.Short History of InLiquid

Could Philadelphia be ripe for cultural picking? In terms of art, this city is a strange place. It's small town atmosphere can be a godsend or a curse. On the surface, this would seem to facilitate ease of cultural initiatives but the fact that everybody knows everybody else makes it difficult to be critical without causing offense. This promotes a lack of critical dialogue which is sorely needed. Philadelphia needs to make use of it¹s own positive resources and weed out the insignificant. Unlike New York, Philadelphia is uniquely livable and affordable place for creative types. Perhaps it is this very same livable quality that keeps the City well in the shadow of New York. All the elements are in place, art schools, abundant funding, and lots of artists. Perhaps just a shove is needed in the right direction? InLiquid began as a simple notion of connecting artists who lacked representation to an online audience. This is similar to a group of artists creating a co-op gallery in order to show work but with a tighter focus on critical awareness and creating new dialogue on the arts. Instead of reacting to Philadelphia¹s decided lack of art market by opposing the approach of existing galleries, InLiquid¹s philosophy is to work on the strengths inherent to Philadelphia and add to that. The main ingredient missing is communication. The media coverage of Art is pathetic when not nonexistent. The newspapers cover exhibitions but don¹t promote dialogue. This lack of wider exposure is crucial. It is clear that the cultural climate is busy but not vibrant. Turning this around will take a lot good promotion and the weaving together of a network of arts people that does not yet exist. Giving artists exposure online turned out to be simple enough, but it soon become apparent that it was feasible for this dialogue on the arts to be broadened to include the whole spectrum of arts activities in Philadelphia. This is a process of networking with individuals and linking groups (ignoring the separate agendas) and addressing many problems that Philadelphia artists deal with career-wise. This approach is beneficial to the potential creation of a new art market to service the needs of the burgeoning artist community. Upon investigation, the cultural climate appears to be in flux. A new wave of alternative spaces (Base Kamp and Space 1026, Spector Gallery) have cropped up that have neither the academic leanings of many galleries or the desire to pander to the lowest common denominator i.e. selling anything that moves. So it seems like a good time to redefine things. Technology, of course, has transformed our daily lives and luckily makes new avenues of communication possible. It¹s obvious that Artists as individuals are at a distinct disadvantage. They don¹t act in unison of their own accord (neither do the galleries or art schools). Grouping the artists together as a community helps. They are in competition for the huge pot of grant money available, yet there is virtually no where to show (Pew fellows included). Is it this generous funding that actually diverts their attention from creating a real viable art market? Possibly. Perhaps new strategies are needed to combat the public indifference to art generally and the divisive (invisible) way that organizations and funding bodies function. Any thoughts? Contact info@inliquid.com. InLiquid is seeking nonprofit status in the meantime and continues to gain momentum as it works as a magnet and conduit for both artist, art and ideas. James Rosenthal InLiquid Art Editor This article can also be seen in PIFVA's newsletter.