Community supported art program coming to Madison

(Photo courtesy of Springboard for the arts)

An art program coming to Madison this summer will give buyers a taste of local artistry at an affordable cost. 

CSArt Madison is a community supported art program that will give local artists the opportunity to make creative pieces for the people of Madison. 

The idea behind the program comes from Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, in which members of the community buy shares of local farms and receive produce in return.  CSArt Madison shareholders will receive art pieces from all 10 chosen artists when they buy a share.

The goal of the CSA-style approach is to play upon Madison’s already existing culture, according to Simone Doing, lead curator for the Arts + Literature Laboratory.

“The program is a complement to the spirit Madison already has in which people tend to enjoy buying locally and supporting others in the city, more than you’d see elsewhere,” said Doing.

The artists included in the CSArt Madison program were chosen by the Arts + Literature Laboratory Curatorial Board, including Doing. These artists will receive a stipend of $1000, an exhibition opportunity and promotional support to produce 60 limited-edition works of art that will be distributed CSA-style to the shareholders. 

The 2017 CSArt Madison artists are: Faisal Abdu'Allah, Katharine DeLamater, John Hitchcock, Helen Lee, J. Myszka Lewis, Dakota Mace, Jason Ruhl, Chelsea Thompto, Bernadette Witzack, and Ariel Wood.

Artists have a blank canvas as far as what art form they may curate. Examples of possible artwork include small-scale sculptures, paintings, drawings, vinyl records and photographs.

“We seek to offer a cooperative alternative to the traditional sales model that results in less financial risk for artists and an accessible entry point into fine art collecting for new and lower-income buyers,” Doing said.

CSArt Madison is based on a national model of art support and distribution which has been implemented in over 40 cities across the country. If successful here in Madison, the Madison program would like to expand the number of artists involved. 

Shares will be available for purchase beginning May 1 through artlitlab.org. Buyers can purchase a full share at $300, which will include artwork from all 10 artists. Alternatively, half shares can be bought for $150 to include artwork from five artists.