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Bunnell Street Arts Center pilots Community Supported Art

Abigail Kokai

The Bunnell Street Arts Center is piloting a new program to support Alaskan artists and collectors. The nonprofit established the new art-sharing program, known as Community Supported Art, earlier this month. It’s inspired by a similar business model that helps small farmers sell their crops to area residents. 

People can buy a share, and in turn they receive products from farmers in their area, but instead of getting a box full of local produce, shareholders in this program can expect a box full of small art pieces.

“For us, it's a chance to maybe show different artists together, almost like a small curated portable mailable exhibition that you would get, like a sampling of all the great works that you could find in Alaska,” she said.

Adele Person is the managing director of Bunnell Street Arts Center. She said Bunnell’s board members will supply the art for the program's first year. 

This year we have some screen-printed handkerchiefs and there are some small paintings, there’s photography,” she said. “In C.S.A.’s around the country, maybe it’s a first-press-vinyl record or a small-print series or a tiny-small-pottery mug or bowl.”

Bunnell will offer 30 shares, each running $365. The money will support Bunnell and potentially future artists who take part in the program. Each year, shareholders will receive work from nine different artists. 

Person said there are similar initiatives across the country, but this would be the first in Alaska.  

We hope, in part, that it provides some revenue for local artists," she said. "We also hope that it introduces people in a really fun way to collecting artwork through collecting new small works of art and to see some of the things that are available in our community and how many artists are here—how much variety and amazing talent there is.”

Shares go on sale on June 1 and shareholders will be able to pick up their boxes August 18.

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Renee joined KBBI in 2017 as a general assignment reporter and host. Her work has appeared on such shows as Weekend Edition Saturday, The World, Marketplace and Studio 360. Renee previously interned as a reporter for KPCC in Los Angeles and as a producer for Stateside at Michigan Radio. Her work has earned her numerous press club awards. She holds an M.S. in journalism from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in women's studies from the University of Michigan.
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