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Sunday, February 01, 2004

Crass commercialism

Howdy!

So I'm in the midst of filling out a Canada Council grant application, and going to see if I can't get two of them out by tomorrow at 9pm.

The first one is for "Grants to Professional Artists - Independent Critics and Curators." The second on is "Music Project Grants: Artists and Community Collaboration Fund." If you have any other suggestions as to other places that are in the habit of giving out money to arts organization (or weirdos) I'd be more than happy to hear about them.

Now on the face of it, grants are contrary to everything I stand for and believe in. But you who have been reading this blog (and there are a bunch of you) have not been clicking that button to the right and buying raffle tickets. So, I figure that it can't hurt to try. But, man, oh! Man, is it boring as all get out! Basically, I'm going through the archives and putting onto disc absolutely everything that has ever happened here. In a nutshell: 39 Art Exhibitions, 69 concerts/CDs, and 52 poetry readings, book launches, artist markets, waffledude performances, and other sundry events. That's a lot of stuff to document. My guess is that I'm going to attempt to overwhelm the jury, your standard issue Zeke's Tsunami. In a prefect world, after the waves come crashing over them, they come up gasping for air, and say "OK, we'll give you the cash, just give us a towel or something, please!"

According to the business plan that I am in the midst of writing, it should cost something like $200,000 to run this place. So if I get the $15K from being an independent curator, and the $15K for being a musical community that still leaves me 34,000 raffle tickets short - click early, click often. Hint, hint, hint. Or if you don't want to give any money to PayPal, come by the gallery and save yourself the extra quarter.

Some other ways that you can help in a very concrete manner: Buy a membership. Every level gives you the exact amount of money you pay back in coupons good for purchases of art here. Then on top of it, y'also get CDs, catalogues, a special cool surprise, and the fancy-ass membership card. Or you could buy art here (we do have a bunch, and while Kristi's show is doing very well, thank you, there are still some paintings available). Or if you're cash poor (business term for "broke") there's the whole Freedom Fighters gig, where you earn upper level membership packages by doing stuff as simple as bringing someone to the gallery, or getting a drink. Not too tough, eh? Again, swing by the gallery to pick up your truly smashing Freedom Fighters card.

End of commercial, but I gotta admit that writing these applications has got to be one of the most tedious things I've ever done (and I have watched paint dry�). Sorry for unloading on you.

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