Monday, March 1, 2010
In the arts community, our top 3 subjects for handwringing and debate are:
- declining audience participation numbers
- lack of public recognition of the intrinsic value of the arts
- lack of pay and respect for artists
I believe we’ve done some things in service of issue #3 that are contributing to the other two. Specifically, I think that in our effort to command greater respect for the profession of being an artist, we’ve excluded people from identifying as artists and prevented them from seeing the art in their everyday lives. We want artists to get paid, obviously, this is something I feel strongly about. But in order to do that, we’ve created all these ways of defining who is a “professional artist” and that’s usually linked to those who make their living as an artist. But what about the hobbyist? The avocational artist? Aren’t they real artists? Those who used to practice but don’t anymore? At what point do you lose the privilege of calling yourself an artist?
I’m not sure excluding people and having fewer people who identify themselves as artists is a good route towards public support of the arts.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately in relation to people who work for arts organizations. When I go to conferences and convenings of other service organizations, there is invariably discussion of how we find out what “the artists think” about this or that topic. While I admire my peers dedication to making sure their programs align with their clients needs, I’m always struck by how many of these administrators don’t include themselves in the category of artist. In fact, I think a lot of administrators are afraid to call themselves artists – fearful of being called out or challenged, fear of being a poser or a faker, I guess? I find myself having this conversation a lot:
Me: “So, what’s your background? Are you an artist?”
ArtsManager: “Oh, NO! Goodness, no, I’m not an artist, I’m just an arts supporter. An arts appreciator. Well, I do have a degree in piano performance, and I still play a little bit, in fact, I just played for a friend’s wedding last weekend.”
Me: “That sounds like you’re an artist.”
ArtsManager: “Oh, no, no, no. I’m not an artist.”
What?! Why are we doing this? My post a few months ago stirred up a lot of debate on this question of artist vs. administrator – but can’t we be both? Too many times, I see administrators who stop identifying as artists and artists who resist the idea that you can be both. There are some great exceptions to this – my friend and colleague Karen Atkinson refers to her work creating GYST – a training and software business for individual artists – as a large, ongoing art practice.
Being an artist is an important part of my identity and it’s important to my work at Springboard. I acted in three commercials last year and gathered props from thrift stores for my husband’s Fringe show – hardly a banner year if that’s all I think of as my artistic practice. But I refuse to give up this part of my identity, both because I do still practice (even if it’s occasional) and because I use my artistic brain and the creative process in my job every single day. I think that if, as a community, we led the way in saying, “Hell, yeah, I’m an artist!” then perhaps others would feel comfortable saying it, too.
“I’m a doctor and I’m an artist.”
“I’m a teacher and I’m an artist.”
“I’m a senator and I’m an artist.”
“I’m a lawyer and I’m an artist.”
And I really believe that allowing, and even pushing, more people to call themselves artists leads to better support for art and artists.
What do you think?
-laura
Labels: laura zabel, rants
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Comparing anything to food must be
one of the highest compliments. Very few things in the world are tied as strongly as food is to the individual experience. We are dependent on it to live, it engages all five senses. (Foods make wonderful noises, they do!) It is a moveable and transcending event that is enjoyed by oneself and in mass with equal fondness and fervor. The spectrum of culinary nuance in spices, creative variation in recipes, simple pleasures of fresh fruit, and an intrinsic tradition of sharing make it simultaneously an unparalleled individual experience and a highly relevant expression of culture and community.So what can the art world learn from food? Or maybe a better question would be, How is art food, and what is it about food that we can identify and enhance in our art experiences? Do we not experience individual and group wonderment through concerts, dance, and even the simple act of gazing in awe at a masterpiece with 20 other onlookers? Isn't our creative variation inherently bound to our interpretation and expression? Why does something as seemingly simple and pure as Yves Klein's IKB, the primary colors and grids of Mondrian, or the peculiar grace of a George Ohr ceramic work, strike us with such intensity that we want to... touch the artwork. And above all else, how does sharing and the social actions of our cultural surroundings create a sense of community?
Too many questions.
The point is there is great potential to grow the arts via models of thinking that line up with food. It has value to you, it provides meaning, it feeds strange abstract parts of you that you can't touch but know exist, it creates a vortex around which to contemplate with oneself or share with many, it moves with trends like crops change with seasons, with attention and cultivation it thrives and begs to be shared.
More questions.
How much more valuable do you find an artist you know than an artist you don't know? Certainly owning a Hirst piece is pretty valuable but how does that compare with being able to walk into an artists studio on your way home from the grocery store and pick up a pair of prints to go with dinner? How does that Silver Oak Cabernet taste when paired with the new album you just bought from a local band you just saw? When you make dinner, do you always cook for an army from New York, or do you cook for a couple friends that share studio space and bring a performance to dinner instead of a loaf of focaccia?
Think about what makes your art experience most valuable here in the Twin Cities. An abundance of highly talented, extremely creative artists, creating new works. Picking it fresh from the easel and delivering it to you, in person, pretty much like Community Supported Agriculture but in this case Community Supported Art. Stop by your local arts grower, ask how the season's looking, inquire about what's coming up in the next harvest, take a little bushel of something home. The truth about the Community Supported anything, whether food or art, is that they're here because of you and you're here because of them. Think of it like a good meal. Pick up something fresh from a local grower and invite the friends over or just look, listen, touch, smell and taste for yourself, and while you're at it make some good food too. Support. Share.
Community Supported Art
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?
