Common Field

NATIONAL NETWORK OF INDEPENDENT VISUAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND ORGANIZERS

OVER THE COURSE OF 2021, COMMON FIELD BOARD AND STAFF WORKED WITH CONSULTANTS SHANA TURNER AND MANDISA ONEAL MOORE TO CONDUCT AN INTERNAL AUDIT OF THE ORGANIZATION'S WORK AND PRACTICE WITH AN EYE ON UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATION'S STATED VALUES AND INTERNAL PRACTICES AMONG STAFF, BOARD, AND WITH EXTERNAL PARTNERS SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2018. THIS WORK WAS ORGANIZED BY THE BOARD IN RESPONSE TO THE DISMISSAL OF THE FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN 2020 FOLLOWING A SERIES OF FORMAL COMPLAINTS BY FORMER STAFF AND OTHERS. THIS AUDIT INCLUDED A NETWORK-WIDE SURVEY INVITING FOLKS TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE, EXPECTATIONS AND HOPES FOR COMMON FIELD, OVER 30 ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH COMMON FIELD'S STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING ALL FORMER AND CURRENT BOARD AND STAFF MEMBERS, FORMER AND CURRENT PARTNERS, OUR FUNDERS, NETWORK MEMBERS, AND FOUNDING ADVISORS AND MEMBERS. FINALLY OUR CONSULTANTS ORGANIZED A SERIES OF FACILITATED DIALOGS WITH SMALLER GROUPS OF COMMON FIELD'S STAKEHOLDERS AROUND FOCUSED TOPICS. THE RESULTING REPORT, TO BE RELEASED IN APRIL 2022, PROVIDED INSIGHTS INTO THE ORGANIZATION'S PRACTICES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REPAIR WORK TO ADDRESS MISTEPPS OF THE PAST AND VISION PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE. THE BUDGET FOR THIS INITIATIVE INCLUDED PAYMENTS TO ALL INTERVIEWEES AND DIALOG PARTICIPANTS, ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, AS WELL AS FEES FOR THE CONSULTING TEAM. THE 2021 CONVENING: SUSTAINING FUTURES OFFERED OVER 30 SESSIONS ONLINE OVER 6 DAYS IN ADDITION TO A FREE PRE-CONVENING EVENT IN OCTOBER WELCOMING ATTENDEES AND PRESENTERS TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS, IDEAS AND HOPES FOR MAKING SHARED FUTURES TOGETHER. WITH OVER 400 ATTENDEES ONLINE, THE 2021 CONVENING WAS ORGANIZED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 6 NATIONAL CURATORIAL PARTNERS - AS220 (RHODE ISLAND), CENTER FOR AFROFUTURIST STUDIES (IOWA), WIDE AWAKES (NATIONAL), MARTINA DODD (GEORGIA), S RODRIGUEZ (TEXAS) AND RACING MAGPIE (SOUTH DAKOTA). SESSIONS FOR THE CONVENING WERE DEVELOPED AND PRESENTED BY NETWORK MEMBERS THROUGH OUR ANNUAL OPEN CALL, OUR NATIONAL PARTNERS, OUR ARTIST FELLOWS AND THE COMMON FIELD TEAM. IN ADDITION TO THE PROGRAM, ALL REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED A CURATED PACK OF MAIL - OUR MARQUEE PROJECT - THAT INCLUDED A WORKBOOKS FOR THE CONVENING, MATERIALS FOR CONVENING SESSION, OUR ANNUAL CONVENING PUBLICATION, AND OTHER RESOURCES TO MAKE A TACTILE AND MATERIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATTENDEES SPACE AND THE CONVENING EVENT ONLINE. THIS YEAR'S CONVENING ALSO PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO ACCESSIBILITY AND EXPERIENCE - ALL SESSIONS INCLUDED CART AND ASL INTERPRETATION, LANGUAGE TRANSLATION WAS PROVIDED BY REQUEST, TICKETING WAS PRICED AT A SELF-SELECTING SLIDING SCALE FOR ALL, SUPPORT GRANT WERE OFFERED TO ATTENDEES WHO NEEDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO MAKE THE TIME AND GET THE TOOLS THEY NEEDED TO ATTEND ONLINE, AND THIS YEAR'S PROGRAM INCLUDED 4 CARE SESSIONS PRESENTED BY BROOKLYLN-BASED COLLECTIVE METADEN TO WELCOME PEOPLE TO RESET AND REST DURING THE GATHERING AS WE IMAGINED THE FUTURE TOGETHER.EXPENSES FOR THIS EVENT INCLUDED HONORARIA FOR ALL SPEAKERS, PARTNERS AND CONTRIBUTORS, DESIGN, PUBLISHING, SHIPPING AND PRINTING COSTS FOR THE MARQUEE PROJECT (400 PACKETS MAILED OUT), AND PRODUCTION COSTS FOR CONTRACTED STAFF AND ONLINE PLATFORMS FOR HOSTING THE CONVENING.LAUNCHED AT OUR 2021 CONVENING, COMMON FIELD WORKED WITH OUR NATIONAL CONVENING PARTNERS TO IDENTIFY 4 ARTIST FELLOWS TO RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM COMMON FIELD FOR THEIR ONGOING WORK AND PROJECTS IN THE FIELD IN 2021 AND AGAIN IN 2022. OUR 20212022 FELLOWS ARE TONY PATRICK (WRITER AND SPEAKER), SUZANE KITE (VISUAL ARTIST), TALON BAZILLE (MUSICIAN), AND ANGELA CARROLL (ARTIST AND CURATOR). THIS INITIATIVE WAS DEVELOPED AND DRAWN FROM OUR NETWORK FEEDBACK CITING THE NEED FOR SUPPORT FOR ONGOING PROJECTS THAT UNFOLD OVER YEARS IN TERMS OF PROCESS AND EXPRESSION. IN 2021, EACH FELLOW PRESENTED THEIR WORK IN THE FORM OF WORKSHOPS, DISCUSSION AND LISTENING SESSIONS AT THE 2021 CONVENING. IN 2022, WE ARE IN DIALOG WITH EACH FELLOW AND ARE SUPPORTING DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THEIR CONTINUED PROJECT WORK IN VARIOUS WAYS. TONY PATRICK WILL BE LINKING THIS ONGOING FUTURE BUILDING WORK WITH OUR 2022 SEATTLE GATHERING THROUGH WORKSHOPS. FOR SUZANNE KITE, TALON BAZILLE AND ANGELA CARROLL, COMMON FIELD IS PROVIDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THEIR ONGOING WORK TO FUND THINGS LIKE EXHIBITION PRODUCTION, COLLABORATOR SUPPORT, AND ADMINISTRATIVE LABOR FOR THEIR PROJECTS COMING TO FRUITION IN 2022. EACH FELLOW AND THEIR WORK COMMON FIELD IS SUPPORTING WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED ON OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHANNELS TO RAISE VISIBILITY FOR THEIR PRACTICE AND INVITE THOSE LOCAL TO THEIR TO PARTICIPATE OR ATTEND. EACH FELLOW RECEIVED $6000 OF SUPPORT OVER 2021 AND 2022 AND EXPENSES FOR THIS INITIATIVE ALSO COVERED ADMINISTRATIVE AND PRODUCTION COSTS FOR CONVENING SESSIONS, AND MATERIAL PRODUCTION FOR PROJECTS.