Happy New Year! As always, I hope that things are well and peachy keen in your world, and sending you all the positive vibes either way.
I’m finally back in Milwaukee and gearing up for teaching this semester after spending quality time with my family and friends in Alabama for a few weeks. Though, I must start off by being so honest with you… getting back into the swing of things after being on break for a few weeks has me spoiled! It’s one of those things where I’m so thankful for my career and all the cool things I get to do; HOWEVER, it does make me wish that sometimes, I could just get paid to breathe— you know?
Okay back to what I was saying. January has been busy between winding down from what was a fulfilling holiday break for me but also semi-getting back into work mode and new (exciting) work. In my previous newsletter, I talked about my new Art + Writing Resources & Services that I am now offering and it is officially live! If you’re needing any assistance on your artist statement, biography, or even feedback on your portfolio, I highly encourage checking out more information here. I will also be hosting mini workshops and studio visits over the course of this year and those dates are available on my website with registration links to come in the next newsletter.
Full disclosure, studio visits are free, and the workshops are $15 per person. With all the resources and services I offer, a portion of the funding goes towards a mini scholarship pool from my small freelance business to help artists who are in need of application funding. This funding is offered on a rolling basis. More information on this is located here. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m able.
Here are the dates for the workshops + studio visits to pen in your calendar if you’re interested in joining.
Studio Visits:
March 25, 2023, 11 am-1 pm CST
June 10, 2023, 11 am-1 pm CST
September 9th, 2023, 11 am-1 pm CST
December 9th, 2023, 11 am-1 pm CST
Group Workshops:
April 15, 2023, 11 am-1 pm CST - Work Ideation
July 22, 2023, 11 am-1 pm CST - Artist Statements
November 4, 2023, 11 am-1 pm CST - Portfolio/Application Curation
MONTHLY HIGHS AND LOWS…..
HIGHS…
- I spent a lot of valuable quality time with my family and loved ones back home in Alabama for a few weeks.
- I saw the Nutcracker presented by Alabama Ballet for the first time since I was a little girl with my partner on the night of my birthday (12/21/1996).
- I was selected as a 2023-2024 recipient of the Mary L. Nohl fellowship! This is an incredibly huge honor and I’m thankful for the opportunity beyond words. I’m also looking forward to getting to know my cohort as well— Mikal Floyd-Pruitt, Janelle Vanderkelen, Siara Berry, and Fatima Laster.
- I wrote my first book review for Lenscratch on Bob Newman’s Shadows of Emmett Till. Quick shameless plug: If you’re a part of or connected to any art publication(s) in need of contributions, I’m your girl and I’d love to contribute! So please send the details my way if so.
- I officially launched my Art + Writing Resources and Services on my website!
- I provided a gallery talk at MARN ART + CULTURE HUB for Star Night and had the best time! It was also a really cool time because I was interviewed by TMJ4’s Cassandra McShepard. I was admittedly nervous, but also really excited to share about my artwork and to have this news broadcast moment. Check it out here.
Photograph of me, my Mom, my Nanny, and two cousins, Rhianna and Koby taken by my partner Alex at Red Velvet Bistro in Douglasville, GA on 12/17/2022.
My partner, Alex, and I photographed by a kind stranger outside of the BJCC in Birmingham, AL before watching The Nutcracker presented by Alabama Ballet the night of my birthday on 12/21/2022.
My Mom (center) and my sister (right) at Freeport Harbour in the Bahamas on 8/19/2022.
My sweet Nanny and I in front of her Christmas tree in our hometown of Heflin, AL on Christmas Eve 12/24/2022.
A photograph of me taken by Adam White Ossers the night of MARN’s Star Night and moments before my interview with Cassandra McShepard for WJM4 in Milwaukee, WI on 1/12/2023.
HIGHS…
- I received 3 exhibition rejection letters, but it’s okay and I’m okay!
- I only worked out 8 times in the month of December. However, I’m back in the swing of things now, so I guess there’s a happy medium with that!
- I missed out on an opportunity due to my email address not being properly connected to my contact box on my website. Womp womp, but more on this below.
NEWS + UPDATES…..
My work, Our Mothers’ Gardens, will be opening at The Sheldon in St. Louis, MO on Feb. 10th, 2023, and will be on view through May 6th, 2023. So, if you’re in the area during opening weekend, I’d love to meet you there!
QUICK TIPS + ADVICE
If you’re an artist reading this, don’t forget to update your CV/resume and back up your work to multiple sources (external hard drives or cloud resources) if you haven’t already. You’ll thank me later and save yourself some time and potential headaches.
- Make sure that if you’re using a contact submission form, like the one I have on my website, please make sure that the email connected to that submission box goes to an email that you are actively using. I recently ran into an issue where I realized that my submission box was connected to an email account I used as a student, which I no longer am. This mistake led to me missing out on a couple of amazing opportunities, so learn from me and update your email address so that you don’t miss out on opportunities and correspondence. It’s also a great idea to make sure that you have your email address visible on your website or wherever you host your content.
- I recently came across a platform on Instagram called Salary Transparent Street, created/operated by Hannah Williams and her partner James Daniels, which was very timely considering my ongoing career transition. It’s an incredible platform that advocates for fair pay/wages, salary transparency, and more across various careers and businesses. Here’s a link so that you can check them out and I also recommend subscribing to their newsletter.
ART/CULTURE STUFF I’VE BEEN INTO…
Weekly Movie Watches
If you’re into fun yearly challenges, I gave myself the challenge to watch one random movie a week.
Here are the movies I’ve watched thus far and a quick rating:
- Til Death Do Us Part (PG-13 | 2017 | Thriller) – 3/5
- The Menu (R | 2022 | Horror/Satire) - 4/5
- Emily the Criminal (R | 2022 | Thriller/Crime) - 3/5
Bingeworthy Shows
There have been so many great shows that have come out over the last year. Some of them I watched as they were airing and others I revisited. Here are some of the things that I watched the past month that I highly recommend checking out if you haven’t already. Also, if you ever have any show or movie recommendations that you want to send my way, please send me an email here so I can watch them and follow up with you about them later!
The White Lotus: Season 2 (MA | 2022|Comedy/Drama) - 4/5
Sharp Objects (MA | 2018 | Drama) – 5/5
Big Little: Seasons 1 & 2 (MA | 2017 & 2019 |Drama) – 5/5
Industry: Seasons 1 & 2 (MA | 2020 & 2022 | Drama) – 4/5
Abbott Elementary: Seasons 1 & 2 (PG | 2022 & 2023 | Mockumentary) - 5/5
Books
I’m currently reading Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, and I am taking my precious time reading it because I truly don’t want it to end. I highly recommend picking it up and can’t thank my Mom enough for gifting me this gem for Christmas.
Music
I can’t stop listening to SZA’s SOS. It’s literally perfection and I'm bummed I won’t see her in concert next month. Alas, there are always music festivals that she could potentially be performing at. Fingers crossed Lollapalooza is one of them!
If you didn't know, I also love making playlists. I don’t make a lot, maybe a few throughout the year— but it’s still fulfilling for me. My goal with my playlists is to curate a set of songs that are impossible to skip. My most recent curated playlist on Apple Music (sorry, I don’t have Spotify), not in my feels, but want to vibe is a goodie, so give it a listen if you’re into slow-tempo jams that don’t completely make you want to cry.
Alright, that’s it from me for now. Thank you SO much for taking the time to read my thoughts. It’s truly appreciated and valued, and I can’t thank you enough for your support and generosity. Please feel free to share my newsletter far and wide. No one has to be an artist to be a part of my newsletter family. If you ever miss any newsletters, you can find them in the archive on my website and if you’re interested in what I’m up to in the meantime, check out my Instagram.
Love you, mean it!
- Alayna N. Pernell