Since 2005, Paddy Johnson's blog Art Fag City has been dishing out the web's most hilariously irreverent "art news, reviews and gossip," but what most people aren't aware of is that the site is a one-woman operation. Blogging is so accessible that nearly anyone can start a site of their own, but few can keep going at the exhausting pace of AFC while maintaining superior quality. It's a huge job to run the site but Paddy shows no signs of slowing.

Enter the AFC Fundraiser. Last year Paddy quit her day jobs and decided to start blogging full-time. With various grants and donations, in addition to ad sales, she was able to make it happen. To keep this good thing going Paddy needs to raise $8,000 by January 1st, 2010. She half-jokes that, "I just have to eat. Your support helps me do this." However, "by contributing to this fundraiser, donors are not only supporting the efforts of one blogger, but staking a claim for the value of independent blogs in a climate of mainstream media arts cutbacks."

Infographic by Miriam Katzeff and James Hoff

This is especially pertinent in light of the chart above, tallying the number of negative reviews per art critic in The New York Times, which made its rounds across the internet last week. Miriam Katzeff and James Hoff, who put together the graph, note that out of approximately 250 reviews published in The New York Times this year, only 38 are "perceived to be negative," while, "the majority of the reviews were either positive or merely descriptive."

Mainstream media, while valuable, can only provide us with so much, so it's up to us as readers to support the best independent critics. Paddy has a long way to go towards reaching her goal, but with the help of micro-donations as small as $25, she can continue to focus full-time on her blunt and honest coverage of the art world.

To donate to AFC, head over to the website and look for the big "Donate" button near the top of the page!