Fundraising for art projects is one of the toughest things to attempt in a recession. Traditional funding sources like foundations and grant makers generally have less to give and more and more applications to consider. New models for fundraising such as the online Kickstarter offer a unique way for people to pitch their projects directly to the public to enable micro-donation, and just like a long-tail model predicts, those micro-donations can add up to significant amounts.
Several local projects have seen the value in this new method of fiscal tree-shaking. Just recently, the non-profit WNY Book Arts Center (WNYBAC) in downtown Buffalo has taken their most urgent need to the Kickstarter model: people can give as little as $10 and get rewards and help make the WNYBAC printshop a healthier environment for workers, patrons, and visitors.
Kickstarter works on the premise that a good idea will get funded based its own merits; the site itself reinforces the notions of meritocracy and a drift-net approach to fundraising:
The relatively young arts organization: WNYBAC has managed to gain some momentum since first moving into their downtown location at Washington & Mohawks Streets. One of the keys in the Kickstarter model of funding is the enticement of rewards to encourage donors. WNYBAC is using its prolific output of posters and printed materials to give to donors who wish to receive them. This type of funding for worthy projects can have a ripple effect for other creative projects looking for that elusive funding. The local community can support local projects but so can anyone with an internet connection, this lets the world in on the great projects launched regionally.
Other recent successful local projects funded via Kickstarter include a film about American Urbanism, the band Nocturnal Me's tour van project, the Buffalo Small Press Book Fair, and local band Failure's Union vinyl album.
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Several local projects have seen the value in this new method of fiscal tree-shaking. Just recently, the non-profit WNY Book Arts Center (WNYBAC) in downtown Buffalo has taken their most urgent need to the Kickstarter model: people can give as little as $10 and get rewards and help make the WNYBAC printshop a healthier environment for workers, patrons, and visitors.
Kickstarter works on the premise that a good idea will get funded based its own merits; the site itself reinforces the notions of meritocracy and a drift-net approach to fundraising:
"Kickstarter is a new way to fund creative ideas and ambitious endeavors. We believe that... A good idea, communicated well, can spread fast and wide... A large group of people can be a tremendous source of money and encouragement. Kickstarter is powered by a unique all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully funded before its time expires or no money changes hands."Kickstarter balances a fine line between corporate opportunism (it does take a small percentage of all donations as does its online partner Amazon payments) and grass roots direct support by individuals. By using a well known partner such as Amazon, it allows for a much greater number of individuals to donate.
The relatively young arts organization: WNYBAC has managed to gain some momentum since first moving into their downtown location at Washington & Mohawks Streets. One of the keys in the Kickstarter model of funding is the enticement of rewards to encourage donors. WNYBAC is using its prolific output of posters and printed materials to give to donors who wish to receive them. This type of funding for worthy projects can have a ripple effect for other creative projects looking for that elusive funding. The local community can support local projects but so can anyone with an internet connection, this lets the world in on the great projects launched regionally.
Other recent successful local projects funded via Kickstarter include a film about American Urbanism, the band Nocturnal Me's tour van project, the Buffalo Small Press Book Fair, and local band Failure's Union vinyl album.
Once again I know I will catch flak from this but where are the priorities.
Yes these are kids but when I was a kid I could not wait to pick up a ruler, a tape measure, a saw, a drill, a screwdriver, etc.
And girls could not wait to put on their chef aprons and charge off to their Betty Crocker Easy Bake ovens that made brownies with light bulbs.
Of course today both genders can explore whatever talents so that is not the isue.
We have the highest poverty rates in the state yet there are people who dont know that peaches come from a tree or eggs come from chickens. All they know is the store and maybe food stamps.
We have the largest abandoned and unmaintained housing stock and there are people to dont know how to clean a gutter or use a paint brush because they rent.
The arts, well, music takes practice and dedication to produce anything that one can listen to without earplugs (joking).
Yes, kick starting an arts program is hard because there are hundreds of artists out there that cant make a living.
Im just speaking from concern about our childrens future. A child that is taught how to create wealth and be independent can have choice to be creative or mechanical or managerial or a combination.
When society prolonges their childhood with unproductive things then your removing their choices and feeding their dependency and feeding a hollow version of self esteem.
It is amazing how quickly this thread became a cliche debate about "issues". I feel that the above article and its main concern, to raise funds for a ventilation system to improve the air quality of a print shop, have been ignored by "commentators" who would rather debate about things entirely unrelated.
Let's focus on the issue at hand.
The Western New York Book Arts Center is a non-profit organization that serves Western New York with a multifaceted approach to delivering art & education to the surrounding community.
Break down.
On the first floor there is a gallery space, gift shop, art supplies and a modest library. Upstairs resides JUST Buffalo, a literary organization committed to bringing writers from across the country to share their work with the people of Buffalo. One such event, known as "Big Night", happens on the last Saturday of every month and features area writers and musicians as well as poet of note from out of town. WNYBAC hosts the event in its gallery space and the food alone (prepared by local poet Geoffrey Gatza) makes your trip well worth the effort. But, it is in the basement where the real magic happens and where even the casual observer can tell that this place, this unassuming store front in the heart of downtown Buffalo, is rather unique. The print shop houses the 100 year old presses and is where young students are given the opportunity to see a historically important machine made relevant still through the process of art & design. This is the space where artists, professors and craftsmen share their skills through workshops open to the community at large. Now don't all those people deserve to breathe clean air? I say we set aside our differences and give a little back to a place that (whether you know it or not) offers so much to the people of Buffalo.
Please consider donating.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/565689766/breathe-new-life-into-wny-book-arts-center
-Stu