Hello everyone,
Since I last posted an update, it’s been a very busy time.
Among the highlights:
The 2010 Rogue Festival was another success. It meant a great deal to me to be able to put together an exhibit honoring my furry baby girl Camilla. I created 3 new pieces as part of my ‘Icon’ series in time for Rogue (there will be a complete series of 9 which I will premiere all together at a future exhibit) and I also included 3 other older art pieces that shared my emotions of this display. The focal point was the altar I created to her, featuring many of her personal items along with photos and her favorite things. I am glad I had this opportunity to share this with the Rogue going public, all who visited the Rogue Art Gallery during the entire run for the month of March and especially for getting the chance to speak about my work with the ‘Why Did You Do It That Way?’ audiences. There are many people out there who also have great affection for their furry family members.
Click on each photo to see larger image.
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Camilla
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religion
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sock monkey
Related to Rogue, I made promotional appearances to speak of my art on cable access/online and network television, these included Central Valley Talk with both Chuck Leonard of Central Valley Buzz and Rebecca Caraveo of Central Valley Arts and Culture, as well as KSEE Sunrise and KSEE 24 11 o’clock news. Additionally, I was interviewed on ‘Pakatelas’ with Mike Medrano and David Compos airing on KFCF 88.1 fm. Also partially Rogue related, I taped two different spots for our local PBS KVPT Channel 18 Cultural Arts Spotlight, which had been running all through the month of March. The first version included information about my involvement with the Rogue Festival and then the second version running after the close of the festival, focused just on my studio and work. There were also various printed mentions of my art.
During this time I was also one of the judges for the 2010 Cesar Chavez Youth Art Contest coordinated by the Fresno County Public Library. The exhibit continues to be on display at Arte Americas through May 10th.
I’ve been a creative consultant to Blake Jones, a musician fronting his band Blake Jones and the Trike Shop for a project called ‘The Underground Garden’. You can read about it here: http://www.blakejonesmusic.com/more
He’d conceived an idea of an art adjunct to his cd release and I’ve helped him with contacts and putting together some of the details of the project. I am also a contributing artist to the final art project with my own 12″ x 12″ art piece of the larger puzzle. The art will be unveiled at his cd release party April 24th at Audie’s Olympic and will travel to other ArtHop locations with future dates.
Also happening on April 24th is my exhibit at the Saroyan Theater for the Itzhak Perlman concert with the Fresno Philharmonic. I am indeed honored to have been invited to have a solo exhibit for this incredible concert.
In May, I will be the featured artist for the ArtHop premiere of sales of my art at Twee Boutique and Gallery in the Tower District. Twee is located at 1302 N Wishon Ave., Fresno, CA 93728, just a few doors up from Charlotte’s Bakery.
For the months of June and July, my work will be the solo exhibit at the San Joaquin River Parkway Ranch House. I’m really looking forward to the ArtHop receptions at this beautiful natural location.
Finally, I want to share with you some developing news:
There are some major changes afoot for my public gallery Ashtree Studios. I had wished to announce the possible changes right away, but others wanted to hold on to this decision. The official announcement follows this post below. Suffice to say I am making some major moves in my art career in a quest to increase my income.
To further expand on the announcement, I share with you my priorities.
(My thanks to the suggestions of others from my previous update, that I should share what I would like to do.)
Without a doubt, my art is the first thing in my mind and I’m always looking for opportunities to make money through the work I create. I’m working on some ideas such as art rentals (people renting my art to display in their offices, homes, etc. - can be just for a while or if they want to rent to own), as I’m always willing to take payments for my work. Basically, my priority would be to find work that would still allow me the most time near my studio. Ideally, work I can do through my laptop or from my home studio, so I can still be near my work when inspiration strikes.
I’ve been writing art review articles for Fresno Magazine, and would like to do more writing.
I’ve done many speaking engagements; it would be nice to be paid for those.
I have a lot of experience in promotional marketing.
I’ve worked various freelance jobs in graphic arts, data entry, program coordinating.
I’ve curated exhibits for different organizations, as well as judged art for shows.
Some of my previous work experience has been with the Fresno Arts Council as their Arts Programs Coordinator and with the Fresno Bee in computers, advertising and marketing.
I have been an arts/idea consultant to many groups, but some pay needs to be there so I can make an income to support my little family and further my art career with the funds necessary to do that. Anyone want to financially adopt an artist? Or is my experience as a creative think tank to many organizations and individuals who seek my advice something a group would want to pay me for?
Just putting it out there . . . Sorry for any awkwardness of the pitch.
Thanks for reading,
Aileen.
Announcement from Ashtree Studios
A major change is in the works for local gallery Ashtree Studios. Owners Aileen and Tony Imperatrice have made the decision to either rent or sell the building currently known as Ashtree Studios at 1035 and 1033 N. Fulton, Fresno, CA 93728 in the Tower District.
This has been over a year in the making as Aileen and Tony reviewed the use of their building in the down economy. In the meantime, Aileen chose to make the most of the space in the time left, month to month. “It’s tough, because there are so many possibilities and so much potential I see in this building as an art and culture house, but they all take up so much of my time, that I’m either not getting paid for while doing and then I’m also not working on my art. We will rent or sell the building and the name Ashtree Studios will most likely go with us.”
Ashtree Studios has become a popular venue where artists continue to inquire of the opportunity to display their art, but it does take a lot of time to manage and run a gallery. “I hate to close for all the things Ashtree has been within the arts community – visual arts, poetry, music, plays, one person performances, dance, hosting the Rogue Festival, Tamejavi Festival, Fresno Fair High School Art, The Pet Show, as well as other artist studios/galleries and the students and artists who have come seeking advice on being an artist in Fresno and wishing to have a place to show their art. It has fulfilled my need to make regular contact with the community to introduce my art work, provide a headquarters and live my vision for supporting the arts/culture community, but it’s time for me to put my focus back on my art career – putting my own work out there more, looking for more exhibition opportunities, seeking gallery representation, creating work and selling. Over the last year and a half art professionals have told me I need to move on my solo art career with renewed focus to seek representation. I do think, at some point I’ll have a personal studio open to the public for my special events, but right now I will be open to exhibiting mostly at other places. Who knows – if someone owns the building and wants to have my art on the walls to be a part of ArtHop’s draw of people, I may be back, but I won’t be running the place unless I’m being paid to do so. Sure there is the fear that once I close the doors of Ashtree people will forget, but I look to other artists that are showing and selling their work without running a gallery and they do it. So can I. If someone, place, organization, or entity wants to take me on as an artist showing at their space, I am open to that. I need to put my efforts into raising money or working out a barter with marketing, art selling, booking professionals.”
Ashtree Studios had been approached with an idea that would as the person wanted, keep Aileen’s art on the walls, but without funding it couldn’t happen. Aileen and Tony have charged rent in the past for a handful of exhibiting artists and even had a couple of longtime renters in part of their building, but to the fellow artists renting wall space, Aileen preferred to provide low cost opportunities. They also scheduled the main gallery space for groups needing a location for rehearsals, meetings and small performances.
Aileen explains her reasons as two-fold; “First and foremost, to concentrate all my energies on my own art career vs. the time taking efforts of being a gallery manager, Second, the monetary cost of running a Gallery.” Aileen’s art career is going in new and promising directions which require her attention elsewhere and limit her time for continuous planning of shows at Ashtree. “It’s been a difficult decision as I’ve enjoyed helping many other individual artists have a place for exhibiting their work, but with the new year comes new challenges and I certainly encourage artists to continue to get out there and show their work.”
This is not to say that Ashtree Studios might not return in some form in the future, but right now Aileen needs to seek funding for combined efforts in her art instead of doing it all by herself, so that she can put her focus back on her own art.
It will be a shame to close this studio to exhibiting art, but unless another idea/option comes up the difficult decision has to be made.
Aileen Imperatrice – Artist on the move
Aileen sees it as a step forward. “I will remain an entrepreneur in the arts and especially within my own art career.” Seeking the help of professional marketers, webmasters, consultants and research assistants, she has been establishing her plan for seeking gallery representation. Having a studio open to the public since 1999, Aileen has focused on earning the respect of her colleagues and the public. She began with renting various spaces in the Tower District, then moving into Ashtree Studios in 2002. Since then she has continued to open her doors for ArtHop and many other community events. She has likewise opened her wall space to other artists.
But now, Aileen’s art career is taking a new focus and this has given Aileen a renewed dedication to her work. For so long it has been easy to get lost in all the other things that excite Aileen about the cultural community and she will always continue to be involved, but she must now also put her primary focus on her own art career. Aileen has been given the advice by those in the business that her art is ready for more prominent exposure and that she should seek gallery representation in other parts of the nation and world. It is never a smooth transition, as it takes funds and the work of many people to assemble all this together and depending on the work schedules of each person involved, there are roadblocks along the way. Nevertheless, Aileen is determined. As she simultaneously works on new art, she continues work on her other materials. If you’d like Aileen to exhibit at your venue . . .
Contact Aileen Imperatrice for updates.
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My painting "Flamenco" is the 2008 Rogue Muse. 
