Look around you. From the moment you awake in the morning, you are surrounded by the work of an artist, a designer, an architect, a builder....need I go on. Here are a few staggering statistics from the Americans for the Arts website, nearly 3 million Americans are employed by creative industries. Art exports are a 30 billion dollar business. Non profit and arts and culture industries generate over 166 billion dollars in economic activity each year. Those numbers do not include for profit galleries, independent artists and other creative industries. Americans donated over 307.65 billion to the arts in 2008. Creative industries are growing while many other segments of our economy are stagnant. The Creative Coalition of Greater Milwaukee is currently working with a grant of $146,000 to strengthen the arts in the M-7 region of Wisconsin. I urge you to learn more about Richard Florida's Creative Class. Creativity is the new face of our global economy and it is the innovative that will not only survive but thrive in the years to come.
Back to art and every day life. I have often discovered that the greater one's sense of self on has, the more driven they are to create an environment that reflects that strength. I have visited a number of my clients homes. I am blown away by the personality and individuality these home exhibit. From serious collectors to your everyday creative decorators, their homes contain paintings, unique furnishings, sometimes murals or faux finishing projects. You can go back through history to the first cave paintings to see that we are driven to create something that defines us. Those reflections are also found in our music collections, the food we cook and the books we read. We are so beautiful in our distinctiveness. It is comforting to be surrounded by people who create things we can relate and connect with.
Watch for an upcoming project created by the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network, MARN, which will focus on those who collect and appreciate art and artists. I think it will give artists valuable insight into those we seek to reach.
Take a look at Richard Florida's Creative Class website to learn more about this movement.
Take a look around you and enjoy the world that surrounds you. From the colors you choose, the styles you enjoy, the literature that moves you to the clothes you wear, you are a work of art. Celebrate it and never forget how amazing and essential it is to life.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Be an art advocate.
Hello all,
I plan on posting once a week, but until then, let me tell you why I started this blog. Art is powerful and if artists don't begin to realize the value of their art in their communities, the economy and in the lives of our kids, we are in trouble.
Here are some future blog topics I want to bring to you.
What would our world be like if art did not exist?
What is happening right now to help you increase the value of art in our little part of the world?
Where can you go to find more information about art advocacy?
What can you do to create value in your art?
What are the major do's and don'ts to market and promote your art?
If you have any other topics on art, please let me know.. I'd love to begin the discussion.
I plan on posting once a week, but until then, let me tell you why I started this blog. Art is powerful and if artists don't begin to realize the value of their art in their communities, the economy and in the lives of our kids, we are in trouble.
Here are some future blog topics I want to bring to you.
What would our world be like if art did not exist?
What is happening right now to help you increase the value of art in our little part of the world?
Where can you go to find more information about art advocacy?
What can you do to create value in your art?
What are the major do's and don'ts to market and promote your art?
If you have any other topics on art, please let me know.. I'd love to begin the discussion.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Welcome to my Blog!
Welcome to Art Eminence.
I've been a fine artist for over 30 years. My specialty is portraiture. I worked as an illustrator for 15 years for an art distributor. My job was to use every kind of media to create every kind of subject matter. So, I guess that has made me a jack of all trades. For the past 5 years I've had to come to grips with a diminishing ability to see the world as clearly as I had for so many years. So now I'm an artist who struggles to see yet sees clearly how amazing the gift of art is to have and to lose.
My background has provided a new path to explore. I have written web content, have reviewed books, have served on many boards for a wide variety of art organizations. I help manage Almont Gallery in Waukesha, WI. I show in Algoma at the Flying Pig Gallery and Greenspace and Art & Soul in Wauwatosa. I work with so many amazing artists. I volunteer as an art advocate. I also work extensively in marketing and promoting myself and other artists.
The name Art Eminence comes from my belief that art is a powerful force; emotionally, physically, economically and spiritually. Art has the power to transform nothing into anything. It brings a quality of life that cannot be expressed in words or statistics. If you are an artist, I hope to motivate you to place value on your work and on your profession. I urge you to never underestimate your ability to influence the world around you.
I've been a fine artist for over 30 years. My specialty is portraiture. I worked as an illustrator for 15 years for an art distributor. My job was to use every kind of media to create every kind of subject matter. So, I guess that has made me a jack of all trades. For the past 5 years I've had to come to grips with a diminishing ability to see the world as clearly as I had for so many years. So now I'm an artist who struggles to see yet sees clearly how amazing the gift of art is to have and to lose.
My background has provided a new path to explore. I have written web content, have reviewed books, have served on many boards for a wide variety of art organizations. I help manage Almont Gallery in Waukesha, WI. I show in Algoma at the Flying Pig Gallery and Greenspace and Art & Soul in Wauwatosa. I work with so many amazing artists. I volunteer as an art advocate. I also work extensively in marketing and promoting myself and other artists.
The name Art Eminence comes from my belief that art is a powerful force; emotionally, physically, economically and spiritually. Art has the power to transform nothing into anything. It brings a quality of life that cannot be expressed in words or statistics. If you are an artist, I hope to motivate you to place value on your work and on your profession. I urge you to never underestimate your ability to influence the world around you.
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