One of the most successful arts CEOs in Singapore is remembering his roots, advocating for beginning artists and small arts companies as a way for Singapore’s arts scene to really blossom.
When Colin Goh was first starting out as a music producer, a concert event he booked had so few attendees that he and other organizers felt like they had to go out into the audience to cheer for the indie bands. But that early experience taught Goh something: that the community’s support for the arts was one of the most effective tools for the success of the arts.
Now, as the leader of a nonprofit organization focused to promoting the arts in Singapore, Goh has many more resources at his disposal to elevate developing talent throughout the nation. One of the main tenants of the organization is to provide art education to at-risk youths, meaning that the individuals who would most benefit from art therapy have easy access to it. The company itself subsisted on donations and corporate funding, receiving no monetary aid from the government for its creative work in the community.
In spite of these limited resources, Goh’s organization has expanded to include several arts academies as well as exhibition and performance spaces. All of these expansions have a single mission in mind: to boost the arts in Singapore. Whether students are learning the skills necessary to become more accomplished artists or other, better established creatives are showing their work in spaces, members of the public have the chance to be exposed to the arts in ways they might not have otherwise had. Some of these experiences include discussion panels with different kinds of artists, residency programs, and other ways to develop creativity and understanding collectively.
This is just one phase of Goh’s plan. Before he retires and steps away from the limelight, his biggest goal is to create a self-sustaining art community that actually enables artists to make a viable living off of the work they do. One step is to offer new artists affordable studio space. Since real estate in Singapore can be cost prohibitive, Goh’s company has founded several low-cost studio spaces that are available for reasonable rent for artists. And it’s not just the traditional painters who are able to take advantage of this opportunity. Other creative types, including theater groups, calligraphy artists, and more can use the spaces if they ever become available. In the end, Goh hopes to be able to train artists from a young age and provide them with the tools they need to be successful in their chosen niche.
Start your own creative journey by visiting SGArtClass.com today. Browse educational art articles, shop affordable art supplies, and easily enroll in a number of art classes. From watercolor painting to portrait drawing and everything in between, you will be sure to find a genre to jumpstart your art experience.
To read more about Colin Goh’s mission and his vision for Singapore’s art scene, go to http://thepeakmagazine.com.sg/interviews/why-rice-ceo-colin-goh-champions-singapores-homegrown-artists/.