Grant from Assets for Artists

This past September I got some very exciting news: I had received a grant from Assets for Artists, a nonprofit here in Massachusetts. Along with some money, the program provides a host of free workshops and other opportunities for the recipients.

Getting a grant like this meant a great deal to me. The money is obviously appreciated, but the chance to connect with other local artists through the program has been even more important. The workshops and working groups I’ve been a part of in the past few months have already helped me face my future as a creative person with confidence, wisdom, and community at my back.

Many folks who make miniature art, write games, or illustrate for fantastical projects struggle to feel worthy of the “artist” label. I’ve had numerous conversations with people diving deep into paint consistencies, collage techniques, photography, expensive bespoke cutting tools, scrounged materials, etc. At some point in those conversations they’ll stop themselves and disclaim what they’re saying with “I’m not an artist or anything” as though to ward off the pressure that such a title would give them.

I understand and have sympathy for that reflex. Miniature work, illustration, and anything with a more fantastical bent to it is systematically devalued as “low” art by many in our culture. If something is fun, it gets binned as entertainment instead of true art, and never the two shall meet.

In the 28 community and beyond, the word “hobby” is used as a catchall for creative work. Painting, sculpting, gluing, drawing, etc. are all Hobby. Spending your entire vacation realizing a creative vision in your freezing garage is doing Hobby.

We also gatekeep the term “artist” behind capital, asserting that a real artist makes money off of their art. Obviously I disagree with that concept, but even folks who regularly monetize the fruits of “Hobby” resist calling themselves artists.

Creative work means more to me than almost anything else. Having an organization like Assets for Artists recognize the value of that work beyond my own selfish need to create has had a real impact on me.

Thanks again to the folks at A4A, the other artists in my grantee cohort, and my loved ones who’ve supported me in the past year to create things that matter to me.

You can read about the other artists in the cohort announcement here and in an article from the Hampshire Gazette here.

If you’re new here, and you want to learn more about the 28 art movement and its roots in antifascist punk sentiment, there’s no better place to start than the free and amazing online magazine found at 28-mag.com.