News stories from around the world:

Sophisticated crime, vulnerable art – why France should be taking burglars seriously http://nyti.ms/bTnYUu

Contemporary sculpture in an English cathedral http://bit.ly/deY7VH

Getting respect for graffiti; the group that wants to legitimize it http://bit.ly/abU3Xj

A sneak peak into conservation; comparing two very similar Gauguins http://bit.ly/aAQS3e

Why 78 amateurs are dancing around one of London’s best-known art galleries http://bit.ly/d5kJMI

Popular stories from the week:

The debate continues unabated – are UK funding cuts an opportunity or a disaster for the arts? http://bit.ly/c0bTgO A debate that seems to have touched a nerve in other countries too!

Getting real: ‘most classical art was product placement’. http://huff.to/9ZPnHM Food for thought?

Volunteers pile up for living inside the Chicago Museum http://bit.ly/dhRhKJ

This one is for the photographers out there: does shooting to a theme help? http://bit.ly/aXOd19

And finally, some great photos from the NYC 1980s subway http://bit.ly/9C4TJZ

Masters of the Imagination remains a firm favorite on Agora’s annual calendar, tapping into an audience who are deeply touched by the dynamic atmosphere created by lively, energetic paintings. Love of life and its variety shines out of these works, spreading this sense of appreciation to all who see them. The audience will be able to feel the vitality of the artists and their view on the world, both that of their inner emotions and the physical structure which surrounds them and through which they move in their daily lives.

This collection of Latin American art holds hints and delicate suggestions of the rich cultural tradition which informs it, from the delightful forms portrayed to the dazzling colors employed by the artists. The influence of the geographic region and its accompanying heritage can be strongly felt, an important element of the works’ charm.

Yet there is also a distinctly contemporary flair to be found in this exhibition, as the talented artists whose work is being shown build on the experience of the past to show their own skills and approaches to spectacular effect.

This provides a great opportunity for viewers to experience the kind of fine art being developed in Latin America today. The best experience will be had by those who come willing to appreciate the works with not only their minds, but their hearts as well. Only then can you truly connect with the enchanting sensations of these remarkable works.

This exhibition coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month, the period dedicated to the remembrance and appreciation of the efforts and contributions of Spanish-speaking Americans to our country in diverse fields including literature, music and of course visual arts.

At the same time, a solo exhibition will be showing in Gallery II, our adjacent gallery space: Animassymbolism: The Conscious Paradigm of Fred Mou. The concept of this show centers around the philosophy of Fred Mou, which he explores and expresses in his work. Animassymbolism refers to the artist’s complex use of symbols which he makes a part of his representation of nature, thereby giving form to the mystery and wonder that surrounds us.

Exhibition dates: September 10, 2010 – October 1, 2010
Reception: Thursday, September 16, 2010 6-8 PM
Gallery Location: 530 West 25th St, New York City
Gallery Hours: Tues – Sat, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Masters of the Imagination: Ignacio Alperin Bruvera, Cristina Arnedo, Erich Birchmeier, Carlos Cabán, Marcela Cadena, Humberto Cuan, María Susana Dos Santos, Flor Echevarria, Maria de los Angeles Espinosa, R. Porter Finch, Ivan Hurtado Lorenzo, Ivanrod, Ivanka Kovacevic, Marcela Krause Porter, Claudia Lamas, Ilka Lemos, Hugo Martínez Rapari, Jacqueline Mitri, Mariana Morales, Andre Netto, Patricia Pieschacón, Marcelo Pizzolo, Adelia Sayeg, Wuilfredo Soto

Cave paintings of ‘exceptional’ artistic quality are uncovered in the desert http://bit.ly/d3r2V4

How did the thieves gain access to the stolen Van Gogh? Simple. The alarms were broken http://bbc.in/9mZHCx

The Eli Broad Museum has a location – it’s downtown L.A., and that’s official http://bit.ly/clRvGA

Wrangling over Warhol; the scandal so far http://bit.ly/aBvXSC

A new generation of museum directors steer their charges in new directions http://bit.ly/9hZw7N

Popular stories from the week:

So bad it’s good? The late work of Salvador Dali http://bit.ly/9nO8fd

The magical beauty of marine algae (from space) http://bit.ly/c86FLO

Art, apps and the potential of the digital http://nyti.ms/bdy8Z5

A filmmaker lost an eye. He put a camera in its place http://bit.ly/9vf8Vs

See the sun setting in Queens – time lapsed for your convenience http://bit.ly/a51Lo8

Guest post by Nellie Scott

Mentoring is one of the best gifts you can give to a child. When given a new set of tools, their young minds expand with a flood of inspiration and purpose. It’s as if you poured water onto a piece of paper, and before your eyes, it suddenly grew into the tree it used to be. It’s been said many times, in many different ways, but the youth of today ensure that our world’s tomorrow is bright and colorful. In 2009, I joined the Art-Start volunteer family and since have enjoyed every moment spent with the children. This unique organization works with non-profit shelters and group homes throughout the New York City area, providing workshops for transitional and homeless youth between the ages of 6 and 21.

Currently, I assist with “Music Night,” which might be surprising to some, since my background is primarily in Art. However, as my close friends and family know, I’m wildly passionate about music and am constantly in the process of creating “The Best Mix Ever.” My musical career began by playing the viola in the fourth grade, but a bad case of stage fright soon ended any chance of a rock n’ roll lifestyle.

Most evenings, I’m learning right along with the children and sometimes, they are teaching me.  A few nights ago a young boy and I sat down to learn a song for the evening. As we began, without missing a single note, he eagerly played Lean on Me by Bill Withers. We had worked on the song the week prior, which means he had mastered and retained the ability to play the song perfectly then, without any practice for 7 days.

I’m sure it is no surprise, but studies show that Music and Art participation yield high benefits for a child’s cognitive development. Children who cultivate music or artistic skills show better concentration, coordination and self-confidence. This is especially true of children who live in an at-risk environment. Creative stimuli helps underprivileged children work through complex emotions, while revitalizing a sense of self worth and independence. Art-Start concentrates on building a secure, consistent and intimate atmosphere, where volunteers foster relationships, establishing trust and confidence in the children they serve.

Living in New York can certainly change your perspective of the world; you find yourself wanting things fast and now. Once a week the children of Art-Start teach me that, sometimes, you just have to reevaluate what is really important, take a deep breath and laugh at yourself. That is why I am proud to announce that on August 17th, our 25th Chelsea International Fine Art Competition Exhibition opened its doors to the public. As part of our ongoing commitment to giving back to the community that we live and work in, Agora Gallery donates 25% of its proceeds from the sale of artwork from the exhibition to Art-Start.

Do you have any similar experiences? Share them in the comments!

Who owns Michelangelo’s David? City and state battle it out http://bit.ly/c2OCxL

A ‘toy village’ bursting with art; Governors Island is worth a visit http://nyti.ms/9RRUBV

Propaganda posters from North Korea form an art exhibition in Vienna Museum … Controversy abounds http://nyti.ms/dCcgt8

Eli Broad lectures museums: share art with as big an audience as possible http://bit.ly/dfQwDg

Who owns looted art? An enduring question http://bit.ly/bZrdi4

Popular stories from the week:

Marvelous Matisse at MoMA (and why art should be measured like alcohol) http://bit.ly/abovdQ Anyone checked this out yet?

Why ordinary people love culture – so long as they’re appreciated http://bit.ly/bTKbKI

TOP’s best photography ‘How to’ books http://bit.ly/cwdKeL

Impressionists, gardens and horticulture… It’s not what you think http://bit.ly/bKBm80

Britain’s most talked about art sensation is a painting prodigy of … 8 years old http://bit.ly/ag0qlP

Of course, this is not to say that it is impossible to make enough money as a full-time artist. There are many talented artists who manage to do just that. Yet it takes time to build up the kind of awareness of your work, exposure in wider markets, and circle of buyers you need to be able to make a living simply from your fine art. Even with all that, a certain amount of luck is involved which means that income can fluctuate from year to year.

Because of all this, many artists would like to be able to augment their income in other ways. Yet many resist the idea of taking on either a full-time job that would allow them to work on art at the weekends, or a part-time one that would give more flexibility in terms of time for creative activity. They fear it will drain their energy and resources and detract from their work when they do sit down to it.

An alternative that is often considered is for the artist to use their skills and talent to produce both fine artworks, which are of course themselves available for collectors to buy, and also other, generally smaller, more commercial products. This allows the artist to keep their energies devoted to the creation of art, but also to make that art something that many people can afford to buy, as well as admire. Although it is often appropriate for an artist to set a relatively high price on their original works, it does cut them off from the large market of people who enjoy their style and abilities, but are not ready or not able to pay the price for an original work of their own.

Despite the value of increasing their audience in this way, some artists worry about the effect this may have on how others perceive them as an artist, and what they think of their work. There is a concern that anything that falls outside the realm of what is understood to be fine art is not an appropriate thing for a fine artist to be involved with. Yet even in the world of fine art, the barriers and perimeters have changed dramatically in the last fifty years or so. Marcel Duchamp, who turned everyday objects into works of art simply through a shift in perspective, ensured that, and the tremendous influence of people like Andy Warhol on many areas of the art world blurred the distinctions that had once seemed clear with ‘factories’ that turned out work to a set design that might have had no more contact with the artist than the initial idea and his signature. Moreover, museums and galleries all over the world sell reproductions of their famous works so that visitors can take home a small version of their favorite painting. Provided you stay serious about your work, there’s no reason entering a similar market should impact on your reputation as a serious artist any more than the myriad versions of Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ affects his renown.

There are a number of ways to access this market, with all sorts of goods that can be adapted to fit your creative direction. Explore the possibilities, and put serious time and thought into working out which is best suited to your work. If you can, ask those you think might be interested in such things, whether it’s your local community or an online one, what sorts of products they’d like to see, and perhaps even what sort of price they’d expect to pay for them. Research like this before you start can be extremely useful in helping focus your thoughts in the right direction and in setting appropriate expectations. It’ll also be a bit of pre-launch marketing that hopefully gets your audience on board!

The most obvious beginning is to sell prints of your works – that is, smaller, cheaper ‘copies’ of an original piece. These are often popular with viewers who love your work but can’t afford it. You can also look at greeting cards, which remain very popular in a huge number of countries; people love to feel that they have chosen a really unique card for their friend or family member, and of course finding out that it’s the work of an artist, rather than simply bought in a store, adds to the appeal of the card for the one who receives it. Some artists enjoy putting designs on magnets, finding something that resonates with them in the magnetic concept and the idea that people will see their work on an everyday, intimate basis. Some find fabric inspiring and produce wonderful cloths, clothes and other material products.

There are various ways to promote your new wares once you’ve designed and created them. Good locations to introduce new people to the idea are local fairs, where you can talk to passers by and explain the concept and a bit about yourself. Local stores are sometimes happy to set aside a little space for local artists to advertise, something that can be particularly effective if it’s a small store where the owner is happy to tell customers about you. Of course, there are also opportunities online and through word of mouth. Again, it’s up to you to decide what works best for you.

It’s also well worth listening to your audience on a regular basis, encouraging interested art-lovers and previous buyers to give you feedback on what they liked, what they were looking for, their experience with you and your work. You don’t need to take it all on board, but there’s nothing wrong with letting this kind of response nudge you in a direction you’re interested in exploring anyway. Successful LEGO artist Nathan Sawaya, for example, originally only began sculpting out of the trademark bricks when he heard about a competition LEGO were running. He’d never have given up his job to concentrate on sculpture full-time if he hadn’t been listening to the feedback he received, and it has turned out to be a great, rewarding career path for him.

This kind of approach might not be appropriate for everyone, and it’s up to each artist to work out for themselves what would be a good direction to go in. Discussions with friends, fellow artists and gallery directors with whom you have a relationship can be a part of this. If you do decide to go for it, though, approach it with all the creativity you put into your other work, and see what happens.

If you’ve used any of these ideas in the past, or are planning to in the future, let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear about it!

Abstraction is the new black – in Manhattan this summer http://nyti.ms/cYeMVO

‘Art and money are inextricably linked’ in Nigeria, where the art market is rising from nothing http://bit.ly/da0rec

Popularism but limited popularity – how the Brooklyn Museum struggles to stay on the map in a city of art giants http://nyti.ms/cUxD3s

Graffiti causes controversy in Rome as protecting ancient buildings clashes with life in a modern city http://bit.ly/bGhIC4 while on the other hand, San Francisco partners with street artists to defeat urban graffiti http://bit.ly/9hvTJE

A breath of fresh art comes to one of China’s previously less cultural cities http://nyti.ms/b0kTxV

Popular stories from the week:

The value of photography workshops http://bit.ly/bYtcGU Anyone had experience of this recently?

Photographic self portraits, an art form that’s 170 years old http://bit.ly/aEnoj1 Anyone ever tried this?

Does great art make you sick? Well, maybe http://bit.ly/cp7efq

The Museum of Bad Art and its awful collection http://n.pr/cFDVyJ No, really. And here are 15 of the worst paintings: http://bit.ly/cZ8EYl

The juror of this year’s competition was Megan Fontanella, who is an Assistant Curator at the famous Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. She is involved with conducting collections research for the Guggenheim, in addition to having curated exhibitions. She has chosen a stunning selection of work from this year’s competition entrants, resulting in what will be a truly memorable exhibition.

The work on display will present some of the very best examples of contemporary art, created by artists who have achieved an impressive degree of skill in their chosen field, and combined it with an innate and exuberant talent, with remarkable results.

A number of different mediums are represented in this exhibition. The competition itself is open to most forms of art, and so it should be no surprise that the work of the selected artists ranges from photography to sculpture, and from painting to digital media. Visitors are therefore able to admire the possibilities inherent in these different genres, and everyone will be sure to find something to which they particularly relate.

In addition, Agora Gallery is continuing its support of the valuable local charity Art Start, which strives to improve the lives of children and young people in need in New York through the medium of art and with the help of volunteer artists. This year, like last year, 25% of the proceeds from the sales of this exhibition will go to Art Start to help it continue in its excellent work.

Exhibition dates: August 17, 2010 – September 7, 2010
Reception: Thursday, August 19, 2010 6-8 PM
Gallery Location: 530 West 25th St, New York City
Gallery Hours: Tues – Sat, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Featured artists:
Alina Alexandrovna, Evi Apostolou, Peter Baldinger, Roberto Bernardo, Denny Bond, Allen Bryan, Cassie Clements, M. Worrell / D. Mott, Gaspare Di Caro, Ferdinando Di Maso, Horacio Dowbley, Julio Stanly Flores, Jose A. Gallego, Edward Hahn, Eily K Jammy, Nick Kozak, Stephanie Kristofic, Jürgen Lechner, Claudia Ficca & Davide Luciano, Michael May, Hally McGehean, Víctor Meliá De Alba, Franco Monari, Losan Piatti, Allie Regan, Ruth Schreiber, Yea Jin Song, Peter Strobos, Alec Von Bargen, Sangeun Yu

The idea of the Armory Show comes to London http://bit.ly/ckeElv

The doubts over the claimed ‘Ansel Adams prints’ http://bit.ly/aozJVB , and the man who might have really taken them http://bit.ly/9aXGRm

New show at MoMA is not a knockout, but does give a new way at looking at art http://nyti.ms/9QzoKP

Calling on UK artists and art-lovers to stand together against cuts http://bit.ly/953NAZ Would this work in the US?

Reading the small print for the Eli Broad museum deal http://bit.ly/9NDGCy

Popular stories from the week:

Breaking up the gallery routine – the artist whose works glow and are hung in the middle of the room http://bit.ly/aaHhdH

Is this art, or merely annoying? The photos of a professional celebrity stalker http://nyti.ms/aHCcTE

The designer behind Twitter’s famous Fail Whale (who doesn’t want it to be called that) http://bit.ly/diy10i

Unlawful mischief in Vermont – fibreglass cow-tipping http://bit.ly/d09ps9

Enormous, ethereal soap bubbles. Enough said. http://bit.ly/b94dAZ

There are a few problems that many artists have with working in summer, but the most obvious is the heat. Of course, an easy solution for some is to turn to air conditioning, but this doesn’t work for everyone – for one thing, not all studios have air conditioning, especially if they are separate from the main house. Artists who do have sometimes prefer to work without, either for environmental reasons or because it produces the wrong atmosphere. Finally, the many artists who find much of their inspiration out of doors cannot take the cool air with them; they have to manage somehow by themselves.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to stay cool – or, at least, cool enough to work. Fans, both electric and hand fans, are valuable tools – though be careful not to aim them directly at your work, as it may have unintended consequences! Plenty of icy drinks (remember that it’s vital to stay properly hydrated) and cool, wet cloths on the back of the neck or wrists are both handy summer tricks. If you’re working outside, bear in mind that midday isn’t good for you or your work; the sun is hottest and the light is generally not what you’re looking for. Most importantly, stay determined. If you throw yourself into your work, you’ll quickly find that the heat isn’t as much of a problem as it seemed when you began.

Some artists complain that the summer presents unusual difficulties in terms of time. If you have children, summer means summer vacation, and of course you want your kids to have as great a time as they can with their school break. The trouble is that sometimes that can seem to mean months without having enough time to yourself to create.

The most important thing in overcoming this challenge has been mentioned many times on this blog before – the crucial nature of setting aside time for your work. It’s necessary for you as a professional artist, for your work, and quite probably for your own peace of mind. Take advantage of the times when the children are busy and away from the house – if that means moving your ‘art time’ around a bit, it’s worth it. In general, though, it’s easy to make your children understand that certain hours of the day or week are ‘your time’, when they must not disturb your work except for something important – especially if you point them to particular activities they can engage in while you’re busy that will keep them occupied and happy.

Don’t be afraid to take a break, though. Going on a trip with your family, spending time with friends who have come on vacation, visiting museums or local events won’t do you any harm, even if it does mean putting away your easel for a week or two. You’ll come back fresh and with new memories tucked away in your mind for when you need them.

One other issue artists worry about is that the warmer weather saps their energy and determination, either because they slow down in the heat or because they want to be outside all the time and can’t concentrate on work. This doesn’t really need to be a problem – if you’re just concerned because you’re a bit slower than usual, relax. Adapt your pace to the state of mind and body you’re in, don’t demand unreasonable efforts of yourself, and be satisfied with keeping going in a calm, methodical way.

One way to deal with feeling sluggish is to use the time to do all those jobs you’ve been putting off for ages, the small, irritating tasks such as cleaning your work materials thoroughly, cataloging your found materials or images, tidying the studio or stocking up on supplies. These are all things that do need to get done, and setting yourself clear, small goals is a great way to motivate yourself.

What are the challenges you face in the summer months? How do you overcome them? Let us know in the comments!