International Deadline: February 28, 2023 – SlowArt Productions Limner Gallery presents the group exhibition, Arte Biologica. This exhibition will focus on art inspired by nature and the biological world…
Without a doubt, this year marked the largest uptick any of us have had of how saturated our social media feeds have been with art created by artificial intelligence. From the mildly unsettling and muddily accurate interpretations of prompts through DALL-E Mini to the surprisingly logical advances seen in ChatGPT, it’s run the gamut of humorously off-base to startlingly accurate. By far the most prevalent of these as of late has been Lensa, the AI seems to create near-miraculous portraits of users in varying illustrative styles. But in technological advances, there are no miracles; if it seems like there are, it is more than likely at great expense to or exploitation of someone else.
First of all, as of this article, Lensa and its creators Prisma Labs are shockingly absent from one of the most readily available sources of public information, Wikipedia. This is not to say by any means that Wikipedia is a perfect paragon of information given its open-source nature, although a topic as popular and current as Lensa would be regulated quite diligently. And by all means, an absence from online forums should be more than normalized (and even encouraged given the factors revolving around programs like this). But for a company whose bread and butter is the web to be absent from such a resource of insight raises an eyebrow, and knowing this would imply active prevention of the information on their part raises the other.
One of the most important factors to address in the discussion of AI in art is the idea of the replacement of artists. And I think it is obvious that no matter what it’s an impossibility to consider that human-created art will become defunct or not have a place in society at any point, and would only occur to a mind that doesn’t see value in context or the act of creation and thinks time optimization is the point of human existence. But it’s also disingenuous to state that there is no damage done or replacement occurring with the advent of programs like these. We’ve already seen pieces being used by companies gleefully touting their source. To put it simply, many companies don’t humanize artists, and if they can have an app churn out something close to what they desire without the undesirable qualities of free will and costs of living, they’ll choose the machine any day of the week.
I was recently asked if one of my works was made by an AI, and I never knew that I would encounter such a strange and sad feeling in my life; image by author.
Now for the blunt-sounding thing that is invariably true: Prisma Labs are very well-paid thieves and Lensa is the cartoonish sack of goods they lug around. But it’s not money in the bag—it’s stolen artwork. To clarify for those who may not know, Lensa is not an illustrative AI such as Ai-Da; Lensa is driven by its deep learning model Stable Diffusion, through which it skims and takes across a vast network of images available on the internet; however, available doesn’t mean allowed—just because a stranger’s woefully unguarded burger is readily available to you doesn’t mean you’re allowed to snatch it up, and just because someone’s artwork appears in a Google search does not mean it isn’t copyright protected. The program then compiles these ill-gotten goods into an (extremely flattering) image of the user—and given its state as a paid program with over 5 million downloads, this indicates the company has made millions off of the backs of uncredited, non-consenting artists.
One more rather unsettling aspect to ponder on this whole trend: when you (pay to) hand your image over to Prisma Labs, what happens? By virtue of their stated privacy policies, it goes onto a U.S. server only until the avatars are generated, then is deleted from their systems. But given the nature of which they skim for images, it is entirely feasible that through one means or another if you have uploaded these avatars or original images elsewhere your likeness may still be freely used as fodder by Stable Diffusion. Perhaps that’s of little concern if you know all this context and still use the app, but it may well be if you find a company of moral antithesis to you ends up using your likeness—especially with the currently unregulated nature of these programs potentially leaving you without a steady legal leg to stand on.
But more simply, why would you trust a thief at their word?
This exploration could extend endlessly: the gendered bias stemming from the creators and the stolen source materials, the tendency towards sexualization of users, the corruption of creative fields by the capitalist myth of efficiency equalling quality, the sheer fact that we live under techno-feudalism and are in a constant state of creating profit for tech companies through not only our works but even in our pastime habits and by virtue of giving over any and all personal data for these companies to use–but this article is already very depressing.
AI-driven art is a fascinating field of thought. It creates an interesting discourse around collaborative efforts and how we recognize tools vs. creators when it comes to creation. But it’s also still one of the last remaining frontiers of our current online experience, and thus is ripe with exploitation by those who see a chance to squeeze money from digital stones. Lensa is not a creative tool made to assist or inspire artists; it’s not even made to put the act of creation in the hands of the untrained; it’s a shiny Silicone Valley scheme made for you to throw money at.
Submitted by Jaime Sharp on December 21, 2022
From the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies: “The arts and creativity are increasingly recognized as necessary infrastructure for healthy, prosperous and equitable communities, regardless of community size or geography. The evidence backing the value of the arts continues to grow as more states and cities invest in arts based policies as a means to improve community health and well-being.”
“As we presented in a previous From the Research Team, NASAA and the National League of Cities (NLC) collaborated to create a series of blog posts highlighting the strength of infusing the arts into communities in Colorado, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Building on this blog series, NASAA and NLC convened a webinar, Leveraging Partnerships in the Arts to Strengthen Public Health, to further highlight arts and health work in Rhode Island and illustrate how arts and health programming is accomplished.”
The panel conversation was facilitated by Dr. Tasha Golden, director of research at the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University, who also presented on the research supporting the use of arts in health care and well-being. Valeria Tutson, artist and executive director of Rhode Island Black Storytellers, gave a creative storytelling presentation to frame Rhode Island’s Health and Human Services Artist in Residence program and the City of Providence’s Creative Community Health Worker program.
The panelists, who consisted of representatives from both programs, spoke about the on-the-ground details and opportunities in arts and heath programming, including:
tools and resources for new programs,
funding details for starting and continuing programming, and
strategies for pursuing cross-sector partnerships and engaging local communities and community assets.
“NASAA produced a new Arts, Health and Community Well-being web page and an arts and public health infographic to provide resources for arts, health and community well-being practitioners. For more information, contact NASAA Senior Director of Research Ryan Stubbs.”
Submitted by Jaime Sharp on December 20, 2022
“Order this year’s CSA from Springboard for the Arts, and you won’t get squash or cucumbers. You’ll get monthly deliveries of unique local art.” said Jared Kaufman for TwinCities Pioneer Press. “At the St. Paul artist resource organization, CSA stands for community-supported art. It’s an intentional nod to a better-known version of CSA — community-supported agriculture — through which people can support local farms for a whole growing season by pre-purchasing a subscription to receive regular fresh produce.”
“Each item is created specifically for the CSA boxes, and only 50 editions of each artwork are produced. So the CSA could soon sell out, Vang said, since more than half the 50 shares had already been claimed as of Dec. 14.”
“Shares run $350 apiece, which Vang said is actually a good deal given the prices you might otherwise pay for each individual artwork on its own. The CSA can be purchased online.”
“Springboard for the Arts has been organizing versions of the CSA program for many years, though for the past couple seasons, the organization nixed the in-person elements. Now, boxes are mailed to recipients, which also means folks out-of-state can participate, Vang said. Springboard also created a toolkit to help other arts resource organizations start their own community-support art programs. So far, more than 60 organizations nationwide are using Springboard’s model.”
Submitted by Jaime Sharp on December 21, 2022
“A lucky group of artists in New York will get guaranteed income as part of an ambitious pilot program,” said Jo Lawson-Tancred for artnet news. “The Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) initiative has announced that it is spending $43.2 million to distribute monthly payments of $1,000 to 2,400 to artists and other creatives living across the state. Lasting for 18 months, these cash payments come with no strings attached. “
“The model is intended to provide an alternative to the system of fellowships and grants that artists typically rely on, which tends to be competitive and unevenly distributed.”
“We’re thrilled that this program helps artists meet their basic needs, and we are hopeful that Guaranteed Income for Artists serves as a model for larger scale, policy-based solutions in the future,” said Emil Kang, CRNY’s leadership council chair and the Mellon Foundation’s program director for arts and culture.
“CRNY is a three-year $125 million initiative of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support artists with guaranteed income and employment opportunities.”
This year has been rich with examination of the life of Andy Warhol. Most notable was The Andy Warhol Diaries, a Netflix series that went through his life chapter by chapter via his own journals, and gave insight into many of the icons in his life—such as the equally legendary Jean-Michel Basquiat. Now mounting on Broadway is a play, The Collaboration, examining the two titans of modern art within the specific window of their collaborative show in the 80s.
The Collaboration, written by Anthony McCarten, first premiered in February of this year at The Young Vic theatre in London. This Broadway production marks its American premiere, maintaining the same cast and core team across productions. Grossing just under $725,000 as of this article, the show has clearly found its audience—unsurprising given the pure concentration of New York culture between depictions of two of the city’s greats and the mecca of American theatre.
Photo by Jeremy Daniel.
The action of the play spans Warhol’s agreement to do a collaborative project with Basquiat to the moment of auctioning the work produced from the venture. McCarten has taken some liberties with the exact timeline of events and historical accuracies, swapping out stand-ins for certain people and artworks. But it’s clear that he has done justice to an extremely ripe ground for theatric exploration. Stars Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope also make for transportive embodiments of Warhol and Basquiat respectively.
A moving snapshot of art and cultural history to zoom in on, The Collaboration seems a brilliantly simple recipe for success that would be sure to delight the paragon of fame and persona. While this small window into the complicated lives of these complex creatures can’t express all the layers of their friendship, rivalry, and burning out, to have such a historical encounter brought back to life is bound to be a treat for Broadway goers.
Submitted by Jaime Sharp on December 19, 2022
From The White House: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. The arts, the humanities, and museum and library services are essential to the well-being, health, vitality, and democracy of our Nation. They are the soul of America, reflecting our multicultural and democratic experience. They further help us strive to be the more perfect Union to which generation after generation of Americans have aspired. They inspire us; provide livelihoods; sustain, anchor, and bring cohesion within diverse communities across our Nation; stimulate creativity and innovation; help us understand and communicate our values as a people; compel us to wrestle with our history and enable us to imagine our future; invigorate and strengthen our democracy; and point the way toward progress.”
“It is the policy of my Administration to advance the cultural vitality of the United States by promoting the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services. To that end, my Administration will advance equity, accessibility, and opportunities for all Americans, particularly in underserved communities as defined in Executive Order 13985 of January 20, 2021 (Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government), so that they may realize their full potential through the arts, the humanities, and access to museum and library services. Additionally, we will strengthen America’s creative and cultural economy, including by enhancing and expanding opportunities for artists, humanities scholars, students, educators, and cultural heritage practitioners, as well as the museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, colleges and universities, and other institutions that support their work.”
“Under my Administration, the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services will be integrated into strategies, policies, and programs that advance the economic development, well-being, and resilience of all communities, especially those that have historically been underserved. The arts, the humanities, and museum and library services will be promoted and expanded to strengthen public, physical, and mental health; wellness; and healing, including within military and veteran communities. We will enhance access to high-quality arts and humanities education and programming with the aim of enabling every child in America to obtain the broad creative skills and enrichment vital to succeed. My Administration’s efforts to tackle the climate crisis will be bolstered through Federal and societal support for and advancement of the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services. We will also safeguard and promote the artistic and cultural heritage of the United States and its people domestically and internationally. Finally, my Administration will strengthen our Nation’s democracy, increase civic engagement and public service, bolster social cohesion, and advance the cause of equity and accessibility by lifting up more — and more diverse — voices and experiences through Federal support for the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services.”
Submitted by Jaime Sharp on December 19, 2022
From the National Endowment for the Arts: “On Wednesday, January 11, 2023, from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET, Arts Endowment staff will conduct a webinar on the Grants for Arts Projects guidelines. The webinar will include an overview of the funding category and tips for applicants, as well as a Q&A session.”
“Grants for Arts Projects is the principal grants program of the National Endowment for the Arts for organizations based in the United States. Through project-based funding, the program supports public engagement with, and access to, various forms of art across the nation, the creation of art, learning in the arts at all stages of life, and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life.”
“Applicants may request cost share/matching grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. Designated local arts agencies eligible to subgrant may request from $10,000 to $150,000 for subgranting programs in the Local Arts Agencies discipline. A minimum cost share/match equal to the grant amount is required.”
Submitted by Jaime Sharp on December 14, 2022
From the Alliance for California Traditional Arts: “Every cultural community in the United States is rooted in a sense of belonging, shared by members, and anchored by collective wisdom and aesthetics. These roots of cultural heritage are maintained, strengthened, and expanded through the practice of folk and traditional arts. The realities of slavery, displacement, structural racism, systemic poverty, and cultural appropriation have tested the strength of these cultural roots. The stresses are even more apparent, viewed against our present-day national reckoning with these harms amidst a global pandemic. In this context, traditional arts practices are potent political acts of social belonging, power, and justice. From this field have emerged works and artists of beauty, technical prowess, and meaning.”
“This report, Tending the Taproot: Opportunities to Support Folk & Traditional Arts in the United States, presents the findings of the Alliance of California Traditional Arts’ (ACTA) Taproot Initiative. This national planning effort, aimed to re-center traditional and folk artists and their art forms as catalysts for transformation and restoration in our larger society, is aligned with other important movements in the arts and culture sector to spur critical thinking and action during this hallmark moment of radical change. The report describes the resource landscape of folk and traditional arts. It offers operational recommendations as a call to action to support taproot artist-leaders and organizations with focused investment in funding and development to do more and do better, resources for infrastructure, elevated national recognition, and new standards for robust data and research infrastructure. Our recommendations are evidenced by qualitative and quantitative research findings, grounded in ACTA’s quarter century of experience as a funder and advocate in this field.”
Submitted by Jaime Sharp on December 15, 2022
“At the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, we know that strong leadership is necessary to create a more equitable and vibrant New York City.”
“We also know that many of the practices, systems, and structures, which sustain inequality in our communities, also show up in our organizations and our sector, limiting our view of who a leader is and what impactful leadership looks like. As such, while many organizations are eager to transition from white leaders to leaders of color, they often do not have the experience, expertise, commitment, or supports in place to fully embrace new leadership and make these transitions successful or joyful. Too often, it is the new leaders of color who pay the price for under-prepared organizations.”
“As we continue to understand and move resources to directly support leaders of color during these transitions, we wanted to take a closer look at ourselves and our grantee community. Making (or Taking) Space seeks to inform our question: What, specifically, is the responsibility of organizations with white leaders transitioning out of these roles to support incoming leaders of color?”
“As nonprofit organizations start to examine issues of race and racial equity, more groups are seeking to replace exiting white leaders with leaders of color. To better support these transitions, the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation (RSCF) asked the Building Movement Project (BMP) to explore the organizational dynamics when Black, Indigenous, or other people of color (BIPOC) are hired into executive leadership roles following the departure of white leaders.”
“To conduct this inquiry, RSCF identified nine organizations in its grantmaking portfolio that had transitioned—or were in the process of transitioning—from white to BIPOC leadership. Six of the new leaders were women of color, and three were BIPOC men. RSCF invited the exiting or former white executive directors, the board member(s) who oversaw the hiring process, and the incoming leaders of color to each participate in an hour-long interview on their experience and perspective of the transition process. BMP analyzed the interviews—a total of 30 across the nine organizations—to identify some of the common experiences.”