Monday, October 04, 2010

Autumn Season of Community Supported Art Program

Springboard for the Arts and mnartists.org

Announce open sales on the Autumn Season of the popular

Community Supported Art (CSA) program!

September 30, 2010 (Saint Paul, MN)…..Springboard for the Arts and mnartists.org are pleased to announce the featured artists for the second season of Community Supported Art (CSA) and will begin selling member shares to this innovative program on Monday, October 4, 2010. We are pleased to announce we have doubled the number of shares available to 100 and doubled the number of artists/collaborations to 18!

What is Community Supported Art? Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy seasonal food directly from local farms. With the same buy-local spirit in mind, mnartists.org and Springboard for the Arts are joining forces for a similar endeavor to support local art, artists and collectors.

The fall CSA artists were selected by representatives from Springboard and mnartists.org, as well as two artists with family ties to farming. Karl Unnasch, a featured visual artist from the summer CSA program, works from a studio on his parent’s farm near Chatfield, MN. Dessa Darling, spoken word poet and hip-hop artist, has recently been working on writings inspired by her mother’s foray into farming in western Wisconsin.

CSA reviewed over 100 projects and selected 18 Featured CSA Artists/Collaborations:

Richard Barlow, visual artist
www.rbarlow.net

Gene Pittman, photographer & Rebecca Yaker, designer/fiber artist
www.genepittman.com / www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=123770

Jim Proctor,
sculptor
www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=7438

Kimberly Richardson & Sara Richardson, performing artists
www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=97914

Aaron Dysart, sculptor

www.aarondysart.com

Edie Overturf, visual artist
www.labkids.com/overturf


Michon Weeks,
visual artist
www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=11615

Ellie Kingsbury, photographer
www.elliekingsbury.com

Tom Wik, photographer
www.tinylenses.com


Alex Kuno,
visual artist/illustrator

alexkuno.blogspot.com


Kao Lee Thao
, visual artist
www.innerswirl.com

John Jodzio, writer & Laura Andrews, visual artist
www.johnjodzio.net / www.laurandrews.com

Craig Campbell, glass artist
http://www.campbellartglass.com/


Michele Heidel
, fiber artist
www.fennelstudio.com


Jeffrey Morrison
, installation artist
www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=5160


Greg Brosofske
, performing artist
www.gregbrosofske.com


Kimberlee Roth
, ceramicist

www.mnartists.org/kimberlee_roth


Maren Kloppmann,
ceramicist
www.marenkloppmann.com


The selected artists will receive a commission to assist in the production of new work to be distributed through the CSA program. Interested consumers/collectors can purchase a share from Springboard for the Arts and in return receive 2 “farm boxes” of locally produced artwork at two fall pick up events. Each share will included at total of 9 original works for the season (4 at the first event and 5 at the second). Each share will contain a carefully curated mix of mediums, disciplines, value and conceptsas well as a few surprises, just like a garden farm box. One of the intents of the program is finding familiar names and forms mixed with new and unexpected pieces in each share. Featured works could include anything from a pressing of a vinyl 7” record, a small run of screen-prints, or functional porcelain dishware, to limited-edition photographs, tickets to shareholder-only performances, or letterpress editions of a poem or short story. Each member share will also include “bumper crop” of additional artwork and arts opportunities. The pick-up events will be at local art and food sites, and will give shareholders the opportunity to meet the artists individually, as well as enjoy food and music from local luminaries.

Member shares cost $300 for the three-month season and can be purchased on our website, springboardforthearts.org, or by contacting Andy Sturdevant at 651-292-4381 or info@springboardforthearts.org. Sales of member shares begin on Monday, September 27, 2010 and will sell out fast.

The goals of the CSA program are to support artists and to create an engaged community of local arts supporters. CSA supports artists: in the creation of new work, to establish relationships with local collectors and patrons, and to participate in the launch of an exciting new model of art support and distribution. CSA Share member benefits include multiple works of art from local emerging and mid-career artists at a fantastic value! Additionally, CSA Share members have the opportunity to develop relationships with the local artists and art community, discover new artists, explore a variety of disciplines and support artists’ careers and a vibrant community. Our CSA model is being replicated in communities all over the country. Our last season was featured on Minnesota Public Radio and PBS’s NewsHour, and both Minnesota Monthly and METRO magazines selected the program as a year-end “Best Of”.

Springboard for the Arts is an economic development organization for artists. Springboard for the Arts' mission is to cultivate a vibrant community by connecting artists with the skills, information and services they need to make a living and life. For more than 20 years, Springboard for the Arts has been providing affordable professional development services to artists and their organizations. Springboard's programs include one on one consulting, workshops, the Artist Loan Fund, Emergency Relief Fund, Artists' Access to Healthcare and online Job Book and Resource Guide. For more information on our services see our website at www.springboardforthearts.org .

The mission of mnartists.org is to improve the lives of Minnesota artists and provide access to and engagement with Minnesota’s arts culture. mnartists.org is an online database of Minnesota artists and organizations from all disciplines. It offers to Minnesota-based artists a central gathering place on the Web, and will grow to become a marketplace and community hub. It offers the public a new way to explore art and get to know artists. In addition to providing artists and organizations with a web page containing images and information, mnartists.org provides news and features about the local arts scene from a variety of sources. mnartists.org was developed as the result of a survey of Minnesota artists conducted by The McKnight Foundation. The survey revealed the survival struggles of individual artists. The McKnight Foundation partnered with the Walker Art Center's New Media Initiatives group to develop mnartists.org.