Saturday, May 23, 2009

Parabasis: Mission Paradox on Endowed Artist Chairs:

I think (correct me if I'm wrong here, Adam) where this quibble flows from is that Adam believes that donors aren't resistant to funding people rather than buildings, it's that they're generally unaware that the people are so underfunded. Therefore there's no real need for a new funding model for artists, we just need institutions to use the old model correctly.

The problem is... well, they don't use them correctly. They largely haven't over the past couple of decades and that's how we got here.  So to me, having some structure in place (dare I say... a lock box?) the ensures that money go to a specific worthwhile and important goal that institutions frequently shortchange is a positive not a negative thing. I understand it might not be in the institutions self-interest, but again that might in some cases be a positive.