Business of art: It takes creativity

Wandering the aisles of an upscale arts and crafts show can inspire at least a few of the deadly sins: Lust ("I’d love to have one of those … "), greed ("I wish I had the money to afford one of those … ") and envy ("I wish I had the talent to make one of those … ").

At some point, envy is overwhelmed by this sobering realization: Though the creation of those pieces — paintings, sculptures, jewelry pieces, photographs, articles of apparel and furniture — required much time, effort and skill, that was probably the easy part.

Those desirable objects may be works of arts or fine crafts, but they also represent a business, one that many of those creators count on to keep them in food and shelter. Unless those artisans and craftspeople have a patron willing to purchase all of their production (not likely, as there aren’t many Medicis in circulation these days) they’ve got to move the merchandise.

By BILL VIRGIN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER COLUMNIST

Full Story: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/250932_virgin06.html

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