Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, March 28, 29, and 30th, 2000.
The purpose of this field trip is to introduce the students to the economics
of art and to get them thinking about careers in art. We focus on art
dealers, artists, and art critics while also teaching some fundamental
concepts about economic geography and the capitalist economy.
The day begins @ 8:30: with an in-school presentation by Queens parent
Dan O’Neil (773) 583-9261. First we lay the foundation for the
economics of art:
We define "economy", which can be then broken down into “sectors”,
of which the art trade is one of them. Then we talk about the activities
and roles that make up the art trade:
Artist make art, dealers sell art and deal with artists, and buyers
buy and contribute to marketing and valuations. Critics criticize, report,
and help build opinion. Art Handlers, Restorers, Framers, Movers, etc.
sell the goods and services that surround art.
The kids are then prompted to choose one of the careers and write about
why they chose it and/or actually come up with something like a drawing
or a poem or a plan for how they are going to make money selling art
or some criticism.
As they write, go through the room and find out about what the kids
are interested in being. Artist, Art Dealer, and Critic are popular.
The tangential roles-- framer, handler, eupplier, etc. don't weem to
appeal to them all that much
.
Remember what they say about why they like that career and try to address
it somehow at the gallery.
The Dealers are told they will meet with a real art dealer who will
tell them the tricks of the trade and what it takes to succeed. Their
assignment is to write down what they learned.
The Critics are told they should say whatever they want but they have
to back it up with the facts-artist, title, price, etc. Their assignment
is to criticize some of the art, whether it is the current show or another
artist.
The Artists are told that they should make art while they are at the
gallery. Because that is what artists do.
We also talk about the fundamentals of economics and the inherent conflicts
in the economics of art:
-
Supply
and Demand
-
Training/
Education
-
Publicity
And cover some of
the inherent conflicts in this economy:
-
Artists
want to make what they want to make
-
Dealers
want Artists to make things that sell
-
Critics
want to impress their vision of art on the world and have influence
At 9:30: we travel
by school bus to a working art gallery, the David Leonardis Gallery,
1352 North Paulina, 773-278-3058. Along the way we point out areas of
art interest.
-
When
we pass the police station we talk about prisoner art, where they
fashion wallets and jewelry from gum wrappers. This is an example
of folk art. The artists use whatever material is available.
-
When
we go over the new Damen Street Bridge we point out the great civil
engineering.
-
Then
we stop in front of the Double Door on Milwaukee at Damen and teach
the kids about economic geography. The fact that people live where
they can afford to live--where they can get a job that pays enough
to live there. Artists moved into Wicker Park about 20 years ago because
the rents were cheap enough for them while they took the necessary
time to get experiences, learn the trade, and build the publicity
it takes to make a lot of money
as an artist.It’s not like a doctor or lawyer, where you make
a certain amount of money upon graduation. These are more speculative
careers w/ more risk that takes more time. Then dealers find the artists.
And art buyers find the dealers. And critics find them all. And other
people come in to sell to the whole lot of them. (This is the “let
them dig for gold; I’ll sell them the pick” approach.)
-
Point
out art spots visible from the bus: The Flat Iron Building has lots
of artists in it (to the left side of the bus).
The Idao Gallery is behind them.The Double Door, a rock club (for
musical art) is to the right of the bus. I saw the Smashing Pumkins
there in Feb. 1995.
At 10:00: we get
to the gallery. David Leonardis gives a short presentation on the gallery
and what he does. Explain the layout of the gallery, the “current
show” gallery space, storage, other artist’s work, etc.
Talk about the different styles, methods, materials, etc. Pop, contemporary,
folk, photography, 19th century French lithographs.
The kids are guided around the gallery. The Dealers go off with Dave
and he talks to them about what he does. Geri Paige, gallery employee,
and Dan talk to the remaining students and talk about each of the genres
& careers, taking care to address each student’s interest.
At 10:45: we re-gather
in the main gallery and share examples from each of the three careers.
Kids share their drawings, poems, dealer lessons, and criticisms in
front of the group. Only kids who want to present their work do so.
At 11:00: we finish it off by telling the kids that no matter what career
they choose “in art or not” it’s a great thing to
participate in the economics of art.
© 2003 Daniel X. O'Neil
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