Nothing for you all today, except this amazing short film I found via Fazed.

Last week I wrote about appropriating Missoula’s public spaces for a renegade art show in the alley. As I was still setting up the show, a young mother walked into the alley with her two young sons. I stopped setting up and grabbed a roll of newsprint that I had and tore off a generous sized piece. I duct taped it to the ground and set out two pint glasses of colored Sharpies.

“Are you guys artists?” I asked , inviting them to draw on the paper as I continued setting up. I wanted to keep their mother in the alley so that she could see all of the work, and also so that her presence might attract other people into the alley to look at the art.

The kids colored away busily as I finished setting up. Their mother looked at all of the art, and she was the one who said, “I’m so glad you’re doing this!” Over the course of the evening, many other kids would attack the Sharpies and fill the newsprint with their own spontaneous art. And when I say that they attacked the Sharpies, I’m serious. I’ve never seen such dented Sharpies as I did after those kids used them.



But it wasn’t just the kids that were busy coloring away. I caught at least three adults over the course of the evening gripping the colorful markers and losing themselves for a few minutes.

One of the problems with art and the art industry is that for the consumer, art is often very expensive. That all changes for one day only, this Saturday, when The Ceretana Gallery hosts a Cheap Art Salon.

The Ceretana Gallery, located at 801 Sherwood Ave in Missoula, [click for map], will host a Cheap Art Salon Saturday, June 16, from 12 Noon until 8PM. Artwork from numerous artists will be on display and for sale. All artwork will cost $50 or less.

So after you’re finished at The Farmers Market and the People’s Market, swing by the Ceretana and pick yourself up some great art at deep discount prices.

The Missoula Cultural Council has redesigned its website at www.missoulacultural.org.  The site specifically focuses on resource opportunities for artists, organizations, and the media.

A directory and an event planning calendar for the performing and visual arts are available to the community free of charge. All artists and organizations are encouraged to submit information for both the comprehensive cultural directory and the event calendar. The community events calendar will be integrated with the Missoula Convention and Visitors Bureau to provide visitors to Missoula as well residents a great resource to find events going on in the community. The calendar will provide lots of practical tools such as letting website visitors schedule email and cell phone text reminders of events they wish to attend.

It’s easy to submit your information to the site if you are an artist.

1. Click the Submit an Artist button at the bottom of the page
2. Complete the form

Your listing should appear within a day or so after it is approved by an administrator at MCC.

I received an interesting email from the Missoula Cultural Council this week and thought that it is definitely worth sharing. After reading it, I’d be interested in people’s thoughts on the subject of art as a product vs. art for art’s sake. Please share in the comments.

STUDY SHOWS $34 MILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND

1174 JOBS ARE GENERATED ANNUALLY BY

THE NONPROFIT ARTS AND CULTURE INDUSTRY IN MISSOULA

JUNE 6, 2007 – The Missoula Cultural Council announced today the results of the economic impact of the nonprofit arts industry in Missoula. These local results were compiled as part of the most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted in the United States. Entitled Arts and Economic Prosperity III, the study was conducted in 156 communities and regions (116 cities and counties, 35 multi-county regions, and 5 states) including Missoula. The Missoula Cultural Council helped to facilitate the gathering of the detailed economic data from 21 arts organizations that were among 6,080 local arts organizations surveyed nationwide. Americans for the Arts, which conducted the national study, is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America.

The local data reveals that Missoula’s nonprofit arts industry generates $34 million in economic activity annually, including:

• 1174 full-time equivalent jobs
• $20 million in resident household income
• $1.5 million in local government tax revenues
• $1.2 million in state government tax revenues

“This study clearly shows what the arts and cultural community have known for years: that the arts industry in Missoula contributes mightily to the local economy,” said Tom Bensen, MCC’s Executive Director.

The $34 million total includes $12 million in spending by arts organizations and $22 million in event-related spending by arts audiences, excluding the cost of admission. This reflects an average of $25.88 per person in spending for hotels, restaurants, parking, souvenirs, refreshments, or other similar costs—with non-local attendees spending more than three times as much as local attendees ($53.06 compared to $16.78).

Nationally, according to Americans for the Arts report, the nonprofit arts industry generates 5.7 million jobs and $166.2 billion in total economic activity every year, resulting in $29.6 billion in federal, state, and local government revenues. The $166.2 billion total includes $63.1 billion in spending by arts organizations and $103.1 billion in event-related spending by their audiences. The total economic activity has a significant national impact, generating the following:

• 5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs
• $104.2 billion in resident household income
• $7.9 billion in local government tax revenues
• $9.1 billion in state government tax revenues
• $12.6 billion in federal government tax revenues

The full report, including both the national as well as the Missoula data, is available at www.missoulacultural.org

“I’m so glad you’re doing this!” the woman said to me as she walked out of the alley. She had been out on a walk with her two young sons on a beautiful summer evening in Missoula when she stumbled upon my little impromptu art exhibition. Her sons were little artists themselves, and spent quite a bit of time coloring and drawing on a large piece of newsprint I had taped to the sidewalk, while their mother slowly walked up and down the alley, perusing my artwork.

After writing about graffiti as public art, I wanted to do some cool sort of public art myself, but wanted to do it in such a way that many could enjoy it and no one would be offended. So I packed my car full of most of my artwork and headed downtown to be a part of the First Friday Artwalk that Missoula hosts downtown each first Friday of the month. I didn’t make it to the alley until after six o’clock, and I wasn’t fully set up as the first stream of curious people began trickling in, but it was fun to have people watch me as I set up the DIY gallery.

People know that art is important, and in Missoula every first Friday of the month, they come out in droves to mingle, see art and buy art. I’ve done art shows in the past, and I’ve usually spend a good amount of money on fliers and postcards, sent out a blast email and all well in advance of the show. I wanted to see how well I would do with a one night stand in the alley, no marketing, no advanced notice, no pretension, just art. About 200 people walked through the alley that night. Some of them I knew, many of them I didn’t. It seemed that everyone was having fun and enjoying themselves.

As the evening wore on, I must admit I was a little frustrated that no one had bought anything. When I did the art in the alley show last year, it was in a different alley. I wondered if my location wasn’t right? Last year I sold some work in the alley. Sure, this year I had some inquiries, some people took a card and said they were thinking about it. But no solid sales. The sun was going down, and a guy I know only casually asked, “How much for these two?” I told him, he said, I’ll be right back,” and he left for a few minutes. He came back with cold hard cash an a promise to call me once they are hung in his house. Very cool.

I’m not sure what I’m doing next month. A business in town has approached me as a result of the show in the alley and asked if I might be interested in displaying work at their business for the month of July. I’m hoping to get something worked out on that front, and if a “real” show doesn’t pan out for August, look for me again in one of Missoula’s alleys. The only art gallery in town where you can bring your dog or smoke a cigarette while you look at beautiful art.