Name: Joanna Spitzner

Year of Birth: 1970
Lives: Syracuse, NY
Nationality: American

Period of Employment: 8 May – 14 June 2006

Employment Undertaken:
19 May-13 June: volunteer staff, The Henderson Hotel, Blackpool, Lancashire
9 June, worked with Edge Family, donkey rides on beach

Job Seeking Undertaken:
applied to 55 places [click here]

Joanna on the Union

I have always idealized unions, even when I know they are fraught with the same problems that arise in any institution. I think the Union of Undercover Artists honors the best of the tradition of unions: of working together, providing support for one another, and creating empowerment. The UUA has provided me with the support any artist would wish for:  a sense of respect and openness, constructive dialogue, and practical problem-solving. It is through this collaboration that all of our work has been made better, and I value the friendship and support the members of the UUA have given me.

Joanna on Prime

I wanted to participate in ‘Part-Time’ because I am interested in one of the most central experiences of our lives: working. Whether done for money to pay life expenses or for more self-fulfilling reasons, work is valued as honest and self-improving. Jobs themselves on a daily basis usually involve repetition and performance, but entail a great deal of ther things as well.

I was happy to have the opportunity to explore this experience through working in a different country. During my time in Blackpool, I was able to gather an incredible amount of material about not just work itself, but the social relationships, history, and economic forces embedding in work.