In December 2012, My good friend and musician Mike Herzenberg hosted in his beautiful home the very talented John Elliott for a very special, intimate 10-person concert.
I hosted a handful of concerts for John in Philadelphia over the next several years. I recorded a podcast episode with him. He became a friend, and he helped me understand how to better support independent artists.
Buy local campaigns can come across as needless protectionism. At their best though, when we talk about buying local or supporting independent artists or otherwise diverting our dollars to small, we are voting with our wallets about what we want in the world. That is something I support.
I’ve picked up a few habits to support independent artists that I wanted to share in the hopes they might suit you.
Host or attend a house (or small-scale) concert
Attending a small-scale concert and then hosting my own, I found one of my favorite musicians, and gained a friend along the way.
Consider a mural
Have a large wall outside and want to give your neighbors a gift? Invest in public art with a mural. SACMW and I worked with my friend Sean Martorana to give a gift to my neighborhood and help make my home special. It is clear this requires
Commission local art
Like this canvas.
Establish a tradition of local shopping
Annual Frankford Haul