Holly Shen and Rachel Valinsky Discuss "Being In Residence" at Blonde Art Books

"Exhibitions run the risk of becoming passive experiences, overly didactic, or — especially to this type of audience– merely decorative. But with a reading room, you’re offering an extremely diverse range of subject matter and genres in a relatively small space, so it becomes an issue of efficiency as well. We also think the informal nature of the talks and performances has been refreshing – again, especially at a large performing arts institution like ours where the term “performance” typically evokes a formal structure – tickets, seats, commitment, duration. Instead, we’re offering something that feels more pliable and malleable – we can pivot more easily if dates or commitments from the artists shift; we can message the event via social media platforms and catch individuals who may be looking for something off-the-cuff to do. And most importantly, we’re introducing our audiences to a wonderful resource in the Brooklyn neighborhood they may not have otherwise been aware of, and vice versa."

Read more about Wendy's Subway and other organizations' residency programs in the conversation that took place at Blonde Art Books.

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