Multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker Lucien Smith (born in Los Angeles and graduated from Cooper Union, NY in 2011) started Serving the People in 2014 to recapitulate his experience gained from working in prestigious gallery spaces during a time of critical acclaim. Created originally to act as an online registry for lesser-known artists and as a way to recognize talent and establish community. Serving the People has since then evolved into a multitude of artists who meet weekly in-person to engage in dialogue surrounding their work, concepts, and experiences. Intended to operate as a social hub for artists in metropolitan areas to meet and share ideas and skills. Starting late July, Serving the People is introducing a chapter in Phoenix, Arizona joining chapters established in New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Toronto, Barcelona and Berlin. Local photography studio and intimate community space, Afternoons Studios has graciously agreed to host the weekly recurring hour long meetings beginning Monday July 28th from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
London Chapter
Paris Chapter
“The art world is a super commercial and super competitive industry. The reason some artists are able to reach such high financial value in their work is because of the speculation and content. It is very much a calculated industry -it creates a veil over this allure, allowing manipulation of the market. I think that in some sense, that works for certain people, and great for them. But that doesn’t mean creativity can’t take form in something else. I’ve always battled with whether we’re trying to replace the art world or not? I would say “No’ if anything, we’re trying to create something entirely new, not an alternative. We’re just reinventing a reality that doesn’t exist.” - Lucien Smith
Milan Chapter
“It’s interesting because these spaces do kind of run without funding, and often times we’re able to find spaces in various cities that will just donate a space for an hour a week, and that's really awesome to see that they’re supportive of what we’re trying to do. And even if it’s not a financial contribution that is [still] a huge contribution… As a host there are some more technical things that I have to be in control of; opening the space, making sure we get out on time, making sure people kind of don’t monopolize the conversation, we’re never gonna send someone away as long as they are respectful of others and with that being said there are some people that may not know this kind of underlying social structure of the space.” - Maya Riberio host of New York chapter.
“Serving the People critiques have helped me gain perspectives from folks that I have never met which is very helpful, getting fresh perspectives can be hard sometimes in Phoenix so I’m very happy the community has a dedicated space for open discussion now.” - Sam Perry artist and owner of Extended Use
A contributing factor to how these organizations are able to keep functioning is the importance of dialogue, without it there might be no action. When skills, ideas, or concepts are shared through the vehicle of language it nurtures knowledge and inspiration. The artistic spheres in Phoenix today would not exist if it weren’t for the people dedicating their time and energy towards keeping it functioning. Arizona (now NY based) artist Kaden Bard Dawson helped initiate Art Club, a group comprised of Arizona-based artists who would meet once a month and offer critique on their work and ideas. The group lasted for over a year with meetings held at various member’s homes. After relocating to New York, Dawson became introduced to Serving the People and soon began working on bridging artistic circles from Arizona to New York.
“Arizona is my home. I was born in the desert, and my heart will always remain there. I want to help create a space where the incredibly talented and passionate artists of Arizona can find community and grow in a way that feels sustainable. Being an artist often requires endurance, and in the current environment, it can be hard to sustain a creative passion. Many artists are forced to sacrifice their creativity just to survive, or they feel they have to leave the state to find real opportunities. The community really feels those losses. I hope that by bringing Arizona artists together and connecting them to creative communities around the world, we can help bring more attention and opportunities to Phoenix. Art and Culture are already thriving here. Hopefully this can help keep it going.” - Kaden Bard Dawson
Artistic spheres have always been around in Arizona, going back to the 70’s when collectives such as MARS (Movimiento Artistico del Rio Salado) and Xico were initiated with efforts/hopes to envision artistic spaces in Arizona dedicated to recognizing marginalized Indigenous/Latinx artists. Artists who weren’t getting the recognition they deserved from major institutions at the time. Look to present day and Phoenix’s artistic sphere has inevitably grown since then with a resurgence of spaces created and maintained by creatives. Spaces such as CALA Alliance, Black River Life, Xico, Omnisimul, Palabra/Futuro, LABOR, Club Rambutan, Works in Progress PHX, and Afternoons Studios (not to mention all of the small businesses dedicated to hosting local artists). These methods of art circulation are integral for communal spaces to thrive as they provide artists with experience and allow alternative pathways (outside of large institutions) for visual art to be consumed. Alternatives that are not facilitated or monitored through the hands of a gallery concerned with an artworks monetary or market value. Continuing to support alternative artistic spheres cultivates our civic spaces and creates supportive networks for artists to rely on, encouraging imagination and community.
As an artist myself, I feel discussion is often taken for granted, in formal education especially within the arts, students get exposure to critique-like structures, however artists who are self-taught or graduated may have difficulty finding structures in their day to day that provide similar consistency in dialogue. I’m hopeful for the introduction of a space such as Serving the People, a space intended to provide discussion, something simple and mundane but necessary.
