Artists without networks and the barriers we face.

Thinking back two years ago when I did my first local art show. It was a crash course in learning about networking and collectives.

I was on SUCH A HIGH from this show. I wanted to continue the feeling, and wanted to try to build some hype up around my name. I applied to a few galleries in town, and applied for upcoming group shows. Everything came back as a "No", and I went into a crisis mode thinking I wasn't good enough yet.

My art wasn't up to par yet for some of the opportunities I applied to, I could readily admit that. But while I would continue to improve my art over the last 24 mths, I would also continue to apply to local art opportunities, and continually be met with "No thank you".

Then I would notice the names that kept reappearing as the artist(s) chosen for this project, or that project, or this mural, etc. I recognized that this was a group of peers that hired within, and they were all fresh graduates of prestigious art schools. There was no new names to learn about. The same group of names had this local area of good art opportunities quite covered it seemed.

So many barriers. How does an adult who is far removed from art teacher connections and school peers, breach those walls and get their art seen?

Have you ever sat in a cafe, and admired the art on the walls? Maybe you noticed it was locally made- there is usually a mini biography accompanying the art. Have you ever wondered "how" the art got put up on those walls?

It's all about connections in the community. Who you know.

And a mixture of luck and timing. If you are lucky to know cafe owners, work for one, or have family that have those connections, and your portfolio of work is decent, MOST OF THE HARD WORK IS OVER. You literally get to hand the art over to your cafe owner connection, and they hang it up, and you await a sale.

Sometimes your art doesn't even have to be good. If there is no existing competition for the space on those walls, almost any quality gets hung up. That being said, the art may sit on those walls and never get sold. For some artists, just having their art out in public is enough. For others, it needs to sell to pay bills.

Artists needing to pay bills will be flocking to the hot cafes, galleries, store fronts and prime mural spaces in busy city areas. Fighting over the rights to have their art stationed there. This is where connections really matter, an artist's proximity to respected art peers/schools and teachers win the most coveted areas to display their works. Also money helps. Sizeable donations made to a gallery can result in some available wall space.

I mean, if you have a sizeable following already and your name generates a level of excitement in the area, the connections fall into your lap. I'm not talking about anyone with enough of a following that businesses beg for the chance to show your art. That's a whole other talk for another day.

Unfortunately, a lot of the time these connections are incredibly hard to make for the average broke, disabled artist. There is a huge financial x time avaliable barrier to getting into esteemed places and building connections/networking.

Let's break it down;

To network, one must show up at other artist's gallery openings. Chat with them, visit their studios, invite them back to yours. One must befriend gallery owners and put in volunteer work towards the art community. I mean it makes sense right, you want to be a good part of the community you belong to. One needs ample time to be able to do these things. If you have to work two jobs and commute, cope with your medical conditions and make art, where is the time or energy to do any of the other things for networking.

It's not the same as when a neurotypical person decides to “just make a sacrifice in their schedule to find the time.”

Joining an artist collective helps immensely with networking and building community. A lot less travelling around which is a big plus. But, Artist collectives charge a monthly fee, starting at 100$ and it goes up. The fee goes toward group showings, maintenance of the studio and promotion for the collective.

For the disabled artist, that monthly fee is a barrier. I can list twenty things I need to pay for in my disabled salary, before I can consider joining an art collective.

(I did reach out to the Guelph Arts Council last year and through a series of communication, was granted permission to use the mini Art grants towards joining an art collective.)

📣DISABLED ARTISTS IN GUELPH CAN USE THE ART GRANTS TOWARDS JOINING ART COLLECTIVES/THEIR MONTHLY FEES.📣

Problem is (there's always something, eh?)

Problem is that I need free time to show up for the meetups, art shows and to donate time to cleaning the studio and updating the website.

Raising two kids without a community, means there's no free time. I need the time I have to make the art to pay the bills . I have to wait until more free time opens up on my end. (And now I'm hunting for a new place to live. This is not the year for big art breakthroughs for me at all.)

(helping me out w/the show 💜)

But others can and hopefully will take advantage of the opportunity! It's not public knowledge yet, hopefully the GAC will make it more publicly known. In general, as a society we don't prioritize disabled artists enough.

And we've BEEN THROUGH IT. Our art speaks volumes.

The Creature Art project that I get to work with, is based in Austin, Texas. A whole other country away from where I'm stationed. My friend (INCREDIBLE in demand Texas artist) had been initially asked to join the project, but they had too many art projects on the go. They talked to the project coordinator, and they gave them my portfolio. *NETWORKING MAGIC*

And thankfully the project coordinator took a chance on me. They liked what I did for them last year, and invited me back again this year.

But I never would have had the opportunity, had my friend not done their part to get my work seen.

The Punk Rock Gives Back project, wouldn't have known I existed if not for a prominent artist friend in the scene who thankfully namedropped me when it mattered. Otherwise, without the connections, I was just another artist name in a large pool of punk rock artists.

I am forever greatful to my friends, and I feel like it needs to be discussed more. Connections and networking are a huge part of a lasting art career.

As I come up to barriers, I’m mindful of every one I've crossed. As I break through a wall, I’m mindful of the ones who won't be so lucky.

I want to smash all class systems, I want broke disabled artists to have more equal show/gallery opportunities. I’ll find a way some day.

Ness-Hulk Smash those class barriers.