Marianne Dages

A primarily printmaking artist, Marianne Dages, came to speak about life in studios, how to change your art in Tyler to art in the real world and into a career, and about some other artists', along with her own, experiences. I found this lecture to be one of the more helpful and useful ones because it was really very real, and what many young artists go through when they first realize they need to turn their craft into something to make a living off of. First off she talked of other artists and how they compose their studios, because let's face it when you get out of art school a studio isn't going to plop into your lap! So she explained there are community studios, partner studios, and personal studios. However, a good way to begin is to start in a community studio where one can feed off of other artists influences and ideas, as well as take in the fact that the environment is full of materials and space. She also talked of how some artists make a living, commissioning their work and also paying the bills doing work for companies. She explained there are options with working as an intern, and noting that the degree that you get might not be the field of work you end up in. Lastly she talked about this transitional place for artists in North Carolina called the Crucible at Penland, I believe. Dages says that this is the place where you will truly discover if art is for you because it basically is so secluded and you have nothing else to do but art. Personally, I would want to find out if they had a summer program or something because I think that would be good for me to find out if this is my direction, because although I love art inside and out, from creating it to looking at it, I still am unsure if this is my calling.