April:: Moving

This month I decided to try something radically new for me. I decided to begin planning to move to a different country. I will leave at the very the end of June to spend a month in Hong Kong and the remaining 10 months in Beijing.

My last semester before graduation my interest was sparked in Chinese Contemporary Fine Art. That summer I studied Mandarin language and even worked a temporary position at a NYC Chinese Contemporary art gallery. I’ve spent quite a few months exploring jobs that would earn me experience towards my interests in curatorial work, gallery administration, and artist residency. Unfortunately, the Fine Arts industry has been hit just as hard, maybe harder than most.

Over a serious of events, I built a relationship with a well-established Beijing art gallery called Red Gate. The gallery is parent to a non-profit artist residency and is in need of a Residency Program Coordinator. We both decided that I would be a good fit for this position. So now I embark on last minute planning to head for Beijing to volunteer work my dream job and stay at their free apartments. Just one more year of eating ramen...

At the gallery it will be my responsibility to meet local artists and connect with the local art scene as well as host the international artists that fly in from around the world to spend time studying and working at Red Gate Residency. I’m told I will even get some gallery and curatorial experience. The residency serves as a sort of retreat for working artists to be able to focus totally on the body of work they are creating, or collaborate with other artists in residency, or learn techniques and practices from the local art environment. Its intention is to nurture and encourage the creative process.

This an adventure to say the least. My language skills need a great deal of work and Ive never previously set foot in China. But as a whole, I can confidently say that my past travel adventures, jobs and experiences have prepared me as best as they can for this step from my adventures in Orlando, Fl to those I am about to experience in Beijing, China.

Ill buy you a bowl of noodles and give you a free place to stay if you visit me. Start swimming now! Wo xi huan nimen - I love you all!