The Gutterblood Talk Show is an experiment in seeding candid dialogue about the state of the Austin art scene. Held in Sono's private studio, it weaves people together across the art community to cross-pollinate and increase its influence as the city rapidly gentrifies.
It all started when I asked a few of my favorite gallerists,“how do we get the money that's pouring into Austin to buy art?” It was a bit facetious given the cautionary tale of what tech wealth did to San Francisco, but still worth asking, because above all it was about the sustainability of the art ecosystem in Austin. Then I got the crazy idea to ask these people if they wanted to join me in a talk show, and to my surprise, they all said yes.
The first Gutterblood Talk Show took place on August 12, 2022, It included Kevin Ivester of Ivester Contemporary, Jamey Poole, Director of Operations/Artist Liaison at Lora Reynolds Gallery and Jill Schroeder of Gray Duck Gallery.
The show was so successful and opened so many more critical conversations that I decided to keep going, giving each original guest their own shot at moderation, choosing a group and opener.
The second talk show took place on March 7, 2023, and was moderated by Jamey Poole. She invited Sean Gaulager of Co-Lab Projects, Emily Lee of All of a Sudden and Mai Snow of Shed Shows. Each spearhead an artist-run DIY space and have a unique curatorial model, approach to fostering community and method of independence, and that evening, prompted by Jamey’s superb preparation, it was all laid out on the table.
The third talk show took place on June 27, 2023 and was moderated by Jill Schroeder. She invited seasoned Austin art collectors Shalini Ramanathan and Chris Tomlinson and art consultant Amy Sawtelle to gnaw on what it is to show up and bear witness, mixed with a little how to on putting your money where your mouth is. Committed collectors are indispensable stake holders in the art world and we need a hell of a lot more of them (particularly the intrepid ones) here in Austin.
The fourth talk show took place on October 3, 2023 and was moderated by Kevin Ivester. He invited Austin artists Tyler Hobbs and Lisa B Woods, and Matthew Miller of Metaversal to reach across the old school tribal gates and explore the intersection of tech and art. It broke through the divide, aired concerns, and was very invigorating to all involved.
What's Next
I'm starting to line up shows that focus on **art and education, art criticism, the work of city funded galleries, artist run studio spaces, art in public places, art from the fringe** and much more.
But I'm also on the tracks as much as everyone else in the Austin scene, with recently jacked rent and a very uncertain furture.
My fundraising punch list includes, first and foremeost, **keeping my doors open**. Beyond that, the kind of work I'm doing requires **a very sharp team** to make it great and I need to build one. And I need to be able to give them more than warm fuzzies and shout outs for their extremely valuable time. I also want to raise the production value of the live streams with **buying a few choice pieces of equipment** and create a **podcast version** of all broadcasts to widen the show's reach.
