This October marked the 16th annual Chicago Artists Month – a true local institution now and a great way for the city to showcase its creative talent. I was very excited to be involved with it and hope to do so again next year. I attended a number of events including a panel discussion on what the city can do to further promote and enhance the art environment here in Chicago. This topic echoes recent articles I’ve read in the Huffington Post and discussion I’ve been having in LinkedIn Groups, so I’ve thrashed out just some of my initial thoughts on the topic.
The Skills to Pay the Bills
Chicago has and will, in my opinion, continue to produce fantastic artists. With Columbia College, The School of the Art Institute and countless, active galleries, exhibitions, advocacy groups and organizations as well as significant spending by city government on public art projects, there’s no doubt in my mind that you will see great art here for a long time to come. But it seems to me that a lot of this great art will end up on consignment until it deteriorates under cobwebs, or be tucked away in hidden pop-up galleries, some of which come and go as quickly as an email marketing blast. It seems to me that the fundamental need that many of these artists have is less about advocacy and more about revenue – learning the basic marketing and sales skills. While I am not advocating cutting funding from existing programs or any of the various groups that actively promote and support the local arts, what I am saying is that if even one dollar more is going to be invested in the art community I think the biggest returns would come from using it to teach artists how to provide more support for themselves. Historically, many of the most successful artists were not only the most talented in their medium, but also the most tireless and talented marketers of their work. With social media, point of sale technologies and the proliferation of mobile devices, it’s easier and more cost-efficient than ever for artists to reach their market directly… if only they know how. Yet when we talk about professional artists and the skills they need, the art side of the conversation seems to get about 90% of the attention and the professional skill side of the equation is disregarded. If cities want to build a truly exceptional and sustainable art community, I think they do well to help artists focus more on that other, yet no less creative aspect of their profession.
The Professional Side of the Professional Artist
As I have mentioned above and elsewhere, I think of artists as trained professionals who should be compensated for their skills. Like dentists, attorneys, investment bankers, programmers, etc… None of these other professionals would likely work without compensation and virtually all of these professionals will gravitate towards where their market is most accessible and efficiently served. As an example, I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia during a time when doctors (the parents of many of my friends) were facing increasing malpractice insurance of such an extent that it was driving some of them out of business. So some of them packed up and left. They headed to places where it was easier and more affordable for them to practice – where they could best serve their market and make a living a doing it. Later, in college, many of my friends studied economics and went on to get MBAs. Where do they now reside? Generally in or near major financial centers… because that’s where their clients are. My first career was technology, so it’s no surprise that in 1998 I moved to Seattle, where every major company seemed to end in a dot something. Professionals follow their markets. And artists are no different in this regard. It’s easy to assume that artists head to cities like New York, Miami and LA simply because all the ‘serious artists’ seem to be in those cities, but I think that this assumption misconstrues the data. If the ‘serious artists’ are in those places, it’s probably got more to do with having ‘serious collectors’ (both private and corporate) in those markets. So markets eventually become oversaturated, which I think we’ve been seeing happen, especially in the face of the current global economic climate. What cities then benefit and emerge as the new places to be for the next generation of professional artists? Those that are drawing new businesses and creating jobs (and thereby creating affluence). Those that are building more walls (urban renewal), which will house more art. Where these pockets appear, the savvy artists will follow. Because professionals follow their markets.
Attacking the Axioms
Any panel discussion or article has certain fundamental axioms, or assumptions. In the case above, the assumption is that more can and should be done for the art community. I don’t disagree, but I think the discussions I hear too often focus on areas where cities are already spending generously. It’s like putting better constructed floors atop a faulty foundation. If you want to do more for the art community, I think more attention needs to be devoted to the bigger picture. It may seem counterintuitive, but I think that the best investment in the local creative community would come not necessarily from promoting and cultivating more arts or artists, but rather from helping build and shape the next generation of collectors and patrons. Perhaps this takes the form of outreach to businesses; The Art Institute for example had a very popular leasing program for many years. Or maybe professional organizations explore offering art collecting or art appreciation mini-courses for busy professionals. Are there incentives that can be given to large businesses to include local artists in their corporate collections? Are there additional tax benefits that can be created even at a ward level for buildings or businesses utilizing more interior artworks from local artists? Considering these questions changes the scope of the discussion and I believe it ultimately provides a more complete discussion (even if it means that many of us creative types have to get over a deeply-rooted aversion to commerce).
I’ll close with a phrase I often hear from starry-eyed artists and entrepreneurs alike: “If you build it, they will come.” Maybe… if you’re talking about ghosts playing baseball in your backyard fields. And quite likely, if you’re talking about a market for your local creative professionals.
Thanks for reading this and as always, I look forward to hearing your comments.
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