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During this economic crunch I've been online doing my homework like a lot of other people. What to do and what not to do? Don't cut back on advertising & promotion! Do keep yourself out there in the public eye. Etc... etc... etc... There is a lot of good advice to be found. The one piece of advice that I really liked was to join forces!

When I was living in Central Oregon there was a group of artists who joined forces as a co-op with a twist. They didn't have a gallery - instead they partnered with different businesses, galleries, events, and organizations to exhibit their work. So when I moved to Prescott, I figured I would look for such a group to join. No such luck. Ohhhhh. . . .There are plenty of art associations, and gallery based co-ops, but nothing like the group up in Oregon. I didn't want to be tied to a gallery with a large overhead. And I didn't want my focus to be on volunteering a lot of my time on community based charity events. That's all good, and I enjoy donating my art to charitable fund raisers - but I simply can't afford to spend half my time putting those events together. That's a lot of work! And I commend people who do it. Maybe that sounds a bit trite, but I'm trying to make a living here! I'm a full-time artist - making and selling art is what I do.

So I decided that I would form an art group myself. I have never done such a thing in my life. I was apprehensive about it, and wondered if other artists would even understand what I was talking about, since it was an "out of the box" concept -- not your typical co-op. I was right. Most artists didn't really get it. Hmmm? a traveling, nomadic group of artists? No solid foundation? Surprisingly, it has taken quite a while to find artists with quality work and similar professional goals; artists who are devoted to their mediums and determined to advance their careers. I mean, I've discovered that there are a ton of "artists" out there, but most are just part-timers or hobbyists. So, a year and a half later and I have finally formed an excellent group of artists. We are five members strong now, and we plan to remain small (maybe 8 members at most).

What I love most about the group so far is the social aspect. Artists are alone a lot of the time in their work. I hate to admit this, but I've been caught having conversations with myself, or my computer, or with my canvas many times -- the jokes have become commonplace. That's how I know I need to get out more! I have really enjoyed the Salon style meetings that we have. If you don't belong to a group like this already, I would highly recommend it.

Literary Dictionary: salon

salon, a French cultural institution consisting of a weekly social gathering at the private house of an aristocratic lady, at which social, artistic, and scientific questions are discussed. From the early 17th century to the early 19th, several important literary and philosophical salons provided a social base for French writers. The term can also refer to an exhibition of paintings by living artists, so that in a second literary sense the title Salon has been given to an essay on contemporary art and related matters: Diderot in the 18th century and Baudelaire in the 19th both wrote important Salons.

1. A large room, such as a drawing room, used for receiving and entertaining guests.
2. A periodic gathering of people of social or intellectual distinction.
3. A hall or gallery for the exhibition of works of art.

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Start a Salon