Social media:

my art practice and ArtLinks

Cathy Fitzgerald, ArtLinks Member & Director

A year ago, I wasn’t…

using portfolio, ready-made websites, or

blogging…

Using youtube, flickr, facebook, stumbleupon, ning …

and just over a year & half ago

I had started with ArtLinks: working with co. arts officers & arts communities to promote & develop Arts in SE

to manage/develop a new, regional website design courses for promoting people’s creative

development I had intermediate dreamweaver skills, enjoyed web work,

developing membership in voluntary community groups practising artist

luckily I turned up at podcamp ireland in 2007

my own practice + work for ArtLinks overlap

My projects have developed where local people are co-authors in creative process

I’ve been open to recognise sharing ideas/skills is key to creating very rich projects

One needs to build audience/ communities around ideas/work

Ongoing issue: how to show work, engage/reach wider audience

mix of art, science & green community projects –ideas > photography, video, installation

last 12 years

with scientists, created art & ecology projects with environmentalists/foresters & communities

use the emotive power of art to quietly engage / bring attention to community action

lo-fi skills suit green message

my contemporary visual arts practice

Working in the arts

<5% continue with fine art practice

How to sustain/develop practice with limited resources

Work not known Coupled with ltd opportunities to show

work And I moved to rural Carlow!

online – the answer? Personally, yes

made me look professional, virtual gallery no-one knew for instance I was in a mobile home with

no studio Low cost but needed skills

easily consumed lot of creative time attracted attention of media, curators Bizarre: website lead to feature in Irish Times

and interview on national Pat Kenny’s radio show !!!

Online presence something I advocate but you needed the skills, today here reaching to those with basic IT skills

but in last few years, things have moved fast Gone is the need to have in-depth web

skills; my mum at 72, is blogging New social features of web 2 env. ideal for

anyone working creatively

An e.g., work in progress

did art project highlighting a community, sustainable forestry project in Leitrim

pioneering, funded by Forest Service: 16 sites, over 300 acres planted,

film and exhibition well received in Leitrim – but I wasn’t completely satisfied..

a model of forestry that could be replicated thruout country, much needed when you think of climate change, sustainable energy

Even brought it to Cultivate… felt I wasn’t reaching the audience that I wanted

My story In march 08, I put up the intro to the film on youtube (overnight as

I had no broadband)

next morning, 2 curators invited me to show work at new Irish you-tube festival in London??!! I went…

Curators knew Cannes, they lobbied for youtube festival category, guy from Cork got award from Spike Lee!!

My work is now more widely available and tagged to other similar projects

Peers contact me, motivated me to keep going

Forming blog, offline directory and online ning directory for local forest community to share skills, knowledge, films, photos

foresters worst communicators in world and forestry is a true Slow Art Experiment; using own woodland, turning spruce wood into

sustainable, close to nature site, fuel for more art projects and my home, can’t think of more impt project to be involved with

blogs found it to be great place to ‘dump’ ideas Replaced/adds to my visual notebook collect bits on other projects that inspire Show ‘work in progress’ Creatives: have niche knowledge -fascinating to others,

perfect for blogs Peer support, audience, feedback, Free Relatively easy, not much more complex than Word Help a lot of others put up blogs, my mum, friends with great

content, operapage, sculpture, green politics, arts office residency

Growing awareness in UK re: benefits blogging for arts & projects

Invited ArtLinks member Ken McGuire to give first blogging course for ArtLinks

portfolio ready-made websites wanted 2 share knowledge of such

websites with ArtLinks visual artists contacted by ex Riverdeep IT

manager/turned painter, Padraig McCaul who was keen to teach others, why they shouldn’t bother with web designers

>>led ArtLinks courses across 5 counties

My portfolio ready-made website

for literary types At home, been exploring print on demand

books, where you design and upload your content and

its is bound and printed for you and made avail. for others to purchase on demand, like Amazon

Huge benefits for amateurs writers, poets to get ‘a book’ published, offer marketing etc,

Also great for visual artists/makers etc want to make cheap catalogues

e.g. Blurb – drag & drop

Personally… Trying different social media, building hands on

confidence, awareness of benefits > sharing ArtLinks community

Actively read about this area ArtLinks community is still forming

Current website has been quite static but is undergoing development to keep people engaged,

create a sense of community

Get the community sharing Forum risky? Hasn’t been, will be more visible

soon People will be encouraged to link to their

myspace/youtube/ flickr Google maps to show studio/course location Huge amount of events now loaded, Constant

Contact enews >>RSS feeds to auto alert community Those with blogs, content will go on their profile

pages, website will be a conversation of community

Course content: new wiki type area..podcasts

ArtLinks future development ArtLinks is still new Social media is helping engage younger

creatives, and older users, George Offering considerable opportunities for those with

creative work to market, profile their work in future want to push the community to share

skills in helping others with these technologies e.g members -Nicola Brown, Paul Brennan, Ken McGuire can assist others getting blogs up, see ArtLinks Skill Shop area on their profiles

Thank youAnd big thanks to Podcamp for

ideas & encouragement