I GET NO KICK FROM CHAMPAGNE Dear Babs, Recently I was invited to a private art preview and cocktail party, co-hosted by a prestigious Los Angeles gallery and art museum. The event was in the desert, so most likely attendees would be traveling at least two hours from...
SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO Dear Babs, I’m thinking about leaving the U.S. and moving to Berlin because this country is about to explode and also because everyone says Berlin is better for artists. Is this true? How would I go about making this move? —Thomas Newton,...
HOW MANY TIMES? PAINTING IS NOT DEADDear Babs, I've been noticing more and more galleries focusing on figurative paintings. As a painter myself who has found the recent years difficult with the popularity of new mediums including photography, do you think there is a...
SOLD! (NOT!)Dear Babs, In my art practice, I gravitate toward using ephemeral media and creating installations. Sometimes my work deals with "difficult" subject matter. Do most gallery owners steer clear of those qualities in art because it is challenging to sell? Is...
UNDEREXPOSED Dear Babs, I’m a 16-year-old artist currently living in Austin and I was wondering are there any opportunities to showcase my art? I truly love art and drawing but unfortunately have not had much exposure and I want to share my passion and skill. —Alexia...
A DAY AT THE MUSEUMDear Babs, I would like to know if the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has turned into an elitist institution with exhibits only to be viewed if you have the money? Recently, for my birthday I wanted to visit LACMA to see the Mapplethorpe show,...
BIGGER IS BETTERDear Babs, I went to the inaugural opening of Hauser Wirth & Schimmel here in Los Angeles. Seeing the sheer magnitude of the new mega gallery as well as the crowds it brought out made me wonder what it would mean for LA. Are these gallery/museum...
OLDIE BUT NOT GOODIEDear Babs, Why are gallerists and curators so obsessed with seeing artists' very newest works? I like some of the work I've done in the past three or four years, but it seems this is considered too old. Why does something that's supposed to be...
ROCK AND ROLL IS FOR THE BIRDSDear Babs, What do you think about using live animals in an artwork? I recently went to a museum in Montreal and witnessed an entire exhibition of finches playing guitars! The air conditioning was blasting and I thought they needed little...
Thirsty and SoberDear Babs, I’m an artist. I want to succeed. I don’t drink. I’m in AA. Every art opening I go to has booze. What do I do? —Nick, Los AngelesDear Nick, Drink water.Pretty BabyDear Babs, It seems like you have to be beautiful to be a successful young...
Got Talent?Dear Babs, I painted this one week in 1969 and have barely lifted a brush since. Should I take it up again? —Will, Los AngelesDear Will, Depends…is that supposed to be JFK? If so, perhaps leave the brush alone. But seriously Will, you should pick up that...
UNDEREXPOSEDDear Babs, Please help me. I am currently living in a desolate land and deprived of adequate art exposure (and God knows how I love to expose myself to art). I once knew a wonderful artist who helped me with my art education but she left town several...
Dear Babs, I’ll be getting out of the Army soon and was thinking about going back to school for an MFA. If I don’t apply to a grad school in LA or New York, what should I be looking for in a school outside of those two areas? I’ve heard it’s an ideal way to make...
Dear Babs, I’m an art student about to graduate with a BFA in photography at one of the best art schools in the Los Angeles area. Is it okay to work in a commercial photography field while showing artwork in galleries? Besides presenting two separate portfolios/series...
Dear Babs, Is there a “best” way to get paint off a cat?—Jim, Los AngelesDear Jim, Firstly, you didn’t specify if the paint was oils or acrylics. This is important to know as I am fully aware of feline behavioral patterns of constant grooming, meaning licking their...
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