According to an Americans for the Arts report published May 26, 2020, 62% of artists and creatives have become fully unemployed due to the COVID-19 crisis. Nationally, artists and creatives are expected to see income loss in 2020 that will total approximately $50.6 billion. Additionally, 94% of all artists and creatives have reported some form of income loss and 66% are unable to access the supplies, resources, spaces, or people necessary for their work. The $2.3 trillion CARES Act, which was supposed to include financial support for independent contractors by offering Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, has only had a 32% success rate among artists and creatives.
Despite this, 75% of artists and creatives report their work has been used to raise morale, create community cohesion, or lighten the COVID-19 experience for those in their community.
The picture this paints is a dire one for the arts community. Not only does it expose immense suffering in the present, it warns of lasting harm that will be unmercifully repeated if similar pandemics or other disruptive crises threaten the United States in the future. But while other sectors may have seen drastic reductions in demand due to the COVID-19 crisis, the fact that the majority of artists report their work has been used positively during the pandemic is noteworthy because it appears to suggest a continued need for creative products. This notion seems to be supported by data which shows surges in demand for associative creative products, including streaming services, literature, music, and other media. If the reduction in demand for creative products overall is, in fact, minimal, what the Americans for the Arts report seems to then reveal are inherent vulnerabilities in the systems artists and creatives rely on to bring their work to market and earn income.
What exactly are these vulnerabilities?
Here are two I believe to be the most significant:
- A dependence on rigid and solitary distribution networks (e.g. — galleries and performance venues, etc.) whose operations can easily be disrupted by numerous foreseen and unforeseen events (e.g. — natural disasters, pandemics, poor management, etc.)
- A dependence on luxury goods, high-end goods, and other non-replicable or non-scaleable products (e.g. — original paintings, limited-seat event tickets, etc.) which are offered to a select niche (whose own financial security is easily disrupted by things like market dips and other foreseen and unforeseen events)
These dependencies result in a system of extreme fragility, but one many artists and creatives are forced to rely on to make a living. If we wish to see the arts community thrive, this must change. New, innovative approaches to the current distribution model must be explored. New techniques for production must be investigated.
I sought to address this particular challenge by creating a web-based exhibition that would showcase one possible distribution model that would also provide a form of passive, sustainable income through an online experience. Additionally, I hoped to demonstrate one methodology artists could employ to recreate the power of direct experience lost to them by gallery closures — and I would do this by utilizing the interactive capabilities of the web. The Space Between is the first in a series of immersive online art exhibitions that brings the experience with regional art out of the gallery and into our homes. It is scheduled to go public on June 5, 2020.
Here are the strengths of this model as I see it:
- It utilizes the strengths of long tail economics by providing unrestricted access to a range of products (including replicable ones) at a variety of prices, with inventory that is easily managed.
- It is a self-contained, non-time-restricted showcase of work on a controlled platform (I own the website and have full control over its content and products, which will always be available for sale)
- Data I receive through visitor interaction with the exhibition site will provide immediate and relevant information I can use to adapt my process (It will add to my level of agility)
- It allows me to maintain a traditional practice (I will still be able to create original artwork) while providing the ability to reach new markets via online distribution, all while taking advantage of the power of scale.
I invite you to visit The Space Between on June 5, and if it inspires you in your own artistic or creative practice please share it with others you believe will benefit from it as well.
Stay Creative.