Louisiana Roster Artist Kathryn Usher updates her NWLA Artist Directory page to include an artist resume in PDF

Remind me not to wait almost 15 years to update my artist resume. I had to finish it today so I could upload it in a PDF to my page on the NWLA Artists Directory, which is a program of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC).

Music critic Brett Campbell will be judging those artists in the directory who want to be reviewed for Northwest Louisiana Juried Artist Roster status. Campbell was one of the critics this year for the Impromptu show at artspace in downtown Shreveport. One thing he said about much of the performance work from our area was "provincial." He meant in a "y'all are a bunch of cornball, hayseed, hillbilly hicks" way. Don't you love the potential for some juicy gossip? Remember we are paying him for his opinion so he can pass judgment on us.

I have nothing against Campbell. He's a fine writer and I'm sure a lovely man. I am passing judgement on how we are choosing to play the art game. I'll say it now. We are provincial in our local art game. And I mean that in a we are a bunch of cornball, hayseed, hillbilly hicks. I'm just shaking to find out if I will be deemed "professional" enough to join the Northwest Louisiana Juried Artist Roster (the name of SRAC's roster).  The funny thing is I was juried onto the Artist Roster of the Louisiana Division of the Arts back in 1992. I have to play this provincial local art game that's been set up in Shreveport if I want to see positive changes made. It's the first step I'm taking for my agenda (not sure what my agenda is but I was accused at a Northwest Louisiana Juried Artist Roster meeting of having one).

I'm not the only one who will have to be judged. If you are currently on the Northwest Louisiana Juried Artist Roster (the name of SRAC's roster) you will have to be reviewed now by Campbell or next year by Robert Pincus, the other critic for the Impromptu show. By next summer every current member of the Northwest Louisiana Juried Artist Roster will be axed unless they've uploaded their information to the NWLA Artists Directory on the SRAC website and given the okay to be reviewed/judged, yet again, for roster status. That's the policy that's been set by those local artists who are allowed to attend the monthly meetings of the Northwest Louisiana Juried Artist Roster.

Say, wouldn't it be smashing if we could read the minutes of those Northwest Louisiana Juried Artist Roster meetings? A swell idea since it's a group setting public policy. Interestingly enough, no minutes are kept at these meetings. I'm starting to see where my agenda might be heading.

Also, why isn't William (Bill) Joyce on the NWLA Artists Directory or a member of the Northwest Louisiana Juried Artist Roster? After all, he is the artistic director of artspace. Good Goddess, you don't think he thinks the NWLA Artists Directory and  Northwest Louisiana Juried Artist Roster is too provincial for him? Perhaps asking questions like those could become a part of my agenda.

In the meantime, everyone is invited to join the Fontane Usher-Shreveport Professional Artistan Roster (FU-SPAR) Facebook page. We have lots lively discussions happening there. It's all a part of my agenda.