Virtual Artists Collective began as the idea of a composer (Clarice Assad) passionate about connecting audiences with music of quality. It grew in a collaboration between Clarice and a poet (Steven Schroeder) in which a poem turned into a song. We began to think about how we could make such miracles happen more often, and this led us to the idea of a virtual collective--virtual because we are widely separated geographically, though the internet makes it possible for us to be in touch at the speed of light. Why not use that, we thought, to facilitate the miraculous things that can happen when people connect around the arts we love? This takes us back to some of the things the internet did best in its earliest days, before it became a commercial venture--increasing access, exchanging ideas, bypassing the Market. And it reconnects us with the much older tradition of guilds through which artists and craftspersons provided mutual support and made themselves visible to communities that appreciated and supported art. We hope, too, that it revives and transforms a tradition of patronage that makes it possible for artists to devote attention to art. Patronage has been associated with wealth and, sometimes, elitism--as well as consumption. But we envision a patronage that is more widely distributed, in which small is beautiful, local connections are facilitated, and communities are cultivated through celebration and mutual support. And we do put our hope and our hearts in community. Twenty-first century technology that threatens communities can also be put to work weaving them together; we hope you'll join us and explore the site for other possibilities.
For more info: http://vacpoetry.org/index.html
