Self-supporting community:

A group of people (artists) who, through their collective work, are able to sustain and support the group as a whole. Literally, we want to be able to pay our bills without incurring any debt, while producing artwork exclusively, or at least more frequently than we do now.
We're not looking to get rich here. We just want to be happy.

Art:

Any expression of creativity (e.g. music, painting, sculpture, writing, dance, theatre)

Venue:

A physical place, location as yet undetermined, containing some or all elements of a black box theatre, concert space, gallery, recording studio, copy and print shop, fine art lithographers, dark-room-rental-by-the-hour, etc.

Support:

We use a very specific definition of support in this document. We mean, to provide the necessities and comforts of life (emotional, spiritual, and physical), while allowing an individual to pursue their chosen artistic endeavor. For an artist to be 'supported,' they must have community, shelter, a healthy and adequate supply of food, the ability and encouragement to engage in their chosen spiritual practice (if any), and the tools and materials of their trade.

A Venue or Entity = Avenue

Many artists long to have their work shared with people, with those both near at hand and at a distance. This most often has meant mass production and distribution of some sort. Publication of text and art books, pressing of albums, sale of prints or sculptural reproductions.
But the mainstreaming and massive scale of the traditional venues has locked out many artists. Some artists and their quirky, radically individualistic work are just turned off by or out of step with the mainstream. What if there were another way? We put so much effort into this art work of ours. Isn't it time that those hours of practice started giving something back?
We are creating a self-supporting community of artists, centered around a venue for the publication, performance, and sale of artwork. There are precious few patrons of the arts left in this world. We have to be able to come up with a way to fend for ourselves. Haven't you ever wondered whether you could make your living doing what you love? What we envision is an artistic community that pioneers a new way of approaching art as well as a new way of supporting artists.

Over the years of perfecting and producing our artwork we have become experts in a wide variety of things. Writing, editing, graphic design, print layout, web design, visual communication, publicity, acting, painting, film, sound recording and mixing, musical instruments, photography, live performance production, etc. There are also a host of other things that we're pretty good or interested in becoming very good at, like silk screen printing, pottery, photographic development, magazine creation, etc.

Why aren't we hiring ourselves out for these services, and using that to fund the production of our own artwork? Why aren't we performing these services for a local and global community of other artists in exchange for the expert services they can offer us?

We are not afraid of regular jobs. We just distrust them.

And we firmly believe that if small groups of artists which already exist across the country began working together in mindful collaboration we could create a social sphere inside the modern world, where we are able to help each other get by, while actually producing and nationally distributing the pieces of art that we wish were being shared with the public.

We are putting together a model for groups of artists banding together to start local multimedia venues. These venues, with careful attention and lots of enjoyable art-centric hard work, will provide a subsistence for the most direct participants, and admirable, enjoyable, finger-snapping works of art for the community at large.

A few elements of this plan can sometimes come across as nearly Luddite in aim. But this is a misconception. There are lessons to be learned from the past, lessons to be learned from both successes and failures. Before sound recording, songwriters made their living on the royalties of sheet music, and local and traveling musicians made theirs on playing that music. Postmodern technology has provided new ways of distributing music. The internet provides instant access to anything anyone would ever want to hear whenever they may wish to hear it. We are immersed in a culture of compact disks, and they are still the standard by which we receive our musical data. As a result, the cost of CD reproduction is falling dramatically, allowing short run projects to be economical.

When printing was a young craft in the U.S.A., printers each decided for themselves what to print, and sold their products from their own shops. Some printed newspapers, some did almanacs, political tracts, famous speeches, cartoons, or all of those. Today, the print market is saturated with journals, magazines, newspapers, and comics. Very often these days, print is used only to sell something to the readership. Have we forgotten what it means to appreciate and value art for what it is? Don't we all have something meaningful and heartfelt to say? The wealth of content from blogs, online archives and private art collections is staggering. We are interested in combining modern technology with the intention and community-centered focus of the printmaking pioneers. By combining the content mentioned above with desktop publishing software and printing- and CDs-on-demand technology, we could publish it all--and distribute it both locally and nationally. Imagine a novelist in every town and an independent bookstore in every neighborhood.

We want to use the technology and connectivity that is available in the postmodern world to make it possible for us to make a living by creating and distributing art without bartering away an unfair percentage of our lives for a chance at a nice retirement years from now.

Us, Them, and We

ArtEntity, Inc.("the Entity") is an umbrella organization, or rather a "container organization" established with the stated mission to "create a self-supporting community of artists." We understand that communities of artists already exist, and we are also aware that there are artists who are not connected to these communities but wish to be. We also know of artists who desire to start their own communities so that they can live with their artist friends.

We at ArtEntity believe that community and collaboration are at the heart of artistic expression of all kinds. It is through community that we as artists are encouraged and nurtured into maturity. We also believe that through mindful community-centered living we may accomplish anything that we set out to accomplish.

We know that there are communes, organic farms, committee-operated coffee houses, natural food stores, independent clubs,  meditation retreats and wilderness camps out there who would be willing to give traveling artists places to stay and food in exchange for a few independently produced CDs, DVDs, books, t-shirts, posters or whatnots that they could keep, sell, admire, or put up for auction on Ebay, and maybe a short turn picking fruit, washing pans, sweeping floors, teaching poetry workshops, giving music or art lessons, cooking, stocking shelves or whatever.

Working together, we would like to find the communities that are doing the work, and connect them with each other, creating a network of already existing "entities" that will make up the larger Entity. Anyone involved with any of these artist communities and communes and organic farms could travel freely through and to the others--something like an "artist exchange program."

If there are a few cafes or restaraunts or car mechanics who would be willing to do their work for communities on a trade basis, we could make a partial withdrawal from the consumer society, and into a system where the artists of the community are being supported by their art.  In time, perhaps we could start businesses that dealt directly with intentional communities, exchanging art services for art. Printing services for a percentage of the print run, to be sold in the printer's shop.

We wish to provide direct support to artists of all media in three major ways:

a.) By providing the financial resources to produce a "package" of one kind or another. This package may include promotional materials, gallery-quality prints, a run of retail-ready CDs, a run of a chapbook, a print-on-demand publication of a complete novel, a website, any of this or none of it. We do not wish to limit ourselves in any way. Currently, we only have limited funding, basically what each of us is able and willing to contribute. Eventually, we hope to build a trust fund which will allow us to produce whatever shows up.

There are existing cooperative studio spaces, artist communities, community organizations, art foundations, and loose groups of friends who get together from time to time and jam, make video shorts or otherwise create together. We want to expose the work of these groups to local communities. Our hope is that by encouraging the emergence of less traditional arts and artists we will find a niche of people willing to directly support well-crafted, reasonably priced entertainments and works of art. By facilitating the production and packaging of an artist's work, we hope there will arise a new wave of "working" artists. Not all, perhaps not even most of these artists will be able to support themselves full time from one completed package. But it ought to provide a "leg up" and a means of exposure for every artist willing to put in some work.

b.) By being companions along the way for artists who are learning how to live their art. This world can be a very frightening place to be an artist, especially an artist without a community of support. We want to encourage other artists to follow their dreams by learning their particular processes with them. Each artist who becomes a part of ArtEntity also may become a companion and mentor to other artists. By being and providing "partners in learning" for artists, we hope to ease the stress of dealing with manufacturers, printers, publishers, grantors, etc. We wish to connect with other like-minded artists and art-centered organizations in order to provide a network of support for artists who are learning how to be supported by their gifts. We believe that by keeping the community as our focus, we will be able to give personal attention to each individual artist who seeks our support. We want to share our successes as well as our failures and we want to take risks that are larger than we are.

c.) By creating and nurturing physical venue spaces where new kinds of art and artists would be showcased. We wish to promote art that is outside of the mainstream and artists who perhaps may not otherwise be "discovered." The idea of "discovery" is currently one that is ruled by merchandisers and commercial institutions. We believe in another way to be discovered. We wish honor for all artists and we want to provide places where that honor may be received. A large part of our focus is to recognize artists who are passed by on the street, who are excluded from society, who are not recognized in the mainstream "artistic community." By recognizing these artists, we hope to create a new mainstream.

We are aware that there are groups of artists who share our vision. We are aware that there are groups of artists who are already engaging in this dream. We want to meet them, learn from them, join with them. Imagine a multi-national anti-corporation of artists, built on cooperation instead of competition.

Nuts and Bolts:

(1) The Process

No matter what the type of art brought to ArtEntity, there is one guiding principle that remains the same. No money changes hands on the first project. The artist brings their art to the Entity representative, or the artist is approached by a representative. There is an agreed-upon "package" that will be produced. The agreement between the Entity and the artist is simply that the artist keeps 2/3 of the product created and the Entity retains 1/3. This 1/3 of the product will be offered for sale to the public by the Entity as a fundraiser. The artist is free to distribute his/her 2/3 in any way s/he chooses.

Partners in Learning

Once the package has been produced, the artist will be encouraged to provide a service to the Entity. By encouraging this participation, we hope to ensure the completion of the circle of giving. Perhaps the artist who has just finished the first process will have something to share about it with an artist who is just beginning. Perhaps during their process the artist developed connections that would help with the distribution of other artists' work. At its core, the Entity is about Artists Serving Artists.

What Will Happen During the Process?

This will vary from artist to artist. Anything is possible, and it depends on the type of project that we are producing together. One thing remains constant--the artist who is in process has complete creative control over the project being produced and may invite as much or as little collaboration as s/he wishes. That project can take many different shapes from recording a CD to producing an art show, a play, or a film. If we do not know how to do what the artist is looking for, we will learn or find someone who knows. Our desire is to do as much as we can do by ourselves through cooperative learning in order to keep our costs down. But in order to retain the artistic integrity of a project, we will seek out qualified professionals and we will do as much learning as we can from them.

Once an artist completes his/her first process and participates as a partner in learning, s/he may enter into a second process in exchange for a number of volunteer hours as well as 1/3 of the final product. Those volunteer hours may be spent by doing work on a project, spending time as a partner in learning, or working in the Venue (when it exists). The number of volunteer hours will be determined based upon the overall size and scope of the project.

(2) A couple of things that just need to be said out loud

A very important part of this arrangement is that it is cutting costs and hassles by shifting much of the burden of distribution on to the artist. They could end up with a thousand pamphlets that they are unable to place in any bookstore. But they would be getting them for free, so what’s the risk? Just storage space. That's why we do small runs. And that's also why we encourage artists to support one another by opening their own venues, galleries, and bookstores.

Important to note that at different times during the growth of the Entity, it may become necessary to temporarily decline to produce a particular package. For instance, a play, if we don't have a Venue yet. And we need to face the reality that at least every x number of packages needs to sell pretty well to keep the thing going. But there are also some other ideas afoot for keeping things afloat. Keep reading.

It is also important to note that not all forms of art are representable in a tangible format. This highlights why, as soon as possible, the Entity plans to secure a physical Venue. This would provide the space to 'package' non-tangible art (musical/dramatic performances, gallery shows, readings, lectures) and to offer tangible art (books, CDs, art prints) for sale.

Of interest, too, is the role that barter could / should play in this experiment. If an artist has skills they are willing to donate to us, or, say, is a farmer and has food to give us, they could get a better package, or one that has more features, or a larger run size...or whatever works for all of us.

More barter + less money changing hands

= less government & less hassle for us.

Ideally, we will eventually establish a trust fund that will be available proportionally to anyone who wants to put in x number of hours per month volunteering with the Entity. The trust fund would provide subsistence-level income for those connected with the Entity so that each artist would be able to create art without worrying about where their next meal or next month's rent is coming from. We desire to engage in profit sharing with all of the artists as much as possible. 'Profits' could be food, other art works, or, yes, even cash.

Hanging Out Our Shingle, or More Specifics on Alternate Ways to Maintain the Container Company:

The Services we could offer on a for-hire Basis. Members of the Community do these things, on their days off from creating art. These services make us enough money to pay the rent & overhead on the equipment.

We could feasibly do just about anything we wanted to do in order to make money for the Entity. Ideally, we will attempt to locate funding for specific projects by seeking out grants for the individual artists as well as for the Entity itself. ArtEntity is also interested in encouraging artists to get together and start small businesses which would put their talents to work for the community-at-large. These businesses could also provide services to ArtEntity as a donation or at discounted rates (consider the tax write-offs for each business which contributes). We have imagined a number of possibilites and are considering our own for-profit venture as well.

The Venue:

There is an undeniable humanity behind a live performance. It is an experience shared between audience, performers, and the stage crew. It facilitates the formation of a real, physical community. A black box theatre with an eye towards multi-use, music, theatre, and lectures can be assembled in one space for a reasonable price. A weekly gathering of a house band, a weekly lecture series, and availability for other rehearsals and performances might pay the rent. In off times, the space could be generally open as a meeting space, even hiring the space out for groups, meetings, yoga, meditation, etc. Since one of the founders is a chaplain by vocation, the Venue could also be an opportunity to explore alternate ways of being "church" or "chapel" using art, music, and theatre as ways of exploring our connection to the Divine.

Online:

The World Wide Net is not the only answer to our publication and distribution questions, but it is a great tool for informing people close at hand and from a distance about what we are doing and how they can help. We could easily enable a gallery with online sales of the artworks, books and albums we produce; online performances; web broadcasting of a lecture series; and requests for charitable donations and volunteers. The Interweb opens our community up to a potentially global audience. Although a number of us have extensive experience with the Internet, we are at points in our lives when we would rather be involved with something more tangible and immediate. But we are firmly dedicated to putting in as much work to an accurate online presence as is necessary to make this project work.

With enough computer equipment, we could also have an internet café, or digital multimedia production equipment for hire in our studios. Sort of a neighborhood Kinkos.

Music resources:

recording studio, production equipment, and distribution service. We basically have the recording facilities intact, though they could always be improved. We could get video production set up easily enough, and we are currently experimenting with disc pressing. 

Recording studio space:

Having our own space to record musicians and process music will be ideal and doable, we have most of the equipment already among us and the skills to use it. Any skills we lack can easily be found within the community of artists that surround us all. In addition to the production of 'packages,' this sort of set up allows us to hire out for recording, radio commercial production, making soundtracks for puppet shows, etc.

Publishing:

of music, art, and the written word. At first printing can be outsourced and paid for. The next step would be to bring printing and binding in house, or more perfectly, form a relationship (ideally in trade) with an existing independent printing shop so that none of us who want to be making art have to learn how to run all that printing equipment. Also forming relationships with local and national bookstores would appear to be a helpful thing to do. Having our own website as well as websites for each individual artist with online sales could help with distribution.

The farm:

This is a longer-term proposal. But imagine if you will, a piece of land out in the country, but reasonably accessible from the city. This piece of land has, to start with, tillable land for growing crops & maybe raising a few animals (dairy animals, egg laying chickens, etc. - meat animals if that idea passes the approval of the founders). This farm produces (organic) supplies for the Venue's café, with the surplus going to farmers' markets, and the Venue's little shop in the city. As time passes, work is done (with volunteers who want a package) to build (natural, eco-friendly, aesthetically pleasing, comfortable) structures on the land. A group is then able to live there to do the farming. With enough buildings, then, the rural space could take on more of an independent life - hiring out space for retreats, providing meals for retreat guests for a small fee. Perhaps further down the line, the rural space could open up a small restaurant on-site. The kind of place where the meal is served only once a night, at, say 7:30. Perhaps this place is only open Friday and Saturday nights. The meals change each week, depending on what is fresh on the farm. People make a reservation, show up, all sit and eat communally. There would be entertainments by artists, in support of their packages.

Slogan: Come see Packages at The Venue.

Some, perhaps all of these things already exist. Perhaps if we just all got together with what we're already doing we could simply connect the dots.

We are currently working to incorporate as a non-profit organization.

We are artists with a dream...

...Won't you join us?

As far as I know, this document has been worked on by Jon Klein, Paul Gaffney and Dan Gudgel, with verbal input and ideas from Annie Gaffney, Kim Leeth, Morgan Kempthorn, Ivan Corkland, Chris Statton and Karen Stocz. Who are we forgetting or misrepresenting?
soon there will be a space on this page to add comments, and talk about revisions. We welcome your input, for now email us at:
entity AT(@) pureformality.com
why the " AT(@) " it is to prevent spammers from culling the website for email addresses.

Updated Mar 12, 2005 by P.S.G.