A modest occupation

A modest occupation

March 15th-
April 12th, 2013

Economics, which Lord Keynes had hoped would settle down as a modest occupation similar to dentistry, suddenly becomes the most important subject of all.
– EF Schumacher

Opening Reception:
March 15th, 2013 from 7pm - 10pm

Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.
– Andy Warhol

Artists and other creative people who organize their lives around the arts have long dealt with the problem, question, and opportunity of money (or lack thereof) in myriad ways by invoking the very same resourcefulness they’ve applied to making art. They have formed cooperative living and studio arrangements, started their own businesses, become grant-writing virtuosi, begged, stolen, borrowed, and even invented their own currencies. Thinking about one’s own artistic practice as a small business is even more urgent in today’s economy where there are few public arguments for governmental funding for the arts beyond economic revitalization (as seen in the NEA “Art Works” slogan) at the same time that private giving is on the upswing via sites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo.

There are now a network of artist-driven small businesses that commission works specifically for subscribers, using the models of Community Supported Agriculture or magazine subscriptions. Some are incorporated into nonprofits, others are stand-alone businesses for independent artists. Consumers often buy these works sight unseen based on an affinity with the spirit of the business or name recognition of the artists involved. But what about the art? How do we look at artworks made with the consumer in mind? Featuring works from art subscriptions across the country, this exhibition is an opportunity to look at these works as more than the byproducts of inventive business models. When viewed collectively, they evoke both the spirit of their distribution method and the art behind the network.