The Field Network

The Field Network is a consortium of sites that provide Fieldwork workshops and other Field programs.  Initiated in 1993, the Network has locations in cities across the United States and in Europe.  Each site tailors its activities to the local community with the mission to support artists as they develop their work and to help artists sustain a life in the arts.  Sites are stewarded by trained Fieldwork facilitators who also are practicing artists themselves.

Fieldwork is a workshop in which art makers learn about their work, develop their ability to give critical commentary, and build a community of artistic peers.  The primary goal of Fieldwork is to provide structure and support for an artist’s process.  Fieldwork is one of the few places where artists of any creative discipline can develop their own craft at their own pace.

The Fieldwork model of critique has been honed for 25 years, and continues to be a powerful tool in the process of making art and learning how to give feedback.  In Fieldwork sessions, participants share their works in progress and exchange criticism with a community of peers.  In order to ensure objective, unbiased feedback, they do not provide explanations about their work or their artistic intentions.  When giving feedback, participants describe what they saw or heard, commenting on the structure of the work, intent, content, emotional response, and themes developed, providing a detailed and multi-faceted reflection of what was shown.  All feedback is non-directorial; instead comments are focused on what’s happening in the work and how those choices shape the work, so that the authorship of each artist is respected and supported.

The Field was founded in 1986 in New York City, and this location is the founding and central hub of the Network.  The Field was begun by a small group of performing artists who met weekly with the goal of improving their artwork and building their careers. From this modest and intimate origin, The Field organically grew into the nationally recognized arts service organization that we are today.

Fieldwork Workshops in New York

For more information, including how to set up a site in your community, please contact Associate Director, Pele Bauch: pele@thefield.org.

The Field
161 Sixth Avenue, 14th Floor
at Spring Street
New York, NY 10013
212-691-6969
thefield.org

Thank you to all who came out for this year’s conference!

“The Field Forward Network Conference 2009 was an amazing opportunity to meet other artists and deepen my experience of the Field. It reaffirmed my commitment to this safe, un-curated space for all artists. The workshop on getting work produced and presented after the Field was especially useful to me. I’ve been acting on what I learned in the month since the conference and am already noticing a marked increase in career activity, which I’m thrilled about. The Field is a profound resource for artists, and the FFN conference was a very important opportunity for me, artistically, personally and in my career,” Rachel Brooker (Berlin) 

“This year’s national conference was an invigorating experience. It was helpful to compare notes with Field leadership from around the country, and to learn how different groups are responding to the unique needs of their respective communities. I especially appreciated the in-depth discussion around outreach strategies for increasing multi-cultural participation in Field sessions, and returned home feeling even more committed to the important work we are doing here in Seattle,” Karen Kinch (Seattle)

“The Field Forward Network Conference was incredibly eye-opening for me.  As a relatively new administrator for this program in Atlanta and Houston through Several Dancers Core, the conference gave me the opportunity to ‘jump in with both feet’ by connecting me with the experiences of all of the other Network sites.  I am particularly looking forward to making use of the facilitator’s handbook that is being developed by the Field Seattle site.  I also found the presentation on the art of curating to be an incredibly valuable discussion!” Patton (Atlanta/Houston)