Do social practice artists want to come to rural areas?
President Lyndon Johnson, on the porch of Tom Fletcher’s cabin in Martin County, Kentucky, in 1964.
I find this to be an odd question to address, consider or even answer. I cringed at the initial glance because I believe this question addresses a fundamental flaw and issue with Social Practice and Socially-Engaged Art. But before all that, I think what this question is trying to ask is ‘What audiences are engaged or intended for our practices? Who is our art for? Are they art-goers? Neighborhood residents? Farmers? Friends? Friends of Friends? Or the people who happen to just stumble upon it?’
The problem with certain projects and processes that occur with social practice in “rural” or even “urban” communities/areas is that there tends to be a top-down approach to them and that is central to the question, “Do Social Practice artists want to come to rural areas?” Or maybe we should say “Do Social Practice artists need to come to rural areas?” I think both suggest that social practice artists can bring something to areas that they don’t already have, which is a complete fallacy. It also implies that the social practice artist can only exist naturally in urban contexts and that certain social issues don’t exist within rural areas. I disagree with all of this. The sense of engagement that social practice brings is also relevant to urban, suburban and even museum audiences.
However, when it comes to Social Practice and the term “areas” or “communities,” I have to note that the arts can, and have, had a long role in social exploitation, and artistic glorification. I can’t help but to think of my own personal history of growing up in Kentucky and the effect that the War on Poverty films had, or the dire exploitation of the Appalachian coal miners for the BBC. Eastern Kentucky and its residents have carried those images and irreverence ever since. I think we need to question the artistic intent and process always––is it a resume bullet, a project to sell to funders, or is it about real artistic endeavor and social change? Rural areas have their own culture and their own version of social practice; a rural art world. I should note that there are many art worlds that exist simultaneously and we will never truly know all of them. Are you willing to let go? Are you willing to look closer? Are you willing to make work with people rather than to or for people? Projects like John Malpede’s RFK in EKY and the long standing and ever amazing Appalshop are prime examples of powerful projects in rural areas due to their long term commitment and their longstanding practice of engagement, negotiation and empowerment.
The hope that social practice offers though is a complete leveling of the playing field. Social practice proposes that artists and cultural workers can meet people and communities where they are, rather than coming to the table with a fixed idea that others need to adopt, but there has to be a connectedness. A true relationship to be built and may not have an end goal in mind. When working in variety of different “areas” and “communities,” one must attempt to leave their experiences, knowledge, expertise at the door and try actually engage with people. The hope is that you’ll create something new together, alongside one another and there is simply something beautiful and empowering about that.
About the contributor: Sean M. Starowitz’s work is executed in a variety of social, political, and community engaged contexts. Notable projects include Wheels for Meals, BREAD! KC and Byproduct: The Laundromat. He has also explored curatorial projects such as The Speakeasy, and Vagabond, Kansas City’s premiere pop-up restaurant. He has contributed writings to Proximity Magazine and Temporary Art Review, and has lectured at Queens College in NY, UCLA’s World Arts and Cultures Department, and the 2012 Mid-America College Art Association Conference. He currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri as the artist-in-residence at the Farm To Market Bread Company. He is a 2010 graduate of the Interdisciplinary Arts program at the Kansas City Art Institute and a 2012 Rocket Grant recipient with support from the Charlotte St. Foundation, Spencer Museum of Art and the Andy Warhol Foundation. seanstarowitz.com