State of the Union update
Hello folks,
I'm writing today to give you an update on how things are going with Artists' Union Local 503, and talk a little bit about how we're envisioning going forward.
As we are a collective formed primarily of concerned working artists and creative folks (like most of you), 2016 has proven to be a whirlwind of new ideas, challenges, and a variety of pretty ambitious learning curves in the realms of politics, business, field work, social engineering, technology, and more.
But over the past few months, we've quickly grown from the mere spark of an idea- a Facebook page started out of almost sheer whimsy and idealism- into a fully fledged, not-for-profit, grassroots community organization. Can you believe that as of November, we're already 6 months old? We at AU think that's pretty rad!
To give you a recap, in the past 6 months we have:
Established an official social & organizational presence on Facebook totalling over 100 members
Met with members of the creative, small business and activist communities in Portland, and developed a working list of current concerns & campaigns to be addressed
Recruited and worked with volunteer staff to help further our initial plans (ALL THE THANKS, VOLUNTEERS!!!)
Acquired a "home base" for networking and official AU staff meetings with NXT Industries Co-Working space- and engaged in preliminary talks about plans for future cross-promoted events or activities
Met & talked with representatives from a variety of workers' rights Unions in the Portland area, as well as Portland Tenants United & the national Freelancers' Union, to network, foster positive relations within the activist and Union communities locally, and learn more about what it takes to launch an effective organizing effort
Hit the streets to rally with Portland Tenants United in their efforts to call on the City for affordable and safe spaces for Portland residents
Flyered & talked with artists at First Thursday & Mississippi Street Fair, run an info table (with a drawing station!) at Last Thursday on Alberta, and received offers to speak at other local arts organizations
Created basic outlines for a GoFundMe donation page, website, business plan, preliminary membership structure, and more
Drafted a public letter at petitionsites.com to the Mayor of Portland, calling on the City to accomodate not just safe & affordable living spaces, but also work spaces/art studios for Portland artists who are getting displaced or shutting up shop due to gentrification
Researched models of Artists' Unions and similar types of organizations, learned a lot about applying for nonprofit vs. Union vs. Tax-exempt status, and talked to reps with local small business development groups to learn what will be involved if & when we decide to register as a legal business, Union or organizational entity
That's already a lot of accomplishments- and the list keeps growing! And it's all based on YOUR interest, support, and belief. A belief, and an understanding, that this has been a movement just waiting for its time to come to life, here in the U.S.
Now, I'm not ignoring the fact that I am writing this almost one week after our Nov. 8th elections. Never before in our history as an independent nation have we faced the kind of social and political landscape that lies before us now. We've been looking at outcomes and what these might mean, and it's hard at the moment for anyone to know what the future holds.
There has been some hope in the larger art world that artists will see an increase in sales under the new administration. It's been theorized that, with new tax breaks for the wealthy and upper-middle classes, this may potentially mean more available funds for spending on fine arts, products and events or performances. It's also been emphasized that, in times of uncertainty and new challenges, we as humans turn to the arts for inspiration, personal expression of our individual and collective voices, an increase in constructive community action, and a greater sense of reconnection with the sublime and with healing forces.
But at the same time, these hopes are counterbalanced by the possibility of the divide between rich and poor growing even more extreme, money for social services and low-income health coverage growing even more scarce-or drying up all together; and of course, an even greater polarity between what types of creative expression (and/or the individuals and groups that produce those creative expressions) are socially acceptable and "okay"- i.e. Approved for funding and public support. All of this may spell bad news for our most vulnerable members of the Artists' Union: Independent, working artists who do not have other forms of representation or advocacy, and who- all too often- making inconsistent or low-income wages back from their careers- putting them in the sector most at risk for a variety of problems with health, personal welfare and stability of professional growth.
Given the many difficulties we are up against in Portland, and the upheavals in our sociopolitical climate across the nation, it can be easy to want to give up, and turn away from the idea of continuing to meddle with politics, activism, or social change. Truth to tell, we are not as far along as an organization as we could be, because some of us ourselves are the very ones who NEED the help of an organized Artists' movement- and without added support and resources already in place- it's a challenge to move forward at times.
But I'll let you in on a secret- I'm originally a Chicagoan, and I've grown up with politics and social issues as my lifeblood. I've put my butt out on the street, with the masses, to speak up in times that appeared no less grim, and in places where the consequences are no less vital. In my hometown, we have a saying- borrowed from our much-loved sports team, the Cubs- "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over!"
And this year... After a lifetime of near misses... against all expectations- the Cubs won the World Series. We're nothing if not dedicated!
There's another thing that makes me uniquely Chi-town at heart. The Midwest is home to a rich, long history of Union effort that has helped step in to protect workers in need- against bad bosses, bad contracts, lethally unsafe working conditions, and more. Sure, a lot of people complain that the biggest Labor unions are just as corrupt and "dinosaur" as business or government. But I've also seen the ways in which local organizing has truly helped people. In fact, I've directly benefitted from Union involvement and advocacy in Portland, during my last several years of employment here. It's made a huge difference for me in terms of access to truly affordable and useful health care coverage, the ability to earn a living wage, and cost of living wage increases every year, among other things.
So, I for one remain dedicated to our cause, because I've learned for myself that it's in times such as these- times when the "average Joe" appears to face the strongest opposition against fair treatment and consideration for his/her/their efforts- that organizing & standing up for one's rights is the most vitally necessary!
It is one of the strongholds of American culture to "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps", and independent, community organizing has helped people from all walks of life do just that, through good times and bad, in places where other forms of support or aid have not always been available. One thing I love about Portland, Oregon is that there's a rich tradition of progressive infrastructure here- and progressive ideas about making, showing and selling creative works- that can't be matched anywhere else in the nation, if not the globe.
With Artists' Union, we have a number of awesome ideas planned- some of our potential future goals include:
Establishing a brick & mortar office with art studio & event space
continuing to enact campaigns on our list and identify new challenges
partnering with other organizations to gain traction more quickly, and offer resources to members more efficiently- health insurance, discounted access to co-working and/or maker spaces, etc.
launching our initial Membership subscription that can offer discounted goods or services to Members, purchase of group health insurance, Emergency Fund and/or Scholarship funds for artists, legal advice service, etc.
hosting events to help with fundraising, promoting the work of local artists and Members, creating opportunities for better access to resources for independent creative folks, and fostering positive community connection and outreach
Establish a mentorship network for successful working creative professionals to help beginning creatives get started in their chosen field
provide a formal volunteer and/or internship program for youth and those needing to build consistent work experience histories
In the next week or so, I'll be sending out a poll to help Artists' Union determine which direction we need to take now, as an organization and movement, going forward. It will contain questions regarding these potential plans, and more. When you get the link, PLEASE take a few minutes to complete it and let us know what's truly important to you!
In the meantime, here's what else you can do:
-SIGN and SHARE our letter to the Mayor of Portland- Once we reach our target # of signatures, we're going to deliver it to the Mayor's office!
-DONATE to our GoFundMe- We are 100% independent and community-supported, and we currently have no funding other than by community donations. Any funds you contribute go directly towards operating expenses, events budgeting, marketing, and the like. We love y'all, but we can't keep moving forward without your support!
Visit: www.gofundme.com/2egmwh0
-VOLUNTEER your time/efforts/resources/networks to our cause. As a startup, we are an entirely volunteer-run group, and the more capable volunteers we have, the more fun and more efficiently we can grow!
We are in need of people who can comfortably dedicate a few hours a month towards activities like flyering, social media marketing, research, interacting with local artists/orgs./businesses in the Portland Metro area, event planning/staffing/organization, grantwriting, copy writing and editing, fundraising, and helping us develop and run our organization at an administrative/oversight level- to name a few things. Any prior experience with business, organizing, social activism, nonprofits etc. is especially helpful!
For volunteer inquiries, please give us a ballpark idea of how much time per week or month you can contribute, and what areas of interest or expertise you have. Contact us on our Facebook page, or at artistsunion503@gmail.com and we'll be happy to follow up!
-GET ACTIVE! Remember we're in this together to help one another be successful, stay motivated and become a force for positive change in our communities. Share your artwork and info on our Networking Page. Talk to people around you and let them know about Artists' Union and why it's important. Let's stay in touch and lend support and encouragement to one another. You are not alone!
And finally... From all of us here at Artists' Union headquarters, to you out there reading- join me as we shout:
"IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER!!!"
-Blossom Savolainen & the Artists U Crew
Email: artistsunion503@gmail.com
Facebook Main Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/657750251034370/
Facebook Networking Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/956947841085287/
