Apparently is does come to you...or Be careful what you wish for.

Every year for the past three years I have applied to the SmallWorks show at 440 Gallery in Brooklyn. The first year (2009) I submitted three pieces and was happy to learn I was accepted. The work was strong and I felt confidant about the response I had received from the gallerists. The following two years I was not. I know the reason why I was not accepted last year-I had half-heartedly submitted three pieces that I wasn't really excited about, and for some reason, the ones I wanted to submit were no where to be found. Needless to say, about a month later, they turned up...they are small works.

This year, I submitted three strong pieces, a series that I've been developing for the last year. Like 2009, I felt confidant about the work and was certain I would be accepted to this small gallery for their annual show.

I wasn't.

For the past twenty years, I have been developing a visual language and making paintings to support that language. I've also put myself through grad school (twice), was trained in and taught Bikram Yoga for five years, taught art independently through non-profit arts organizations, waited tables to support my endeavors, including travel, and am currently teaching art at an amazing high school all the while making art work that I hope to share with the world. In that stretch of time, between now and then, I have shown my work at small galleries, at an international museum, and at artist run shows. I haven't had the time, nor the trust fund, nor the hipster cleverness (not mutually exclusive) to seek out or be sought out by a gallery. The 440 Gallery SmallWorks show was a glimmer of hope for a busy, overly productive person.

Now, there are a lot of factors that are involved in the selection of artists for a specific show and one of them is the curator. He or she may have a specific vision for the show and the harsh reality is that one's work may not fit in with their vision. It doesn't necessarily mean that the work isn't good, it just means that one person is deciding your fate.

When I wasn't accepted for the 2011 SmallWorks show, I reacted in a multitude of ways. First, I was angry. I felt that it must have been a because the work wasn't good and I questioned the competence of the curator and their ability to recognize good work when they see it. I dismissed this emotion the minute it reared its ugly head because I know the work is strong and that comes from years of doing the same thing.

Second emotion: sadness. I really wanted to participate in a show and this was the easiest way for someone who doesn't have to time to seek out a gallery to exhibit work. Ultimately, I kicked the dust away after I realized that this wasn't the be all end all.

Third: overt resourcefulness. I vowed that I would find a space myself, that I would look for a gallery to start a collective with friends in the same situation. After my last entry, sad to say, my job has gotten the better of me, taking me away from my goal, taking me instead to professional developments, meetings with ICP and taking over the after-school photo program at my school, grading, and helping with re-writing the curriculum for the art department . Needless to say, I was being pulled farther and farther away from my dream. About two weeks later and much to my surprise, I received an email from the folks at 440 Gallery offering me the opportunity to exhibit my work at a pop-up gallery in the same neighborhood with the possibility of the gallery becoming a permanent fixture as an artists collective. They alerted me and other artists they respect to a beautiful unoccupied rental space in need of tenants.

My immediate response was yes, of course. I'm hoping to be involved artistically or financially or both, becoming part of the collective, finally having a repository for my work and the work of like-minded individuals. I suppose that the laws of attraction were at work here. My lesson, (as if I didn't already know this) if you want something bad enough, take action and it will come to you. Indeed, indeed it has.

I'll keep you posted on the follow through.

Two Red Ones and a Purple Mustache

5 x 7 inches

Gouache on paper

2011

Internal Workings

5 x 5 inches

Gouache on paper

2011

Hummingbird

5 x 5 inches

Gouache on paper

2011

Getting our Work Out There

Last night I shared an amazing meal with friends. We talked, laughed, gorged ourselves on delicious food and wine, and ultimately, started discussing the idea of getting our art work "out there". I've been in New York for over 16 years and have shown my work in small galleries, in an international museum, and have even done site specific work, including the street. However, the frequency of these shows has not satisfied my need to share my work with others and the amount of work I have is seriously piling up.

In an effort to change this, and to make it a regular thing, we decided, last night, to start seeking out our own venue, looking into a gallery space that we can either rent or take over. Without having to rely on the whims of others, we're going start looking into curating our own exhibits, in our own space, with our own concepts and our own artists.

Please stay tuned as we seek out spaces, artists, and ideas.

Flying Saucer Post Card Project at PS 298

Fourth grade art students from PS 298 are about to embark on a global journey. The artwork we do at PS 298 is interdisciplinary and connects their art making process to all other subjects. The first few weeks of school usually have the students exploring their community. While local community is very important, it is also vital for students to know that they are part of a global community, now more than ever, and to have them connect with the world on a more visceral level than just via the internet. This is especially true for students that live here in NYC.

For this project, each student will design their own Flying Saucer Envelope in art class, showing the world their artwork, their talent, and their perspective.

When a recipient gets a Flying Saucer Envelope in the mail, they will be asked to send a post card from their part of the world back to its creator at PS 298. Each envelope will contain instructions and the identity of the student who has sent it. But, the recipient has two jobs, the first being to send a postcard back to the student answering three basic questions on the back: what it is they do for a living (or if they’re a student), where they are located, and whose envelope they’ve received. Their second job is to send the Flying Saucer envelope (with the instructions) to another recipient to keep it traveling around the globe. The students will be mapping their postcards.

There will be a dead line for the Flying Saucer Envelopes. The students will decide on that date, depending on how long they would like to keep the project going. The last person to receive the envelope on or nearest to the deadline date must send the Flying Saucer Envelope back to the students (with a postcard too).

If you have a friend around the globe that would like to participate in this student project, please let me know and send me their snail mail address. I have a few that I can get started with, but we need a whole bunch so that that all students will be able to participate.

Thanks for you support!
Jacqueline Malanga

If you or someone you know would like to donate money to my students for art supplies please visit the website below. Thanks!

DonorsChoose.org: The Second Version of Brownsville

Source: www.donorschoose.org

I asked my students what they could do to make their community a better place and what it would look like if they could change it anyway they wanted. They used the edge of small pre-cut card board pieces dipped in black acrylic paint to stamp out the lines of their new Brownsville. ...