In the editor's note for the second issue of the magazine, I mentioned that one of the goals of AmbushArts.com is to help create a better support network for the artistic community. I'd like to begin the discussion on how best to achieve this with a little brainstorming in regard to how the artistic community could better serve its practitioners. Given the state of the economy, it's likely the arts will get hit pretty hard this year when it comes to funding, ticket sales, and other means of financial support. This means that many of us will have to make more happen with less. Rather than brood about current affairs, I see this as a great opportunity to build community and hopefully make everyone's life a bit easier in the process. So let's put our heads together and think of some ways we could do this.

I suppose a good place to start would be to ask everyone to list a few things (aside from money) that could really help them out in their artistic careers and personal lives. If you have children, maybe you'd like someone to volunteer a few hours of babysitting each month so you have more time to devote to creation. Perhaps you could use someone with strong writing skills to help you polish a grant application. Maybe you're in desperate need of tax advice. If you're relatively new to an art form, what skills or services do you have to offer in exchange for private instruction or feedback on your work? Maybe you could commit to some yard work? Why not? Try to think of ways artists could help one another both locally and online and then join the discussion below. We'll bring these ideas to a new feature we're developing for AmbushArts.com. Your participation is greatly appreciated.

Ad lucem,

Jeannot	April 1, 2009 1:33 pm One thing I would recommed for writers is using Duotrope Digest. The site is invaluable, with its info about hundreds of publishers, and its other resources. And it's free (but needs contributions)
JonRaymond	April 1, 2009 1:34 pm This is something that is being addressed right now in the filmmaking world with self distribution through web resources. If you Google Arin Crumley or Susan Buice, you'll find lots of info on their innovations in successfully distributing their feature film, Four Eyed Monsters, using social networks, vlogs on YouTube, and some new web distribution resources like Spout.com, blip.tv and many more. Of course these are for filmmakers. But similar services could be done for all artists and perhaps are already out there. CreateSpace.com is a self publisher where you can publish your book, design the cover and sell it on Amazon, all for very little cost. I am now working on a project with Arin's help, to compile his process into a book and film. One thing though, is that technology changes so fast, there are always new and better ways coming up. Vlogs are a great way to communicate to the world what you are doing and need. Build a community around your projects. Keep in touch: http://jonraymond.blogspot.com
RichInk	April 1, 2009 2:35 pm I would like have more poetry reading venues in Boston, NYC, and Richmond for my book The Apple in the Monkey Tree.
adminjohn	April 2, 2009 10:30 am Jeannot - I agree, Duotrope Digest, is nearly indispensable for writers. It not only helps you narrow down the best markets for your work, but also provides response times, acceptance rates, pay scales, and a whole bunch of other important information. I've been considering adding an online resources (links) page to the site for some time now, and you've reminded me of how helpful that could be for everyone. Thanks. On that note, if you (or anyone else) have any links to other online resources you'd like to share, please post them here and I'll consider them for the online resources page. - John
adminjohn	April 2, 2009 11:20 am JonRaymond - Thanks for joining the discussion. I looked into Arin Crumley and Susan Buice a bit and was pretty impressed by their approach to marketing and distribution. With all the advancements in technology and the freedom of the Internet, DIY is becoming more feasible every year. But with the barrier to entry lowering in every artistic medium, I fear we'll only see the chaos of millions of self-promoters competing against one another go from bad to worse. And even though DIY might free us from the evils of publishing houses and traditional distribution chains, certainly marketing will still have the last word. How do we advocate merit over buzz/popularity in a culture fast approaching media-saturation? I suppose that's a question for another discussion. To return to the topic, there is a lot of great advice to be found in the websites you've referenced. Thank you for these recommendations. I'll definitely consider them for the online resources page I'm planning. But, as significant as they are, these are existing opportunities; I wonder if we could come up with some new ones. Do you have any ideas of how the members of this site could support one another more directly? For example, the project you are working on with Arin will likely require you to have a web presence. For that you will have to pay a web host and perhaps someone to design the site as well. Maybe there is someone on AmbushArts.com who has their own server and would be willing to host your site for free or in exchange for an ad spot on your website. Perhaps another member of AmbushArts.com might be able to help out with the design of the site. You see where I'm going with this? I'd love to hear your thoughts on other ways artists could support one another and how we could implement these ideas here at AmbushArts.com. Thanks again for getting involved in the discussion. - John
Aldistar	April 5, 2009 10:17 am Maybe we could start sharing where we could find discounted art supplies? I know that if several artists need, say, canvas we could do a bulk order through a website and all save some money. Or we could set up a 'need/need to get rid of...' thread so that artists could trade art books and supplies. For example I might have a bunch of oil paints that I have only used once or twice and would be willing to trade with someone for maybe acrylic paints that they never use anymore.
adminjohn	April 5, 2009 10:50 am Aldistar - These are some excellent ideas. Thank you for posting them. Getting artists together to order supplies in large quantities would certainly save everyone some money. We'll just have to figure out the logistics of it. I suppose we could create a page where members could propose a product or material they want to buy and others who also needed that particular product could join the thread, everyone listing how much they needed. Once enough people are on board, those members could shop around until they found the best deal and then organize a purchase. Perhaps if enough people get involved, we could even establish relationships with some online art supply vendors and work out a discount for members of AmbushArts.com. Do you have any ideas of how else we could structure this? Trading supplies, books, and other unneeded gear is definitely something I want to implement here at AmbushArts.com, as well. For example, I have some old musical equipment that has been sitting in my closet for years. It would likely be of more use to someone else. Why not pass it on or trade it for something I actually need? I have some ideas of how we could set up a gear swapping feature for AmbushArts.com, but would like to hear what others have to say. Any thoughts? Again, many thanks for joining the discussion. - John
writersdesk	April 5, 2009 11:07 am First accept works from more writers. And catgorize the writers into types such as Profesional writers, Ameture and Students, and publish their writings accordingly. This would help popularize the publication. Produce the works in more different formats such as traditional hardcopies, e-Books, online and charge them differently. Inform more and more libraries and ask them to own a copy of the publication.
adminjohn	April 5, 2009 11:22 am writersdesk - Thanks for joining the discussion. Though AmbushArts.com may someday publish works in print or e-Book format, I'd prefer to wait until the demand is there before doing so. Far too many literary/art journals start out in print assuming there will be an audience who will buy their publication only to find out otherwise after a significant financial investment. I'd rather cultivate an audience first. When the demand is there, more options will present themselves. But this discussion isn't about AmbushArts.com's magazine; it's about its members. We're trying to come up with ideas of how artists could help one another through the site or within their local artistic communities. Read through the other posts and let us know if you have something to share. Thanks again for posting your thoughts. - John
Aldistar	April 9, 2009 10:57 am Having a page where people can post the supplies they need and have others join in to create a bulk order sounds like the best way to go. The only quandary would be how to get all the money together to place the order and to keep one person from being responsible for the bill if others back out. If anyone can figure that part out I think it would be a great service. Something might be able to be arranged with one of the art supply websites and an account could be set up through them where each individual could place and submit payment for their order separately and when we reach 'bulk' status they can process the order and ship it all out? Not sure if a company would be willing to do this or not and I, unfortunately, have not ordered from any specific vendor enough to have any type of relationship built up. Maybe contacting the various suppliers first and asking them if they would give members of Ambush art their bulk discount without having to actually order in bulk due to the site actively directing artists to order from them would be possible. I know some places do that if you supply a banner or link to their site from your site. I think a good place to start is to get some artists here to nominate their favorite places to order supplies. Once we narrow it down to a few that will meet the most demands of everyone here contact those few about starting a discount account.
adminjohn	April 9, 2009 11:07 am That's a great idea, Aldistar. Let's do a quick survey to find out which online art supply stores we should approach. Everyone who is interested in discounted art supplies please post your favorite art supply websites and we'll try to arrange something with the top two or three sites.
Aldistar	April 9, 2009 11:19 am Admittedly I have never ordered from their online store, but when I lived near Houston I went to the physical store all the time. They had EVERYTHING. Texas Art Supply at http://www.texasart.com/
Rulaj	April 9, 2009 2:08 pm LOL. The most well-known art supplier in the states is Pearl Paint with its headquarters in NYC. Being a buyer of great quantities of art supplies for my students, I assure you no art supplier will give a discount if they are aware that individuals are buying it together to save money. Art suppliers do however give discounts anyway to students and art instructors..I think the swap idea would work, but when it comes to purchasing in bulk through a website composed of individuals with no legal commitment, I foresee serious issues..sorry to be a bummer;)
adminjohn	April 9, 2009 2:45 pm I think this is worth pursuing. At least, the discount for members approach. I can't imagine there are many art suppliers in this economy who would turn away business, even if they had to sell their products at a bit lower than what they'd like.
benwizard1	June 16, 2009 12:50 pm In my view exposure of one's works is a very important aspect, beyond just the obvious internet sites and pages. Getting the work physically out to the public's view is the tricky and usually costly part, and is often a difficult thing to accomplish on one's own depending on one's circumstances. I would think that the collaborative path would be the way to go, by getting AmbushArts artists who live in a general area to go together somehow on exhibitions or the like. The cost sharing reduces the financial impact on the lone artist, and provides a greater viewing impetus for the public in that they would have a wide range of styles to see. I would also like to see something in the way of a digital gallery so to speak, where HD monitors are used to display the works. This allows for an even broader representation of artists as the displays could change at times so a limited space could display the works of a lot more artists. Means could be made available for the public to purchase an image in any number of outputs. This is an idea I have been working on for a while, but I lack the funding necessary to pursue it in reality. Since there are a lot of digital artists out there, like myself, this would seem like an ideal way to portray thier works in a realtime arena without having to resort to making prints, framing, and all of the other immediate costs of a regular showing. That part could be dealt with at the consumer level when they go to purchase.
adminjohn	June 16, 2009 5:20 pm Ben - Many thanks for joining the discussion. You bring up some good points. Getting members of AmbushArts.com to collaborate when it comes to gallery showings could help everyone involved save money, time, and energy. Perhaps a good place to start would be to send messages to those artists in your area whose work you feel would show well with yours and to initiate a dialogue about the possibility of putting together a show. Some members may have a relationship with a venue that would be willing to host the exhibition. There are also a number of artist collectives and artist-run galleries out there in most major cities (check out Kate Protage's interview in the third issue of AmbushArts.com, for example) that you may be able to get involved with. Your idea of presenting various artists' work in digital format is a good one and I am surprised artists haven't explored this possibility more than they have. Rather than restricting their audience to the one venue where a particular canvas is hanging, they could be displaying images of their work at several venues at once. Granted a digital rendition of a painting won't have all the textures of the real thing, but it could definitely capture the interest of a potential buyer. Many traditional galleries might be against this, preferring to have exclusivity, but it's likely that those galleries unwilling to keep pace with technological developments will lose clients just as traditional bookstores have seen much of their business migrate to online booksellers. I also see a huge potential in the corporate art market. Imagine renting images of your work to a business so that it could display them on wall-mounted HD screens. Each month or quarter or whatever, someone from the office would select a series of works from an online gallery, pay a fee, and then download the images. This would cut down on the hassle of having someone come to the office to actually hang the work. Though this isn't a service AmbushArts.com is prepared to offer right now, it's certainly something to consider for the future. If you have any more thoughts on the matter, I'd love to hear them. I also see on your profile that you're in need of a newer computer and some software. Perhaps there's another member who has recently purchased a computer and would be willing to ship you their old one if you paid the shipping costs. Maybe someone else has a version of Photoshop or Illustrator that they no longer need. Anyone? Again, thanks for getting involved and sharing your ideas.
benwizard1	June 22, 2009 9:52 am John, Thanks for the feedback. I will check the artists here in my local area and see if any would be interested in the collaborative show possibility. If anyone would be interested in pursuing the digital gallery idea I had I would like to hear from them. It is an idea I have had for a while, but I lack the resources to make it happen. I am currently checking to see about a grant to do something like this. Anybody with the knowledge of how this might be put together? I think it is a good idea to pursue. Thanks!