What is the State of the Arts in Tacoma?
We noticed this over the weekend on the Spaceworks website:
We Want to Hear from You: Arts Advocacy Meeting
We are starting a series of community-wide conversations focused on what the arts are and should be in Tacoma.
Our community is made up of individual artists, grassroots organizations, large organizations and everything in-between. We want your voice at the table and to hear about your concerns, suggestions, and input as we move forward in developing a long-term, proactive plan intent on creating positive cultural policy and sustainable funding for the current and future arts and culture needs of Tacoma.
The first meeting will be held in tandem with the Washington State Arts Alliance’s monthly meeting in Tacoma:
Pierce County Arts Advocacy Meeting
Wednesday, May 23, 2011
747 Market Street – 9th floor, Visibility Center
Downtown Tacoma
Meeting is 12:45 to 1:30 pmWe strongly encourage you to attend, if possible, and join in the conversation.
Sounds like a worthy conversation. Based on the recent (and ongoing) 253 art/identity debate, it seems pretty timely. What are your thoughts on what the arts are and what they should be in Tacoma?
Filed under: Arts, Events, Get Involved
5 comments
F fredo May 21, 2012
I’m in favor of providing art classes in school. However, once people achieve adulthood they are on their own. The government shouldn’t be funding grown people who refer to themselves as artists.
They can display their “art” in the local gallaries and with any luck they will sell it and make money. Any artist whose production is so unworthy that the only customer is the taxpayer should change his/her style so that it will more attractive to art collectors.
We’re in the middle of a recession and this sort of frivolity doesn’t merit “proactive plans and sustainable funding.”
J Jackie May 21, 2012
This discussion should be about all the arts, painting, crafted, musical, dramatic, etc. the full range of human creativity. It would be well to remember that simply because a painting “sells” immediately in the marketplace, it is not necessarily art—it may be, but some people buy “sofa art” to complement their interior decor. That’s fine, if it suits their need, but instant popularity/saleability does not necessarily mean it will stand the test of time that real art passes. When Winston Churchill was urged to withdraw support in WW2 Britain, he (probably removed the cigar from his mouth, put down his brandy glass and made a “steeple” with his fingers before he said (Harrumph) “Then what are we fighting for?” Yeah, Winnie!
F fredo May 21, 2012
gotta agree with something you posted, Jackie.
We don’t know if art will stand the “test of time.” That’s another reason we shouldn’t be using public dollars to fund artists. How do we know the art we are buying will stand the test of time?
M Mofo from the Hood May 21, 2012
I think that the group calling for public input should define themselves and their purpose. The way the above announcement is phrased makes the event sound like a potluck picnic—There’s something for everybody, and bring your own favorite recipe, and your friendship too, y’all.
What expectations should one have? Is this an assembly of leading European Christian intellectuals who are seeking to regain their once dominant position in the art world? Or is it a gathering of junior high school drop-outs and senior citizens who juxtapose plywood scraps and broken doll babies, daubed with rubber stamped hearts and glitter glue?
F fredo May 22, 2012
Will people whose art is the mostly unrecognized “Blog Posting Art” variety begin recieving funding in the same denominations as the people whose art is more of the traditionally acceptable etch a sketch or spin art variety?
Can we agree that the paint by the numbers choo choo train by the I-705 A street exit ramp is a good example of why tax money shouldn’t be used for traditional varieties of public art?