The Gift of Art
Here is a gift idea for you: bring someone to the sculpting party!!! Have fun together as you create your own piece. No experience necessary. Supplies, food and drinks are included. You need to sign up online: http://ivantirado.com/sculptingparty. I would like to stretch how much fun it is and all the benefits sculpting clay in such environment bring, but I’ll let the testimonials speak:
“The wine and art event with Dr. Ivan was very fun. It was a great way to relax after a work day, and I found myself lost in my sculpture, not thinking about or worrying about anything at all. A great release. This would be a great thing to do for a birthday party, or special event…learning a new skill, sipping wine, and becoming immersed in art and sculpture with friends. Dr. Ivan did a great job of teaching, but also allowing everyones own personality and design to be present.”
– Megan Micola
“Recently, I had the pleasure of attending Dr. Ivan Tirado’s Sculpture Class. I came to the lesson with some friends of varying artistic abilities. We were all able find our creative voice and enjoy the class regardless of our creative backgrounds. Many know Dr. Tirado is a gifted sculptor, but he is a masterful teacher as well. We learned about the proportions of the human form and how to use these new tools and techniques to explore them. No one felt the least bit intimidated on this adventure together with Dr. Ivan guiding the way! We all enjoyed this class and learned something new and are planning to set up another class soon.
– Michele Kelly
“Words cannot adequately express how much I appreciate Dr. Ivan Tirado, both as a teacher and as an inspiration. I had the good fortune to meet Dr. Ivan at a sculpture class where each participant created a torso. His knowledge of the human body coupled with his encouraging teaching helped all of us to be successful! Even if you had never touched clay before, his approach and techniques enabled all of us to walk away from his class with a piece we were proud of.”
– Leslie Alexander
“Oh what fun! Dr. Ivan is a creative and talented artist with a flare of humor. He guides you through the entire process of sculpting and helps you make your own piece. The best part is that you are completely in the moment, working with your hands. I would give five stars for one of these events!”
– Christina Roberts
“I would like to take a moment to thank you for helping us pull off a surprise “sculpting” birthday party. We all had a blast and had something to show for the fun time we had. I must say, I truly thought my lump of clay had no hope! Ha ha Luckily, you know how to teach and guide a class of giddy mimosa drinking gals! We all left surprised at how well our “torso” turned out. Thank you so much!! Can’t wait to do it again!!!”
– Stephanie Pelizzari
“I would like to share my experience that I experienced with Dr. Ivan Tirado, an amazing sculptor and teacher. A specialist in his field. I attended an evening class. I had the most amazing experience! I had never sculpted anything in my life! It became beautiful and memorable evening of learning and being taught about the body! Dr. Tirado was very kind, patient & very knowledgeable! Without question I would highly recommend an evening discovering and participating in the Arts. I am very proud of my piece!! Thank you Dr. Tirado! I thank you for bringing light to my creative inside!!”
– Marisol Marty Valentin
“I recently began attending the BYOB sculpting class at the Milford Firehouse Gallery… and I can simply say money well spent! The atmosphere is relaxed and nonjudgmental… No matter your artistic skill level you are leaving with work of art. Ivàn is patient and takes time to answer questions and guide each person. You can immediately find a friend if you come alone; everyone is friendly and down to earth.”
– Jennifer Sandholm
“The sculpting party was fantastic. Dr. Ivan is a very knowledgeable teacher and artist. He met you where you were at artistically and helped your work evolve. I went with a group of people that varied in ability and he made everyone feel at ease. As an artist I would recommend going. It was so much fun!”
“I thought it was an amazing class and was an awesome way to unwind the mind and not focus on anything else but the clay. Ivan was an awesome teacher who made you feel comfortable and made you feel like you knew what you were doing even if it was your first time sculpting. I would definitely recommend this to anyone and would absolutely love to do it again!”
– Kaity
I hope I can see you there and have some fun together. sign up online:
http://ivantirado.com/sculptingparty
If you want more information contact me.
In Frames of Mind: Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Howard Gardner mentions interpersonal intelligence as the skill to connect with others. As in any field of practice, you can be successful and have all the skills but by not having interpersonal intelligence you might be closing doors to yourself. It is fine to let art speak by itself. It is a great experience. Nevertheless, it is not a license to be a contemptibly obnoxious person or a self-made social reject. Some artists need an ego-check. There is a very fine line between eccentric and just plain weird. If people can connect with you, they will connect with your art. It is time artists come out of obscurity and mingle with people and be more than a signature at the corner of the paint, to regain an influential social status and use our sensitivity to guide others and inspire future artists, and why not? Future clients as well.
How to Prepare for Your Show
Close your eyes and imagine your show. Live the moment. It is like a party. Envision how your art is displayed, how people move around to see your art, what they are eating and drinking, the background music… Visualize every detail. Now, lets prepare to show our work.
I prefer to take care of most aspects of my shows myself instead of putting it in the hands of other people. I do surround myself with people I trust to help me shape the scene and to alleviate my burden. Seek their advice, listen to their opinion, but most importantly understand their support. Make sure is people who can take care of things without prompting. Otherwise you will add unnecessary stress to yourself.
How to prepare for your show? While there are many intricacies in presenting an art exhibit this checklist might help you get started. Before you decide you want to have an art exhibit you need to be ready with a few things.
Word of Advise: Make sure the amount of pieces fits the venue. You don’t want your show to look like a flea market.
I try to have this at least 3 months in advance. That time allows for you to prepare and promote properly.
There are plenty of examples and templates online in how to write a press release. If you have someone to do it for you is fine. Some people charge to write press releases. I prefer to write it myself then ask other people to edit whatever necessary.
Again, if you can’t do it yourself someone else can do it. I design my own printed material. It makes me feel closer to the show.
Use your printed material, mailing lists, online media, social media, word of mouth, tell your friends to bring friends… anything that can being people to your show.
Keep it simple to the extent possible unless someone else wants to pay for it. You can also ask for sponsors or wine tastings to be present. The possibilities are endless and it all depends on your budget and preferences.
Heads up! There will be a lot of stress on getting ready. Go over your plan and check every detail. Pretend you are a guest and go through all of it. Be flexible to changes that won’t change the overall look and feel of the show. There are things not deserving the stress.
Be ready to enjoy the people celebrating you and your work, make new connections, be ready to answer any questions that could be presented, and have fun. It is your party!