Good, bad, or indifferent, the image of the starving artist has persisted through time. They are likely presented as tortured, maybe a little mad, but always suffering to produce good if not critically acclaimed work. The suffering is supposed to be what makes the work amazing! However, none of that is necessary nor true. The only reason artists starve is because they are not paid fair wages for their work. In no other profession is the worker expected to die before being able to “make money”, before their work is valued. This Friday we will talk pay inequity for Baton Rouge creators. We will hear from speakers who will not only highlight the present needs and opportunities, but also paint the picture of what an equitable creative economy looks like in future Baton Rouge.
Travis ‘ArtSoulLife’ Pickett - Exhibition Specialist/Art Handler/Art Installation at LSU Museum of Art
Keidrick M. Alford- Founder, IDEA Development and co-curator of Ellemnop.Art gallery
Enlight, Unite, & Ignite!
Quick Links: Notes, Zoom Chat, Community Announcements
Notes
Casey Phillips:
Thanks for joining us today, my friend.
Oh, we still connecting. Well, Jasmine's here. That's great. Christy. Good morning. Good morning, Larry. What's happening? Good to see yobrick-and-mortaru. Good morning. All right. Appreciate it. I'll tell you what, let's start, let, Larry, let's start with you, my friend. So, what has been your, what is the moment of joy from your week that pops out to you?
I'm sure the trials and tribulations can also come up for you. So on the other side of that, what's your moment of joy? You well, working at the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, you know, our biggest thing is assistant veterans. And so we had a homeless veteran who was, well, he was living in his car during the day and he stayed at a shelter here in Baton Rouge.
At night. And he gave me a call and let me know what his situation was. And we was able to connect him with two organizations. One being our department, Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs. We have what's called a military family assistance fund where we can award a veteran up to $10,000 per calendar year for quality of life needs and they don't have to pay it back.
But also, volunteers of America has a program as well to where they can immediately house homeless veterans in a hotel and assist them with more permanent housing. So we was able to assist that veteran and you know, that's what it's all about. So, man, there you go. One person, one human being at a time, right?
Absolutely. One human being at a time. Well, Larry, thank you for sharing that moment of joy and good morning. I appreciate you being in the space and thank you. You were witnessing one of these the small wins. We're gonna celebrate the small wins. We have a day where it all comes together. Yeah. And even in my screen, the two boxes is Dr. Bell and myself with the buttoned-up-to-the-neck black shirts here. So all is right with the universe in this moment. Dr. Bell Greetings. Good morning. Good morning, my friend. Good morning. Good morning. All right, and this, and then I got a couple of I see a couple more of my favorite people in the, on the, on the line and Donica, good morning to you world Traveler and megaliter of the Year Award Winner, hopefully here soon. I know, I know. But it's, it's worth your worth. It's you deserve it. And cool beans, Verna, what's happening? How are you? And so my first question of the day is, cuz I know one of our speakers today, it feels like, you know, there's people that you know, that you say, I've just known this person for too long.
I don't even know how long it's been. So Kerick, my question is am I allowed to call you Kerick or do I have to refer to you as your new art? The, the artist known as since.
Keidrick M. Alford: You call me How you met me,
Casey Phillips:
Brother Keidrick. All right, fair enough, fair enough. So Keidrick is, am I remembering correctly that you and I, the first time we shared space together was 2010, 2011, in a table outside of Solea?
Keidrick M. Alford: That is absolutely correct.
Casey Phillips: Yeah, man. And at the time you were mainly just doing not just doing, but you were, your PR efforts, your PR firm was like really where a lot of your, your focus was at that time, right? Yes. Yeah. And I said, and so you had him, Steve Vault, and I'm slow winding up in introduction cause I don't know if everybody in this space knows you which I find interesting and I'm so glad that people are gonna get to know you today and the work that you and l do Now, if you could come on camera, if you're able, it would be great to see your smiling face too.
But Keidrick, as the years went on you also, you know, took the lead. With with, you know, your work in starting quarters, right? And to go on a brick and mortar, right? With a month, a huge brick-and-mortar, actually a multifaceted business at the same time. And, you know, I would argue kind of helped in a little bit of that rebirth in the Sherwood Forest and Corsi Business corridor.
You know, that still is timing and stuff. And, and through that you have landed what I feel is almost like this is your calling. Like it almost feels like you have fallen. You're, you're, you have now found what you were meant, you were always meant to do. And it, I can feel the joy on you and l whenever I see you all now.
So with that being said, I would love to welcome everyone to the space and get to get to know the work that you and Al do and take five minutes to tell people about you and the work that y'all are, that y'all are accomplishing.
Keidrick M. Alford:
That's right. We, that, that feed, that venture Quarters, I, I believe, Was the most appropriate way to really prepare myself for the work that we're doing now, which is working independently as art curators and portfolio managers and business agents of local and regional artists.
Being able to work with different groups when I was with Quarters taught me how to manage a large team, how to manage multiple functions that were going on all at once, that seemingly had to work in unison with one another. And for the work that we're doing now with the arts, there's a multitude of services and practices that we're really focusing on, and one being working directly with artists so that they understand their value and the different business opportunities that are out there.
And then secondly, working in spaces that traditionally would not have art. Available or have art or utilize art in a way that could benefit their current business. So being able to institute and convert spaces over to art style spaces.
Casey Phillips:
Awesome. And we're gonna come back to you. So many questions, my friend. So thank you for that overview. And I wanted to make sure and give space to you as well if you would like to speak. I don't know if you've turned into a, you know, global world conference speaker now if that's like your favorite thing or if you prefer to stay off camera and quiet, but I want to give you that space.
Elle Mouton:
I think that everything that Keidrick mentioned, covered it all. I'm just here just supporting. The initiatives that you guys have going on today. So I probably won't be on camera. I just kind of woke up quite honestly. So I do appreciate the space that you guys are provided for us to speak and, and tell everyone what we have going on.
Casey Phillips:
So thank you so much. I love that. And Elle, even if you're a little weary around the edges of starting your day, I know that you can drop into the chat your Insta handle or any of your websites so people can support you as an artist. I said because that's part of what this community does is support one another.
So if you can let people know about your art in the chat, I'd appreciate it. All right. Awesome. So, okay. Thank you. I appreciate you.
So next up oh man, Travis speaking of another human that we've all known each other for too long and watched the evolutions of one another. You know, Travis works at the LSU Modern Art Museum.
He is, first and foremost, he is a creator. Travis is a creator and one of the most talented artists, makers, and artists that I've come in across as well as one of the kindest. So, Travis if you maybe wanna share for five minutes your perspective on your work as a creator, what you do and how you go, and the work that you do in the cultural economy.
Travis Pickett: Hey, like Case was saying, my name's Travis. Some people might know me as our soul life, the people who have seen me in the community over the past about decade or so. But yeah, as Casey was saying right now I'm currently a part of the LSU Museum downtown. I am their lead exhibition specialist.
I work hands-on preparing all of the exhibitions, handling all of the artwork, and doing all the installations. Yeah. As, as far as the museum goes, if it's on the wall or on display, I put it there. But creatively, personally, I do woodworking and painting. I've been in and out involved in the Baton Rouge creative community since I graduated from Southern 2012.
Along the way, met a boatload of wonderful people, Keidrick being one of them. Keidrick, actually, people who may not know, gave me my first shot at a solo exhibition coming outta college. So I am always gonna be eternally grateful and eternally thankful to Keidrick for being able to see the vision from a very early point.
And I want to kind of just briefly speak to the work that. Keidrick and hell are doing with generating these spaces for artists in the community to come in, display their work, and essentially everywhere they go, they're putting that stamp on it. Hey, y'all wanna show some art here? We're gonna make it happen.
We, you need a place to show some art. We will find a way to facilitate that for you. So just from my brief interactions in Baton Rouge since I moved back in 2018, they've still been moving on with an upward and a positive trajectory. Keeping the, essentially I say keeping the lights on for artists all over the city.
But I'm here through invite of Casey to just kind of like soak up what everybody else's feelings are on, regarding the creative space in Baton Rouge right now, because I've been in sort of a parent parental bubble as of late. I have two very small children who require a large amount of my time. So I'm just trying to get a gauge of how everybody else is kind of moving and shaking right now, the city.
Casey Phillips:
Thank you. Travis, thank you for sharing. Thank you for that. And you know, the parental bubble is just simply a season during your marathon of creation, right. So it good to have you in the cut exactly where you are. You know, Travis, you kind of talked about what Keidrick and Elle are doing in the art scene and you know, I'm not gonna go all the way back cuz I can't I don't know all the way back.
But you know, when you think about what Kerick and Elle are doing, It's you know, they're part of a continuum, a continuum that they've been a part of for the last decade, whether it's the events they do themselves or, I mean, you know, you had stabbed in the art, right? You had everything that Ebony Matthews with Art Has a Home, Build a Fire with Gerri.
You have Luke St. John with, I'm sorry, build a Fire with St. John and live in the Sky with Sigar and Ed. You know, there's been this is a necessary part of our creative economy that people often overlook is not just the huge music festivals and the big organized, like arts fairs and all that kinda stuff.
There's this DIY in beautifully raw community-level event where everyone is truly welcome. They don't have to put it on a flyer. Everyone knows that everyone is welcome. It's an open space, and it's a place where, you know, if you're an artist and you don't know how to, you know, do a gallery show and stuff like that, you can still roll up with three or four pieces of your best art and.
Salon style, hang it and interact and, and create a fan base you know, collectors and a fan base and meet other artists and be inspired. It's part of the creative economy, right? And it's a very welcoming scene. But, you know, one of the things that of course, you know, we're this conversation is rooted in equity, right?
This, this, this is about systematic barriers that are perceived or real, right? And this grassroots one is very open and is very fluid. But as we start to kind of go up to the more formalized gallery scene in the museums and the art collector world in, you know, Houston to New York and Miami, and Chicago and LA, you know, There's a, there seems to be a word on the street that it's not as equitable and accessible to All right.
So Keidrick your business and the creative l the same way, can you maybe speak about that? Like, right, like what's the current temperature of the scene, not in the field, good community kind of way, but in the actual business structure of the creative economy from access and opportunity.
Keidrick M. Alford:
Yes. I, I, I agree with you. People look at the, the global scene or the global scale or the, or the, the pinnacle of, of what they believe exists for, for an artist, however, I'm encountering artists, not even necessarily ones that we work with on a daily, but I'm encountering artists that are wanting to find ways to create their own e ecosystem, their own model that can be sustainable for.
Themselves as a business because now they're understanding that outside of them being creative, outside of them being an artist, they know that they have to treat it as a business and they have to have proper insurances, and they have to have proper permits. They have to pay taxes. And I think that there's a, one thing you told me when we started was as long as you can continue to educate individuals, whether that be an art lover, a viewer, a consumer, an artist, then you'll be in a good space.
But you have to continue to educate people. And I think that artist are really wanting to be more educated on the business and how to actually create a structure for themselves that they're able to build a strong foundation and have a sustainable career.
Casey Phillips:
Awesome. Thank you for that perspective. You know, Keidrick, what you were just talking about, most people don't even know at this point that meet me in the work, but I used to work in the music industry and I was working in the music industry in Los Angeles when the record labels fell apart.
Right. It was the same time that the, the media, like newspaper business kind of fell apart, right? And things kind of fragmented out into music blogs and, and, and stuff like that. You know, what you saw when the record label started falling apart was really this sense of agency that artists never had before.
And you know, you also combine that with like, the emergence back in the day, I'm gonna really do the throwback for everyone in MySpace. Right. You know, and you, and you saw these disruptive models. It's interesting that when we started the walls, what I noticed, because I had a hammer and I saw a nail, What I saw when I moved here in 2011 and 2012 was the visual arts industry seemed ripe for disruption in the same way the record industry did in the 90s and early 2000s.
And what's been really interesting to watch from the visual arts standpoint is that they, that sense of agency where artists don't even really need managers, right? Not only do they not need labels, but they actually don't even need managers because you have this ability to create these ecosystems.
And, you know, for the people on this call, I think that, you know, for the people that we serve, often we use real broad word, broad definitions for the term entrepreneurship, right? That can mean in a lot of different things. But Keidrick, what it seems like to me is you're trying to help artists become not just entrepreneurs, but to like, kind of create and own their own ecosystem.
As a traditional entrepreneur, you're kind of at the whims of the market. You're actually trying to con, you know, teach them to con, kind of create their own conditions and control them. Is there anything else that you would like to build on that?
Keidrick M. Alford:
I think the partnership with organizations and companies that may share the same values as those artists are really, really important.
Because I think everyone on the call understands that you can have capitalism, you can have creativity, you can have, you know, creative capitalism. But I think when you find companies and organizations that share the same values as what you would like to produce and create and see in the world, it makes for a perfect opportunity for those people to build a partnership where a company can say, okay, I can support what you're doing as an artist, whether that is to fund a project appropriately.
Fund an event, appropriately fund programming that may fall into art tutorial for children or individuals who would like to learn. Tho that's, if I wanted to add something, I think that was, that was really the most important piece. Because they're standing as a brand and to actually build something, and to build something that's sustainable, they're gonna need, or we, and we all need the strategic partnerships of others, whether it's as a mentorship or it's financial.
Casey Phillips:
Keidrick, I'm gonna shift over to Travis in this moment, but I would love for you to give some thought. Because the majority of people on this call today, right, are people who are either executive directors or program managers at nonprofits. And then there's a handful of people in the business and, you know, in the business sector here as well today, just you never know in the luck of the draw, right, of who's gonna be in the space.
So with these individuals, I would love for you to think about one to three things that they could do to support the artist in y'all's ecosystem that's tangible, right? Like tangible ways. And, you know, of course put your contact information and you know, any kind of anybody else that you wanna lift up in this moment, but I'm gonna come back to you, but I, I wanted to give you a moment to think on that.
Travis if we can shift over to you, and I'd really like to hear your perspective as an artist and an arts administrator, right? An arts advocate, you know, from arts advocacy. What you feel is the current temperature for Bipo artists in the city, state, and region and your experiences in navigating many of these at whatever level you want to share.
Travis Pickett:
Well, I could say that institutionally from what I've seen and experienced, there's been, there's been I guess you would say a happy sense of racing more of BIPOC artists in the community and in the region. But seeing it from both sides, you have to be wary of whether people's intentions are genuine when it comes to embracing BIPOC artists.
And, and when I say that, is it something that a business or an organization or institution is supporting because it's the flavor of the week and it's the hot button topic and it'll get people to come to whatever resources that they may have. Or is it something that they are going to continually sustainably maintain that support for like, not just coming in and saying, oh, we did this show with this BIPOC or this queer artist, and then you never see another exhibition or never see any sort of other support for other BIPOC or queer artists in that space.
So it's, it's a real, like, fine line when it comes to figuring out what each organization's intentions are. And that comes with artists coming in and asking those tough questions and those upfront questions whenever they get involved with such spaces.
Casey Phillips: Hmm. I have powerful words and even more powerful, which left unsaid, right. Yeah. Thank you for that perspective, Travis. Sherreta had a question that, and I want to turn it over to Pepper as well, because I know Pepper. I just suspect Pepper has questions that she would like to hear from the speakers. So Travis, it sounds like you're traveling, so I'll just kind of read it and since say, if you don't mind you know, coming off mute if you'd like to speak on it, but Sida asked, can you all speak to the benefits and drawbacks of decentralizing systems, right?
I.e. musicians not leading recording labels or artists not needing galleries or community members not needing institutions, which I saw what you did there. Sherreta, you, you're making this conversation relevant to all the leaders in the room. As always, you're a great facilitator. Keidrick or Travis, would you like to speak on that?
Keidrick M. Alford: Travis, I know you've worked with musicians as well as artists. I want you to step in first on that.
Okay. If not, I'll do it.
Travis Pickett: Can you repeat the question? I'm just dropping my son off at daycare.
Casey Phillips: No, no problem. I'll catch you back up. Keidrick jump in,
Keidrick M. Alford: With the, I think decentral, decentralizing systems is, I think a lot of things ethically need to change. It's, I, I don't think, I think the systems, the current systems and old models of doing business or managing fundraisers or projects, all, all of those things I think need to be.
Can be revamped. I don't think that they still operate at the best interest of, of either party. I think that's, so, I think that's one of the benefits in the event that the structure could actually be rebuilt. If we're just speaking about a music label, a music artist e everyone knows that the artist gets paid last does that.
It's the only business that you can spend a million dollars to produce a product and turn around and sell it for 99 cents. That doesn't, that doesn't even make sense. That's, that's insane. But I, I think when, when you have, when you have individuals that like Travis said, that have the right intentions and that really want to learn, okay.
What can we do for you? Or what can we truly do for each other? I think that's when you'll begin to have some sort of dialogue of change. I think the drawbacks of having, of being decentralized is it, it opens up the market. There's no, it opens up the market and there's no really high barriers of entry.
So an individual could place art or place music out that doesn't really add value to society. It doesn't add value to themselves. It doesn't add value to their community, and they're only at that point simply doing it for a payday. And I think when you decentralize something, you need to be able to have those mentors, the right people in the room, the right people that are guiding these artists that can say, Hey, this is the way you actually need to conduct yourself as a person, as a business.
Casey Phillips:
Well said.
And look, we're whew, man. We can go down a pretty long wormhole on just that topic. Pepper, I wanna give some space. You got some questions for Travis and Keidrick?
Pepper Roussel
Yes. Good morning. Well, Fletcher Bell, I see you. Good morning. I'm Pepper Roussel. I haven't been formally introduced to y'all, but thank you so much for being here.
I have been listening to these themes around creative capitalism and I find that terribly interesting. But more than that it's been framed as an ecosystem and identifying the partnerships that are necessary, but also being very clear and intentional about whether BIPOC people whether black artists are in the space because they should be in the space with the folks who want them there and were paying for it or not. My question is though, if we talking about ethics, right? The nature of capitalism is extractive and knowing, and understanding that creatives don't really work that way. I'm not a creative, so I mean, I just like pretty things and I appreciate the work that y'all do, but creatives really don't move well in environments where there is you know, just a really an exchange good for service, right?
It's all about bringing something and making it more beautiful, making a better space in the world. And, and so what I'm trying to understand as I listen to y'all is how are you working through to share information about getting folks who are creatives positioned such that they can have the knowledge to not only what is it self navigate, but also self-manage?
But just to understand how to work in those spaces, because that seems really foreign to almost as if you're learning another way of existing, not just learning how to make a dollar.
Oh, that was for me. Well, it's for people who are creatives and who are learning how to make money and create creative capitalism. Cheers.
Keidrick M. Alford:
Well and I wanna make sure I understood the question, or I answered the question correctly, but you're asking how are we, are we teaching the artists to do that?
Casey Phillips: How are you teaching them? How are they learning? What is the best way for like, where, where are y'all starting? How is it that we can identify partners who can be abused? And then from that point, what can we do in order to ensure that creatives are actually making the most of this opportunity?
Keidrick M. Alford: I think, well, the, what, what we have done we work with this with a handful of artists on a daily basis. So it's, it's not this long roster where it's a, a quantity where, where it's all about quantity. One of the first things that we, that we will do is we'll find out what are the artists' goals, what exactly do they want to accomplish with their art to see if that even aligns with where we think they should be.
And from there, just even having consultations on, well, if you would like to license your product on a. Beer can, what does that look like? Do you, are you wanting to just sell the design? And some people will say, yes, I'm, I just wanna sell the design. And then I, I'm an individual who would want to take it a step further to find, well, if that image is gonna be used for a campaign that lasts six to 12 months, why should the artist, or can we speak with the company or the decision makers to find out is it possible to receive royalty for a particular brand or particular project that that artist's work is actually on?
And the, these, these conversations that I have, like this is the artist is fully aware, we are, we're game planning before we actually get to the e get to the table. So it's not a. Okay, I can take this artist's work and I have a private meeting with another company, and the artist doesn't know exactly what the deal is.
When we do any type of partnership, the artist is signing off on it, not re not sense because it has to work in, in the benefit of the artist for, to actually even work for what we do as a company. And I always tell artists and El it's a for, for me, it's a slow, it's a slow walk. It's not something that we can just build in a day.
It is gonna take, take time and it's going to take the right opportunities. You know, searching for an opportunity that just has a big payday to me has, has never been the mission or the goal because that's a, a fleeting moment. I'd rather have something that can last and stand for a while, so, It's actually teach, like teaching, sitting down with these artists and actually showing them what's even possible, because I found that a lot of artists found that it wasn't even possible.
I've worked with artists in the last two weeks who just gave, who just, who sold a design to a multi-million dollar company, and it was, they got paid once and that company is gonna use that particular design on seven different products. And that's
unfair. And I say unfair, but it's what he agreed to. So I guess fair is relative, but it definitely could have went a different direction. Had he had some advice or an advisory panel or one individual to bounce ideas off. But they're in this space where, you know, they create a loan, they're isolated.
And I think that translates over to what they're doing as, as, as professionals.
Casey Phillips:
Hmm. It's actually, you know, unfair is an unfair word. It's actually parasitic. And that's why, you know, when you look at, I mean look at, you know, from George Clinton and to the Meters, right? You look at their record label deals and you just watch, you know, who was working for who, right?
They were parasitic business deals. Right. And until that label business kind of got deconstructed and the light got shown on the back rooms you know, once everybody understood what the score was, you didn't have to be an MBA to figure out how to negotiate the deals. But being, you said something earlier, Keidrick, that's important and Sherretea hearted when you said it.
You have to have the people in the room with the creators, right, with the creative professionals. Who can help guide them to see what they don't, you can't know what you don't know. Right. That's a really important piece of this. Because like, just, I wanna make sure the tone of this is coming across correct creatives, right?
Are just as there's for everybody who just works in business. I hope you don't get offended, but the fact that you can use Excel isn't actually really all that impressive. Right? It's, it's basically, you know, it's a program. Anybody can take it, anybody can learn how to use Excel, but not everybody can u learn to use a brush with oil paint the way that artists can, they can actually do something that people could spend the rest of their lives trying to do that would never be able to create as those creators.
So I've always like kind of subscribed to the fact where it's like, if you know how to do that, And you know, if you know how to do that, then you can absolutely do Excel sheets and you can absolutely do QuickBooks. There's an art form to becoming at a credible at it if you want to invest the time. But the reality is anybody can learn how to do it, but not everybody can be a creator.
Pepper Roussel:
And that's how I feel about it. Clear. Well, alright. But I, my feelings are a little hurt because I can actually create an Excel worksheet. I'm just gonna say that.
Casey Phillips: Well, I didn't know you were part of the, every kid gets a trophy generation, but, okay, cool.
Pepper Roussel: I'm not, I want mine. I want a cookie.
Keidrick M. Alford: I would love to. Well, this, this is one of those, this is one of those examples of, of, of having the right people around you. I thought the Excel comment was funny, but I couldn't use Excel if my life depended on it. However, El on the other hand has created a flow chart in Excel, which actually helps us install art easier, right? We've taken what would take three days worth of install, and with this Excel program is able to shift it down to a six hour install. But that’s just my perspective, everybody in the room is valuable. But yes, Casey.
Casey Phillips: Now look, I'm gonna get so much shade from all of the people that work on that, and that's fine.
I said, because as creatives, right, we sit and catch all, like we hear all the comments, right? It's like, oh, if they could just get there, get it to together, they wouldn't be a starving artist. Actually, that's not the, that's not the reason why people are starving in the arts world. It's an inequitable upside-down hierarchal kind of industry.
And you have individuals like Travis, right, who not only are creators, but also. Infiltrate into actual in institutions to create more spaces for more people to be able to, to work in the museum scenes. And, you know St. John, it's always impossible to kind of read your body language when I'm saying things.
So I don't know if you want to come off of mute at all, but you look at what Luke has been doing both in and outside of institutions. The common thread has always been, whether it's Build the Fire, Futures Fund, MetaMorphosis, and now his work as the COO of the Arts Council, he creates space for other people.
It's never about him. Right. And when you have people who are willing to get into these kind of positions to open up the access, well, it allows all the Excel sheet artists and all of the oil painting artists come together and create. Beautiful things together. So I put into the chat anybody who works in in, in the arts or as an artist or in the creative sector, I'd love to give that space to chime in on the conversation.
St. John, it's there for you if you want.
Luke St. John McKnight:
Sure. And I don't want to deviate from what has already been discussed, but Casey, what you just described as far as what I do yeah, you're spot on. Yeah. You, you know me well enough to make that description. For me it's about knowing yourself well enough to know your role and figuring out where you thrive in.
And for me, it's, it's about connecting dots, connecting dots, and supporting existing cultural assets and have them lifted up. And also in my role, I need to know the rules well enough to bend them. And so it's a lot of learning for me and understanding what processes and structures exist that I could properly support and empower folks.
That I care about, that I, that I know should be seen, recognized and heard. So that's essentially my 2 cents as far as roles and responsibilities as it relates to an ecosystem. And not there yet, but I'm invested.
Casey Phillips: Yeah. Hey, while you're off of mute, real quick, say St.. John, I want to build on what you just said.
So, you know, a lot of times we have 10 not, sorry, not, we collectively, I'll speak for myself. You, you have tendency to like focus on the barriers and the doors that need to be open and the barriers that need to come down. And you kind of forget about celebrating the wins and the momentum that's moving forward, right?
So over this last like year or so, what are some of the things that you've seen shift in the ecosystem that you feel like it, it's moving in the right direction and exclusively equitably and quite frankly, from a capital like. Disbursement of capital, right? Like what do you see? Yeah, so, so in a real, so in a real way when, when calls get, get, get sent to me or someone on my team about, Hey, can you compile a list for this listing session?
Can you compile a list of artists and entities for this focus group? Immediately that list has changed as far as who's on the list and who's now tapped for opportunities. I've, I've come to realize that the pool of resources that it shared with folks is accessible. We are, when you are in, involved in this network that has been existing for the past 50, 60 years in the artist community.
And if you're not included in that process, you don't know it exists. And so immediately after reintroducing myself to the art administration field, I just made sure that folks who I knew were already ready, already prepared, already capable. To be a part of these lists, and these conversations are added immediately because I raised my hand and said, Hey, this person's not on here.
That's essentially was a quick fix, but not, not a fix, but it was like a tactic that I can needly utilize because now I'm in a position to know that these things exist as, as, as opposed to not knowing that also partnerships with local government. I believe it to be extremely impactful. We assist them in creative efforts.
And then we try and leverage that relationship to do even a larger, more creative as down the line. So those two things I believe are wins and yeah. And, and, and a larger, a larger win, I believe is narrative change. How does art place itself at the inception at, of the development of a community?
Folks in our community are, are in agreement that people want to live and work in a place that has a scene, that has a cultural relevance. And that happens when there, again, there is this ecosystem and this community of creatives communicating and collaborating and, and building a space that people want to be at.
And so art at inception, culture at inception of this community divine community design, community development process is where I'm looking to, to, to assist or be a part of that narrative change for our, for our, for our region. Yeah. And that also unlocks massive amounts of dollars that can be, that come from outside of the cultural economy.
Right. That's the, you know, I know it's always been difficult sometimes for people to understand, like, Why creative place-making is so important. It's, it's important on like seven different layers. It's just like good real estate development, right? You have to kind of hit seven levels of value and yeah, it's, I mean, it's amazing for the communities.
It's a, you know, it's amazing for safe public safety and kids' imagination, but it also brings in dollars from hud. It brings in dollars from the Department of Labor or. You know, infrastructure into the creative economy that artists can access and be part of projects that pay the bills for a year or two years on these projects that also allow them just to continue to create.
Cuz as Helena mentioned in the chat these artists are, they're, there's the pressure of turning out product all the time and posting it and selling it really makes it difficult just to even stop and breathe and think, or let alone be a part of the new creative design, you know, or a park in Eden Park.
Right. It's, it's hard because they're, they're constantly kind of on the treadmill. Thank you for that St. John Travis. I wanted to give you a moment just to lift up your voice on anything. And if, and I want to connect between St. John and Arthur. And Arts Council, they hosted South Arts came and did a presentation a couple of days ago, Travis, and as you're thinking about your next season of creativity, I think you should really think about their grant programs for artists and creators in the South with South Arts, and that, that goes for any artist that are on the, the call South Arts seems like it's a really good resource.
Travis, anything come up for you?
Travis Pickett: Yes. The South Arts listening session was very, very helpful, very informative. I do want to come back in and speak on like you was saying, great placemaking and testimonial to the work that Luke St. John is doing. Like he spoke whenever people reach out to him for creative opportunities and looking for essentially enrolling that some people to look on and call on.
He is an amazing resource and an amazing person. He reached out to me in March to be a part of the Talent and Vascular program at the Baton Rouge Cards Council. And what I did there was I essentially taught students what I do at the LSU Museum, all types of museum standard art handling proper practices, procedures art installation, the whole nine years, 10 week program.
And I, I say that cuz Luke is doing the work a hundred percent. And it, and it shows by every testimonial that comes out about the, the things that Luke has been able to connect artists to, the resources that he's been able to. And the Baton Rouge Arts Council as a whole has been able to connect artists to within the community.
So yeah, just you spoke on South Arts and their arts advocacy that they're doing in the region and it is something that I am definitely looking into taking advantage of. And I would implore any other art and art organizations two research and get involved with South Arts. They are very welcoming program and yeah, it was good to, to be in that space and reconnect with a sense of like-mindedness and invigoration because I wasn't the only person in that room receiving that message from South Boston.
There were people from all over the city, all over the state, and everybody there was very passionate and very moved and Everybody wanted to be an advocate for the artists in the city and the artists in the region. So it's, I implore everybody to reach out and make these connections in the chat right here, right now.
If you don't know someone in the chat, I know for sure going through this list. I'm not too certain of a lot of people in the chat, but I would love to connect and I would love to, to kind of build these, these bridges that we have. Because one thing for certain, our equity is in our connections as creatives for sure.
So it's e even if you're not a creative, the the advocates for the creatives are just as needed as the people out there making work, because we can't do all the shouting for ourselves. We need people out there shouting for us as well. But yeah, that, that's what I have. Thank you.
Casey Phillips: Yeah, man. Thank you Travis.
And it's good to be back intertwined in the energies, my friend. Appreciate you, man. Pepper, you're seeing before I get over to Kerick to kind of close us out on, there's 1, 2, 3 ways to engage and, and to make sure and let everybody know how they can engage with element o p pepper. There's a, there's some interesting threads going on that you and Koa and, and Jita and everybody are a part of down there.
You wanna lift one of those up for everybody in case some folks aren't reading at home. Yeah. Aren't reading at home. Yeah, man. So the, the idea is that when I ask these questions around how do creatives get paid, right? And this idea of which I, and I love this, so, you know, since say, I am absolutely gonna steal it and keep it creative capitalism, right?
Even if an artist is trading, such as the instance of the artist who got paid once, By a multimillion-dollar company that's going to use their imagery seven times, even if that in the, in the immediate, even if that's fair to them, that's what they have negotiated. It seems that they're, they're not being protected in a way.
Right. Let me reframe in what I do for a living. I trade my time to do a task for money that does not translate into artistry no matter what. The medium, if you're writing, if you are painting or sculpting or making music, if we are encouraging a shift away from from using money as a way to validate and to to pay folks.
Right. We moved to bartering, which I prefer by the way, but we're only encouraging the creatives to do that. Are we also devaluing them? And the, the thread is really around how do we get to a place where it's both fair and ethical, this trade, right? So if I'm trading for money, if I'm trading for time, if I'm trading for a car, whatever it is that I'm trading for, if it's got value to me as an artist, look at me pretending.
If it's got value to me as an artist, but the person that I'm training with recognizes and understands that it really is, it's parasitic, then should this not be something that is protected in other ways? How do we get to a place that the artist is receiving the payday? And so that's what we're talking about.
What, like how do we get to a place where it's not just fair, also ethical, and the artist is, is elevated and respected, Tekoa or Sherreta? Would you like to jump in?
Yeah, I'll just come off mute and say yes to the discussion. Right. And it's nuanced and it's complex because I also just made the point in the chat that there are a lot of people who create things or produce things and get paid once, and those things are used over and over again. And so you know, to the degree that it is fair or ethical or even parasitic, I mean, I would wonder like what some, some true creatives how, how they feel about that.
Because I can also see, you know, when, when you, if you, if you set a price for something a as, as the creative, as the artist, you set the price, you sell it. And then is, is, is it a realistic expectation that you're gonna be compensated over and over again in every, as you know, in every. Every medium or whatever.
And so I think it's a nuanced conversation, right? And so what is fair? What is ethical? What and what is, you know, parasitic? So I just wanna jump in and say, Hey everyone, this is Sacoa. I think also artists, which is part of this conversation, but artists are going to have to get more familiar with and comfortable using tools of the master, so to speak, because within the system there are different mechanisms that allow for fund financial transactions and perpetuity.
They just need to be designed for artists. And, and that requires a conversation about what that looks like, thinking about how media makes its money, perhaps there needs to be different contracts and things like that. But it does definitely take a conversation and I am not an artist in, in that sense. But I do understand the concept that, you know, the work that I do with writing grants and whatnot, that's hours upon hours upon hours on work, and I am compensated for that.
Yeah. And you know, and when artists, you know anyway, I don't wanna get too far off on this, but there could be an entire call around when people ask artists to do commissions. Oh my God. It is it is one of the most bizarre experiences and people don't understand that that individual creator has brought not just their 10,000 hours of expertise into that moment.
But sometimes a hundred thousand hours. So they, they can't quote you on how long it's going to take. That's not the way Art works. But we can have another conversation about that another time. I wanna make sure in recognize that Ebony had asked Travis, if you don't mind, if you could drop any website any kind of digital assets so that someone can so if someone wanted to support you or engage you as an artist and check out what you do, please put it in the chat.
I also have to recognize that we have made it all the way to June 23rd, 2023, and maybe even since the inception of the One Rouge calls without having a Barry Manalow reference. And I just wanna make sure and recognize that Butcher Bell brought Barry Manalow into the Bipo equity conversation. And it, we'll just leave it there for a second.
I appreciate you Dr. Bell. That's. The funniest thing that I've probably seen in, in quite some time Keidrick. I want to come back to you, my friend, and let you close us out for this portion of the conversation. Then we're gonna move to community announcements and there are a couple of like, really huge events this weekend and I wanna make sure can give space for that.
Kedrick, I've asked you to maybe think about the audience on the line right now and think about ways that they can engage either directly with your company as a u and Elle's company, or just in the arts in general, and the creative economy.
Keidrick M. Alford: I would like the opportunity to learn about the organizations that would like to utilize art from an auction standpoint.
Where we spoke briefly about commissions, but those organizations that may want to actually have an artist commission. A designer creates a piece that represents who, who they are as an organization. Because there's a lot of involvement where artists are asked to participate with nonprofits or with organizations, and they would prefer that the artists donate the piece and then the piece gets auctioned and then the artist doesn't get the value of the original price.
But the company or the organization pockets all of the auction money. I think, I think I would love to be able to speak and learn how to redefine that system, where it at, where it works in benefit for both organizations. That's one. Two is I would like to open the conversation for financial partnerships with the things that we are, the exhibitions that we're hosting.
Inside of the galleries as well as the independent projects that we're hosting in newer spaces outside of, outside of the two galleries that, that we operate. And one is, one is more for everyone. Just proper planning, proper planning. We're getting a lot of requests that come in a week before, things that actually are set to kick off or things that actually set to launch or, or actually take place.
And it, it is, it's things that we would definitely love to participate in and love to do but it's not feasible when we like to execute on a, on a level of excellence. You know, somebody reaching out saying, I have this and I'd like to do it on Friday and it's Tuesday. I'd like to be in an. In a position where we can assist with planning and assist in overall execution of these opportunities that companies are utilize and art with.
Casey Phillips:
Thank you my friend.
Do y'all have any, Hey. Do you y'all have any events coming up that everybody could support? We do. Should I drop 'em in the chat? Do both say it. It's microphone's on. Say it in, drop it in the chat.
Keidrick M. Alford: Yeah. We have we have a closing reception, which explores the characteristics that we as humans can learn from nature called nature versus nurture.
It, it explores that nature doesn't necessarily need to consume or devour itself for its own survival. It features geo sculptures with Cyrus Wood, with crystals, quartz glass, along with two amazing photographers that's actually gonna be at the healthcare gallery. On Friday, July 7th from six to nine 30, and we have the another closing exhibition, which is called The Remembrance of Things Passed.
This exhibition is made up of six fine, or six talented art teachers in EBR, and it's, they're owed to Bruce Lee's teacher, where you've reached a pinnacle in your craft. However, you have to always remember that you are still a student of the craft, so you're learning yourself continuously. That exhibition is held at the Mental Health gallery, which is off of South Fork and the Sherwood area not far from where I started my career when I was, when I met Casey.
And that closing exhibition is also from 6 - 9:30 PM. And the date is July 28th. I'm sorry, Friday, July 28th on that second one.
Casey Phillips: Well, it sounds like also two wonderful air-conditioned events to take advantage of during the month of July, which promises to be relatively pulverizing.
So I said yes, Keidrick, as I appreciate you man. And can you just make sure and just everybody has all y'all's contact information in the chat so they know how to engage with you. And I appreciate sharing the space today, my friend. Thank you. Thank you. St. John. Yeah. Yeah, St. John. Is the arts council involved with the Baton Rouge Gallery and dialogue on race on the July exhibition, or no?
Keidrick M. Alford:
No, we are not. I'll be present, but we're talking about the swimming troubled waters. Yes. Okay. Yeah, yeah. No, we are not involved, but I'll certainly be present and I encourage everyone. Who was able to attend, also watch the doc, I believe, is on LPB. We indirectly partnered with the reenactment of the Baton Rouge plus boycott last night at the Capitol Park Museum.
So that was great. It, it was an educational experience and so that was cool. But the Baton Rouge Gallery, they do great work and I think it's timely that they took that off.
Casey Phillips: It is. And if everybody, you don't know what is happening at the Baton Rouge Gallery during the month of July please just go and check out the Baton Rouge Gallery.
It goes way beyond art. It actually shows how art is life, right? Not to infringe on Travis's brand right art's, soul life. But, you know, art is life and very rarely do you get a moment where a gallery is hosting something about such a troubling part of our past as a city and lifting it up exactly in the physical space where the bombing occurred.
And, and you know, in talking about the, the separation and the tearing apart of the fabric of the city. This was a, this was an event that did that, but in some ways it also brought together. But that'll be part of the lively conversations and all of the programming at the Baton Rouge Gallery in July.
No, I am not on retainer for the Baton Rouge Gallery as I promote them, but I am forever in their debt because they were our fiscal agent when the Walls Project first started back in 2011 and 2012. So support the gallery and support the artists that are there. I know that there's some really big announcements, and I would love to give the space to Marcella and our friends at LORI to start it off, but I, I, I'm scanning the landscape and we had an artist that was going to speak on this today that couldn't unfortunately join us this morning, but everyone the Baton Rouge Pride celebration is tomorrow.
And I hope that all the social justice warriors and all the, the, the, the, the big-hearted advocates in our community hear my words in this moment. This has been an absolutely travesty of a legislative session for the LGBTQ plus community. It is our state is giving the impression that it does not care about everyone.
Right? And if there is ever a moment to you know, to bring yourself down to the river center tomorrow between 12 and seven, to show solidarity and support for everyone in our community it is so important because I promise you folks that I've been out to pride many times over the last decade, and there are lots of people that show up on the outside of pride in camouflage full gear, armed and screaming hate, right?
And that's gonna be heard. And what everyone inside the river center needs to feel is love from everyone in the community. So if you are able to make it down tomorrow to the River Center, this is probably one of the most important Pride events to show up to. In the history of the city, to be honest.
And everyone needs the field the month this weekend. So our friend Marcella, with your big announcement for this weekend, I will also be coming by to see you tomorrow. Good morning, one Rouge. I am sorry I don't have my camera on. I'm actually driving, running errands for tomorrow. But I wanted to invite everyone to the celebration of the war, refugee and immigrant day.
The day has finally arrived. You so we start tomorrow.
Oh, unfortunately we lost you. Marcella at the end. Pepper, you wanna jump in and cheerlead?
Pepper Roussel:
Absolutely. So on Tomorrow we'll be world refugee and Immigrant day. I'm sorry. Go ahead, Marcella, we lost you for a second.
Marcella:
Oh, I'm sorry. I was just entering into the office and can you hear me now? Yes. Okay, perfect.
So the celebration is at a Youth and Family Service Center, which is located at 1120 Government Street Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This is the Family, youth and Service Center. And like I said, we're gonna start at 2:00 PM Come be very comfortable. We're gonna be outside. It's an outside event. We're gonna have performances, we're gonna have free international dishes, we're gonna have organizations, we're going to have country displays and lots of performances.
So it's just gonna be very, very fun. Come bring your family, your friends. Everyone at this event is free and it's open to the public. And if for any reason, If for any, any reason, any of you or, or your organization would like to come and set up a table, I just get in touch with me early this morning and I can tell you what is the procedure to register as a vendor.
We wanna make sure that this faith is also open to all of you guys who have a an organization and that also has a mission in life like we do. So just thank you, thank you, thank you. Tomorrow, June 24th, 2:00 PM at the Youth and Family Service Center. Thank you. Thank you.
Casey Phillips:
You bet, Marcella. Thank you.
Anybody else having any announcements? Anything this weekend or coming up in the coming weeks?
Hi everybody. I'll, I'll jump in. I dropped it in the chat, but given that this was a conversation about creatives and supporting creatives, I thought I would Verbally remind people about the concert series that is happening in Scotlandville every Saturday from now until some point in July.
Forgive me, I think it's week six, so I think there are four more. The Levitt Amp is a national foundation. They awarded Scotland Saturdays. This, this grant to host these concert series. And they have been doing it for, I think the last five weeks. Now, this week there will be a really lovely DJ Battle of Michael Jackson versus Prince, followed by Marcel Black, who is a Baton Rouge native, family. As a matter of fact, his wife taught my niece. And so anyway, so there's this music series. I know that everybody is waiting for the Michael Foster project when they come in July, but I just have to remind us that where would, where would the Michael Foster project be if people didn't show up early on in their career?
And this concert series is about bringing in local talent, a lot of them really young, starting out and getting their feet wet and just really trying to do what they love in, in a fun and family-friendly environment. And also, as a side note, if you've ever wanted to learn the Tamia Line dance, they do it every Saturday.
So Scotland Saturdays concert series it starts at 5 and goes until about 8. And it's right at the corner of Scenic Highway and Scotland. So southern ca across the street from Southern Cafe. So hopefully you can come out. Awesome. And just as and to, to give an amen to what Sherreta said all the way across the board that folks this week like Marcel P Black, this is like, this has been like one of the best underground hip hop artists in Baton Rouge for a long time.
And he's got a lot to say, right? And it is conscious, but it is unfiltered. And I think it's if you haven't experienced Marcel's wisdom, and that's the best way I like to put it it's a great show to go see and it won't be as hot at six o'clock in the afternoon, right? So y'all roll out and go support our friends in Scotlandville for that event.
Anybody else? Anybody else? I just wanted to jump again, I forgot to say something. Casey, if anyone is bored today and is looking for something to do, We are accepting volunteers to come and help us setting up. We've got tons of tables, chairs, and tents, and a lot of different stuff we need to do. So if anyone is bored and would like to give back to the community for this big event volunteers are open, they're welcome to come.
Thank you. Awesome. There. See, there's a, there's a director that knows you. You can't be, you can't be shy to ask ever. And nice. I appreciate you Marcella Hedrick. I saw it looked like you had something that you wanted to say, but the only thing is you have to just sing the first three bars of Happy Birthday to Jasmine before you make your announcement.
Casey Phillips: Wait, which version you want? Yours? Today's your birthday, Jasmine. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow's your birthday.
Keidrick M. Alford: Happy birthday to, yeah. All right. Happy birthday. Yeah, that's right. No happy birthday. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy yourself. Be safe. And remember every, every single day live, like, don't have another one.
Casey Phillips: Awesome. Well, that's Keidrick's final announcement for the day. I appreciate you, my friend. I said, I thought you looked like you had something else that you wanted to lift
Keidrick M. Alford: up. Is that not the case? No. I am, I'm sorry. I thought I had my camera off. I'm responding to chats and I was, I was sending Casey, I'll say really quickly I am a board member for the Baton Rouge Gallery.
Jasmine Johnson:
I'm the nominating chair and so I, you know, I heard a lot today. I'm a processor though, so I don't really, you know, like to speak upfront. The artist members, they do meet separately than us, so. I'm in a space where it's like, I don't know what, I don't know. I was actually looking on the website while we were on this call and I already see one of the barriers to membership which is I think you have to have going to school.
And you know, we're talking about creatives here. We're talking about self-taught artists, but I really think there's a lot to learn from their structure what they've been able to accomplish. I think it's been around for, oh, I can't even remember what it said. But several years, I wanna say it was like 60 years that that board has been around.
And so I may be able to, you know, share some information, but definitely take information from you all and talk with Jason and, you know, get you all set up for a meeting. Like, I don't wanna over promise and you don't under commit. So, I did put my phone number in the chat for Sensi. Did I say that right?
Or is this, did I say that right? But I'm gonna put my email address in the chat, in my phone number if others want to connect with me to talk about the barriers being faced in the creative space. So I can speak loudly at the board meetings. Awesome. And is it anything that I can help we can help elevate the, you know, From the board all the way to the opening receptions you know, in, in all spaces.
You know, Jason's the kind of leader that's open to that, and I've watched his evolution as a leader over the last decade. And the gallery just seems to keep getting stronger. And they've had some amazing leaders and I don't wanna disparage any of them because Kitty Feeney did incredible work there for, for equally as long.
And the board members of BRG seem to be some of the most active board members in, in the city actually. And it's just a great organization. That's all there is too. And the art's amazing. And it's just like, you know, it's accessible and it's free and it's in a public park.
It's just, it's great. Yeah, all the way across the board. I see Sherreta has some stuff in the chat. She wanted to make sure and lift up that if any of your organizations wanna be a part of the Levit series you can table or if you're an entrepreneur or a vendor, you're, you're also welcome to do it.
And they are the, maybe also the, maybe one of the easiest organizations in the city you can work with. So I said just let Janelle and Byron and then know, and they'll be happy to accommodate. All right, if there are no more announcements, let's go ahead and adjourn for the day. Stay in the AC when you can enjoy the sunshine and get that vitamin.
Is it D? Yeah, vitamin D. Sun, right? Yeah. Thank you the vitamin D and and I hope that you all have a very joyful, safe and weekend and a prosperous next week. Thank y'all so much for today. I'm Dr. Bell Sweet here alive. See you. We're back in line. Back in line and Oh no, I was asking if you wanted to sing Sweet Caroline from Barry.
I was just wondering. No, I have Copa Cabana running in my head ever since you mentioned the Barry. See if I sung, if I sung everything, people might not come back to the call. I know Keidrick dropped it pretty well and sit on the spot. I appreciate that you had bars my friend. I do, yeah, you do. You do. And man, seriously, and we always say it when we see each other, you and Al too damn long.
And I miss y'all and I look forward to like where we can actually carve out some human time. So absolutely.
Keidrick M. Alford: Same thing. I love you man. I love you. I miss you. Good to see your face.
Casey Phillips: Yeah, man. And Ell, you're gonna forgive me about the Excel content, right? Oh yeah. I mean, only because I love you. Yeah. No, I don't.
I I'm sad. I mean, l it would be so fascinating to pull you and Chelsea Morgan and Jesse Hutchinson and Helena and myself back together and, you know, the old school Salesforce CRM Walls group from like six years ago, seven years ago. It would be it would be fascinating to show you all the processes the behind the scenes processes that are in place.
And we could still use y'all's advisement and support. But it has been it has been a long road of evolution. My absolutely. And I'm always open to seeing what I can do to add value to you guys. Of, of course. All right. My free ends. Well luck, y'all. Have an awesome weekend, and I hope to bump into y'all around the city in the coming weeks.
Bye y'all. Thanks. Bye y'all. Bye. Good people.
Zoom Chat
08:29:22 From Jasmin to Everyone:
Good morning!
08:31:01 From Danny Fields, CFRE to Everyone:
Good morning!
08:31:04 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Good morning, OneRouge!
08:35:00 From Casey Phillips to Everyone:
Reacted to "Good morning!" with 👋
08:35:06 From Casey Phillips to Everyone:
Reacted to "Good morning!" with 👋
08:38:28 From Elle Mouton to Everyone:
Good Morning Everyone! I am Elle.Mouton! A digital artist that is currently focused on creating positive affirmations to offer encouragement to everyone that comes in contact with my art. I am also co-owner of Ellemnop.Art. Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @ellemop.art
08:40:04 From Global Geospatial to Everyone:
Awesome, Travis! Thank you
08:40:24 From Danny Fields, CFRE to Everyone:
Reacted to "Good morning!" with 👋
08:40:26 From Danny Fields, CFRE to Everyone:
Removed a 👋 reaction from "Good morning!"
08:44:26 From Global Geospatial to Everyone:
Well said.
08:47:06 From Dauda Sesay to Everyone:
Good morning Dauda at LORI
08:49:59 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Can you all speak to the benefits and drawbacks of decentralizing systems? I.e. musicians not needing record labels, or artists not needing galleries, or community members not needing institutions to thrive?
08:51:32 From One Rouge to Everyone:
You don’t know me! I could not have questions. 😂😂😂
08:53:31 From One Rouge to Everyone:
IDK i think politics kind of works like that. 🤪
08:56:34 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
And I'm now thinking about how we support creatives in new structures...
08:56:53 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Reacted to "And I'm now thinking..." with ♥️
08:57:13 From Casey Phillips to Everyone:
If you work in the cultural industry and would like to contribute to the conversation please raise your hand. Anyone that has questions for our speakers please place in the chat
08:59:09 From Helena Williams to Everyone:
As an artist, the churn and burn is severely limiting and difficult to make quality pieces. I think historically artist patrons who sponsored the artist over years helped with those creating pieces we revere to this day, because they weren’t always having post new stuff everyday
09:02:28 From Jasmin to Everyone:
Exactly!
09:02:36 From Jasmin to Everyone:
That's why I love art so much!
09:03:55 From Ebony Starks-Wilson Foundation to Everyone:
But can everyone freeze the top cells while the page still scrolls?! 😎 😂
09:04:07 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Reacted to "But can everyone fre..." with 😂
09:04:11 From Verna Bradley-Jackson to Everyone:
Reacted to "But can everyone fre..." with 🤣
09:04:13 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Reacted to "But can everyone fre..." with 😂
09:04:24 From Kendra Hendricks to Everyone:
Reacted to "But can everyone fre..." with 😂
09:04:31 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Replying to "But can everyone fre..."
That is definitely art!
09:04:40 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Reacted to "That is definitely a..." with 😂
09:04:45 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Reacted to "But can everyone fre..." with ♥️
09:04:46 From Tristi Charpentier | HAWF (she/her) to Everyone:
Replying to "But can everyone fre..."
Top row AND first column! 🤯
09:04:49 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
I also think it helps to remember that being creative is a necessary leadership skill especially when you work in the social sector!
09:05:02 From Ebony Starks-Wilson Foundation to Everyone:
Reacted to "Top row AND first co..." with 😂
09:05:17 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
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09:05:20 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Replying to "But can everyone fre..."
And don't forget those pivot chart things...
09:05:28 From Jasmin to Everyone:
I can freeze the top cells! It drives me crazy to not have cells frozen or hidden, Ebony.
09:05:46 From Casey Phillips to Everyone:
Reacted to "But can everyone fre..." with ♥️
09:05:52 From SK Groll to Everyone:
Reacted to "I also think it help…" with ❤️
09:05:56 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
That’s true. I asked because the transactional nature of work for money doesn’t translate well into arts no matter the medium
09:06:03 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Replying to "But can everyone fre..."
Pivot charts are truly an art when you figure them out.
09:06:15 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Reacted to "I can freeze the top..." with 😂
09:06:17 From Jasmin to Everyone:
Replying to "But can everyone fre..."
@Tekoah Boatner teach me your ways!
09:06:30 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
True!
09:06:34 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
Absolutely
09:06:44 From Verna Bradley-Jackson to Everyone:
workshops, learning session will help out in this area
09:07:05 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Replying to "But can everyone fre..."
What Jasmin said!!!
09:07:08 From Elle Mouton to Everyone:
Reacted to "But can everyone f..." with 😂
09:07:49 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
I also think it's time to reintroduce the concept of bartering or skill exchange which does translate well imo
09:08:15 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
Yep!
09:08:22 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Replying to "But can everyone fre..."
😂
09:09:38 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
@Tekoah I prefer the process of barter (because the money thing isn’t working). My only hesitation is that if we are *only* encouraging artists to trade, are we devaluing their work/energy?
09:10:42 From Jasmin to Everyone:
Replying to "But can everyone fre..."
Tekoah, contacting you is on my list of tasks today. :)
09:11:05 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
Pepper, I think that depends on the artist and what value they place on the thing they are trading for.
09:11:27 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
That’s fair.
09:11:43 From Jasmin to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
That's what I was going to say, Sherreta.
09:12:07 From Casey Phillips to Everyone:
Reacted to "workshops, learning ..." with 👍
09:12:20 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
But the artist who got paid only once and the multimillion dollar company will use their art 7x…it may have been what they wanted at the time. Is it really fair though?
09:12:50 From Casey Phillips to Everyone:
Reacted to "Pepper, I think that..." with 🎯
09:13:06 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Shoutout to Luke!
09:13:17 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Reacted to "Shoutout to Luke!" with 🥰
09:13:27 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
Well using the "principles" of capitalism, at some point market forces take over. Given that we are the market, we set the value. It's also important to make it a valid form of transaction in other industries
09:14:04 From Luke St. John McKnight to Everyone:
Reacted to "I also think it help…" with 🎯
09:14:05 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
It's fair. It's not ethical.
09:14:19 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
Also a valid point, Pepper.
09:14:41 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
And Tekoah
09:15:04 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
Agreed! We do set the value. I am wondering how to shift the “pay day” to the artist - even if they make a trade they see value in immediately and not long ter.
09:15:07 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Reacted to "It's fair. It's not ..." with 👍🏾
09:15:29 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
And also many creative get paid once but products get used several times. .
09:17:07 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Replying to "I also think it help..."
I did som graphic design for clients. They paid me my asking price and are still using the assets.
09:17:43 From Ebony Starks-Wilson Foundation to Everyone:
@travis pickett where can we explore/purchase your work?
09:18:43 From Helena Williams to Everyone:
Art value can be so abstract that I think it is hard for people not clear on the market that they simply do not understand
09:18:58 From Flitcher R. Bell to Everyone:
Unfair pay happens on all levels...…….. Years ago even Barry Manilow got paid a one time flat fee $500 check for the jingle (Like a Good Neighbor) for State Farms, which they still use today!
09:19:18 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Replying to "Unfair pay happens o..."
Barry Manilow wrote that?!?!?!?
09:20:03 From Jasmin to Everyone:
I'm wondering if the conversations don't happen because of the culture?
09:20:24 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Replying to "I'm wondering if the..."
Say more, Fam!
09:20:26 From Youth City Lab to Everyone:
Commissions are the worst
09:20:46 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
As someone who has asked an artist for commissioned pieces it is certainly a bizarre experience!
09:21:20 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Replying to "I'm wondering if the..."
I agree. Our culture responds reactively to change
09:22:03 From Karla King - concerned citizen to Everyone:
Very interesting watch on Netflix. Covers gig working and all other levels of working. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/whos-in-working-what-we-do-all-day
09:22:59 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
You have two industries that have been cultivated to work with lack. Of course that's what you get.
09:23:15 From One Rouge to Everyone:
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09:23:16 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Reacted to "You have two industr..." with 💜
09:23:18 From Youth City Lab to Everyone:
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09:23:27 From Karla King - concerned citizen to Everyone:
This is produced by Barack and Michelle Obama and is narrated by President Obama.
09:23:36 From Travis Pickett Phone to Everyone:
My instagram (@ArtSoulLife) is the best place to reach me while I’m revamping my website. I’m currently in the process of creating new work but while that takes place, I’m more than welcome to share my portfolio with anyone who’s interested in seeing my work
My direct email is iamartsoullife@gmail.com
09:24:11 From Ebony Starks-Wilson Foundation to Everyone:
Reacted to "My instagram (@ArtSo..." with 👍🏼
09:24:26 From Youth City Lab to Everyone:
Thats because art is often an afterthought.
09:24:38 From Youth City Lab to Everyone:
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09:25:14 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
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09:25:15 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Removed a 😒 reaction from "You have two industr..."
09:26:21 From One Rouge to Everyone:
From LORI!
09:26:51 From Youth City Lab to Everyone:
Reacted to "Screenshot2023_06_23_092543.jpg" with ❤️
09:27:11 From Sensei to Everyone:
Hey everyone. Thank you for allowing us into your space.
09:27:14 From Alfredo Cruz to Everyone:
I've wondered through this discussion if the FuturEBR plan (currently being revised) should include/create space for place making and neighborhood design in a way that may include the arts community.
09:27:30 From Youth City Lab to Everyone:
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09:27:32 From One Rouge to Everyone:
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09:27:36 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
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09:27:52 From Jasmin to Everyone:
Replying to "I'm wondering if the..."
Capitalism was not designed in a way that perpetuity would apply to us.
09:28:19 From Alfredo Cruz to Everyone:
Reacted to " I've wondered throu..." with ❤️
09:28:21 From Jasmin to Everyone:
https://www.batonrougegallery.org/and-we-went-the-history
09:29:26 From Jasmin to Everyone:
Please email your flyers to admin@ourbrayn.org. The newsletter goes out this morning.
09:29:45 From Sensei to Everyone:
ELLEmnop.art is our website and social media handles. Our contact is 225.572.8751/225.364.9246
09:29:50 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Replying to "I'm wondering if the..."
Correct
09:30:12 From Flitcher R. Bell to Everyone:
Legislative Session was BRUTAL, to say the least, on many Equality, educational, and health issues!
09:30:19 From One Rouge to Everyone:
Reacted to "Capitalism was not d..." with ‼️
09:30:41 From Tristi Charpentier | HAWF (she/her) to Everyone:
I was told that protestors are typically on the River Road side, so entering from St. Louis may be less tumultuous.
09:31:11 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
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09:34:29 From Youth City Lab to Everyone:
Marcel P. Black is 🔥
09:34:45 From Jasmin to Everyone:
My birthday is tomorrow! I'm going to learn how to line dance!
09:34:59 From Tekoah Boatner to Everyone:
Replying to "My birthday is tomor..."
Happy birthday 🎉🎉
09:35:04 From Jasmin to Everyone:
Reacted to "Happy birthday 🎉🎉" with ❤️
09:35:17 From One Rouge to Everyone:
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09:36:40 From One Rouge to Everyone:
it’s a bop!
09:36:45 From Jasmin to Everyone:
I do!
09:36:48 From Jasmin to Everyone:
Thank you!
09:37:47 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Forgot to mention that there are vendor opportunities for The Scotlandville Levitt Amped Concert series.
09:38:25 From SHERRETA HARRISON to Everyone:
Non profit orgs cam table but also creatives and entrepreneurs can sell their goods!
09:38:41 From Jasmin to Everyone:
jasmin@ourbrayn.org, 225.439.7388
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