Summary Paragraph: 

Art We All (Human) is an inter-genre collective of millenial artists looking to use the power of artistic expression to activate social change and challenge the status quo. In a salon setting, artists meet to discuss and deconstruct notions of power and privilege, and then use collective energy to create fluid, conscious art.

Rules of Engagement 

1. Open minds build movements

No bigotry, no hatred, no subversive power plays. We are all here to make something beautiful, and can only do that in a space where we all feel free.

2. YOUR truth, not THE truth

This is space where vulnerability and honesty are inextricable from the final product. Speak your truth to the extent that you are comfortable, but please don’t take it upon yourself to make that normative.  

3. Embrace the Awkward

We will always open our space to new voices. Embrace the awkward conversations, talk to the new guy – everyone in the space has a gift to give.

4. The Commons

This is a project centered on the creative commons. The work we do is the product/journey of the collective, and we will always come back to the commons as a locus of self. So, be self-aware and self-interested but never self-ish. If one of us wins, we all will – this is not about a profit margin.

5. By the people, for the people, of the people

The art will always speak to whatever moves those in the room, but the responsibility of the collective will always be to the community. 

• Do you have any questions after this? 
• Is it too wishy-washy?  

How it Works

Who Comes?  

a)      15 artists are invited at random, from a larger cohort of 30-45 artists

Every quarter, there will be a larger, open session with an open mic component

c)      Each session will have a theme, all participants will be advised of it before the session in an invitation email

d)     Each session will have a different facilitator from the group – keeps it honest/non-hierarchical (first few will be me, once we have a reliable amount of people involved I will hand it over)

[is this naïve? Should I retain control? Very anti-hierarchical spaces but it needs to work, every time]

e)      Each session will be documented in some way – photographer, visual artist, videographer, writer etc (appointed in the email)

What Happens?

Each session will last three hours, comprised of the following

Free thought exercise (20 minutes)

 All attendees will be asked to provide a statement around the theme (can be a line of song, small picture, actual line, line of poetry, whatever) – theme will be put up on the board and the other items will surround it (20 minutes)

Introductions (15 minutes)

             Name, craft of choice

Updates + Theme (55 minutes)

Participants update the group on current projects/projects from the last session

Space for participants to vocalize what they’re looking for in the space

Participants can talk about their feelings on the theme/issues that have come up with existing projects in a group setting

Studio Session (1 hour)

Break away from the group into individual/studio sessions (people can do what they want, work together in groups from the last time)

The Come-Down (30 minutes)

 Take someone’s initial thought/experience from the beginning and use it to express where you are now.

What then?

1. Follow up email called the After Thought (circulated a few days after the meeting)
2. Provide the dropbox link to the group (will contain whatever the documentarian has chosen to create to honor the session)
3. Provide a dope quote/video/picture to the group
4. Provide the contact list for everyone in attendance so attendees can follow up if needed 
5. Allow participants to opt-in a referral (invite someone to come to the next one) 

Upcoming themes: 

• IDentity 
• Abstraction 
• “Dat New New” 
• Vintage? 
• Love and other drugs
• Other drugs