Tag Archives: Acadiana

Right Around the Corner

Amy Guidry with her painting, "Introspective" (SOLD)

I’ve been busy preparing for my next exhibit and it’s just about here.  October 10th is the opening night for my solo exhibition at Galerie Lafayette.  If you’re in the area, you may already know that this is the same evening for the next Artwalk in downtown Lafayette, LA.  So plenty of galleries will be open late and have new exhibitions up as well.  I’m excited to have this show since I will be revealing new work in addition to some pieces you may have seen on my website, www.AmyGuidry.com.  I’ll have many paintings from the 5″ x 5″ series on display as well, which are perfect for those getting a head start on their gift shopping.

So mark your calendars!  I will be in attendance, so stop by and say hello.  October 10th from 5-8(ish) pm at Galerie Lafayette on Jefferson Street.

 

I’m Quite the Busy Bee

"Isaac" by Amy Guidry; portrait commission

Whenever I agree to do a show, or a commission, or a press release, or all of the above, it doesn’t seem overwhelming at the time. And perhaps it’s because I agree to do all of these things in a short span of time that makes it overwhelming at times. I really don’t know when to stop, though, because I’m one of those people that is always going. You know the ones. I’m going even if I’m sick. I don’t have time for germs! I’ve got paintings to finish and treadmills to run on. You get the picture. It’s just hard for me to sit still.

So maybe this helps to explain why my posts have been on hiatus recently. A small hiatus, but still, a hiatus. I’m just now catching up on things. So aside from wrapping up one show, then getting into another show (No Dead Artists), and gearing up for my next solo show (October is right around the corner!), I’ve also finished another commission piece. This is an 11″ x 14″ painting of “Isaac.” I’ve actually done two paintings of Issac, but don’t have any photos to share of the second one yet. I’ll get there eventually… Anyway, I may have to remove some work from my website before I add any of these new pieces because it’s getting to be a bit full. However, you can still see more of my work at www.AmyGuidry.com. Or in person at Galerie Lafayette next month!

So Here’s a Recap

If you’ve been following along, you probably know by now that I had an opening last weekend. I’m sure many of my blog readers were not in the vicinity of Hammond, LA… what are the odds, really? So, I’ve posted just a few photos from the show. (You can see more where that came from in my Events section on my website, so here’s the link: www.AmyGuidry.com/events.html.) There were a lot of people in attendance, especially since the opening was held during “Hot August Night,” which is an annual art & music festival. My painting, “Cocoon,” sold during opening night. The show received a highly positive response from those in attendance. I ran out of business cards before the night was over! Note to self: bring a backup stash of cards in a ziplock bag and cram into teeny tiny purse.

So if you haven’t seen the show and are in Louisiana, you can still check out my work! My New Realm series is on display at the Oak Street Gallery in Hammond, LA at 111 North Oak St. (go figure). And for a virtual show experience, go to my website at www.AmyGuidry.com.

Upcoming Show… More Details

“Beginning” by Amy Guidry; From the New Realm series; SOLD; Copyright Amy Guidry 2009

For those of you planning on attending a local exhibition of my work (I tried to schedule more local shows this year for a change!), I have one coming up this summer! I will be showing at the Oak Street Gallery in Hammond, Louisiana this August. It will be a solo exhibition and will be up for the entire month. The opening reception will be August 21st, which is in conjunction with “Hot August Night.” “Hot August Night” is an annual event featuring wine tasting, art exhibits, live music, shopping and fine dining in Historic Downtown Hammond, LA. So if you are in the area, you can plan on a full itinerary for the evening!

The opening will be held from 6-9pm, while the festival itself is until 10 pm. I will be in attendance at the opening, so feel free to stop by and meet me in person!* There will be many paintings that have never been previously exhibited. All work is from my New Realm series, and will also feature the 5″ x 5″ series.

And if you won’t be able to travel, you can also check out my work online at www.AmyGuidry.com.

*Stalkers need not apply.

One Big Melting Pot of Art

Amy Guidry is a selected artist in the 2009 Art Melt juried competitionTrue to form, I have created yet another bad title for my writing… Anyway, for those of you interested in my recent news about my acceptance into this year’s Art Melt, here is a complete list of the selected artists. All work will be on display for the Preview Party at the Brunner Gallery in the Shaw Center for the Arts in downtown Baton Rouge, LA on July 9th. The (free) opening reception will be held July 10th from 6:30-10pm! And the artists are:

Susie Blyskal, Michael Aldana, Marianne Antoine, Erin Barker, Patricia “Muffin” Bernstein, Mary Beyt, Craig Black, Brad Michael Bourgoyne, Ralph Bourque (yes, the same guy in my links on the right!), Brandi Braud, Benjamin Bullins, John Michael Byrd, Mallory P Chastant, Wang-Ling Chou, Michelle Conques, Cynthia Courage, Yvette Creel, Jessica Danby, Robin Daning, Shanna D’Antonio, Chris Dennis, William DePauw, Ashton Despot, Dara Engler, Ernie Fournet, Kit French, Mark Galasso, Denise Gallagher, Donna Gamble, Denise Greenwood-Loveless, Kerry Griechen, Amy Guidry (I hear she’s good…hahaha), Gerald Haessig, Diane Hanson, Alex Harvie, Jessica Hebert, Stacy Hennessy, Susan Talbot Hoffmann, Meg Holford, Robert Holford, Christopher Holt, David Humphreys, Kathryn Hunter, Aaron Hussey, Warren Irwin, Heather Kelley, Maggie Kleinpeter, Katie Knoeringer, Andy Lemoine, Lory Lockwood, Rebecca Luke-Lirette, Jill Moore, Keith Morris, Lee Ann Moser, Liz Noble, Jared Normand, Bruce Odell, Tiffany Olson, Isoko Onodera, Jonathan Pellitteri, Mary Perrin, Nancy Poirrier, Andrew Pollack, Rebecca Rebouche, Kathy Reeves, Colin Ross, Rich Roth, Nancy Smitherman, Shannon Songe, Tom Stigall, Lacey Stinson, Katie Swetman, Dan Swetman, Jill Thomas, Philip Thompson, Sidonie Villere, Kenneth Wilks, Caroline Youngblood, Alan Zakem

http://www.AmyGuidry.com

The 411 on Donating Your Art

"New Realm" by Amy Guidry- Sold at Auction

I get asked to donate my artwork fairly often. And this topic has been broached with me before in the art marketing class that I have conducted. So I thought it might be helpful to offer some insight into donations. First, you won’t be able to do them all- and please don’t feel bad about it. I get letters and emails requesting my work, sometimes several in one month. If I donated to all of them, I’d be out of paintings. And a girl’s gotta eat, so I have to have something left to sell. Next, you should decide who you’d like to help. Some charities hold the same art auction every year, so if it’s one that you would like to help on a continual basis, you can go ahead and plan on that and mark your calendar for it in the upcoming year(s). Or, you may like to alternate who you help and plan on donating to a different charity next go round just to even out the playing field a bit.

When deciding on who you would like to donate to, there are a few things to take into consideration. What does your donation do for this charity, organization, etc.? What will you be supporting? Does this follow your personal beliefs? What type of venue will hold the event? Who are the other participating artists? Would you be honored to have your work seen in such an event and amongst the other artists’ work? What kind of publicity will you gain from this experience? Will your donation conflict with another obligation, be it an exhibit, juried show, etc.?

I know this is a lot to consider and may even sound selfish, but the truth is, there’s much more to consider when donating your art than just simply writing a check to support a cause. This is about more than just money because it also involves time and labor- lots of it. You’re an artist, you know that it wasn’t easy to create this piece you’re about to give away. It took time, supplies, energy, creativity, willpower, and probably involved a personal sacrifice ranging anywhere from sleep to your family. So yes, you should consider what you get out of this. And if you decide that you can’t part with your work for whatever reason, but would truly like to help, simply write a check for this organization, charity, etc. You’ll directly help them without feeling guilty. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with just stating the truth- “I’d love to help, but I have [fill in other obligation here] and won’t be able to. But please add me to your mailing list, I’d love to donate next year.”

Thoughts? Questions? Let me know, either here or at www.AmyGuidry.com!

The Newest Addition

"Liberty" by Amy Guidry; From the New Realm series. Copyright Amy Guidry 2009

I must be feeling guilty about my blog abandonment since I’ve got two posts in one week… So here it is, the latest painting of my “New Realm” series. Not even on the website yet! Consider this a sneak preview that only my blog readers are in the know about. Feeling special yet? Okay, okay, so here are the details. The title is “Liberty” and this is another large piece since it is 36″ wide by 48″ high. And as per usual, it is an acrylic on canvas. This piece features the purple butterflies from many of the other paintings in the series. I thought of this one as an extension of “Release” which also features the purple butterflies seen from above. This painting will be part of my solo exhibition this October at Galerie Lafayette in downtown Lafayette, LA. If you’re in the area, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to see these paintings in person. The photo here does not do the piece justice. Anyway, if you’d like to find out more about my upcoming exhibits, sign up for my newsletter under my website contact page. And while you’re there, check out the rest of my work- www.AmyGuidry.com.

2nd Saturday Artwalk

"Tranquility" by Amy Guidry; From the New Realm series. Copyright Amy Guidry 2009

Okay, so this won’t be the next upcoming 2nd Saturday Artwalk, but it will be a 2nd Saturday in the future… October, that is. So here in Lafayette, Louisiana, we have a 2nd Saturday Artwalk each month in the downtown area. All of the galleries are open late, usually until 8 or 9 pm depending on the crowd. So I will be having a solo exhibition at Galerie Lafayette, which is located in Jefferson St. Market this coming October. This will actually be the second solo show I’ve had at Galerie Lafayette. I will have all new work for this exhibit! The opening reception will be held during the Artwalk, which will be October 10th from 6-8pm. More details about the show will follow closer to time. In the meantime, you can view my work at www.AmyGuidry.com.

LPB Auction

"Transcendence" by Amy Guidry; From the New Realm series. Copyright Amy Guidry 2009

I will be participating in the LPB Art and Travel Auction, which supports Louisiana Public Broadcasting. I was asked to participate as a representing artist for the Oak Street Gallery in Hammond, LA. So I did a small piece, 6″ x 6″, wood-cradled panel, titled “Transcendence.” This piece is an extension of my New Realm series and features the red and black butterflies seen throughout the series. I also added some of the flowers and blue swirls seen in a few of the other paintings in New Realm.

Aside from being part of the live auction on LPB during primetime, my painting is included in an exhibition of all the art up for auction at the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge. The exhibit will be on display through May 18th. On-air coverage will be during primetime on June 7th at 6pm. You can also bid online at http://auction.lpb.org/. Just look under Gallery 17 Oak Street and you’ll find my work listed there!

If you’d like to see more of my work, or my entire New Realm series, go to my website at www.AmyGuidry.com. And if you’re a regular, check out my new home page design!

How to Be an Art Star 2.0

Recognize this blouse?  Answer at www.AmyGuidry.comOkay, that may be misleading since this is not the second edition, but a second time around for this class. For those of you who are not familiar with my Art Marketing class from last fall, this is your opportunity to to take part. As part of Frederick l’Ecole des Arts in Arnaudville, LA, I will be teaching another Art Marketing and Self-Promotion course. The first class was quite a success and a great, interactive opportunity to get together with aritists and gallery owners. In addition to my course outline, we had a group session covering individual questions and sharing ideas.

So if you missed out the first time, or are new to this blog and will be in the area, please sign up for Art Marketing and Self-Promotion. The class will be May 2nd (a Saturday) from 10AM-12Noon. Of course we did stay late last time because people had lots of questions and ideas to share, but if you need to leave at noon, feel free to do so.

To give you an idea of what the class is about, here is a general course outline. Overview: Risk assessment; getting out of your comfort zone. Changing your mindset. Goal-setting. Portfolio Development. Gallery submissions and approaching galleries. Alternative exhibition opportunities and juried shows. Marketing Materials. Pricing. Sales. Some of the additional topics discussed included shipping work, Ebay, vanity galleries (just stay away- that’s a free tip you can get from me right now!), and what else, but blogging, of course.

Some of these are very basic principles, and some of it boils down to good old-fashioned common sense, but for many artists, their expertise is in their medium and not in marketing. Unfortunately marketing is not a course requirement when getting your art degree, and quite frankly, it’s just plain scary to people (not just artists!). In addition, to succeed at ANYthing requires goals, planning, and organization. All skills that most people don’t think of or skip when trying to succeed at anything. How many people do you know who blame things on bad luck or lack of luck? Or think the only way they can do what they truly love is if they “win the lottery?” I can think of many.

Okay, ready to sign up yet? Go to http://frederickarts.homestead.com/Classes.html to register for Art Marketing and Self-Promotion. Sign up early to ensure your spot in the class. And it doesn’t matter if you are in high school and planning on your future career as an artist or if you’ve been an artist all your life. If you want to improve your marketing skills, ask questions, or take your career to the next level, this is your opportunity. And meet some great people, too!

www.AmyGuidry.com