Minneapolis, May 14, 2014— Springboard for the Arts and mnartists.org celebrate the fifth anniversary of Community Supported Art (CSA) in the Twin Cities with a crop of nine artists selected from previous seasons.
Shares go on sale at Wednesday, May 28, at 10 am for $350. There will be a pickup party for shareholders and community members at Bedlam Theatre Lowertown on Thursday, August 28. Shareholders will have the opportunity for additional studio visits and gatherings leading up the pickup event.
Initially launched in the summer of 2010, Community Supported Art connects artists to a community of engaged local arts supporters. Inspired by the Community Supported Agriculture model of investing in local food, Community Supported Art commissions nine artists (or collaborations) to create an edition of 50 pieces of art, which are then sold to 50 shareholders. Pickup events are an opportunity for the artists and buyers to connect, and to celebrate local art.
Over the past five years, CSA in the Twin Cities has featured the work of 59 artists and sold shares to over 200 buyers. Additionally, Springboard for the Arts and mnartists.org have created a toolkit to help CSA to be replicated. It has been used in over 45 communities across the US and in the UK. In 2013, the New York Times highlighted CSA for “helping emerging artists and attracting people who are interested in art but feel they have neither the means nor the connections to collect it.”
2014 Summer CSA Artists:
Jennifer Davis (painter, CSA season 1)
Alex Kuno (painter, CSA season 2)
Nou Ka Yang (fabric artist, CSA season 3)
Aaron Dysart (sculptor, CSA season 2),
John Jodzio (writer) and Laura Andrews (painter, collaboration, CSA season 2)
Amy Rice (printmaker, CSA season 1)
Kao Lee Thao (multimedia artist, CSA season 2)
Ginny Sims (ceramicist, CSA season 5)
Karl Unnasch (sculptor, CSA season 1)
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED ART AT A GLANCE
What: The fifth year of Community Supported Art, 50 shares of art, each share features works from nine local artists
When: Shares go on sale at 10 am on Wednesday, May 28. Pickup event at will be held at Bedlam Lowertown on Thursday, August 28. Additional studio visits and gatherings will be announced to share members.
Cost: $350 per CSA share.
Purchase site: http://springboardforthearts.org/community-supported-art-csa/buy-share/
CSA site: http://springboardforthearts.org/community-supported-art-csa/
For public information: Andy Sturdevant at Springboard for the Arts – andy@springboardforthearts, Jehra Patrick at the Walker Art Center – jehra.patrick@walkerart.org
About Springboard for the Arts
Springboard for the Arts is an economic and community development organization based in St. Paul and Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Springboard for the Arts’ mission is to cultivate vibrant communities by connecting artists with the skills, information, and services they need to make a living and a life. Our work is about building stronger communities, neighborhoods, and economies, and supporting artists as a vital part in that work. Springboard programs include Artists Access to Healthcare, Professional Development, an Artist Resource Center, Minnesota Lawyers for the Arts, Irrigate Creative placemaking, and Creative Exchange, a new storytelling and resource sharing platform created in collaboration with the Knight Foundation and Urban Innovation Exchange. For more information, visit our website at www.springboardforthearts.org.
About mnartists.org
A program of the Walker Art Center, mnartists.org is dedicated to improving the quality of art, artists and art-centered dialogue from the Midwest into a relevant national conversation, though a dynamic online community, responsive arts writing and criticism, and creating access to, and connections with, collaborators, influencers and the public. mnartists.org is made possible by generous support by the McKnight Foundation.
About the Walker Art Center
One of the most celebrated art museums in the country, the Walker Art Center is known for presenting today’s most compelling artists, as well as modern masters, including Andy Warhol, Matthew Barney, Jasper Johns, Yoko Ono, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, and Kara Walker. In addition to traveling exhibitions and its world-renowned collection, the Walker presents a broad array of contemporary music, dance, and theater, and the best in film from around the world and down the block. The Walker’s 11-acre Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is one of the country’s largest urban sculpture parks. At its center is the beloved Twin Cities landmark—the playful fountain-sculpture Spoonbridge and Cherry.
mnartists.org is a project of The McKnight Foundation and the Walker Art Center.
