Work of Art: The Next Great Artist Focus Event

 

                We had the opportunity to meet two former Cornish graduates who were featured on the Bravo Network in a reality television show called The Next Great Artist.  Although they were on separate seasons, they both were one of fourteen contestants.  Mark Velasquez and Jazz-Minh Moore shared their experiences on the show and at Cornish.  

                Making art on a reality show was very challenging for both.  One example shared was how they were given twenty minutes to form an idea prior to shopping for the needed art supplies.  Due to the inability to gather additional supplies, they were bound to their original idea.  Each challenge was timed and the artists found themselves unable to go very far outside their initial idea because of time restraints.

                During the duration of their participation in the making of the reality series, they were unable to have any outside influences such as music, television, internet, newspapers, or telephone.  This challenged their ability to make their work their own, not formed from ideas brought forth from outside media or contact with others.  Most artists find outside influences beneficial to their overall creativity, yet possessing the ability to make it their own.

                The show was a positive experience in that all of the artists received attention via the media.  Whether the press shared positive or negative comments about the works or their participation in the series, both artists agreed that even negative press got their name out there.  It was challenging being shut out from their normal routines and learning to adapt to the surroundings and other participants.