From the comments section of yesterday's post:
"Constituency definition is the highest level policy decision that an arts organization can make."
Or to put it another way, answering the question of "who are you making your art for" is the single most important question an artist or arts org can ask.
Not . . . "what type of art are we making?"
Not . . . "which one of us is making the art?"
Not . . . "how much are we charging for the art?"
Not . . . "where are we presenting the art?"
All those questions are secondary concerns. The clearer your sense of who the audience for your art is, the better your odds of long term success.
At the risk of being lynched, I'd argue that this is a question all ARTISTS should ask themselves, as well. And if the answer is "...myself" or "...posterity," think again.
Posted by: Scott Walters | May 28, 2008 at 09:13 AM