In this webinar Paul talks with artist mentor Brainard Carey about the value of persistence, and how artists can break down their own personal roadblocks by making small changes to their lives. Carey also shares his story of cold calling and then collaborating with the celebrity James Franco.
“By doing a repetitive task that’s difficult at first it gets better and you naturally build confidence. Like, for example, going to a see a gallery. It’s really scary for people—what are you going to say? The fact is, if you can get yourself to do it once, it’ll be better than not doing it at all. If you can do it twice, or three times, and you have someone expecting your call, you’re going to feel a little better every time.”
Brainard Carey is an artist’s mentor and artist based in New York and Connecticut. Carey was born in Manhattan and raised in Yonkers, New York. After graduating from college he moved to Block Island where he opened Square One Gallery and published a literary magazine from 1990-1998. Carey returned to New York City in the late 1990s, studying fine art and business at the State University of New York College at Purchase (Purchase College, SUNY) and earning an MFA in 1999. In 2002 he exhibited in the Whitney Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art with Delia Bajo (now his wife, Delia Carey) under the collaborative name “Praxis.” Praxis has shown widely over the years, including in a 2007 solo show also at the Whitney. In 2011 Praxis began the Museum of Non-Visible Art project (MONA) with actor James Franco, which led to a viral Kickstarter project. Since 2002 the Careys have also run The Art World Demystified, a professional development and mentorship program for artists. Carey has published a number of books, including New Markets for Artists (2012); Making It in the Art World (2011); and, with Delia Carey, The Art of Hugging (2012); and School of Wishing (2013). In 2013 Carey began working towards Certified Personal Trainer certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM CPT). Carey maintains a studio in New Haven, and since 2014 he has hosted a radio program on WYBC, Yale Radio, where he interviews a broad range of art world figures.