I D E A S
c u l t u r e , o u r s t o r i e s . I t r e f l e c t s
w h e r e w e l i v e . I t ’s t h e s e a s o n s .
I t ’s t h e p e o p l e . S o t h e p a r a l l e l
i s e a s y f o r p e o p l e t o u n d e r s t a n d
- b o t h o f t h e s e t h i n g s , f o o d a n d
a r t , a r e m a d e b y p e o p l e w h o
l i v e i n o u r c o m m u n i t i e s .
Can I be honest? I ’m uncom-
fortable
ith these compari-
sons of art and food. Personally,
I ’m not sure about measuring
transcendent arts experiences
against the basic need to eat.
O h , I ’v e h a d t r a n s c e n d e n t f o o d
e x p e r i e n c e s . [ L a u g h s . ] B u t w i t h
a r t , b e c a u s e i t h a s t h a t t r a n s c e n -
d e n t q u a l i t y , p e o p l e d o n ’ t n e c e s -
s a r i l y w a n t t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e
r e a l i t i e s o f b e i n g a w o r k i n g a r t i s t .
S o m e t h i n g a b o u t t h a t s p e c i a l -
n e s s , t h a t t r a n s c e n d e n t q u a l i t y ,
i n s o m e w a y s d e v a l u e s t h e l a b o r
t h a t ’s i n v o l v e d . I t h i n k t h e r e ’s a
v a l u e i n k n o w i n g i t ’s a r e a l j o b .
I t h i n k t h e r e ’s v a l u e i n k n o w i n g
a r t i s t s w o r k h a r d .
I t ’s s i m i l a r w i t h f a r m w o r k .
P e o p l e h a v e t h i s m y t h i c a l n o t i o n
o f w h a t a f a r m e r d o e s . I n r e a l i t y ,
t h e r e i s a l o t o f r i s k . Y o u c a n ’t
g u a r a n t e e e v e r y c r o p w i l l b e
s u c c e s s f u l . T h e t r a d i t i o n a l C S A
a l l o w s p a t r o n s t o b u y i n t o t h e
p r o d u c e a n d t h e i n h e r e n t r i s k
o f b e i n g a f a r m e r . L i k e w i s e ,
a n a r t i s t c a n ’ t g u a r a n t e e t h a t
e v e r y t h i n g h e d o e s w i l l b e g r e a t .
B u t h e c a n a s k p e o p l e t o i n v e s t
i n t h e v a l u e o f w h a t h e d o e s .
Describe the program: Does
the model differ in any mean-
ingful ay from the traditional
agricultural C S A ?
I t ’s p r e t t y m u c h a c o m p l e t e c o p y .
W
e s e l l a t o t a l o f 5 0 s h a r e s , a n d
s h a r e h o l d e r s m u s t p a y u p f r o n t .
N o b o d y k n o w s w h a t t h e y ’ ll
g e t , t h o u g h w e h o p e e v e r y -
b o d y g e t s s o m e t h i n g t h e y l o v e .
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ptr
O m i/ L “ /di.
XdiW X.,.
A b o v e : A m b er Jensen
w ro te and illustrated a
b o o k on invasive spe-
cies, such as the m ute
sw an (above), and digi-
tally reproduced it for
C S A distribution.
Right: Sam H oolihan
designed the graphic for
his band Sw itzerlin d ’s
record and shot the sleeve
photo. T h e C S A package
also included a recipe for
tom ato cake.
T h e C S A program is attrac-
tive to em erging and estab-
lished artists, such as M aren
K lop pm an n (w h o se C S A
piece is at left); it serves as
a kind o f calling card.
T h is is a pretty s
eet deal
for collectors, right?
Y e s . F o r $ 3 0 0 t h e y g e t n i n e
o r i g i n a l p i e c e s . T h e y a l s o g e t
t o a t t e n d t h r e e f u n p i c k - u p p a r -
t i e s w i t h t h e a r t i s t s a n d l o c a l
f o o d p r o d u c e r s . A t t h e s e
e v e n t s , t h e s h a r e h o l d e r s g e t t o
m e e t t h e s e a s o n ’s n i n e p a r t i c i -
p a t i n g a r t i s t s . T h e y c a n s t r i k e
u p c o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e s e
a r t i s t s o r t h e y c a n s i m p l y p i c k
u p t h e i r a r t a n d g o h o m e .
W hat about the economics
for artists? A s I understand
it, the financial compensation
isn’t commensurate
ith their
investment of time.
T h e a r t i s t ’ s c o m m i s s i o n i s
$ 1 , 0 0 0 f o r 5 0 p i e c e s . O f c o u r s e ,
t h a t ’ s c o m p a r a b l e t o w h a t
m a n y g a l l e r i e s p a y f o r a s i n g l e
p i e c e . S o w e a s k p a r t i c i p a t i n g
a r t i s t s t o c r e a t e s o m e t h i n g f e a -
s i b l e f o r t h e p r o g r a m . M a n y
a r t i s t s c o n t r i b u t e p i e c e s t h a t
a r e w o r t h m u c h m o r e t h a n t h e
c o m m i s s i o n , b e c a u s e t h e y
t h i n k o f t h e p r o g r a m l i k e a
g r e a t c a l l i n g c a r d . I t ’ s a w a y f o r
t h e m t o c o n n e c t w i t h 5 0 i n d i -
v i d u a l s w h o a r e i n t e r e s t e d i n
a r t i s t s a n d t h e i r w o r k .
W hat’s the program’s track
record for connecting artists
ith future collectors of
their ork?
O u r v e r s i o n o f s u c c e s s i s w h e n
t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p c o n t i n u e s
b e y o n d u s . S e v e r a l o f o u r a r t -
i s t s h a d f o l l o w - u p c o m m i s s i o n s
o r p u r c h a s e s f r o m s o m e o n e
w h o b o u g h t a C S A s h a r e . O
f
t h e n i n e a r t i s t s w h o p a r t i c i -
p a t e d l a s t s u m m e r , I t h i n k t w o
o r t h r e e h a d f o l l o w u p s . F o r t h e
p r o g r a m ’ s o n e - y e a r a n n i v e r -
s a r y , w e ’ r e h o p i n g t o d o f o r m a l
e v a l u a t i o n s s o o n .
The idea is spreading fast.
A lready, the arts C S A has
been independently repli-
cated by arts organizations
in t
o other cities. W h at’s
the most interesting thing
you’ve seen from these
other C S A s?
I n C h i c a g o , o n e o f t h e p r o -
g r a m ’ s c o n t e m p o r a r y a r t i s t s
m a d e a c e r a m i c p o t a t o . J u s t
l i k e f o o d , a r t i s s o d i s t i n c t t o
i t s p l a c e a n d t h e p e o p l e w h o
l i v e t h e r e , s o I l o v e l o o k i n g a t
t h e p h o t o g r a p h s f r o m t h e s e
o t h e r c i t i e s . I ’ m c u r i o u s t o
s e e w h a t h a p p e n s i n M i a m i
- t h e i r a r t s c o m m u n i t y i s v e r y
d i f f e r e n t f r o m o u r s .
B ack in M innesota, your
inaugural C S A as so suc-
cessful you ended up offering
a second share in fall
2 0 1 0
.
You even doubled its size
from
5 0
to
1 0 0
shareholders.
You’ve since scaled back,
though. In
2 0 1 1
, arts C S A
memberships ere available
j*ust once to only
5 0
T
in
Cities-based shareholders.
W h y the shrinkage?
B e c a u s e w e ’ r e s o b u s y s u p -
p o r t i n g o t h e r c i t i e s a n d g r o u p s
t h a t w a n t t o r e p l i c a t e t h e p r o -
g r a m - a n d i t f e e l s b e t t e r t h i s
w a y , t o o . T o s t e a l a j o k e f r o m
L a u r a Z a b e l , S p r i n g b o a r d ’s
e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r , w e ’ r e
m o r e l i k e a t i n y o r g a n i c f a r m .
W
e ’ r e n o t a f a c t o r y f a r m !
+
s p r i n g b o a r d f o r t h e a r t s . o r g
Head to Springboard's website
for a guide to setting up a Com-
munity Supported Art program
in your community. Christy
DeSmith is a Minneapolis-based
freelance writer. She covers art
,
culture
,
and travel.
0 7 4
a m e ric a n c r a ft
o c t / n o v n
