"...quack...quack"

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck,walks like a duck....it must be a duck.

What would this world be like without artists?  I do not wish to even imagine it.  How many times have you been touched, influenced, moved, offended,enlightened, inspired or appalled by a piece of art? 

Last Fall, I had the honor to direct our city art show. Now you might be thinking..."ok...so what...big deal...blah blah." And why would I waste your time blogging about it?   I made a committment to challenge myself to do something I have never done.  And challenge is what I got!  The demographics of  my city are worth noting.  I live in an area about 45 miles outside central Alabama.  The population has grown from 890 people to over 12k in ten years.  This city is very conservative, middle class white families.  Not much diversity and they like it that way. Did I mention Republican...but you already knew that. Initially, my position as the art show director appealed to me in that I could polish up my leadership skills and interact with my neighbors, and contribute community service.

What was I thinking????

This was the third year for this annual event and I discovered that the area art colleges had not been invited to our show.  I was shocked!  Then I discovered that the area public schools had never been invited. I contacted each and every art teacher from kindergarten to high school and personally invited them to let the kids exhibit their work.  The kids were thrilled.  In a nutshell, it was a great success.  We raised close to $2k for the American Red Cross and I designated the money to be kept in the county to help those in need.  Central Alabama experiences tornados as our most probable natural disasters and house fire disasters.  So far so good, right.

Then the local citizens patrol showed up. I was told they would direct traffic and assist with parking.  Did they do that? Nooooo, they walked around and critiqued the art.  One officer approached me and told me I had inappropriate art on display. My face goes fire red and I slowly walk to the artist's booth, anxiously figuring out how to handle something I had not even planned for.  The artists were from the liberal arts college of which I invited.  They were printmakers and had lovely prints on display.  But one of the prints subject matter was...now, get ready --------> Close your eyes if you feel the need.  Here goes...a women's breast.  And I mean one...only one.  In black and white sitting in a 11x14 frame.  What????  It was hanging up high away from the flow of traffic.  The print was tasteful and executed well.  I had placed all the fine artists together on the opposite side of the park where most of the families would congregate.

My face was tense and I felt frustration and surprise.  I recall asking myself, "Is this really happening in 2007??"  What is it that they fear from one nice piece of art depicting a feminine form tastefully done as a print?  We screen our exhibitors.  The big "C" word was screaming inside my head. Censorship.

I did what I was told the right thing by asking the artist to take it down. It didn't feel right asking such a talented artist to remove her work. She handled it well. And six months later, I resigned as director.  I haven't abandoned the cause....I am only stepping back and watching. Taking notes on human behavior.  But when asked by the mayor why I was stepping down.....I just smiled and said, "My time is valuable to me and I wish to have more time to create. That is what artists do....we create. At least I told the truth. And then I left his office and drove over to the artists house and bought a print. This one had two.....lol.

Happy Monday!

First Sign

The weather was so beautiful today, no one could resist leaping outside and letting the sun warm their cheeks. I was standing in the yard, bare-footed, eyes closed just soaking up the sunshine when I felt something tickling my toes.  It was a Dandelion.  The first sign that the grass is gearing up for growing season. Yeah...that's cool. What's crazy is we might have snow flurries by the weekend.

 Hope everyone has a good weekend~