This last Friday evening I had the pleasure of both participating in and attending a benefit for SOIL Artist Cooperative, a non-profit artist-run gallery. It was its 10th anniversary, which is a tremendous landmark, given the rocky economic history of Seattle these past years. As far as I am aware, it has the longevity award for an anarchic, horizontally organized, board-of-director-free artist organization in the Northwest.

Of the 10 years it has existed, I was privileged to be part of its activities for roughly 6 years, exhibiting, curating and organizing activities and exhibitions. I met many people, put together a number of art shows, organized press information, managed finances, built gallery spaces (the gallery moved no less than 4 times while I was a participant!), and worked to augment and broaden the range of aesthetics in Seattle.

It was a wonderful experience, one which every young artist should have the benefit of experiencing. It allowed me to both dispel some of my early myths of what it means to be an artist while developing new hopes and directions in my career. I learned some pragmatic details and also stretched my capacity for imagining what an artists' community could be and could mean within the general culture.

Of all the facets that I appreciated most about SOIL is its lack of exclusivity. For all of the work that went into SOIL (and still goes into it), most people were generally unselfish – many of the artists that exhibited came from outside the organization, and the work that was displayed was quite diverse. It is not unusual to step into SOIL on consecutive months and see video, then sculpture, then abstracts, then social commentary, then installation, etc. It is a predictably unpredictable space.

SOIL recently came out with a book supporting its 10-year development, and I am appreciative and happy that I was given note in the publication. It is a lovely book… I walked around throughout the auction gathering signatures of former members and current organizers – it was like getting one’s yearbook [see previous entry] signed.

Wonderful to see so many great artists in one space at one time.

The auction itself was fantastic – I bid on many works, most of which I, to mixed emotion, was outbid on. I did manage to get a beautiful, framed photo by an artist I’ve been wanting a piece by for years – wanting, but never at the right time, never with enough funds. I donated a triptych from my ‘Big Hair’ series that to my surprise was the big bid of the evening. I am very glad that I could help SOIL further… I am including a couple of photos from the auction.

Auctions are often a contentious point for artists. We are asked many times per year to give away our creative output for free to benefit others, when commonly we need assistance as well. There are perhaps 12 formal auction requests made to me each year, of which I try and choose my top 2 or 3. I find it a shame that the state of the nation (and perhaps the state of our fundraising creativity) is such that artists, often among the more financially vulnerable people, are commonly targeted to give away their work for free or for pennies on the dollar.

Even more troubling is that the buyer of a donated work has the opportunity to deduct the sale value from their taxes while the artist can only deduct his/her cost of materials. As wonderful as auctions are for the buyer and for the organization, they can be difficult (and costly) for the artist.

Regardless, I still love the activity, the people, and the feeling of helping out. And, as a collector myself, I am appreciative of the opportunity to buy new works by amazing artists at costs I can shoulder.

This weekend I am leaving on a 'business trip' to NYC. I am hoping I can get time to see some art while there. Expect more notes to come soon…

Website http://demiart.com if you are so inclined...

Image 1: At the SOIL Auction, September 30th Big Hair in the background

Image 2: Guests at the SOIL Auction, September 30th