About

Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has helped small farmers prosper while giving shareholders a direct connection with local farmers and an abundance of seasonal, fresh, healthy produce. With the same buy-local spirit in mind, Community Supported Art&Culture supports local art, artists, and collectors and infuses art and revenue to our Salem, Oregon community.

How it Works
Carefully curated artists will receive a commission to create “shares” for the CSA program. Interested art supporters and collectors will purchase a share from Salem Community Supported Arts&Culture and are invited each season to pick up 3 pieces of art at a CSA pick-up party, giving collectors and artists a chance to become acquainted and build connections while having a great time.

This local project is modeled on Community Supported Art in Minnesota, created by mnartists.org and Springboard for the Arts.

Why Community Supported Arts&Culture?
We felt stuck for a long time with hopes for a makerspace, studio cooperative, or event center where we could support artists. Unfortunately, our bank account didn’t allow for such investments so we did the things we could. We united mask makers and puppeteers for the Salem Puppet Parade, founded the Salem Etsy team, taught school children the importance of art in the community, distributed free for Free Art Friday, sketched with fellow artists, performed improv at Captiol City Theatre, took the stage at Pentacle Theatre, and ran art supply swaps. We coordinated, promoted, volunteered, and built connections, but still didn’t have cash to pay a collective of artists. Other than purchasing a painting or attending an event here or there, we didn’t have enough capital to invest in the careers of artists.

Then we came across the idea of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) but for art. We purchased CSA shares before and liked the connection with neighborhood farmers, the gorgeous produce that was delivered, and the interesting new vegetables we soon became acquainted with. We fell deeply in love with the idea that we could do the same with art.

So now is the time where we gather our friends, leverage our assets, and pay artists. We will line our walls with quality, affordable, local art, attend performances, spin homegrown vinyl and get to know our community artists and their stories. Sure it requires a dash of hope and a large measure of work, but it will be worth it in the end. Giving a hand up to local artists with the support of community art lovers excites us. Visions of a vibrant Salem infused with artistic activity and production simply makes us giddy.

We invite you to share your love for local art and culture. We’ll take care of the details and you will be rewarded with quality, exclusive art from makers in your community. You’ll party with the cool kids at exclusive pick up events, and with any luck, build relationships for years to come. Welcome to our Arts&Culture family, welcome to Community Supported Arts&Culture!

Jason and Jessica Ramey