artist networks

(a good video i found, explaining something similar to the last post of mine- thats one view anyway)

Ok so what are artist networks? i would personally say that they are connections that exhist within the art community. places where the artist can get more information through it, inspiration, information on events etc.

some of the major online sites that help network artists are

http://www.deviantart.com/- an amazing site, filled mostly with a mixture of people. but most are amateurs, new to the crafts, part timers, and young people, all the way to some of the current leaders in the visual art industries.

http://www.creativestem.com/- awesome, you have to have an invite to be on this site, so being part of the 'in-crowd' to begin with is... a must. so you could really do with meeting artists on other networking sites beforehand..

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/- a very good place for UK students to get their name heard, especially if your to 'their liking'. so if your one of the lucky people whose work is to the liking of the high contemporary names in art, then you're already on the road to fake stardom.

http://www.flickr.com/- do i need to explain this site? its massive, its big, its full to the brim of talented, amazing photographs/ photos, basically anything you can capture visually. however, i would say, its not the best if you looking specifically for a certain type of art movement forum. its not centred around your chosen art, its very open, therefore not thee best way in my opinion to get work out to the audience of your wishes.

http://www.facebook.com/- yes, you got it, as you thought it couldn't possibly be any bigger. it gets bigger. facebook, is like the new cafe' meet ups in paris. my profile is filled to the brim with most of the leading living master- painters. as stated by Art Renewal Centre. i find it amazing when i can ask the personal/ private/ art related questions. they put their work up, you see it, you comment, they forward links to you and videos, lots of artists all sharing their love for what they do with others. the knowlege is spread. and for that reason alone, i believe Facebook, as much as i dislike the sitting on screens all day, is... perfect for this day and age... i suppose.

Forum's such as

http://conceptart.org/

http://www.artpapa.com/forums/

rtist

Cuts, News and 'important' information (to some)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/arts-funding- some links to pages, talking and moaning about money related to the arts, and lists all the 'affected' companies, organisations and people.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=art+funding#q=art+funding&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=ivn&source=univ&tbs=nws:1&tbo=u&ei=TH7zTLeqDcq3hAeUutmwDA&sa=X&oi=news_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CFMQqAIwAw&fp=fe60108b94e735cb- a google search for new related to art funding. looks very bleak and boring. very un-inspirational.

http://www.scottisharts.org.uk/1/funding.aspx- The Scottish Arts Council.

http://www.lotteryfunding.org.uk/uk/arts-council-england-2- a little info.

To be really honest, i can not be bothered with all this boring, intellectually written jargon on the subject of art. I am un interested in politics, and all the money people are constantly talking about.

have these people got lives... really. when we were kids, we laughed and played, we smelled the tarmac on the playground and felt the rope we were climbing in our hands. the grass on our faces whilst lain down in the grass.

we ran uncaringly of how others thought of us, to the ice cream man. we lived. when we grow, we impersonate those older around us. all through our teens, then into our early adulthood. suddenly we feel we 'should' now worry and wine about money, have children and buy homes. suddenly we start moaning to council's and complaining to teachers at school for telling our kids off. even the word adult has DUL(L) in it. dull, lifeless and shit to be quite honest.

constantly on a regular basis i am reminded and pushed into believing a certain belief about life, money, politics's, fun... coming from people who spend their entire lives working to get higher and higher, as much money as possible, the best house, the best car, the best phone, go on big expensive holidays, take their kids to the best schools, buy the best shit that they don't even really need. do you need 3 cars? sheds full of tools you never use? all those toys for the children? a telly in every room? . . . i think people have forgotten how to live. we need to learn from our younger selves.

live!

we have all got it in us.

Arts funding in the UK

i am on a search for a little knowledge into the funding which is available to the arts in the uk, and especially the Fine Arts, as quite obviously, this is what will matter most to me when i leave, should i choose to do large projects which may require external help, financially.

Below i will place a few links that i have gathered, which relate to Arts Funding.

http://www.britisharts.co.uk/artsfunding.html- British Arts- a site dedicated to the title it claims. the site is very cool, it has many different links to many different locations on the net and in real life.

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/- Arts Council- an obvious first choice for many institutions and individuals, and was the first place recommended to me by the module leader at the University of Cumbria.

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Public-engagement/Funding-schemes/arts-awards/index.htm- Wellcome Trust, is a site, dedicated to the 'support of imaginative and experimental arts projects that investigate biomedical science.' i have left this one, as, maybe we fine artists may explore such qualities and therefore leaves it open.

http://www.nesta.org.uk/- hmmm, i may have to explore this a little more, it seems very academically minded, business like and bland. but then i guess these big organisations whose main focus in life is money, are quite bland themselves (in my opinion).

http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/- i don't think this is based around just the arts, by any means, however, it does appear to help somewhat, young people. i shall explore this later.

http://www.artquest.org.uk/money/funding/live-art-funding.htm- Artquest seems to be a place dedicated specifically to helping arts, visual, 'lens related' and new media, but also, funding education etc and also offeres much tips and advice to the young artist