Assets for Artists

More than 3 years into the great recession, artists are finding it harder and harder to make a living.

We know times are tough, but we do think the Assets for Artists program (now in its fourth year of operation with an innovative model to strengthen the financial capacity of working artists) is improving the odds of success for our grantees. To better understand how artists are benefitting today and how we can improve our services to them in the future, we’re recruiting Massachusetts artists in all disciplines to share some financial information that will help us evaluate the economic impact of our work.

If you’re a “low- to moderate-income” artist living anywhere in Massachusetts (and if you have NOT enrolled in the Assets for Artists matched savings program), you can contact us to determine if we have slots remaining in our “evaluation control group.” For taking the time to gather and send some financial data, we offer a $100 stipend. It should take no more than 20 minutes of your time to locate and send off the information. Participation in the study does not prevent you from possibly enrolling in the Assets for Artists matched savings program in 2012 or beyond (2012 application deadline yet to be announced). All information will be kept strictly CONFIDENTIAL and used only for evaluation purposes.

Eligibility for the study is based on household income: a 2-person household with adjusted gross income of no more than $50,000 (as documented on a federal tax return) will be eligible. The limit for larger households is an additional $5,000 per additional person, and the limit for a 1-person household is $45,000.

Massachusetts artists in any discipline who would like to discuss eligiblity for the study should contact Blair Benjamin at MASS MoCA by emailing assets4artists@gmail.com. The deadline is Monday, December 12, 2011. Only a few slots are available and will be granted first-come first-serve, so don’t wait until the last minute. Please share this information with other artists who might be eligible to help us strengthen the Assets for Artists program in the future.

ASSETS FOR ARTISTS IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF:

I’m long overdue to introduce the terrific artists all across Massachusetts who have joined the 4th round of Assets for Artists.

This year, with 35 new grantees, there are just too many to do justice to all of them with individual descriptions. You’ll have to explore their own websites (links on their names below) to enjoy their work. It’s an amazing selection of artists. They run the gamut: design; filmmaking; photography; pottery; glass; painting; sculpture; bookmaking; fiber art; storytelling; Jazz; Classical music; Americana.

I’m proud that we’ve assembled such an accomplished and committed group.

This is also a good moment to again thank the generous supporters of Assets for Artists. They include the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Citizens Bank, the City of Pittsfield, the City of Lowell, and the Cultural Organization of Lowell, as well as the federal Assets for Independence program at the Department of Health & Human Services.

Calling all Massachusetts artists: Now is the time to contact your Massachusetts legislators to register support for a supplemental appropriation of $750,000 for the MCC’s Adams Arts Program in FY12. Without a supplemental appropriation, it will be very difficult to enroll new participants in our Assets for Artists matched savings program in 2012. The waiting list in 2011 was very long; many more worthy artists deserve the opportunity to invest in their own prosperity and create jobs in the process.

Please call, write or e-mail your own State Senator and Representative today and ask them to support this supplemental appropriation. Your message does not need to be complicated. Just relate how important Assets for Artists is to you and/or your fellow artist-entrepreneurs, tell them the MCC’s Adams Arts Program is what makes Assets for Artists possible, ask for their support, and ask them to communicate that support to House Ways and Means Chairman Brian Dempsey and Senate Ways and Means Chairman Stephen Brewer.

To find your Senator and Representative, click here: http://capwiz.com/artsusa/ma/state/main/?state=MA&view=myofficials#0

You can also contact the Ways and Means chairs directly by emailing:
• Senate Ways and Means Chairman Brian Dempsey: Brian.Dempsey@massmail.state.ma.us
• House Ways and Means Chairman Stephen Brewer: Stephen.Brewer@masenate.gov

The advocacy messages in support of this program have been getting through on Beacon Hill, but it is important to keep the messages coming.

Thanks, Blair

“…strong artist communities make cities and regions more livable – increasing neighborhood attractiveness and property values, strengthening the local tax base, occupying underutilized properties, promoting neighborhood security through round-the-clock activity, and engaging more residents in the arts. But smart communities don’t just wait for artists to arrive: they need to proactively create local support structures to help artists succeed.”

That’s the core sentiment of a consortium application we just submitted to the National Endowment for the Arts, seeking funds to help scale up the Assets for Artists matched savings program into a diverse range of communities across the country. We feel we’ve put together a model and an infrastructure that other communities (and their artists) can benefit from. Fingers crossed that the NEA’s review panel agrees.

So that means we’re officially looking for local and regional partners that would like to invest in the expansion of Assets for Artists to their community. We have a nice roster of communities that have already expressed interest, and availability will be limited, but for now the door is open to others.

Local partners need to bring resources to the table — both cash (to help match our funding), and some capacity to deliver/coordinate small business training for artists – but partners don’t have to invest in the expertise that would be necessary to build a matched savings program from scratch. In that way, we offer an excellent value proposition. And we have some strategies for securing the local match that might allow communities to tap resources they haven’t previously used in support of artist-entrepreneurs.

If you’re part of a U.S. organization that works to develop the capacity of artists, and if your community is home to a significant number of artists in all disciplines, feel free to get in touch to learn more. Email Blair Benjamin: assets4artists@gmail.com.

We have from now until April 2012 to identify community partners and work with them to secure the necessary local/regional funds.

I had a lot of fun presenting Assets for Artists at New England Foundation for the Arts‘ Creative Communities Exchange a few weeks ago. The conference took place just steps away from my office here at MASS MoCA (which fit my conference travel budget perfectly).

I was joined by Esther Robinson, Founder of ArtHome, based in New York City. Esther has been a key partner with Assets for Artists since the planning phase and is a national leader in developing new, sustainable approaches to helping artists access resources and strengthen their practice. Esther shared the bigger picture of why asset-building tools should be made available to artists, and I talked about the nuts and bolts of how we’ve been doing that here in Massachusetts.

The conference was well attended by creative economy leaders from across all of the New England states, and the format was perfect for encouraging discussions about bringing good ideas from one state to another. We’re now in the midst of some exciting conversations about how to expand Assets for Artists to other parts of New England and perhaps even New York and beyond. We’ve certainly learned from our expansion across Massachusetts that there’s no logistical reason we couldn’t offer the same opportunity to communities in other states, as long as sufficient resources were available.

We have lots of details to work out, and new slots would likely not be available before spring or summer 2012, but the momentum is exciting. Thanks to NEFA for organizing such a great conference and giving us the chance to find potential new partners for this program.