#1 Standard Deviation

"Standard Deviation—a multiphase project that includes a series of conversations, a printed broadside for distribution, and an online forum—addresses these questions so that artists might identify the kinds of opportunities that serve their artistic goals and help them sustain viable practices over time."- Helena Keeffe, Art Practical

​If you're an artist struggling alone, eye-brows deep in the hustle, and it feels daunting to get up to speed on national conversations about art and labor, here's a sweet little broadside to ease you in. 

In 2013, Helena Keeffe got artists in the Bay Area together for a conversation very much like those we are hoping to have this November, asking "What kinds of strategies might artists employ to create a sense of agency when it comes to artistic production? What are the key questions artists should ask themselves in seeking to define standards for valuing their labor?" They collected their output in a website and a broadside, which are excellent primers on both the history of artist-labor initiatives in the United States and the existing toolkits and concrete actions artists can use to advocate for their work.

Read Helene Keeffe and Art Practical's Patricia Maloney's reflection on Standard Deviation here: http://www.artpractical.com/feature/standard_deviation/ Make sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom to check out the related readings!

Download the Standard Deviation Broadside here:
http://www.artpractical.com/uploads/v1/4.17_Standard%20Deviation_layout.pdf

Art Practical and the artists involved in Standard Deviation were also involved in 2014/15 organizing conversations through UC Berkeley's Arts Research Center. We'll be linking to more of their work in upcoming posts. 

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