amwa collaboration commitments

collaboration has always been the heart of amwa.

time and time again we have experienced multiple instances of poor collaboration practices. we decided to use this moment to publicly share our own collaboration commitments. we hope to build on these commitments as we attempt to build our own futures, together 🌀

amwa will always practice consent.

consent extends beyond our physical bodies, intimate interactions, and sexual encounters. it is impossible to establish working relationships with artists, organizers, communities, and individuals without first establishing consent. our understanding of consent is informed by the fries model popularized by planned parenthood. consent is freely given, reversible, informed, enthusiastic, and specific. amwa works to establish explicit and enthusiastic consent with any artists, organizers, and communities we maintain a relationship with. this includes and extends beyond the use of material art; participation in exhibitions, programs, and events, or exchange of labor or artwork. this acknowledges our collaborators’ rights to their own agency and choice to determine if this working collaboration is right for them.

amwa will always be transparent.

especially regarding money, funding, budget, donations, and any and all profits, relationships with partners, space owners, nonprofits, for-profits, vendors and individuals. capitalism teaches us to work from a scarcity mindset. amwa acknowledges the role capitalism has played in ripping our communities apart and also recognizes we must survive in a capitalist system. amwa receives grants and stipends, we fundraise, we receive donations, we invest our own money into projects, and we are also art workers. to keep our relationship with money, funding, and payments transparent - amwa keeps a ledger of all costs, grants, and profits that can be made available to a collaborator at any time.

amwa will pay our collaborators for their time and work whenever possible.

we value all labor under the lens of economic justice. amwa puts our collaborators first, paying individuals and art workers via stipend whenever possible. when funding does not exist, amwa is responsible for providing collaborators with some sort of compensation or acknowledgment. in the past, this has existed via giving collaborators free admission and a plus one to amwa programs and copies of work created together (zines, prints, etc). in this way, we aim to organize with integrity and mutual respect for all parties involved.

amwa will always credit our collaborators appropriately.

amwa aims to uplift all collaborators work whether it is named, printed, or announced. collaborators should have the opportunity to review and approve the appropriate form of credit.

amwa will always be accountable.

accountability is a process that we must choose every day. it means hard, constructive conversations among ourselves and with one another. we encourage our collaborators to ask questions and hold amwa accountable for our practices. if we rely on doing things the way they have always been done, we risk recreating the very systems we are attempting to escape. should we fail to meet and uphold these agreements or need to evolve, we welcome the opportunity for critique and discussion.

amwa co-organizers:
bianca nozaki nasser
brittany ko
cat yang
seo yun son