
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Art of Sarah Platt
Some months ago a talented young artist from Lake Mary set up her paintings and prints in the plaza on a Sunday morning across the street from the Cathedral. No other artists were there to assist her and help her set up. We would've suggested (though hypocrites we may be) that a large 4'x3' canvas be partially covered as some may take offense. This was the Bishop's day to say high Mass and she was only about sixty feet from the front doors of the Basillica. Alas, no one else was there to give her that advice.She was ticketed 100 dollars for "offering for sale" her prints and paintings. Later we told her that she might have gotten away with a warning but for the two celestials coupling in her big painting.
We were criticized for covering up the painting as we did above here. So as not to appear censorial we have linked it here without any cover up. Use the back button to return here.
Le Moyne

Jacques le Moyne de Morgues may be the most influential artist you've never heard of. His elegant depictions of 16th-century Florida's flora and fauna -- including its native inhabitants and questing imperial visitors -- have made their way into millions of primary-school textbooks and have served, for historians, as the documentary record of a time (so hard to imagine now) before cellphone cameras.CONTINUED
Kate Merrick - Studio Azul

Offensive Speech
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Potential
THIEME, Anthony (1888-1954)"Arcade in St. Augustine"Oil on Canvas24 x 29 inchesFrom :Lost Colony: The Artists of St. Augustine, 1930-1950 by Robert Wilson Torchia
Other circumstances also prevented the Art Association from fulfilling its potential. Motivated largely by self-interest, St. Augustine's business community generously supported the group, but during the Bonfield years the association's pragmatic values and aesthetic conservatism began to stifle creativity. With few exceptions, the city's art community was unwilling to embrace the abstract expressionism that was de rigueur in more sophisticated northern art colonies, such as Provincetown, where the presence of Hans Hoffman (1880-1966) attracted some of the most famous and progressive American artists of the era. The Art Association's officers were out of step with their time and invariably sought to attract traditionalists, such as Kronberg, Thieme, Wiggins, and Woodward, to serve as magnets for other artists. Many of the paintings produced by the group's artists -- for example, Fritz -- were unabashedly souvenirs for the tourist market, and there was a limit to how long such subjects as historic houses, shrimp boats, and the semitropical landscape could maintain the consumer's interest."
Monday, July 21, 2008
Permission To Speak ?
"We make our own rules down here"...former St. Augustine city prosecutor
Election time is coming up here for our city commissioners. We've heard that a couple of the candidates have expressed a desire that the city be more "artist friendly". Time and again we hear of those that feel the artists, musicians, bead stringers, craftspersons etc. could have a juried system set up and a market could be established in a designated public place and perhaps have a lottery for those spaces. Artist friendly...right? No.
We have tried to be clear about our endeavors to stand up for artist's rights as recognized by the Federal courts. Public space has been the traditional forum for freedom of expression in America. Do we believe in "rules"? Of course we do. Reasonable time, place and manner regulations are necessary to maintain an orderly aesthetic. The key word is "Reasonable". Art is speech. Artist's rights are also your rights.
Here we have an interview with Robert Lederman, an advocate for street artists, freedom of speech and open public spaces. Robert sued the city of New York to strike down permit requirements for artists in public spaces. His case went to the Supreme Court and is cited in many free speech cases. Robert explains our stance very succinctly.
Very Soon this issue will be in the National spotlight. Our city will be known as America's Oldest Police State. Watch what is going to happen. Passivity is over. Most of us are members of A.R.T.I.S.T. Artists in N.Y.C., Reno, Nev, Boston, Chicago , Venice Beach, CA are our brothers and sisters in this battle and we communicate. Perhaps you city officials here in St. Augustine should be contacting you counterparts in those cities. Ask em in Reno, Nevada and other cities how their attempts at stifling free speech worked for them. Link.
You have the police and their handcuffs. You have the jails. You have your hired "constitutional expert". Your offers of unacceptable alternative spaces and your wholesale purchases from selected artists in our grooup are seen for what they are...transparent shams.
You continue violate the law and we will do our utmost exposing these gross violations to the public. We may well end up being just one old Rottweiler and a grizzled white haired eccentric but keep sending the cops and we''ll provide the prisoner.(but he'd rather not go)
In preparation of a Federal lawsuit our attorneys have asked (under the Sunshine Law) for materials pertinent to the passage of the November 07 ordinance which bans us from the historic districts. Hopefully this is done in a timely fashion so that we can get on with our day in Federal court. We do not have confidence that we get justice in the St. Johns County court system.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Dean Quigley

Charles Dickinson - Bar Harbor Show
Word comes to us that Art In The Market artist Charles Dickinson had a successful opening last night at the Salty Dog Gallery in Southwest Harbor Maine. Folks sampled wine and cheese (lobster rolls?) while viewing the plein air paintings Charles completed outdoors in the area. He also met a few collectors who had acquired their first works here in St. Augustine at Plaza de la Constitucion.* *Eighteen months ago, as he was painting at St.George St and Hypolita, Charles was told by the local St. Augustine police to either pack up or face arrest.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Orson Welles

Thursday, July 10, 2008
Give Us More Regulations

The Artists In The Market have a recurring discussion amongst us regarding the physical appearance of the tourists passing by. We do not mean to be superficial and some of us certainly may fall into a borderline obese condition. There is a noticeable trend occurring. This year we are seeing less shopping bags and more ice cream cones in the hands of visitors.
An estimated two of every three American adults, and more than one in six children and adolescents are considered overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A survey by the National Center for Health Statistics states that the average man measured 39 inches while the average woman measured 36.5 inches at the waist.
From where we sit we can see ample evidence of this. Remember your teen years? We recall the years when we could and would eat anything in mass quantities. We were like sharks in search of protein. What we did do was burn it off, not on a treadmill but youthful exuberance seemed to keep us lean and hormonal. How is it that we now see teens whose physique resembles a sedentary fifty year old? Sure we rarely see serious acne anymore but we see now see lots of fat kids. Too many Lunchables? Another reason? Pepsico, drug companies, Kellogg’s, General Mills, Mars candy, Coca Cola, Sara Lee are all giving considerable revenue to school districts in return for exclusive placement in the cafeterias. A corporate-dietitian-school triad has been established and the children pay via obesity, diabetes, tooth decay and attention deficit.
Perhaps the regulation minded will come up with "fatty credits". Four trips to the salad bar get you points for a double dip ice cream cone. Imagine the system similar to the environmental "carbon offset" programs. If you choose to go to Outback Steakhouse but have no "fatty credits" available, you can call a commodities exchange, using your credit card to purchase "fatty offsets" from those who have excess offset points(the "skinnies"). If your credit card is maxed and you are short of cash you will have settle for celery stalks and V8 juice. Yes sir! I'll bet that the think tanks are already working on this and the profiteers are dreaming of untold profits in trading in a necessary product......food availability.
Meanwhile, we have here in the nation's oldest city group of bureaucrats who feel that they can control and regulate the basic rights and freedoms our nation was founded upon.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
We Won't Back Down
This is dedicated to the artists who continue to exercise their right to display and sell their works on public property risking fines and arrest in St. Augustine, Florida . the nations oldest city.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Thomas Paine - Forgotten Patriot

The existence of Thomas Paine was as important to our Freedoms as Adams . Jefferson and Washington.
Paine quotes
"My country is the world, and my religion is to do good."
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
John Lynch 1945 - 2008

Monday, June 30, 2008
Gangsta Car

The S.A.P.D. are most likely disgusted with the job of surveilling (word?) artists on the street. They might ask themselves "Is this why I went into law enforcement?".
Never let it be said that City Manager Bill Harriss won't take on the dirty jobs himself. Yesterday Harriss and an underling were spotted in a black S.U.V. with a fellow in the back seat taking photos of artists set up in a "legal" area. This was reported to us by a painter and a photographer (who somehow didn't think to take his own photos) Fellow artists.....keep your cameras handy and your voice recorders ready. If you do not have these things documented.........it didn't happen.
A friend of ours from Paraguay said that these things happened in his country during the Stroessner regime. He was aghast that this happens here.
A cynic is simply a disappointed idealist.
Artists Among Us

Sunday, June 29, 2008
Looking The Other Way
St. Augustine City Police uses male and female undercover operatives to get the artists to actually quote a price for their work and then they issue a $100 fine and sometimes jail.In contrast, the St. John's County Sheriff's Office use their resources to actually CATCH CRIMINALS ! Here is the story of an alleged bad step - father and his unfortunate son.
If these guys are guilty, it is possible that they offloaded their multitude of stolen goods at their residence right on St. George Street about 200 feet from the surveillance of the artists. ( Read correction in comments) Now I'm not a police dog and yeah, I'm second guessing, but the photo above illustrates how it would've looked to Officer Tyus the beat cop and the crew watching he artists.



