Local artist and musician Jason Graham, aka MOsely WOtta, is almost halfway through his tenure as Bend's inaugural Creative Laureate. For much of the past year, Graham's been all about town, meeting with artists one on one, gathering them in groups to ask them about their experiences, trying to understand how best to bring the community together and continue to build it.
On Thursday, the fruits of his efforts will culminate in a collaboration with Derek Sitter of the Volcanic Theatre Pub with "How the F**K did you make it work?," a panel of artists talking about their profession and practices and just how exactly they make it work.
Panelists include Kim Cooper Findling, who owns and operates Dancing Moon Press. She's also a successful author, including recently co-authoring a teen mystery with her 14-year-old daughter, Libby. Also on the panel is Andrew Carew of Larry and his Flask, as well as other artists, and Graham and Sitter, who will facilitate the conversation.
"The base of this is to have an honest conversation about the artist's experience," says Graham, who feels there isn't a lot of information about how artists live or make their livings, get published, book tours and work with venues. He hopes this conversation will help to answer those questions for artists.
Graham hopes this event will attract both people who identify as artists as well as those who don't—an event he describes as "a meeting for everyone who desires to be creative." And he hopes that this is the first in a series of similar events.
![Get Your Art on the Wall ▶ [with video] (con versión en español)](https://media2.bendsource.com/bend/imager/get-your-art-on-the-wall-with-video-con-version-en-espanol/u/r-bigsquare/12934834/artwatch1.1.jpg?cb=1680199454)
