- Council Committee Passed the Freeze
- Carol Campbell Passes Away
- My first trip to the public library
- Fight digital exclusion
- What if half of Philadelphia didn't have roads?
- You know, let's not even worry about the City Commissioners office messing up voter registration processing
- Bold ideas to fix the budget
- Mayor Nutter's Town Hall Meeting Schedule
- City Releases Library Information to City Council
- Size of Philadelphia government?
Philadelphia's Art Galleries
Submitted by BradyDale on Tue, 10/16/2007 - 2:12pm.
While Philadelphia seems to have a lot of galleries to me, I've never bought any art here. Now, to be fair, that's because art is usually pretty darn expensive and the less expensive stuff can be a little tricky to find. But I am a big art fan and there probably is some work out there I can afford. So what's my problem? Apparently, I'm not alone.
Readers here may not know it, but I do kind of keep my fingers swirling in the world of art creators outside my political life. When I meet them them and talk to them, they often talk about how great the arts community is here. That is, people making art, not buying it. The making is good. Big cities with low rents tend to attract artists. That's us. That said, apparently the people who can afford the high rents aren't ponying up much cash. They go to First Friday and drink the wine, but they aren't buying stuff.
Especially not the really good stuff, which is the stuff you find in the lesser known galleries. The stuff with a little higher calling then accenting your couch.
We've got a pretty promient art blog here in our city, and it has a nice piece up about the economics of gallery ownership in our city. They close with some policy questions that might appeal to folks here. It begins as follows:
I was talking with Tim Bowen of Falling Cow Gallery the other day. It was a sad discussion centered on the closing of his gallery and how hard it is to make a go of it financially in the art world. Bowen is a Tyler grad and painter whose works graced walls around town for many years. ... It's a lot easier to make art here than to sell it. Phladelphia's trademark attributes -- conservatism and curmudgeonliness -- might be to blame for the lack of sales. However, there are those who think it's a matter of a lack of public education about art that's part of the problem.
As much as city's want to keep and hold a creative class, they can't all be web developers and graphic designers. Some of them need to be the straight up artists that move everything else forward over time. Philadelphia has a nice population of these folks already, we just need to find a way to help them keep roofs over their heads.
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solutions brady?
I agree with you:
What do you have in mind?
Art Economy Post, response to Ray (first friday is this friday!)
I didn't see this till now. I wish this blog would tell you when you get replies like LiveJournal does. I miss things.
I think the main thing we need is LEADERSHIP from rich people. Leadership in buying art. Leadership. Leadership in appreciating the PRESENT DAY art world. There's a lot of attention for our big institutions, but not our tiny ones. I wish someone famous would go out on First Friday and then post for the cameras with the works of art they bought that night. Make it cool. Be a tastemaker. Guide Philadelphia's new money into buying art. I know I can't afford it, but there are people here that can.
HEY! Some of you young lawyers on here should start going out together, buying some works of art, and then putting photos of what you bought up on-line somewhere. Show people what's cool and give them guidance on what they could buy! Be seen buying stuff and then other people will do it to. Cuz everyone loves us and they want to be like the cool YPP kids.
GOVERNMENT IDEA:
I think it would help if the city turned over some abandoned warehouses to groups of credible artists to make into shared work/gallery space. Maybe they could have a contest for groups of artists to submit proposals to get a building for free, as long as they could figure out renovating it and etc? (for artists this is not too hard... clear everything out and get the basic systems working and they are usually good to go from there).
An art czar seems good, which they site in the post linked above. If we had a celebrity that was really promoting people participating in the underground that would be good. I love the Phila Museum and such, but it's the little tiny galleries that will really make us. If someone well known were making themselves visible BUYING ART, that would help a lot.
SEPTA: What if a free SEPTA bus or two were set up on first fridays to run from Old City around to some of the other art nodes in the city that are off the Old City radar, like Padlock in South Philly and Vox Populi over near Broad? That would be pretty badass, and build community.
I'm skeptical about tax incentives and stuff. It opens the door to other similar nonsense and it doesn't seem like the margins are enough to really help.
Is anyone on here going to First Friday this Friday???
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The Russellian Incorporated Innovations Corporation
Lefty Homilies
NKCDC
New Kensington CDC had a really great project that will appeal to several people here with its Coral Street Arts House. I attended a presentation last year during the Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit, and to be honest, I'm surprised I haven't heard about more of these projects.
http://www.nkcdc.org/content.asp?cat=ARTS&varcontentcat=ARTS_CORAL_ST_AR...
Bring these suggestions w/ you on Saturday
Come on out for a lil bit of art and politics this weekend....
Join Hundreds for a
Rally to Build a Mandate
for
Arts, Culture, and Creativity in the City
and to
Show Michael Nutter the strength of
Philadelphia's Arts, Cultural and Creative Communities!
DATE: Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
TIME: Rally from 2:00 - 3:00 PM and Canvassing from 3:00-6:00 PM
LOCATION: Frank Palumbo Park, 723 Catherine St. in Bella Vista
(just west of Fleisher Art Memorial)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: www.culturecreativityandthecity.com
Live Music, Speakers, Michael Nutter & YOU!
----------------
SUPPORT A MANDATE FOR ARTS CULTURE AND CREATIVITY IN THE CITY,
SAY YES TO:
* ACCESS for Philadelphia's children and youth to Arts and Music Education
* INITIATIVES, like loans and grants, to invigorate small business, create jobs in the creative sector, and strengthen the local economy
* DEVELOPMENT of live/work hybrid spaces for established and emerging artists
* MORE MONEY for non-profit arts and cultural organizations - from the grassroots to the Kimmel Center and Philadelphia Museum of Art
----------------
Join us for a drink afterwards! <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=njsp7fcab.0.smtk6fcab.nqvxndcab.11&ts=S0285&p=http%3A%2F%2Fphiladelphia.citysearch.com%2Fprofile%2F35721425> Join us afterward for a super drink specials beverage at L'Etage (NW Corner of 6th & Bainbridge, above Beau Monde Creperie)!
Here's a map: L'Etage <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=njsp7fcab.0.tmtk6fcab.nqvxndcab.11&ts=S0285&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fmaps%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3DBeau%2BMonde%26fb%3D1%26near%3DPhiladelphia%2C%2BPA%26cd%3D1%26ie%3DUTF8%26z%3D11%26om%3D1>
Who's behind it?
Who are the main activists/organizations behind this effort? It is not evident.
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The Russellian Incorporated Innovations Corporation
Lefty Homilies
Well, many in the arts and
Well, many in the arts and culture community are helping get out the information. I know a lot of folks in old city and northern liberties who are pushing it. If you have questions, you should email Matty Hart at matty@mistermatty.com
This is gonna be big.
The happy hour at L'Etage should be fun as well. David and Jim (the owners) have always been big supporters of the arts and culture industry in Philadelphia. Hope to see ya there.
That's not an answer
Not to be a big jerk or anything, but, respectfully, that's not an answer. I can't really get pumped about anything that doesn't show the names of the main movers behind it.
I'm saying this because I'd be considerably less pumped about rallying for more money for the Philadelphia Museum or the Avenue of the Arts than I would, say, for institutions like InLiquid.
But, generally speaking, who's behind things should always be clear or it leads one like me to think that there's a reason it's not.
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The Russellian Incorporated Innovations Corporation
Lefty Homilies
Sure it's an answer
It may not be the answer you want, but this is the only info that I have for you.
I know Matty is the convener and the website listed is www.culturecreativityandthecity.com. I'm pumped about their goals:
* ACCESS for Philadelphia's children and youth to Arts and Music Education
* INITIATIVES, like loans and grants, to invigorate small business, create jobs in the creative sector, and strengthen the local economy
* DEVELOPMENT of live/work hybrid spaces for established and emerging artists
* MORE MONEY for non-profit arts and cultural organizations - from the grassroots to the Kimmel Center and Philadelphia Museum of Art
I posted it because I thought there might be some interest in getting a few minutes with the next mayor to espress ideas on investing in the arts and culture industry. And it's in Bella Vista, so I naturally want everyone to come and enjoy the neighborhood (and patronize a Bella Vista bar)on a great Fall day.
If you need to know more to show up, I'd suggest emailing Matty with questions. I guess he could tell you which organizations are behind the rally. I sent you his email address.
sorry if I'm being a big jerk
I tried to couch my response politely, but I probably could have said, "do you know who's moving this" rather than "who's moving this." So my apologies.
It's just that a good cause is never enough (to me, anyway). I need to know it's got credible messengers.
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The Russellian Incorporated Innovations Corporation
Lefty Homilies
Coral Street is a great
Coral Street is a great project in Kensington and it's widely regarded as a success. Most artists can't afford Northern Liberties and Old City so places like Kensington and environs make sense for them. Earlier this year, I met with a real estate developer in Old City who showed me plans for the Kensington area that included rows and rows of loft triplexes to be constructed for live/work space artist village. Truly mind-blowing. The key is to work with a non profit (say, like NKCDC) so there's a subsidy to ensure these units are begin sold to artists of modest means at affordable prices.
There was even talk (actually just neighborhood wishful thinking) about the old ice house on 9th Street b/w Washington Ave. and Federal street being subsidized live/work housing for artists of modest means. The more projects like that, the better.
Good art shows in re-emerging North Phil neighborhoods, THURSDAY
North Philadelphia is going to have some good art shows on Thursday night. Get out there and expand your mind. We don't have to live solely for First Friday. First, at 1400 N. American Street (near Girard), in the Crane Arts Building, look for Nexus Foundation's new member exhibition. Nexus only accepts new members twice a year, and here's your chance to see their newly added talent. It looks like this is going to be a video and multimedia heavy show. So move yourself over to Nexus on Thursday and watch the art move in front of you. In fact, it sounds like this guy's work will ask that you move yourself within it. Or something.
Word on the street is that the Nexus show will be just one of the things going on in the Crane Arts building that night.
The show I'm really pumped about, though, will be in Art Making Machines's Flux Space! This is a very large new work/gallery/workshop space that's opened up in real-deal North Philadelphia. We're very pumped to see this kind of progress in our part of the city here at the R.I.I.C. This will be our first visit to Art Making Machines, and we have high hopes.
The show is called Every Artist is a Person, and it will feature lots of different local artists. We hope that a lot of them are directly associate with the space itself. Anyway, group shows are always nice because you get to sample artists you might want to keep track of later. The rationale behind this show is a little heady, to be honest, but who can argue with a show that uses a big freaking elephant painting as its mascot? I can't.
See you there?
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The Russellian Incorporated Innovations Corporation
Lefty Homilies