While at the University of Georgia, I served on the Visiting Artist and Distinguished Scholar Committee and the Lamar Dodd Chair Selection Committee for three years. I am now a member of the Artists in Residency (AiR) program at Texas A&M University. The power of visiting artists and scholars to inspire students and faculty, spread diversity and encourage dialogue is unparalleled. Even bad lectures get folks talking. This is an integral component to a productive Arts education and has overlooked recruitment potential.
Hopefully this Web site will serve as a meeting place for Artists, Scholars and Institutions to facilitate future interaction. Most of the artists and scholars I know are eager to share their research and work with the public. This Web site is an attempt to remedy budget and administrative shortfalls. The "exchange" is open to all institutions, galleries, artists and scholars. Here are the guidelines...
VISITING ARTIST/SCHOLAR RESPONSIBILITIES
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED AS A VISITING ARTIST/SCHOLAR, YOU SHOULD...• Be capable of funding, in full, a trip to a desirable inviting institution. If you would like to be considered as a visiting artist, send me a link to your Web site or contact information. I will link to it in the side bar.
• All of the artists on this list are capable and willing to cover travel, lodging and food considerations in full throughout the course of their "visiting artist/scholar" stay.
VISITING INSTITUTION'S RESPONSIBILITIES
TO HOST A VISITING ARTIST/SCHOLAR, YOU SHOULD...• Look through the links of eligible artists/scholars in the side bar to the right
• Send a formal letter of invitation to said artist/scholar (contacts should be available through individual artist/scholar Web sites)
• Organize a time and place for the visiting artist/scholar to deliver a lecture (including securing a projector, microphone, laptop and/or any other potential lecture needs)
• Advertise/Notify Faculty and students of the forthcoming visit. (Artists and scholars will be making substantial efforts to share their research. Hosts should do their best to respond in kind.)
• Should funding become available, WOHOO! Even better!
If you have questions comments or suggestions, please leave them in the comment box or email me. My address can be found on my web site, joshuabienko.com
I was in a taxi with Mel Chin about 6 years ago. This was before grad school or teaching positions or really any significant artistic aspirations. I asked him what he thought I should do in the future. He said to fall in love, have children and when artistic decisions come up, try to do everything for free. I can also half quote Claire Bishop by saying, "There can be no failed, unsuccessful, unresolved, or boring works of collaborative art because all are equally essential to the task of strengthening the social bond." While this quote has its problems, I think its spirit is accurate and its application to visiting artists is right on.
