 7, 2012.

Questions about the 2013 Book and Trade Fair? Please contact Paul Skiff, CAA assistant director for Annual Conference, at 212-392-4412. For sponsorship and advertising queries, speak to Helen Bayer, CAA marketing and communications associate, at 212-392-4426.