As we move forward with the generation two of the Wayfinder Project..I am feeling so grateful.
Many people are coming back to the kitchen design table, and many new people are arriving as well. The app art is the pied piper of connection.
Art is property and the bringing together of artists, creative thinkers, and well anyone who wants to see a different economy is exciting. To see where the concepts went and where the legacy can live is so fulfilling. A creative stream where where grants are equally shared with the systems and the people. As the creative economy is embraced and pushed by all streams of government in the digital revolution, artists need to know their rights, the business model and how to write the imposing grants that fund the very art that is the economic and social driver that this country needs right now. Level the playing field so all are included is though collaboration and education. People up in the communities. Most importantly is not letting the rights be taken by the crown and a shared use of the art or fair payment for that art is important.
Musicians have fought hard for this model and so must digital and visual artists. Artists know how to make something out of nothing. SO…. thinking about that, maybe bring the contract artists to the table in the distribution of the funds. Less administrative line items and more art line items.. Or lets think even further than that….the creatives P6 collaboration model can bring the cash allotments to the table..be managed by the art administrators that are well versed in budget magic….and let the art and social change bring corporate sponsors to the table and well imagine this…the act of art and the placement of the property of art and artists as a contribution to the community gets placed on the community and government budgets. What is that? A creative economy but in the hands of the people in partnership with the tax caretakers.. true people in the economy. Because the last time I looked the tax money comes from the people.
What must be done is to bring all those brilliant people to the table. The makers, the ones in the art trenches all the past 30 years and have the community creative economy masters share their knowledge. We plan to! Create a contract toolkit to make sure this art property, economic and social catalyst tool and legacy knowledge turn a P3 partnership government model, into a P6 parternship model. This will keeps the people, the diverse communities and the artists in that economy….and in this digital age..create jobs in the very communities we live.
Facts:
The model has beeb proven. The dollars that the art in Vernon and Merritt and more brought in needs to be studied. The toolkit on how this philosophy works was gifted to me by the industrious small town immigrant community I was raised in.
I am flattered that that economy worked well enough, that a group in Merritt are claiming those economic rights. Are they right to do so? No!
Did those few work hard to help make the project as success? Yes, But that does not give rights to claim what an artist manufactures, in a co funding model. Will they try to leverage that art for more funding?
But the art as property has economic rights to myself, the youth, and the stars that lent their faces. Do we have rights to our names and personality rights and our stories? Yes! I signed contracts that say I can not assign those rights. Yet why are we not sitting at a table looking at the success of the dollars brought in and looking at a regional project together? I believe one of the hardest things that small communities face is to work with each other. Life is hard in rural communities and those grant dollars take hard work and as the grants are over subscribed and feeding frenzy occurs. This is why a connected project can bring all the communities together.
This Creative Community model that Susan Allen and I taught Merritt worked..If anyone can explain to me why the Government and the community are not saying how can we make this work…I would really appreciate it. I now work with the Gold Country group, who see the cart needs to be pulled together by all the horses….not apart, in a Rural Creates sustainable plan. I now work with a brilliant woman who has shown me how to turn this model into a franchise and my app team has created a tool that all can use.
I worked my entire career to see the donated non profit work of the many people that give so much for their communities. Non Profit is a Ministry in its own right. Billions of dollars and social good is given to this country every year. The copyright claim I will fight for is the proof this model needs to be taken seriously. And all those that have made teas, events, art shows, theatre productions, musicals, performances, and the list can go on forever, I ask you to stand up with me.
The arts is an economy. And that value is about to be recognized.
I am forever grateful for any support !
ARTIST MICHELLE LOUGHERY 