Ra’sheeda Bey (LTA ’10), Christina Johnson (LTA ’07, ACG ’11) and Marta Sanchez (LTA ’10, ACG ’06) will be featured in the Philadelphia Folklore Project‘s new Community Supported Arts Program (CSA) which will create opportunities for people to invest directly in Philadelphia-area artists working in diverse cultural traditions.
Typically, a CSA (where the A stands for agriculture) is a chance for consumers to invest in local farms: they pay upfront to receive a weekly “share” of vegetables. This new art program is modeled after a traditional CSA but instead of garlic, chard, and tomatoes, “shareholders” receive original work made by community-based artists. Nine folk artists have been selected for this first year’s offering and each will be producing original works. One work from each artist will be part of every shareholder’s unique bag of art. Shares go on sale on July 12 and cost $350.
Shares can be purchased online at PFP’s store or with a check sent to PFP’s office at 735 S. 50th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143. For more information, visit their website, call 215.726.1106 or email csa@folkloreproject.org
Shareholders receive an invitation to meet the artists at an exclusive “shareholders only” preview dinner party at PFP on September 21st. On December 7th (at another dinner party with artists) each shareholder receives a bag filled with nine artworks. (Nine gifts for friends and family – in time for holiday giving!) Shareholders get great original art, meet (and invest in) interesting artists, learn about the social issues and histories behind the work, and create a sustainable base for folk arts in our city.
Only fifty shares are available. (Is $350 too steep? Consider splitting a share with nine other people, then dividing up the offering.)
Participating artists include:
Ra’sheeda Bey, “Worry Doll”
Alma Luz Castro, oshie (Japanese paper-folding)
Maisaloon Dias, Palestinian tatreez needlework bookmark
Stephanie Hryckowian, painted Ukrainian pysanky (Easter egg)
Christina Johnson, quilted picture frame
Eric Joselyn, Philadelphia Bingo game
Marta Sanchez, confetti-filled cascarones
Pang Xiong Sirirathasuk Sikoun, appliqued Hmong baby-carrier
Matthew Smith, handmade steel cowbell
Samples of work by artists participating in the Philadelphia Folklore Project CSA are on display in PFP’s gallery at 735 S. 50th Street.
Philadelphia CSA programs are modeled on a Community Supported Art program in Minnesota created by Springboard for the Arts and mnartists.org. Funded in part by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Philadelphia CSA initiative is facilitated by the City of Philadelphia Office of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy. Two organizations were chosen to participate. In addition to PFP’s CSA, the arts collectives GrizzlyGrizzly and Tiger Strikes Asteroid are jointly offering a CSA. Information about the works included in their offering is available at http://www.csartphilly.com.
