In his column yesterday, Tom Condon suggested that City Arts on Pearl might be “paving the way for an arts district.” As I read that, I thought of A Few Queers on the Prowl and their recent discussions on art. Can such a thing as an arts district exist? Can art be contained? Should it be contained? If one area is designated as an arts district, what does that say about artists and art venues located outside of it?
Condon writes that Hartford needs to “grow its arts presence, not watch it shrink,” a point with which I agree when I take it out of context. Does the city need arts for “revitalization”? That implies that revitalization is needed, that we do not have life here. Maybe we are looking for art in all the wrong places. Maybe it’s already here, existing outside the sanctioned definitions of art.
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kokot severny
you have a good point
queerartist
Thanks Kerri for the plug for our two essays. I hope that people are reading both 1 & 2 for a full understanding of what we are talking about. Now, let’s make one thing clear here. This type of thinking is not for everyone we fully realize. You know Kerri now you have our thinking machine going and we will have to explore your questions further in Oh Art Oh-Part 3.
Okay so briefly in the comment section here is our line. We went exploring today down around City Arts on Pearl Street. (Hadn’t been there since last year when the Free Peoples Movement, Queers Without Borders, and others were out in the front demonstrating against the military recruiters in schools.) So it was a bit fun to jump off the bus near the train station and walk up there. Well we were sort of taken aback by what we will call “Wacky Tacky,” and my first thought was, (due to the red canvas drapes) that there was a Punch and Judy show in the neighborhood, the carnival had landed or just plain, pure WTF!! Gad!! Please get rid of the drapes. And the plastic sunflowers OMG! But isn’t it special that the military death machine can peacefully co-exist with art. The business of killing supports the arts. Flowers in the barrels of their guns, oh lord what a morning. Things are sure odd down on Pearl Street.
To only begin to answer some of your outstanding questions let me say this. It all comes down to either one is going to hug and suck face with the bourgeois, the rich, the corporate or they are going to move out, away and beyond all of that. Indeed we are looking for art in all the wrong places if we continue to speak as people of the past, in the same old language that has been forever circulating doing the same old thing over and over again and say to each other how new.
We don’t agree with Tom Condon. Nice dreams Tom. Revitalization scares us. (Don’t even get us started on the subject of gentrification being class warfare) We have seen revitalization play a role for the past 30+ years in this town. Where has it gotten us? Back to revitalization once again. Using the “arts” for revitalization is something we had better question and question again. How many times has that been used against us? I remember SoHo before it was a destination for high end shoppers and artist loft real estate. I don’t think that Hartford needs revitalization and if there is such a thing in the works by some out to make a buck then that will not come through by the arts or one little art district. Using the arts to get what anyone wants is wrong. The artist usually ends up with the shit end of the stick. Aren’t people sick of all these studies all these plans. Most are worth less than the paper they are printed on.
For us, we have no need for “arts” districts. We settled that problem many, moons ago when art busted out of its box and we said that art was not confined to a museum, gallery, studio, theater, performance space. We would question who would come to an “arts” district? Who would feel welcomed there? The class divide is very potent. We go to art museums and say, “this is not me, this is not my history,” and from past experiences of “art” districts we know that this one will be the same. I don’t know are “art” districts born or are they made?”
One thing we are not knocking anyone who wants an art district or the good works that Theater Works is doing. It’s like the old saying keeps them occupied and out of trouble. We wouldn’t want a bunch of frustrated artists, art supporters and groovies hanging around with nothing to do now would we nor would we want the bourgeois to lack entertainment. (No telling what they may do.)