Clif Ware
Occasionally, when reading an article related to the purpose and goals of ACW, I share it with Barbara, especially when it explores ways artists can contribute to creating a more resilient and sustainable existence—for all of Earth’s living creatures. Barbara found it pertinent, and subsequently asked me to write about it.
Since the article is brief and easy to read, I’ll not comment about the contents. The three artist-organized organizations described—the ReUnion network, INLAND, an arts collective, and terra0, a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO)—illustrate some of the creative ways artists are collaborating in promoting worthy socio-environmental projects.
The writer’s final paragraph encapsulates the article’s intent:
“The future requires a paradigmatic shift to a cultural intelligence of society and an art of life, predicated on the relationality of the human, the community and the ecological world at large. The agency of art is to be situated in the connected networks of wider social agents, where art can play a catalyst role. Back in the 60s and 70s, the Artist Placement Group (APG) sent artists into companies and governmental agencies for extended periods of time to raise critical questions and cross-pollinate unlikely projects. They were seeking what they called the ‘missing third client’ – a larger purpose that went beyond the artist or hosting organization. In the face of the future unknowns, we need to collectively define ‘the missing third client’. And that can be ecological, equitable futures, and meaningful lives for all of us.”
I think you’ll agree that the groups discussed provide some creative insights and constructive paths for artists (and ACW) to consider.
The Missing Third Client: How Artists are Exploring Radical Economies
By Mi You, originally published by Open Democracy, March 17, 2020
Clifton Ware, D.M.
Professor Emeritus-Music
U of MN-Twin Cities School of Music
Sustainability Education Forum
Affiliate, Citizens for Sustainability • https://citizensforsustainability.org
612-253-7707 • https://clifware.wixsite.com/clifware