Re: Invitation | The Employee by Joshua Schwebel

Bopha Chhay <████████████████████ > To: Josh Schwebel <privatejosh@gmail.com> Cc: Lauren Wetmore <████████████████████████████████ >

Mon, Apr 24, 2023 at 1:33 AM

Hi Josh, Lauren,

I really enjoyed reading all the commissioned texts. I have a deep appreciation for the way this project (alongside the rest of your practice), really encourages an awareness of how uncritical 'we' are/can be in our participation in the infrastructure that replicates conditions that further entrench economic disenfranchisement within our field. Your making visible these issues holds these orgs accountable through operational transparency. Can't deny it!

I've started writing to get a sense of where it can go. Getting there slowly. I have a couple of questions, mainly for clarity, and out of curiosity.

- It would be great to see a copy of the contract. Could you please send it to me? I'm always interested to see how it's drafted, the language, and relationships and expectations are set out and understood. Who did you work with to write this up?

- In the planning (as well as throughout) of the project, did you and Teresa involve the Board (governance and fundraising) in this process? Do FSG have a strategic plan?

- Did Camille (the employee) have previous experience? Was there a job call?

I can most certainly get a draft to you by mid-May.

Josh Schwebel <privatejosh@gmail.com> To: Bopha Chhay <████████████████████ > Cc: Lauren Wetmore <████████████████████████████████ >

Mon, Apr 24, 2023 at 8:40 AM

hi Bopha,

thank you so much for your care, diligence and professionalism!

I am attaching copies of both contracts. One contract was established between myself and FCG to set out the project's domain as an artwork. The second contract was between myself and Camille, which was more of a contract for services.

I worked with my father, a retired lawyer, to write these.

The board was not very involved. They were in favour of the project, but the primary interface of the project was with FCG staff, who then had their own communications with the Board.

I am actually not sure if FCG have a strategic plan. In working with them, we made use of previous grant applications as templates for the applications we submitted. We updated and rewrote as necessary for each application. On their website there is a brief presentation of many of these texts https://www.forestcitygallery.com/about but I will check back on this, because I don't want to misrepresent the gallery.

Finally, yes, there was a job call. It was circulated in May of 2020, and received 14 applicants (I think, I can check this number). Myself, Teresa and Matt (previous FCG director) evaluated the submissions and interviewed 6 candidates, and then did a second interview with our top 2 options, who both declined the offer! for personal reasons. We then recirculated the call and offered the job to a further candidate, who seemed promising, but after two weeks of working together, showed themselves to have significantly less experience than we needed so we made the very unexpected and difficult decision to stop working with them. At that point I reached out to Camille, because the position needed to be filled, and having worked with her previously, I knew that she had the work ethic and attention to detail that the work required. Camille did not have so much previous experience writing grants, but as an artist she came with an inherent understanding of the politics, language, and culture of working in the artist-run sector, that to me, were essential to enacting and perpetuating the project.

I'd be happy to zoom or speak further on any of these questions.

with great appreciation, and looking forward to seeing what you draft,

Josh