I have been creating some shirt images for local groups and events through West Side Design in the city of Tuolumne. Here are are some designs/illustrations that will be walking around in the coming months:
UTLTRN v. Tuolumne
It is my goal to have a bad ass printmaking workshop.
- A place where I can create day and night.
- A place where I can get friends and family involved in creating.
- A place open to the public.
- A place to hold concerts, parties and events.
- A place to teach and entertain.
- A place with stickers wallpapering the bathroom.
- A place with concrete floors, stained with ink.
- Are you bored with the local “scene”?
- Are you searching for a reason to stay in Tuolumne County?
- Would you attend workshops on postering, garment printing and customization?
- Do you want to know what today’s street artists, printmakers and fashionistas are up too?
I want to expose the local yokel to silk screen and relief printing, social propaganda, custom clothing and a sense of pride in accomplishing what is believed to be solely in the hands of industry. I feel that Tuolumne City is in need for an artistic renaissance. There are several empty buildings that are waiting for occupants. There are several creative, anxious people in town waiting for an opportunity. It is a perfect match and let me tell you no one is going to start this for us. No one in the Chamber of Commerce is looking to nurture the arts. They are going to let fail safe, business-in-a-box chain stores to the county. With the coming arrival of the Black Oak Hotel and Golf Course, Tuolumne City has the opportunity to become a really cool place. Lets kick out the meth heads and sweep up the syringes and Keystone Light cans.
Leave a comment and let me know if I should bother with this place or should I just forget about it and move on.
Local Resources
It is important to know what type of resources are available in your community. If you are planning on making where you live a home and viable business location you must know what the community offers. These days a lot of people go through life without ever stepping foot in their local library, museum, government offices etc. I have recently been making frequent trips to my local library to kill time and find inspiration. It is not the largest, most extensive library out there, but it has a lot of good reference tools. In perusing the art section I found a couple informative books on photography, composition, printmaking and various crafts. Most of the books are beginner oriented and fairly out of date, but they have intrigued and inspired me to try new projects.
My newest visit awarded me with the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines. I am treating the book like a text book, taking notes and reviewing the business principals it outlines. There is a lot of legal jargon that I don’t fully understand, but that is where the rest or the library can come in handy. If I have any questions on something like licensing I can cross reference it in the legal section (or just go online). I have also been told that there are business seminars put on by the local business groups and attended Art as Business seminars given by the Arts Council. These types of events are usually low cost and after normal business hours so they are easy to attend.
It may be easy to find a little work at local museums, utilities, non-profits, state parks or community
commissions. A lot of times these organizations are in need of revamping their identities which were last looked at decades ago. I have a friend that recently did a fantastic job redesigning our library’s ID. Jobs like these don’t always pay great, but in economic times like these any job is a good one and it is a chance to get your name out to the community.
Take the time to learn about your community resources and events. Rub elbows with some of the businesses, committees and so on, it could land you a couple of great gigs or you might just learn something.