FEAST

Hi Everyone,

This Tuesday is another event in a year-long series of weekly conversations and exhibits in 2010 shedding light on examples of Plausible Artworlds.

This week we’ll be talking with some of the people behind F.E.A.S.T.— Funding Emerging Arts with Sustainable Tactics.

FEAST is a recurring public dinner designed to use community-driven financial support to democratically fund new and emerging art makers. At each FEAST, participants pay a sliding-scale entrance fee for which they receive supper and a ballot. In the course of the evening, diners vote on a variety of proposed artist projects. At the end of dinner, the artist whose proposal receives the most votes is awarded funds collected through the entrance fee to produce the project. The work is then presented during the next FEAST.

FEAST emerged in Brooklyn in February 2009, inspired by Incubate Chicago’s Sunday soup, and now has sister programs in Minneapolis, Portland OR, St Louis, Detroit, Baltimore, and many other cities nationally and internationally, always tapping into the individual fabric of each community. In Philadelphia, preliminary meetings strongly suggest growing interest in this model. It seems Philadelphia is ripe for an occasion of arts support and community at the “bottom-up” level, with its wealth of artists, arts schools (recent graduates with few opportunities), collectives, thinkers, community organizations and emerging sustainability groups.

All too often “tactics” are considered situational rather than sustainable. But an artworld economy, if it is to be truly plausible needs to embody sustainable tactics. How does FEAST fulfill the mandate stated in its name? To address that broad question in practical terms, Tuesday’s potluck conversation will also double as a practical organizing session — part of an ongoing conversation about shaping a “FEAST in Philly”. What does Philadelphia need? What existing structures can be built on? What can Philadelphia learn from other models? What are the unique characteristics of Philadelphia that will form its own model? Who will be involved? How does Philadelphia define community? What will Philadelphia support? How will proposals be directed or selected? And beyond Philadelphia, can this kind of a conversation spark similar initiatives in similar communities?

More info:
http://feastinbklyn.org/

See you all then!

Join us every Tuesday night – in person, or on Skype, skypename: ‘basekamp’
If you come to the potluck chat in person, be sure to bring a dish :)
Basekamp space: 723 Chestnut St, 2nd floor, Philadelphia usa

Click to join this week’s Potluck Chat on Skype:
http://bit.ly/b2dAEW

Follow Plausible Artworlds:
http://twitter.com/basekamp
http://basekamp.com/info