Building a life in the New York art world
The idea for mentoring professional practice grew out of conversations between artists and long-time collaborators who recognized that much of what they had learned about building an artistic life they had to learn outside of art school.
Drawing on more than thirty-five years of lived professional experience, the course is meant to share practical knowledge within a critical and historical context gained over decades of working in New York City. Structured as a cross between consultation and mentorship, the program offers a rare opportunity to learn within a small, private cohort.
The first roll out of Pavilion’s intensive professional program is presented by artists David Dixon and Suzy Spence.
Fall 2026 Presented by
David Dixon and Suzy Spence each bring thirty-five years of experience; David as a multi-disciplinary artist, filmmaker, curator, gallerist, and educator. Suzy as a painter whose career has been shaped by working both within and beyond New York City while maintaining relationships with multiple galleries, advisors, and collectors.
Pavilion
The name Pavilion pays homage to Gustave Courbet's Pavillon du Réalisme (1855), an independent exhibition he conceived and produced in collaboration with his collector, Alfred Bruyas, outside the parameters of the official Paris Salon of his day. In doing so he was able to present his work on its own terms, and in the process changed the way artists do business. Courbet’s example established a model of artistic independence and collaboration still relevant today: artists should be involved not only in creating their work, but also in shaping the context in which it is understood and received.
A Two Course Stack
From foundation to flourish, designed to be taken together or individually. Together the two courses provide a continuous framework for building a sustainable art practice through mid-career in New York City, and beyond.
Emerging artists gain an understanding of the relationships and decisions that shape a successful career.
Mid-career artists refine and strengthen the professional systems and knowledge needed to sustain long-term growth.
Format
This is not a critique-based program. Rather than evaluating individual works, the course is designed to strengthen the foundation of your studio practice by providing the historical context, professional knowledge, and practical infrastructure needed to build a resilient, sustainable artistic career.
Visual artists working in all media are encouraged to apply. Each course will be held across six sessions over three weeks. These are intensive courses, with two two-hour classes per week, to take place in the evening over Zoom.
There will be suggested readings and assignments, but no homework, per se. If desired, each participant is welcome to a 60-minute studio visit with one of the instructors scheduled separately outside of class.
For
Artists looking to participate in / or strengthen their connection to the New York City art world. Must be 18 years or older.
Presented by
David Dixon is an artist, filmmaker, curator, gallerist, and educator. His gallery project, Cathouse FUNeral / Proper, was in operation in Brooklyn from 2013-2023, where he produced over fifty exhibitions and countless events, creating community, as well as garnering critical attention and sales for the exhibited artists. The gallery’s spirit lives on in recent curated exhibitions in venues like Studio Museo Felice Casorati in Pavarolo, Italy and Art Cake in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
David has also written, directed, and produced two feature films, which required learning a new set of connections and protocols in the independent film world. His work has been shown in institutions like MoMA, Sculpture Center, and Anthology Film Archive, as well as private galleries like Ryan / Lee, Postmasters, and in his own Cathouse FUNeral / Proper gallery project.
He has lectured at Harvard, NYU, Hunter College, Cornell, SVA and currently teaches Professional Practices at Pratt Institute, The Art Students League, and New York School of Art. He has worked on both sides of the production and distribution of art, and emphasize a DIY approach, not only making the art but creating the context or social situation for the art’s reception.
David holds a BFA from Parsons and an MFA from Cornell University.
Suzy Spence is a painter whose career has been based in the New York art world for more than thirty-five years. After living and working in the city until 2022, she established her home and studio in Vermont while continuing to exhibit and maintain professional relationships in the city and beyond.
Early in her career during the 1990s she served as Curatorial Assistant at the New Museum under founding director Marcia Tucker and was an artist at Colin DeLand’s legendary gallery American Fine Arts, Co., in Soho.
Her work has been widely exhibited, reviewed, and collected through commercial galleries, institutions, and private collections. Throughout her career she has been represented by Sears-Peyton Gallery ( New York and LA), Maya Frodeman Gallery (Jackson Hole), and Arusha Gallery (London and Edinburgh), in addition to working with private art advisors.
Beyond her studio practice, Spence curated exhibitions for five years at The Gallery at 1GAP and produced the acclaimed five year run of the Artcritical Review Panel with David Cohen at the Brooklyn Public Library – which became a social scene from 2015-2020.
She has recently been a guest lecturer at Pratt Institute, the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and the New York Studio School.
Suzy holds a BFA from Parsons, and MFA from the School of Visual Arts and attended The Skowhegan School for Painting and Sculpture.