. . . here we are now, entertain us . . .
--Kurt Cobain, "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
by Jerome du Bois
Since Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon last week endorsed the two major programs of DPAC and Artlink --a monthly carnival, and cheap housing for artists-- the egregious past failures of the leaders of those two organizations, and their bungling of August First Friday, become moot. In a letter dated August 12 and making the rounds, the Mayor wrote:
. . . I have often said that my own vision for downtown is "to see First Friday become Every Friday, and then Every Day."
The City of Phoenix shares that vision. In fact, a 64-page document entitled "Downtown Phoenix: A Strategic Vision and Blueprint for the Future" (adopted in December of last year), devotes 4 pages to the creation of a downtown arts district –-specifically citing the success of First Friday. Here are the first two recommendations on a list of 14:
· Increase the presence of visual and performing arts and artists –-including live music-– in the downtown. Take the next steps in creating a multi-use downtown arts space that will provide exhibit and performance space for local artists, possibly in a historic building . . .
· Encourage more artist housing and gallery and performance space downtown. The artist housing should be included in the downtown housing strategy . . and . . . as part of the ASU ground-floor retail strategy and in other public and private developments.
So that's the name of that tune. We predict that any real talent, and any aficionados who like a quiet, clean, well-lighted place to contemplate art, will relocate elsewhere, far from modified and eyelounge. Nothing major has come out of downtown Phoenix anyway, for twenty years. (Show me the Anselm Keifer of Phoenix; the Marina Abramovic. Or anybody of their caliber.)
The cavalier carnivaliers will block off Roosevelt Row and turn First Fridays into a cross between an all-ages rave and the Tempe Arts & Crafts Fair. With the cookiebrain bands and poetry slams, the performance rants and mantra chants, the yammering all down the avenue will be blessed bedlam for the whole damned crew. They love it. Thinking? We'll let the intellectuals do that. High, serious art would be seriously out of place there, and that's the way the collectives want it. As I noted before, art is just the bait.
Just to be clear:
1. We are for the separation of art contemplation and entertainment.
2. We are against any special tax or housing treatment for artists in any way.
3. And, since it got to be such a big deal, we are for the separation of art contemplation and food.
All of which shall fall, once again, on deaf ears. But this is for the record.
Posted by Jerome at August 21, 2005 11:20 AM | TrackBack