Shoebox Arts News

I've been working with Monica Marks for a while now, and I can tell you that this show has been a long time coming. Not just in terms of the years it took to make, though it has been years, but in terms of what it asks of an artist to put something this personal on the walls. Waiting Rooms opens Sunday, May 31st at Shoebox Projects at the Brewery. 4–6pm. And I really hope you'll come. Monica's statement says it better than I can: "Waiting Rooms comes from a deeply personal pl

This Saturday I'm doing a talk. It's part of Artist Resource Collective LA West, a free all-day event in Santa Monica put together by ARC (powered by YoungArts) and the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs. May 30, 10:30am to 5pm at Miles Memorial Playhouse. My session is called "If You Don't Ask, The Answer is Always No" and it's basically everything I know about finding and using resources to actually make your work. Where to look. How to ask. What to do when you feel weir

Welcome. You found us. Or maybe we found each other. Either way, I'm really glad you're here. Shoebox Arts has been building something since 2014. Not a networking group. Not a class. A community where artists stop navigating the art world alone and start actually moving forward together. Over ten years that's what it's become and it keeps growing into something I'm genuinely proud of. This newsletter is your introduction to everything that's available to you right now. We Ju

Hi my friends, Summer is here — and it's actually the perfect time to join Shoebox Arts. I know that might sound backwards. Summer feels like a slow season. But that's exactly why it works. The fall art season is coming — openings, open calls, grant deadlines, shows — and the artists who hit the ground running in September are the ones who spent the summer getting grounded. Building community. Getting organized. Figuring out their next move. We have several spots open for new

Hi my friends, I've been thinking about you. Not in a general way — in a specific way. About what it means to be an artist right now, in this moment, when everything feels uncertain and loud and hard to navigate. When the news is relentless and the economy is shaky and it can feel like the ground keeps shifting under your feet. This is exactly when community matters most. I've been running Shoebox Arts for over 12 years because I believe artists shouldn't have to figure this

Hi Everyone, I've been working on something for a long time and it's finally ready. The Shoebox Arts Collected Wisdom Library is here. 53 professional development guides covering everything you need to build a professional art career. Written in plain language. Organized so you can go straight to what you need, right when you need it. This is 30+ years of gathered wisdom — from workshops, mentors, community conversations, critique groups, and first-hand experience working al

Don't worry, there will be cake instead of PB&J Sandwiches LOL We're doing a lot on March 22nd and I want you there. "March/Forward" opens at Shoebox Projects — new work from 17 Shoebox members. We'll also have Call and Response books on view and a selection of work from my long-running Perceive Me series. It's a full house. And we're celebrating. 12 years of Shoebox!! That feels big. I started this in 2014 with a folding table and a lot of feelings about how artists deserved

#selfieswithfriends at the Los Angeles Makery Shoebox just turned 12! And we want you in the room. If you join Shoebox Arts by Thursday, March 13th with our 6-month membership, you'll be included in our 12th Anniversary Group Show opening March 22nd at Shoebox Projects. The show runs through the Brewery Artwalk on April 25th and 26th, so your work gets seen twice — opening night AND artwalk weekend. The March 22nd reception is also a thank you party for everyone who supporte

Hi everyone, Something big is happening. After five years of digital exchanges connecting artists across six continents, Call and Response is going physical for the first time. Startup Art Fair LA | February 27 - March 1, 2026The Kinney Venice Beach | Room 202 THE PROJECT In October 2025, we randomly paired 190 artists to create collaborative books together. Four months later, we have approximately 90 unique collaborative works—oracle decks, teabag weavings, painted photograp

Chelsea Dean at Shoebox 2018 Studio visit last week with an artist who's been making work for fifteen years. Beautiful, thoughtful pieces. Strong technical skill. Clear vision. "I just want someone to see my work," they said. Got me thinking (again) - why are we still making this so complicated? What If Getting A Show Wasn't About Luck? We have gallery space at the Brewery in Los Angeles. We have walls. You have work. Here's what we're doing: Sign up for a 12-month membership

Phyllis Martinez Chumley at Shoebox Projects Had a studio visit last week with an artist who's been making work for fifteen years. Beautiful, thoughtful pieces. Strong technical skill. Clear vision. "I just want someone to see my work," they said. And I thought: why are we still making this so complicated? The Usual Path (Aka The Exhausting One) You know the drill. Make the work. Take professional photos. Write the perfect artist statement. Research galleries. Send submission

There's something powerful about our hands creating the flag. Not just thinking about it, not just talking about it - but actually making it. Choosing the materials. Deciding what the stars mean. Determining how the stripes sit. When the flag feels like it belongs to one narrative or another, what happens when we physically remake it ourselves? Making America is about that act of creation. Over 30 artists from across the United States have made flags by hand - through paint,