Artists of Todos Santos

To guide us in our work we have adopted a set of Principles of Operation.  These numbered Principles are guidelines, rather than golden rules.  It is likely that these Principles will evolve, as we better understand what value ARTS can bring to the Arts community, and Todos Santos in general.

The subpoints that follow the Principles are a first interpretation of how the Principles suggest we should act, and give some ideas as to priorities in the early days of setting up ARTS as a vibrant organization.

 1. ARTS encourages all art-lovers with connection to Todos Santos to participate in building a useful and sustainable arts community

• Need to understand what different groups of “art lovers” there are, and their different perspectives on what they need from a “community” that they can’t get now
  • Professional artists with galleries already
  • Professional artists not represented here
  • Amateur artists
  • "Just interested”
  • Resident full-time vs part-time vs transient vs planning to come…
• Need to ensure programme of ARTS activities addresses key needs, and communicate the value propositions to the different audiences
• Need to determine best way to grow a community from initial base, and reflect the appropriate target audience for current stage in activities and communications
• Need to show appreciation to those who help us on our path, encourage them to stay with us
• Collect e-mail addresses, build mailing list for future activities / offerings

2. ARTS activities and communications reflect the composition of the community of Todos Santos

• The ARTS programme should include activities and events that are geared to:
  • Families and children
  • Members of the community who speak Spanish
  • Transient visitors
  • Those who are here most of the year
• Our communications should be bilingual

3. ARTS enhances the public reputation of Todos Santos as a vibrant and desirable artistic community

• ARTS shows are usually juried and show only original work from artists who live, at least part of the year, in Todos Santos
• The look and content of ARTS shows are refreshed frequently
• ARTS has a website that will have high ranking on search engines for those seeking art-related topics in Southern Baja 
  • Need to link to, and be linked to, by other TS site
• The website must present an image that is artistic, professional, and that integrates the town and community of Todos Santos
• ARTS encourages, supports and publicises all Visual Arts offerings and events in and around Todos Santos
• ARTS itself delivers and publicises in advance  a rich, varied and sustained programme of art-related events

4. ARTS is valued and supported by the Todos Santos business community

• We need to understand what different types of business in TS would view as valuable for ARTS to do and communicate
• We should tune our activities and communications to reflect these views, where they do not compromise our primary role of creating and sustaining an arts community
• We should look to businesses to sponsor our efforts in cash or kind
• ARTS does not compete with other services provided by commercial TS businesses
• ARTS is compliant with all Mexican laws, and does due diligence to assure that those operating under its aegis (e.g. artists displaying art at ARTS shows) are operating legally

5. ARTS facilitates and organizes: individuals and businesses provide goods and services

• Not essential for ARTS to be a formal Mexican organization, with attendant costs and complexity
• Accountability for legality of sales, remittance of taxes on goods and services remains with individual or business, not ARTS
• ARTS will not act as a financial agent for others, e.g. artists selling work at an ARTS show, or individuals offering courses promoted by ARTS
• ARTS can still solicit donations to cover the costs of its current and planned operation

6. ARTS is structured and resourced to be efficient at making decisions, tackling projects

• Keep ARTS an informal group without legal “not for profit” responsibilities that will slow action
• Need an efficient, small executive, with clear responsibilities and freedom to get on with actions, that makes all decisions
• Executive needs to have positions (and people) to cover all key aspects of making ARTS work
• All people on executive should have unique skills and an appropriate role
• Large events or projects will be run by a small group, with a clear leader
• ARTS uses technology to facilitate rapid, consistent and efficient communication between the executive – email, wiki, …

7. Supporters contribute to ARTS operations in line with their interests, skills and resources, and cover costs associated with specific services they receive

• Should establish a register of interests and skills to call on when needed (e.g. carpentry, web skills, graphic design, …
• Collect donations for the operation of ARTS
• Not everyone has to do everything; specifically, don’t need to be involved in administration and decision making if you don’t want to
• Artists showing in ARTS shows need to pay costs associated with having the space, jurying and hanging