June 25, 2013. Building a life in an arts community is not always a straightforward task. Emerging artists, critics, curators, and arts workers all face multiple options when it comes to finding and defining their role in the Bay Area—not to mention the national and international scene, and the unwieldy Internet. In pieces from four years of AP archives, writers address a wide array of responses to these various forking paths, reflecting on institutional setbacks and local growing pains, but also on the lasting impact individual artists or collectives can have on our local communities and culture.
Considering the nexus of art practice and life, Renny Pritikin examines David Ireland’s lasting influence, while Jeanne Gerrity covers a social practice exhibition exemplifying the challenges of presenting works outside of their original situation. Reflecting on the logistics of an art scene, Aimee Le Duc offers insight into the ways and means of non-profit spaces; Christian L. Frock takes a look at alternative modes of exhibition and intervention; Christine Wong Yap discusses the prospect of leaving the Bay Area to follow artistic opportunities and economic sustainability; and crystal am nelson considers the challenges and merits of achieving true art scene inclusivity in Marfa, Texas. Working from a theoretical vantage point, Matthew Rana evaluates the way that art can contribute to political discourse by illuminating gaps between legal structures and the real world they govern, and Elyse Mallouk traces the porous boundary between art and activism in the context of the 2011 Occupy protests. Finally, Bill Berkson’s piece rounds out the issue, offering advice to arts writers, and making a case for poetry as a response to sensory observation.
While there is no one prescription for a meaningful life in the arts, or how to best contribute to a community, there are—as these articles make clear—many examples of success, and many interpretations of the lessons they offer. - Mary Anne Kluth
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Art Practical has invited its regular writers to guest edit thematic issues of content from our archive this summer as we prepare for the launch of our new website in September. These issues highlight the breadth of subjects we've covered over the past four years and some of the notable interests that catalyze artistic practice in the Bay Area. And here's a sneak peak of what is coming up for Art Practical.