We’ve just created a “Group” on LinkedIn for members of the Fractured Atlas community.

If you’ve got a LinkedIn profile and are interested in a little networking, you should consider joining the group.

Today’s Metro New York reports on a scary crime wave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn:

Of Brooklyn’s police precincts, Williamsburg’s 90th, which encompasses the gentrifying South Side plus its central and east sections, has seen the greatest rise in crime over the past year — 13.49 percent — according to Compstat data. The neighboring 94th precinct, which includes Williamsburg’s tonier North Side and Greenpoint, has seen a 6.38 percent crime hike — the borough’s second-highest increase.

“Gang violence in the community [has] re-emerged into something we haven’t seen since the 1980s,” said William Orellana of community group El Puente.

Williamsburg (and neighboring Greenpoint and Bushwick) may have the highest density of artists of any neighborhood in the country.  And although there was a vibrant Latino arts community there for decades, the Williamsburg of today is best known as a hipster haven, thanks in large part to the huge influx of (mostly White) artists who’ve come in droves since the mid-90s.

Reading about the sudden surge in gang violence made me think of a post I read on the Freakonomics blog yesterday:

The paradox of economic growth is that the same mechanisms that create great wealth –secure property rights and rule of law guaranteed by an independent judiciary — also give rise to great inequalities in its distribution. Private property provides a powerful incentive to produce wealth for oneself while simultaneously denying that same wealth to others. Wealth does trickle down to the rest of the population, but often not fast enough to avoid political strife and worse….

Economic libertarians argue that this growing inequality is unimportant: aren’t the poor of 2008 still far better off in terms of real income, health, life expectancy, and material comfort than even the richest citizen in 1900?

The fallacy of this argument is that human beings do not measure their well-being by absolute real income or longevity — but rather in relative terms. To paraphrase H.L. Mencken, a wealthy man is one who earns more than his wife’s brother-in-law.

Further, a growing body of research reveals that the social and medical costs of inequality are high…. Among both American states and Canadian provinces, homicide rates closely track income inequality, even after the absolute level of income itself is carefully controlled for. That homicide is not driven by poverty alone is demonstrated by Canada, where, because of aggressive redistributive policies, the poorest provinces have the lowest inequalities and also the lowest number of violent deaths.

It’s impossible to say right now what exactly is or isn’t going on in Williamsburg.  But I know for a fact that the extremely rapid gentrification of the past 10 years has created a lot of resentment and pent-up hostility towards the newcomers who are changing the face of the neighborhood. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn that this is a contributing factor in the current crime wave.  The irony is that artists tend to see themselves as victims of the gentrification process (since they can rarely afford to stick around in a neighborhood after it’s become hip), while to other neighborhood residents they look an awful lot like the perpetrators of that gentrification.

This all points to the importance of sustainable economic development built on a foundation of neighborhood self-determination.  Rising real estate prices cannot be the only measure of urban economic progress.  As with any ecological system, diversity creates strength.  As a society, we desperately need to develop better strategies for urban economic sustainability.  And as artists, we can’t continue to feign ignorance of our role in these processes.

From our friends over at the Alliance of Artists Communities comes a great service — ArtistCommunities.org — a searchable database of national and international residency opportunities.  Want time and space to develop new work? Want to know more about opportunities for artists? A subscription to ArtistCommunities gives you access to the most comprehensive, accurate information source on artists’ communities, colonies, and residencies. There is also a monthly e-notice of upcoming residency deadlines, grant and fellowship opportunities, calls for artists, career development opportunities, and more. This is a one-stop shopping guide to artists’ residencies for visual artists, writers, composers, choreographers, scholars, filmmakers, community artists, architects, and more!

And there’s a discount for Fractured Atlas members!  Check out this listing in our Special Offers section for more info!

If you are an artist looking to advance your career, a funder or researcher interested in the field of artists’ communities, an institution or association that wants information on resources for artists, or anyone who wants to be better informed about support for creative work, you should definitely consider subscribing.  This is a very important service that everyone can make use of!

A great nation needs all kinds of heroes.  Soldiers.  Diplomats.  Defense attorneys.  Firemen.  Graphic designers?

There is very little doubt that George W. Bush was elected President in large part thanks to a crappy ballot design.   (Really, it’s hard to imagine a worse layout.)  Following the 2000 election debacle, there was much talk of subpar ballots in use throughout the country.  Since then, however, very little has been done to fix the problem.

Richard Grefé and Jessica Friedman Hewitt of AIGA (a design trade association) are working to educate the powers that be about what good ballot design might look like.  Let’s hope someone’s paying attention.

Watching the Democratic National Convention last night, I was struck by one of the most significant but rarely discussed aspects of a potential Obama presidency.  Barack Obama would be the first president in memory - to my knowledge the first since Teddy Roosevelt - to come from an urban background.  He grew up in Honolulu and has spent time in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Boston.  This isn’t merely a biographical curiosity.  It contributes to an unprecedented focus on urban policy for a major national politician.

America’s cities are stereotyped either as enclaves of effete, intellectual socialists or as concrete wastelands packed tight with welfare-dependent leeches.  Authentic American individualism and entrepreneurship comes from the midwest, right?  Not so much.  The reality is that our cities provide massive subsidies to rural America.  This is perhaps best illustrated by a report from the Tax Foundation showing a breakdown of which states receive the most federal aid compared to their tax contribution and which receive the least.  (If you’re feeling feisty, check out this hilarious but informative rant from the day after the 2004 election.)

Over the coming years, America’s dependence on its cities is only going to grow, and our cities are going to play a bigger and more important role in the 21st century economy than they have in decades.  Mainstream policymakers are finally starting to understand the creative economy - which is inextricably linked to urban environments - and its potency as an engine for economic development.  Cities are hotbeds of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.  At the same time, rising fuel costs and environmental consciousness highlight the benefits of mass transit and population density.

Yet the myth of rural/suburban authenticity and urban sloth is so entrenched that politicians with ambitions to national office wind up tripping over each other in an effort to see who can most shamelessly pander to the farm lobby.

All of this goes to show why it’s significant that Barack Obama has quietly made urban policy a centerpiece of his campaign platform.  His urban policy plan contains some of his most detailed prescriptions, including symbolic steps such as the creation of a White House Office on Urban Policy and major investments in things like public-private business incubators.

The Obama campaign has published an arts platform as well, but I believe its ultimate potential impact on the arts community would not be as great as that of a more broad-based investment in America’s cities.

Cities provide the social context for so much of our collective artistic output.  Yet rising real estate prices, deteriorating infrastructure, and a host of other problems are driving artists from cities like New York in droves.  Some are landing in places like Philadelphia that are savvier and more progressive regarding urban cultural policy.  But many others are bidding farewell to the US altogether and heading for foreign cultural hotspots like Berlin.

Retaining a vibrant arts and cultural sector in American cities won’t require massive public subsidies or a huge increase in the NEA’s budget.  Artists are experts at making do with very little and generally rise to the challenge when given a chance to prove their worth through merit-based processes.  What we need is a proverbial level playing field.  In part, that means paying our cities even a fraction of the attention we’ve historically paid to rural America.

P.S. - Mainly out of genuine curiosity but also in the interest of fairness I did some research on John McCain’s urban policy and arts policy positions.  Alas, it turns out that he doesn’t have either (at least not published by the campaign).  The only comments I could find from McCain on urban issues were, uh, a bit scary.

On a Friday afternoon in the summer, what’s better than an opportunity for catty remarks and self-important smirking?  I sure can’t think of anything.  So sharpen those claws and prepare to bask in the glow of the 25 most powerful people in the nonprofit arts.

Hmm…  Apparently I’m number 26 (or so says my mother).

Feel free to use the comments to list any obvious omissions.  I’ll start.  How about Kate Levin?  She’s only the head of the largest government arts funder in the country and the arts czarina for the cultural capital of the world.

Check out Add-Art.  It’s an extension for the Firefox web browser (which if you aren’t using, you should be) that replaces most web advertising with images of contemporary art.  Here’s how the project is described on its site:

Add-Art is a Firefox extension which replaces advertising images on web pages with art images from a curated database.

It is a free and open source project, currently being developed at the Eyebeam Development site.

Of the 100+ add-ons available for Firefox, “adblockers” are the most popular. The most current, Adblock Plus, has over 18 million downloads (as of May 2008) since Jan 2006 (currently over 250,000/week). It’s predecessor, Adblock, has been downloaded over 8 million times. These extensions work by preventing advertising images from downloading and replacing the ads with blank space. Their popularity has risen as pop-up ads, banner ads, and ads incorporating sound and animation have permeated the internet.

For many, replacing ads with blank space would be enough. Add-Art attempts to do something more interesting than just blocking ads - it turns your browser into an art gallery. Every time you visit the New York Times online or check the weather you’ll also see a spattering of images by a young contemporary artist.

The project will be supported by an small website providing information on the current artists and curator, along with a schedule of past and upcoming Add-Art shows. Each 2 weeks will include 5-8 artists selected by emerging and established curators. Images will have to be cropped to standard banner sizes or can be custom made for the project. Artists can target sites (such as every ad on FoxNews.com) and/or default to any page on the internet with ads. One artist will be shown per page. The curatorial duty will be passed among curators through recommendations, word of mouth, and solicitations to the Add-Art site.

With the overwhelming popularity of adblockers, if Add-Art were to attract 5% of existing users, the numbers would be in the hundreds of thousands. Add-Art can bring contemporary art to the desktops of all types of people at home and in their workplace - all over the world.

Semi-random Note #1: Unfortunately it isn’t compatible with the latest version of Firefox (3.0.1), but they’re apparently working on a fix.  In the meantime, if you’ve got an earlier version, it’s definitely worth giving this extension a whirl.

Semi-random Note #2: There is some debate over the ethics of ad blockers like this.  Critics say that web publishers have a right to display ads and that advertisers have a right to have those ads displayed when they’ve paid for them.  There’s an undeniable logic to this view, and I suppose it could always be enforced in a web site’s terms of use.  However, on a practical level, I believe any efforts to fight this trend will prove futile and that publishers’ energies ought therefore be redirected towards creative solutions that don’t alienate their readers/audiences.  We’re living in a TiVO world.  Advertising had better be relevant and compelling if it expects to be tolerated.

More results from our 2008 national survey aimed at better understanding your professional development needs. So far, we have discussed the universal and career phase needs of artists. Now, I’d like to quickly touch on some of the generational needs we discovered in our research.

Generation Y (born between 1980-1994) - The older half of Gen Y artists are exiting undergrad or grad school and are eager to quickly “make it happen,” especially after loan payments come due and life expenses increase.

“I am 26…I am beyond working for free. There is no security and no real long term claim to ownership if the work of the company (I dance with) does eventually make a profit.” – Dancer, NYC

“We need information on how to set up a lifestyle that will allow us to pursue art for the long haul.” – Musician & Actor, Los Angeles

Generation X (born between 1965-1979) – Many Gen X’ers have been in the field for a while and feel like they “hit a wall.” Some are combating this stagnation by trying to “step up their game;” others are starting to think about law school; some have managed to build a good reputation and are experiencing a fair amount of success. The more established X artists need help managing the new challenges of a successful career, such as: long-term financial planning, sustaining momentum, protecting their IP rights, etc.

Many are grappling with tough decisions about starting a family or pursuing their career while providing for the children they already have. Some are being told to give up their dreams and “be responsible.” Some are saying “f%#@” convention, by choosing to stay unattached and nomadic.

“I have held off on graphic design since having kids, how do women and men plan for family and still make a living in the arts? …HUGE issue for female artists.” – Graphic Designer, Louisiana

“I stopped being an artist for four years to be a real estate agent and almost went nuts…I was told I was being selfish to want to be an artist as a parent…then I realized my kids were growing up not even knowing who their mother really was. I learned the hard way, you can’t ever stop being an artist…its just who you are. ”- Director, Georgia
Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964) - many boomers are just returning to the arts after a long hiatus caused by life’s distractions and they want to integrate creativity back into their life. Others are just discovering latent talents and are eager to fully realize them. These artists express a need for career transition management.

“My kids are grown and I have a freedom I didn’t have before. I figured; why not move from teaching about playwrights to being a playwright. So I enrolled in a PhD program in creative writing and I am directing my first play next month.” – Playwright, Georgia

Other Boomers have enjoyed a very fruitful artistic career and worry about how to firmly establish their legacy. They want strategies for documenting their work in art or performance history books; establishing institutions that will carry on their artistic mission; or simply communicating how their work is still relevant.

As mentioned, we are working to expand the Fractured Atlas Development Program to better meet your needs by developing our online training center (Fractured U.). Also, we are developing a network of highly qualified consultant and coaches who can provide customized assistance to artists trying to plan, launch and manage their careers/companies. For more information contact me (kamal.sinclair@fracturedatlas.org) or Adam Natale (adam.natale@fracturedatlas.org)

As mentioned, we conducted a national survey and a series of phone interviews to better understand the professional development needs of artists. In the last post, I outlined the most common needs expressed by your peers. In this post, I thought you might be interested in understanding how your needs varied by career phase.

Emerging Artists feel like they know how to make art, but are ignorant about the operations and infrastructure of their own industry. They don’t know what it really takes to be a working artist. Most reported being told by a teacher or mentor to “just persevere at all costs” in order to achieve their creative dreams, but were not given more practical insight into the day-to-day reality of their career.

They feel the lack of information is very disempowering and causes a perceived loss of control. Therefore, emerging artists especially want an education in industry structure, functions, vocabulary, and norms; which can be a source of empowerment and create a sense of career control.

“What is the vocabulary? What is the process? Who has the power? Where do I get started? Where should I live? (NYC or Los Angeles?) How do I get an agent, or join the union? How can I avoid being scammed? How do I get an exhibit?” – collage of emerging artist comments

“I would love some sort of a boot camp in business concepts for artists. Also, we need a way to mediate the connection to capital. Artists are uncomfortable asking people for money, they need an advocate. A workshop on pitching and presenting materials would be great. We have to learn about fundraising or getting investors for our vision. I wish I had templates or someone to spoon feed me the steps on how to save money. Individual sessions would be great! It’s hard to accept that you have to be involved in the selling process, but it would help to have a partner. It would be great to have general business knowledge tailored for filmmakers…that would be great!” - Filmmaker, Los Angeles

“I have questions about how to sell music and make money, because CDs aren’t selling, technology is changing, new ways are emerging to support yourself….I hate having to push my CD…it is such an artist conflict, you want to sell your stuff, but you want to remain humble.” –Musician, Florida

Established Artists need help getting “unstuck”, overcoming worries about peaking, taking control of their careers, taking actions toward getting the next gig, managing their “brand”, getting emotional support when their social network changes, and overcoming the negative aspects of the industry.

“My career is being pulled by the market in one direction, but I have to push it in the direction of my creative (non-monetary) goals. If I was smart, I would just do what the market demands and make even more money, but I just don’t want to make stuff for money’s sake. If I did, I could be making a whole lot more money right now.” – Photographer, San Francisco

Again, we are working to expand the Fractured Atlas Development Program to better meet your needs by developing our online training center (Fractured U.) and developing a network of highly qualified consultant and coaches who can provide customized assistance to artists trying to plan, launch and manage their careers and companies. For more information contact me (kamal.sinclair@fracturedatlas.org) or Adam Natale (adam.natale@fracturedatlas.org)

Just wanted to update everyone on our 10th Anniversary Party plans since the event is rapidly approaching (save the date - Friday Sept. 19th!).

We will be grooving to tunes provided by The Vintage DJ, dazzled by exciting raffle prizes and astounded by the brilliantly beautiful new, LEED certified, Galapagos Art Space where the event is being held.  The party will be free and open to the public from 8pm-11pm. More details to follow as they become available…

We hope to see you there!