Announcing the launch of net.work, a project helping formalize the identity of the emerging entrepreneurial artist.
Over the last several years there's been a lot of interesting activity in this hazy space between art and startups. I mostly kept note by adding twitter accounts to lists and emailing myself links. But when the New Museum’s NEW INC art incubator launched in 2014 that was an important validation of an emerging market (or at least community) for entrepreneurial artists and art startups.
It makes sense in some ways:
- Artists are entrepreneurial in general
- Traditional ways of “making it” in the arts are just as ludicrous as launching a successful startup i.e., 9 in 10 startups fail and 9 in 10 MFAs fail to become working artists
- The cost of launching a project or company has dramatically decreased over time
- Many emerging artists — specifically postmedia — are familiar with technology which can be used to blur the line between art and function. Monetizing their functional creative inquiry and practice seems like a logical next step
But unlike established pathways of both gallery artists and tech entrepreneurs there is virtually no community or resources available for the emerging entrepreneurial artist. This is the focus of net.work.
There are a handful of projects in the works to help demystify what it means to be a successful entrepreneurial artists, facilitate a community and formalize this new identity.
Current projects in incubation mode include:
- Interviews with artists working in or engaged with the entrepreneurial artist space which will be published on here
- A creative tech community for the Midwest, starting in St Louis, Missouri called Mimetic Network
- Other projects currently in planning phase include funding and support
If you’re interested in collaborating, don’t hesitate to reach me on twitter @net_dot_work or email me at tyler@absolutnet.work.
