By Nila Do Simon
What are the needed components to build a community? For Dejha Carrington, it starts with the arts. As the founder of Commissioner, a subscription program that connects emerging and established South Florida artists with newly established art collectors, Carrington is making world-class art more accessible. “What we’re trying to do with Commissioner is deconstruct myths that have restricted art collectors and artists in the past,” says Carrington, who doubles as the vice president of external relations and communications at the National YoungArts Foundation. “I want people to recognize that something is special without even being inside a museum.”
With help from curating partners Primary, Commissioner delivers limited-edition original works each quarter to its subscribers, a group limited to 40 members who pay an annual fee. These collectors acquire their artwork—which could be anything from installations or sculptures to photography or mixed media—at experiential events that feature the commissioned artists. Commissioner’s first contributor is Typoe, a multidisciplinary artist who released unique collage paintings for subscribers. For art lovers who have yet to begin collecting, Carrington offers a challenge: “Maybe you could be that next art collector.”
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2018 Issue.
