Shoebox Arts News

Hi friends, September is here and there is a lot still to do. I'm opening up our membership to a four month cohort through the end of 2026 for a flat $400. September through December. A focused group of artists coming together for the last stretch of the year to learn, connect, push each other forward, and make the kinds of connections that last well beyond the program itself. No monthly renewals. No long term commitment. Just in for the rest of the year. Here's what's happen

Hi friends, Okay, this is a big one, so bear with me. I'm putting more focus on less things, so I can actually be present in each one. That means Shoebox membership is moving exclusively to Substack after January 1, 2027, and my own focus is shifting to the nonprofit I run, Art and Cake. More galleries, more openings, more time actually seeing art instead of just talking about it. AND more ways to support artists! Before that shift happens, I'm opening up Shoebox membership t

Hey everyone, I'm excited to share something new. Starting Monday August 17th I'm launching a 4-week course on Substack called Find Your Place. It's for paid subscribers and it's the most structured professional development content I've built outside of Monday Masterclass. Here's what it's about. Most artists spend years trying to navigate an art world that doesn't match the territory they're actually in. Trying to fit into the fine art gallery world when their work belongs s

Hey everyone, Before anything else: use code summer20 for 20% off any Shoebox membership and code library20 for 20% off the Collected Wisdom Library. Both codes are active now. Katie Stubblefield at Matter Studio Gallery with Shoebox Artists: Phyllis Chumley Martinez, Aazam Irilian, Barrie Goshko, Lynette K Henderson. Photo shared from Lynette. THIS SUNDAY: Indi Carlton at Shoebox Projects Come see us this Sunday July 26th from 2 to 5pm at Shoebox Projects, 660 South Avenue 2

I've been thinking about artists in our community. I'm watching what's happening in the world and in the art world and I'm genuinely wondering how you're doing. Because I know what's going on out there. People are spending less. Collectors are pulling back. Shows are harder to sell from. AND get in to. The economy is doing what it does and artists feel it first and loudest because we were already operating on the margins before any of this started. And at the same time, somet

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