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Shipping Artwork: Trial and Tribulation

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As a ceramic sculptor, I frequently have to package and ship my artwork to galleries. When preparing my work to ship, I envision the scene from Ace Ventura Pet Detective when Jim Carrey is acting as a postal delivery man playing football with the package. Ace hikes it up to the quarterback, finds a player down field and launches the football toward the receiver. In my case, instead of using a football, picture a box with a fragile sticker on the side containing precious cargo - my artwork. This is what shipping your artwork feels like. This brings me to my most recent interaction with the United Postal Service. I was accepted to exhibit a sculpture at the Wayne Arts Center in PA. Juried into the show by the Renwick Gallery curator Nora Atkinson, I was thrilled to be accepted! I take great care in shipping my work. For my abstract ceramic sculpture: Make sure to take portfolio quality images for your documentation and records in case the artwork was s
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CERF+ "Get Ready Grant"

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CERF+ "Get Ready Grant" There are significant costs related to setting up a personal studio, aside from equipment costs, OVERHEAD has to be the next biggest one. When deciding on a studio budget, (knowing I would be moving across country to a new city with zero contacts) I had to be realistic about my projected income. Before moving to Ames, IA, I researched the possibility of renting studio space. The Creative Artists’ Studio of Ames,( Here ) has a fully equipped ceramic studio and rental spaces for artists ranging from beginner to experienced. Their facilities are wonderful, and they have a positive impact on the community, however, it was not a match for me. The maximum work space  rental size was 10’x10’ and for approximately $3000 per year. The size/cost ratio would not work for me, I need at least three times as much space for a fraction of the cost. This roadblock simply allowed for a new path to be forged. Over the past seven years, I have never had my ow
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Right From the Start!

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Right From the Start! My name is Brett Beasley. I recently completed my graduate degree at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Now that I have graduated, I've relocated to Ames, Iowa and am establishing my own studio. I want to consider the implications of being prepared and do this right,  right from the start . So when CERF+ asked me to document how I'm setting myself up for a sustainable career, I said, "yes, of course!" The goal of documenting my process is to connect with other artists who are setting up their studios or are making a living as a studio artist. I hope you will follow my progress, provide recommendations, and maybe even some words of encouragement. If you’re starting your first studio or have done so in the past, please share your advice and let’s get a conversation going! Be sure to visit my Instagram account and personal website to see the type of artwork I create. How I found my new studio: Whe
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