Art League Houston (ALH) seems to have caught the socialist fever.
For its upcoming exhibition, Debtfair, ALH and Occupy Museums invite artists to submit original artwork to be collected through a non-juried open call process, which includes a questionnaire about artists’ economic lives. Based on this information, artworks will be organized in collective groupings (“bundles”) in the main gallery. The bundles of indebted artwork will be available for sale. The proceeds will be equally split between the participating artists and go directly to pay off their debts.
Based on a model organized in New York by Occupy Museums a couple of years ago, Debtfair asks artists “to reframe and exhibit their artwork within the context of their economic realities.” Using debt as a medium, most artists should have plenty of art supplies.
The deadline to register is October 19, artwork drop off is November 11-12, and the show opens November 20. On October 3, from noon to 4pm, ALH will host an open conversation with Debtfair organizers Noah Fischer, Kenneth Pietrobono, Imani Jacqueline Brown and Arthur Polendo.
Below is a video created for the original Debtfair.