What Should an Artist Earn?

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damali ayo

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Nov 27, 2007, 2:47:58 PM11/27/07

Goal: An Artist's Salary

Donations to date $410.00

Thank you to the following people for their support:

Karen Bralove * Meta Valentic * Stacey Hart Heatherlynn Pennington * Angie Reed Garner * Jean Chiang * Greg Nigh * Reed English * Rennie Washburn * Richard Huber

donate now at http://damaliayo.com

How much is an artist's salary?

I live in a strange territory- that of a professional artist. Even stranger, I'm a professional artist who doesn't make work to be sold in a gallery. When I tell people what I do for a living the conversation goes something like this:

"What do you do for a living?"

"I'm an artist."

"Oh, really, what kind of painting do you do?"

"No, I don't paint. I make conceptual art designed to generate social change."

"What does that mean? What do you DO? Do you paint or sculpt or what?"

after a while the question always arises....

"Okay so you are an artist, what else do you do? I mean, what is your REAL job?"

I often wonder if people meet surgeons, lawyers, accountants, executives, barristas, cleaners, engineers, or any number of other jobs and ask those people "what is your real job?"

Probably not.

People know that artists don't get a salary for the work we do. Why is that? Artists provide one of the last few remaining free-of-charge outlets for entertainment and engagement in our culture. You can walk into any gallery and most museums for free. It's easy to plan a day seeing art from hundreds of years ago up until today, engage in great conversation and feel inspired without spending a dime. I make it even easier because I deliver that art directly to you. Artists do this because we feel compelled, called, and inspired. But many professions feel those same things yet still have been deemed "salary-worthy" by our general culture.

This funding drive is your way of saying that artists deserve a salary. If you could put a price on what artists provide you, what I provide you, what would it be? Visit http://damaliayo.com and contribute to that goal. Is art something you can live without? Something you take for granted? Do you feel artists should work two jobs- one for art and one for survival? Most artists working two jobs that I know do very little art. I spend full-time hours at this, and though I love every minute of it, love doesn't pay the bills. That's why I turn to you now, to trailblaze as a lover of art- and create a salary for an artist you count on.

This week I'll be announcing new Now Artists and reporting in for the grants that you generated this year, yet another way I work hard to bring art to you.

Thank you for all you can contribute. http://damaliayo.com

I promise I'll keep working for your support.

damali

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