Skip to content →

Category: Workshop news

Event: Create Community, October 23 at The Brooklyn Brewery

Published October 18, 2013 by Robin

Making Something Else: Creative Community Meeting at The Brooklyn Brewery Wednesday, October 23.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BROOKLYN, NY, October 17, 2013 – On Wednesday, October 23, instructors, members, students and others comprising the community formerly known as 3rd Ward are invited to gather at The Brooklyn Brewery’s Tasting Room for an informal networking mixer hosted by writing instructor Robin Grearson. This will be the first opportunity for the large group of coworkers, members, instructors and others to reconnect since their creative home shut its doors.

Speakers include former instructors Launa Eddy, Ryan O’Connor and Victoria Valencia; attorney Genan Zilkha will offer advice on starting new businesses. And two speakers will describe initiatives they created to support students and teachers: CourseHorse offers credit to students who bought 3rd Ward classes through its site, and the Instructor Matchmaking service, created by Brooklyn Brainery to connect instructors and classrooms.

The mission is primarily social but also looking forward, in part by introducing the group to a host of local resources for artists and makers. Throughout the free event, representatives from up to 20 area learning communities, art spaces, maker and coworking spaces will be introduced and identified, allowing people to connect according to their own interests. The partial list of participating businesses is provided below.

Robin Grearson says she was inspired to create an event when she saw offers of support appearing online. “So many people wanted to help in some way, I wanted to bring everyone together to discover these resources,” she said. “I started planning the event by myself but was quickly offered lots of support. People feel the loss of 3rd Ward because it attracted so many talented, smart, and creative people. But the people were its strength, and they’re still here. I want to create opportunities for this community to connect and share ideas, because new friendships, collaborations and solutions will naturally develop. I want to see value return to the creative community instead of to a group of investors.”

The following is a partial list of organizations planning to attend:

319 Scholes
Art Factory
Bird River Studios
Brooklyn Art Space
Brooklyn Brainery
Brooklyn Craft Company
Brooklyn Fire Proof
The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts
CourseHorse
DCTV
Fountain Art Fair
Hack Manhattan
Happenstance Jewelry Studio
Manufacture New York
Mellow Pages
Painting Lounge
The Public School: New York
Silent Barn
Two Moon Cafe
TurnToTech
UnionDocs
WECREATE

For further information, please see the event page, here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/8880021383.

Event details:
What’s Next? Creating Community
Wednesday, October 23, 2013, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
The Brooklyn Brewery Tasting Room
79 N 11th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11249

About:
About The Brooklyn Brewery:
The Brooklyn Brewery generously donated the use of their Tasting Room and the cost of staff for our event. http://brooklynbrewery.com

About CourseHorse:
CourseHorse is an educational guide to NYC that makes it easy to find, compare and enroll in thousands of professionally instructed classes in topics ranging from art, crafts and cooking, to tech, writing, design and more. http:coursehorse.com

About Brooklyn Brainery:
Brooklyn Brainery is a community classroom in Prospect Heights, hosting classes for curious adults on everything from botany to bookbinding. http://brooklynbrainery.com

About Robin Grearson:
Robin Grearson is a nonfiction writer, writing instructor and consultant in Brooklyn, New York. http://robingrearson.com

Media contact: Robin Grearson.

###

Comments closed

Teaching in DC this weekend

Published September 27, 2013 by Robin

I’m spending this weekend in Washington, DC, where I have been invited to lead two writing workshops for artists: Learn to Love Your Artist Statement and Who Are You?

Hamiltonian Artists invited me to participate in their Professional Development Speaker Series, and I am honored to accept. The workshops are funded in part by DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, which is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

Comments closed

Statements on Artist Statements

Published May 29, 2013 by Robin

When I created a writing workshop called “Learn to Love Your Artist Statement,”  I knew I was in for some trouble. Then I read Iris Jaffe’s “The Anti-Artist Statement” on Hyperallergic.com, and I felt the need to write a reponse in defense of this most-maligned document. Why?

The primary reasons: For as long as an artist statement is a professional requirement, provide one when asked, and provide the best one you can. If you have trouble writing an artist statement of sufficient quality to meet your own standards (or bio, or statement of purpose), hire someone (me, for instance!) to help, rather than let your name appear next to someone else’s thoughts and ideas. Discuss your philosophical objections within your circle of friends, but don’t be unprofessional when presented with an opportunity; the field is too competitive. And creatively, writing an artist statement can increase your self-awareness and deepen your understanding of what you do–sometimes because writing is an unfamiliar new tool for interacting with your unconscious.

Check out the essay on Hyperallergic and the great discussion it has generated. Feel free to let me know what you think.

Comments closed

January workshops and events

Published January 10, 2013 by Robin

Happy New Year!

I hope your new year is starting out strong! Here’s some news on classes I’m teaching and events where I’m reading this month:

NEW WRITING WORKSHOPS AT 3RD WARD
RÉSUMÉ WRITING WORKSHOP: Tighten, rewrite, edit, and update your résumé. Take advantage of the small-group setting to exchange job-search strategies and get feedback on your résumé from others. Three-hour workshop.   Sunday, January 20, 1:30-4:30 PM.

WHO ARE YOU? is a one-night, three-hour workshop designed to help students learn to write strong, compelling mission statements, bios, and “About Me” website content. Inspired by the longer “Learn to Love Your Artist Statement” workshop, this shorter session helps freelancers, entrepreneurs, bloggers and others who don’t know how to tell the story that will interest their audience. (*Note: this workshop is almost sold out). Tuesday, January 15, 7-10 PM.

From a recent student of the LEARN TO LOVE YOUR ARTIST STATEMENT workshop: “I have never ever been happy with an artist statement before so it is a really big deal for me, and I am very excited.” This three-week, 9-hour workshop was created for artists who struggle with the challenge of writing original, effective artist statements. Mondays, January 14, 21 and 28, 7-10 PM.
You can sign up or learn more at 3rd Ward.com.

TWO JANUARY READINGS
Sycamore Stories: A Night of Literary Madness, 1/16/13.
This event kicks off a brand-new monthly series held every third Wednesday. Hosted by Kelley Brannon (founder of Bodega Wine Bar’s monthly storytelling series).
Sycamore Bar
1118 Cortelyou Road
Brooklyn, NY 11218
www.sycamorebrooklyn.com
Wednesday, January 16, 7 PM.

Words With Beer, 1/30/13.
This relatively new lit series is held in Bed-Stuy at a cool neighborhood café with a great vibe.
Bedford Hill Coffee Bar
343 Franklin Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11238
bedfordhillbrooklyn.com
Wednesday, January 30, 7 PM.

MORE…
I came across the photo above while doing research for a project I’m writing about my grandmother. This was how her ground-floor condo in Macungie, PA, looked after the blizzard of ’96.

Thank you for your support, best wishes for a great 2013.

-Robin.

Comments closed

I dare to ask: Who Are You?

Published January 4, 2013 by Robin

On January 15, 3rd Ward will be offering a brand-new writing workshop called Who Are You?

I created this 3-hour session for the busy entrepreneurs, creative freelancers and motivated individuals who need to answer this question, in writing–in “About Me” statements, mission statements, biographies and statements of purpose.

Who are you? Sign up and see what you find out…

 

Comments closed