Help Fund The Social Art Movement

Donation Amounts

• $50 - $500 – Works of art and a small consultation (see below for details)
• Over $500 – Works of art and interactive art experiences (see below)
• $1000 – A VIP dinner with one of our artist (your choice, from those participating), and a custom work of art.
• $1500 - A VIP dinner table with 3 of our artists (your choice, from those participating), as well as a guest of your own, and, EITHER a custom work by each artist OR a large work done live by all 3 artists at the event of your choice.
• $2000 – Have an entire wall in your home or office done with a custom mural by one of the fabulous artists of the Movement (your choice, from those participating).

We are all familiar with and embrace the history of the Inuit vision, as illustrated in the beauty of their art. Their vision of the transformation of animal to human and vice versa as subject matter in their work has intrigued me for many years.

Now there is another transformation taking place, that of the land. My purpose in this project is to explore that environmental transformation and how I interpret it with Southern visual language.

I myself feel a distinct disconnect from the effects of the changing global climate on the North, where it is the most dramatic. Here in a growing city in the South I do notice a change, but the effect on my daily life is negligible. I’m Canadian, and should by definition be sensitive to what North means other than a point on a compass. This is indeed virgin territory for me.

I strongly feel that this is a perfect, albeit lamenting time to look at the North with a visually examining eye. We need a visual record of the environmental revolution taking place, its effect upon the land and all that walk upon it, the ocean and all that lives in it, and the sky and all that flies through it.

It is essential that an awareness of the changing North is seen by us in the South from as many angles as possible. We have all seen reports in the media. People like Dr. David Suzuki have been instrumental in cultivating that awareness. I see the task at hand  as taking the awareness into the realm of the creative: to visually portray the effect our progress is having upon a place that is as ancient as the earth itself; to see the effect upon the human and animal inhabitants that have lived with and of the land since time immemorial.

The scope of The Tundra Project shall have two facets. The first will comprise the creation of large scale paintings made out on the land. The paintings will provide both of our cultures an opportunity to see the North as it is changing with Southern visual language. The second will be the making of a documentary video to chronicle the process of the project, and those bearing witness to it as well as their reflections upon it.

The process of the project will entail propping the working surface of full sheets of plywood (8’ x 4’) against built easel structures out on the land facing the plain air subject. Besides the painted imagery I will also employ a router to carve out dream images that relate to the painted composition, as I have done in past paintings. The paint itself, (oil) will be applied using a number of brushes, scrapers, rollers and whatever else seems fitting for each piece.

In keeping with past works the resulting pieces will neither be photo real nor abstract but a distinctive hybrids. As far as how many paintings will be executed I will only know after the beginning of the series, but I do plan on taking approximately 2 months to complete the project.

I plan on employing an Inuit film maker to chronicle the journey. The film maker will have complete creative freedom as I want the project to be witnessed through Northern eyes. This element is critical to the successful marriage of North and South. There would also be a marriage of languages mixing of both Inuktitut and English, a further enhancement of the cultural bridge.

As I have never been to our youngest province, I’m sure there will be some tactical hurdles to get over. Finding a studio to store the work and supplies is one that immediately comes to mind. Not to mention a place to live for 6 to 8 weeks.

My research so far is bearing some early fruit as I have been making contact with some very helpful people in Rankin Inlet. Already I have been in contact with one possible film maker for the documentary. There is of course a lot more work to be done.

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by Kurt Rostek
www.kurtscanadianart.com, The Artword Blog
kurt@thesocialartmovement.com

From our series on COLLECTING ART.

Image: reconstruction of the theft of Munch’s The Scream; BBC Art Crime series.

Attention millionaires all over the world – and fellow optimists still striving for our first million: are you tired of carrying around that full wallet and looking for something to invest in? Or at least looking to just keep your money safe? Look no further than the ever-expanding art market! You get a great return on your investment when the piece appreciates in value; beautiful artwork to display around your home; a conversation piece for your next soirée; and maybe even a face-to-face meeting with another fellow art enthusiast – the art thief!

Over the years, the black market has become a lucrative one for art thieves and organized criminals to conduct business. Most recently, Egyptian antiquities are the most popular collectibles to enter this market. Although the annual turnover of stolen cultural property cannot ever really be calculated exactly in dollar values, since this line of work is not exactly legal by any nation’s definition of business practises, international authorities like Interpol and UNESCO estimate that this number is well into the billions of dollars. Once introduced to the market, items will move quickly in and back out; transferring hands a number of times.

And it isn’t just art auctions or institutions they go missing from. A large majority of art passing through the black market is stolen from personal, private collections.

Art to artists and art enthusiasts alike may be priceless, but the trend is such that, today, many wealthy people have turned to what is being called ‘investments of passion” by investing big bucks into art. Some of the more well-known pieces are being bought at seriously hefty price tags, with Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” leading the pack and making history by being sold for nearly US$120 million at Sotheby’s last year. This, obviously, makes selling stolen pieces, especially ones so valuable, even more rewarding to thieves.

Fun fact: “The Scream” has been a target, and recovered, from several elaborate and high-profile heists in the past. Extra points if you can tell me where and when.

The aim of investing in art for many of the world’s wealthy is, I’m told, to store millions – if not billions – of dollars every year in what is perceive to be a low-risk investment. But proven time and time again, even this contingency plan of keeping safe money can backfire. And backfire it does, every time a we see a multi-million dollar piece of artwork stolen.

Criminals follow the art market and international art auctions closely. They’re also willing to follow the dollar anywhere in the world if it results in a big payday for them. And it may not even be criminals who’ve thoroughly planned elaborate and movie-quality heists. Insiders, with access to valuable art pieces or entire collections, have joined their fellow heist-planners by committing “crimes of opportunity” and taking their chances by channelling sales through the black market.

So what happens to a piece of art after it is stolen?

More on that next time.

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by Olta Meleqi
@OltaMeleqi on Twitter
olta@thesocialartmovement.com

From our series on APPRECIATING ART. 

If you feel as strongly about the education of children as I do then you might agree that there is work to be done on the art front in general. 

I’m speaking primarily about public education, where art has been squeezed into a templated minimalized curriculum to simplify assessment.  It is taught as a subject minus the creativity. Unless, as is often the case, the teacher involved is passionate about their work.

So if you are a parent, what do you do about it? 

One would hope that long before a child registers for school they have experienced art and design in their lives by way of enlightened parents. Few us have been raised among artists or gallery owners but that should not matter. Parents who wish the best possible education for their children will have memberships to the galleries, and attend art shows, symphonies, and artesian festivals with their kids in addition to enrolling them in sports clubs. 

It is never too early to have conversations about art. 

A few things you can do at home:

• Buy real art and show it in every room in your living space
• Take your family to galleries, big ones and small
• Pick up the catalogues and talk about what you see
• Use the language of art and design routinely
• Select games and puzzles with creative and artistic content

The Starry Night Master Kit from Mastermind is one of many toys to teach kids about art.

You get the idea; this is just a starter list to get you going. I recall helping my kids to make their own deck of cards with masterpieces cut out of old books from the Good Will to play Go Fish. There are unlimited tutorials on the Internet that are fun to watch. Try watching Art Attack on YouTube, then go outside and give it a shot.

There art camps for kids that centre on art, including, of course, music. Instead of birthday gifts, relatives or grandparents might fund such a camp or lessons, if the child shows interest.

Imagine your son or daughter with a collection of Artist cards including stats that are as valued as a baseball card collection.

The Internet is incredible but the local library is where the fun really happens. Sign out biographies and talk about the lives of artists and the dramas surrounding them culturally (or access some fun videos, like this one about Picasso and Van Gogh).

Dress up as a particular favorite for Halloween, or better yet have a party where everyone chooses an artist to mimic.

This is not so much about turning your kids into artists as it is about turning your kids on to the world of art and design. 

In my view if the creative seed is not there it’s next to impossible to grow it. However having a working knowledge and historical perspective of art propels us into critical thinking, not just in art but in all areas.  Simply put, it helps us develop intelligence. We need our children to possess the intellectual appreciation for beauty. Art is the original source of this. It should be a fundamental part of family life and early childhood education.

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by Maggie Broda
www.maggiebroda.com
@5novas on twitter, facebook.com/maggie.broda
maggie@thesocialartmovement.com

From our series on ART MARKETING. 

There are many obstacles independent artists face when trying to start their careers and showcase their talents to the world. The market is very competitive, and finding exposure for their work becomes one of the biggest challenges.

So, as an artist, what should you do to increase your exposure in order to greaten chances at success? As we argue in previous blogs, the key word here is YOUR exposure, not that of the art that you spend your life working one. Why? Because you are your brand.

Here are 4 tips from skinnyartist.com that independent artists should use to maximize their exposure at little to no cost.

1. Create your own personal website

You want to make sure that you have your own website set up to showcase your work. More importantly, remember to take advantage of all the social media platforms out there, such as Facebook, Twitter, Behance, Tumblr, Deviant Art, and Instagram. Artists should always keep in mind that these platforms aren’t only for you to reach out to potential buyers but also for business professionals or buyers to reach out to you for various opportunities. There are always companies out there that love to support local or independent artists.

2. Network with the local art community

Artists should always be on the lookout for local art events. Bring your business cards and go to these events, and network! People love to talk to others that share the same passion as they do. You will be amazed by how many fellow artists and potential buyers there are who will like to hear your story and connect with you. Talk to them and remember to send them a follow-up email after you collect their business cards.

3. Connect with businesses

There are many businesses in the community that want to position themselves as supporters of local artists and patrons of the arts. It is crucial for artists to connect with businesses and business professionals for more opportunities to showcase their work. Go out and reach out to them, and sell them on your engaging story and motivations for your work. Everybody loves a story, and artists always have great stories to tell. Even if some businesses don’t currently support art, use it as an opportunity to sell them on the benefits that they can gain by supporting a local artist. Try to find a strategy that gets in line with their branding, perhaps, or helps them realize how much good art can do for their business and their local community. Who can say no to that?

4. Reach out to charities

Charities are the place that is most unlikely to turn down people’s request so go ahead and take advantage of it! Go to them in person and donate your art work for more exposure. Charities also tend to have numerous connections with business people, so also remember to visit frequently and build connections.

Promoting your art is all about selling yourself. There are millions of talented artists out there, but what separates you from them is the personal qualities that YOU possess. So remember to always go out there and network and build personal connections, and tell your story. People don’t want to support a piece of art, no matter how good; they want to support the people who they want to see succeed.

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By Charles Li
charles@thesocialartmovement.com

From our series on APPRECIATING ART. 

The warm weather is finally here to stay so I’ve been out walking my dog and thinking a lot about Tactical Urbanism. I found the simplest definition of tactical urbanism on the internet, “a small urban intervention”, by one or more citizens who wish to bring about local improvements. An example would be planting a butterfly garden in a weedy vacant lot. From an art perspective street graffiti might qualify but that is more akin to “guerrilla urbanism” because the graffiti may not be considered an improvement by everyone.

Whether tactical or guerilla the shared outcome is “DIY spatial practices” for art. And the significant word at play here is “tactical”. Letting us know it has had some careful thought applied to it and by design is meant to bring about a better environment for the greater good of the community. It is, however, not officially approved by a specific authority such as a city council, nor does it follow any code for health and safety.

Still, it could be a graffiti artist but with fewer tattoos and piercings, more Birkenstocks, and a bubble tea with some friends from the birthing centre getting involved in a Yarn Bombing.

Have you seen any of the Yarn Bombs? Or Yarn Storms. If you spot a tree or lamppost with a colourful knitted sort of sweater on it you know what I’m talking about. Not tied on, mind you, but lovingly knitted in place.  It’s a bit like seeing a Banksy. This is part of what I feel is a movement to get out into the city and show a caring mindset to the location. Not permanent, but still illegal in reality, though no one has ever been charged with anything.

Good thing or bad? I love it. Street Graffiti is an accepted even sought after art form  and just the beginning. We need to add more ways to place art everywhere in the urban neighborhoods. 

Some months ago an organization called Bank on Art selected a painting from a series I created titled, Beautigraph, to be used as a  screen saver for bank machines worldwide. It seems to me that placing original artwork in novel places was a great idea and I began to imagine lists of other unusual places for art.

How can art become more integrated with this trend? Social media inspired the flash mob. What might be the artist’s version of that?

A call out to: choose a colour, bring a large brush, and meet in the AGO parking lot to paint a masterpiece on the asphalt. Would that work?  Artists using chalk to create illustrations on the street who get paid by the city.  That would be nice.

Beautigraph title: The History of Behaviourism

Tactical Urbanism could mean we would see park benches, picnic tables, and even fire hydrants as works of art. A subway train could become a gallery where artists might show their work digitally and along with the ads above the seats with poetry to read. Very soothing during a long commutes.

Imagine putting and end to urban eyesores by having artists transform them into objects of beauty. Yes, more art is needed and always will be. I’d love to read your ideas so give it some thought next time you are out enjoying our great city and let me know what you come up with.

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by Maggie Broda
www.maggiebroda.com
@5novas on twitter, facebook.com/maggie.broda
maggie@thesocialartmovement.com

From our series on APPRECIATING ART. 

Image Source

This is the first piece from a series of articles entitled The New Age of Visual Art. In this series, I will expose readers to the modern era of art – one that encompasses technology. 

For centuries, humans have created artwork on traditional woven canvases with traditional tools such as paint brushes and pencils – but in the 21^st century it’s all about using technology to improve the efficiency of activities. Thus, digital painting was created.

Digital painting is the process of creating art on digital tools (i.e. computers) on virtual canvases. Software such as Photoshop, Open Canvas and SAI Painter is often used to facilitate the creation of artwork. Many digital artists use a pressure-sensitive pad and pen – formally called a “tablet” – to draw on computers.

Painting of an apple by Winnster

Why draw digitally? There are many advantages to using a tablet and creating art on a computer. There’s the environmental factor – digital artists do not consume as many natural resources because they do not need cotton for canvases, animal hairs for the bristles of a brush or wood for easels. Also, the creation of digital art is generally easier than traditional work because there are digital tools such as the “undo” function and the eraser tool. Lastly – there’s the spatial factor. Digital painters do not need to store paints, new canvasses, completed work and painting tools. They also do not need to clean up messes or dirty brushes after making art.

Despite the evident advantages of digital art, traditional art still remains a dominant form of art today. There is an irreplaceable charm to being able to view the details of every brush stroke that only traditional forms of art can produce.

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by Winnie Lao
winnster.deviantart.com
winnie@thesocialartmovement.com