Casual bystander

When new exhibitions open at Artpace, the staff is lucky enough to participate in a morning walk-through of each gallery with the artists and guest curator. Throughout the weeks I’ve spent here as an intern, I’ve passed through the studio spaces and seen current residents Frank Benson, Graham Fagen, and Jeff Williams at work, and noted the progression of their pieces. For those of you who love art—of any period—and have always wondered “How the heck do they do that?” you’ll understand how cool it is to actually witness how they, in fact, do that (it’s okay to be jealous).

Being a casual bystander to art-in-creation is one of my favorite things about Artpace. The artists make their work here, in our building, using our facilities and materials. Not many places can boast that—and you have access to it here in San Antonio! The residents interact with our staff (and even visitors) on a daily basis—sometimes so much so that they even use Artpace employees in their final pieces. (When you come to the IAIR 11.3 opening tonight at 6pm, you might notice some familiar faces the artworks.)

Image credit: Frank Benson, Figure Study (Chad), 2011. Photo courtesy of the artist