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Creatives quickly learn to assume the “starving artist” role — a general truth that will not cease to exist anytime soon. On top of the current stagnant market, artists have always had to sacrifice material goods to pursue a studio practice. And worst, many creative people are finding themselves jeopardizing ideas because of limiting budgets.

Enters social media. The quickly growing form of communication has changed the ways that groups interact. Harnessing the power of the crowd is already being embraced by 75% of marketing departments in Fortune 500 companies. Businesses see the value of participation – a two way conversation that results in better products, and better customer service. Companies are learning to listen — and they’re talking back.

Many developing ideas in contemporary art, from street art to digital media, are made in this spirit of collaboration. Whereas previous art forms had passive audiences, the contemporary audience is called to action and encouraged to respond. As the art breaks out of traditional venues it becomes an increasingly social practice. It follows, that social media can be a powerful tool for aiding and navigating the creative process.

Integrating social media into art has the potential of making every piece a collaboration – a participatory endeavor where the viewer is a curator of the experience. The Brooklyn Museum tested crowdsourcing in their photography exhibition, “Click!”. In this exhibit, artists were asked to submit images around a central theme; “Changing Faces of Brooklyn.” Anyone was free to submit images with an accompanying statement. The “curation” was done in an open forum where pieces were anonymously ranked. Pieces were then exhibited according to their ranking.

But you don’t have to be a museum to crowdsource a project. In fact, the point of crowdsourcing is that anyone can do it! Anyone with a good idea… who is willing to work hard as an evangelist of their cause. In order to raise funds, your audience has to be convinced that the idea is worth pursuing. On top of having incentives for participating, funders enjoy a directness to the creation of the work that previously only existed for philanthropists with deep pockets.

Below is the breakdown of the $300 dollars I’m investing in my community. This selection shows the diversity of the projects and the people behind them. I decided to back these in particular to illustrate the different ways that one can encourage growth in their community. I also hope that you support these kinds of projects, wherever your community might be. Imagine if everyone (beyond the artists and designers) in your community contributed to it’s cultural growth.

Bushwick Forever
Photographer: Rafael Fuchs
Amount pledged: $100

Rafael Fuchs is sourcing funds for “Bushwick Forever” a photography book project documenting the growth of Bushwick since February 2005. Fuchs captures portraits of Bushwickians in their daily routine as the neighborhood transitions from an industrial zone to a “fairy tale playground for artists.”

Support this project here.

Reverse Abstraction
New Media Artist: Ashley Zelinskie
Amount pledged: $100

Ashley Zelinskie appropriates Joseph Kosuth’s “One and Three Chairs” to create a contemporary version out of hexadecimal code. Using the 3D modeling program Rhinoceros, she will re-create the iconic chair and manufacture it in a Makerbot (an open source 3D printer). The chair will be assembled at full scale out of modular pieces.

Support this project here.

Urban Free Farm
Urban Farmers: Bushwick City Farms
Amount pledged: $100

Bushwick City Farms is looking to transform a derelict space on the corner of Stockton Street and Lewis Avenue into an urban farm. The group has already taken steps to end to the negligence of the space by clearing garbage. Their goal is to share the “importance of community self-sufficiency, food justice, responsible food production, and land rehabilitation.” by bringing the community to action.

Support this project here.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 at 8:03 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.