USE/ VALUE: Alison Limtavemongkol in Support of "Crop Swap LA"
Our next USE/ VALUE offering is from Alison Limtavemongkol, the founder and lead curator of Open Mind Art Space. Alison and I have collaborated a ton over the years; and her support (as a curator/ as a collector/ as an artist/ as a friend) has given some much needed structure to my otherwise wandering path towards art as activism.
There are two things about Alison's piece that particularly stuck out me:
1. Her acknowledgement of how easy it actually is to incorporate an element of service into one's practice. The excuses that keep us from doing something: it's too expensive, it's too time consuming, it's too (fill in the blank), are just byproducts of a scarcity mentality that we've all been conditioned under. The vast number of problems in the world are only second to the vast number of solutions we have at our disposal. We just need to start trying. Soon it'll become a habit.
2. Showing support isn't always just about fundraising. Sometimes, it's simply the fact that an organization's name is getting out there to people who may have never heard of them; or they're getting increased traffic through their website; or other artists are seeing what you are doing and use it as a possibility model... Sometimes the only quantifiable change that happens is someone from the organization your trying to support knows that somebody else in the world gives a shit... - M.A.
Art for a Cause
Alison Limtavemongkol, Founder of Open Mind Art Space
Well before I became a curator/gallerist and since I was young, I have been mindful that there will always be people or animals in need. And if I could help them in any way, big or small, it would make a difference in their lives. I know not everyone may feel they are able to afford the money or have the time to donate, fund raise or volunteer for a charitable cause, but I have come to realize through my experience as an artist and entrepreneur that it takes very little effort to offer help to those in need.
When I started Open Mind Art Space 10 years ago, it was sort of on a whim. I wanted a change of environment from my corporate job and decided to pursue a more creative path. I had no concrete vision of what my curatorial programming would look like, which is why Open Mind seemed like a fitting name for my gallery at the time. It invited visitors to come in and look at the art with an open mind and gave me the freedom to explore and present art as a means to foster connection and community with people.
Throughout my journey as a curator, I often found ways or was given opportunities to contribute to charitable causes. I never intended to incorporate charity into my business, but after a while it started to become a habit. It all began with Open Mind’s annual anniversary exhibitions. Every year, I would host a special exhibition to celebrate my gallery’s anniversary and invite past featured artists back to show some of their smaller, affordable artworks. I chose a different charitable organization each year to donate a percentage of sales to. The types of non-profits varied from organizations supporting the arts to others focused on social justice or environmental issues. Sometimes, artists also nominated an organization to support or they requested to donate their own portion of their sales to a cause they are passionate about.
Even if an exhibition didn’t generate a huge amount of donations from sales, it was still a great way to share information about the organization or bring awareness to a cause through social media posts about the exhibition or by installing informational signage at the gallery. From a business perspective, I consider the percentage of sales that I can comfortably donate without significantly impacting my bottom line and I only donate what makes sense financially, so ultimately I am always giving within my means.
Now when I curate shows or make art, I think about how I can encourage thoughtfulness and kindness in others by using my platforms to amplify causes I am passionate about and inspire others to find their own ways to create positive change in the world. As I’ve discovered in the art world and in life in general, there are endless paths that can lead you to your true purpose. It may take a while to figure out exactly what that is, so why not help others along the way?
We’re determined to grow food on unused spaces in ways that create jobs, preserve water, and equitably distribute the food.
Founded by Jamiah Hargins in 2018, Crop Swap LA™ has grown from a small monthly neighborhood swap of fruits and vegetables, to a globally recognized institution and movement. They believe that food should be grown and consumed locally to reduce reliance on inefficient, water and carbon intensive global supply chains.
Use/ Value is a new recurring feature on NNH where creative folks from the community share practical tips on how to plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize within the Arts.
Next up is a two-part piece on Beacons - A body of work that owes a huge debt to Alison. After that is a deep cut collaboration from the dark days of the COVID 19 lock down... Social distancing and drive through art shows 🤯.
As Uncle Karl used to say: "From each according to ability, to each according to need..."
A call to action, commonly known by the initialism CTA, is a strategic marketing tool designed to spur an immediate response from an audience, guiding them toward a specific action.
A call to action, commonly known by the initialism CTA, is a strategic marketing tool designed to spur an immediate response from an audience, guiding them toward a specific action.
NNH began with the (perhaps naive) hope that it could be of service to folks who needed it. I wasn't exactly sure who that meant- Was it the potential readership? The Mutual Aid groups that would be featured in each post? Or other creative types (equally fed up with the constant "me at the center" paradigm required by our Tech Overlords) looking for a place to get weird and do some good.
SO, if you're out there- whomever you may be- Let me know. Leave a comment. Click a link. Tell a friend. Pitch an idea. Do anything to feel less alone in the world.
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