Communication, Connection, Community:
How to Talk about Your Work
This Symposia! with Jennifer Samet and Michael David was a hybrid workshop designed to help artists communicate their work more effectively through storytelling, studio visits, and personal narratives. Participants analyzed artist interviews, statements, and press materials to strengthen how they presented their practice, both visually and verbally. Through virtual and in-person sessions in NYC and the Hudson Valley, artists engaged with mentors Jennifer and Michael, peers and guest critic Ali Rossi —while exploring artist-run spaces, alternative platforms, and community-building strategies. The workshop emphasized confidence, clarity, and connection, culminating in a series of presentations that evolved through feedback and collaborative learning.
Jennifer Samet with Michael David Cohorts
Catherine Bickforford
Maya Strauss
Lyndy Pye
Gwendolyn Kerber
Jennifer Samet is Senior Director of Eric Firestone Gallery and faculty at the New York Studio School. She is particularly interested in the voice of the artist, and has interviewed over 100 artists for her column “Beer with a Painter,” in Hyperallergic. Artist networks and artist-run projects have also been a particular focus of her research and teaching experience. She has contributed to monographs and authored dozens of catalog essays. She wrote the contemporary art chapter for the forthcoming book about the FAMM collection (Female Artists of the Mougins Museum). Recent curatorial projects include “The Feminine in Abstract Painting,” Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation; and “Godzilla: Echoes from the 1990s Asian American Arts Network,” Eric Firestone Gallery.