I want to start or join an Artists Co-op

Trev from Narrabeen · Joined: 29 Oct 2008 Posts: 14 Location: Sydney

I’m looking for local emerging artists to join an Artist Collective on the Sydney Northern Beaches. or maybe i could join an existing group if there is one.

I’ve always wanted to be part of an artist group or collective so I might as well start my own. The Narrabeen Art School. Why not? It’s more Australian than “Heidelberg.

I know to get funding an organisation must be incorporated so it seems wise to forma group to share costs, proofgits and funding and work together to organise shows drinking sessions, local arts trips etc.

Any thoughts before I move to the next step of trawling for comrades in the venture. It will be fun.
trust me.

Steve Gray · Joined: 17 Aug 2008 Posts: 1569 Location: Geelong

Heaps of info...

you need five people to form a coop or an inc body.

Set GREAT guidelines, policies and procedures to begin with (mission vision, philosophy etc.)

KNOW it will take time and energy and a few $$ to get it started. (YOURS!)

Have a GREAT reason for starting it so it's easy to "sell" the idea to others.

Get any and all the info you can on starting a business (try free business tips .com.au/forum and check out the start up section, and their main page for start up articles also). Becuase that's what you are doing starting a business entity, and so it needs management, marketing and an operational focus. Oh and Leadership STRONG Leadership.

The reason for all this is, I have been part of an art "collective" for a while and came in at the tail end of it's lifespan. The people that started it had all the above but got bored with it and as it was handed over noone else cared as much for it, the mission and vision faded quickly as if it had been written in the sand and a strong wind blew it away.

In the mid life crisis of this group there was so much bitterness, hatred and knifing which took place... oh it was bad.

Here's another part, they got some funding and had some gear they had bought to run events, (a few good thou $$ worth) and the early takeover merchants became custodians of it, then they kept it, left the group and moved on... a local councillor approached the group to use the gear... oops! gone... he was not happy!

Sorry for the longish story, hope you get the point. Go for it! Smile

Oh and your office of fair trading or similar will have a few clues, and or business.gov.au look to download the cooperatives act if you want to go that far but an Inc body is simpler. Smile

Steve Gray · Joined: 17 Aug 2008 Posts: 1569 Location: Geelong

Rene, try environmental expressionism. google that.

Panza · Guest

Rene, I think your style is definitely neo-expressionist. Pity Trev, I used to live in Manly. I would've been interested in joining your group.

Panza · Guest

No Rene, no blog... yet. My style? Hard to say, you can see some of my work here under Panza. I like all painters like I like music, they all have different qualities that make them great, which I appreciate. The answer to your other question, I'm located in Bathurst right now.

Trev from Narrabeen · Joined: 29 Oct 2008 Posts: 14 Location: Sydney

Steve
thanks for the info, All very useful.

Rene,

Good to hear from you. I see your style from your blogspot and you have a very similar mix of realism vs unrealism as my self.

Probably not the best explaination, but maybe a similar level of abstraction in your expression.

I'm happy to put you on my list as names come up and start swaping emails etc in the mean time . Are you in sydney? or better still near the penninsular?

I need to update my website soon and you'll then see where i've been going lately.

chat soon Rene

trev