Professional Practices lectures and workshops

Washington Project for the Arts Presents

the 2013 - 2014 season of

Professional Practices lectures and workshops

Washington Project for the Arts has announced its 2013 - 2014 season of Professional Practices programming. Professional Practices, formerly No Artist Left Behind, is WPA's ongoing series of lectures, workshops, and classes that cover a variety professional development topics pertinent to the careers and practices of our artist members and the creative community at large. All workshops are free to WPA members, and $5.00 to non-members.  

To join WPA, click here. Reservations will begin three weeks in advance of each workshop and may be made by contacting WPA Membership Manager Christopher Cunetto at ccunetto@wpadc.org or by calling 202.234.7103 x 2. 

Intro to Self-Publishing

Date: September 10, 2013, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: WPA @ The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I (eye) Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

Learn how to publish a variety of artist materials including professional quality zines and artist books. This talk will feature an overview of what is required from image preparation, through design, and on to printing and distribution.

Working the Room 

Date: September 19, 2013, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: Hickok Cole Architects, 1023 31st Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 

Discover how to manage conversations with potential clients and be a better advocate for your own work. Join Marketing and PR professional Marilynn Mendell, President of WinSpin CIC Inc., as she presents this lecture on how to network effectively and sell your art.

Intro to 3D Modeling
Date: November 7, 2013,6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: WPA @ The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I (eye) Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

Join us for this workshop covering the basics of 3D modeling programs, featuring free and open-source program SketchUp. Emphasis will be on 3D modeling program use, model creation, and preparing work files for 3D printing applications.

Event and Exhibition Management: Crash Course
Date: January 23, 2014, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: WPA @ The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I (eye) Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

This workshop presents a "crash course" in arts event and exhibition management best practices. From planning for the event to organizing and cataloging artwork, preparing labels and guest lists, to sending invitations and PR, this workshop covers the basics on how to successfully launch an arts event.

The "Real World": Life as an Artist After Graduation
Date: February 13, 2014, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: WPA @ The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I (eye) Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

In this panel discussion, geared specifically toward students, participants will discuss the myriad issues associated with life after graduating with a BFA. Issues such as beginning a career, work/life balance, and making steps forward as an emerging artist will be explored.

Creating for the Future: Part Two
Date: April 10, 2014, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: WPA @ The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I (eye) Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

A follow up to WPA's Estate Planning and Cataloging introductory workshop, WPA presents a more detailed lecture from Artist Estate Consultant Robin Moore, including more nitty-gritty details on the practices of estate preparation, artwork inventory, and drafting a will.

Staying Productive
Date: May 8, 2014, 6:30 - 8:00pm

Location: WPA @ The Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I (eye) Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

This participatory panel discussion features several artists at different stages of their careers exploring the diverse ways in which artists meet the many challenges of life while maintaining an active studio practice.

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ABOUT WPA

Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) is an independent, nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization whose mission is to serve as a catalyst for contemporary art.  WPA supports artists at all stages of their careers and promotes contemporary art by presenting exhibitions, issues, and ideas that stimulate public dialogue on art and culture.www.wpadc.org.

Basic Concepts Skills Screener {App Review & Giveaway}

Back to School, Back to School, to prove to my Dad that I'm not a fool. I've got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight..... In the immortal words of Billy Madison. It's back to school time!

If you're looking for assessment apps, this is the time to make your Smarty Ears app purchases. All their assessment apps are currently on sale until August 19th. One of those apps on sale is the Basic Concepts Skills Screener.

The Basic Concepts Skills Screener was developed as a screening tool for preschool to primary aged students.

Start on the home page. On the left side, you can add and edit students. Click New Test to start a new assessment. Select the full screening or the quick screening. The quick screening (30 probes) should take 5 minutes while the full screening (79 probes) should take about 15 minutes. 

As the student sees each screen, the student selects an answer. The app will make a confirmation 'ding' when an answer is selected (even if the answer is wrong).

The student selects the 'next' button to move on to the next stimulus probe. 

You'll also notice the number of the probe in the bottom left corner. 

When finished, you will be able to note the date of the test and the raw score. 

Each of these 3 images describe the  results. You can export these results or import them into the Therapy Report Center (a free Smarty Ears App). 

Pros: This app is great for a baseline screener. I love it for great monitoring tool. The images are clear and the app is intuitive. The simple design is very appropriate and the length of the assessments expected. All the concepts covered are age appropriate from early preschool to early elementary aged students.

Cons: No criterion scores are included in the assessment. While we can describe the screening results there are standardized scores. The included age range percentages don't have listed skills. For example, the report above said Jenna could identify 62% of the skills expected by age 4, but I wasn't able to find those expected skills by age. I'm sure if I show teachers or parents these awesome graphs and information, they're going to ask for that list!

In the future updates, I'd LOVE to be able to control which items are included on the shorter screener.

Check out the full video tutorial:

Head over to itunes to purchase the BCSS, now priced at $9.99 on sale from $19.99. If you're feeling lucky enter below on the rafflecopter to win a copy of the BCSS for yourself!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bezos buys the WaPo

Jeff Bezos, whose father Miguel Bezos immigrated from Cuba at age 15 (cough, cough),  will soon be the new owner of the WaPo.

The Washington Post Co. agreed Monday to sell its flagship newspaper to Amazon.com founder and chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos, ending the Graham family’s stewardship of one of America’s leading news organizations after four generations.

I wonder if, considering what we somewhat know about the nerdy genius, this means that the paper will now steer a more centrist attitude and shift a little more to the middle, and also if Bezos has any interest in improving the WaPo's dismal and embarrassing arts coverage.

Talk and party at the Katzen this Saturday

This is the last week to see Tim Tate's spectacular video show at the Katzen Museum at American University. 

There will be a talk this Saturday at 4pm led by yours truly discussing the meanings and importance of the installation and of Tate's work. 

It is followed by a closing party from 5 to 7 - free and open to the public. 

I hope you get a chance to stop by. 

And here read Tony Harvey's review of the show.

We Don’t Need Monet—We Need Money!

Gentry liberals—university profs, cutting edge art mavens, foundation executives—like to think of themselves as the key, leading members in the blue coalition. But as the money runs out and the civil war heats up, there’s a tendency to throw the gentry liberals under the bus. This has been happening for years now when it comes to the battles over university education in states, as funds for higher ed keep getting cut back. The fight over paying pensions versus hanging on to Van Goghs brings this tendency to the fore.

Read the whole piece here.

Art Scam Alert!

Ignore emails from this mutant trying to rip off artists...

From:	JUSTIN LIND (justin0lind28@gmail.com)
Sent:	Mon 8/05/13 8:06 PM
To:	lenny@lennycampello.com

Hello . How long does it take you to ship out if an order is completed with you ? . Kindly email me your current website so that i can pick my choice of order for you to quote me . I love your handwork . Thanks

Keep it this way!

Who needs the Hirshhorn Bubble when we got this new asskicking Washington Monument?

The WM is looking both like some Medieval weapon as well as a super-modern glass and lights and steel brutal sculpture -- and also like some new Christo and Jeanne-Claude art project - in fact, making all their previous projects looking a little lame by comparison.

I say, let's keep the Monument like this!

Who's with me?