I am an artist who works nationally. Many of my friends also work nationally. When we compare our local art market to places of equal size and demographics in other parts of the country we all agree that it often sucks by comparison. Unfortunately our only evidence is anecdotal. QUESTION: Anybody have any ideas on how to quantify art markets? I'm talking private customer purchases, NOT GRANTS TO NON-PROFITS. Too many state and city arts boards measure the health of thier art markets by the size of thier grants, not by measuring the degree to which private individuals collect the work of local artists. As a consequence, arts boards (and by extension states and cities), wrongfully develope superiority complexes. A customer base that is large enough to support regular, full-time employment for artists is what I mean by an "arts market". Are there organzations that measure this sort of thing?
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I have re-read your post and personally think that it is hard to measure how all artists - as a collective can honestly share how much money they make. There are just as many who lie about their sales figures (over exaggerate) as there are those who are honest and equally as many who think their voice doesn't count - only doing about 1 - 5 shows lets say. I have read some reports on some surveys from events about sales and such this might be where the answer starts and then continue into art galleries and such. Many collectors are well connected - have met and talked one on one with a handful now - and how they go about finding their next piece of art can be anything from going to an art show 1,000 miles away to a gallery to an artists studio to even a flea market/antique dealer.
For me what really sucks is a lot of funding is getting cut and we as artists should be among the many to rally, write letters, etc. to get our voices heard. There is nothing more poignant than having "the powers that be" see you or other artists in person talking about how not only they are contributing to the community, but how the community is helping them through the resources that are provided to art organizations - schools, public exhibitions, local art fairs, etc. But then I digress. I share your angst, Dan. Hopefully out of the dust some answers will appear. - Michelle
Please give me the link to CODA's website where they mention "singers, visual art". I tried to find any listing of these categories but couldn't. In their survey, under media categories, "Enamel" was the closest thing to painting I could find. I see clay, enamel, fiber/textile/glass/leather/metal/mided media/organic material/paper/plastics/wood/other. Thanks.
Michelle Sholund said:
Not so - it isn't all about "craft". They define craft as much more - singers, visual art, show promoters, small craft businesses, etc. spanning the whole idea of art. This is needed to then dive deeper into micro "art" categories. You need a big picture to then look at the smaller aspects that makes the whole. I don't know if that makes sense. But many folks are using the survey as it is the only one of its kind - as we know of - that effectively gathered facts and figures to then go to economic development "powers that be" as well as government officials for things like grants, approvals on proposals for taking over defunct buildings and making the into thriving art galleries or even small art school/colleges. Sorry, about getting kinda off topic but am a HUGE believer in what CODA is doing for the art world and in helping artist be all they can be to build a richer art society with many not only just appreciating the arts, but buying it and keeping it alive.
They are in the works of doing a newer test study as the original didn't cover all 50 states and getting enough info from people. Some who reported their income as just $25 to $500,000, for example. There are a lot out there that weren't counted so the $3 Billion is probably much smaller than what is actually going on in the USA. But who knows, a lot has happened over the last 10 years, it would be interesting to learn how much of it has changed and what it means. - Michelle
dan mackerman said:
Thanks Michelle. The Coda survey is great...but it focuses only on craft. It leaves out "fine art" , painting sculpture, etc. (I've always hated the distinction between "fine art" and "craft". How good can fine art be without good craftsmanship? But that's a topic for another time.) The Coda survey asks all the right questions. If there were an equivalent survey that covered all the visual arts. -Dan
Not so - it isn't all about "craft". They define craft as much more - singers, visual art, show promoters, small craft businesses, etc. spanning the whole idea of art. This is needed to then dive deeper into micro "art" categories. You need a big picture to then look at the smaller aspects that makes the whole. I don't know if that makes sense. But many folks are using the survey as it is the only one of its kind - as we know of - that effectively gathered facts and figures to then go to economic development "powers that be" as well as government officials for things like grants, approvals on proposals for taking over defunct buildings and making the into thriving art galleries or even small art school/colleges. Sorry, about getting kinda off topic but am a HUGE believer in what CODA is doing for the art world and in helping artist be all they can be to build a richer art society with many not only just appreciating the arts, but buying it and keeping it alive.
They are in the works of doing a newer test study as the original didn't cover all 50 states and getting enough info from people. Some who reported their income as just $25 to $500,000, for example. There are a lot out there that weren't counted so the $3 Billion is probably much smaller than what is actually going on in the USA. But who knows, a lot has happened over the last 10 years, it would be interesting to learn how much of it has changed and what it means. - Michelle
dan mackerman said:
Thanks Michelle. The Coda survey is great...but it focuses only on craft. It leaves out "fine art" , painting sculpture, etc. (I've always hated the distinction between "fine art" and "craft". How good can fine art be without good craftsmanship? But that's a topic for another time.) The Coda survey asks all the right questions. If there were an equivalent survey that covered all the visual arts. -Dan
Good question. I don't know either. But I often hear that there are areas of the country where art is more highly regarded. But visits to museums or the number of art galleries/art museums does not necessarily mean that the sales are greater....it may merely mean that the area is a tourist mecca....ie New York City, Sante Fe, NM or Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Most likely if there is a measurement of sales of art, those places with the most galleries, auction houses and the most people (cultured) will most likely be the best arts markets. Also, such places as Sante Fe which has succeeded in being the promoting themselves as being the "place" to find the best Southwestern artists may have many less galleries then New York City, but because of its reputation would be considered THE "art market" of the southwest.
Thanks Michelle. The Coda survey is great...but it focuses only on craft. It leaves out "fine art" , painting sculpture, etc. (I've always hated the distinction between "fine art" and "craft". How good can fine art be without good craftsmanship? But that's a topic for another time.) The Coda survey asks all the right questions. If there were an equivalent survey that covered all the visual arts. -Dan
YES! CODA Craft is. Check out www.codacraft.org. They did a big survey - which will soon be updated in about 2 years or so - that found artists (from art organizations, galleries, individual art/craft businesses, etc.) make about $10 Billion a year within the USA. More info about the survey and more is on the website. - Michelle
Replies
Another link - http://www.codacraft.org/dnn/CodaSurvey/OtherStudies/tabid/131/Defa... - links to other surveys and such.
I have re-read your post and personally think that it is hard to measure how all artists - as a collective can honestly share how much money they make. There are just as many who lie about their sales figures (over exaggerate) as there are those who are honest and equally as many who think their voice doesn't count - only doing about 1 - 5 shows lets say. I have read some reports on some surveys from events about sales and such this might be where the answer starts and then continue into art galleries and such. Many collectors are well connected - have met and talked one on one with a handful now - and how they go about finding their next piece of art can be anything from going to an art show 1,000 miles away to a gallery to an artists studio to even a flea market/antique dealer.
For me what really sucks is a lot of funding is getting cut and we as artists should be among the many to rally, write letters, etc. to get our voices heard. There is nothing more poignant than having "the powers that be" see you or other artists in person talking about how not only they are contributing to the community, but how the community is helping them through the resources that are provided to art organizations - schools, public exhibitions, local art fairs, etc. But then I digress. I share your angst, Dan. Hopefully out of the dust some answers will appear. - Michelle
Michelle Sholund said:
They are in the works of doing a newer test study as the original didn't cover all 50 states and getting enough info from people. Some who reported their income as just $25 to $500,000, for example. There are a lot out there that weren't counted so the $3 Billion is probably much smaller than what is actually going on in the USA. But who knows, a lot has happened over the last 10 years, it would be interesting to learn how much of it has changed and what it means. - Michelle
dan mackerman said:
Most likely if there is a measurement of sales of art, those places with the most galleries, auction houses and the most people (cultured) will most likely be the best arts markets. Also, such places as Sante Fe which has succeeded in being the promoting themselves as being the "place" to find the best Southwestern artists may have many less galleries then New York City, but because of its reputation would be considered THE "art market" of the southwest.