Santina Amato

My video sucks! I know it! But I tried guys, I really did! I think I shot this video about 50 times during this ridiculous heatwave in New York right now!!!! You can certainly tell I ain’t no actress, that’s for sure! LOL! I'm definitely better playing the role of director and being BEHIND the camera!



A little about me...I'm an Australian installation artist, currently dividing my time between Melbourne, Australia and New York, U.S.A and I can't believe how great my life is right now! I've been blessed with grants to create new work, to establish my practice within a business framework and to travel! It's been an awesome ride since I graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, Australia in 2007, but unfortunately, with all my attempts at trying to secure funding for this amazing opportunity as artist in residence at Artspace in Sydney scheduled to begin on October 1^st, I have been completely unsuccessful!



So this is the reason for reaching out to you guys and why I have created this Pozible campaign. This opportunity is just too good to let go. The funds I receive through this campaign will go directly towards the live/work residency fee at Artpsace in Sydney, which is $3,163 for a 10 week program. If your donations push over this amount, I think I might just DIE of excitement as that would mean I will have money to put back into my art making during the residency!!!! So here’s to helping me get over the $3,163 residency fee!



I'm super excited about this 10 week program in Sydney. The news that my application was approved for the program was soooo exciting...AND STILL IS!

“The key objectives of the Artspace Studio Residency Program are to provide subsidised studio facilities, support the development of new work, facilitate professional development opportunities & foster dialogue & exchange between artists, writers, theorists & curators.”

They invite curators and industry professional to the resident artists studio to chat with them and view their practice, giving the artist a great chance to be curated into an exhibition or even picked up by a gallery! It will also be a great way to meet Sydney based artists, create new friends and get to experience the differences in the art world of Sydney compared to Melbourne, first hand. I’m sooo excited for the opportunity to live in a city with such a dynamic contemporary art scene, amazing museums, art galleries, beautiful beaches and scenery to die for! Watch out for a pic of me ON the Sydney Harbour Bridge!



During the residency, my plan is to create two new works, and if you guys are in Australia, you will have two opportunities to see what I have created. I have an exhibition scheduled in mid November as part of Linden Centre for Contemporary Art's Innovators 3 Programming in Melbourne and I will be curated into an exhibition at Artspace. Part of Artspace's programming is to invite resident artists to exhibit in a group exhibition. This is sooooo exciting as this will be my first time exhibiting in Sydney! The plan for my Linden exhibition is to create a site-specific video installation using mirrors and projectors that will incorporate the architectural details of the heritage listed building.



Whilst creating this Pozible campaign, I had an epiphany about my art making process. My art works are such HUGE productions, needing lots of funding and specialist people around me to make things happen and well, lets admit it, my art works aint something you’re about to have in your home! Each project requires A LOT of planning, scheduling, researching and investigating. I don't draw, sketch or paint between my productions and this made creating donation rewards for you guys a little difficult!



Then came my epiphany…I don’t sketch, draw or paint between projects… I COOK! And I cook A LOT between projects. I LOVE IT! You'll see my rewards don't contain much in the way of art works but lots of food opportunities. The Italian in me has definitely come out! I’m offering batches of my famous homemade Italian Biscotti delivered straight to your door cooked and sent with love, one-on-one workshops on how to create the perfect green smoothie that will turn you into a green smoothie junky within seconds of tasting AND how to make fresh pasta so you can enjoy THE BEST pasta you will ever have tasted in your life, for life. I’m happy for you guys to bring your friends together to chip in for one of these workshops. I would suggest a maximum of four (including yourself) for the green smoothie making and a maximum of 6 (including yourself) for the fresh pasta making. Otherwise, it could all get a bit wild and feral! Which could be fun or DISASTRIOUS! LOL!



I’m also offering limited numbers of vegan picnics with me that will be soooooo full of flavour it’s going to knock your socks right off your feet! These picnics are intended for Sydney whilst I’m a resident but I am happy to arrange a picnic during the installation week of my exhibition in Melbourne mid November. I’ll show you around Linden, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of my site specific work and then we’ll find a lovely patch of grass on the grounds of Linden to set up a picnic and enjoy the Spring sun ;)



So please check out my website, see what I create and help me create more by donating to this campaign to raise funds for a 10-week Live/Work Studio Residency Program at Artspace in Sydney during October, November and December 2013. "Like" my Facebook artist page to keep up to date with all my future art happenings!
BIG HUGS, LOVE AND THANKS FOR SPENDING TIME WITH ME AND MY CAMPAIGN ;)



* Most rewards valid for one year
* Vegan Picnic has a time frame allocated.
* All workshops valid until July 2014 and will be held in person unless otherwise arranged with you, in Sydney, Melbourne, Los Angeles and New York.

.