37days Challenge Cards – A Note to Participating Artists

November 19, 2007 in Uncategorized

UPDATE – After some gnashing of teeth, a secret ceremony involving new math and Oreos, and the chipping of stone as I reinvented the wheel, I’ve emailed today all those artists who had enlisted in this art project as of Friday. SO, if you had expressed an interest but haven’t received an email from me today with your essay title and instructions, it means that we are all turning and turning in the widening gyre and the centre cannot hold. It probably also means that I screwed up, so gently email me to let me know that, k?

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My. I am overwhelmed by the response to making art for the upcoming 37days book. Over 120 people are geared up to create 37days Challenge Cards – my thanks for your interest and energy and artistic vision.

As indicated earlier, I had planned to send "assignments" out today with links to essays for each artist. Because of the big response, I’m running a tad behind…and assignments will go out tomorrow instead. My heartfelt apologies for the delay – and many thanks for your willingness to create 37days art.

A wonderful reader from Germany has so nicely suggested that calling these pieces of artwork "Artist Trading Cards" (as I have been doing) is counterintuitive to the whole idea of Artist Trading Cards, which are–by definition–to be traded, and not sold or used commercially. "Some artistic politics come into play when you start talking about selling ATCs," she wrote.

It is a point well taken. Not knowing about Artist Trading Cards, it was so helpful to hear from her about this. Shall we call them 37days Challenge Cards instead?

While only 37 of these artworks will be used in the book, I’m plotting and planning how all of them can be used in some way to honor the creativity and vision of all the artists creating a challenge card. I’m so excited by the possibilities, and especially by the thought that over the next 10 days, people around the world will be reading a 37days essay and interpreting it through art. Wow.

About Patti Digh

Patti Digh is an author, speaker, and educator who builds learning communities and gets to the heart of difficult topics. Her work over the last three decades has focused on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and living and working mindfully. She has developed diversity strategies and educational programming for major nonprofit and corporate organizations and has been a featured speaker at many national and international conferences.

6 comments to " 37days Challenge Cards – A Note to Participating Artists "


Rick

November 19, 2007 AT 7:14PM

What a great kind of overwhelming situation to have to deal with, Patti! It’s wonderful to hear so many have volunteered to do a 37days Challenge Card (already, the name is sticking).

leah

November 19, 2007 AT 10:52PM

oo, it *is* exciting!! makes me all giddy just thinking about it! what a wonderful way to celebrate and enjoy your book! :-)

Shelley

November 20, 2007 AT 6:20AM

We’re all excited, too! Maybe (at the very least) we should have a Flickr pool for folks’ creations? Like we did with the shadows project, and like Keri Smith did with her Wreck This Journal? (http://www.flickr.com/groups/how_to_wreck_a_journal/)

Thank goodness I live with an arts-positive six year old… visual inspiration should be no problem.

Nina

November 21, 2007 AT 5:14PM

I’ve been thinking and doodling and pondering . . . . and I’m excited to be a part of this project! Thanks for including me. I like the idea of a Flickr group so we can post our progress. I’m off to work on my little piece of the 37 days project. Nina

joan

November 22, 2007 AT 6:40AM

My running group just did a postcard project as our “connecting” theme for this fall. It seems art cards are in the air! I am envious that your mailbox will become a little gallery … receiving 120 works of ART. Lucky, lucky you.

grace with ease, T

November 29, 2007 AT 11:23PM

Hanz and I are feeling very accomplished getting those pieces emailed on time for consideration. We were out of town for a bit and got a late start…love deadlines! We are also feeling quite blessed to participate on any level with such a wonderful project.
Hanz has been reading your essays on and off all day-
more reading than he usually does without expecting a grade of some sort : )
“She can really write and she writes the truth…”