 "Photo: Scott Squires/The Daily Texan")
The clouds gathering outside mirrored the discussion Thursday night at City Hall as panelists shed light on the effects of the economic climate on the Austin art scene.
An audience of artisans attended “Weathering the Economic Storm” to gather advice on how to continue to promote arts, culture and creativity in Austin as the local economy struggles to pull out of the recession. Panelists discussed options other than traditional fundraisers for local artists and non-profits to stay afloat.
“I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been affected by the economic storm over the past year,” said panel moderator Robert Faires, senior arts editor for The Austin Chronicle. “We’re not anything special, but maybe we can help local artists keep contributing in this local climate.”
Bijoy Goswami, founder of Bootstrap Austin, a resource for entrepreneurs, said that artists, musicians and theaters in Austin often go through slow times that are influenced by the economy.
“There is a period of time called the ‘valley of death’ where an entrepreneur hits struggles and challenges,” Goswami said. “But if you get through it, you find the nirvana of growth. Then, you discover that there are even more valleys ahead.”
But the valleys that entrepreneurs fall into are places where innovation and creativity occur, he said.
Panelist Kevin Patterson, general director of Austin Lyric Opera, said by sharing services, artists — individually and as an organization — can build collaboration and marketing cohesion to go to local vendors and set prices as a group.
“Companies value artists banding together because they’re trying to build market share,” Patterson said. “The goal is to set the prices instead of take them.”
Patterson said that instead of competing for subscribers, the arts community could expand their reach through collaborative marketing initiatives.
“The creative class in Austin is vital to the continuing growth of the corporate community and to the growth of this city,” Patterson said.
Many organizations feel the economic climate when they realize that funding is scarce, said Peter Frumkin, director of the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.
“What we’ve seen is a tremendous decrease in net wealth,” Frumkin said. “Funding is tight at the state and local level, and there’s not a lot of money floating around.”
This creates financial stress at the nonprofit level, but there are ways in which organizations can work through the challenge, Frumkin said.
“Non-profits avoid getting into trouble by using sound financial management,” Frumkin said. “There’s no substitute for good management and strong governance.”
Galleries feel the crunch
Galleries across Austin have also felt the effects of the economic climate.
“There have been many spaces in Austin that have closed since the economic downturn,” said Lisa Choinacky, operations manager at Women and Their Work. “Arts are the quickest thing to be hit by such things. I know galleries that have closed and many friends that have had to leave their art jobs.”
Since it is free to the public, Choinacky said that her gallery may not suffer like some of the commercial galleries because it doesn’t have to rely on sales and admission charges to continue operation.
Women and Their Work is a non-profit art gallery located on Lavaca Street that exhibits contemporary art created by women living and working in Texas. As a non-profit, the group brings art to the community through exhibitions and performances. Yet Choinacky said that she has not seen much of a change in the amount of visitors since the recession.
“We’ve seen no decline in visitors because we’re a free gallery, so it’s actually a fun thing for people to do to come and see us,” Choinacky said. “It’s an interesting shift.”
The Renaissance Market located on the Drag is seeing small effects from the recession but larger effects from the construction occurring in the market space, said artisan Frank Parker.
“Since people are going through harder times, and we’re inexpensive, people stop and take a look,” Parker said. “Sometimes people won’t buy a lot, but it’s a steady stream.”
Parker said that he gets the majority of his business during football season.
“It’s always consistent from year to year,” Parker said. “I’m sure the art scene will ride the economy out. It always does.”
Rent at the Renaissance Market is $200 a year but can be up to $5,000 a month at commercial galleries, Parker said.
But the arts are something that are worth the funding, Choinacky said.
“The arts push culture forward,” Choinacky said. “I understand that a lot of people’s money is going to food banks and social services because that’s where people put their money in times like these. But art and art education are things that I hold close to my heart and that I’m always going to hold a torch for.”
