Community Supported Art Picks Up Steam

You may have heard of the rapidly growing Community Supported Agriculture movement, where people sign up early to get a share of a local farm's future harvest. Now there's a new "CSA" sprouting up in communities across the country: Community Supported Art. 

In a Community Supported Art program, individuals sign up to buy a bundle of creations made by different local artists. The art received is often very diverse. It can be a sculpture, a piece of pottery, jewelry, a poem, a painting, and sometimes even a chance to see a performance art show for shareholders only!

Similar to the agricultural model, shareholders don't know exactly what they'll be getting when they sign up to receive a share. On pickup day, they collect their bag or box of carefully wrapped goodies and marvel at what's inside.

There are always a few surprises. According to Elvira Hoskins, who has been a two-time recipient of The Bridge PAI's CSA in Charlottesville, Virginia, pickup day is exciting: 

"I love seeing what is in our basket when we go to pick it up. There are so few surprises in life. Surprise art is a fun one." 

When asked why she would recommend a CSA to others, Elvira replied, "It's fun, it's supporting community artists, and you get some interesting art."

The CSA model is great for emerging and mid-career artists alike. Though the stipend they receive isn't always enough to cover the full costs of production (CSA shares are often much lower than art sold in galleries to appeal to an audience that may be new to art), the majority of artists nevertheless find CSA participation rewarding. 

For them, it's an opportunity to connect with people who may have never heard of them. Oftentimes, CSA recipients become repeat customers.

For Pam Farren, who had been creating and selling items from upcycled materials for 20-plus years, the experience of being an artist with a CSA in Cambridge, Massachusetts, had more surprising impacts. 

"Before being selected to participate in CCAE’s CSArt program, I didn’t think of myself as an artist. I’ve always been a maker and identified as an artisan making unique and interesting everyday items from found, thrifted, and recycled materials. I have now begun to create more one-of-a-kind pieces in my funky upcycled style." 

In addition, the Cambridge CSA offers classes to teach artists about the business end of creating. Through this opportunity, Pam gained more confidence to talk about her business, and she's begun teaching her craft to others.

Getting Started

If you're interested in joining a CSA, you should head over to the website of Springboard for the Arts, founders of the first CSA. Not only does Springboard for the Arts have a map of other CSAs across the country, but they've also created a Toolkit for communities who want to launch a CSA of their own (there's even a Spanish version). Since 2010, 75 of these CSA starter kits have been sent out to help dozens of new CSAs get started.

According to Andy Sturdevant, Artist Resource Director of Springboard for the Arts, running a CSA can be hard work. 

"You have to worry about selling enough of the shares, about keeping the artists and shareholders happy, and handling a lot of logistical factors, whether that's driving 50 miles in a U-Haul to pick up a bunch of wooden boxes, or making sure the artwork is packaged securely and attractively presented." 

However, it's well worth the effort. "It's always rewarding to see all the hard work pay off at the pick-up events, when people finally see their artwork. It's like Christmas," says Sturdevant.