I say this because I also strongly question the fairness of the McKnight Artists Fellowship program. I was fortunate enough in ‘06-’07 to make the short list for the McKnight Visual Arts Fellowship. I was informed of the dates that the panel would be making STUDIO VISITS and the time I was scheduled into the rotation. MCAD’s website clearly states this and it was clearly stated in the correspondence with the director that the review panel would be making stops at the artists’ studios to view their work. However, I was not allowed to open my studio to the panel. I was told that I would have to display work at an alternate location. Twice I contacted the program director to possibly either work out a compromise or solution to this. No venue was offered, no venue was suggested. I was denied an equal opportunity to show. After hustling to find a venue, I finally had to display my work at what I can only say was a desperate locale. It was one that not only did not show my work in it’s created and creative context; the artist’s studio, but was shown in a sub-par space at the time. The clarity of a doomed viewing was made crystal clear when one of the “esteemed outstate arts professionals” on the panel decided to take a cel phone call in the middle of the review. Needless to say, I was not selected to be a McKnight Visual Arts Fellow that round.

I realize it is easy to read this and “poo-poo” my tale as one driven by a bitter and whining aesthete. All too often I see knee-jerk reactionism to similar stories in poorly written text and emotive arguments that ensue. I am willing to accept that. I was there…I lived it.

So, for another related tale…let’s see if you can connect the dots to this: I have been on the White Columns registry in NYC since 2002. White Columns is a not-for-profit organization/space that maintains an artist registry and rotating shows on the north side of the Village. White Columns recieves Jerome funding. I have never been contacted to show in seven years, yet they keep me on the roster. I wonder how many of their Minnesota artists are chosen for shows? Having a NYC tick on your resume is nice, right? And having Minnesota artists in your New York “stable” qualifies your organization for Jerome funding. I hope you see where this is going…

I am an outstate artist who is white, male, doesn’t teach and doesn’t have the constant physical opportunity to schmooze and press flesh like the metrocentrists. My work has little to do with city life, but everything to do with urbanization. My successes come primarily from raw, steady, sometimes brutal and definitely honest hard work. And trust me, I have a solid success record that not only continues to grow, but I am proud to slap on a wall for any comparison. As an added empirical addendum, I would also like to relate that my associates in the art world continue to discuss the growing antipathy toward the metrocentrist view. Yes, yes, I am acutely aware that there are more artists in the Twin Cities region than there are in all of outstate. And yes, I am similarly aware that other outstaters have recieved the fellowship. As I have said, I question the McKnights methods. I am not saying it is corrupt. I just happen to be experienced and intelligent enough to notice something isn’t quite right here. That’s all.

I have been wanting to tell this story since that time, but have not due to the trepidation of being possibly blacklisted from future opportunities. At this point, I have resolved to work even harder to make top-notch work that exemplifies my experiences despite any contrived fears. The way I look at it is…if I am still cranking out work, and am still getting shows, and am still successful, then I will be fine nonetheless.

That’s not a bad idea for a project. It would be fun to take part in, though I fear it would be too egalitarian to carry meaning beyond the moment. Have you seen the Saatchi showdowns? They’re too unwieldy to really work, but a similar idea.

Perhaps I just don’t understand the role of public grants. I used to think they were about sustainability and making a living as an artist (what I’m mostly interested in). But that can’t be the case, because even if you won the McKnight every year it wouldn’t be a livable wage. So then I’m thinking maybe it is to inspire a local collector base by identifying/encouraging acquisition of quality local artists? But that doesn’t seem to be the case either because there is very little buying of local, contemporary art (over the $500-1000 level). I’m left with the main role being a civic one, a signifier of what we as a community value and a model to emulate and strive for.

That is why I think it’s valid to question the criteria/execution. The problem, as you point it, is that anytime you question from a position of less “power” it is too easy to dismiss as mere whining. (It’s easy to see this dynamic the past several years in the political sphere where pointing out the blatant illegality of actions was dismissed as whining about election results. Don’t you know the actual election was the “accountability” moment and anything that follows is perfectly legitimate?)

I see these grants as an opportunity to discuss what we as a people value in Art. The choosing of outside jurors, perhaps necessary to maintain “objectivity,” actually works against fostering a great, local aesthetic. I don’t know what the answer is, but it has the potential to make for great theater.

Why not start a new grant/money distribution contest? Have all the people who
applied give x amount of money, give them two votes one- so they can vote for themselves (which you know they will) and another to vote for their favorite artists work.
At the end of the day the most popular artist wins and their isn’t any controversy. Then you have a show with the winners.
Now will this work? Who knows? The question is why waste your time with something that can’t be changed from the outside and think of ways to enhance the art community and at the same time addressing your concerns with the grant process.

Unfortunately too many artist spend their time looking at the ways the system is screwing them and not enough time figuring out how those things can be used to their advantage.

To the powers that be;

The real tragedy is that no one has talked about the artists work. Here is another suggestion- why not have the artists who won the grants write about their work on this forum? What better way to build a dialog about their work and cultivate new ideas to a larger audience. Crossing the boundaries of the cities to rural Minnesota and beyond? I know I would be interested in hearing about their thoughts and or work process. Which what I’m hoping for in these forums.

Tom Riggle

We are all part of the arts community supporting the same cause, our work, the problem is when artists forget that there are other artists working too. When you can embrace that idea it’s when things can change on a larger level. But if all you can do is cry the sky is falling-then its your own damn fault. No one has the time to deal with bunch of crybabies and sore losers.
Tom Riggle/anonomous-anonymous

My response to the article at the time: http://www.mnartists.org/forums/showthread.php?t=60

If you read carefully, you’ll note I did not question the quality of artists chosen, the work they make, or the good faith with which the jurors executed their responsibilities. What I’m saying is that I think the administration of the grant, the choosing of the particular outside judges and the guidance they are undoubtedly given help lead to the choice of artist’s which exhibit the “public desire” vs. “private desire” Kristin speaks of in the interview.

This “public desire” is not neutral, is a particular vision of art – one that favors certain work over other, irrespective of quality. It tends to the international over the regional, the chic over the crafted, the conceptual over the immediate, etc. None of this is new, and I’m not the first one to observe it. Such a “public desire” vision of art does not encompass the range of quality work being created in Minnesota, nor do I think a grant structure necessitates works appealing to a “private desire” be excluded from the process.

In addition, I’d like to know what “one particular vision of Art” Sam is proposing is represented here? As if there’s one “type” of art that unites anyone who has had a connection with MCAD. One of the winners did all his studies in Poland until the late ’80s, another hasn’t set foot in a classroom since 1976. Two paint city scenes from photographs, another works in clay, a medium that’s not even taught at MCAD. The last is a new media artist who’s never received a grant like this in Minnesota and is showing nationally. If you would take a moment to notice the work of these four artists you would see that whatever is “MCAD” in them is clearly beside the point.

I’ll probably never convince Sam of this, because he’s clearly already figured this all out for himself, but the rest of you who read this should know that the decisions of who receives these fellowships has nothing to do with MCAD or anything about its administration or me as the program director. These are just four very fine, deserving Minnesota artists, who have been recognized by outside arts professionals.

This dialogue belongs in the forums, you need to take it there. The coyote is locked out.

But if you want to do something about this, think about your daughters America,… Tom is an advocate of “privilege by association”, the judges are chosen to judge as they chosen to choose as they chose the same friends,…yes it does violate the intent of the Mcknight intent(the original Mr. Mcknight). So do copy this whole blog and drag it over to the forums. But you need to be aware of the fountain head of the corruption you sense(if smells rotten, it is rotten). But it is too late to use the open forums to communicate to the heads of the Foundation-that is what you will need to do to help your daughter. You see Sam what has happened to you is as the phrase about the Holocaust,..”first they came for “blank”, then “blank” and then for me (Sam)”.

If you and your family are needing to come to the cities, you are still welcome at our home, we have three spare rooms and a great front porch where we hold “culture meetings” with a great many of the “outsiders”.

coyote red at the capital(remember friend the YES has made all Art about Politics-Jimmy Longoria is a “Advocate for the Arts against Racism”-Did you ever figure out that as a “Metal sculptor” you are the wrong race? (coyote came all the way to your studio to tell you that)

You know why you must be kept out? Think of all the public Art that is coming with WPA money-you would not be a MCAD friendly “genre”- I also doubt that now that you are a Dad you would get excited by “crotchless Barbie puppets” hanging in the Green(White)Way.
What these people are doing is not personal-it’s business-racist- but business!