Kickstarter expects to pass the NEA in arts funding

Depending on how you look at it, this is either a really good sign of grass roots, creative funding or a grim look at how little we value arts at the federal level,although the federal government also funds the arts through the NEH, educational grants and a wide range of other programs.

Personally, I'm mostly in the camp that sees this as totally great! The NEA while a core funder of some major institutions, has failed completely at supporting a dynamic and creative ecosystem. Most likely, one can't expect it to do so.

From The Huffington Post

In general, Kickstarter projects follow a looser definition than the NEA's, described as "creative" projects rather than solely artistic ones. The NEA's recent grantees include Magic City Smooth Jazz, supporting their Jazz in the Park series, and the Puppetry Arts Theater, Inc. in Brooklyn, NY, to support a production of a new musical, "Antropomorphic" (see a list of recent grant recipients here), and are often meant to promote arts education as much as specific projects.

Strickler added that the company views the implication of the $150 million number "in both a good and a bad way."

It's best described as the National Endowment For Certain Famous and Connected Institutions, Artists and Curators. (the folks who likely need that kind of funding-the least)

Hopefully this is just the start of a trend, both online and off to better fund creativity at all levels. Remember also that Kickstarter supports seed funding for projects rather than continuing support for institutions.

(P.S. In spite of the term "endowment", the NEA, has no funds set aside or invested and is funded on annual basis out of the general Federal budget)

Amazing Milestone: Two Kickstarter projects raise over a million dollars.

So many things I should post about.

Wow, most people assume you can't raise really big money through crowdsourced funding and most people and organizations don't try.

"LOS ANGELES — Last night at 6:42 pm in New York, a Kickstarter project raised $1 million. Double Fine Adventure, a video game designed by San Francisco game designer Tim Schafer and his team at Double Fine Productions, is a downloable “point-and-click” graphic adventure game. Backers get both the game and a real time documentary filmed by 2 Player Productions as the game develops."

From Hyperallergic

Stunning but not a record because 4 hours earlier another project passed the million mark.

Obviously, I find so many reasons to love this. In spite of supposed efforts at outreach, the vast majority of conventional government and foundation funding goes to the same folks and ideas over and over.

What is the record for an art project?

"Is The Age Of The Foundation Over?" Thoughts From an Artist

One big reason I have this blog, is to say a few things that I feel need to be said. Many artists feel that there are deep problems with the traditional arts funding process that go way deeper than just a lack of money-but surprisingly few will say so publicly.

Happily, in these very hard times, more creative people are stepping outside the system and developing many new ways of getting money.

A Cleveland Artist and blogger has a great post on the subject (you may have seen her work at Boxheart)

Let’s face it, many people who sit of boards or head up foundations are living in a bubble going for the same kinds of projects time after time. In fact, how many artists or writers get grants or funding consistently? Quite a few! It’s almost as if they’ve proven they got funding from one reputable source, then it’s okay to give the green light because it looks good for the foundation to be in the know, not to mention an opportunity for press. Again, most board members and judges don’t go out of their comfort zone (ask any of them if they know about new art movements, and they don’t), and many really don’t care but are partaking for social cache. Then there are the ones who grant to former colleagues (cough*cough* NEA grants cough*), former students, or as in the case of a Rome Prize juror — their girlfriend. It really is like winning the lottery sometimes and not just based on reputation or quality of what you do. This isn’t to say everyone who gets awarded isn’t deserving, but it can be very spotty at best.

Further on...

Now here’s the funny part: everyone I know who has been denied grant or bank loans went to the internet and got funding. In fact, many got over-funded! Thanks to websites like Kickstarter, funding isn’t based on a small group of old ladies who don’t like nudes in art or a guy in a bad suit looking at your credit score.