Artists Mean Business

Jess Kaswiner
  1. 11/14/2015

    Artists Mean Business: Episode 25 with Don Hall

    Advice to millennials, emerging artists, and so much more on Podcast #25 with the irreverent, and always gregarious Don Hall.  The best and worst thing a parent can do is tell a child their "special". Words to live by from director of live events at WBEZ, Don Hall. Saved by the universe at a young age - at least according to his mother - Don Hall has worn a variety of hats helping to sow together the quilted ecosystem that is Chicago's performance underbelly.  A man who continues to play his part sculpting the city's storytelling scene, talks about how doing what no one else wants to do is where you can find your sweet spot!  "Once in a while you get a "Blue Man Group", says Hall, "but most successful people in the arts are not doing anything innovative or new."  Hear this, and more from the provocative Mr. Don Hall on Episode 25.  Quoting fellow producer and podcaster, Shannon Cason, Don Hall feels "I've hit a point where I no longer want to be successful, I just want to be significant. (Shannon Kasig)     Advice to millennials, emerging artists, and so much more on Podcast #25 with the irreverent, and always gregarious Don Hall.    The best and worst thing a parent can do is tell a child their "special". Words to live by from director of live events at WBEZ, Don Hall. Saved by the universe at a young age - at least according to his mother - Don Hall has worn a variety of hats helping to sow together the quilted ecosystem that is Chicago's performance underbelly.    A man who continues to play his part sculpting the city's storytelling scene, talks about how doing what no one else wants to do is where you can find your sweet spot!   "Once in a while you get a "Blue Man Group", says Hall, "but most successful people in the arts are not doing anything innovative or new." Hear this, and more from the provocative Mr. Don Hall on Episode 25.     Quoting fellow producer and podcaster, Shannon Cason, Don Hall feels "I've hit a point where I no longer want to be successful, I just want to be signifigant. -Shannon Kasig   --  All the best, Jess Kaswiner @JessinAction 201.650.5851   Drawing Connections

    32 min
  2. 06/03/2015

    Artists Mean Business: Episode 24 with Faheem Majeed

    In Episode 24 I sit down Faheem Majeed, educator, builder, and community engaged artist.  Majeed's work does more than explore the material world through the built environment; it challenges our relationships to it. Yet, were it not for his varied - and admittedly, circuitous career path - his work might lack the interdisciplinarity that critic Patrica Phillips suggests "is not simply an indiscriminate amalgamation of conventions from different fields, but a faceted way of looking at the formation of knowledge and the public realm". In this deep-dive conversation, Faheem revisits some of his "sweetest mistakes" and how sometimes, letting the thing fall apart, just might be part of the process. Here, he offers his own take on failing-forward, "Read the biographies of those who have not simply been plucked".  In this statement, Majeed suggests that we not simply look at how far an artist has come, but rather, the many destinations he or she has been. The interview ends on a rather prolific note, quoting fellow Chicagoan and artist-mentor, Kerry James Marshall, "Your actions need to speak to your goals". Marinate on that! 3 chances to see Faheem Majeed's work 1) Visit the MCA Chicago to experience Faheem's  first solo museum exhibition, "Works" (through August 16, 2015). 2) MCA Studio: Thēarē Group (Fri, Jun 12, 2015, 10am–5 pm) 3) MCA Talk: LaShana Jackson and Faheem Majeed (Sun, Aug 16, 2015, 3–4pm)

    38 min