Tag: income

Sharing … at a Safe Distance

It’s been quiet here in some ways – and definitely not in others! Whilst we have all been minimizing our in-person contact with friends and colleagues (well ok, with EVERYONE!) for the last few weeks, there’s been a flurry of activity behind the scenes regarding advocacy and support initiatives of various sorts. It’s been confusing at times, and much has happened very quickly – so it’s been challenging to keep up and understand what is relevant to my profession as an independent visual artist, and to the sector as a whole.

Happily, CARFAC Alberta and CARFAC National have been doing a fantastic job of compiling and distilling information as it becomes available, and advocating for appropriate support for our sector. I have never been more grateful for the work these organizations do to support artists and advocate on their behalf. As a board member in both, I continue to offer my time and effort to help them help all of us.

https://www.carfacalberta.com
https://www.carfacalberta.com/

If you want to chat about what’s available, what you are facing, and what CARFAC is doing, I’ll be part of an online session on MAY 2, from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm MDT

Join CARFAC Alberta for a SATURDAY ZOOM ENGAGEMENT…
What CARFAC is doing for Visual Artists during COVID -19
Hosted by Chris W. Carson: Executive Director, CARFAC Alberta and guest Sydney Lancaster: CARFAC National Board Member and Alberta Representative on the CARFAC National Board.

The ZOOM coordinates are here:

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87871667746
Meeting ID: 878 7166 7746

I hope to see & hear from you then!

https://www.carfac.ca
by Categories: abarts, Advocacy, Artists, Community, Professional Development, Projects, yegartsTags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Being Resourceful

We are all hunkering down – making the best of social distancing, of being at home (the privilege of those of us that can work from home … or find themselves now out of work).

We are reading, making art, caring for and educating children, caring for friends and others at a distance, going for walks, venturing out as little as possible otherwise … life, in silos.

Those of us facing down this strange time in human history by removing ourselves from the community (or being removed through unemployment) are where we need to be right now, for the protection of everyone, not just ourselves.

So it’s a ‘social good’ – but the varying degrees of lockdown across the country also mean that people with precarious incomes – like artists – have seen the income from their practices all but disappear, and the gig work they do to make ends meet has evaporated.

It’s still not clear (to me at least) where people that had ‘potential’ income that has dried up will fit into federal and provincial relief programs … hopefully that information will be forthcoming soon.

So – WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED.

Yes, that’s right … just when you hoped to avoid paperwork for a a while, since the deadline for tax filing has been deferred … you need to keep track of ALL the income you have lost.

It’s ain’t sexy or glamorous – and might be a bit depressing – but it is SO NECESSARY right now. By tracking our losses, we can provide an accurate picture of the financial impact of the pandemic for workers who don’t “fit” into the regular systems of income-generation and accounting.

There are many of us – so it’s vital that we have the facts to hand, so the case can be made.

Here are some tools & other resources to help:

https://www.carfac.ca/news/2020/03/30/a-notice-to-our-members-and-our-community-regarding-covid-19/

Stay safe, take care of your self and each other. And do your paperwork! :)

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Tomorrow!

The CARFAC National Conference and AGM is tomorrow – Saturday, June 3rd!

It’s going to be a good weekend, and it’s exciting to know that here will be visual artists from all over the country here this weekend, discussing issues  and advocacy initiatives pertinent to artists’ careers.

There’s also going to be programming Saturday Evening and Sunday afternoon – so it’s not ‘all work and no play.’

I’m looking forward very much to hearing from other parts of the country, and to reconnecting with artists I haven’t seen for far too long.

Information below – there’s still time to register and join us:

Building your career - Batir votre carrière conference poster final-1Building your career 2- Batir votre carrière conference poster final-2

by Categories: abarts, activism, Advocacy, Artists, Community, Exhibitions, featured, Latitude 53, Projects, yegarts, yegdtTags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Draw More Income

One of the hats I wear in my professional life is that of board member for Visual Arts Alberta – CARFAC. Our role in the province is to provide information and professional development opportunities to visual artists, and to advocate on behalf of visual artists for programs and policies that improve the socio-economic position of visual artists at various stages in their careers. We are the provincial affiliate for CARFAC National; so that means our members have access to the tools and support that CARFAC can provide as well.

Visual Arts Alberta – CARFAC has a new project launching soon – called DRAW MORE INCOME – and I wanted to spread the word a bit about it, because I think it’s particularly important to be having conversations about the economic position of visual artists in Alberta right now – AND about the vital contribution art & culture make to the economy of the province and the country.

So … this is an open invitation to all the visual creatives out there: the artists, the illustrators, the new media artists, the graphic designers, the photographers, the printmakers …

Tell Visual Arts Alberta – CARFAC how you Draw More Income.

  • What are the difficulties you face in improving your income from your practice?
  • What strategies and ideas are you trying for making your creative life work better?
  • Are there NEW methods you are developing or trying out?
  • What would your practice look like if you were able to draw more income from it?
  • How would that change your work and personal life?

And – because we all work visually in some way – it would be really great if you’d share a little drawing or sketch or comment that represents your struggles and/or successes! There are picture-frame postcards just waiting for you to work on – and these will be gathered and posted in our community space attached to the office in Edmonton for the next 3 months.

You can get postcards from Visual Arts Alberta during office hours, or download one HERE.

I hope you make your voice heard!

Draw More Income poster

by Categories: Artists, Community, Design, drawing, Exhibitions, featured, Projects, yeg, yegartsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments