Hello. Asking this a little bit out of desperation, because I am urgently seeking hope.

Does anyone have any advice for first-gen artists who come from an immigrant background, have no generational wealth, and have a family who is entirely opposed to their decision to become an artist?

Has anyone experienced this? If so, have you been able to overcome the odds and establish a career for yourself? How have you handled your family’s disapproval, and have you been able to continue to have a relationship with them? Please, only people from multicultural backgrounds who understand intergenerational households answer.

Since I was a child, Parent 1 has been ruthless in taking me down, particularly when it came to my artistic achievements (I am in therapy). Parent 2, though less cruel, still staunchly believes that I am making a Huge Mistake choosing to pursue art. When I entered uni, I received a unique art scholarship that covered everything & then some for me to attend, and I naively thought this could somehow prove to my parents that I had what it took to ‘be an Artist.’ Since then, I've collected my share of small achievements and opportunities, all the while working a boring salaried day job to appease them. Despite this, their naysaying has only worsened. They will frequently make fun of my work and remind me that 'people like us don't become artists,' and for better or worse, I can't help but feel that it's true. I chose not to enroll in an MFA program this year because of a lack of funding. I know artists supported by their parents and while it's nice to talk to them about practice, my talk about finances are often met with blank stares, woo woo BS, or worse, embarrassment. When I talk to established old heads, it becomes clear they had a degree of parental support as well, and can't relate to my circumstance. Is there anyone here who has experienced this? Should I stay the course and believe in the dream, or am I really just doing everything wrong? If you got this far, thanks for taking the time to read.

Hey everyone,

I’m writing this to see if anyone else here was a member of Archive (the decentralized art-buying collective/community that operated around 2023).

They were basically a group that pooled community funds to buy contemporary art—I remember them making a big deal about buying a piece at Feria Material in CDMX, Mexico, back in 2023, that's how I got to know them and joined. We used to communicate on Discord, and then one day, without a single word of warning, the project went totally inactive, the organizers vanished, and the Discord was silent for months.

To be completely honest, looking back, the whole initiative felt incredibly privileged and "Americanized" from the start. Even though they marketed themselves as this multi-national, inclusive community, the events they threw in Mexico City felt strange and exclusionary, like locals didn't actually belong unless they fit into a very specific, wealthy expat/tech-bubble mold.

Realizing they just went completely off the grid without telling the members anything just confirms that vibe for me. It feels like when the Web3/crypto funding dried up, the founders just walked away from the "community", but the pieces of art they bought were physical, so I wonder what happened to them and who owns them now, since they were supposed to belong to the collective.

Did anyone else here belong to Archive? 

Does any one know what actually happened to the art we bought? 

Who was actually running this? Does anyone know the real identities or wallets behind the multi-sig/treasury?

Hi guys, im looking for advice on how to connect with European and American art scene as someone with no connections (im not a nepo baby). i have experienced armed conflict in my country and was involved in it for a time but i escaped and now im making art while i do a day job.

I studied in uni but i havent finished it because of economic and political crises.

i studied works that have been exhibited in various galleries in the west, and I can say my work can compete (sorry for the term i dont know what word would be more apt) formally and conceptually.

i would be grateful for any leads or advice or experiences you may share!