The Speculative Studio

The Speculative Studio is a seminar I facilitate at the Art League of Long Island, designed for all artists and creatives (new, emerging, and established) itching to explore new directions and possibilities for their practice. It's a communal think tank where every night we inspire one another by looking at our own work and the creations of global artists in virtually all media. Every night is different, designed specifically in response to each person’s ongoing interests, questions, and ideas.

Classes are divided into three parts:

1) Seeds. 30-45-minute multimedia tour of innovative global artists: video clips, website deep dives, and an exchange of books and printed materials. What we look at will be curated in direct response to your personal interests. An idea smorgasbord, a food-for-thought buffet.

2) Show-and-Tell. 45 minutes of open conversation where participants talk and think about their past work and future imaginings. This is the heart of each class, where your ideas, wishes, plans, and questions cross-pollinate.

3) Sandbox. 90 min. of hands-on exploration with on-site media, as well as whatever materials, toys, and tools you wish to bring. As always, feel free to share your leftovers--materials you no longer want and can be up for grabs with the rest of the gang.

What people said about the first Speculative Studio Seminar offered earlier this year:

"After listening closely to the students enrolled in class, a “new page” was developed which addresses the individual needs of each of us. Every topic has been designed to deepen our cognition and creative thinking. This framework enables us to roam freely with great independence exploring other artists' work filled with deep thought and sensitivity." 

"The instructor is very interesting and does a good job of accepting all ideas, and then branching them in unique directions. Additionally appealing, is that everything he finds, or connects is accessible by everyone else in the group. So because of Christina's interest in junk journaling, I was able to get into that and now have a rolling junk journal of all my notes/drafts/ideas that I've been using for my paintings."

"Our approach is allowing me loosely to conceptualize patterns in the chaos of my making the past couple of decades. It's a tangible jump off point I can work with. Thanks for giving me some clarity. Thanks for the continuous trip down the rabbit hole and providing us with more incredible info. Should we drink from the bottle or eat the cake…?"

For more information email me at contact@derekowens.art or contact the Art League of Long Island.