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Muse-letter
Pablo Picasso, 1962. “There is no retirement for an artist, it’s your way of living so there’s no end to it.” — Henry Moore Reset. Renewal. The privilege of continuing. In less than a year, I will turn eighty. Even writing those words feels surreal. For most of my life, eighty belonged to someone else. It was a number I associated with mentors, collectors, artists I admired, and elders who have already climbed to the top of their creative mountains. Suddenly, I find myself standing at its base, looking up, realizing the climb has become my own. The number 80…
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Muse-letter Archives
The Power of Place
By Ivan Barnett Ivan’s abode, front door on Brisa. Image Ivan Barnett. “A house is much more than a mere shelter; it should lift us emotionally and spiritually.” — John Saladino There are certain rooms that do more than contain…
It’s the Work That Matters — And the Work That WE Remember
by Ivan Barnett Even the most self-sacrificing visions have to be paid for, Oscar Wilde. Image Ivan Barnett. “An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he…
Salon 1033: Why the Room Still Matters
By Ivan Barnett Native On Horse, Water Color, Paul Dyck. Over the past year I have come to understand something more clearly than ever before: the room matters. We are living through one of the most extraordinary technological moments in…
The Art of Gathering: Salons Past & Present
By Ivan Barnett John Gaw team front door, Santa Fe Indian School. Image Ivan Barnett, 2020. “The Arts don’t exist in isolation.” — David Byrne What is a creative salon? At its purest, a salon is a space and moment…
Serious Play, Year One: Building the House We’ll Live In
By Ivan Barnett Homage to my friend Doug Menuez, who photographed “Steve” for Fearless Genius, 1986. “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” — Steve Jobs I launched Serious…
Holiday Light, Northern Enchanted Night
By Ivan Barnett Chapel at Chimayo, New Mexico, by Roberto Cardinale (in the artist’s studio), 2021. Image by Ivan Barnett. The first time I visited Santa Fe for the holidays—back in the mid ’70s—I felt like I’d stumbled into a…
Rice/Beans and AI
By Ivan Barnett, Serious Play “An artist is not paid for their labor but their vision.” –Whistler, (Image Ivan Barnett and father) “Just two years ago I was afraid of even approaching AI tools. Now they are like any other.”—Ivan…
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…
