Over 2024, the arts and cultural sector in Canada and beyond witnessed increasing pressure to prioritize consumption and marketability in the arts. Artists are expected to monetize their work through consumption-centered production or digital platforms that fail to capture the depth of their practices. With significant reductions in arts funding, particularly from arts councils and other public funding bodies, artists are challenged to seek new ways to sustain their work without compromising their values.

Between February and May 2025, I am working with a cohort of established artists and cultural producers to prototype a new model for sustaining creative practices outside traditional art markets. This initiative redefines artistic economies through experimental, decentralized markets by merging storytelling, commerce, and non-commodity exchange models.