Common Field

Programs: Common field los angeles conveningcommon field's convening is an itinerant annual gathering that brings together 400+ local and national organizers to explore the state of the field of arts organizing and to share resources, knowledge and methods for artist-led, artist-run, and artist-centered projects, spaces and practices. The convening aims to develop local and national peer connectivity and to build knowledge from and for the field. Convenings connect the interests of the national common field membership to the issues and conditions specific to the location in which they are held. 441 people came to los angeles from 39 states to participate in 35 sessions, 3 evenings of parties and celebrations, 5 communal meals as well as tours of the burgeoning and energetic artists organization community across los angeles.

common field websitecommon field will launch its new website in late october of 2017. As an online national network, our website is our home and primary network interface, as well as our greatest communications and advocacy tool. We contracted new york based project projects to develop and design the new online platform. This solid digital home better connects our network, provides concrete resources to our members, and gives the field far greater and clearer visibility. This robust new platform greatly improves our ability to realize our vision, mission and especially provides concrete resources for our growing network of 700+ members including forums, listings, document sharing, profiles, access to online programs, research and online opportunities. The new website establishes common field as a solid presence and growing resource for artists and the visual arts organization field.

field perspectivesfield perspectives is an arts writing project organized by common field in collaboration with nine art publishing organizations around the us. Field perspectives publishes writing that considers the state of the artist organization field and key ideas being explored in common field convenings, including the 2017 convening los angeles. The nine 2017 field perspectives partners are los angeles publications contemporary art review los angeles (carla), contemptorary, x-tra; and national publications arts. Black (detroit/newyork), art practical (bay area), the chart (portland, me), dirt (dc, maryland, virginia (dmv) area), pelican bomb (new orleans), and temporary art review (st. Louis). Commissioned writers include chlo bass, dan bustillo, travis diehl, lucy lopez, lindsay preston zappas, susan silton, ellen tani, anuradha vikram; andrea andersson, imani jacqueline brown, l. Kasimu harris, and charlie tatum; and a collaborative essay by ani bradberry, martina dodd, andy johnson, jordan martin, ikram lakhdhar, georgie payne, and valerie wiseman. Each publication commissioned one piece of writing published weekly throughout october 2017. The goal is to catalyze discussion, dialog, and debate before, during and after the event. Field perspectives is available as a free, downloadable pdf on common field's website.