The saying “nothing happens in a vacuum” could apply to all things in nature except for artists and the creative process. Doesn’t the artist often look for a vacuum – a portal to get sucked into for a while, whirled around in their inner world to find connection, the innate, the organic? As I’m contemplating this, I’m thinking of the artist who has all the time in the world to just sit and capture a flower wilting, the changing of light on a field from dawn to dusk, to stew in their lines and music, practice their moves and prose all day long. As a viewer or bystander, this is often our idea of “the artist” at work, toiling in their craft all day and every day. And although I do hope this is the case for most, I imagine most artists would likely call my bluff and wish to provide me with a realistic view of their work life and creative process.
I am sure artists, as anyone would, enjoy being revered as celestial bodies removed from the woes and humdrum of the daily grind. However, the idea of this solitary genius at leisure is quite fitting for examination. I know plenty of artists who really do get to enjoy viewing the world around them as I just imagined; however, others must find time and energy to work in between the slots of economic reality, practicing their crafts in the middle of the night and on stolen occasions away from their day job.
Artists can be thought of geniuses, professionals, artisans, but more and more today, they are full-fledged entrepreneurs, often at the center of a grand balancing act and under constant pressure to afford the time to create. Being an artist in Durango can be enlightening, as one must be creative and resourceful to make it work where the cost of living is high, coupled with a significant wage gap, challenging the potential for our cultural capital to continue to flourish.
Understanding that this financial barrier is often all that stands in the way of an artist’s next critical step in their career, the Durango Arts Center has created and pooled resources to support our Artist Services Department. We now offer a handful of opportunities to support artists in their craft; such as the DAC MicroGrants program, which distributes 10 grants totaling $5,000 to emerging and established artists, serving as a catalyst to further their work while living and creating in our rural Southwestern communities. This opportunity is open to DAC members as well as non-members.
DAC also offers ways to sustain practice and exploration through an residency program with Willowtail Springs Education Center in Mancos. Conceived with the notion that emerging and established artists require dedicated time and space for inspiration and experimentation of creative work, DAC funds one-week residencies against the backdrop of the private, rural oasis of Willowtail, which was founded and is operated as a nonprofit by artist Peggy Cloy and her husband, Lee. Generous individual donors and New Face Productions, an all-volunteer committee devoted to raising funds for contemporary adult programs at DAC, make this program possible. The next application deadline for residency is August 7.
DAC also continues to offer ongoing opportunities for enrichment and exhibition through an active exhibits schedule that incorporates the Annual Members Exhibit (opening August 7 with artwork drop off on August 4) and a few other show spots providing a means to highlight diverse mediums and local talent. To invite and support local performing arts talent, DAC opens auditions for multiple theatre productions throughout the year, such as the 10-Minute Play Festival coming in October with auditions most likely in August. Not only does DAC offer numerous workshops and classes for the lifelong learner and developing artist, but also scholarship opportunities. So if you or someone you know is a modern-day artist entrepreneur, you better visit DAC to learn more about how we can support you and our community of artists.
