Begin forwarded message:
>> -----Original Message-----
>> Jess+
>>
>> I think the core point of your post - the need for a
>> clear-eyed, "harsh," evaluation of Walker's and institutional
>> programming in general - is an important one. My position has
>> always been that institutions need to prove use-value in the
>> network and not assume it because of historical hierarchies.
>>
>> I hope to have more to say about this in the near future, but
>> in terms of your
>>
>>> What I wonder is how, despite this list, despite
>>> all the other lists we all belong to and despite our own
>>> work independently as
>>> artists - is how we get heard.
>>
>> I agree, this is a critical issue. From my perspective, the
>> open letter from Sarah Cook with its 689 signatories, had a
>> definite effect, revealing not only to Walker brass but,
>> hopefully, many others in the artworld but outside the
>> regular network lists, that there is a strong community of
>> interest in this arena. The immediate effect at the Walker
>> was to underline that it has an ongoing institutional
>> responsibility to the work in its Gallery 9.
>>
>> At the same time, of course, the letter does not solve your
>> question, but I suspect that it will have other, longer term
>> consequences for the wider field that are not so clear now,
>> thanks to everyone who participated in this and the attendant
>> discussions. Which is NOT to say that institutions are THE
>> answer, but I continue to believe they can have a productive
>> role to play.
>>
>> One detail regarding:
>>
>>> I've just read that Walkers cutbacks will save $1m per annum.
>>> Though peanuts compared to the overall budget, curatorially
>>> that's a pretty decent sized wallet in which to establish
>>> (and bloody hell) at least set up contingency so the work can
>>> be decently and permanently archived.
>>
>> In fact, the Walker's new media curatorial funding was 100%
>> grant driven and was in the $40,000 - $100,000 (max) per year
>> range. In other words, with no out-of-pocket costs, there are
>> no actual savings from the curatorial program cuts. The
>> savings come from the 8 people laid off from across the
>> institution - whose salaries do not nearly come to $1m! - and
>> a salary freeze for the entire staff for the coming fiscal
>> year. [There were projected bricks and mortar costs for new
>> media spaces in the Walker's new building a few years hence.]
>>
>> s
>>
>>
>>
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