October 24, 2005

The "Gain the Edge in Today's Art Market" is officially sold out, and I find myself now catching up to other things I should have been paying attention to. Like October. October is National Arts & Humanities Month. You can read about it at Americans for the Arts.  Have you celebrated?

You belong to a proud creative tradition. Your artistic heritage is something you should embrace and be inspired by. And, yet, I find many artists who are oblivious to what has come before them. If you're serious about your career, you'll be curious enough to explore the art and art of times past and the larger artworld.

To celebrate Arts & Humanities Month, I challenge you to read an artist's biography (or similar genre). It's getting close to the end of the month, so maybe you can at least start the first chapter.

Here are some that are on my bookshelf. I can recommend most. A couple of them, I'll admit, I haven't finished and need to start them again. Now's the time.

And, of course, I'm looking forward to making time for De Kooning: An American Master by Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan, winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for biography. 

If you're not up to the challenge and want to make time to watch only one film about an artist, make it How to Draw a Bunny, a documentary about the life of Ray Johnson. You won't regret it.

There are more ways to celebrate Arts & Humanities Month at ArtBizBlog.  While you're there, I hope you'll leave your favorite artist biographies in the comments section.