HOW WILL WE SURVIVE?

Pace Wildenstein (Sentry, Gallery Desks in Chelsea Series)
photography/ Andy Freeberg

Here are two ideas from Charlie:

"How would a new gallery system work? The first step would be to require written contracts between a gallery and its artists. A gallery would commit to a stable of, say, ten artists for a contractual period of five years. Each artist would receive a monthly stipend to cover the basics such as rent, food and materials. In return, any monies received from the sale of works by gallery artists would go into a collective pool to pay these stipends and the expenses of running the gallery. Part of the stipend arrangement would require the artists to commit a small amount of time weekly to working in the gallery to cut down on labor costs...

Collectors can do their part, too, as they deaccession their unwanted art holdings, by spreading the secondary market around with a collectors' register that would provide a list of works available for resale to participating galleries, similar to the multiple listings in the real estate industry. Rich collectors might also consider donating a prized Koons or Dumas to a small, struggling gallery to be raffled or auctioned off for the benefit of said gallery. Collector-curated shows, such as the ones Beth Rudin DeWoody has produced recently, could also be a financial boon to prevent struggling galleries from closing, with such collectors generously leavening their hordes in order to keep struggling galleries afloat..."

SURVIVAL STRATEGIES by Charlie Finch

Andrea Rosen (Sentry, Gallery Desks in Chelsea Series)
photography/ Andy Freeberg

PS: If anyone knows of any art related positions in the LA area please drop me a line. The LA scene is feelin' the burn, me included, and this blog ain't paying the bills.