by Robert Maniscalco 11/01

After recent events, we are all taking a deeper look at our lives and what is important to us. As an active member of Detroit's arts community I find myself taking a hard look at how each of us defines success. One art dealer/artist from Windsor once described Detroit as the "Wild Wild West of the art world." "Anything goes" is the first and only rule. I imagine Detroit is not unique in this chaotic soup of mavericks fighting to promote themselves in a competitive sea of mavericks doing the same thing, mixing it up, as it were. In Detroit's market driven head-set one might assume that what floats to the top is the cream. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.

What is the main criteria for success in the art community? Is it money, as in most other businesses? Is market driven art somehow better art? I've talked with many who believe the answer to both questions is yes. But there is a lot of schlock that commands a large percentage of the profits in the huge commercial fine art industry. So called "starving artist" art, made anonymously in a factory, is sold at wholesale for the cost of a bad haircut. By any standard of quality, appealing to the lowest common denominator does not make for the most "successful" art. On the other hand, many established contemporary (living) artists sell their work anywhere between $500 to $100,000. But does a high price tag necessarily mean the art is "successful?" Only if money is your main criteria for success.

So how do we define success in the art world? To answer that question we have to take a look at how successful the various types of arts organizations, as well as artists, are at serving the various constituents in our community.

The hallmarks of success vary widely, depending on whether we're talking about galleries, art dealers, art brokers, art consultants, appraisers, museums, educational institutions, non-profit art centers, service organizations or the artists themselves. In a healthy arts community, each of these entities works in tandem to serve the various constituents that make up the community as a whole (by the way, if you have read this far, you are hereby an official member of the arts community in your area!).

I have noticed that these distinctions are a little blurry in Detroit's arts community. Many organizations (even artists) want to be all things to all people. While on the surface this sounds like a noble idea I have found it often leads to confusion and diffusion of services. This is in my opinion the most important learning curve we need to address in our community.

What many people don't realize is that each of these entities has an implied primary constituency. Fireman put out fires and protect the public. The public is their primary constituency. Stockbrokers trade stocks to the advantage of their clients (well, they used to!). A Doctor's primary constituency is his/her patients.

Likewise, in the arts community, the non-profit art guilds/clubs serve their member artists. They exist to showcase, educate and promote their members. When these organizations try to become art dealers on behalf of their member-artists a conflict naturally arises as the art buyer then becomes a constituent. Having art for sale may be one way a guild or club can promote their artists but when the art buyer becomes their primary constituency then the organization has changed it's purpose and must change its structure accordingly.

A non-profit museum or art center, such as the DIA, serves primarily to educate and enlighten the public. They are not answerable to the artist or the art buyer, though they may serve them. They depend on public funding to operate, such as grants, contributions and endowments.

By definition, the art dealer, consultant or gallery serves the art buyer. In the process of serving the buyer the art dealer serves the artist, who benefits from the sale of his/her work. The art dealer's primary constituency must be the buyer. When an art dealer attempts to operate as a museum or an art guild, without the benefit of public funding (or personal wealth) to support the operation, it is a recipe for failure, serving no one.

Who is the primary constituency of the fine artist (those who do not work on a commission basis)? Are they their own constituency, as many fine artists believe? Or are their constituents their past and future buyers? If so, what are the ways in which the fine artist reaches these buyers? Fine artists promote themselves in a number of ways: they exhibit, compete for awards, apply for grants. They may occasionally sell through art guilds, art fairs, even restaurants. Some artists create their own unique opportunities for exhibition and publicity. Some fine artists promote/support themselves through teaching while others have "day jobs." To be "successful," however, fine artists hire brokers/agents or work directly through an art dealer, whose job it is to serve his/her buyers, which in turn, serves the artist.

Many artists misunderstand this relationship. Rather than treating them as partners they resent the art dealers and begrudge the crucial role they play in the community.

In addition, many Detroit art dealers have ignored their obligation to their constituency in order to assuage this resentment. Unfortunately, that's one reason there are so few contemporary galleries specializing in local talent. I have noticed two things that distinguish successful art markets like Chicago, Santa Fe and Ashville from Detroit: 1) The value of artwork is relatively higher and more consistent in these communities and 2) there is a much higher sense of gallery loyalty than in Detroit. Consequently, in these centers, collectors know where to find the artists work and how much it will cost. Detroit's fine artists misguided practice of showing their work wherever and whenever possible, essentially flooding the market, is driving the value of everyone's work down the tubes. I'm sick of hearing about how there's no demand or appreciation for contemporary art in this town. Trust me, there's a huge untapped market for serious contemporary art in metro Detroit.

Many of you have come to know me as a sugar coated optimist and this may seem a pretty cruel assessment. But it may help explain the relatively weak performance by Detroit's art market. Let's just say it's currently a buyer's market (which on the surface would seem to be great news to fledgling collectors). Metro Detroit artists and art dealers need to wake up and begin working for the greater good if they ever want to be taken seriously by the thousands of potential art collectors who don't as yet know we exist.

Now's the time to take action in our community. There is a critical need for unity and clarification as the many arts organizations and artists compete for funding and support from their respective constituents during this economic slow down.

On the bright side, there are a number of excellent models within our community. The DIA is doing a fantastic job of identifying and appealing to their constituency. Smaller non-profits, like Pewabic Pottery and recently the Grosse Pointe Artists Association, are thriving as they focus on their constituency. There are a few contemporary galleries/dealers, who are very quietly identifying their constituency and moving local art into people's homes and businesses while others are scrambling to create a niche in this mad free-for-all.

Fortunately, I work with a great many artists and others in our community who are committed to creating a viable Detroit art market. A strong Art Dealers Association will help; that's something I to which I am committed. Likewise, artists and the organizations that serve them need to organize and build on successful models from other communities.

It comes down to each of us taking a personal responsibility to reach out and to EDUCATE. That goes for collectors, talking to their friends about their latest acquisition, as well as for the artists, enthusiastically participating in the effective promotion of their work. I believe together, we can serve the best interests of the entire community, making it an even more compelling and exciting place to live and raise our families. After all, that's what success is all about. Let me know what do you think?

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