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Muse-letter
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 living lantern. The air was crisp and sweet with piñon, the sky an impossible indigo,
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Muse-letter Archives
So Now What? This Summer’s Collectors and Tourists Didn’t Show
“Action is the Foundational Key to All Success.” Arthur Ashe. Image by Ivan Barnett. “Denial is the most predictable of all human responses.” — The Matrix A Season of Quiet Doors This summer was supposed to tell a different story.…
Public Art: The Invisible Economy That Could Transform Your Career
Frida on the Camino Real, Santa Fe, NM. Image Ivan Barnett. “Public art is the most democratic of art forms—it belongs to everyone yet demands the highest standard from its maker.” –Ivan Barnett Before I ever knew what public art…
Marketing and PR Are Two Different Words that Live Side by Side to One Another
Andy Goldsworthy is brilliant when combining PR & Marketing “Marketing is what you pay for; PR is what you pray for.” — Unknown Understanding the Difference: Marketing vs. PR in the Arts In the world of creative careers and gallery…
Taste Never Sleeps: A Santa Fe Season Like No Other
The Leaves of Mexico, 2023. Image by Ivan Barnett Since the inception of the tourist industry in Santa Fe, there’s always been an “off and on season.” It’s part of the rhythm of life here. Summer remains the high season,…
How Long Can You Afford to Avoid What Must Be Done?
By Ivan Barnett | Founder, Serious Play Santa Fe Skies Number Four, Rooftop. Image by Ivan Barnett “Avoidance is not the answer; it is merely the illusion of peace.” — Brené Brown The Beautiful Trap of Avoidance If you’re avoiding…
Before the Lawyer’s Office, See the Creative Coach
Erich Zimmerman Silver Cuff and Necklace-Santa Fe NM 2022. Ivan Barnett Studio. “The most dangerous thing about illusion is how comfortable it makes us feel.” — Ta-Nehisi Coates In the evolving landscape of contemporary art, one uncomfortable truth emerges with…
New Mexico at Risk: What Happens When the Arts Are Undervalued
Entrance to Gustave Bauman’s Home and Studio on the old Santa Fe Trail, 2024. Image by Ivan Barnett “The arts are not a luxury. They are as fundamental to our humanity as language, love, and shelter.”—American Poet, former Chairman of…
THE ROMANCE THAT NEVER ENDS By Ivan Barnett
Patina Model re-enacting Madame Butterfly for photo shoot. Image, Peter Ogilvie “Opera is love, hate, death. It is very important. With a little makeup, you can become another person. The opera is something fake, that, little by little, on stage,…
Cut the Noise. Get the Answers.
Lost souls, Finding faith finally, Santa Fe, 2021. Image by Ivan Barnett “The role of the artist is to not look away.”— Akira Kurosawa Why Ivan Barnett Isn’t Just Another “Art Coach” or Creative Consultant The internet is flooded with…
Making Art, Making Meaning: How Creativity Supports Us As We Age
Cracking the code of aging, De Vargas Street, Santa Fe 2024. Image by Ivan Barnett. “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”– Thomas Merton I’m Ivan Barnett, an artist, an Arts coach, a creative…
What Makes a Serious Play Client Serious?
The GRR Martin train with the light of my life, daughter Grace Barnett. Image by Ivan Barnett. “Art is not a thing; it is a way.” — Elbert Hubbard In the world of creative coaching, the word “serious” can sound…
The Steep Climb: Transitioning from an Emerging to Mid-Career Artist—Told Through My Own Story By Ivan Barnett
A Mid-career cut short, Claire Kahn, Santa Fe 2022. Image Ivan Barnett The Journey of a Working Artist This is not theory. It is a lived experience. For over five decades, I’ve walked the tightrope of creativity and commerce, of…
Museum Moments That Stay With You
Marcel Duchamp and Milton Avery. Image by Ivan Barnett. “Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.” — Bertolt Brecht If you work in the arts, you already feel it. The…
What goes into making a gallery a world class destination
All eyes were on 131 West Palace, Santa Fe. Image by Ivan Barnett “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”— Vincent van Gogh Building a great gallery—a world-class gallery—is not for…
How Groundbreaking Art Making Is As Much Skill And Discipline as It Is About Being Creative, Inventive, and Innovative
Sandros perfect design sense, Santa Fe. image by Ivan Barnett “To create one’s own world takes courage.” — Georgia O’Keeffe In all great works of art, two forces are always at play: practiced discipline and fearless invention or reinvention. Groundbreaking…
