Sunday night I also went over to the Tripnotica festival at The Delancy bar in Lower Manhattan.  I did not stay long because there was not that much for me there when I arrived (around 8 PM).  I’m told that 400 people attended by the end of the evening (I was long gone by then).

A couple of thoughts.  I spoke with someone from Art For Progress group and it sounded like it could be good to join it - I briefly mentioned the group the other day; but I’m not thinking of it for myself - it’s right for some artists, but not for everyone.  Most of what Art For Progress - www.artforprogress.org offers can be easily gotten elsewhere - but the packaging might be right for artist seeking to get visibility.  An artists’ life is not an easy path (not that any one’s life is) and anything that can make it easier is worth a look.

On the other hand, I’m too aware of how easy it is to get the thing that Art For Progress offers, so their pitch really does not work for me (website, multimedia upload and sharing is so common these days, and often free - that it makes little sense to sell that as one of your main features - and Art For Progress does do that).  The opportunities for showing work at various events and the community aspect of the membership, along with access to health benefits (which, as an artist, you can probably get via Healthy NY, from NY State without Art For Progress) are the main reasons to join.

After one drink and a conversation with an artist representative (of some pretty hideous work, by the way - my opinion) I left.

And it reminded me of just how hard it is to be an artist, to expose yourself via your work to the public - and now, via the internet, to the world at large.