Facebook Privacy Changes

http://mashable.com/2011/08/23/facebook-privacy-changes-guide/

I just wanted to share this information with you from Mashable a blog about Social Media. They always have the latest info, so you may want to follow them in your efforts to keep up with the ever changing social media networks and technology. Click the above link for detailed info.

The Facebook changes are very in depth and as of this time, I have not thoroughly investigated how everything works. Hopefully, I can give you some tips over the next few weeks so we can all make the transition, without going mad. :)

Here is what I have noticed so far....

*List who you are with when you change your status... if you want others to know

**a scrolling list (right side bar) shows when friends had started playing various games or downloading apps.

*** on any behind the wall message; a listing of every inbox conversation you ever had with that person, even those that had been deleted.

****When posting to your own wall you can limit each posts availability to any of your various friend lists (similar to Google+ circles) or have it be public (to everyone)

*****pasting from somewhere else no longer works on status. So those of us that like to post quotes and share info from a variety of sources will no longer to be able to just paste it from else where.

******The tagging will now let you pre-approve them, but you need to go to your privacy settings to enable that feature.

Highly Recommend: Go to your privacy settings and check every item.

I had a time period today where no one could see anything I posted except for Yoville players. Weird, I know. But I was lucky enough to figure it out.

It's really to soon to tell what all these changes are and how they will effect the trillion Facebook users.... and the art and music community, only time will tell.

Yours truly,

Jean Bourque

Photo done with snipping tool an app added to my browser, this is a picture of my avatar, Artsy Jeanee in Yoville and art I did on Facebook in Yoville on the white boards.

701 CCA hosts Triennial Revisted Aug 18 - Sep 25

Every three years or so SC held a Triennial Art Exhibit featuring on average 35 artists of the 100's that submitted. Since arts funding has been cut so dramatically, the 701 CCA decided to host a show featuring some of the artists that had shown their art during the event over the past 20 years.

The opening reception will be at 701 CCA Gallery Thursday August 18th, from 7-9PM at 701 Whaley St. Columbia, it is free to members and only $5. to non members. The show will be catered and a complimentary signature drink provided by Gervais and Vine (Vista on Gervais St.) and Rosso Trattoria Chef Kristian Niemi.

Information below from the 701CCA website:

Featuring the following artists:

John Acorn (Pendleton), Aldwyth (Hilton Head Island), Michael Brodeur (Greenville), Clay Burnette (Columbia), Jocelyn Chateauvert (Charleston), Stephen Chesley (Columbia) Bruno Civitico (Charleston), Jim Connell (Rock Hill), Debbie Cooke (Greenville), Tyrone Geter (Elgin), Peter Lenzo (Columbia), Elizabeth Melton (Rock Hill), Phil Moody (Rock Hill), Jane Nodine (Spartanburg), Herb Parker (Charleston), Colin Quashie (Charleston), Lee Sipe (Columbia) and Tom Stanley (Rock Hill)

The exhibition is sponsored by First Citizens Bank. With TRIENNIAL Revisited, 701 CCA presents a selection from the five S.C. Triennial exhibitions organized by the S.C. Arts Commission and S.C. State Museum between 1992 and 2004 and shown at the museum. TRIENNIAL Revisited is a juried exhibition that provides a prelude and historical context for the inaugural 701 CCA South Carolina Biennial.

Congratulations to all the artists!

First Thursdays on Main St. at S & S Art Supply

First Thursdays at S & S Art Supply Main St. Columbia, SC

is held the first Thursday of every month in conjunction with other Main St merchants as part of a monthly event to highlight the arts in Columbia and to give people an opportunity to see the art and business communities working together every month on Main St. Columbia, SC.

In Sept. 2010, at First Thursday in front of S & S Art Supply, I demonstrated painting with Montana Gold paints and Golden Acrylics to live music by three different musical acts: Keith Bates of REDD WYNE, the late Frank Whaley and the Jeff Bloom Band. I painted three paintings to the music and had a great time.

Note: one of the paintings is pictured above. You can hear music by Redd Wyne, if you click here.

Please show your support for our local art supply store on Main St. by attending the First Thursday evening 6-9Pm every month. Each month they feature a different show. Here is what they have scheduled so far for upcoming artists:

September 1st - USC Printmaking Students

October 6th - J. Spencer Shull

November 3rd - Shayna Simoneaux

December 1st - Susan Lenz

2012 Exhibitions:

Jan. 2012: Lisa Puryear

Feb. 2012: Lucas Sams

Mar. 2012: Devon Jeremy/Elizabeth LaRose

Apr. 2012: Cedric Umoja

May 2012: Bryce Dixon

June 2012: Amy Windland

Yours Truly,

Jean Bourque

Photos: L-R~ Painting done by Jean Bourque to live music by Frank Whaley.

Keith Bates of REDD WYNE . You can hear their music by clicking here!

Jean Bourque of artsails1 painting to live music with her traveling easel!

Michael Story Painting Classes at City Art Gallery

Michael Story will be teaching oil painting at City Art Gallery in the Vista on Lincoln St. Columbia, SC on Monday evenings 6-9PM starting Sept 19th for 6 weeks. Or if you prefer mornings, he will also have an oil painting class on Tuesday mornings 10Am to 1PM starting Sept. 20th, for 6 wks.

If you prefer painting in pastels or would like to learn about composition using pastels, Michael Story will be teaching a class on Thursday mornings at City Art Gallery starting Sept. 22 for 6 weeks. Contact City Art using the link to their site for more details.

TAG Meets Sept.12th 7-9PM All Artists Welcome

Trenholm Artists Guild Columbia, SC Meets Sept. 12^th

Open invite to all artists and art students. Come to our meeting and see for yourself, why Trenholm Artists Guild has been around longer than any other Columbia, SC area art league. Free for your first visit. If you decide to join, the annual dues is $25. You may choose to have your art on the TAG website and / or have your website listed for a small additional fee.

Trenholm Artists Guild aka TAG meets the second Monday of every month from Sept. to May, with the month of December off for the holidays. We meet at Forest Lake Park at 6820 Wedgefield Rd. NE Columbia. Social at 630PM with refreshments. The meeting begins at 7PM. We will discuss plans for the year and art opportunities. For more information on the TAG website, click it.

This year’s line up of guest speakers promises to be very exciting starting with well known artist Michael Story of Lexington SC. Michael has a BFA from USC and has been shown in numerous galleries. He has many corporate and residential clients, throughout the world. In addition to his original oils he also has prints available for many of his paintings. For more information about our guest speaker, click on his name to go to his website.

Art Sites Discussion

I recently discovered several new art sites for artists and even some where artists can post their art. One that is seriously worth considering is the artists2artists.net site that is affiliated with ArtDeadline.

It is free and you must be an artist to be accepted to the site. They actually check you out online to make sure you really are an artist. I like that idea, because then you know that everyone you speak with on that site will be an artist. This site has a social media feel to it and has a variety of different groups within the site you can join to target your specific art interests.

An art blog that was posted on the Arts Journal that is a great one to get you thinking and well worth reading is http://www.artsjournal.com/engage/2011/08/why/

This one opens the possibility for discussions of all kinds; that relate directly to being an artist.

The Arts Journal publishes a lot of art news and will keep you aware of things going on in the art world. In addition to the blog post above, they have many bloggers discussing a wide variety of topics.

Do you have a great idea for an art exhibit, group show or travelling show, yet lack the funding to get it off the ground? Most artists do, including me. Many of us know that arts funding has been cut drastically on the national level and in SC and in many other states. Grant writing and grant funding is primarily reserved for highly educated artists. Not to say you can't get a grant, there are some out there to be had that focus on outsider art, emerging artists and those with newly minted MFA's. However, what about the established artist, that has an art inventory and experience in the art business? Have you ever heard of Kickstarter?

I just read a great story about Kickstarter posted by the New York Times online. I would like to share this information with you, the story is on their website and the url to that story is:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/magazine/the-trivialities-and-transcendence-of-kickstarter.html

There is a lot of information out there and I will do my best to share what I discover with our art community so that everyone has opportunities to find their art market and their niche.

Hope this helps you find more opportunities and that you are having a great summer and staying creative!

Yours Truly,

Jean Bourque

Photo: Art by Jean Bourque, part of the Coffee Series NFS

Call for Artists Postcard Show NYC and the world

"Love is a Hormone"

Art Postcard Online Show and a NYC gallery show to be followed by a traveling postcard art show. International deadline Jan 1, 2012. First get YOUR FREE website for your art at

Artists2artists.net

Sponsored by Access Arts, I will post their guidelines here directly from the info I received.

"Access Arts Inc, in collaboration with Artists2artists.net, announces an open call for artists. "Love is a Hormone': a postcard show exhibited online, followed by a physical exhibition within a New York Gallery* and other venues. There is no entry or any other associated fees.

THEME
Can you depict a functional view of 'love"? The theme should explore the 'rational', or "non-romantic" conceptual views of love. From the stand point of evolutionary theory, "love' is simply an evolved mechanism in the higher species to motivate and support the bonding between animals for the purpose of nurturing offspring, and other environmental engagements - all to serve survival and perpetuation of the species (or genes). Thus, beyond all the 'romantic' depictions of love over time, 'love' is simply the expression/experience of an addictive group of chemicals serving a function. Can you depict a non-romantic, strictly functional view of 'love"?

The only firm restriction is that images should not be overtly sexual as this will be a public show available for viewing by all ages.

BENEFITS
Ongoing International exposure at no cost.*- Online Exhibition * Traveling Gallery Exhibitions

AWARDS
Curators Choice Recognition Award
Best of Show via online voting
Best of Show recognition at participating venues

FEES
No entry fees for first 35 submissions. No other associated fees.

ELIGIBILITY & ENTRY
Open to artists worldwide, 18 years and older. You must have a website on Artists2artists.net (visit to get one, it's free) with samples of your previous artwork displayed to be eligible .

The Postcard artwork must be "original", fit the United States Post Office's definition of a 'postcard' (No more than 4-1/4 inches high X 6 inches long X 0.016 inch thick), and be sent to the show curator at:

Postcard Show Curator
P.O. Box 4158
Kaneohe, HI 96744

You may send the postcard as is, or within a protective envelope. There is no limit as to the number of cards you may enter, but only one will be selected for exhibition. Please include your name, email address and Artists2artists.net website address on the back of the postcard."

The show will begin early February 2012. We will contact you when we post your card on the 'Love is a Hormone' Postcard Exhibition website.

Small Print - terms of participation/conditions
By entering this exhibition you agree that your submitted Postcard will not be returned and will become the property of Access Arts Inc., and such may be used for future online and physical exhibitions without restriction (No image modifications will be made other than image size formatting for online exhibition if required. Authorship with contact information will always be associated when displayed in any venue).

* Please note that Curator reserves the right to deny card(s) for exhibition due to poor quality of artwork, damage, and/or inappropriate content (please keep in mind that this is a public show available for viewing by all ages). Also note that we intend to create a traveling show, beginning in New York as mentioned, however we cannot guarantee exhibition venues at this time. Once confirmed we will post details on the 'Love is a Hormone' Exhibition website. Access Arts also reserves the right to cancel this exhibition at anytime due to lack of participation. All conditions still apply.

About:
Since 1994 the Access Arts' Network has been dedicated to the world wide distribution of information for artists and contemporary art institutions. Our publications span subscription based local, national and international newsletters and magazines; internet based art and artist publications for the professional community; art news networks, and other artist advocacy and promotion services.

Founded by a former Executive Director of an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Director of Goodwill Industries, Access Arts' mission also serves to promote accessibility to the arts through support of programs providing free education for economically disadvantage and special need populations. "

good luck :)

Int'l Contemporary Artists Call for Art DL Aug. 15th

There is something truly exciting about seeing your art work in print. Now most artists have seen their art on the web as many upload this themselves to social media networks, their own blog or website. Many galleries now include a website where they will show your art work, too. But seeing your art in a book, magazine or paper is truly one of life's exciting moments.

"The process of selecting contemporary artists to present their work in “International Contemporary Artists” volume III is nearly over and there are only a few available pages left in the book." So dig up your best jpegs and get them sent off as soon as you can. This is your opportunity!

"As in volume II the book will include paintings, sculptures, installations, digital art and photography, showing in each page the individuality of each artist and different styles of expression as well.
Emerging and established artists are welcome to submit their work for selection in order to be included to the book."

"A juried committee will select the artists who will be able to show their work in a full-color art book. Each selected artist will be presented in the book in a one-page layout that will include images of his/her work, an essay or statement and his/her contact information."
You can find additional information about the book at: www.incoartists.com

The book is distributed worldwide through major book wholesalers and online shops.
Julia Adison is the Assistant Curator at

I.C.A. Publishing
US: 380 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY, 10168, US
EU: Athens Towers, 2-4 Messogion Avenue, Athens 115 27, GR
www.incoartists.com Check out their website and send your artwork in to get published in an international full color book of artists!

If you would like a copy of Volume 2, they are available on Amazon.

Yours Truly,

Jean Bourque

Social Media, Blogs and Google+ Invitation

There was a time, (not so long ago) before my artistic friends became regular Facebook users when I would tell people about my blog and I would have to explain what a blog was and what I was offering on my blog. I can remember being at an art league meeting and telling other artists about it and no one had ever read a blog and many people didn't even know what one was.

When I first got on Myspace, LinkedIn, Youtube, twitter and Facebook hardly any of my personal artists friends were on any of these sites and didn't understand why it would be such a great asset as an artist to be active on social media. About a year after I joined Facebook, I sent out invites to everyone in my email contacts and to all the art league members, with very little immediate response. When I went to the various art league meetings the following months people would ask me about it and one of the main questions I got was; are you selling art from it. The answer (at that time) was no, that is not the purpose of it.

Within three months of my major email send out of invites to other artists; at least 25% of them had joined Facebook. Within 6 months at least 50% of the artists had opened a Facebook account. Even so, very few were active on it, some didn't even have a photo uploaded until months after they set up their accounts. Whenever I would run into any of the artists, they would want to know more about using Facebook or they would say they opened a Facebook account and didn't understand what the big deal was. I continued to explore social media and joined many sites. (some are now defunct) Eventually the art community came to embrace Facebook and continued to tell me how much they enjoyed reading my blog. One of the great features for an artist, musician, writer or other entrepreneurs is the ability to create pages and develop fans such as I did with my art and blog.

Fast forward....

Now, almost all the artists I know are on Facebook and there is a better understanding of how we as artists can benefit by being on Facebook. We can post our artwork to the world, on a site that gets considerable more traffic than a solo website without having to know html or hire expensive designers. We can keep track of the people we meet and the events we hear about and get invited to. We now have easier access to each other, galleries, museums, art opportunities and the person that makes the decisions, then we ever did. You can actually get to know a gallery before deciding if you want to work with them and they can get to know you as well.

There has been a lot of buzz about Myspace being dead and artists have tended to flock to Facebook much faster and in larger quantities then Myspace. However, back in the days before Facebook; Myspace gave us a glimpse of what could be and showed us how we could create a space uniquely our own and get the word out about anything we wanted to share. It also gave us the opportunity to be anonymous and took down the barriers of connecting with other artists through out the world. It opened the world up for artists with all it's possibilities. I still have a presence there as a large part of my artwork is created with musicians. MySpace has a system for sharing and promoting your music which is easy to use and better than most other social media other than Social networks created specifically for Music, such as ReverbNation and NoDepression, and a multitude of other such sites.

There have been many social media sites, some created specifically for artists, that have been here and are now gone. Youtube has added a social networking aspect to their site and I have enjoyed using that. They also allow you to share videos, to other social media accounts.

Two going strong forms of social media are twitter and LinkedIn. Both have a different twist to how they work and an emphasis on different areas that can be applied to an artist's life. If you are busy but want to say something briefly, you can make a 140 character statement on twitter and anyone that follows you will get it. You can also follow other artists, galleries, museums and various news media. It offers a quick way to scan the news and to share your news. LinkedIn and BranchOut have a primary focus on the business side. LinkedIn also has art and other groups you can join; which can lead to discussions, jobs, sales, promoting events and increasing contacts.

I have been writing this blog for over 4 years and in that time, I have seen many artists starting their own blogs. Many of the artists' art blogs focus on the artwork they are creating and their target audience is usually slanted toward creating awareness of their own art creations. Artists come to social media and blogging with a wide array of styles and various skill levels. This reminds me of one rule I learned in a creative writing class; "write about what you know." Perhaps, your art teacher said something similar; "paint what you know."

Google has now created Google+. It is the latest social media tool and you cannot just join it; you have to be invited. Right now it is in beta testing mode and pretty basic in it's overall look, really easy to learn. I have been a member almost as soon as I heard about it. One of the best features it has; as you invite people or as people connect with you; you can add them to various circles. You create the names for the circles yourself, so when you are sending messages out you can target the groups that would be most interested in whatever you are posting. It also is easier to keep track of who you already have shared with, than other social media. This in itself makes it a great marketing tool.

I am allowed to invite only 150 people I want to tell you about it here and if you are interested in receiving one of the invitations, email me (click on it, to do so) with your email and I will email it to you. Because it is a Google based product, if you have multiple emails (like I do) your best option is to use it with your gmail account.

Yours Truly,

Jean Bourque

"Where Women Create" is great!

Just saw a copy of “Where Women Create”

What a great name for a magazine! Before I ever opened the cover

I had fallen in love with the name of the magazine and my mind went

exploring in creative directions too numerous to count. I opened the magazine

and was so impressed with all the beautiful colors, bright and bold nothing mundane.

I didn't have to read a word and I knew I found a magazine that I would love to

look at over and over.

I read a story about a brilliant woman that started a t-shirt business where

the customer actually experiences making their own t-shirt design. She has her

shop in the style of a NY Deli and serves the completed t-shirt wrapped in butcher paper

and a bag of chips. She’s planning on getting an ice cream truck and serving

t-shirts instead of ice cream during the summer months.

Beautifully appointed studios with lots of light and storage and a clean, organized feel,

Made me long to have that kind of space. Big enough to be organized and everything

having its place, so the flow of your work doesn't have to be broken up to go look for things. .

I saw one space that had bright red walls with black fishnets as room toppers,

in which she showed and worked on baby dolls. It may have also been her store.

A variety of fine arts and crafts were represented all in bright bold colors! Neon and electric

Lots of light and some natural lighting filled each room with a glow. Part of what I saw was the

Love and care the artist has for their space and their craft. Many studios also held a sewing

Machine. I still have a sewing machine, I don’t think I've used it in at least ten years.

Something about fabric makes me think of the women in the mills and even further back women

Spinning yarn, making their own fabrics and papers. It’s nostalgic to me, like a fairy tale.

I learned to sew at 7 years old. My first projects were a pin cushion by hand, then Mom taught

me to make a marble bag. (I have three brothers) Then I made my first pair of elastic waist pants.

I remember them well, they were green cotton.

You know a magazine is great if it gets you thinking and you feel like creating from reading it.

Just like a book is great if it helps you become more creative. One book I strongly

Recommend is “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. When you look through the chapters

and do a little bit of reading you will learn to bring more creativity into your life.

Soon, you will look forward to morning pages and maybe you’ll even start a blog so you can

share and explore your enthusiasm for the creative side.

If you see this magazine in the store, look through it and I think you will agree it’s a great magazine.

I feel like I went on my artist date after looking at it briefly.

Yours Truly,

Jean Bourque

Photo of Painting by Jean Bourque a 16x20 mixed media collage with a variety of fabrics.

Jean Bourque Painting to REDD WYNE LIve!

Saturday August 6th 830-1030PM at Buckaroo's

Artist, Jean Bourque will be doing performance painting live to REDD WYNE music at Buckaroo's on Lake Murray at Dreher Island Rd.Chapin, SC. It's just before the bridge and Newberry County Line. The artist stated "Nothing could be finer than painting to one of my favorite bands, overlooking the lake at night. It's going to be a fun evening." Jean Bourque will be bringing some of her well known Guitar Series paintings. These are brightly colored guitar paintings on large canvases, ready to hang on your wall. Special pricing night of the event only! Mark your calendar to attend. Thank you! Yours Truly, Jean Bourque