You searched for good practice - a-n The Artists Information Company

I read with interest your latest Good Practice publication, Negotiating your practice.

I have recently been very badly treated by a gallery – as in not told about artworks sold, then not paid, then given bouncing cheques and downright lies and evasion.

The evolution of public art is an ongoing process and as an arts practitioner I contribute my share through work with Chrysalis Arts, which is currently celebrating twenty years of live and public art practice. As a co-founder and director I feel it is time for some reflection on the climate for creating artwork in public places and consider what the future holds.

The recent coverage in a-n publications on good practice and rates of pay for artists is very useful, but I think that an important issue has not been covered.

We are an anonymous grouping of national and international artists who campaign on the working conditions of artists in the UK.

I have recently responded to a couple of exhibition opportunity announcements and followed them through – the most recent: Calling all artists for a group exhibition at The Brick Lane Gallery.

Arts Council England claims that “all our arts policies prioritise strengthening and developing the infrastructure for the artform” – so why, asks Andrew Knight, is the future of Public Art Online under threat?

The quality of art education offered in UK universities has been regularly under the spotlight in recent times. In this month’s Debate, an MA graduate gives an account of the critical situation, and proposes an alternative system to offer education for artists.

Further to the public art commissioning debate that has been published in a-n Magazine since April 2008, artists may be interested to know that the RBS has endorsed the practice of paying for proposals.

Oh dear. Only two pages of opportunity listings this month (a-n Magazine, November 2008) – seven if you count the larger visual impact boxed postings.

This month sees numerous milestones and celebrations for a-n: firstly, Interface is one year old and to mark the occasion, Reviews has been compiled by its Online Editor Rosemary Shirley whose selection of Interface entries from the past twelve months demonstrate the quality and potential of online reviewing.

Welcome to our first ever double issue complete with a fresh new look and packed with extra news, reviews and special features to see you through the summer.

After a lengthy baited-breath waiting period, the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review that sets public funding levels for 2008-11 was announced.

In November, a public liability insurance scheme aimed especially at practising visual and applied artists will be launched through a-n. Here we set out the context for the new scheme and highlight the research by Platform 3 that has informed it.

With inflation about to hit a ten-year high¹, to what extent can the practices of artists nowadays resist the pressures of the real world?

This month’s Opportunities focus on international residencies, will sit permanently on www.a-n.co.uk1 as a signpost to regular international residencies that have regular deadlines. Artist Michael Cousin2 has researched this focus alongside his busy practice as an artist, and offers some […]

As a former teacher now working for the past five years as a gallery educator and also a freelance artist I have been interested to follow the a-n proposals on artists’ fees.

We are a local authority-run gallery who occasionally employ artists and other workers to do workshops with us on our premises.

Paul Matosic’s letter (June issue) raises important issues for all artists for whom operating professionally is vital.

Writing about findings from her independent review of the NAN (Networking Artists’ Networks) initiative, Jane Watt highlights how ‘trust’ is a crucial factor in supporting artists’ critical and professional development. “This five-letter word,” she says “could be an evaluator’s (or […]

Notions of sharing knowledge and experiences – both good and bad – are inherent within those who seek continuous improvement and development in their artistic practices.

I have just read ‘More than just a residency’ in June’s issue of a-n magazine. I couldn’t agree more. Over the years I have seen an increase in public/private schools advertising for artists and really they are asking for free […]