ANTONIO HOWARD
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My Response to Being Asked to Paint a Mural for Free

4/14/2023

3 Comments

 
Dear Interested Organization:

Thank you for your interest in my work, I’m excited about this project and working with you in support of your organization’s mission and the Erie community at large. I even have a vision for this project based on the information provided to me during our meeting. I am also able to make time for this project.  However, based on the number of volunteer projects I’ve already taken on and those I’m still committed to; the time, energy, and resources it takes to see each project through; and the adverse consequence to the careers of other artists who can’t make a living in part because they are also expected to work without payment,  I can’t commit to working for free.  I invite you to consider the alternatives to asking me and other artists to work for free, including the following: 
  • Explore crowd funding
  • Seek sponsors
  • Pursue grant funding
  • Conduct Small Fundraisers
  • Offers of Donations in kind
    • Formal letter required
  • Teaching artist residency
    • I am a teaching artist with Erie Arts and Culture. Erie arts & Culture will pay a portion of my fee to teach a community residency. I am always willing to turn a mural project into a teaching artist residency, where, in addition to rendering a mural, I simultaneously teach the mural making process to the community involved.
These are all pathways forward that I’m willing to discuss with you at our next meeting.
 
Respectfully,

Antonio Howard
Community Muralist

3 Comments
Mary C Desmone
4/14/2023 08:07:53 pm

Your response is appropriate and accurate.Artisits should not work for free, regardless of who is asking.
Mary

Reply
Mabeline "The Artist" link
4/15/2023 12:35:50 pm

Dear Antonio,

I love that you used this "OPPORTUNITY" to educate all parties involved with the "ASK", as well as send a message in the same response to all "ARTISTS", that teaches us the importance of setting boundaries and knowing our value. Thank you!

Yours in a better community,
Mabeline "The Artist"

AKA: Brown Girl Penning and Promoting

Reply
El Cajon Crossdressers link
1/4/2025 08:25:55 pm

Apprreciate you blogging this

Reply



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    Author

    I'm Antonio Howard--a
    shelf-taught community muralist. Shelf-taught because what didn’t come naturally as a developing artist emerged through guidance from instructional books purchased with money earned from the sale of my paintings. Thus, one of my achievements as an artist was my ability to support myself under circumstances designed to rob me of everything. Prison is where I developed my artistic talents. Although I often dreamed of being an escape artist, as a visual artist, my talents broke free of prison long before I did.

LET'S WORK TOGETHER.


​Phone: 814-506-7085
Murals By Antonio Howard, LLC
PO BOX 1012
Erie PA 16512

    Have a community art project or speaking engagement you would like me to lead? ​Let's work together. 

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​©Antonio Howard, 2022
  • Home
    • About
  • Art Practice
    • Community Art >
      • Survey - Community Choice
      • Survey - Design Elements
    • Studio Art
    • Literary Art
    • Workshops
  • Community Leadership
    • Public Speaking
  • Acknowledgements
  • Blog
  • Store
    • Books
    • Prints
    • Tumblers