Shot of Penicillin

It's tax time and I've been reviewing my books for 2008. Not the kind of topic you expect to find on an art blog but, yes, I'm a business owner, too. In assessing my numbers for last year, it is evident that the recession hit this small business in May. After May, there was not a steep decline in revenue, though. On paper it is more like a slow leak. But thinking back, I can remember how each sale required more and more effort to set up and to close after May. Now, after several months with little activity, galleries closing, and inventory accumulating, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Seemingly all of a sudden... I was invited to exhibit at SxSW, one of, if not the biggest music and media festival in the country; I have 2 group exhibits poised on the horizon to open within a month's time; 2 trusted brokers are setting up client presentations of my work again; and I recently received confirmation of a private commission. With all of the promise that these signs bring, I expect that we are on the road to recovery. And if this trend continues, it's going to be a good second quarter!

Looking for a new New Deal

There's been a lot of talk of late about the Great Depression and how similar our current situation is to the early 30s. Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything like what was created under the PWAP or the TRAP. If you don't know, in the 30s, artists were paid by a division of the Treasury Dept. to paint and sculpt and design for federal buildings and offices. Hundreds if not thousands of artists including Jackson Pollock would work to create pieces of art in their chosen medium and subject, and when a work was complete, they would turn it in to "the man" and receive a check. Some of the works were places in public places, some were stored and later destroyed. I think the motivation behind the government project was that either these artists were going to be making money from their art or they would fall into poverty and resort to crime. Yes, in essence Uncle Sam was paying for a product that he didn't really need but it served to uplift the people and make them feel neccessary as they were contributing something to the cause. I keep hearing about "shovel-ready" projects. While I agree that our national infrastructure does need some attention, I know I have some "easel-ready" projects that, once finished, would look great in a federal office, like one that is oval, for instance. So, Mr. Obama, if you're reading this, while you're rebuilding the nation's economy, don't forget about the we creative types. We could use some help too.

Just keep swimming

We all know the current state of the world economy.  For a while I was checking the news daily to see how the market was doing and if it had rebounded any.  I quit doing that.  It will rebound... eventually.  But I know that if I expect good news daily, I will be very disappointed most days.  My son, Bennett, is 19 months old and obsessed with Finding Nemo. If you haven't seen it, it is one of the good ones.  I should know.  I watch it about 6 times a week (down from 10 times/week one month ago).  Short synopsis: When little clown fish Nemo is taken off the reef by divers, Nemo's dad sets off on a journey to find him with the aide of an other fish named Dorie.  Now Dorie is not the brightest bulb.   She suffers from short-term memory loss and often forgets where she is and what she is doing.  Nemo's dad, Marlin (clever) is a little high strung and always worried. Long story short... Dorie makes her way navigating through a complex world with the mantra "Just keep swimming."  Throughout the movie, when times get tough and circumstances seem insurmountable, she sings her little song..."Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming, swimming..."

The point of my ramblings is this.  Times are tough, yes.  Especially for artists and galleries.  People don't buy art when they are loosing their homes and jobs.  We all know the economy will turn around, the only question is when.  So we all have two choices... we can worry and obsess about it every day and make ourselves crazy, or we can follow Dorrie and just keep swimming.