BUILDING THE SHIP AS IT SAILS

“We are here to approach this topic with depth over breadth,” Adam Gildar explains during the opening panel discussion of the Artist-Run Spaces Symposium held in Denver, Colorado. Now in its second year, the symposium aimed to explore relevant topics that are alternative to the market-driven art world by bringing experts to an emerging region of the United States. Organized by Black Cube’s Cortney Lane Stell and Gildar’s ArtPlant, the symposium presented Alex Paik from Tiger Strikes Asteroid (NYC, Philadelphia, Chicago, LA), Katherine Aungier and Siebren Versteeg of Regina Rex (NYC) and Haynes Riley from Goodweather (North Little Rock, AR). Throughout the programming, the panelists interacted with the Denver art community over the course of four days and collectively attempted to assess the possibilities, logistics, and measures of success of artist-run spaces and galleries.

The symposium’s first day was comprised of a panel discussion held at Black Cube’s Headquarters. Here, each gallery’s representative explained how they found themselves in the ecosystem of the art world. Each gallerist is also an artist, and therefore is constantly confronting the nearly impossible task of running a space and forging ahead with their own art careers. This begs the question: why do it all at all?  

Haynes Riley started Goodweather in his brother’s garage in North Little Rock, AR over five years ago. After an experience at the Ox-Bow Artist Residency, where he curated a series of exhibitions in the residency’s bathroom, he realized that a gallery space could transcend its original function and structure. Exhibition spaces could transcend the gallery’s limitations if installations took place in, say, a restroom or garage.  Inhabiting a space that was neither commercial nor institutional invited a diverse cross-section of audience members who could self-guide themselves through an exhibition.

Alex Paik found himself forming Tiger Strikes Asteroid as a way to get over the social anxiety of having to attend openings. He figured if he opened a gallery he would be forced to converse with fellow artists at events. As with many creative endeavors, this lead to a much larger force that now has four independently operated “franchises” in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Paik’s openness to allowing the TSA name to spring life into new self-governed entities aligns with another slightly altruistic reason for opening an artist run space. “I opened a space to be generous, but also to not feel bitter about the art world,” explained Paik.

Both Siebren Versteeg and Katherine Aungier of New York’s Regina Rex agreed that many artist-run spaces set out to be a rupture in the art world, but are also completely beholden to the social and economic structures that sustain it. They pointed out that one could encounter an ambivalent  relationship with money when you have higher ideals, and this makes it hard to understand measures of success, especially when you are operating with the overhead of a physical space. While commercial galleries operate to make money and non-profit spaces rely on attendance and programming, artist-run spaces ascribe to, and simultaneously reject, both models. Towards the end of their panel, Versteeg questioned how to distance oneself as the legacy of a space runs its course, no matter how long or short the run. How can that distance be useful in understanding success?

OFFICE HOURS

As part of the symposium’s programming, Black Cube and ArtPlant invited the Denver community to have an informal conversation with the panelists by holding “Office Hours” at local dive bar Sputnik. Many directors of artist-run spaces in Denver participated in asking administrative and logistical questions of the panelists and to have a few drinks.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

The symposium concluded with a round-table style conversation that invited the Denver community to discuss their thoughts on the possibilities of artist-run spaces with the panelists.

Many from the group (of roughly seventy people) found deep communal support and  questioning of the role of capitalism in the artist-run gallery model. To be removed from the commercial side of the gallery system, one must be afforded a privilege that most artists cannot experience, and thus it would be necessary for new models that refuse commercial metrics to instead offer opportunity as vessels for connection and experimentation.  This would have to be a labor of love. Katherine Aungier noted that reciprocity can exist within artist-run galleries to create a more horizontal hierarchy, especially outside of large art centers. This seemed to strike a positive chord with many of the Denver artists present, who stated that they were surprised by the enthusiastic responses when they made cold calls to artists offering exhibition opportunities with very little possibility monetary return.

 The level of excitement heightened as the round table participants discussed their ideas for current and potential spaces. The diversity in possibilities seemed indicative of Denver’s lean toward a friendly Western attitude; one of openness and honest generosity that doesn’t run parallel to the contemporary clichés of major art cities. With the desire to offer new programming opportunities without being a commercial gallery or a non-profit gave a sense that new models were being generated and there was no right or wrong way to do it. In fact, doing things a bit wrong might usher in a more stimulating web of resources that could cultivate a unique and active artist-run environment.

Taking its cue from recent shifts in Denver’s creative landscape, with new artist-run spaces opening and the closing of a number of well-respected venues, the Artist-Run Spaces symposium lasting from January 17th - January 20th, 2018 in Denver, Colorado addresses the various trajectories of artist-run spaces alongside their evolving communities. Representatives from spaces across the US, including Regina Rex (New York, NY), Tiger Strikes Asteroid (Chicago, IL, New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Los Angeles, CA), and Good Weather (North Little Rock, AR), will share insights about the challenges,opportunities, and motivations for running their own DIY exhibition spaces. The symposium will also touch on contemporary artistic practices, sociopolitical contexts, and theoretical legacies that shape and animate how these spaces function within the wider contemporary art scene. 

The symposium will begin with a formal panel discussion at Black Cube Headquarters (BCHQ) on Wednesday, January 17th from (6-8pm) and continue with regular “office hours” held at local bar/restaurant Sputnik during happy hour from 4-6pm on Thursday, January 18th, and Friday, January 19th. The discussion and “office hours” will be open to anyone interested in informal and vital dialog. The symposium will close with a participatory roundtable conversation with Denver's artist-run spaces along with our national guests. January 20th from 7-10pm at a Leisure Gallery.
artplnt.org/2018symposium-artist-run-spaces

Derrick Velasquez is an artist, curator educator and organizer based in Denver Colorado. He is a 2017 recipient of Joan Mitchell Grant for Painters and Sculptors and recenetly founded Yes Ma'am Projects, a gallery and Artist Grant. 
derrickvelasquez.com

Images courtesy Derrick Velasquez.

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