The Field of dreams

Hey MLK,
I have a dream too. It involves winning the lotto and buying a five story building in Long Island City. It would be used to house an arts cooperative in which I would bring kids and artists together and where artists could obtain studio space in exchange for teaching kids about art and stuff. Then sometimes the dream turns a little psychedelic like an acid flashback which may or may not get a little sexy, but that is for another blog.

The dream may be on a scale that is a little beyond my scope. That doesn't mean that it can't happen.

Wendy Lasica's dream turned into something beyond it's original scope too. She created The Field , a not-for-profit service organization for independent artists which provides programs directed toward the creation of new work and its dissemination.

In terms of creation, The Field:

assists artists in making clear, cogent work through peer-oriented feedback groups;
produces performance festivals focused on the exhibition of new work;

sends artists on retreats at arts colonies such as White Oak (FL) and Earthdance (MA) to create new material and developnew collaborations;

provides free rehearsal and performance space grants in the FAR Space, our new Chelsea gallery district studio.

In terms of dissemination, The Field:

provides artists with tools that enable them to understand managerial and administrative functioning via more than two dozen workshops on fundraising, booking, marketing, non-profit theory, legal issues, and arts management;

trains artists and other individuals to become arts administrators and managers;

enables 300 artist members to solicit grants and individual contributions through the use of our non-profit sponsorship program;

produces a website devoted to independent artists touring their work throughout the US;

houses a resource center tailored specifically to the needs of independent performing artists with resources including six laptopcomputers, databases of grantmakers, periodicals, and books, and on-the-spot consultations with Field staff and other arts administrators.

Isn't it good to know that there are still resources out there for the independent artist? It fills my heart and appeals to my hippie sensibilities when I find organizations like The Field which exist to promote art and creativity. An organization that hasn't been crushed by The Man. . .

Shaun and I are in the middle of our membership application to this fine organization which I will support 100%. We have also applied for the Far-Light Residency grant in hopes of winning the lotto for free rehearsal space for Writer's Block.

I have a dream.