Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Okay, I know. Life moves fast and, most of the time, it’s hard enough to think about anticipated events, yet alone the unexpected. But, unforeseen emergencies like fire, theft and flood, happen everyday. So, how does one prepare for such events? Luckily, our awesome friends at the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) are making it as simple as ever. Each month in 2010, CERF is offering one, easy-to-implement tip on how to cover your "A's" (art, assets and archives, that is) and we’ll be posting them right here on the SpringBlog. This month, CERF asks you to find a “SOL:”
Without a SOL*, You May Be “Out of Luck”
Find a *Safe Offsite Location to store copies of your images and critical records such as business documents, sketches, and process notes. A SOL is a place 50-100 miles away from your studio that is unlikely to be affected by the same disaster. Read more about SOLs and safekeeping your Artist Business online at studioprotector.org
Monday, January 11, 2010
Where to Find the Goods.
Minnesota and the Twin Cities are bursting with arts and culture. Pick any day of the week and you can’t throw a snowball without hitting some kind of happening. If you’re like me, the two downsides to a thriving arts scene is 1) not being able to see and do everything, all the time, and 2) learning about a great lecture, opening, reading, etc. that wasn’t even on your radar, after it’s already over. To honor both of these rather fortunate misfortunes of our fair arts scene I ‘ve put together a little list of local sites and blogs that write about the arts, before and/or after the event.
Note: I am not Google, I can’t keep track of everything all the time [see: point #1 above] so this list is just a list. If you have suggestions, favorites or what could be seen as an obvious, and embarrassing omission from my list, let me know! We have comments, we have Facebook, we have Twitter. (You could even send something by mail! if you want to warm my nostalgic little heart with a handwritten letter, wink, wink).
More Notes: Thanks to Art Happy Hour for the blog topic (I’ll have a cold, drinkable-thank-you for you at the next AHH!)
Okay, on with the show. (In no particular order)
Quodlibetica
Writing. Arts. Literature.
Surely, some teacher, somewhere in your life tried to instill in you an appreciation for critical thinking. The folks over at quodlibetic took that to heart and then put that heart on their sleave. In their words:
“Quodlibetica is a space to argue eloquently and whimsically about art, find out what’s happening in the Twin Cities art scene, and engage with writers, artists, and critics, who like to think.”
Minnesota Playlist
Information and inspiration for Minnesota’s performing arts
They’ve got your theater scene pretty well cover and then some. Talent lists, classifieds, articles, blogs. Reviews, Etc. It’s hard to keep up, really, but so fun to try because it means our stages runneth over. Encore!
Life of Cyn
http://cyncollins.blogspot.com/
More than just music but definitely a place to get music scoops among many other musings from film to food and beyond.
“Author of West Bank Boogie: 40 Years of Music, Mayhem and Memories, and an arts and culture and news journalist. I provide updates, reviews and commentary of music, film, current events, politics, literature, theater, restaurants and happenings in the Twin Cities and beyond.”
Minnesota Microphone
http://minnesotamicrophone.com/
MN to the Mic to the Max!
St. Paul slam poets did something really nice for their home own last year. They won the 2009 National Poetry Slam Championship. If you haven’t had a chance to sample the slam poetry and spoken word scene in the Twin Cities you are in for a treat. If you don’t know where to find a calendar of events, articles, follow-ups, media, and interviews about what’s happening, then look no further, Minnesota Microphone is answering your call.
612to651
There are certainly more blogs about hip-hop than diamonds in Lil Wayne’s mouth, but 612to651 is unique because it takes a good hard looks at Twin Cities hip-hop and more so “immigrant, refugeee, and diasporic hip-hop in Minnesota.”, and it’s not just type flying into the digital void, keep an eye out for the the book and documentary.
CakeIn15
This is a new one for me, in fact, I just heard about it last night after watching the live stream of Jeremy Messersmith’s intimate performance (check the Snoop Dogg cover) at The Cake Shop (it’s a house). Art, fashion, music, theater, photography, and interviews. I’m hooked just for the streaming music performances.
“… features short concert reviews, CD reviews, photo blogs, art & theatre reviews, as well as thoughtful insights on various multi-media.”
La Current
http://www.lacurrent.blogspot.com/
Sightings. Stories. Stuff.
Not to be confused with The Current (of our home town radio fame), this blog is what it says “Sightings, Stories, Stuff”, what you see is what La Current finds and it runs the gamut from curious, to whimsical and on down to just great.
Twin Cities Daily Planet
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/arts
TC Daily Planet covers a lot of ground in one location. I wouldn’t make them your one-stop-art-scoop-shop just because they have more tentacles than you, but they are definitely word tossing in the blog reader. Also, if all of this makes you want to consumer more, they have this handy-dandy list of blogs that is a might bit longer than mine (but definitely comes in 2nd on the charm factor)
Art Hounds on MPR's State of the Arts
Chris Roberts at Minnesota Public Radio would like to give you the mic.
“Each week Minnesota Public Radio News asks three people from the Minnesota arts scene to be "Art Hounds." Their job is to step outside our own work and hunt down something exciting that's going on this weekend.”
It’s fun. You get to be on the radio and tell the world what moves you. You should do it. Seriously.
There you go. A reasonable and manageable list of resources. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go out and find yourself some arts. Good luck! And if you get a chance let me know how it goes.
Other blogs topics/titles rattling around in my head: Cast your vote and see what happens!
-Show me the Crit.
-Embarrassing art moments from my past (just keepin’ it real)
-Pictures of everyday stuff that looks like art… or maybe it is!!!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Inspired by Michael Kaiser, I've been thinking about this for a while now and I'm not sure that the professionalization of Arts Administration is always a good thing.
What?! Don't I work for an organization that is all about helping artists with business skills, helping them run their careers professionally? Yes. Springboard is all about helping artists be better business owners and better managers... for themselves.
I know there are many excellent Arts Administration programs out there and goodness knows I'd be the first to tell you that this job is one that requires some skills. Nothing gets my hackles up faster than someone referring disparagingly to "administrators" as if we were corporate fat cats pulling down the big bucks on the backs of artists. Nothing, perhaps, except when someone refers to artists as flakey, unreliable, navel-gazers. But I worry that capital "A" Arts Administration makes both of those stereotypes worse. My fear is that, as we've put more focus on Arts Administration as a career, we've driven a wedge between Administrator and Artist. It's either or. And we're losing the idea of the artist as leader.
Full disclosure, I have no arts administration or nonprofit management degree and I came to this job wholly unprepared for the challenges of managing a budget, a board and the emotional responsibility of being "in charge". What I did bring to the job was a steadfast passion for the arts, a belief that I could handle being "in charge" and experience as an artist. And I learned the rest. I'm not saying that arts managers don't need to learn those things - I'd be sunk without the excellent training that I had from great organizations, great mentors and great workshops. But there is something to be said for gaining those skills on an "as needed" basis.
I've been doing a lot of informational interviews lately - lots of people out there looking for work and trying to build their network. A couple weeks ago, I had coffee with a woman with substantial work experience and a recent degree in nonprofit management. When I asked her what kind of job she was looking for, she detailed her (many) qualifications and said "I think I'm ready to be an executive director of a mid-size organization or the second in command at a large institution." Thinking that she she misunderstood me, I said, "I mean what lights you up? What's your passion? community arts? arts ed? urban? rural? grassroots? theater? dance?..." And she said, "You know, I'm not really a passion-led leader. I just think I have the right skills for this job, I'd be happy anywhere, as long as it isn't full of a bunch of flakey artists."
Hrm. I wouldn't open with that in a job interview.
It's not so much that I think that we don't need the skills or the education to run successful organizations, it's more a question of order. Passion, commitment and dedication first; finances, networking and fundraising second. Mission first, management second. Art first, administration second.
-laura
Also, could we think of a better name for this? I hate "arts administrator", that sounds like such a boring job...one that involves a lot of paperwork. I use arts manager, but that's not much better, plus its confusing to people who think you're an agent or publicist or something. Someone called me an "arts organizer" once, which I loved. What do you think?
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
On Tuesday evening, October 13, Springboard for the Arts and mnartists.org presented a Curator and Gallery Owner Panel discussion. Betsy Carpenter (Walker Art Center), Kris Douglas (Rochester Art Center), Ann Pifer (the Grand Hand Gallery), and John Rasmussen (Midway Contemporary Art) came together to shed light on how they prefer to be approached and how they choose work to exhibit in their respective museum and galleries.
I expected the panelists’ answers to vary as much as the types of artwork shown at each institution. However, I left feeling surprised and reassured by the amount of common ground. Here are five tips our panelists shared for visual artists looking to exhibit their work in galleries and museums:
Follow the Rules for Submission
Many galleries and museums have formal submission processes. Check the website first for this information before making inquiries about the submission process or sending an unsolicited artist’s packet. Direct your submission to the curator or gallery owner and articulate why you think your work would be a good fit for their institution.
Apply for Grants
Gallery and museum professionals pay attention to individuals that receive grants. While not a stamp of approval per se, these types of awards bolster your credibility and visibility and may boost confidence for the people interested in purchasing your work. In addition to the recognition, grants often bring your work to the attention of curators and gallery owners outside of the localized art market.
Get to Know People
Attending openings shows that you are interested in that institution, and it’s also a great way to get a feel for whether your artwork is a good fit for the venue. Go ahead and introduce yourself to the curator or gallery owner, but keep your introduction brief, they are on the job and have things they must pay attention to. Later, this introduction may provide context connecting your face with your submission.
Tell Your Story
If a gallery/museum is interested, they will want to learn more about your techniques, concepts and intent. They may schedule a studio visit. This is not the time to be self-deprecating about your work; nor is it in your interest to be condescending. Tell your story and be receptive to comments and criticism. Remember that the better job you do talking about your work, the better job they will be able do on your behalf.
Be Considerate of the Gallery/Museum’s Budget
In addition to making artistic decisions for their institutions, curators and gallery owners are responsible for running businesses. Sometimes artists forget this. Be conscious that they, too, are being affected by the current economy. Many institutions have had to modify their plans, including presenting fewer and/or longer exhibitions. If given the opportunity to exhibit your work, being resourceful and willing to work within a limited budget will win you friends.
In summary, it comes down to this- do your research, build relationships, and be nice. That’s not so hard.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Artist Loan Fund is looking for change…
… and Springboard is looking for your creative input.
Funny thing over here at Springboard. I think I speak for the entire staff when I say that things are moving at a healthy clip around here, as mentioned previously in Thrilled and Daunted. Which is to say that there’s a lot going on at Springboard in addition to our regular programs.
As individuals, community and country, Change has been ringing in our ears at least since Nov. 4, 2008 (but really long before that) and was resonated anew with the challenges presented by the drastic economic shifts that have impacted so many.
Despite the tendency to see only two kinds of change in the world (good or bad), there are many shapes, directions, and gravities to change that often aren’t recognized.
Change due to necessity; Change that has been coming for some time but finally arrives, sometimes a touch early and sometimes a touch late; Change forced upon us and; Change given to us as a gift.
And sometimes there is change due to vision or what I would call the artist’s need to change. Anyone that has not just heard but listened to the creative voice that makes us break routine, asks us to question the status quo, suggests something greater just over the horizon, or just gently come to rest upon our thoughts, will understand how change and creativity go hand and hand.
For Springboard this is true of our Artist Loan Fund. The program works and has worked for over 12 years, making over $800,000 in micro-loans to artists for a wide range of small business endeavors. Yet, for some reason we decided that it’s not good enough that a program merely “work”. It’s not good enough for a service organization to simply “serve”. Springboard makes loans and banks make loans, but Springboard doesn’t want to be just a bank for artists, we want to be more, so we have decided to change. The only thing we ask of you now is for your input and creativity.
As I stated above, creativity and change go hand and hand, so please join Springboard at the upcoming Artist Loan Fund Info Meetings where we will try to work toward a new Artist Loan Fund.
