We're fairly new to the art industry and we've entered this venture a little later in life than some.  We have had, and still have, much to learn. Input from the variety of artists at different skill levels and stages of their careers is a treasure trove of useful advice for us. Many artists have helped us to evaluate, refine, and improve our art marketing skills. It's an ongoing process and I greatly appreciate the continuously fresh advice and input from all artists who share their experiences. This valuable service has kept us from feeling overwhelmed by the lengthy and sometimes arduous task of marketing our artwork. The art scene in our community, like many others, is struggling to stay afloat during current economic turbulence. We lost 3 galleries in the past year, leaving 3 galleries with their doors still open. Our tourist industry has dropped dramatically. 

One of the galleries we lost provided a unique opportunity for local artists of all mediums. They required only that each work was hand crafted and produced in Alaska. They also provided education to the public on the creation of the various works in the gallery in the form of classes taught by participating artists. This created an appreciation in patrons for the amount of work and skill that the artist puts into a piece, making the price more appreciable. Finally, they were strong advocates of charity and held one charitable event each month, furthering the bond with community. They closed due to personal rather than financial reasons, and recently announced that they are considering opening with a new and improved venue. A meeting was held to receive input from interested artists and several possibilities are now being tossed around.

Artists and owners were all receptive to a co-op or guild supported facility. It was agreed that a management team should be paid and given responsibility for the gallery's functional requirements in order to provide maximum efficiency and fluidity in daily operations. Not surprisingly, all artists were completely willing and grateful to hand over these aspects to the professional business persons. One thing I've learned in the venture of art marketing is that I'm not alone in disliking the aspect of "selling ourselves". I'm still much more comfortable in having well qualified people to do it for us.

Ideas for what functions the new gallery would provide besides selling artwork were also discussed. Do we include studio space for artists who need it? Should these spaces provide times of public access so that interested patrons can observe the creative processes involved in the pieces they are purchasing? What about educational videos that could play on a monitor in the gallery? Should we offer an art supply store? (Our community only has a couple of big box stores with limited supplies for some mediums.) It was agreed that educational classes and charitable events should continue since they have already proven to be successful contributions to the previous gallery's success.

Next on the agenda was the business end of things. Should we form a non-profit or not-for-profit? Should we apply for grants to aide in funding the business? What grants are available for such a venture? And what about location? Will we be able to build this into a "destination shopping" location or do we need to consider a location that will
attract more "foot traffic"?

I know, it's a lot of details to sort through and a lot of input and opinions to reconcile. I'm so thankful that we have a community of artists who are able to work together so well and display a great deal of consideration and openness to the views of others. A community that values each individual. We are very fortunate. Finally, I'd like to hear from all of you. Many of you on the site are talented artists. Has anybody out there had experience with a guild or co-op owned gallery? What worked for you and what didn't work for you? Please feel free to brag about your successes and share the frustrations of your failures because we can learn from all experiences. What makes your community venture successful, or what caused it to fail? I'd love your advice in moving forward on this project. You can leave us a comment or email us at hardluckstudios@hardluckstudios.net. Thank you, as always, for your time and insightful advice.

We've been away from the site for a few weeks now, readying for the upcoming summer art scene in our community and readjusting our lifestyles to the newest member of our family, a cockatoo that was in desperate need of a new and loving home. It's been a bit like adopting a 2 year old child, both rewarding and challenging. We're all settling into our new roles now and it's time to get back to the business of raising awareness of all the great resources out there that offer opportunities to participate in making the world a better place for all of us. First on the agenda is the proposed climate bill.

This bill, as many of you may already know, was supposed to go to the hill for discussion last week. You probably already know by now that the usual politics we see played out on a daily basis have stopped it in its tracks. Repower America is doing something about it, and they need our help to get things back on track. The following is an excerpt from their website and provides the necessary details on how you can help. Given the recent Gulf coast oil spill, a clean energy bill seems more important than ever to our environmental and economic success as a nation. All it takes for you to make a difference is the time it takes to make a phone call. A message from Maggie L. Fox, C.E.O. of the Climate Protection Action Fund. This was supposed to be the week the Senate made history. After years of planning and many months of careful negotiating, a major bipartisan proposal on climate and clean energy was all set to be introduced this week. The press conference was scheduled, the speeches were written, and the media was alerted. It would have kicked off debate and served as the foundation of the strong Senate bill we need so badly. Then it all fell apart. Comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation is being held prisoner to partisan bickering and political posturing. History has been put on hold — and I need your help to get the Senate back on track. If enough of us make noise, we can jump-start the process and make sure that this is just a minor detour instead of another dead end.

Call your Senators right now and urge them to put partisan politics aside and take immediate action on climate and clean energy: 1-877-9-REPOWER (1-877-973-7693). And then report your call here.

The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated. If our leaders in Washington cannot overcome the current climate of partisanship and distrust, the bill that Senators John Kerry, Lindsey Graham, and Joe Lieberman have spent so many months laboring over could be left with no Republican support. That would mean any hope of passing a comprehensive bill this year — a bill that would finally address the climate crisis, our addiction to oil and the future of our economy — would fade away.

We can’t let partisan bickering stand in the way of policy that is critical to Americans across every region, party, and demographic — and whose policy substance has support from courageous Senators on both sides of the aisle. The only way to get this bill back on track is for every Senator to hear from constituents who are demanding action. Call your Senators now and tell them that they can and must end our addiction to foreign oil, create almost 2 million clean energy jobs and begin to cut carbon pollution: Let’s be clear: The Kerry-Graham-Lieberman bill draft won’t be perfect — and we hope to be fighting over the coming weeks to strengthen it as much as possible.
But we won’t get to have that fight if we don’t make ourselves heard, right now, about how important it is to solve the climate crisis and transition to a clean energy economy. Your voice is needed like never before.

Hello and how is everybody doing? We've been away from the site and the computer for this past month preparing for our community's summer art season and adjusting to life with our newly adopted cockatoo. It's a bit like adopting a 2 year old - rewarding and taxing. Our kids have been grown and out on their own for several years, so I'm afraid I'm a bit out of practice and a little lower on energy than I used to be. We're finally settling in to a pleasant routine for all family members (including the dog and 2 cats) and I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things on the web.

I can see that I've missed a lot of great new people, thoughts, and art! It's great to see what everybody's been up to here!

I'd love your help in catching up on all that I've missed in the past month. Who's been doing what great things for people, our planet and all its inhabitants. I'd love to hear about your good deeds and help you to spread the word! Just drop us a line here or add it to our forum at: http://sorrystateofitall.ning.com/forum/topics/catching-up-on-good-...

I can't wait to hear from you!
Susie

I was flabbergasted at CBS's 60 Minutes report on Patented Genes! (See video). Yep - that's right. Bio-tech companies have been taking out patents on your genes! What does this mean for you? According to the story, it means that these companies can control testing for the genetically abnormal gene that they hold the patents on. An example given in the story is that of the breast cancer/ovarian cancer gene. This means that you can only be tested to see if you have this specific gene by the company that holds the patent. And if your insurance won't cover it, it will cost you $3200.00 out of pocket. Experts estimate that the cost should really only be around $300.00. It also means that other scientists can't pursue cures for the defective genes. This certainly cuts down on the talent pool of those seeking cures through genetic research. How the heck did this happen?! This should destroy any doubts you may still be having that corporate America is now totally in control of our country. After all, these patents allow them to own an integral piece of you!

The good news is that the ACLU has brought a lawsuit against the U.S. Patent and Trademark Of... as well as Myriad Genetics and the University of Utah Research Foundation, which hold the patents on the genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. The lawsuit charges that patents on human
genes violate the First Amendment and patent law because genes are "products of nature" and therefore can't be patented.

Good Morning America reported today on the rise in Hate groups forming in America. (See videos for full story) According to separate studies by the Southern Law Poverty Center and Homeland Security, the number of these groups has increased to 926. This number is a 50% increase since 2000.
The studies sited several reasons, including the election of President Obama, the current political climate, and the economy. They also noted that militia type groups forming are recruiting returning war veterans who are having difficulties readjusting and have skills that are beneficial to the militias such as bombs and weapons training.

Probably most of us have noticed a rise in anger, and maybe felt more anger ourselves at the state of affairs in Washington. I'm disturbed at the extremes in the political arena, particularly when prominent public figures add inflammatory statements to the already highly charged emotions floating around out there. You know, comments like "Time to reload" after the health care bill was passed. I heard concerns over the weekend that this extremely angry political movement is more energized than the other side, and could overwhelm the next election. This thought made me want to do something about it. I don't want even more angry and discompassionate leadership in Washington.
So how can we speak up for peace? How can those of us opposed to angry and inflammatory politicians become engergized for peace? For starters, we can get involved with the Southern Law Poverty Center. They're dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry.

They employ a three-pronged strategy to battle racial and social injustice:

• They track the activities of hate groups and domestic terrorists across America, and we launch innovative lawsuits that seek to destroy networks of radical extremists.

• They use the courts and other forms of advocacy to win systemic reforms on behalf of victims of bigotry and discrimination.

• They provide educators with free resources that teach school children to reject hate, embrace diversity and respect differences.

They have an online hate map that tracks hate crimes in communities all across the nation. One easy way to get involved is to add yourself to their stand strong map as a voice for tolerance. See their Get Involved page for even more ways to get even more involved such as donating funds or forming a group in your own community.
Let's re-energize Peace so that hate will not overcome us.

Fragmented Peace

Repower America is vamping up their campaign for a clean energy bill with an online petition to make clean energy the next priority for Congress. This is such an important issue for all of us, and it's not just about cleaning up the environment. Passing this one piece of legislation provides a solution for a wide array of problems we are facing today:

The clean energy bill would add jobs to the economy. Somebody has to develop, manufacture, and install alternate energy sources and our economy is still struggling in this department. Innovation has moved us out of past recessions and on the road to recovery. Remember the space program and the world wide web? How about those oil prices already on the rise again, and for the sole reason that oil companies want to make a bigger profit this year. They're shutting down refineries so that we'll continue to pay more at the pump, putting more dollars in their pockets. This is a great way to put an end to their control over our lives. Ending our dependence on oil also increases our homeland security. As long as we're dependent on oil from Middle Eastern countries, we will be forced to continue our involvement in that region to protect our oil companies' assets there.

Please take the time to sign the petition today. You can even add personal comments if you choose. Repower America will deliver the petition and your comments straight to senate offices later this week. This is your opportunity to demand public service from our public servants. Together we can topple the oil companies, put more dollars in our own pockets, create new jobs, and leave a cleaner environment for future generations.

Join the Movement Calling for Clean Energy

America faces unprecedented economic, national security and environmental challenges. The solution – transition to clean, renewable energy. Join the movement of more than 5 million calling for clean energy and climate policies that will create millions of jobs, make us energy independent and solve the climate crisis.
Your Senators need to know that passing a strong climate bill matters to you and your family. One of the most personal -- and effective -- ways to deliver that message is with a handwritten letter. Senate offices respond to every single personal letter they receive, which is why Repower America has set an ambitious goal of delivering over 150,000 handwritten letters demanding the Senate pass the climate bill this year!

Now the question is: can they really work together to pass this important legislation. They do, after all, have a long history of siding with the oil companies on this matter. This is your opportunity to demand that they serve the public, instead of serving private industry.

Repower America offers easy ways to get involved. You can sign an online petition demanding passage of the energy bill or join their handwritten letter campaign.

Repower American Feature Wall

We've been blogging for awhile now about the crazy state of affairs in our world, and most prominently, about our frustrations that our nation is now blatantly run by bankers and corporations. The idea that our government is owned and run by these institutions used to be dismissed as the paranoia of a few, Recently this idea has evolved to be widely accepted fact. Our leaders no longer even pretend to act in our best interest; they simply cater to the few who hold the most wealth. So we just started a new site: sorrystateofitall.ning.com. where you can voice your complaints about the sorry state of it all, as well as offer up solutions to help change the sorry state of it all. We've already added a whole list of resources to get you started, including a few for artists who are hoping to make a difference in the sorry state of it all with their artwork. There are lots of reasons these days to be feeling sick and tired of the sorry state of it all. We've already mentioned a few on the new site. Please let us know what we're missing, and if you have any ideas of what to do about it (no matter how far out an wacky you think they might be) tell us about them!

As time passes and new events occur around the world, the urgency once felt about Haiti may seem to diminish. However, for those people in Haiti, the need perhaps is even greater as the sheer extent of the devastation becomes evident.

To help Haiti in it's greatest moment of need, more than 100 artists from around the world have donated over 200 pieces of artwork for the Haiti Art Fund Auction. There are a wide selection of drawings, photographs, paintings, mixed media work, and prints all about 5x7 in (13x18cms) in size. The artists who are participating in this project are listed on the supporter's page, however the works themselves are not attributed. you can only find out whose work it is if you win the bid. There are artists whose works are in reputable museums and private collections. Some have been subjects of documentaries and others have had books devoted to their work.

This is a rare opportunity to obtain exceptional works of art at affordable prices (bids start at US$10) and contributing to a humanitarian effort at the same time.

100% of all proceeds from the winning bids will be donated by the winners directly to their choice of UNICEF, Partner's in Health, Habitat for Humanity of Oxfam.

This will be a silent auction held on line. The auction has already started and will end at 11:59p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on March 31st, 2010.
For more information please go to the Haiti Art Fund website: www.haitiartfund.com
Or contact info@monkdogz.com for more information.