Submitting A Studio Story

Studio Chicago core partner Chicago Artists Resource invites you to write an Artist Story or Arts Professional Story particularly about an aspect of your studio practice or your work with artists as relates to their studio practice.

Artist Stories:
To validate the importance of the first-hand experience of artists and the people they work with and for, CAR is developing a collection of Artist and Arts Professional Stories. These essays address practical, strategic and philosophical issues, answering pertinent questions and sharing experiences with others in the field.

Sample Questions:
Here are a range of artist story questions to choose from that may suit your practice and/or experience. If you have an idea different from our existing set of questions, you can email us to suggest a question or issue related to studio practice that you'd rather address.

• How has your studio informed the ways in which you approach your work, or vice versa?
• What is the value of working in alternative spaces and venues?
• What considerations went into setting up your studio or securing rehearsal space?
• How can art-making impact social and political issues?
• Should an artist mold their life around art, or art around life?
• What makes a successful public art practice?
• How do collaboration and community context inform your work?
• In your experience, which neighborhood(s) are most hospitable to artists, and why?
• How has gentrification effected your living situation and your sense of community in Chicago?
• How has your relationship to building good credit affected your artistic life?
• What measures have you taken to make your studio or rehearsal space safe and non-toxic?
• How do you afford a studio or rehearsal space, and how important is it to you to keep it?
• How important is it to you to own your own live/work space, and what have you done to make it happen?
• Why did you turn your home into a gallery or performance space?
• What 3 critical things about setting up your studio or securing rehearsal space didn’t you know beforehand?
• What key strategies would you share with other artists about starting and running an arts space?

Story Guidelines:

• Each story must be between 700 - 1000 words and submitted as word files (.doc), text files (.txt) or in the body of an email message.
• A brief biography is needed.
• An image or a short video is needed with each entry.
• Please avoid lengthy artist statements, extended biographies, and lists. We will preserve the voice, style, and intent of your story; however, we reserve the right to edit your artist's story for length, grammar and clarity. If your story is edited, we will request final approval from you before posting it on the site.
• When ready to submit, email your story to [email protected] and put "Studio Chicago story" as your subject.
• After receiving your story, we will contact you for images and follow-up information.