Jet-lag, a Book Proposal, and Magenta Optimism
Jet-lagged thoughts on creating optimism through art
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I often wonder what I would do with myself if I didn’t make art. I try and take regular breaks from active art making – it helps with perspective – and it turns out that when I’m not making art, I write about art. Art it is then! Placing art right slap bang in the center of my life is a gift, yet one I struggle to accept. I often feel I should be doing something else: something more “worthwhile” (oh, that word gives me some icky feelings!), something more philanthropic, something that brings in a bit of cash. That’s why I’m so hooked on writing about value: I’m forever trying to validate my own art practice.
I got out of bed at 4am last Saturday morning (thanks jet lag) and wrote the outline of a book about the value of art to me and the value of arts to society. It wasn’t bad as a first crack, except I don’t want to write a book about just my private view – even though that’s exactly what I do in this column – I want to include the private views of other artists. So, a favour please – can I have a private word? (That’s the title of my upcoming podcast btw). If you make art of any kind – write, paint, take photos, make films, create weird little sculptures - would you answer this simple question?
What is the value of your art?
I don’t want to lead you, although if you read my column last week, I already have, so I’m not going to expand further on what value might mean; I want you to tell me what value means for you. What is the value of the art you make? What is the value of your art?
I’ve set up a typeform to collect responses, so all comments are anonymous and will not be assigned to any one individual. I’ll include your thoughts in my book and social media posts, and perhaps we could do a podcast interview if anyone is interested?
Click the link below to be taken to the typeform where you can enter your thoughts. Thank you so much!
I don’t believe we can build a more equitable art world until we are all clear on the value of art to ourselves as individuals and to society in general. I live on the eastside of two great cities: London and Seattle. Eastside Seattle, the arts are critically underfunded. There are no affordable studio spaces, nonprofits struggle for survival, artists are forced into a state of competition for wall space and funding. I’ve watched creative placemaking and its best friend, gentrification, sweep through my local towns like an industrial Dyson, wiping out almost all traces of existing cultural identity and replacing it with cookie cutter, bland, unimaginative arts “interventions”. When culture is delivered in the same way as a Starbucks latte, we have problems. All this while Seattle just jumped up the ranking to become the third richest city in the US! On the east side of London, I’m watching a glitchy replay: gentrification is taking hold and grassroots arts organizations are being kicked out of their warehouse studios to make way for new mixed-use buildings that promise “affordable art spaces”. Let’s wait and see. The glitch comes with the cultural traditions that London already enjoys: it has a centuries-old history of art viewing and convening, and there are a number of umbrella organizations that act as intermediaries between landlords and artists - negotiating fair rents, managing spaces, ensuring local artists get first dibs on the studios. This means the collective voice against gentrification is vigorous and local arts enjoy some level of protection. I’m also excited by not-for-profit galleries and organizations I’ve visited in Hackney (east London) that have torn up the mission statement and now work from a community written manifesto; leadership is decentralized not hierarchical; they are artist centered, not art centered. These new models of arts organizing bring me hope and optimism.
Creative Placemaking, the town planning movement that promised to center the arts and culture in all decision making, never delivered. Or rather, it’s worthy founding principles and values got lost in translation – or deliberately mis-quoted in order to meet some capitalist goal. A little secret: I’m a professionally qualified Creative Placemaking consultant. I whisper this because I’m embarrassed at what CP has achieved in towns where I’ve worked both as an artist and nonprofit leader. It was meant to give artists a voice, a seat at the table of local decision makers, yet what really happened is that artists and grassroots arts organizations have been used, manipulated and coerced (through promises of funding) to back plans that ultimately erased their very existence. Urgh! I’m now a strong advocate of Creative Place-Keeping rather than Place-Making: Keep your hands off our creative spaces!
I’m always on the look out for organizations that are truly making a difference through the arts. A fabulous little grassroots org I came across in London is Arts for All, which offers:
“weekly art therapy sessions to engage people of all ages from diverse cultures and background and those with special needs.”
The Arts for All center sits within one of the most deprived areas of the UK and many of the families served by the centre are unemployed, with three quarters having English as their second language. Their mission is simple:
Through long term support, Arts For All builds confidence, helps people achieve their goals and changes lives.
Don’t you just love a clear and simple mission statement? Talk about adding value! Arts organizations like this don’t get enough attention – they’re hidden gems in their local area - yet I’d rather spend an afternoon with Arts For All than with White Cube (read my review of that visit here).
Art builds confidence. Art helps people achieve their goals. Art changes lives.
Brillliant. They’ll be getting my piggy bank pennies at the end of the year. Click below to read their November newsletter.
I’ll keep shining a light on these bright-star arts orgs in future columns. If there’s a grassroots arts organization in your area that I need to know about, please tell me in the comments section below. Let’s spot-light the folks doing good work and adding value to our communities. Thank you!
As we move rapidly towards the end of 2022, I’m starting to think about how I’ll add value to my little slice of the art world next year. I’ve been in partial retreat since the beginning of 2020 and it’s time I stepped back out into the fresh air. We have so much to offer the world as artists, despite the increasing challenges. When the world is on fire, that’s when artists make their greatest impact; that’s when our value is the clearest. Henry Moore said:
To be an artist is to believe in life.
Through our art, we can give others that faith, that belief in life. Artists can be philosophers, visionaries, alchemists: we are uniquely placed to hold a vision of life that offers hope, aspiration, and optimism. The world really needs that right now. Heck, when did it never need that? I’ve seen an Everest-high mountain of art this last couple of months and I’ve come away from London feeling energized, emboldened, courageous – ready to start something new. Great art will do that to you; it’s like being hooked up to an IV line of vitamins that leaves you bouncing around like a spring lamb.
I plan to fantasize this month; to use the fireside as a place of dreaming beyond what is already in existence; to use the magic of Yuletide to cast a spell of transformation over arts convening and participating; to believe in myself as an artist-sorcerer; to believe in life.
Want to feed on my optimism? I have enough to share, just knock on my door.
Until next time.
JC
Pantone color of the year 2023. “Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.”
Resources
Want to read more about Creative PlaceKeeping v Creative PlaceMaking? This is a great interview: https://abladeofgrass.org/articles/future-creative-placemaking/
And this is from a brilliant organization, Bricks of Inheritance, working in New Jersey: https://www.bricksofinheritance.org/what-is-creative-placekeeping
Need a dose of optimism? Visit The Centre for Optimism - yes, this actually exists!
I subscribe to the UK based Positive News magazine and the US Good News Network (it’s important to balance doomscrolling with cheerscrolling!)
Read more about Pantone’s color of the year here: https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2023
May your world be filled with Magenta Magic x
I am writing myself some notes about the value of art which interesting as it turns out. I will send them on to you