artistsdrawstrengthfromcoops

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In banking town, artists draw strength from co-ops

By Bea Quirk, contributing writer Published: February 22, 2011

Janet Lasher, left, a founding member of Charlotte ARTery, discusses artwork withvisitors to a November ARTery exhibit in Charlotte. ARTery organized the exhibit using

funding from the Arts and Science Council. Photo courtesy of ARTery

Creating art, by nature, is a solitary undertaking. And in Charlotte, with its corporatebanking mentality, many artists feel particularly isolated.

So as the critical mass of artists in the area keeps growing, many of them are comingtogether to form co-ops. While all these groups offer emotional support and friendship,some focus more on personal and artistic development, while others focus on businessdevelopment. All produce joint exhibits for their members.

Jean Greer, vice president of public art and creative individuals for the Arts and ScienceCouncil, said such organizations are a business necessity to help members share costs,such as leasing space, advertising, marketing and social media. They also give membersadditional opportunities to exhibit their art and more control over their business than if they used an agent.

But even groups that focus on the moneymaking aspect of art provide much more for their members, Greer said.

“Fellow artists understand the solitary nature of the work they do and so can motivateeach other better than anyone else,” she said. “They ramp up each other’s creativity andhelp make them better artists.”

Becoming nonprofits



Although many of these groups consider themselves co-ops, they find that a 501(c)(3) isthe best legal structure to use, because it enables them to receive grants from foundations,government entities and groups such as the ASC.

“We are filing for nonprofit status so we can get grants to help us grow, but in our heart

and soul, we are a co-op,” said Shane Agostinelli, co-founder of the Women Centered ArtCo-op. “We still want to help each other.”

All the co-ops use Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites extensively andcommunicate with fans via group e-mail.

None of the groups is more than a few years old. One of the most established is CharlotteARTery, which was formed in 2009 by four artists who met at the McColl Center for Visual Arts. There are now eight members representing a variety of media, includingmosaics, fiber and watercolor. Their long-time goals are to have a shared studio andgallery space for members and to foster their professional and artistic development.

The group has been able to grow thanks to the support of the ASC, which awarded theman initial grant of $4,000 in 2009 to hold exhibits throughout the community. That wasfollowed this past summer by a two-year Knight Foundation-backed grant of $30,000.

Their first step was structural, not artistic, hiring consultant John Moore to help themimplement a five-year business plan. His first piece of advice: Reorganize as a 501(c)(3).“It’s all so scary and freaky,” co-founder Bev Nagy said.

It was a three-day ASC workshop, “Artist as Entrepreneur,” that motivated Nagy andAshley Lathe to start ARTery and to pursue it as a way to increase sales and visibility for members.

More collaboration wanted

But there’s more to it than that.

“Charlotte has galleries, but we’d like to see more collaboration among artists,” Nagysaid. “One of the beauties of the co-op is that someone always has your back. I hope wecan get to a point when Charlotte is not just known for its banks and the Panthers, butalso as a city with a large thriving arts community.”

The group is now working to find space for a permanent home with the help of cityeconomic development staff, who see the artistic space as an anchor to help revitalize adecaying neighborhood.

Crown Town Handmade, also founded in 2009, is a group of artisans and craftspeoplefocused on the business of art for its 20-plus members. Member Rachel Taliaferrrodescribes them as people “who make a living from their art and who are serious about



growing their business.”

“We all need help with the business aspect of what we do,” she said. “It’s a challenge for most of us as it is not our strong suit. We help each other learn in our monthlyworkshops, and we share resources. There’s a networking benefit, too.”

Topics at the monthly workshops have included how to get a business license, brandingand accounting.

In addition, CTHM holds Make-Out sessions, free monthly crafts nights that are open tothe public and in which members teach simple projects such as bookbinding, collages andembroidery.

‘Find our own tribe’

The WCAC will be a year old in March, and its focus is on camaraderie and artisticexpression.

“(Artist) Brooke Hofsess and I were complaining about being an artist in Charlotte anddecided we wanted to find our own tribe of artists here. So we founded WCAC together,”Agostinelli said. “Charlotte has grown, but the art scene has not grown with it.”

The group was able to get donated space on Pressley Road for exhibits and programs,which include one or two workshops a month for members.

“We’re open to artists of all abilities, and our ideal is a holistic vision, a mind-body

connection,” Agostinelli said.

The group also offers a free monthly crafts night open to the public. It has about 60members who pay $35 in annual dues.

“It’s more about being artistic and personal than business,” Agostinelli said.

But, she acknowledges, “to survive, we’ll need to add more of a business side.”

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