Launching into my practice and transforming it into a profession is going to be very challenging. Within this blog I will identify the obstacles which I need to overcome on this journey and enquire into how artists make their living and broaden their audience.
My previous project posed the question “what is high culture and who defines it?” While also looking at the importance of embedding craft within contemporary art through experimentation. I aim to continue this practical exploration within this project, experimenting with new materials and ideally culminating in a final three dimensional piece , continuing the theme of creatures hidden in plain sight.
The Plan
After deciding on my goals and devising a strategy, I have realised that I want to continue to use culturally significant locations, while potentially expanding out of my local area, both within the UK and overseas (while still looking at institutions within Greater Manchester).
To do this I must consider the context of my work and where it would fit best. I want to continue my sculptural exploration and ultimately build a collection of ‘monsters hidden in plain sight’, giving a specific meaning to each individual piece.
I will also need to understand how to effectively apply for grants and funding, identifying key institutions and how to write a persuasive proposal, as well as additional methods of generating income by examining commercial galleries.
Galleries
There are a number of galleries in Greater Manchester and I have visited several throughout this project to try and identify the most appropriate for my work.
When applying to gallery spaces I need to have a clear idea of their audience and how my work will benefit them as stakeholders (You can find references to my communication with galleries in my physical evidence file ) .
The Manchester Museum
Although I do not aim to create art work as a education tool, I am interested in art embedded within museum settings. After much consideration I chose to explore The Manchester Museum, which has a vested interest in Art embedded within its collections.
To make contact with this establishment I took an initial visit to look at the current collections and see the art work (which proved very fruitful). Although the museum is undergoing some large renovations for its ‘Hello future’ project, there was still a great deal of art embedded throughout the collections (particularly in the living worlds exhibition). In this exhibit there were a vast collection of taxidermy animals displayed to explore the theme of ‘ the relationship between people and nature’. A concept which which I felt was very culturally relevant and interesting.
Each area of this collection had a message attached linking to the museums ethos of nature and environmental issues, with each display having some form of artistic adornments to express the theme and enhance the viewer’s experience.
During this visited I gained some staff contact details and from my initial email I was able to gain private access to specific items from the living worlds collection (this can be seen in my Evolved Rubbish blog post,https://lexiart.home.blog/2019/08/22/evolved-rubbish/) as well as build a rapport with members of the curation team. My main point of contact was assistant curator of natural environments, Rachel Petts. Rachel allowed me to explore the collections and invited me to an event called ‘sketch together’, which allowed me to meet other members of the team.
I have also interviewed the curator of living cultures Stephen Walsh. Stephen has been at The Manchester Museum for twelve years and often works with contemporary artists. He was very open and helpful, giving me a real insight into the museum’s process.
My first question was ‘ how are artists selected and what is the process?’ He stated there are a few ways in which artists are selected, one is an open call. These open calls can be seen mostly on social media and because of its instant nature twitter is usually the most successful. In other circumstances the project maybe very specific, where specific artists are targeted for the medium they work in, or the place they come from. For example in 2017 The Manchester Museum, The Whitworth Gallery , Manchester Art Gallery, The Museum of Science and Industry and Band on The Wall received funding to help the people of Manchester to see contemporary art from south Asia. Otherwise, artists will build a relationship with the museum, then curators can decide to have an exhibition of their work. Really the rationale is how can an artist respond to the spaces and collections in new, innovative and engaging ways that you possibly haven’t thought about before.
Stephen also stated that artists are only selected if there work is in line with the mission of the museum at that particular time. And although artists do approach the museum directly wanting to exhibit, it is extremely rare that this happens.
When creating an exhibition is it important for the curator and artist to work together and share goals, as Stephen told me “The curator will help the artist get access to the collections, the archives and different spaces, which provide inspiration for them.” The Manchester Museum’s mission is to facilitate understanding between cultures and also build a sustainable planet, which is something that Stephen pointed out as something that is always kept in mind when integrating artwork into any of the collections.
(Walsh, 2019)
Interestingly, the museum was also showcasing an art piece by Mark Dion titled ‘The Bureau of the Centre for the Study of Surrealism and it’s Legacy’. This is a playful integration of early twentieth century curation and colonialism. This work was purchased by the museum and it uses many of the items taken from the Museums collections. The purchased was also supported by funding from the British arts council.
This fantastic piece is the type of work I aspire to create. Being able to combine real locations and surrealist art pieces is something that really inspires me and hopefully through engaging with places like The Manchester Museum I can one day achieve this.
Commercial galleries
Within this project I also needed to consider how to make a living from the art I produce. As my work incorporates local sights I was recommended to look at commercial galleries in the Greater Manchester area. Most commercial galleries have a ‘style’ or ‘ art form’ they or their customers prefer, this means finding the right gallery for your work and building a rapport with their team is very important.
Therefore, I needed to understand how to build this kind of connection and the workings of selling my art in this type of environment. I then went about contacting local commercial galleries and asking if I could meet with their owners to ask some questions.
Saul Hay Gallery, Castlefield, Manchester.
Vision Statement: Our aim to always celebrate the very best of contemporary art from Manchester and beyond.
The Saul Hay gallery located in Castlefield was the only contact that responded to me, so I set up an interview. The gallery is owned and operated by a husband and wife team, Ian and Catherine who hope to bring art to a wider audience in Manchester. From this interview I was able to establish key information for artists hoping to move into this particular market (local/commercial work) and the gallery’s personal approach to selecting work. I found that the couple got to know their exhibiting artists through other exhibitions and assessed whether they fit their galleries style. I was also able to ask what their clients were typically like. Catherine explained that they tended to be older or retired professionals, with disposable income. She also explained that some larger galleries tend to push the investment aspect to prospective buyers, which is something that needs consideration when developing, pricing and selling a piece of work as there is a very different kind of market, client and value attached to an individual/unique pieces versus work that is easily replicated into different forms of media.
This experience also allowed me to ask simple questions about framing and presentation, which was very enlightening, as well as commission on art sold, as being able to efficiently price up your work to allow for profit is of course vitally important (commission within galleries is usually around 50%).
Saul Hay Gallery, 2016
While I was visiting the gallery there was also an individual exhibition by Paul Digby titled ‘Transcending the figure’. This was funded by the British arts council and based around a five year project working with the British emergency services. This is not the style usually seen within the gallery, but it was powerfully emotional body of work. https://www.saulhayfineart.co.uk/
Creative Recycling Gallery, Chorlton
Vision Statement: Ethical Substantial Eco Contemporary Designs.
This gallery is run by co-owners and artists Fiona Norton and Glennis Andrews , their mission is to look at art from a recycle and re-use mentality. This is a not for profit organisation but relies on attaining money through sales of art works and through classes held at their gallery. http://www.40beechroad.co.uk/
I applied for my work to be exhibited in gallery as I found an open call for artists to submit work through social media. They advertised for an upcoming event called ‘Woodland’. The galleries mission statement links strongly to my last piece of work, as well as the exhibitions. From this advert I applied by emailing some images of my work and a small written piece about myself. I was fortunate enough to be selected and I was able to set my work up the weekend before the exhibition opened.
Call out 
Exhibition poster
As I have mentioned, the importance of finding the right gallery for your work is vital. When preparing for this exhibition I took what I learnt from my meeting with Saul Hay gallery, looking at my prices, audience/potential buyers and location. When working out the cost of my bird sculpture I looked into things like hours put into its creation, materials and potential profit. Although I knew this was unlikely to sell (because of it’s size) I went about working out a price that I would be happy with, taking into account the gallery’s commission. For this exhibition the gallery was offering a special rate of a third off sale price, which meant I received two thirds of the final sale. The price was then set at £695 +VAT. For the print I took a slightly different approach and went about getting a smaller mounted version for the exhibition as people were more likely to buy a smaller print as it is easier to frame and find a place for it in their home or whenever they want it to be located. But also it kept the cost down, as the patrons of this gallery are not necessarily the same as that of Saul Hay and their budgets and tastes are more then likely quite different as this gallery prides itself on being affordable. Therefore I made my print more fitting to the target market of this gallery, the final A3 mounted print price was is £65+VAT.
Overall, I have found this experience a very positive one, Fiona and Glennis have been extremely supportive in what they know was my first professional exhibition of contemporary art. This experience has made me think a lot more about selling my work and the reality of being flexible in that respect.
Comparing both galleries is a challenging task as the creative recycling gallery has a completely different feel to The Saul Hay gallery. Although both sell contemporary works the approach and aesthetics of each are very different.
Reflecting on galleries like Saul Hay, I wonder whether my art fits their specific style and tastes, I also question whether I want their clientele to be my audience. Although I aim to engage a multitude of people with my work, I also need to be realistic with my expectations and goals.
I ideally want to target a wider audience and would like to reach people who would not usually be able to afford original art works for their home. But to do this I will have to make my work more affordable and consider the option of selling replicas and copies. Although I do not feel I am in the position to fully make decision this yet, it is something that I will have to consider a great deal in the future.
As a developing step from this, I have had some postcards made to see their quality and if this is a feasible sales route to go down in future. I am also awaiting a response from the John Ryland’s library to see whether they would be interested in selling them.
Funding
From the initial stages of this module I did not understand the funding process, which I think hindered my progress as this is an extremely important factor in any artist’s career development.
There are a variety of funding bodies, with funds ranging from small grants to much larger amounts. These can be found in number of different places, however some are allocated for very specific projects (e.g. community engagement) and it is imperative when applying for funding that the requirements are met by your desired art practice.
During this investigation I have been able identify relevant funding bodies that fit with my work and I have selected a few examples below.
British Arts Council
One of the most prominent funding bodies within the UK is the British Art’s council. This body has a number of different branches, which allows for a wide variety of Artists and other practitioners to applying and receive funding. Supported by the National Lottery, project grants provided by the British Arts Council can: support asset purchasing, develop your creative practice and local community engagement. Below is an overview of the ‘Development your creative practice’ funding, at this stage of my career this is the most appropriate grant.
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/
Heritage Fund
The Heritage fund is supported by the National Lottery and helps artists develops their work within a community. Their vision statement is “Inspiring, leading and resourcing the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future” (Heritagefund.org.uk, 2019).
This is of particular interest to me as I am keen to embed local landmarks and heritage within my work but there are certain criteria/outcomes you have to meet to be eligible (nine in total, one mandatory). These outcomes have been set out to ensure work fits within the set framework.
Our outcomes
There are nine outcomes in total. Every project we fund must achieve our mandatory outcome.
Some funded projects will only achieve the mandatory outcome, others might achieve four or five.
There is no obligation to name more than one, and we strongly encourage you not to claim more outcomes than you really think you can deliver.
- Mandatory outcomeA wider range of people will be involved in heritage
- Heritage will be in better condition
- Heritage will be identified and better explained
- People will have developed skills
- People will have learned about heritage, leading to change in ideas and actions
- People will have greater wellbeing
- The funded organisation will be more resilient
- The local area will be a better place to live, work or visit
- The local economy will be boosted
https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/funding/outcomes#outcome-1 (Heritagefund.org.uk, 2019).
I aim to achieve mandatory outcome one as well as outcome five. However, as both of these are large funding bodies there is a great deal of competition involved.
At this stage of my career however my most viable chance of getting funding awarded to me is looking at smaller pots of money within different organisations. One of which I have been looking into is the a-n Artist Bursary. A-n or the artist information company is an organisation designed to support artist from multiple disciplines. Their mission is to ” Stimulate and support contemporary visual arts practice and affirm the value of artists in society” a-n, 2019. The bursary they provide is between £500 and £1500 and is developed to support artists in many different ways, such as; develop their practice, travel internationally, learn new skills and attend conferences to name a few. Although you have to be a member of a-n to apply for this funding, it does award a large number of artists, however at this time not students.
I also wanted to look at the overall picture and what funding may look like in the future. To do this I read the Experimental Culture report, which outlines and predicts trends, challenges and expectations of funding for the arts.
This report was carried out by NESTA and commissioned by the British Arts Council, being a major body of funding for artists around the UK. The report looks between now and 2030 and highlights the key areas they are looking for in applicants.
From this it appears that many changes are happening within especially with regards to funding, with the likelihood of public funding being largely reduced (creating a barrier for new and upcoming artists). However, the report also states that there are new opportunities for artists to explore, such as, crowdfunding or mirco-payments and there is the chance to promote ourselves globally with more encouragement to expand into the tourism market.
There was also the overarching theme of audience demographics. The horizon scan stating that the population is living longer and that artists and creatives should seek ways of engaging this growing audience with disposable income wanting to invest in art works.
However, the most striking information from this document was the ‘type’ of creative work audiences wanted, with the idea to expand to a younger market. It was argued that art and engagement needs to be more appropriate to this age group. However, in contrast there was a reduction in arts based teaching hours, creating a decline in cultural education, greatly effecting geographic areas of low social mobility.
The report uses the word ‘novel’ to attract attention, in this context I am lead to believe it means art should be engaging, unusual and original. It also needs to be marketed to a wider audience and especially to those living in low socio-economic areas.
Although novel as a definition means ‘new’ and ‘innovative’, it can also be interpreted as a negative, as art just created for novelty can lose its contextual value. Although art can be decorative, great contemporary art should hold some cultural value outside of aesthetics. To reach this wider audience there is a balance required, where the art is ‘fresh’ and ‘unique’ but also intelligently stimulating.
Residencies
As part of my art practice I also want to include travel and cultural diversity as a continuing theme. For this reason I looked at potential residencies and what they can offer me as an emerging artist. Residencies are often very competitive and being able to successfully apply means you have to ensure that you select appropriately and communicated effectively. A point brought up in my earlier discussion of galleries and exhibiting establishments.
Throughout my studies I will endeavour to apply for residencies that I believe are suitable for my practice and will help develop my skills and experience. To date I have applied for two residencies, both of which were highly sort after cultural experiences.
Castlefield Associates
Castlefield Gallery offers an membership programme which is there to support contemporary artists in many different ways. Although there is a cost with this membership, it is nominal for the returns. You gain access to temporary spaces where you can work, critical sessions and lecturers as well as one to one advisory sessions and as a budding artist these could prove to be very beneficial to my practice.
As part of the Castlefield association I applied for a residency in Denmark, again fitting with my theme of travel and wanting to incorporate locally iconic scenes with my sculptures. I also wanted to look at the cultural diversity and similarities we share as nations, further allowing my work to develop, explore and educate. I was unfortunately unsuccessful at getting this residency, however I did find the experience helpful in understanding the level of quality required for this type of residency.
Ise City, Japan
I also put in a second application for the Ise city residency in Japan found on the British Arts Council website. This was a two week residency based in Ise city Japan, where artists would be asked to explore traditional Japanese culture and heritage sites and were expected to submit a comprehensive statement discussing why they should be selected. This was my first experience applying for anything so competitive and although I understood my chances of being successful were slim I felt the experience was invaluable. I was unsuccessful in this case, however I was able to start defining my arts practice and identifying what I wanted to achieve.
From these experiences I will continue to apply for relevant residencies of varying levels. There are a few organisations I have been looking into with residency opportunities. Places such as ResArtis and On the Move, have been particularly useful. Although it is important to apply carefully as some have to be self funded in part or in full.
Monsters hidden in plain sight….
Throughout this project I have been working on my practical exploration and developing my physical body of work. I have utilised the connections I have made at The Manchester Museum to gain special access to specific items in their collections. This has helped me developed my creatures conceptually and has had a very positive effect of the final outcome of my work. For see more information about this please see my’ Evolved Rubbish’ blog.
Finally…
As a contemporary artist it is important to constantly strike up new relationships and network within the industry. Being able to form connections with galleries and other artists is extremely important. The way artists work as freelancers can often be seen as unstable, which is why having good links with other creatives and a specific audience is extremely important. Although using galleries and selling work in a commercial way can be seen as conflicting to some artists, it is sometimes a necessity to survive and knowing your audience and how to market to them is vitally important.
I have found that discovering my real world context in relation to this module has been a real challenge, as a growing artist I want to not only find my own style and niche but I want to find a place where my art fits best. I have made a good connection with The Manchester Museum and I aim to continue cultivating this relationship, which can be seen further in my ‘Evolved Rubbish’ blog post
( https://lexiart.home.blog/2019/08/22/evolved-rubbish/).
Referencing List
a-n The Artists Information Company. (2019). About a-n – a-n The Artists Information Company. [online] Available at: https://www.a-n.co.uk/about/about-a-n/ [Accessed 9 Aug. 2019].
Artscouncil.org.uk. (2019). Creative People and Places 2019-23 | Arts Council England. [online] Available at: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/creative-people-and-places/creative-people-and-places-2019-23#section-1 [Accessed 19 Jul. 2019].
Castlefieldgallery.co.uk. (2019). Castlefield Gallery Associates | Castlefield Gallery. [online] Available at: https://www.castlefieldgallery.co.uk/associates/ [Accessed 20 Jul. 2019].
Heritagefund.org.uk. (2019). Strategic Funding Framework. [online] Available at: https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/attachments/Heritage%20Fund%20-%20Strategic%20Funding%20Framework%202019-2024.pdf [Accessed 19 Jul. 2019].
On-the-move.org. (2019). On the Move | Europe. [online] Available at: http://on-the-move.org/funding/europe/ [Accessed 29 Jul. 2019].
NESTA (2019). Experimental Culture: A Horizon Scan for the Arts and Culture sector. [online] London: NESTA. Available at: https://www.nesta.org.uk/report/experimental-culture-a-horizon-scan-for-the-arts-and-culture-sector/ [Accessed 22 Jul. 2019].
Resartis.org. (2019). About Residencies | ResArtis. [online] Available at: http://www.resartis.org/en/residencies/about_residencies/ [Accessed 22 Jul. 2019].
Saulhayfineart.co.uk. (2019). [online] Available at: https://www.saulhayfineart.co.uk/ [Accessed 17 Aug. 2019].
Walsh, S. (2019). Working with Contemporary Artists in Museums.
Bibliography
NESTA. (2019). Homepage. [online] Available at: https://www.nesta.org.uk/ [Accessed 22 Jul. 2019].
Hospitalfield.org.uk. (2019). Residencies – Hospitalfield. [online] Available at: http://hospitalfield.org.uk/residencies/ [Accessed 22 Jul. 2019].
Hopkins, A. (2019). Funded Residencies « Cove Park. [online] Covepark.org. Available at: https://covepark.org/funded-residency-programme/ [Accessed 22 Jul. 2019].
Expanded Art Practice 