DCist.com Column by Kelly Rand Oct. 29, 2009
Project Dispatch Delivers
Once out of college, most of us find it rare to receive care packages. Remember having your day brightened after treking down to mail services to retrieve a package, tearing it open with anticipation of what might be inside? But gone are the days of mystery boxes packed with love and much needed supplies from mom.
Enter Project Dispatch, an artwork subscription service that aims to reclaim a bit of that feeling. Conceived by two area Corcoran graduates, Rachel England and Chandi Kelley, the service allows subscribers to choose an artist who will send you art in the mail each month. Subscriptions are three, six or 12 months, and you can choose your payment level starting at $15 and going as high as $40 per month.
England and Kelley set out with the idea to get artists working and creating. As both attended Corcoran, England explained, the college pushes students to create small works. "That's where you make discoveries [as an artist] and where your larger work comes from," she said. And with the small monthly subscription rate, all the work is expected to be small.
Currently, 18 artists are involved in the project with plans to expand the group to 30. Over half are Corcoran graduates and many are area working artists whose body of works are quite diverse. Subscribers can find visual and digital artists, as well as musicians and poets.
There's a bit of mystery about what subscribers might receive in the mail, but that is all a part of the fun. Some artists are coming up with serial works and others a continuous story that won't be finished when a subscription ends. The advantage to the buyer is the ability to collect artwork at low cost, not to mention help get artists creating.
The regular subscription includes work from just one artist, but a sampler subscription is available, for which an artist will be chosen at random. Future plans for possible sampler customization will be based on customer and artist feedback, where you could choose different artists each month.
Artists that are involved are asked to pay a membership fee of $18 for one year and pay for shipping and handling for any subscriptions. Project Dispatch takes a 10% commission from each subscription to cover administrative costs. England said there won't be a lot of profit for the artists but that was never the main goal. The advantage to the artist is to work small, get in the studio, and be inspired.
Project Dispatch officially launches this Friday with a party and exhibit of the project artists at The Mini, an alternative space in Southeast. Each of the artists were asked to submit up to six works no larger than 12" x 12" for the show. The exhibit will be set up as a marketplace and less like a gallery show, where people can buy subscriptions right then and there and take the works off of the wall. The hope being that by the end of the evening the walls will be empty.
The Mini is located at 29 Kings Court SE and the Project Dispatch launch party and exhibit will take place from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., Friday, October 30. Subscriptions are being accepted now.
By Kelly Rand in Arts and Events on October 29, 2009 4:00 PM
Project Dispatch Launch Party at The Mini October 30, 2009
Thank you to Michael Harris of The Mini for hosting the first Project Dispatch Show.
The next show is in the works. Become a fan on Facebook for updates!
Project Dispatch “black boxes” and gift cards will be available for purchase at the WPA IceBox! The black boxes will be filled with art by Project Dispatch artists. To keep with the Project Dispatch experience, the boxes will be sealed until after purchase. A great surprise awaits the more adventuresome art patrons!
Icebox Dates: December 4 – 23, 2009
Opening Night: December 4, 2009, 6 – 8pm
Special Shopping Event: December 21, 2009, 6:30 – 8:30pm
Hours: Monday – Friday, 12-5pm and by appointment
Location: WPA headquarters, 2023 Massachusetts Ave, NW, WDC 20036
Upcoming Event:
Project Disptach Blog
The Project Dispatch blog features artwork installments, event information, behind the scenes, and once a month will feature an artist from the project!
Project Dispatch
Winter Wonder What I’ll Get Event
Friday 12.11.09.
7-11 pm
1116 Park Road, N.W. Washington, D.C.
Art/Beer/Music/Subscriptions/Rafffles/Friends
Project Dispatch Presents: Dan Hicks
Starting this month, Project Dispatch will be featuring artwork from one of the project's artists. This month Dan Hicks series "Paradise" is posted here. Though this work is not available for subscriptions, the page gives our patrons an idea of the stylistic approaches and preferred media used by the artist. Please feel free to leave comments. Some comments may be posted in an upcoming page designed for customer reviews/critiques and dialogue between artists and patrons of the project.
Dan Hicks "Holidays" 24"x36" Acrylic on Canvas
Kristoffer Tripplaar is a D.C. based Photojournalist with an eye for composition, texture, place, and presence. The page features work from two bodies of work, Galveston: What Remains and Watergate Deconstructed. Experience his art and support the artist.
