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Susan Lomuto, a Connecticut based artist / writer, established a blog called “The Daily Art Muse” (DAM), showcasing contemporary fine craft.
DAM covers the global landscape of handcrafted artwork with thousands of readers of her weekday posts and content in over 3,000 archived posts. Susan created the site to inspire “artists, designers and collectors worldwide” and the website is frequently used as an educational resource in traditional classroom settings (high school and college) as well as online learning environments.
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As part of exploring what it takes to be dedicated to art and fine craft, Susan has set out to work as an apprentice for a number of artists across the country. She wants to learn – about art and about the life of an artist; ultimately writing in-depth about the working artist’s life. Many of her experiences will be featured in the Daily Art Muse blog. Susan is working at creating a multimedia experience complete with pictures, video and text.
The apprenticeship project continues this coming week, as she begins a 6-week internship with several DC area artists – including the Washington Glass School.
Said Susan of the process: “I suppose I could have just planned a road trip to visit artists around the country, asking questions, taking lots of pictures, shooting video – but that felt incomplete. Instead, I wanted to develop a solid understanding of the how/why/when/what that makes this a well-lived life, so I am getting my hands dirty as an intern – in many cases jumping out of my comfort zone and into their studios, working in mediums unknown to these hands (like glass), sweeping floors, conditioning clay, gathering supplies – and whatever else they need me to do.”
“My first internship, with jewelry artist Dina Varano in Connecticut, was a quiet one, working in a studio nestled in the woods, away from the distractions of the outside world.
The DC internship promises to be a lively experience in an arts complex that is home to several busy studios and more than two dozen artists. I will make sure I’m ready for the “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” moment once I get there!”
Read more of Susan’s travels and internship – click HERE.
For an update on Susan’s kick-off mtg with the studios – Click HERE
To help fund the arts endeavor, Susan has created a great fundraising project, complete with perks for donations. Click HERE to learn more about perks.
>What a fantastic way to get the inside scoop on artists and their processes! Sure, Susan could have totally looked over shoulders and taken notes, but by apprenticing, she gets to be a part of the creative process. Bravo on a great idea and I can't wait to read up on how the rest of the art community achieves such splendid ends.