The Art Vacancy

Founded in March 2017 by Sáng Huynh and Lindsey Puccio, TAV aims to encourage creatives by shaping unique opportunities for them to expand their craft and network of resources. BACKGROUND As a group of artists ourselves, we felt disheartened by a reoccurring disconnect we’d see between curators and artists. We saw that for our artist peers, opportunities to showcase their work were either very exclusive, and guarded by an elite niche, or inconsiderate pop-up shows where the art simply serves as a backdrop to a party, yielding them little recognition or potential to sell. We felt a balance of access and excellence could be struck; where artists would not be vetted based on institutionalized limitations shaped by a dominate culture, but rather their dedication to the craft, and their ambition to be impactful. We chose to start an organization that was for artists, by artists because we believe the strongest advocates for a culture are its own. MISSION Across time and place, artists have interacted with the world in unique ways. Their potential for greatness lies in their ability to reshape another’s thinking, be it an individual or society at large. We reject the notion that great artists prosper in isolation. Rather, we believe that a strong community is the cornerstone of progress. For this reason, TAV provides consistent spaces for artists to reflect, connect, and dig deeper about the work they do. Art does not exist in a vacuum, and an artist does not thrive by happenstance. We utilize our exhibitions as platforms to communicate this truth.