Many industries have suffered under the pandemic recession, but none greater than the arts. The KC Art Village offers a solution of discount coworking, theater, dance and visual art studios, a gallery sharing greter sales with the artists, plus mentoring. This nonprofit collaboration between GUILDit, City In Motion Dance, KC Artist Coalition, and Black Space Black Art is aiming to launch these premier midtown spaces for artists in January of 2022 at Plexpod Westport in Kansas City Missouri, and is now accepting sponsorships. Just $5,000 is needed to launch coworking and the KC Art Village in 2022!
Art sectors in need include the performing arts. Actors, dancers, musicians, and their art organizations are struggling to meet their needs. KC Chambers said the arts had the hardest downturn and will have the longest recovery of 24 industries. Thus, the village will be offering discount dance studios and the theater at the Village.
Many galleries and visual artists had to flip their way of doing biz by selling only online. This competitive www market does not inspire local sales. KC needs more nonprofit galleries sharing greater sales with artists and creating more buzz to get patrons in the door. GUILDit’s gallery and fellowships at the Village will favor the artists in its sales and create unique attractions for patrons.
In February 2020, 13 visual art studio buildings in the KC area were at capacity. In July 2020 some were half-full due to cost. Now many are at or nearing capacity again and more affordable space is needed to meet this demand, so to sustain KC artists. GUILDit will be creating more visual art studios at the Village that will have studio fellowships.
GUILDit serves all art disciplines and coworking will enable us to sustain the careers of authors, poets, filmmakers, digital artists, etc.. at the KC Art Village. Independent filmmakers have been hit hard, for they don’t easily attract Netflix, Disney Plus, and such. Even though authors have been selling online more, the release of books and promotions have been difficult the last 1.5 years, as releases and tours were postponed or canceled.
In late August the village was made even more feasible, yet gives more time for sponsorships and fellowships. The project is over $30,000 less at $121,774, yet covers 3 years vs. 2.25. This is needed as the arts are still experiencing covid precautions with rooms being less full, having fewer ticket sales, and such. So the recovery of the arts will be even longer than initially predicted. More time enables us to create more impactful events that will involve over 1,500 diverse art entrepreneurs and serve over 70,000 students and patrons.
Just $5,000 is needed in launching the KC Art Village, which will revitalize our arts. See the sponsorship packet for details on how you or your organization can be a partner in making KC arts vibrant again.
