Artist Yellow Pages founders Britt Henze (@ladyhenze) and David Polka (@slowcoolassault)
With closures of large artist spaces like The Crucible, finding new ways to bring together creatives is even more important than ever. With that in mind, two visual artists are building a new collective called Artist Yellow Pages to strengthen The Bay’s art community in a new and innovative way.
Remember flipping through the Yellow Pages to find someone with just the right skills you needed? Artist Yellow Pages is an updated version of that for the digital age. It’s an online searchable directory of local artists and creative service providers where you can filter by specialty, location, and medium. This grassroots effort aims to connect the wider Bay Area art community to make it easier to find the right people, share resources, and build meaningful connections locally.
I sat down with established Bay Area visual artists and Artist Yellow Pages co-founders Britt Henze and David Polka, to learn more about the project and how artists in the Bay Area can join, get involved, and connect with others. The project was inspired by Britt and David’s years of hearing artists ask for resources and connections to people who could help with specific tasks, such as photographing artwork, framing, fabrication and gallery curation. Being an independent artist comes with plenty of questions as you navigate the complexity of the art community, and finding the right person for tasks outside of your own skillset is yet another challenge. Artist Yellow Pages makes it easier to connect with the people who can offer guidance, share resources, and help solve real-world problems.
Two Ideas, One Mission: Connecting Artists
After learning from a studio mate that thousands of Art & Water applicants were seeking community and guidance on building professional art careers, Britt was inspired to find a way to meet that need and asked David what he thought. Surprisingly, he had been thinking about a similar idea for years. Their combined concepts helped shape the vision for Artist Yellow Pages, addressing both the need for professional resources and the challenge of connecting artists with the specialized services they need.
David went into more detail about the origin of Artist yellow Pages and the gap it’s filling within the Bay Area art scene:
“About 10 years ago I had an idea for something called the Oakland Artist’s Standard, the idea being to standardize rates of pay and contracts to ensure artists were getting a fair shake. It would also serve as a platform for professional development resources for artists. That idea never got off the ground, but the basic concept fits very neatly into what we’re doing with the Artist’s Yellow Pages.
I’ve also found in my work as an art handler that there is a bit of a gap between artists and arts service providers. Many times the question comes up “Hey, do you know someone who can frame/photograph/install my work?” The intention is to make it easier for artists to find these providers, which are frequently niche and specialized fields.”
Building a Stronger Bay Area Art Community Through Artist Networks
While so many artist spaces are shutting down and art communities are disappearing all around us, Artist Yellow Pages is working to strengthen the local arts community by creating a network that spans disciplines and connects artists from cities all across The Bay. How will Artist Yellow Pages help address the challenges artists trying to gain visibility, find opportunities, or connect with potential clients and art lovers?
Cofounder Britt Henze
Britt goes into more detail about how this directory is designed for artists to help each other and share knowledge so they can thrive”
“There’s a lot of dire news about arts institutions in the Bay Area collapsing and with an ever-shrinking pool of funding available, it’s clear that building and strengthening grassroots networks is the best way we have to survive and hopefully thrive.
For artists, navigating the daily slog of grant applications, open calls, your day job, and maintaining your practice can be pretty overwhelming. We’re hoping to not only provide a little help with that via the information and resources we provide, but also the opportunity to connect with fellow artists and grow in community, which makes the slog so much easier to manage.”
Opening Doors, Encouraging Artists to Connect Organically
Britt said to me that this directory and site is streamlining the information so that there aren’t ads, promos or spam that keeps you from being able to connect as quickly as possible with the resource and its bare bones approach is designed to encourage artists to organically create connections that are meaningful to them.
Cofounder David Polka
David goes on to talk about the features, opportunities, or experiences can artists and visitors expect from the website:
“Our platform is built around artists connecting with artists. If you live in a creative hub, or went to an art school and emerged with a cohort, finding the right people might come easily. For many artists, though, knowing who to ask can be a challenge: Who stretches canvas? Who makes 3-D prints? Who can professionally photograph my show or produce giclee prints? And if I want to explore a new medium, where can I find glassblowing classes? Our directory helps open those doors.
Simply being part of it makes it easier to find one another, share knowledge, and start conversations that might otherwise be intimidating. We want artists to feel connected to the people, resources and possibilities that help their practice flourish. And if you are one of those artists with a flourishing practice already, then come for the parties, the additional Google search opportunity, and to help others on their way.”
A More Connected Future for Bay Area Artists
The future is looking bright, and this is only the beginning! Britt shared that they’re already thinking about ways to bring the community together in person through events, art shows, and other gatherings. They’ll start by meeting in their studio space in Oakland, but the vision extends far beyond that. As Britt put it, “We’re starting with the space we have, but our vision reaches across all nine Bay Area counties. The goal is to bring workshops, discussions, panels, parties, and other events to communities throughout the region, while giving others the tools and resources to host their own workshops and bring their existing communities together.”
Artist Yellow Pages bridges the gap between artists and specialized service providers, making it easier to find the right people to support their work. The directory is just the beginning and the real magic will be seeing what the members choose to build together. As members get to know each other, share knowledge, connect via the directory, and support one another, they’ll organically help shape the future of the network.
Will there be a printed version of Artist Yellow Pages? Britt talks more about that:
“We plan to eventually publish a print edition of the directory, very much in the spirit of the actual Yellow Pages, with the addition of articles and interviews. We also hope to expand the events to a regional scope, looping in the Bay Area as a whole region, not just San Francisco and the East Bay. The impact we hope to have is to encourage other artists to reach out and connect with one another, to grow their art practice in community with others, and to really push that DIY ethos.
If we really zoom out, we also hope this might end up as a sort of historical document, a non-comprehensive but nonetheless significant survey of the state of the arts in the Bay Area in the 21st century.”
Join Artist Yellow Pages for FREE
You can submit yourself as an artist within Artist Yellow Pages on their site.
You simply fill out the form and give details on your special skills and then participate in events and networking meet-ups to create your own bonds within the network of Artist Yellow Pages members. There is no cost to be part of the network.
Upcoming Artist Yellow Pages Events:
November 7th, 2-4 PM - “Are You Ready For Your Art Show?”
A free workshop to help you prepare for your next show. RSVP Here
December 5th - Artist Yellow Pages’ First Artist Mixer!
Come celebrate and meet other artists at Britt and David’s Oakland studio, the same weekend of their Open Studios!
Where will the events be? 2040 Livingston Street, Oakland.
How to Find Artist Yellow Pages Online:
Instagram: @artists_yellow_pages
Website: ArtistsYellowPages.com
Artist Yellow Pages Founders:
Britt Henze - @ladyhenze
David Polka - @slowcoolassault
