Recently, Bushwick Daily sat down with artist and Bushwick Art Crit Group’s director of social media Drew Van Diest  to get a one-on-one tutorial of just what it takes to give a great artist crit. Drew, as well as the entire BACG crew, are in a unique position to show you how it’s done, as they are all artists themselves and they have all gotten up in front of that audience to partake in the 9-minutes that each artist is given during crit group, which meets at Brooklyn Fire Proof East once every month. Their next meeting will be held next Wednesday, October 15th.  Whether you are a seasoned art world veteran, or you just took your first steps off the Jefferson L stop, everyone could use some of Drew’s wisdom on the dos and don’ts of an art crit.

#1 Have a Game-Plan

Say you’re scheduled to do a crit. How do you even begin? Drew recommends first having an idea of what you want to say about your work and how you want to show it. “There are many ways to do a crit…you can do a retrospective, highlight new work, or put current work to the audience and ask for input and feedback.”  The biggest thing to remember here is that there is no formula, and the most successful crits are from artists who know that they want to say going in, know the order of their slides, and each slide has a purpose

#2 Practice makes Perfect

Once you decide on what you want to say, practice, practice, practice! When he first got in front of the BACG audience Drew said he had made note cards, and practiced in front of a mirror. “Whatever makes you feel better and comfortable” about your crit will ensure that you feel good. He explains, “whatever you can do to feel positive and confident going into your crit [helps] make sure it’s going to be effective.”