By Jess Szabo | Arts Writer
Utica’s artists are called to their careers out of a love of their art form and a desire to use their talents to give back to the world. Most local artists would—and often do— practice their art, whether they earn their living from their art, make only a small income, or earn no money from their art work.
Artists in Utica often finance their own art practices through their income from second careers or day jobs. But often, it is not enough to both pay the everyday bills and fund the art work. There are funding options for the arts in Utica, but funding for individual artists is not always easy to locate or obtain.
Grants from Arts Organizations
According to their website, CNY Arts, Inc. Individual Artists Commissions (CNYarts.com) “supports creation of new works by local individual artists or collectives demonstrating strong creativity and community involvement.”
Applicants must be at least eighteen years of age. They must have a permanent address in the same county that the project will be undertaken. Artists who live and work in Oneida county are eligible. Up to four projects may be funded from the same county at a time. Applicants must not be enrolled in a two or four year degree program, or currently be working through a grant or an applicant for the New York State Council on the Arts.
Grants range from $1,000 to $2,500. The money must be used for expenses that directly relate to the art project, such as space and equipment rental fees, materials used directly for the creation of the project, and printing, advertising, and promotions for the project. The money cannot be used for social activities, even those directly related to the project, such as hosting parties to publicize the artist’s work. Grant money cannot be used for the creation of educational materials such as textbooks, or the artist’s cost of living expenses, like food and household bills.
Utica artists may wish to apply for the next cycle, but the deadline for the upcoming grant cycle closed on January 19, 2022.
*Note: CNY Arts, Inc. was not available to provide further details or comment.
Crowdfunding
People in all fields may hesitate to turn to crowdfunding today. While it remains immensely popular, with users taking to sites like Gofundme.com for everything from raising money for college tuition to paying for emergencies, some questionable, frivolous, or downright fraudulent pages have tarnished the site’s reputation in recent years.
But the controversy surrounding crowdfunding also highlights its greatest strength. Crowdfunding is planned and carried out entirely by the artist. Artists do not need to rely on any outside organization to raise funds. They can simply describe their project, detail what the money would be used for, and collect the funds. Funds raised through sites like GoFundMe can be used for anything, including living expenses while the project is in progress.
The main drawback is that funds are not guaranteed, as they are if an artist is given a grant through an arts organization. Once you are given a grant, the money is yours, while it is entirely possible to host a GoFundMe campaign that earns no money.
Gig Work Through One or More Large Corporations
“Gig work” can refer to any work one does on an assignment by assignment basis outside of their art practice, second career, or day job. Today, it increasingly refers to signing up to work as an independent driver and/or shopper through a corporation such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, or Instacart. Options for those who cannot drive include online tutoring platforms.
Gig work through these companies does have the benefit of being completely under the control of the artist. Shopping, driving, delivering, and online tutoring can be scheduled around the work of the art project.
However, like crowdfunding, gig work does have the potential to earn little to no money. While “gig work” themed YouTube channels often post videos about earning over a thousand dollars in a single weekend, it is also possible to sign up, sign on as available to work, and earn nothing.
Whether going the traditional route of working a day job to finance your art, applying for a grant, doing gig work, or crowdfunding, there are ways for Utica artists to fund the work that brings so much value to the community.
