#ASKForArtsAccountability
Spoiler alert: our 2022 residency at Arts Society of Kingston ended horribly. Click on #ASKForArtsAccountability for archived stories & #WhoBelongs845 for action steps.
For the entirety of 2022, we were selected to occupy the Front Room Gallery space at Arts Society of Kingston as an organization in residence. We decided to end our residency early & terminate our agreement with ASK, as this institution who elected to host us took issue with every single thing we presented. During each project (all below), we were told that our work was unprofessional & that it "should not be the first thing visitors see when entering the venue", implying it would give a bad impression and turn visitors off. This feedback impacted our work significantly and we built each new offering into something that felt important but would likely cause tension, and each month we were told that the previous month was actually okay, but the NEW project was not professional enough.
At the time that we agreed to the residency, we luckily had deep ties with the Staff & many volunteers, so the conflicts with the higher ups posed no threat to our community. Over time however, those with the most power within this institution (and clearly the most discomfort with marginalized people entering what the gatekeepers believe to be their space) drove away the entire Staff and many of the volunteers that helped us feel safe. We did not intend to put anyone in harm's way and had systems and people to protect us and ours, but those have since been attacked and harmed and so we've ended things. At this time, we do not feel comfortable recommending that anyone in our community visit this venue.
Since our leaving, this institution has removed its COVID-19 safety protocols despite their at-risk visiting population requesting otherwise, and unplugged their community fridge with only 1-month's notice. Deplorable.
While this experience was heavy and one we are still healing from, there are thing to be celebrated. We occupied the space all year and had a great time making friends, holding COVID-safe space during a continued pandemic, giving away free stuff, & seeing so much beauty & kindness & talent & more. A reminder that we knew from the start that our presence would be challenged & that nonprofits are rarely designed to maintain relationships with those who are historically excluded. For more about the nonprofit industrial complex, consider reading The Revolution Will Not Be Funded by Incite! (free PDF here). Our entire existence is a disruption to institutions who historically exclude marginalized creatives and so in one way, we did exactly what we exist to do.
Thank you to everyone who visited us this year. There is a larger conversation to be had about the nonprofit industrial complex and how institiutions like ASK cannot serve us. We highly recommend divesting from Arts Society of Kingston @askforarts or holding them accountable. We also recommend reading "The Revolution Will Not Be Funded" by INCITE! (Free PDF here). Our Team needs rest now, but will share more Team thoughts soon & action items as they arise. Big love.
Click here for thoughts from Celebrate845 Team member, Lee
Click here for thoughts from former ASK Executive Director, Brent
Click here for thoughts from Celebrate845 Founder and former ASK Board President, Jamie
At the time that we agreed to the residency, we luckily had deep ties with the Staff & many volunteers, so the conflicts with the higher ups posed no threat to our community. Over time however, those with the most power within this institution (and clearly the most discomfort with marginalized people entering what the gatekeepers believe to be their space) drove away the entire Staff and many of the volunteers that helped us feel safe. We did not intend to put anyone in harm's way and had systems and people to protect us and ours, but those have since been attacked and harmed and so we've ended things. At this time, we do not feel comfortable recommending that anyone in our community visit this venue.
Since our leaving, this institution has removed its COVID-19 safety protocols despite their at-risk visiting population requesting otherwise, and unplugged their community fridge with only 1-month's notice. Deplorable.
While this experience was heavy and one we are still healing from, there are thing to be celebrated. We occupied the space all year and had a great time making friends, holding COVID-safe space during a continued pandemic, giving away free stuff, & seeing so much beauty & kindness & talent & more. A reminder that we knew from the start that our presence would be challenged & that nonprofits are rarely designed to maintain relationships with those who are historically excluded. For more about the nonprofit industrial complex, consider reading The Revolution Will Not Be Funded by Incite! (free PDF here). Our entire existence is a disruption to institutions who historically exclude marginalized creatives and so in one way, we did exactly what we exist to do.
Thank you to everyone who visited us this year. There is a larger conversation to be had about the nonprofit industrial complex and how institiutions like ASK cannot serve us. We highly recommend divesting from Arts Society of Kingston @askforarts or holding them accountable. We also recommend reading "The Revolution Will Not Be Funded" by INCITE! (Free PDF here). Our Team needs rest now, but will share more Team thoughts soon & action items as they arise. Big love.
Click here for thoughts from Celebrate845 Team member, Lee
Click here for thoughts from former ASK Executive Director, Brent
Click here for thoughts from Celebrate845 Founder and former ASK Board President, Jamie
Here's what we did during our residency:
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Celebrate845:
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Make | Leave | Take
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Is making art all about the end product? We don’t think so, but totally acknowledge that the world we live in wants us to. Join us in challenging that mindset by being a part of this practice in creative catharsis, impermanence, & abundance.
MAKE time to make some art. At home if you wish, or at Arts Society of Kingston. Free supplies available or you can totally bring your own/some to donate. All ages welcome.
(If you BYO art: work must be able to hang on the wall & nothing larger than 16 x 20″ please.)
LEAVE a piece in the gallery. Hang it right on the wall or put it right on a pedestal. For real.
TAKE a piece home with you if you see one that resonates. We live in an abundantly creative community & can’t wait to watch the work come & go, into & out of the space & into your life.
This show was super well received and so we extended it into May as part of Mental Health Awareness Month.
Click here to view online
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EPHEMERAWe invited our community to literally come and draw on the walls.
No joke. We photographed its progress from time to time and are making a limited edition print zine with a digital version available soon. Did you leave your mark on this fleeting project? Print & digital zines coming soon. Click here to view online Click here to read a rude review |
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The Writing on the WallLet the warm September winds sweep you in, the phrases flow and the prose proliferate; fill our walls with the words that fill you.
Our 2022 residency at Arts Society of Kingston continued with "The Writing on the Wall: a celebration of the written word." In this month-long poetry event, participants had the opportunity to utilize provided materials and prompts to create literary art (or bring in preexisting work) to be displayed in the front room of ASK. Archived below! Click here to view online |
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CostumizedDid you know that our Team loves to play dress up? As Fall arrived, the bug to dress up did too. Celebrate845 community members were invited to visit us during our October residency at ASK and peruse our donated costumes rack AND/OR craft their own costume using blank tee shirts, masks, and miscellaneous decoration supplies. We provided free costumes and craft the materials - you brought your creativity - all free of charge. Thank you for cutting, painting, sewing, gluing... customizing (costumizing?) to your heart's content. Click here to view online |
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Who Belongs?For our final months, we invite our community to answer our simple question:
"Who belongs in fine arts spaces?" Think about it. Then take a photo with our cute lil' camera and stick it on the wall. Or write on a post-it. Or post something remotely and use the hashtag #WhoBelongs845 so we can co-create a living digital gallery archive. We see you. We care about you. And we invite you to take up space while we have space to give. Enjoy. Click here to view the archive. Click here to download & use the Instagram filter! |
Why are we collaborating with this organization?
Note: this was written at the beginning our of residency, which ended up being a sour experience with the venue but a beautiful one through community connection. We have chosen to keep it posted here to state our original intention and to provide context around what ended up transpiring.
The Arts Society of Kingston (ASK) is a long-standing, non-profit, multi-arts space placed within a Census Tract low-income area of Kingston, New York. They are an abundant resource with lots to offer, including gallery space, performance space, classroom space, a resource library, and a community fridge and pantry. We are immensely grateful to utilize their space at no cost.
What we gain from being in relationship with ASK is physical space to occupy for an extended period of time. The longest that we've ever occupied one physical space has been 1 month. We prefer to "pop-up" and be accessible to those across the Hudson Valley who may not have access to transportation, but we have also come to recognize the importance and impact of being somewhere for a longer time. We are grateful to have a mini "hub" for 2022 and hold space consistently in an area that is fairly accessible. (There is a Trailways Bus to Kingston and the UCAT bus system within Ulster County [ASK is near Blue Route stop 11]). Celebrate845 was founded on the idea of challenging who and what belongs in fine arts spaces. We are thrilled to explore this in community for the year and are grateful to the ASK Staff for supporting us as we explore these questions publicly in their space and secure our collective sense of belonging.
What ASK gains from being in relationship with us is primarily access. By giving Celebrate845 full access to and control over their Front Room Gallery space at no cost to us, ASK is eligible for NYSCA grant funding opportunities, many of which require applicants to have designated community arts space (meaning there are little to no barriers to entry, no costs for the artists, no membership required, etc). By partnering with Celebrate845, ASK is also "walking the walk" and being a role model for other local arts non-profits who say they want to include marginalized creatives in their spaces but do not give access, autonomy, or power to said creatives. A seat at the table is nice, but being able to choose the silverware and the food you eat is what truly makes an impact towards equity and change. ASK may not do this forever and may not build these values into their identity, but we are grateful to have the opportunity to impact their community.
Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston NY @askforarts
Note: this was written at the beginning our of residency, which ended up being a sour experience with the venue but a beautiful one through community connection. We have chosen to keep it posted here to state our original intention and to provide context around what ended up transpiring.
The Arts Society of Kingston (ASK) is a long-standing, non-profit, multi-arts space placed within a Census Tract low-income area of Kingston, New York. They are an abundant resource with lots to offer, including gallery space, performance space, classroom space, a resource library, and a community fridge and pantry. We are immensely grateful to utilize their space at no cost.
What we gain from being in relationship with ASK is physical space to occupy for an extended period of time. The longest that we've ever occupied one physical space has been 1 month. We prefer to "pop-up" and be accessible to those across the Hudson Valley who may not have access to transportation, but we have also come to recognize the importance and impact of being somewhere for a longer time. We are grateful to have a mini "hub" for 2022 and hold space consistently in an area that is fairly accessible. (There is a Trailways Bus to Kingston and the UCAT bus system within Ulster County [ASK is near Blue Route stop 11]). Celebrate845 was founded on the idea of challenging who and what belongs in fine arts spaces. We are thrilled to explore this in community for the year and are grateful to the ASK Staff for supporting us as we explore these questions publicly in their space and secure our collective sense of belonging.
What ASK gains from being in relationship with us is primarily access. By giving Celebrate845 full access to and control over their Front Room Gallery space at no cost to us, ASK is eligible for NYSCA grant funding opportunities, many of which require applicants to have designated community arts space (meaning there are little to no barriers to entry, no costs for the artists, no membership required, etc). By partnering with Celebrate845, ASK is also "walking the walk" and being a role model for other local arts non-profits who say they want to include marginalized creatives in their spaces but do not give access, autonomy, or power to said creatives. A seat at the table is nice, but being able to choose the silverware and the food you eat is what truly makes an impact towards equity and change. ASK may not do this forever and may not build these values into their identity, but we are grateful to have the opportunity to impact their community.
Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston NY @askforarts
