PHILADELPHIA, PA.- This is the twelfth exhibition of the Art4Barter project and the first one with global artists. What is Art4Barter?

Bartering may be the answer to bail us out of our current crisis. Although artists have historically been bartering as much as possible it is more relevant now than ever before. It can provide a solution to survival for so many of us and create a new vision for society.

The artists are from diverse backgrounds, and will present their works for barter. No works shall be sold for money but rather for services and goods. The exact service or good that the artist requires will be on the label next to their art. For example, if an artist were to ask for dental work or other medical procedures in exchange for their art, or for a studio to work in, etc., it will give the community an opportunity to barter for those items that are missing from the artists’ lives. The irony is that art is missing from the lives of many people too because it is treated as a luxury item and not as an essential part of our lives. This system will not only inspire people to trade with artists, musicians, writers, dancers, and other creative minds, it will also make society less judgmental about valuing different services. When this becomes the norm, bartering will be a respectable activity and will create relationships between people from different trades.

Society will be able to provide opportunities to artists that were inconceivable before this. By creating a vision of a new cultural standard, whereby people can get through hard financial times by participating in a win-win situation. This idea can spread to people from all societies of the world. From this point on the project is going to travel to international venues and will have a presence on the web. This is Art4Barter!

Participating Artists: Betsy Casanas, Doug Herren, R. B. Holle, Herman James, Kavita Nayar, Matthew Price, Antonio Puri, Thomas Riess, Matthew Rose, Sharmilla Roy-Pommot, András Siflis, Ede Sincovics, Kukuli Velarde.