Essays by Artistis about What They Do
I am honored to be among the eighty artists represented in this book conceived and edited by brothers Christopher and Nick Benson. With essays and examples of work from artists and makers from around the world, Art in the Making is gathering funding for publication through a Kickstarter campaign which has received their distinction as one of the Projects We Love.
The artists represented in this 350 page book are from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, with insights and work from lyric and performing artists, artisans, painters, sculptors, photographers and new media artists, and finally, in homage to
the origins of so many artists, the teachers and mentors—- the makers of human beings, as Christopher Benson insightfully calls them.
How did you come to what you do?
How do you do it?
Where do you see the distinctions, if any, between your art and your craft?
Why do you do it?
These are the questions posed to each of contributors. Their responses help to enlarge our understanding of what it is to be human, and what is truly our deepest calling--the urge and necessity of making things, making beauty, making life-- in a technological age, in the midst of a pandemic, crisis, and catastrophe. I am so looking forward to reading the responses.
The Contributors to Art in the Making
Lyric and Performing Artists ~ Rulan Tangen, Nathaniel Tarn, Jack Madry, David Jones, David Doucet, Josephine Wiggs, Tori Reynolds, Nico Muhly, John Davis ❦ Artisans ~ John F. Benson, Deborah Madison, Mark Luzio, Florence Pénault,
Jeff Greene, Katie Pasquini Masopust, Judith Schaechter, Stephen Faulk, Alice Medrich, Michael Kautter, Chef Demetiek Scott, Caleb Kullman, Will Benson ❦ Painters and Sculptors ~ Helen Park Bigelow, Maurice Burns, Woody Gwyn,
Patrick McFarlin, Phillis Ideal, David Frazer, Howard Newman, Nancy Wilson Fulton, Ann Arnold, Tony Abeyta,
Leslie Parke, Pete Jackson, Sheila Miles, Carola Clift, Kathy Butterly, Brian Rego, Christopher Benson, Sarah Shaw, Fédéric Vangeebergen, Paula Wilson, Sue McNally, Chelsea Gibson, Will Clift, Risa Benson ❦ Graphic and Book Artists ~ Leonard Baskin, Raphael Boguslav, David Lance Goines, Burning Books, David Macaulay, Ken Rinciani, Guy Billout, Thayer Carter, John Seed, Peter Koch, Barb Tetenbaum, David Frazer, Russell Maret, Christopher Lee
❦ Photographers and New Media Artists ~ Paul Caponigro, William Clift, Edward Ranney, Robert Benjamin, Lois Connor, Elvira Piedra, Krista Elrick, Patricia Lagarde, Andrea Modica, Zoë Zimmerman, Arduina Planca Caponigro, John Paul Caponigro, Atticus Berry, Dana Newman, Hamish Fulton, Diane Armitage, Luis Palacios Kaim, Christopher K. Ho,
Nick Benson ❦ Teachers and Mentors ~ Bill Meyer, Mark Edmundson, Robert V. Hansmann, Cybele Leverett
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Please take a look at the Kickstarter for Art in the Making, and support the project if you can. The book is scheduled to arrive in August, but only if it is fully funded. The deadline is Tuesday, March 15, at 8:30 p.m. EDT. As the publisher emphasizes, this is a radical approach to publishing-- to accomplish it independently, to circumvent the now conventional channels of production and distribution, and to keep the proceeds with the creators, which results in supporting an extended community. Artists are often among the first responders in a crisis, creating fundraisers for disaster and crisis relief, and they are also the ones to whom we turn first when we are faced with difficulty. It is art which provides meaning and sustains us through the hardest and most painful moments. I am hopeful that the richness of talent in this book will attract the support of many who follow these artists’ work, and recognize that creating something like this independently is a small and important step towards change. As a small incentive, I am offering a giveaway of a copy of the book to give as a gift. Send an e-mail to elvira@elvirapiedra.com with proof your $55 pledge to the campaign and I will enter your name in a drawing for a chance to win a second copy of Art in the Making. It will be signed, with a little something extra.
T H A N K Y O U