AK 016 - Patrons (A fairytale)

These are uncertain times for artists as wars and economic downturns have a way of decimating the fragile construct we refer to with equal amounts of love and loathing as "the art world." So here is a cheerful little tale to warm your heart during these dark days: I have this friend - we go way back (how far and how good a friend I will not reveal) and his artistic path in life was to become a sound artist, probably one of the most esoteric and money-less routes an artist could take. This artist friend has been toiling away traveling back and forth from Europe (where he found appreciative audiences for his work) to his home in base in Portland where he was surrounded by well meaning earthy crunchy artist types but always broke and always wishing there was more. He has been doing this for years - moving couch to couch and all the meanwhile producing and releasing his own CD's and living hand to mouth in relative obscurity. Just a month ago I got a message from him perhaps at his lowest point yet stranded in London with no source of income and no way to get home (not to mention being given fried tomatoes with his breakfast.) Even I was at a loss for encouraging words. Well, just a few days ago I got this message from him: "…I just thought I would let you know of the magical turn of events. An art collector and eccentric from Lausanne (Switzerland) has paid for me to come and visit - he says that he has been following my work for years - and thinks of my sound work as the most promising of all the composers he knows now - and wants to support me to get my art career rolling! So for the past week he as put me in a hotel in a village near Lausanne - and is making a flat for me and is offering me a monthly salary (with undetermined ending) he just wants to see me produce 2-3 works a year - and he is also managing me to present my photographic work in galleries in Lausanne and Geneva - and seems to know all the spaces and the people running them."

I swear this is a true story! I really didn't believe such a thing as a patron existed anymore until I got this email. I had always heard of such a creature and never seen one crawl out into the light. The mythical and much fantasized "patron" does exits in today's world. Believe it or not the artist/patron relationship used to a contractual one. Mind you this was before the gallery "system" existed where dealers and collectors have since over the job of literally investing in an artist's future. So the lesson here may be to understand more about how the history of patronage all transpired and somehow make it work for you, or rather, how to somehow manage to make it happen "to" you. It won't be easy mind you, the only leads I could find online were NextMonet.com encouraging potential buyers to become patrons and a program in California called "Sponsor and Artist" I say we collectively try to revive the idea of the generous and supportive (and rich) individual patron!

And now a couple of letters from readers:

Hey - Just a suggestion. Have you ever thought of giving advice about education? (Maybe you already did and I am unaware) I'm starting to plan for grad school apps...it seems like this is a pretty important "career choice" so maybe it would be a good topic? Q 's like: can you apply to more that one department in a given school, which is more important -TA position in a not so good school, or acceptance to a "GOOD" program (that costs a lot), what, where, in the USA or OUT, grants-aid for education...are on my mind for now. I'm digging, but expert opinions are always nice. Thanks for your time SJ

Dear SJ- I haven't a whole lot of first hand experience with the whole MFA routine but I would recommend that you first seek out a school with teaching staff that you can admire and/or a school that has a reputation for supporting and nurturing the kind of work you do and then worry about all of the other details. Going to an expensive school with a "star" faculty might seem like a good idea but could backfire horribly. Conversely, going to a place where you work your way through graduate school as a TA might be more of a hardship than a monetary easement. A bad experience at the graduate level could really screw you up for a long time so be discerning. I have heard many tales of grad school woe from recent grads who spent much of their MFA experience feeling like a child in the crossfire of a divorce due to faculty infighting and uncertainty among the teaching staff. So if you can, I would suggest meeting with current MFA students and try to get the inside scoop before you pack off to Boise or wherever is the MFA gods lead you. The February 2000 issue of New Art Examiner, a Chicago based art magazine which unfortunately is no longer with us (sniff, sniff), had a great article called "The M.F.A. Academia's Pyramid Scheme" by Karen Kitchel and by looking online they also had an article in September of 1989 by Julie Ardery called "A Bitter Paradox, M.F.A. Confers a Degree of Contradiction." Both of these articles, although I couldn't dig them out due to a recent move of house, examine the legitimacy of the over-populated and sometimes over-hyped MFA programs out there. I realize dear SJ, that I haven't answered your very good questions but I hope to encourage you to shop around for an MFA program that suits you - not to get into one that seems glamorous or makes you an offer you can't refuse. It is your money and your time after all, and art schools these days can be just like any other corporate conglomerate.

And this note from the administrator of a well known residency program in response to my last column about grants and funding:

Hello Mistress Esa, Good info but you didn't mention any residencies or studio programs which are easier and more prevalent than grants. Residencies and free studio programs also offer small stipends sometimes. The application process is also less rigorous and its about your work and not how well you can bullshit

Anon.

I couldn't have said it any better myself. As always - many things to consider.

Bye for now lovies!

Mistress Esa