Artist Talk Templates

For Talks & Workshops

All artists collaborating in the Purrsonalities project will be asked to give a talk/workshop during the two month exhibition. This is to give artists a chance to engage with the community. We'll go over this in more detail in our weekly meetings, but I've outlined a couple of templates to give you a  general idea.

Talks/ workshops will be done in pairs or groups. I feel like this would be a good place for artists to discuss their experience collaborating, how they navigate the differences between digital and traditional mediums, how they documented the cats, lessons learned, etc. This can be a presentation format with slides,  a round table with a moderator asking questions, etc.  It should also have an interactive section. 

These talks will be every Sunday at 3:00 PM. 

Title of Your Talk or Workshop

(Create a short, engaging title that reflects your experience or theme.)

Introduction (5 Minutes)

• Briefly introduce yourselves, your artistic mediums, and your roles in the collaboration.

• Share what drew you to this project and why it resonated with you.

Main Discussion (20 Minutes)

1. Engaging with the Cats

   • Share your experience visiting the shelter or using reference materials.

   • What personality traits stood out about your adoptable cat? How did you reflect these traits in your art?

2. The Collaborative Process

   • Describe your partnership and how you divided responsibilities.

   • What did you learn about each other’s mediums? Did your styles or workflows influence one another?

3. Creating Augmented Reality Art

   • Talk about your experience learning or applying AR techniques using Unity 3D.

   • Highlight specific challenges and how you resolved them (e.g., creating a balance between the traditional and digital elements).

4. Challenges and Solutions

   • Discuss difficulties in the project, such as technical barriers, communication, or time constraints.

   • Share any creative solutions or lessons learned from overcoming these obstacles.

5. What You Enjoyed Most and Least

   • Reflect on the most rewarding aspects of the project.

   • Discuss any frustrations and how you worked through them.

6. Impact and Insights

   • Share how this project affected you personally or professionally.

   • How has this influenced your views on collaboration or AR in art?

Interactive Component (15 Minutes)

(Optional)

• Include a short activity, such as:

  • A mini workshop on a technique you used (e.g., painting fur textures, creating AR effects).

  • A live demonstration of your AR piece.

  • A guided discussion encouraging visitors to interpret the cat’s personality and AR narrative.

Closing (20 Minutes)

• Encourage attendees to visit the exhibition, participate in the auction, and consider adopting a cat.

• Share where people can learn more about your work.

• Resource distribution

• Q&A

Workshop Ideas for Artists

Here are some suggestions for workshops:

1. “From Fur to Personality: Painting Expressive Animal Portraits using __________”

   • Share with visitors how to capture a pet’s unique traits using your digital or physical media techniques.

2. “Augmenting Reality: Basics of AR for Artists using _______”

   • Provide a hands-on tutorial for creating simple AR overlays using Unity using your prefered art programs and processes.

3. “The Art of Collaboration: Working Across Mediums through _________”

   • Share tips for effectively partnering with other creatives, with examples from your process.

4. “Building a Narrative: Telling a Story Through Portraits with __________”

   • Help attendees craft a narrative using visual cues in their art using a method you find useful.

5. “Technology Meets Tradition: Harmonizing Physical and Digital Art by ___________”

   • Show your approach to making traditional and digital elements complement one another.

Roundtable Discussion Template

Theme:

(Start with a unifying theme, such as “The Intersection of Tradition and Technology in Art” or “Collaboration Across Mediums: Lessons from the Purrsonalities Project.”)

Moderator Introduction (5 Minutes)

• Briefly introduce the artists, their mediums, and their adoptable cats.

• Explain the roundtable format and encourage audience questions at the end.

• Share the main goals of the discussion: insight into the project, behind-the-scenes stories, and inspiration for visitors to explore the exhibition, bid, or adopt.

Discussion Topics (25 Minutes)

1. Getting Started: Meeting the Cats and Conceptualizing the Portraits

• Moderator: “What was your first impression of your adoptable cat? How did you decide on the story or mood you wanted to convey?”

• Artists: Share key moments or insights from the creative process of capturing the cats’ personalities.

2. Collaboration: Working Together Across Mediums

• Moderator: “How did you approach dividing responsibilities in this collaboration? What did you learn from working with your partner?”

• Artists: Discuss how you blended traditional and digital mediums, learned from one another, and navigated challenges.

3. Creating with AR: Bridging Physical and Digital

• Moderator: “Augmented Reality added a new layer of storytelling to this project. How did you approach designing the AR effects, and what were the biggest challenges?”

• Artists: Reflect on using Unity 3D, creating seamless AR elements, and balancing them with the traditional portraits.

4. Challenges and Growth

• Moderator: “Every creative project comes with obstacles. What was the hardest part of this experience, and how did you overcome it?”

• Artists: Share personal challenges, from technical difficulties to creative decisions, and what you gained from the experience.

5. What Surprised or Inspired You Most?

• Moderator: “What was the most unexpected or inspiring part of this project?”

• Artists: Highlight standout moments, such as bonding with the cats, creative breakthroughs, or feedback from collaborators.

Interactive Segment (25 Minutes)

• Moderator: Invite audience questions, encouraging specific or unique queries (e.g., “What do you think the cat would say about your portrayal?”).

• Optional: Have artists demonstrate AR elements live or discuss how attendees can engage with the project further.

Closing Remarks (5 Minutes)

• Moderator: Summarize key insights from the discussion.

• Artists: Encourage the audience to explore the exhibition, participate in the auction, and consider adopting a cat. Share social media or website links for further engagement.

• Encourage attendees to visit the exhibition, participate in the auction, and consider adopting a cat.

• Share where people can learn more about your work.

• Resource distribution