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Topic: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Replies: 55 Pages: 4 Last Post: Oct 15, 2003 12:03 AM by: Gabriel Combs

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Colin Rusch

Posts: 1,435
Registered: Oct 16, 2002

2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Sep 16, 2003 11:16 AM

The full question is:

Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum by his or her work, and if so, how?

Ray Rolfe

Posts: 3,263
From: Northeast Minneapolis
Registered: Sep 5, 2001

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Sep 17, 2003 3:12 AM

Speaking for myself
Yes.

If so, how.
Sum1. prayer

Sum2. Prayer, Business savy, Commissions, Fellowships, Consistent Production, and a little help from my friends.

Sum 3. If I told you, I would have to kill you. + wise investments, Creativity, Miracles.

Sam Spiczka

Posts: 1,671
From: Sartell, MN
Registered: Jul 20, 2001

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Sep 17, 2003 7:58 PM

Altogether now: Have... a little help... from my friends...

Earn $30,000 a year? Should be able to. Maybe some type of licencing agreements could be aranged or other creative solutions. Personally, I'm not making it so what do I know?

Sam

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Sep 18, 2003 12:34 AM

Make pornography in your spare time.

(kidding!)

Ray Rolfe

Posts: 3,263
From: Northeast Minneapolis
Registered: Sep 5, 2001

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Sep 18, 2003 12:47 AM

Good cameras cost 500 bucks silly!

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Sep 18, 2003 1:01 AM

Digital cameras are so cheap. Besides, I think there's going to be an emergence of "adult entertainment" for cell phones. Just a hunch. (hah!)

And in answer to the question (for real, this time):
I am curious what definition of "serious" we are working with here, but of course I think an artist can earn this sum - there are artists out there doing this right now. Can every artist? No. Is this a major problem? I don't know. Should we increase the number of artists able to work full time (as an artist) and earn a living? How?

I am interested in "the economic problem" of artists, but I have very little insight on the subject. Does anyone know of successful programs that have increased the number of artists able to make art and make a living? I would be interested in reading about the program and the results.

lauren

Gabriel Combs

Posts: 1,497
Registered: Jun 16, 2002

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Sep 21, 2003 9:11 PM

Yes, I think so. Thats the $20,000 question. I've been working on it...

Louise Dengerud

Posts: 51
Registered: May 9, 2002

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Oct 1, 2003 2:31 PM

I think all artists can earn this sum - but the whole idea of how we develop our careers and how this business is administered and managed and grown has to be completely changed.

Status quo - non of use can earn a good sum - whatever you say that is...the 'art world' is not functional for the sake of artists; it is only functional for the sake of collectors, auction houses and a few gallery owners and curators.

dale snyder

Posts: 509
From: Lakewood Township, Duluth
Registered: Oct 21, 2002

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Oct 4, 2003 4:07 AM

are we disregarding folks who work in commercial venues? Good web site designers, photographers, graphic artists, etc . usually make $30,000 don't they?

Or are we setting a standard to define "serious" that falls out of the day to day working world?

<<<<- but the whole idea of how we develop our careers and how this business is administered and managed and grown has to be completely changed.>>>

I agree with Louise on this point. I would add that the same holds true for any craft (or service) that is performed as a means of bringing home a paycheck.

dale snyder

Posts: 509
From: Lakewood Township, Duluth
Registered: Oct 21, 2002

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Oct 4, 2003 4:12 AM

<<<<< Make pornography in your spare time.>>>>
Sure, and contribute to the already pervasive and ubiquitous filth corrupting the minds of our children!

Uhh...How much money are we talking Lauren?

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Oct 4, 2003 9:53 PM

Colin Rusch

Posts: 1,435
Registered: Oct 16, 2002

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Oct 7, 2003 11:55 PM

Louise,

I agree. Artists are pretty low on the food chain in the economics of the arts world. Most of the cash goes to creating and supporting organizations and institutions. It is pretty amazing to see how much money moves through the art world and how little of that ends up in artists' hands. It is enough money that to start shaving percentages is a big deal.

Colin

jaime longoria

Posts: 1,161
Registered: Oct 7, 2002

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Oct 8, 2003 9:27 PM

> Louise,
>
> I agree. Artists are pretty low on the food chain in
> the economics of the arts world. Most of the cash
> goes to creating and supporting organizations and
> institutions. It is pretty amazing to see how much
> money moves through the art world and how little of
> that ends up in artists' hands. It is enough money
> that to start shaving percentages is a big deal.
>
> Colin

And why not start reassigning utilization so that Artists get more of the money?

Some of us in the Nonprofit world have been real "assholes" on the point that too much money is focused in maintaining inefficient and wasteful programs and positions.

The new management mantra in NP administration is to hold all money utilization to a $/benefit ratio in keeping with other programs. Funding must now prove itself as a "profit center".

What does it take to get they Artists to listen to "assholes" that have been warning them for years about this budget crunch and see that the future is in "critical" evaluation of every Art dollar spent to see that the sliver that gets to the artists is increased?

What will it take to get the Art insiders to call for organizational change before they themselves also are 'sliced" out due to budget shortfalls?

coyote

Colin Rusch

Posts: 1,435
Registered: Oct 16, 2002

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Oct 9, 2003 1:31 AM

Here, here Coyote. I just got done writing a rant about the future of small arts organizations and the need for a serious shift in understanding the form in which they exist and their relationship with larger organizations that manage to create office space but struggle to maintain the budget to run them. Accounting can do wonders. More efficient infrastructure frees up cash for artists. The trick is to keep the same amount of revenue coming through so that more of it can be distributed.

Colin

jaime longoria

Posts: 1,161
Registered: Oct 7, 2002

Re: 2. Do you think a serious artist can earn this sum?
Posted: Oct 9, 2003 8:18 AM

The problem is bigger than our desires. It is the "economy" that is shrinking, and it follows that the "funding" of non profits follows. We are comming out of a time when many thought the economy was expanding in new ventures, but what see now is a wholesale shrinking of the business community. As many princes of industry harvest thier companies we are seeing them retire to the non profit sector via philantropy. This is where the migration of funding from mission driven programing to status driven donations; hence the big Institution will be sucking up most of what is left of the Arts funding(which incredibliy is up while social services funding is down). Small organizations(under $1,000,000./ annual budget need to become more cost effective/ $per service hour than the big ones. And the programs run by the big ones need to also show a good dollar use.

Why this here?

Because many Artist make money in the Arts as admistrators. It is this funding that is being cut. The funding that was getting to outsiders like Sam and Gabriel is ironically increasing in this funding drought. The Art community will be forced to be Market driven.

What kind of income can "working" artist make in this new enviornment? How can we be equitable in the dispersal of the thin sliver of funding that actually gets to the Artists?

These are the good questions!!!

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