my name is edward van vliet

i have been reading my name is asher lev by chaim potok and i love it. it will definitely be one of the books i recommend to anyone who believes their calling is to be an artist. there are numerous great quotes about art and the artist's calling and the artist's place (responsibility?) within their own and the larger culture, but it's the relationships and conversations in this book that are truly moving as they explore the tensions between the calling of artist and the individual's cultural and religious context. i look forward to reading the sequel, the gift of asher lev. there is so much that resonated with me, and so many ideas to engage with. over the next few weeks i will be discussing some of these themes and my thoughts about them, as well as the questions they raised for me.

please join me.

some resources (for artists)

here are several resources that you might find useful if you are interested in the [visual] arts. they cover grants, calls for submissions, exhibition announcements and more on local, national and international levels. check them out. subscribe if you wish.

VAAA - the visual arts association of alberta has a great blog that lists exhibition announcements, calls for submissions, grant opportunities and more. from their website:

Visual Arts Alberta is a non-profit, Provincial Arts Service Organization (PASO) with a mission to promote and assist Alberta visual arts and artists, and provide a communication hub between members of the visual arts community and the general public. Additionally, it is the goal of Visual Arts Alberta to provide Alberta artists with current, vital information on arts opportunities locally, regionally, provincially, nationally and internationally to ensure that they are able to actively and knowledgeably participate in the broader visual arts world.

akimbo - another great way to gather information about exhibitions, lectures, job opportunities, publications, calls for submissions, etc. from their website:

Akimbo is a Toronto-based company that promotes contemporary visual art, video, new media and film locally, nationally and internationally via the internet. Established in November, 1999, Akimbo has built a subscriber base of more than 7,400 Canadian and international media and visual arts professionals and a client base of some of the country's most important galleries, museums, art institutions and film and video festivals.

AFAnewswire - the alberta foundation for the arts has the occasional email about grants and other opportunities. from the website:

The Foundation exists to fund, encourage, and support the development of arts as a valuable contributor to quality of life in Alberta, and to maintain and expand the AFA art collection as a strategic resource for all Albertans.

artdaily - an international compendium of exhibitions and institutions (and other art world activities such as auctions and new appointments). a treasure trove, really.