This study examines a program designed to better support artists, their well-being, and autonomy: the Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) Artist Employment Program (AEP). This two-year initiative (June 2022 through June 2024) involved 300 artists and 98 collaborations with community-based organizations, municipalities, and tribal governments in New York State. This study focuses on a key component of the AEP: its use of two employment models, direct employment by a partner organization and employment by Tribeworks, a worker cooperative that provided employment and benefits for artists.
Authors
Mark Treskon, Ofronama Biu, Marokey Sawo, Madeleine Sirois, Christina Prinvil, Camilla Kraft
- Pages
- 73
- Published in
- United States of America
Table of Contents
- Contents 3
- Acknowledgments 5
- Executive Summary 6
- Findings 6
- Practice and Policy Takeaways 7
- Empowering Artists through Employment 9
- Study Components 11
- Leadership Council 11
- Artist Survey 12
- Artist Focus Groups 13
- Organization Survey and Interviews 13
- Background 15
- Artists as Workers 15
- Artists in New York State during COVID-19 17
- AEP Design and Implementation 20
- Application and Selection Process 21
- Operations 21
- Assessment 21
- AEP Participant Artist Characteristics 22
- Organizational Characteristics 23
- Impact on Artists 25
- Features of Artists’ Engagements with Organizations 25
- Personal Well-being among Artists 27
- Networks Gained among Artists 28
- Artistic Practice and Professional Development 29
- Financial Stability and Well-being among Artists 31
- Income 31
- Assets and Debt 32
- Financial Changes Because of AEP 34
- Benefit Take-Up 35
- Reasons for Declining Health Insurance 37
- Health Insurance Satisfaction 39
- Gig and Other Forms of Work 41
- Artist Engagement Experiences and Satisfaction 44
- Artists’ Future Plans 50
- Impact on Organizations 51
- Alignment and Expectations 51
- Impact on Organizations’ Practices, Approaches, and Systems 54
- Organizational Impact 55
- Organizations’ Future Plans 57
- Conclusion 58
- Takeaways for Practice 59
- Time-limited Engagements 59
- Equity and Inclusion 60
- Collaboration 60
- Takeaways for Policy 61
- Takeaways for Research 62
- Looking Forward 63
- Appendix A. Additional Findings on AEP Artists 64
- Artist Survey Respondent Composition 64
- Income in 2021 Prior to AEP 65
- Net Worth 65
- Notes 67
- References 69
- About the Authors 71
- Statement of Independence 72
