Last night at the First Thursday art walk, the Scion car company, a division of Toyota, hosted “Installation 5,” a traveling art show at three galleries in the Everett Station Lofts. The company has rented out three galleries for the month, and is taking the show on tour to 9 U.S. cities this fall.
From their site:
Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming the brand’s ongoing commitment to support independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists, designers and photographers.
The openings featured music by area d.j.s, free booze and bags filled with Scion-related products, including CD samplers, an art magazine and a pair of flipflops promoting the company. Proceeds from the sale of artworks go to charity.
The experience left me with mixed feelings. What does it mean when a multinational car corporation (especially one that self-describes their products as “developed with a new generation of youthful buyers in mind”) organizes a DIY-minded art show? Is this promoting and supporting independent culture, or is it exploiting youth culture? Is this a new, future model for arts funding? And is this a good or bad thing? Discuss.