Cori Lin, School, 2013, relief and lithographic print
Whether you follow Young Space happenings on the blog, or via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, you’ve probably seen something or another about ARTiculture Community Supported Arts. Self-funded, 100% not-for-profit, and entirely volunteer-run, this truly community arts-centered project puts original art by local artists into your hands.
ARTiculture is based on the community supported agriculture model, adapted for the visual arts originally by Springboard for the Arts, based in Minneapolis. To date, well over 50 CSA programs around the country have been replicated based on Springboard’s model. The idea is that, like a crop share, community members purchase a share of artwork, the cost of which goes directly to the artists to support the making of the work. The original pieces the artists create throughout the summer and fall are then compiled into a “harvest” box which is available for pickup at an end-of-season distribution event to be held in November.
ARTiculture is coordinated by a group of dedicated volunteers from the community with a passion for promoting creativity and community, supporting local economy, and fostering connectivity within the community through arts and art-related events such as the Drawing Rally. We are Fanny Lau (Assistant Director, Alumni Engagement at Lawrence University), Beth Zinsli (Director and Curator of Wriston Art Galleries at Lawrence University), Jamie Cartwright (Marketing Manager at Weidert Group), Cathy Stratton (owner, Blue Moon Emporium), Mariana Russell (artist), and myself, Kate Mothes (Young Space).
The final 8 artists selected for this year’s share are:
There are only a limited number of shares available, and the deadline to purchase is October 1, 2015. Each share will contain SIX original pieces of artwork by the artists above. Depending on the scale and time involved with some of the art, four of the eight artists above are creating work for half the shares. The other four artists’ work will appear in all of the shares. Because they are making original work, we won’t know what the exact finished product will be, but you can see examples of their work at the links above, or at articulturecsa.org/artist-finalists.
BUY A SHARE: articulturecsa.org/buying-shares
Reasons to consider purchasing an ARTiculture share:
- decorating home, apartment, or dorm
- giving as gifts (just in time for the holidays!)
- decorating the office, or gifting unique items to employees
- supporting local artists
- additional incentives such as tours, activities, and other promotions
- a reason to come out and party at the distribution event in November!
It’s easy to purchase a share, but if you’d rather split the cost, 6 pieces of art divvy up easily between two or three people!
I truly believe in this little project and its capacity to support artists making original work, and placing that original work in the hands of community members and collectors. I hope you’ll consider taking part in this year’s program, or if you’re also an artist, or you like what you see but can’t swing the share this year, perhaps you’ll keep us in mind in 2016!
Find ARTiculture on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
—Kate
Leave a Reply