Starving artists are hungrier than ever, thanks to the economy.
Patricia Buckley markets her husband, Peter Scala’s uncommon surrealists paintings in Charleston. Now, more than ever, the duo have had to make significant changes in their business due to the hard economic times.
“People are not buying art at the level they were buying and in Charleston, in particular, a lot of our friends haven’t sold art in months,” says Buckley.
Buckley says they have had to cut the prices and sizes of paintings by 15 to 25 percent just to appeal more to buyers. They have also found help through a workshop held by the South Carolina State Museum.
Tony Rajer (Ray-jer), an art conservator from Wisconsin, directs the Business of Art During Hard Economic Times Workshop. “The workshop is how to help artists jumpstart their art career by developing a personalized business plan. It’s about networking, resume preparation, art exihibition preparation, as well as how to get your art shown,” says Rajer.
Rajer says artists, like Peter Scala, have always been at the bottom of the economic food chain, and now they’re starving even more. To fill themselves back up, artists have this workshop to help them become more active in their community.
“It gives you ideas, and I can see with the other participants, you feel rejuvenated, you feels there’s hope,” says Buckley.