"Meet the Artist" with Colin Beattie

On Thursday, December 11, we welcome Colin Beattie to “Meet the Artist” night at CPW. Colin's talk is titled “SLOW LEARNER.” He will discuss his personal experience in photography from his first Nickelodeon camera to his current studio work in Poughkeepsie. Along the way, he’ll be taking a step back to consider the cultural and economic forces that have acted as an invisible influence on his own personal trajectory. He hopes to explore the possibility that his personal moments of discovery were in fact shaped or fully constructed by teams of creative professionals at work in the fields of publishing and advertising.

Colin's work is informed by 15 years of working in the motion picture industry in New York City. Participating in the production of high-valuable intellectual property exposed him to how specific labor practices can be found across different creative industries: workflow implementation, hierarchical decision making, internal storytelling/marketing, and the rarification of leadership roles. He will discuss how these practices may also manifest in different stages of art production, and consider what role they have in the culture of fine arts. Lastly, Colin will discuss his work as a curator, outline some of the methods he has developed to guide his future work in that capacity, and lay out some of his objectives for future curation.

Join us every Thursday evening at CPW, when we host illuminating talks with local and visiting artists. “Meet the Artist” allows the public to get to know new work, to hear about artistic processes, and to meet friends and other local artists. The evening takes place at CPW’s gallery at 25 Dederick Street in Kingston, NY. It is free and open to the public. Coffee, tea, and snacks are served.

“Meet the Artist” is made possible by a generous grant from the Arnold and Augusta Newman Foundation.

Colin Beattie investigates the evolving conditions of existence for human beings in the 21st century, with a special focus on the creative labor of artists. Colin’s work has been exhibited during Upstate Art Weekend and online with Lenscratch. His work was published in the 2025 edition of the Cape Cod Compass. Colin is also an independent curator. His recent show, entitled “LIFE, STILL,” received notices from The New York Times, Hyperallergic, Museé, Surface Magazine and Chronogram. The show featured thirteen artists, meditating on themes of crisis, anxiety, resilience, and collective healing. Colin’s curatorial practice also includes focused study groups and interviews with artists.

Image: Slow Learner, Colin Beattie.