As I waited for the concert at the Temple of Dendur in the Metropolitan Museum of Art to commence on NPR this past weekend, the director of The Met, Thomas P Campbell, took to the podium to share his thoughts on the four works we were about to hear.
Since this was a commemorative concert dedicated to the memory of those impacted on Sept. 11, 2001, Campbell shared that the four works had been carefully curated for their themes on reflection, solace and inspiration.
The concert included the breathtaking debut of William Basinski’s, “
The Disintegration Loops,” where the repetition nature of the score reveals a thoughtful reminder of what falls away and what remains. It reminded me of art: what is curated and what falls to the wayside.
Campbell shared with the audience during his opening remarks that after the attacks of 2001, Mayor Guiliani phoned the museum asking them to keep their doors open for the public.
It was a story that I missed in 2001, but one I was glad to hear now.
With the doors freely open to the masses, people flocked to the museum’s halls to experience these markers of our time created often during our darkest and most illuminating moments.
Art has this ability to provide a sense of balance because when it is true, it is timeless.
It is the thing that causes people to bury their instruments in the sand as artists did during the reign of the Taliban, or cause a family member to sew a cherished canvas inside a jacket to protect it as a friend’s Hungarian relatives did during the time of Hitler.
I also realize I might be tempering the water when I state that I have always thought of museums as churches. After one of our darkest days, Campbell shared his memory of a museum full of people seeking reflection, solace and inspiration. I feel that I am in good company when I hear stories like this.
This next week, we stand at the beginning of
ArtPrize 3. As with every year, I am filled with reflection as I watch the hype machine go into full force.
As I reflect on the people who flocked to The Met, I cannot help but wonder what is at the core of us that makes people attracted to art in the first place?
The easy answer is that someone has curated this particular collection over time and maybe that is the best answer for ArtPrize as well. But when an event like ArtPrize happens only once a year, are there other factors in our community beyond the banners and baubles that adorn our streets and our bodies?
One group that I have been quietly tracking over the past few years is
ArtPeers, a self-organizing group of artists and arts supporters that began before ArtPrize even launched their first press release to the public.
Their concern, according to Erin Wilson, one of the early organizers, was to “acknowledge and pledge to support area artists on a greater level.”
ArtPeers’ pledge to support each other also encouraged people to attend 12 art events per year. (Or in simple terms, one per month.)
It might not seem like much to the average reader of Rapid Growth -- our stats indicate you have no problem making this quota -- but for the casual reader or someone unfamiliar with the arts world, such arts advocacy is one sure way to sustain artists in a community.
This is not to say that ArtPrize does not generate income -- it does, in fact, generate a lot of money. I’ve always been very proud the event that generates the highest sales for our area businesses is not a sporting or rock concert or convention, but an event devoted to art. ??Yet as we peer over the data, there is one area that is always missing from the reports on the economic impact of this annual event.
The impact on our restaurants, hotels and area cultural institutions numbers is a known and wildly praised, but what is the economic impact of this event for local artists?
ArtPeers figured out a long time ago that the best way to combat this long before ArtPrize emerged trend that seemingly ignores or overlooks local artists is to take matters and place them into the hands of the artists.
In the years that have followed since its inception, the members have formed a guild that aggressively seeks to assist artists learn how to price their work for this market and determine a value for services rendered based on shared experience and education. (They are in the process of a survey right now to compile this first time data.)
??Lastly, ArtPeers will be launching a major piece this week focused on the health care needs of this community emphasizing proactive vs. reactive care.
This week, while we begin to get ready for the onslaught of tourists who will arrive to our city for the 18-day ArtPrize affair, it might be a great time to check out a couple of the events being held in conjunction with ArtPeers’ annual Fall Festival.
Just like
Prospecto discovered last year, ArtPeers has figured out that trying to hold anything during ArtPrize’s first weekend launch is a futile effort if your goal is to attract a crowd, so they will be returning with Salmagundi III and other programming related to their Fall Festival this weekend. (Prospecto 2 arrives Sept. 30-Oct. 2.)
For ArtPrize or any art-focused festival to be successful going forward, we need to be reminded about the fuel that makes this all happen -- the art.
The future of our arts community is still in the hands of the people who either vote using a handheld device or by those who will curate (i.e. purchase) a piece for their home.
It is up to all of us to do something if we think art does have more power than just something we “plug in” once a year.
We need to actively promote art, which is truly great whether local or from outside the region. It means we will act as curators by rejecting art which trivializes itself or is not excellent.
Our history shows us that excellence still has a role in our lives. Art has to touch us in a way that our very soul is somehow attached to the work. And it is more than just being precious, as evidenced by art best described as trite.
The ability to cast a vote is the ability to curate the type of future we want to live. The same is true of ArtPrize, ArtPeers and any other art-themed event when we vote by not just showing up, but by making sure we commit to support the very people who truly do make Grand Rapids a wonderful place to call our home by their contribution.
And while ArtPeers offers plenty of activities this week to highlight and educate concerning our local arts community, next week when ArtPrize begins I thoroughly encourage everyone to flock to their speaker series. It is one of my absolute favorite aspects of this festival that is not to be missed.
At the conclusion of the Metropolitan Museum of Art program, according to NPR’s Anastasia Tsioulcas, “the audience responded with utter eloquence: two minutes of astonished silence, followed by wild applause.” Call me a drama queen (guilty) but I really think the pause is overdue in this world because it is the moment of reflection that is often missing in our lives as we race at breakneck speeds to take it all in.
In many ways, my hope for ArtPrize 3 is that we will not get lost in the commercialization, but begin to understand art as we embrace the depth of many of these works.
Sure, some are schlock and may not speak to you and others may be so lofty they produce a headache from the altitude, but I can tell you this: While ArtPrize may not pack the punch of Art Basel or the New York Armory show, it is the discovery of those works with the real power to silence us that we should be seeking to find.
And maybe with a little luck and effort, we might see something remarkable transform our community while acknowledging in the months ahead the role artists play in our lives.
The Future Needs All of Us (to curate it.)
Tommy Allen, Lifestyle Editor
Email:
[email protected]
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Update on
It Ain’t Necessarily So:
While at the time of press earlier this month, no official statement or notice had been delivered to Rapid Growth about the sudden appearance of fees at the new UICA facility, it has since been revealed that after ArtPrize ends on October 9, UICA, famous for their no entry fee structure for decades, will indeed be offering a free night every Tuesday from 5 – 9 PM. (Entry during ArtPrize, as well with all other venues participating, are always free during the festival.)
In addition there is indeed a new level of
membership for the artists (and educators, students & seniors) of $25. a year. This is a welcome discovery and one that I applaud.
The points made about the threats to our counter culture, however, still remain very real and of concern not only to myself but to the readers of G-Sync who many wrote notes and letters of support for our addressing a topic impacting our region.
Please Continue To Support Local Art. – TA