Well, Here Goes...

Happy New Year and Welcome to the "If I Had A Penny" project. Today I'm off to buy penny jars. Wonder how many I'll need. I'm going to start out with a small one to carry during shows as I, hopefully, collect pennies. Will I come off as a beggar? Hope not (I'll have some information available to explain what I'm doing and how people can participate).  I'll have another larger penny jar back in my studio which I'll use for permanent storage of pennies after they've been counted. Photos to come!

Lots of ideas running around in my head, but we've got a whole year to let this project evolve. This may prove very difficult for me... I usually go with an idea right away and see it through to completion. Patience is not my strongest virtue! I know this project will change me in so many ways. I hope to gain a new understanding of, among other things, the relationship of a piece of art to its audience. It will be interesting for me, as an artist, to seek so much input, to possibly end up working on a piece that does not spring from my own ideas or experience, and to work with materials that represent an appreciation of my work.

It is that representation of appreciation that will probably have the strongest effect on me. As artists, we tend to value our "success" on sales. Compliments are nice, but they don't pay the studio rent. Now those compliments will have a physical existence: they'll have a quantitative value, a visual presence, and will become the materials from which a piece of art will be created by both the "complimentors" and the "complimentee." I'm very excited! Let the changes commence!

Kick-Off in 3 Days!

It is with both excitement and trepidation that I look ahead to the kick-off of this project. How will it be received? Will it generate the kind of interest and excitement I expect and hope for? Will I be able to pull it off? Does the community even want to be involved in an art project? Is the premise a good one, worthy of such public discourse?

When I was growing up, meeting an artist was just about the most exciting thing that could happen to me. Watching one work or talking with one about the creative process was like a dream come true. I don't know if that's still true for people today. We artists are everywhere. The market, at least here in Phoenix, is saturated. I meet literally hundreds of people when I'm showing on a typical First Friday (the monthly artwalk in Phoenix). Of those, a handful are interested in meeting and talking to the artist; and of  those, most want to talk about the finsihed pieces, not the process. So.... what am I doing here? The idea is to involve the community in both providing the materials and designing and building the installation. Many people have not experienced art as an entire process... they only see the end result. My hope is to share the process with those who are interested. Along the way, I'd like to put the "public" back in "Public Art" by involving the community , through this blog, in all facets of the design and implementation of the piece.

As of today, press releases have been sent out and at least one newspaper article is scheduled to appear. Not a bad start.

Remember, you can participate by adding pennies, suggesting ideas and titles for the artwork, and aiding in the design and construction. Follow this blog to get involved in the discussion and the process!