This workshop will explore the condition of being a professional. Leading the workshop in the character of a slightly inept and overly earnest professional artist, “real” artist Paul Shortt will take participants through exercises that demonstrate how to transform an amateur interest into a professional identity. Participants will create fictional credentials, such as business cards and diplomas, and present themselves to the group as professionals in whatever hobbies or interests they do outside of their work, be it gardening or neuroscience. Exploring questions of legitimacy and performativity, this workshop provides participants with the opportunity to try out social identities beyond those of their everyday experiences.

Reservations required.

From Tuesday to Friday 11:00-18:00 please call 57800200 to book. Please note that you can only book 1 seat at a time.

Members can also book by emailing: members@ucca.org.cn

Notes:

Recommended for participants ages 16 and older. All materials provided. Please arrive on time.

Paul Shortt received his MFA in New Media Art from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May 2013 and his BFA in Painting from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2009. Currently residing in Washington DC, Shortt’s works engage the public in physical interactions and conversations that examine everyday life and cultural norms in humorous ways. He has been in numerous group shows in Chicago, Kansas City, and New York City. He recently performed in Art In Odd Places: Model in NYC, and Approach through the Lexington Art League in Kentucky. He has participated in the Charlotte Street Foundation residency program and spoken about his work at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

http://paulshortt.com/

Transformer is a Washington, DC based 501 (c) 3 non-profit, artist-centered organization that connects and promotes emerging artists locally, nationally and internationally. Transformer's mission is to provide a consistent, supportive, and professional platform for emerging artists to explore and present experimental artistic concepts, build audiences for their work and advance their careers, while increasing dialogue, understanding, and audiences for contemporary visual arts. Partnering with artists, curators, and cultural institutions, Transformer serves as a catalyst and advocate for emergent expression in the visual arts. Programs and services are designed to help artists grow their audience and patronage while educating them about opportunities for sustainability. Transformer works to strengthen community by supporting emerging artists in their development. http://transformerdc.org