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A Field Guide for Galleries Now
By Ivan Barnett “Be a yardstick of quality.” Steve Jobs. Image by Ivan Barnett/Photo of Jobs by Doug Menuez “When it’s no longer about the stories, but only about the numbers—and the numbers are stacked against you—then I’m out.” —…
Reserves and the Next Canvas
By Ivan Barnett, Serious Play “If only larger would guarantee success…nothing is forever.” Image IVAN BARNETT “There’s an enormous delta between idea and execution.” — Steve Jobs Coleman McCormick As an artist and former gallery creative director, I’ve learned the…
Are We There Yet? Taming the Last 10 Percent
by Ivan Barnett, Serious Play “Greatness is always measured by doing more.” Image and Words by Ivan Barnett. Every meaningful project has a strange, hard-to-name stretch near the end. The bones are there, the thing “works,” and yet you know…
Against the Quiet: Why Salon 1033
By Ivan Barnett “Isolation can be a double edged sword.” Amish Stable Detail. Image Ivan Barnett “A good artist should be isolated. If he isn’t isolated, something is wrong.” — Orson Welles goodreads.com I’ve spent five decades in that paradox.…
Beyond Taste: Managing a Sustainable Art Practice
By Ivan Barnett, Serious Play “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,” Ben Franklin. Santa Fe’s barrio. Image Ivan Barnett. “Vision without systems thinking ends up painting lovely pictures of the future with no deep understanding of…
Keeping the Artist in You
By Ivan Barnett Ivan age 3, “always observing and staying in the moment.” 1950. Image Isa Barnett. “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” — Pablo Picasso When I read…
Is Your Story Compelling Enough?
By Ivan Barnett, Serious Play “Hold onto your story for dear life.” Claire Kahn Studio. Image Ivan Barnett. “Story is the bridge between intention and value, the path a work takes from the maker’s hand to another life.” — Ivan…
Rigor & Curiosity
By Ivan Barnett “Being Curious Is Essential to Having a Great Career,” Santa Fe Window. Image Ivan Barnett “Kids grow up with innate curiosity. It’s the hardwired instinct that permits us to walk, talk and survive long before we get…
How Perfectionism in the Studio Can Be Our Worst Enemy
By Ivan Barnett Image by Ivan Barnett. “Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be your best. Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the…
The End of the Blockbuster: What AI Means for the Fine Arts
By Ivan Barnett, Serious Play “Technology Has To Start Somewhere.” Image by Ivan Barnett. “No amount of skill-full invention can replace the essential element of imagination.”—Edward Hopper, American Painter. AI is here to stay. Whether we embrace it or not,…