Art Marketing Secrets

I loved this memorial note for Michael Jackson written by Paul Currier. It reminded me of the amazing part that art and music play in co-creating our world. Now would be a good time for all artists to step up to the plate and do what we came here to do – create, envision, inspire, & bring beauty and energy to the world.

The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has just announced the recipients for its annual fellowship grants of $7,000 apiece to 134 artists recognized for excellence in their given disciplines. The grants total $917,000 and are intended for unrestricted use, meaning that they can be utilized for everything from art materials to rent – which is welcome news for recipients.

The lead article this month (by Jack White) poses the intriguing question: Are you an Astronaut or an Astronomer? The idea behind the article is that there are two kinds of artists, Astronauts and Astronomers. “Astronauts actually believe that they can make it to the stars; Astronomers only dream of what it would be like.”… If you believe in yourself, not one person, insiitution, government or structure can stop you. Jack gives the following example: “Too many people are grounded, like an elephant tied to a stake…. There is one artist we know who won’t pull up the stake…. The truth of the matter is, most of the Astronomers are smarter, and many are better educated, than the Astronauts. Yet it is the Astronaut who walks in space – the same space the Astronomer gazes at during the darkest nights.”