Dear Friend,
Thank you.
Really, thank you. I am not sure if we have met. My name is Todd, and I run Side Arts. I don’t have an office and I rarely wear a suit, but I do make art and play music when I can. Side Arts is an extension of that creativity, emerging while I sit in internet cafes mooching off of the free wifi and buzzing on a caffeine addiction that borders on dangerous, or I sit at home in my two bedroom apartment stationed at my PC with ever growing piles of PBR cans littering the floor. I do this because I love it. I love art and music and the ability to bring people together so that they can feel that they belong to something, and that it is safe to share yourself and your creations.
What is Side Arts? Years and years ago Phillyside was a t-shirt screenprinting company started by two friends. Later on, Phillyside Arts was a small, private collective of artists based out of South Philly. Side Arts now exists as an ever-growing and premier source of information about art in Philly, offering news, free artist and business profiles, and networking events. I could tell you about de-risking service innovations, scalability, market growth trends, and best-in-class CRM solutions, too, but I will save that for another day.
It has been an amazing year here at the Side Arts Central Command. Early in the year, I launched the features that allowed artists to manage their own profiles and post to the blog. Wow! I never expected to see so many people sign up and participate. Not only was I surprised by how many people joined, but also the quality of the artwork has been above and beyond expectations. I hosted casual, informative, and fun networking events. We had great attendance and everyone walked away with something positive. Art shows and festivals were coordinated with local non-profits and charitable organizations. This was an absolute win-win with the organizations raising awareness and funds and the artists selling artwork and gaining recognition. More and more artists and businesses joined, and the blog continued to grow. I am very excited about next year; the site will continue to grow with new features for businesses and there will be even more events.
We all know that it is hard out there. Who has not been holding their breath all year waiting to see what the economy will do next? No one really knows what is going to happen next. The one resilient thing that exists regardless of the world’s affairs is the need and desire to create. It does not have to cost anything; not to make and not to see. While movie tickets skyrocket and your favorite band makes it big and a ticket agency dictates how much it costs to see them, you can still go to a gallery or studio for free and see art as entertainment with like-minded friends.
You will find me there, too. Nose buried in a stinky cheese, crowded between the chocolate fountain and the latest installation with a half full beer tucked in my pocket, gesturing emphatically and making friends just like you.
Thank you for making this an amazing year. Tell your friends to sign up, post something important to the blog, find something interesting to attend, then go back to your studio and make more art. I believe in you.
Happy holidays.
Todd
Penn Wynne Library
