Community Sponsored Art Shares

Posted by Tamsen Wojtanowski on July 1, 2012 · Leave a Comment 

Our beloved and awesome neighbors on the second floor of the Rollins Building, Grizzly Grizzly and Tiger Strikes Asteroid, have joined forces to create a way to get local art into the hands of local consumers.

We think this idea is superb and wish TSA and Grizzly Grizzly lots of good luck!  Please consider subscribing to this CSA.  The artists listed below are amongst the brightest and most talented in our region.  Below is the press release they sent by email.

Community Supported Art

Public Announcement:Thursday, July 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Press Conference 10–10:30 a.m., Panel to follow @ 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Mayor’s Reception Room, 2nd floor of City Hall
Press Contact: Cindy Stockton Moore, cindystocktonmoore@gmail.com
Website: www.csartphilly.com

Philadelphia, PA – Grizzly Grizzly and Tiger Strikes Asteroid (TSA) are pleased to announce our inaugural Community Supported Art program. Like a Community Supported Agriculture program, our CSA program supports a direct maker-to-buyerrelationship between artists and collectors working and living in the Philadelphia region. Featuring a diverse range of contemporary art from nine local artists, this program offers curated “shares” of innovative and affordable work to supporters in a series of three pick-up events throughout the 2012–13 season.Since its inception by Springboard for the Arts in Minneapolis, MN (2010) this model has gained a lot of notoriety and has been replicated throughout the country. Project collaborator Jacque Liu states, “This project draws on the same ‘Buy Local’ spirit that has made Community Supported Agriculture so successful. Community Supported Art is an effort to support and cultivate art, artists, and collectors. We’ve been amazed by the range, depth, and quality across the Philadelphia contemporary art community.”

Artists include:
Sarah Kate Burgess Jewelry
Anda Dubinskis Printmaking/Painting
Jacob Feige Painting/Sound
Sarah Gamble Printmaking/Painting
Brian Giniewski Sculpture
Ivanco Talevski Printmaking
Brent Wahl Photography
Douglas Witmer Works on paper
Linda Yun Sculpture

Full project descriptions will be announced at the Press Conference.

Grizzly Grizzly and Tiger Strikes Asteroid are Philadelphia based artist collectives, established respectively in 2009 and 2008. Both are dedicated to programming and exhibitions in emerging contemporary art. The goal of both Grizzly Grizzly and TSA is to cultivate an open, authentic, and deep connection between artists and collectors.

How the CSA Works
Grizzly Grizzly and Tiger Strikes Asteroid have commissioned nine artists to make 50 “shares” for this program. These shares include a range of diverse art objects including sculpture, prints, paintings, rings, records, photographs, and drawings. Each work is unique, and even multiples will be individualized. The commissioned artists were curated by both collectives, and we believe the work to be truly exceptional.

Interested consumers/collectors will purchase a share (aka a “subscription”) and in return will receive three “farm boxes” of locally produced artwork at intervals throughout the season. The first pickup will be in October 2012 and the last in January 2013.

Cost: Each share costs $450 for nine pieces of artwork.
There will only be fifty shares available.
Registration to purchase shares will begin July 19, 2012 at 10 a.m. at www.csartphilly.com

Project Timeline:
July 12, 2012: CSA Press Conference at City Hall at 10 a.m.
July 19, 2012:  Registration to purchase shares begin
October 13, 2012*:  First CSA pick-up event
December 17, 2012*:  Second CSA pick-up event
January 10, 2013*:  Third CSA pick-up event
(* tentative date)

This local project is modeled on the successful CSA program in Minneapolis/St. Paul–created by mnartists.org and Springboard for the Arts and supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. It is one of two inaugural CSA programs in Philadelphia being facilitated by the City of Philadelphia Office of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy. For more information about the other CSA program, by the Philadelphia Folklore Project, go to http://folkloreproject.org/programs/csa.php.