The entrepreneurial mindset can itself be an artistic endeavor. It certainly is in evidence in the creative management of the Carpe Art Exhibition at the MSU Innovation Lab in downtown Montclair at 10 Lackawanna Plaza. The challenge was for the student interns—in a relatively short amount of time—to execute and manage the concepts and details for a public art exhibition, i.e., an important component of becoming art entrepreneurs.
I have been particularly impressed with how quickly and professionally Nicole Nuzzolo and William Crespo have handled the interactivity of the variety of extensive mediums (water colors oil paintings, drawings, sculptures, drawings), artists, Social Media, market sectors, and the space where the art will be on display—all happening against a background of a pandemic.
From the art submitted that I have seen, the exhibition will be well received. I like the variety and talent. The Art Market is a tough place, but I think artists that also think as business entrepreneurs will be ready for the market with an affordable art exhibition like this one will be. In my careers as an Art Advisor and Curator, many of the established artists I have worked with could have benefitted from a program like this.
Finally, none of this would have happened without Professor Ethne Swartz’s vision of combining art with business entrepreneurial education. It is one of those ideas that is only obvious after its creation. Bravo!
– Patricia Selden