Panel Statement 

Panel: Emerging Platforms for Artist Interaction

Dr. Heidi Boisvert, artist and CEO of futurePerfect Lab and Co-founder of XTH, and Xtine Burrough, Associate Professor in the Art and Technology Program at the University of Texas at Dallas, will be discussing their participation in the Virtual Artist Salon. Virtual Artist Salon provides internationally exhibiting artists a digital safe-haven to share new research and ideas in a supportive environment for brainstorming and emotional support. This group uses Google Hangouts to meet once a month to participate in critical studio visits with the members regarding projects they are developing. The members will discuss how they use these tools to provide insights and valuable criticism for artistic projects that are in various stages of development. They will describe the process that has developed to work effectively in this environment, what preliminary work is done prior to their meetings and how Google docs/drive and Slack are used to provide context and references to related artworks or connecting theoretical threads.

Attendees of this panel will glean valuable insights regarding the cultural and communal gaps that these alternative spaces fill. They will witness how others have developed a more sustainable and rewarding artistic practice through community engagement (online or in real space), see how to engage with global artists with related interests, learn how to cultivate thriving communities in their local area using new tools to foster inclusivity and diversity.

• Xtine Burrough, University of Texas, US
• Dr. Heidi Boisvert, Harmony Institute, US

Full text (PDF)  p. 404-405