Community Downsizing: How Small Towns Can Grow an Artist's Career
Learn more about Annie and her work here. Photo: Rebecca Bender Photography
Last summer, I had the good fortune of connecting with Annie Guldberg, an expressionist oil painter living in Mount Pleasant, Iowa (pop. 9724). She humored me by showing her incredible home studio and answering tons of questions over a lunch of Cuban sandwiches at The Grange Public House in downtown Mount Pleasant.
Inside Annie Guldberg’s garage studio. (I aspire to be this organized. 😀 )
One of the first things she mentioned to me is how her art practice and career expanded enormously when she and her family left the Milwaukee area to move back to Mount Pleasant. This is remarkable for a couple of reasons. First, this flips on its head the prevailing narrative we hear of how artists are better supported in communities with large and established art scenes. Second, it underscores how smaller communities often have more opportunities for artists to actually build and influence the local arts scene, rather than be a cog in the wheel of large arts institutions.
Purple Field, oil on canvas, 16” x x 8” W. Learn more here.
Since moving back to Mount Pleasant, Annie has tapped into both community artist organizations and into arts education by diving into the local arts council, experimenting with public work, and creating a strong following among early-stage artists for her art lessons. She shared with me some tips that she attributes to her thriving creative life in small-town Iowa:
Tips for artists moving to small towns:
1. Find artist friends.
This is crucial. We need community, particularly when we spend lots of solitary time creating. Find your people.
2. Be the change you want to see.
If you want an active arts community where you live, help build it. Create partnerships between local businesses and organizations and local artists
3. Contact organizations in town and reach out.
These can be arts and non-arts organizations. Joining arts organizations strengthens the creative community and connects you with your people. Joining non-arts organizations links you with potential supporters, patrons, and clients, while getting to understand other aspects of your town.
4. Be friendly and enthusiastic.
It goes without saying that we support those folks we know, like, and trust. In fact, I just read an article yesterday about how contagious emotional moods are and how positive mental states (and smiling) can lead to decreased conflict and improved cooperation.
5. Email the newspaper to promote your local events and exhibitions.
One of the benefits of small communities can be access to local media and PR. Take advantage.
6. Don’t be afraid to try teaching.
Working as a teaching artist can supplement your income and introduce you to folks in your community that you may never meet.
Next week, I’ll dive more into different ways that artists teaching, and some best practices for getting started.
