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[MatthewGarrett]

Jazz - thanks for the honesty, but try the bright side for a while. I'm not making it here where it's conservative, bible belt, and backward, so I might as well not make it where people are less that way, right? I need to find people like me in order to survive this economy at all.

And I appreciate everyone's comments. Cosmic, I used to work for Accenture, business consulting firm, so I feel I know marketing fairly well and can also put together a plan that will actually work. I have both the creative and the organized in me. Oh, and I'm bipolar if that means anything special to you, it will to some, but it's greatly misunderstood by most.

Anyway, around here, getting traction with "marketing" is just like getting started in the photography medium - he/she who can AFFORD the best equipment and access to key infrastructure and contacts will have a distinct advantage over those who have no money, but have real talent. I'm sure several of you are familiar with exactly what I'm talking about.

Here the guy that can afford the best equipment, best framing, best printing, best contacts, and best marketing/infrastructure is the "best" photographer, which I think is unfortunate for all of us, including the local city culture and the local citizens themselves. It's one of the reasons I'm leaving.

Too many arts gatekeepers here that have no talent themselves, yet want to protect their turf at any artistic cost. They behave like capitalists first, and artists second, in my view, which erodes the quality of our culture. That profit-based approach will never create a viable art scene, it's lifeless. No art scene could be more "rational" than here, at least I could "laugh with the sinners" in CO.

Also Jazz: it's not a zero sum game, all ships rise when the tide comes in, but you gotta be able to control the tide. The pie gets bigger, we all win, but the artists have to create the conditions for such a thing to occur, it's on us.

I'm just trying to find people who aren't afraid to redefine art/expression and put it in front of the local people. Emotional transactions are how you sell art, marketing is how you get them out, but the rest is up to the artists on-hand who usually need a good amount of practice representing their art and interfacing with the public, since it's usually so "personal" to them. You gotta be able to speak to your art.

I can help with this sort of thing too, can do a lot in fact, I just need to get out there and find other people who realize that while all change involves risk, the potential of the opportunities that exist when people collaborate for a common cause will always far eclipse that fixed risk. I want to connect with others that believe in such things and get started creating the society we want. I'm not just out to sell art, not by any means, I'm out to improve our culture and re-invigorate discourse.

Idunn: I'm also going to look into Santa Fe and especially Taos as well, which sounds interesting. I've studied Taoism and I follow my divining rod, which admittedly draws me to the name of that town (of course).

Thanks again everyone, look forward to hearing your other thoughts, if you have any.

(T.S. Eliot)
We shall not cease from exploration
And at the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time
(T.S. Eliot)

M. Garrett

[bovinedivine]

MatthewGarrett,

I admire and honor your commitment to your art -- and the depth of your activist passion. IMO, Santa Fe is an absolutely beautiful place ("The City Different") with great spirit,history, and culture -- though it is also highly commercialized and caters to New Yorkers and others out to collect the latest and greatest. Art abounds, most of it deeply steeped in Native American, Hispanic, religious, and Southwestern imagery -- which is not to say that there may not be envelope-pushers there as well. Some of the dynamics that you describe above live there, too. That said, if you have never visited NM (Land of Enchantment), it is not to be missed, as it has retained echoes of its ancient culture in ways not often seen in the USA. Taos, being smaller, is a tad different, but again (and I may be sticking my neck out here), the emphasis leans toward the arts (jewelry/pottery/paintings/photography) that have always defined that region and provided economic sustenance. Anyone with more intimate knowledge of the art scene, please correct me if I am way off base.

When living in Boulder, I recall the gallery shows and annual arts/crafts events, which seemed to focus on the same-old, same-old offerings. Never got the sense that Boulder was a pulsing, undulating, progressive arts environment, either. I'd be interested in hearing what folks say about the Denver and Colorado Springs art scenes, but I have a feeling the reviews might be similar.

Trinidad is trying to establish itself as an art colony of sorts, and there is a history of art there, as well. Inch by inch, forward-thinking types interested in facilitating cultural shifts are starting to find themselves drawn to the area, but T'Dad has some deeply-entrenched cultural issues that might suck the creative juices out of you unless you're prepared to plant slow-germinating seeds and exercise due patience. Fertile ground for hardy trailblazers, however.

La Veta (also in southern Colorado) is a sweet little town surrounded by beautiful scenery, and has attracted artistic types for some time. Some would probably say it has already been co-opted by the tourist art trade, but the setting offers balm and muse for the spirit, to be sure. Edgy, however, it is not.

Hopefully you'll be able to travel around Colorado and feel your way to a place that will allow you to put food on the table and pen/brush/mouse in your hand, while also nurturing and enlivening your artistic ideals. Not necessarily in that order, of course. Some of us have been known to gladly give up potatoes in pursuit of our creative passions...

[rjbtmkc]

As a nearly native New Mexican, I have to say that there is one gallery owner in Albuquerque, NM who does an excellent job of "pushing" the boundaries of art in NM - Mary Ann Weems of Weems Galleries.

There are two in Albuquerque, one in Old Town and the other on Montgomery near Louisiana.

I highly recommend swinging by the Weems Art Fest in November.

Home

I am not affiliated with Ms. Weems in any way, I just love the stuff she gets in her gallery.

[KCso43]

1) Current City and State = West New York, New Jersey

2) Why do you want to leave = Too expensive and generally bored of the tri-state area

3) Where In Colorado and Why = Anywhere with a community college, decent economy, inexpensive housing and oppurtunities for outdoor adventure(Hiking,longboarding)

4) 2nd and 3rd Place States = California, Utah

5) What’s currently holding you back from moving = Nothing

6) Anything else you want to tell us that we dont know? = Ive heard nothing but good things about Colorado. Might have 1 or 2 people coming with me.

[smdensbcs]

Originally Posted by bovinedivine

IMO, Santa Fe is an absolutely beautiful place ("The City Different") with great spirit,history, and culture -- though it is also highly commercialized and caters to New Yorkers and others out to collect the latest and greatest. Art abounds, most of it deeply steeped in Native American, Hispanic, religious, and Southwestern imagery -- which is not to say that there may not be envelope-pushers there as well. Some of the dynamics that you describe above live there, too. That said, if you have never visited NM (Land of Enchantment), it is not to be missed, as it has retained echoes of its ancient culture in ways not often seen in the USA. Taos, being smaller, is a tad different, but again (and I may be sticking my neck out here), the emphasis leans toward the arts (jewelry/pottery/paintings/photography) that have always defined that region and provided economic sustenance. Anyone with more intimate knowledge of the art scene, please correct me if I am way off base.

bivinedivine, that was really a great post. My wife (an abstract painter of I believe real but undiscovered talent, like an Agnes Martin who was never noticed) and I love nearly everything about Northern New Mexico. Our life is in Colorado so we live here, but NNM is truly enchanted. That being said, artists and wanna-be artists congregate there like actors and wanna-be actors congregate in Los Angeles. As the saying goes, "you can throw a tortilla in this town and always hit an artist." For better or worse, the difference between working artists and wanna-be artists does not always seem to have a direct correlation to talent or devotion to craft but rather, not unlike Hollywood, can often be about who you happen to know. This holds true in so many human endeavors (and has ALWAYS been true - VanGogh being a famous example) but it can be a challenge for the 97% who are more "wanna-be" than "actual" to know whether the distinction boils down to differences in talent/quality or to a lack of the right connections. Also, there's the whole Thomas Kinkade (RIP) phenomenon, that the vast majority of consumers (of movies, art, music, books, you name it) seem to vastly prefer the banal and profane over less accessible but more profound work.

The art scenes in Denver and Colorado Springs are, in my view, reasonably healthy for what they are. In other words, people don't come to Denver or the Springs to be artists, they come to enjoy the outdoors, because their spouse was transferred, or just general quality of life. Some of the people in Colorado happen to be artists, as they are everywhere. The vast majority of "working" artists paint the type of plein air or realistic mountain/river/tree scenes most people with enough money to buy original art like to hang in their garish faux-log 6,000 sq. foot mountain cabins. The vast majority of artists who do not paint these generic scenes (or who do not paint them well enough) do not sell many pieces and are therefore considered "wanna-be artists."

Unlike Colorado cities, artists move to Santa Fe and Taos in droves, which perpetuates the cycle/culture over decades. I imagine there is both more opportunity and competition in NNM for an artist. All just one guys opinion/observation, for whatever its worth.

[lrmsd]

Originally Posted by smdensbcs

bivinedivine, that was really a great post. My wife (an abstract painter of I believe real but undiscovered talent, like an Agnes Martin who was never noticed) and I love nearly everything about Northern New Mexico. Our life is in Colorado so we live here, but NNM is truly enchanted. That being said, artists and wanna-be artists congregate there like actors and wanna-be actors congregate in Los Angeles. As the saying goes, "you can throw a tortilla in this town and always hit an artist." For better or worse, the difference between working artists and wanna-be artists does not always seem to have a direct correlation to talent or devotion to craft but rather, not unlike Hollywood, can often be about who you happen to know. This holds true in so many human endeavors (and has ALWAYS been true - VanGogh being a famous example) but it can be a challenge for the 97% who are more "wanna-be" than "actual" to know whether the distinction boils down to differences in talent/quality or to a lack of the right connections. Also, there's the whole Thomas Kinkade (RIP) phenomenon, that the vast majority of consumers (of movies, art, music, books, you name it) seem to vastly prefer the banal and profane over less accessible but more profound work.

The art scenes in Denver and Colorado Springs are, in my view, reasonably healthy for what they are. In other words, people don't come to Denver or the Springs to be artists, they come to enjoy the outdoors, because their spouse was transferred, or just general quality of life. Some of the people in Colorado happen to be artists, as they are everywhere. The vast majority of "working" artists paint the type of plein air or realistic mountain/river/tree scenes most people with enough money to buy original art like to hang in their garish faux-log 6,000 sq. foot mountain cabins. The vast majority of artists who do not paint these generic scenes (or who do not paint them well enough) do not sell many pieces and are therefore considered "wanna-be artists."

Unlike Colorado cities, artists move to Santa Fe and Taos in droves, which perpetuates the cycle/culture over decades. I imagine there is both more opportunity and competition in NNM for an artist. All just one guys opinion/observation, for whatever its worth.

Excellent post.
I will also add, that economic sustenance from one's art, is not the defining factor in success. Yes, one needs money to live, but the fact that some artists may be coffee shop baristas, does not make them 'wanna bes'. Wanna be artists more common, in my experience, are the 'technicians' who learn to paint said garish plein air pieces, and/or those who do not need to work and simply take art up as a 'hobby'. Which is perfectly fine. The rub is that these are often the people considered successful, simply b/c they make money or otherwise have the exposure for their work. I cannot tell you how many galleries I've been in, particularly in southern CA, but it's everywhere now with 'life long learning' at an all time high, that are full of mediocre at best work. I think to myself 'this one must know the gallery owner'.....

Having comraderie, whether with other humans or with the landscape, is just as important to an artist, as is 'making money of his/her art'.

Just like most aspects of commercial culture, art is a commodity and indeed is based on common definitions as well as 'who you know'.

[lrmsd]

Originally Posted by lrmsd

Excellent post.
I will also add, that economic sustenance from one's art, is not the defining factor in success. Yes, one needs money to live, but the fact that some artists may be coffee shop baristas, does not make them 'wanna bes'. Wanna be artists more common, in my experience, are the 'technicians' who learn to paint said garish plein air pieces, and/or those who do not need to work and simply take art up as a 'hobby'. Which is perfectly fine. The rub is that these are often the people considered successful, simply b/c they make money or otherwise have the exposure for their work. I cannot tell you how many galleries I've been in, particularly in southern CA, but it's everywhere now with 'life long learning' at an all time high, that are full of mediocre at best work. I think to myself 'this one must know the gallery owner'.....

Having comraderie, whether with other humans or with the landscape, is just as important to an artist, as is 'making money of his/her art'.

Just like most aspects of commercial culture, art is a commodity and indeed is based on common definitions as well as 'who you know'.

Oh, just wanted to add, that I agree with Taos and Santa Fe as good destinations to check out. While there is a superficial art culture there, these places are also chock full of fantastic art and gifted artists, in my experience! The Southwest as a whole is a draw for a reason. Tucson has a great art scene, as well. And by art I mean artisans, crafstmen, jewelers, etc., in addition to traditional media. Taos is an amazing place to find beautiful pieces, in all price ranges; and even in some of the very touristy places, you'll find local artists of all types.

CO is not too shabby, though, in the art dept, either. It just has a different vibe and lifestyle. I think NM can be tricky-it can be inspiring, but could equally be ungrounding and illusory, as a location to live in. They do call it land of enchantment, and I've also seen it referred to as land of entrapment. Be careful what you wish for, I guess. Enchanting can be.....many things! Beautiful place, though-love it.

[WyoEagle]

It's interesting to read this. I have no desire to move to Colorado since I have a good job where I am, but people in Wyoming sure do romanticize Colorado and especially Denver.