Eungie Joo: When NYFA Quarterly editor Alan Gilbert approached me to do a piece on independent curating, I thought we should have this conversation together, because we’re all doing related work and our practices appear to be linked—we often write about and work with the same artists, we’re all about the same age, and each of us is publishing a bit. But we each have very different emphases and starting points, and I want to talk a little about how we all began in this field.
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Part 1: How Much Can You Afford?

How many artists reading this article own their own home? Personally, I don’t know very many. I can probably count them on one hand. more...

(From NYFA's publication For Your Information, Summer 2000) more...

IS: I think that critics--the role they play, the training they have--are one of the more mysterious aspects of the art world for emerging artists. Could you tell me a bit about how you came to write art criticism?

DH: I began writing about art because I was interested in the gap between what we see and what we say. Also I wanted to write about things in the world that stayed in the world after I had written about them, so whatever I wrote would remain in a live relationship with its subject. If you write about a concert or a play or a public event, that event is gone and nothing remains but the writing. Works of art, however, survive as an ongoing critique of the critique you have written. I like that.

What is the role of the art critic within the art world? How much of an effect do you think critics have on what is being produced and sold, and is this positive or negative?
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Are you trying to focus on your art but worrying instead about getting evicted from your studio? Are you looking for affordable space to work or perhaps create your own live/work digs but don't know where to turn? Do you spend more time worrying about zoning codes, financing, and development than on your own creative process…but feel you have no choice? LINC is working to help you find the answers you need.

LINC - short for Leveraging Investments in Creativity - was established as a ten-year initiative to support individual artists around the country. We recognize that in many communities, artists are being forced to become "developers by default," particularly in markets with high housing costs, limited supply of space, and/or areas where the space does not meet their unique needs. LINC is working to help artists find accessible information and support, to answer complex questions related to the development of affordable space. more...

Credit.  What is it?  How do you get it? And what does it mean to you?  In simple terms credit means buy now and pay later.  However, the way credit plays out in the marketplace is a complex system of checks and balances, pros and cons, points and scores that impact your financial capabilities and life on many levels. This is especially true when it comes to buying or leasing space. 

In this chapter we will discuss the following:
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In this chapter we will primarily focus on the ins and outs of residential leases. A lease is a legally binding contract between a landlord and/or property owner and a tenant for a specific period of time. The lease defines the rights and responsibilities of both parties and includes information such as the monthly rent, restrictions on use of space, etc. more...

Once you have found a suitable neighborhood, you have two options when it comes to finding the most appropriate work or live/work space.  You can elect to hunt on your own or use the services of a real estate agent.  Be prepared! Finding a good space can be a long, tedious process filled with frustration and dead ends.  However, with persistence and a little research you can find a space that best meets your needs.

• Finding Space on Your Own
• Finding Space with a Real Estate Agent

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In this chapter we examine different ways in which you, either as an individual or with others, can own property. Some of the ownership models we discuss may be familiar to you as forms of housing ownership, while others are more closely associated with business.  In addition, we will introduce forms of space development through community partnerships.  Regardless of how each of the models are traditionally applied, it is important to realize that each can be adapted to address the space and ownership needs of artists.  more...

Before you sign on the dotted line and make that property yours, make sure you have a building inspection.  In most cases your lender will require an appraisal of the property.  While the appraisal may tell the lender if the property is worth the investment of a mortgage by the lender, an inspection ensures that the property is worth your investment by giving you an idea of the condition of the property.  
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