At the reception and reading for the 2012 Jackson, Phelan, and Tanenbaum Literary Awards, awardee Will Boast exclaimed “$2,000 is so great!” Two-thousand dollars is the cash amount that comes with the literary awards. In the foundation world, where five and six-figure grants and awards circulate freely, $2,000 is not considered a large award. But for the winning artists, the value of the award is multiplied dramatically, because the money that artists earn from of their art is different from any other kind of money. To many artists, that money means more and is worth more. In my subjective and idiosyncratic estimation, the “exchange rate” for art award dollars ($AA) to normal dollars ($US) is at least 2.5 to 1. For emerging artists, such as those recognized by the literary awards, the exchange rate may be even higher.
The cash itself will likely be used within a few weeks, but there are other dividends that the award pays out over time because the awards encourage them so tremendously. When talking to young artists, I tell them that artists often find themselves at the same crossroads again and again. At these crossroads, they must repeatedly decide if they can continue to pursue their artistic dreams, or if it has become unsustainable to lavish time, money, and energy on their artist practice. As a fellow artist, I tell them that asking how full or empty they are feeling on the five variables below may help them clarify where they need to go next. The variables are as follows:
Resources: Do you have the money, people, information, connections, materials, space, venues, and context you need to do your best work and keep developing?
Reciprocation: Are you feeding your artistic practice what it needs to be strong?
Sustainability: Do you feel like you can keep managing your artistic practice the way you have been managing it?
Joy: Does doing your work continue to make you feel satisfied and happy?
Courage: Does your artistic life fortify you enough esthetically, politically, spiritually, and intellectually to push through your fears and make your work happen despite the obstacles?
When I think about the various awards and grants The San Francisco Foundation gives out to artists in the visual, performing, literary, and media arts, it is very poignant how even a small award can satisfy so many of the above needs. A very sweet thank you card sent to us by awardee Carolyn Ho sums it up beautifully:
Dear Jaime and Tere,
“I won the Phelan Award! Thank you so much for such wonderful news. I’m elated to have been considered and selected. My earnest gratitude for all of your hard work to make this possible. It gives me courage…”
Amen, Carolyn, amen.