Linden Endowment for the Arts Beset By Infighting & Hazing, Some Allege

The Linden Endowment of the Arts is a user-run arts community of metaverse artists, dedicated to awarding massive plots of virtual land donated by Linden Lab to various Second Life-based arts projects (like this one I wrote about earlier this week). According to some, the LEA community has taken on aspects of most real life arts communities -- i.e. infighting, high school level drama, favoritism, insularity, and worse:

"Basically, two junior LEA members were subject to hazing and harassment," Aemeth Lysette, who creates art in SL and real life, tells me. "As soon as I mentioned a possible ethics issue in the [land] grants voting process, I received so much harassment that it was hard for me to do my job, and the rest of the panel eventually tried to force me out." As you might have guessed, she's one of the junior members in question, and documented her experiences and those of Kultivate magazine publisher John H, in this long, long blog post.

Since publishing that post, a Linden Lab staffer is reportedly looking into this conflict. I reached out to several members of the LEA Committee for their perspective, but the only one who'd speak to me on the record was Jayjay Zifanwe, who's also founder of The University of Western Australia (UWA) in Second Life. According to him, the issue was more about a personality clash among volunteers doing exhaustive (but thankless) work:

"There have been people who have come onto the committee and there have been those who have left," as he puts it to me, "Some on good terms some on bad. In the final analysis, because it's a thankless and relentless task, those who are there doing the actual work (with honestly little kudos) need to be able to work together harmoniously. And where there are personality clashes, as there would be in any walk of life, there needs to be a way of finding a good equilibrium. And sometimes finding that equilibrium again causes people to get upset, as happened with John and with this person [Aemyth]."

Now that Linden Lab is more directly involved, it'll be interesting to see what changes (if any) the company makes to how its virtual land is granted for virtual art. The greater challenge, in my opinion, is how insular the LEA has been, with little or no attempt to connect with the large and thriving digital arts community beyond Second Life. (Which Linden Lab can and should help drive.) But that's a topic for another post.

Comments

[Gloria Wyatt Aquaglo]

I think your headline is a bit misleading. Communications are always difficult in any volunteer organization. It comes with the territory , especially free thinking independent creative artistic types. The proof is in the pudding so to speak. The great amount of new artists and creative groups who have been helped by LEA over the years (2011) far out ways episodic personality issues. I read the blog you discuss and only saw infighting by two or three relatively new members. The artists LEA have helped foster do go on to work in other groups/worlds/ and RL to further their RL and VR art endeavors. LEA and UWA may work in SL yet they are both catalysts for new experimental artistic creativity. Therefore, after reading the angry hurt new persons blog and seeing it for what it was, I will continue to support LEA. My research on my PhD in virtual Arts and its possible effects on global social justice issues has led me to be involved with both groups you mentioned (LEA and UWA) and I have found them both to have missions to help promote virtual art as a genre. None of the members in the groups get paid and they spend countless hours promoting the arts for free. So if you want to discuss this group or UWA or others I would think you would speak from a more informed full view of what they do. I am personally aware of over 25 artists who LEA has given grants in the past who are now involved in the beta on Sansar. Being a catalyst for new artists has its place. Myself and countless others have experienced their positive motivation and help. I do understand communication issues do occur and knowing the group of people involved I am sure it was handled or will be. It's easy to throw stones. Try talking the talking and walking the walk of those who volunteer their time year after year then use the term "big blow-up". Just my humble opinion as an artist and scholar. I also am on the Sansar list and would not have been if not for LEA and UWA...

[smh]

In other news, people fart.

smh

[Chic Aeon]

I am a bit confused with your closing statement and how it relates to LEA.

"The greater challenge, in my opinion, is how insular the LEA has been, with little or no attempt to connect with the large and thriving digital arts community beyond Second Life."

The job of the LEA is to promote and nurture artist WITHIN Second Life. Some of those artist have and will likely be in the future ALSO on other platforms, but there is plenty of work to be done helping the community of Second Life artists without going "beyond Second Life". So I am interested to hear why you seem to think that should be part of their jobs.

While I am no longer on the LEA committee, I was for three years. I cannot speak to what is going on now as I am not there (and honestly wouldn't anyway). Plenty of folks have come and gone in LEA, it is not a cemented in stone group although there are some long time folks in attendance. Sometimes the group is fair and thoughtful, sometimes ideals clash. This is part of any group dynamic.

When someone is only on the committee for a few weeks, it make me wonder.

Personally when I leave a job, a venue, a lover -- I try to remember the good times and let the bad stuff float away. It doesn't help anyone really to b*tch and moan. It more often loses them there future credibility.

So I will look forward to your article on why LEA should look "beyond Second Life".

[Monica Querrien]

If any of what the article suggests is true, then it warrants an investigation. Just because an organization does good acts does not mean that it can't be held responsible for what lurks beneath.

It's easy for people to tell others how they should feel or think in a unfortunate situation, but who knows what they would do if it happened to them? I hope Linden Lab does investigate and if there is something significant that needs to be addressed, that a positive resolution is reached.

[Bufje]

I worked many times at LEA, and the idea is good. But the problem is that a committee don't exist anymore and the actual members are out LEA rules. For example, official LL wiki declare that LEA is a collaborative venture between Linden Lad and "Guided by a dedicated board of renowned Second Life artists". Well, no one in the committee is a artist, all the "renowned" artist are escaped from this committee, because you can imagine that a voting system where exist a mutual agreement between voters is not so good. I did a proposal with my SL name after have sent a note to committee with some comments about this topic and only one talked with me trying to understand (Solo, that is runned away some time ago), the others sent me hysterical messages and banned me from LEA, they refused successive proposals. Then i writed a application with a unknow alt, using a online bullock art generator for write a "artistic" proposal and they accepted and my alt did a nice expo and he was happy. Another problem is that the committee members are firmly glued to chairs also if is too long time that they are always the same.

[LaPiscean Liberty]

@Bufje "Well, no one in the committee is a artist" I don't think that anyone that has applied themselves in all aspects of a graphical 3D platform for a period of 5 yrs or more, and not be considered some form of graphic artist.

Not quite sure what your definition of a artist is, but here is one.

An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only.

Sometimes you may be an Artist, and yet not be accepted in the community as such.

[Tulip]

They have some real trolls in management with one manager buying something from my store each day, then written terrible reviews with all kinds of claims then rewriting them after linden lab removed them.

This went on for two months with no one in LEA caring someone they trust to run the program was griefing me in my store.

[Bufje]

@Lapiscean, maybe years ago someone, you or other of committee did something artistic. But this don't make you or the others a renowed SL artist. If i think about sl artists, no one of the committee come in my mind. The true is that the renowed artists stay far from LEA from years, ask yourself why... and sorry, be the owner of a video streaming platform don't make you a artist.

[Bufje]

@Tulip, say the name so all know and we can trust you

[Clapham Omnibus Driver]

it's all very well to say "oh it's just more SL drama", but if you've been griefed or bullied by the names named in that article, and kept your mouth shut because you didn't want to "make drama", enjoy your validation. You're not wrong, yes she did really do/say that thing and now everyone knows she's capable of it.

[Bufje]

i am gone a bit more in dept about this topic, was strange that a important page as the LEA Mission & Purpose on LEA site had become so simple; Using the wayback machine is enough easy see the page transformation, and is interesting this:

https://web.archive.org/...//lea-sl.org/about/lea-bylaws

where was present some rules as:
4.1.1 There will be a maximum of eleven (11) and a minimum of seven (7) Committee Members once the number goes below seven (7) elections will take place.

They are 5 now, missing two for have the minimum.

5.1.5 Term for Committee Members shall be 2 years (commencing with the ratification of these bylaws).

5.1.6 Committee Members may serve up to 2 terms.

5.1.7 After 2 terms, Committee Members may be moved to Ex Officio status.

Almost all the people in committee is glued to chairs from more long times than 4 years, they have to go.

And others point, but this is already enough for understand that the actual committee is not legal.

This rev. 07/17/2012 document remain active until march 2016, then someone who know who and why make a simpler and light version, and the rules about terms of committee oplà disappear.

https://web.archive.org/...//lea-sl.org/about/lea-bylaws

Then in 2017 all the rules disappear, making the About page useless and generic. Why they did this work? Who know. Who was embarassed?

https://web.archive.org/...//lea-sl.org/about/lea-bylaws

all the versions archived:

https://web.archive.org/...//lea-sl.org/about/lea-bylaws

[Just Say'n]

Bufje

I was invited twice to add an exhibit to LEA but did not like how they done the region locations plus knowing LEA was a very small token gesture by the lab when they fought a winning battle against the artist mainland proposal years ago.

I am all for Linden Lab fixing LEA,Community Birthdays & restoring the Mentor program to fix those messes perhaps under a restructuring by 3rd party viewers to put in systems that works and resists abuse.

I no longer go to LEA Exhibits or SL Birthdays having myself suffered abuse from staffers of them and the VWBPE Conference who are complete assholes on a higher level as well worth avoiding.

[Cake/Aemeth]

It's important to know that Chic Aeon currently has a land grant with LEA; please take her comments with caution.

I'd also like to note that JayJay didn't show up for meetings. LEA almost tossed out his voting privileges for being away and sick. He was not present when any of this happened.

--Aemeth

[Just Say'n]

Cake/Aemeth

"It's important to know that Chic Aeon currently has a land grant with LEA; please take her comments with caution."

It's important to know Chic Aeon is a well respected member of SL & other virtual worlds who is respected by myself & others here, so please refrain from attacks without facts, having a land grant in no way makes her less trust worthy in your statement in itself discriminatory.

Your article a quote here:
"Isolation, deception, implied threats, and trying to limit your outreach to authority for help. This is abuse. And when you’re dealt this as a means of proving your worth to receive some kind of promotion or acceptance, that’s hazing. Straight up. Looking back, it’s crystal clear to me."

You have no clue what those peoples real intentions are, chat or even voice conversations, that is your mind filling in the blanks, those missing aspects of real life face to face contact you replace with fantasy & innuendo. it is basically a 2D conversation with 3D people from the real world.

You're misery who loves company, never considering the efforts those people have put in, the time spent , the feelings they have, of course not your narcissistic brain is damaged that would mean empathy, reaching out spending more time in LEA trying to fix the issues within without all this drama, being compassionate for the fellow human beings behind the avatar.

Instead of helping them help themselves, you have decided they are trash needing the can, your more then willing to dump any accomplishments made that you do not recognize.

Be careful what you wish for not only is you coup going to cost us residents friends,SL Supporters & linden lab money but undermine the community as a whole, Cake/Aemeth does not like someone she can just get her linden buddies to wipe them out as if they never existed.

My first comment was just passing thoughts, I had no idea you have this agenda to destroy the LEA, because you could not rise up fast enough or take over as quick as you wanted, Yes most people realizing the parasite you are would try to get rid of you...who could blame them.

If I was linden Lab, you would be BANNED for being a social griefer.

[Cake/Aemeth]

Hi! I'm not sure who you are, but I... really am not sure how to respond to that last post. lol. I'm just glad the Lindens are looking into this now. I hope everyone has a good Sunday; for good or for bad, the truth is out there now and it's in LL's hands now. My job is done.

[Bufje]

@Just Say'n, don't confuse LEA with the committee. LEA is a very good project, the wrong is the complete lack of transparency of this committee.
Is a long story, started around 2012. Read this interview, so you understand why delete all the LEA Bylaws rev. 07/17/2012 is a crime.

http://quanlavender.blogspot.it/2012/07/rowan-derryth-about-lea-committee.html

Is the committee that offend Linden Lab, not Aemeth, the committee have to be banned with shame.

[Bufje]

The muddy side about that action, is that following the LEA bylaws some committee members have to leave, they are glued to chair from more than 4 years. Solution? Delete the bylaws document. Cowards.
At january 2013, the committee was:

Bryn Oh
Jayjay Zifanwe
LaPiscean Liberty
PatriciaAnne Daviau
Solo Mornington
Werner Kurosawa
Zachh Cale

In july 2017, the committee is:

Jayjay Zifanwe
JMB Balogh
LaPiscean Liberty
PatriciaAnne Daviau
Secret Rage

I have to comment more?

[Joe Dokes]

#QUOTE If you are not grateful long enough, time will soon reveal to you, there is no reason to be.

[Uschisukuli]

Amusing how the drama shows up wherever Aemeth is. She's been caught twisting facts and outright lying often enough, I would take anything she says with a huge mountain of salt.