Sunday, May 31, 2009

It's Your Money

SAPD discouraging tourists from taking a protest flyer from an artist, December 2006

Artists in the Western States have already fought and won a ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in White v City of Sparks, NV. (2007). http://www.elfshot.net/Whitepdf.pdf ............OR............http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/opinions/view_subpage.php?pk_id=0000001015

The 9th Circuit ruled that Artists who display and SELL fine Art are entitled to the Full Protection of the First Amendment. The Cities of Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, and Apache Junction have all acknowledged this ruling by the 9th Circuit and have opened their public parks and other traditional public forums for Artists to have the opportunity to perform, display and SELL their fine art in a peaceful unobtrusive manner without any license requirements. These city governments did not want to head down the same course as the City of St. Augustine wasting taxpayer monies.


Thursday, May 28, 2009


QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: Why are artists in court as plaintiffs against the City of St. Augustine?

A: The visual artists have been asserting their right to display and sell artworks on public property as fully protected speech. This right has been affirmed in Federal Court.

Q: So this means that visual artists may set up their kiosks or stands wherever they choose?

A:Please note that we are referring to "public property" specifically parks, sidewalks, playgrounds etc. Nothing in this set of rights permits blocking traffic, preventing orderly flow of pedestrians.

Q: Local governments are allowed to regulate this expression aren't they?

A: Yes. Legitimate and reasonable time, place and manner of the displays can be regulated. The key word is "reasonable". To allow government to arbitrarily limit such activity without specific narrowly tailored interests violates Constitutional intentions.

Q: How does government decide "What is art?"

A: That's the age old question isn't it? Government does NOT decide "What is Art?". In Bery vs NYC and Mastrovincenzo vs Bloomberg the question is "What art is protected speech?" It is a tough question but the courts drew a line recognizing almost anything as art (jewelry making. pottery etc.) but recognizing prints, paintings, sculpture and photography as purely fully protected speech ("a picture is worth a thousand words") In the words of the United States Court of Appeals: "to have equated the visual expression involved in these cases with the crafts of the jeweler, the potter and the silversmith who seek to sell their work. Bery, While these objects may at times have expressive content, paintings, photographs, prints and sculptures, such as those appellants seek to display and sell in public areas of the City, always communicate some idea or concept to those who view it, and as such are entitled to full First Amendment protection." (emphasis is by Art In The Market)

Q: Why do the artists feel that the law should apply only to them and not the jewelry seller or the hot dog vendor?

A: If the above answer did not explain why, another answer is that if we took the jewelry craftsman or the merchandise vendor into court with us we would likely not be successful since the courts have a separate body of laws concerning those wares. Also to have assimilated the street performers into our case would have been counterproductive. There is a marked difference in our philosophy as to "why we do what we do" compared to the merchandise vendor.

Q: What about "wearable art" like t-shirts or decorated hats? For that matter couldn't I simply paint something on a teapot and it is art?

A:To reiterate....The question is not "Is it Art? but is it constitutionally protected art? The courts had to do some difficult 'line drawing' in Mastrovincenzo vs. Bloomberg. This case goes into detail regarding utility as an object vs expressive content:

“almost every object can conceivably be interpreted as having some
expressiveness, and that not everything labeled or hawked as art [should be considered
expressive art"

This case was regarding decorated and hand painted "trucker caps". The Court also address the possibility of a subterfuge by vendors painting something on an object in order to claim First Amendment rights.

Q: The City of St. Augustine 's hired special counsel Michael Kahn who is quoted as saying that "The artists are hiding behind the first amendment". How would you respond to that?

A: Yes ,we are using the language and intention of the founding Father's First Amendment (there is a reason it is first) to defend our rights and yours. There are many far reaching effects if these rights are not protected.

Q: How is it that street art vendors know so much about the law? Commissioner Jones has twice referred to you guys disparagingly as "so called lawyers".

A: We are artists and art vendors who show and sell our works in publicly owned forums. It is as imperative for us to know the rights involved with our vocation as it is for anyone else. Mr. Jones gives credence to the City's lawyers and we have our own able counsel as well as our counterparts in other parts of the country.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Transparent Ploy

At first glance this headline sounds great! Caution, Read the Story below

City Trashes Plaza

The City of St. Augustine is fostering this type of thing for their own agenda

Visual artists have been back selling their works in the Plaza de la Constitucion over the weekend when the rain stops and the sun actually comes out but buyers looking for art may have to pick their way past vendors selling T-shirts, counterfeit purses, sunglasses, cheap earrings and other tourist junk.
Greg Travous of St. Augustine, a painter, said Friday that the artists who recently won their First Amendment right to sell paintings, sculpture, prints and photography in the Plaza are worried that a chaos situation there will force the city to crack down on everyone again. ...............

.................Story 5-24-09 By Peter Guinta, St. Augustine Record


Saturday, May 23, 2009

DONT BUY THIS STUFF!

Fake Louis Vuitton handbags are now permitted for sale in the Plaza by fleamarket vendors
also Prada, Burberry, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi and a lot more. Illegal? yes.
The city now invites the sellers of this junk to come to the Plaza to sell to misguided "consumers", a purposeful action to cause more "We told you so" problems. Don't bother making a complaint,there are orders to the police to ignore any type of enforcement.
Editorial by Atty Tom Cushman, Artists won't make Plaza a flea market

E.M.


Art In The Market artist Emily Millard E.M.
Emily likes to paint on masonite usually 12"x 12". Pure pigment colors with thick spontaneous brushstrokes. CLICK ON PICTURE TO SEE,

William L'Engle

Checkerboard Weather Map , 1953
Bill L'Engle painted numerous abstract weather maps based upon The New York Times daily national weather map forecasts.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Pretty Places, Pretty Art

Abstraction 1950 , Lucy L'Engle

William J. L’Engle, Jr., was born in Jacksonville, Florida on April 22, 1884, a descendant of the Fatios, an historic name and prominent St. Augustine family

Lucy Brown L'Engle may have visited Provincetown as early as 1909 to study with Charles Webster Hawthorne (1872-1930) at his Cape Cod School of Art. In 1911 she attended the Art Students League in New York City studying with George Brandt Bridgman (1864-1943), and others. In 1913 she furthered her studies in Paris at the Academie Julian where she studied with the cubist painter, Albert Gleizes (1881-1953).

In the St. Augustine Record last Wednesday, columnist Becky Greenberg wrote about local artist and art advocate Jean Troemel. Jean Troemel has been on the St. Augustine arts scene since 1969 when she moved here. She is largely responsible for starting the Friday Night Art Walks here in town. There is a quote:

"When art went abstract in the 1930's and 40's, no one had to come to beautiful places to paint so St. Augustine lost it's former artists colony."

Oh, Ms. Troemel did you really say that?

In his book "Lost Colony: The Artists of St. Augustine, 1930-1950", Robert Torchia writes:

"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......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."

Torcia dates the end of St. Augustine's potential as a national art colony at 1950, citing conflicting business interests and the insistence by board members that the prevailing art be "traditional.

Perhaps one day someone will be totally honest and state that the artist colony label is sometimes another name for a group of well to do dabblers and dilettantes with outside incomes who would play at their selected medium. They considered the seasons as a verb, such as" I 'summered' in Rockport studying with ( insert name of a well known artist who charges big bucks for classes, with wine and gourmet meals of course) He is a genius!"

Take a look at the "workshops" in theback pages of any art magazine. Jealous?........yeah, a little bit, but by the third day I'd be wanting to get outta there thinking, "Yeah, but I don't wanna paint like Wolf Kahn!" or "Am I the only straight guy here?"or "Christ! I'm not gonna do meditative chants before breakfast or after either ...ever !"

Art Colony? The closest one I know is the Art In The Market artists who sometimes have to choose between buying a tube of titanium white or dinner. We work together to make sure that doesn't happen. That's a colony.

Suvo


Thursday, May 21, 2009

Local Celeb





Out at Crescent Beach you can sometimes find former Senator and presidential candidate George McGovern taking his 15 year old Newfoundland, Eartha for a run on the beach. We hear all of the time that "big dogs don't live so long". Brother ,that sounds like a Toby Keith song title, doesn't it?

Sunday, May 17, 2009

We See You !

It is not illegal for the police to photograph citizens engaged in peaceful activity. Heck we all watch enough TV to have an idea of surveillance photography that is a very handy tool when it comes to catching lawbreakers or more salaciously, (by private investigators) wandering spouses. We have cameras placed atop St. Augustine's tallest building, Wachovia. We have cameras placed above a number of intersections in town. Facial recognition software is next.

None of us should have a reasonable expectation of privacy when we are in public. The police may exploit that rule, but it is legal. Most of us do not photograph strangers without their permission.

At the City approved and sponsored Junkanoo Festival last Saturday, tourists were shocked and perplexed by seeing uniformed ,armed police officers taking multiple photographs of the artists and their displays. It is interesting to note that many felt that if a camera is aimed in their direction, it must be them that the police are recording. Four middle aged ,prosperous looking guys said,"Let's get the hell outta here!" after spotting the cop thirty feet away aiming the camera in their direction.

The city issued a dozen special event permits to food and merchandise vendors. None of these friends were photographed.

Question: Look at the pictures. Why does St. Augustine have such a high proportion of "pear shaped" police officers? Deleted: Stupid, unoriginal donut joke. Do not forward any either

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Junkanoo

On Saturday May 16 the Plaza de la Constitucion will be filled with Bahamian music, crafts and food from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. At 2:30 p.m., the sound of drums, bells, whistles, and horns will announce the Junkanoo Parade when authentically-clad Bahamian dancers and musicians “Rush Out” from the Plaza, down St. George Street and back again. The colorful and exciting “Rush Out” will be repeated at 5:30 p.m.

During the Revolutionary War, more than 17,000 British loyalists fled south from their former colonies to a safe haven in St. Augustine. Unfortunately for them, the Spanish re-claimed Florida in 1783 and the loyalists were evacuated. As a result, many former St. Augustine residents started their lives over in Abaco.

This sounds like a fun event put together by the well connected (St. Augustine Yacht Club, St. Augustine Airport Pilot’s Association) to raise scholarship funds for an Abacoan student to attend Flagler College.

With this and the artists back in the Plaza by court order, there will be some real "life" downtown again.

Trinity


"........Karl, who disturbingly more and more takes on a persona like Fats to Corky in Magic."
One of our readers (who is not a fan) wrote the above in a comment referencing a 1978 film Magic, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and a ventriloquist dummy named Fats. In the movie a ventriloquist is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart played by Ann Margaret.
Just to clear things up I, Karl, am a Rottweiler dog and I'm not really writing these posts. That would be impossible with no opposible thumbs. Suvo is a painter whose name evolved from his last name...Travous. They are the same person. So Travous is the painter......wait......I am a dog....ok. Travous is sometimes Suvo when I am dictating the posts....wait! I cannot talk! I forgot! Ok.....we have a thought transference thing and Suvo......I mean , Travous will sometimes post on his own. Suvo posts as well. Each of us hold our own opinions determined after we consult with Renata ,a 5000 year old shaman who...........wait I've said too much! ..........Now, I do not remember who is doing this post! Yes ,this is disturbing!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

People We Love

Piper & Paul

Last night we visited for three hours with artists Paul and Piper who have been on a three year adventure on their sailboat Delphine. This journey is coming to an end and they'll soon be back in their home in Chapel Hill, N.C. Paul sold his sculpture stone and copper creations in the Plaza 2 1/2 years ago and intends to set up in public space back home.

We found this in the Blog explaining their three year odyssey:

"The key to affording this lifestyle is simple living...doing without. Remember that the filthy rich aren't getting the experience you will get. The best things are free. They are sitting on a large boat watching a big screen TV. That's not life. That's just living. They aren't snorkeling with turtles and spearing fish. They are drinking $9 mojitos in an air conditioned room. They aren't lying on a beach with pink sand. (which is kinda over-rated anyway) They are being served fish they didn't catch, clean or cook themselves. We are ready for our next adventure. We are ready to be closer to the family again. I am ready to be a street artist in my own town. You are free to chase your dreams."


To read about their adventures go here and click on the links.

Mr. Mayor


Click on panel to enlarge

Monday, May 11, 2009

WE ARE BACK !


From U.S. District Court Judge Marcia Morales Howard's order to the City of St. Augustine: 4:45 PM, May 11, 2009
"In light of the Court's conclusion that Plaintiffs (artists) have shown a substantial likelihood of establishing an infringement of their First Amendment rights, the court similarly concludes that Plaintiffs (artists) have adequately established that they will sustain irreparable injury if the City is not enjoined from enforcing the Ordinance against them. It is well settled that loss of First Amendment freedoms, eve for brief periods, constitutes irreparable injury."
A temporary restraining order has been issued preventing the city from citing and arresting artists exercising their Constitutional right to display and sell artworks on public property.
Court Date or City appeal to follow. St. Aug Record Story by Richard Prior. St. Aug Record Story by Peter Guinta

Here is Suvo's arrest and citation record. Only two of these charges have gone to court and in one Suvo was found guilty of setting up a protest demonstration on St, George Street, handing out flyers.

In another charge he was found not guilty and that the City violated his constitutional rights. The decision by County JudgeTinlin seems to contradict ecch other but that's the way it goes in St. Johns County, Florida.


TRAVOUS, GREGORY
55-2006-MO-000124-XXAX-MX
001740
11/9/2006
TINLIN, CHARLES
CLOSED CASE
TRESPASS IN THE PLAZA CHARGES DROPPED

TRAVOUS, GREGORY
55-2007-MO-000001-XXAX-MX
003081
10/31/2007
TINLIN, CHARLES
CLOSED CASE
REGULATION OF STREET PERFORMERS FOUND GUILTY

TRAVOUS, GREGORY
55-2007-MO-000015-XXAX-MX
003353
10/10/2007
TINLIN, CHARLES
CLOSED CASE
PROHIBITION OF MERCH SALES FOUND NOT GUILTY

TRAVOUS, GREGORY JAILED 1/5, RELEASED 1/6
55-2008-MO-000001-XXAX-MX
08000000363
1/7/2008
CHRISTENSEN, PATTI A
CASE OPENED
PROHIBITION OF MERCH SALES

TRAVOUS, GREGORY JAILED 12-23, RELEASED 12-24
55-2008-MO-000037-XXAX-MX
0735951
2/14/2008
CHRISTENSEN, PATTI A
CASE OPENED
PROHIBITION OF MERCH SALES

TRAVOUS, GREGORY
55-2008-MO-000038-XXAX-MX
0736067
8/6/2008
CHRISTENSEN, PATTI A
CASE OPENED
PROHIBITION OF MERCH SALES

TRAVOUS, GREGORY
55-2008-MO-000039-XXAX-MX
0736065
8/6/2008
CHRISTENSEN, PATTI A
CASE OPENED
PROHIBITION OF MERCH SALES

TRAVOUS, GREGORY JAILED 5-24, RELEASED 5-25
55-2008-MO-000066-XXAX-MX
08000014520
9/4/2008
CHRISTENSEN, PATTI A
CASE OPENED
PROHIBITION OF SALE OF MERCHANDISE

TRAVOUS, GREGORY
55-2008-MO-000079-XXAX-MX
0813805
9/4/2008
CHRISTENSEN, PATTI A
CASE OPENED
PROHIBITION OF MERCH SALES

TRAVOUS, GREGORY JAILED 11/9, RELEASED 11/9
55-2008-MO-000166-XXAX-MX
080000031255
11/10/2008
CHRISTENSEN, PATTI A
CASE OPENED
VIOL OF PROHIBITATION AGAINST SALE OF MERCHANDISE

TRAVOUS, GREGORY
55-2008-MO-000170-XXAX-MX
0831135
11/25/2008
CHRISTENSEN, PATTI A
CASE OPENED

VIOL OF PROHIBITATION AGAINST SALE OF MERCHANDISE

TRAVOUS, GREGORY
55-2008-MO-000171-XXAX-MX
0829899
11/25/2008

VIOL OF PROHIBITATION AGAINST SALE OF MERCHANDISE
CHRISTENSEN, PATTI A
CASE OPENED

So what's with Travous (Suvo) why does he continue to break the law? He is wasting taxpayer money. This artist's thing is not important anyway.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

James Rosenquist

Blaze destroys the Aripeka home and studios of renowned artist James Rosenquist.
Story

Conformist's Library


To: St. Augustine City Hall, Harris, Brown et. al.
Suggested reading for you would be Denise Deegan's book, Managing Activism: A Guide to Dealing with Activists and Pressure Groups,
Deegan recommends what she calls "one of the first books to offer a 'how to . . .' format to help people cope with the threat of activism." I especially recommend her chapters on "relationship building, negotiation and conflict resolution" and "media relations." Reading these chapters should help drive home the realization that activist efforts are being deliberately targeted for defeat by corporate funding, partnership and co-optation.
These may seem like unusual weapons, but PR crisis managers have taken to heart the advice of military strategist Carl Von Clausewitz: "We see then that there are many ways to one's object in War; that the complete subjugation of the enemy is not essential in every case."
Your man Kahn ( hired specialist attorney) should read this as well.
Deegan suggests the pretense of listening to these groups of malcontented citizens to give the appearance of cooperation whilst trying to dissemble the group from inside.
Hey......we'd at least appreciate the effort.

An Actual Ridiculous Conversation !

Tourist :Excuse me, how much is that picture of the palm tree?

Artist: I'm sorry but it is against city ordinance to quote you a price or sell it to you. I'm just here for display and playin' my harmonica.

Tourist: I really like that picture.

Artist:You know the other day I had a guy who liked one of my pictures and had to tell him the same thing. He also enjoyed my harmonica playing (not good, frankly) and tipped me a whole thirty dollars! That was nice..............................I was flattered and gave him the print that he liked . A gift of appreciation.

Tourist: Can you play "Stairway To Heaven?"

Artist:Actually, I can play my own version. Here goes.
Playing harmonica.....Wah wah woo wah woo wah....wahhhhhh....................................................................................................wah wah!

Tourist:That didn't sound like Stairway To Heaven.

Artist:I know, I'm not that good, I just started last week.

Tourist:Thanks anyway, here's a tip.....(he puts thirty dollars in a cigar box placed on the ground)

Artist: That's generous of you, I'd like to give you a gift of that print that you like.

Tourist: Oh, thank you very much!

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Man and Myth

The late civil rights attorney William Kunstler was one of the most famous and controversial lawyers of the 20th century. He represented civil rights and anti-war activists, as well as accused terrorists and murderers. In William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe, filmmakers Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler explore their father’s life, from middle-class family man, to movement lawyer, to the most hated lawyer in America. NEW FILM BY HIS DAUGHTERS

William Kunstler was one of the attorneys for the Civil Rights groups protesting in the Plaza back in 1963

In Dog We Trust


"One of the foundations of our democracy is that the right of someone to express concern or to bring a matter of discomfort to the attention of authority is to be respected and protected. It is not to be vilified and dishonored. Some ofthe extreme language, hateful emails, and inappropriate and inaccurate reporting of this story has shifted blame onto the blameless and has distorted beyond measure the matter at hand. If we can do one thing together as a community, it should be to stand up in vast numbers and express outrage and concern against those who would cheapen the actions of brave and committed Americans. No person should have to be afraid to express their constitutionally protected individual rights. Hopefully, we can all learn from this experience and move forward with dignity and respect for each other.

U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger quoted from his decision granting a temporary injunction to plaintiffs against the St. Johns County School District preventing them from conducting "religious" songs in elemantary public school.

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Government House - Plaza

Government House by Suvo 16"x 20", mixed media on canvas

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Pickle Barrel Drummers

Last year we made a reference to "pickle barrel drummers" and some thought this was meant disparagingly. That was not the context of our meaning, but a description of a certain type of street entertainer. Here is a group that you can see all over Chicago. Truly entertaining ....granted it's noisy.

You can catch the 95 dollar Broadway version at the
Orpheum if you get there by October. HERE

Monday, May 04, 2009

Dean Quigley

photo by:Gary McCracken
Art In The Market arttist Dean Quigley with his ever present porcelain palette

Story by Kimberly Blair, Pensacola News Journal

You might see a guy wearing a colonial tricorn hat and garb painting in downtown and the historic district of Pensacola during the next few weeks.That would be St. Augustine artist and Florida historian Dean Quigley, Celebrate Pensacola's artist-in-residence.
He's in town through May 18 finishing a series of 10 museum-quality paintings depicting the 450 years of Pensacola history, from the arrival of Spanish explorer Don Tristan de Luna's ships in Pensacola Bay in 1559 to a downtown scene in 2009.CONT'D

Sunday, May 03, 2009

St. Augustine Celeb

From the web athttp://www.smawg.com/middle-aged.html
"A note about Richard Boone. He was most famous for playing “Paladin,” a gentleman gun-for-hire, in the classic TV western, Have Gun-Will Travel. The picture on the left is a promo shot from the show. The calling card he gave to perspective clients had a picture of a black knight chess piece, and the words, "Have gun, Will travel."
Paladin was tough, but also intelligent, articulate, and educated. He preferred not to use "deadly force" to bring in the bad guys.
Paladin was kind of like an old west version of Batman."

Boone moved to St. Augustine, Florida from Hawaii in 1970, and worked with the production of Cross and Sword when he wasn't acting on television or in movies, until his death in 1981. He also gave acting lectures at Flagler College in 1972-1973.

For a lot of baby boomer guys the character Paladin was the coolest guy ever, just after Marshall Matt Dillon from Gunsmoke. As we aged we learned not to confuse the person with the playacting.

The Real Richard Boone


Famous Actor, Tough Guy

Rambling


One day you may decide to shed the "conventional life". Maybe you are a twentysomething in search of adventure or a 5o year old whose family is grown and you now seem rudderless. Maybe you've decided to "follow your bliss" or to say "to hell with what is expected" of a so called responsible individual.

We can tell you that you will have critics within your family and outside as well. The path you choose may seem strange to others. You will hear that you are wrong, what you do is irrelevant and so on. The critics will be there....doesn't matter what you do. If you care more about what people will think than your own gut feelings then do NOT attempt an unconventional route.


I run with Suvo who chose to work on his art and try to share it with as many people as possible. I have sat in galleries with Suvo's art in high rent places and maybe.......just maybe someone would come through the door to take a look. Until our recent legal hassles I now get to meet many people and Suvo gets to show his stuff. He sometimes feels discouraged and I put my head in his lap because that's my job. He is my best friend. (to use a human cliche)


In our journey we have encountered many new friends and easily over 1000 people have Suvo's artwork in their homes (or at least in the storage shed waiting for framing. or the next garage sale) This is fulfilling and believe me it has nothing to do with money and makes the hardships worth while. We have met other kindred spirits from all walks of life. Some of them have retained a conventional aspect to their lives but all want to share their art and exercise their right to do so. In St. Augustine they risk the chance of going to jail. The criticism levelled by the "dabblers and dilettantes from the local Cultural Councils and Art Leagues fall on deaf ears since we get our gratification from "the public".


So if you ever feel that you wanna "run away" to pursue your dream ,whether it is travelling cross South America, turning your hobby into your profession or looking up an old girlfriend in Santa Fe (don't worry Jocelyn...not Suvo) here are some things to keep in mind.


Karl's Rules


1.You can do it. .....2.You could always have a regular life somewhere. .....3. You’ve chosen a different path and you won’t give up........4. Forget about "owning" stuff. 5.....Listen lightly to critics and then take your own counsel 6. .....Accept help when offered 7......There will always be kibble.



One day you will look back on all the stuff you did, or you look back and think about all the stuff you could have done.



Heeeeere's Bunny !




We complimented Folio Weekly's chief photographer Walter Coker on his recent photograph from the St. Augustine Easter parade. At that time we couldn't recall the masterwork painting that this evoked. It's one of those things that you recall the next morning at 2am. on the way to the bathroom. (You fifty year old guys know what I mean)
That's Edward Hopper's Soir Bleu (Blue Evening), 1914 on the top and Coker's decapitated bunny below. Walter's photo also reminds us of the chamber mixup in the movie "The Fly". Ed McMahon also came to mind.
Gee.....Art makes you think, doesn't it Mr. Mayor?


Friday, May 01, 2009

Next Show In One Half Hour


Ok follow me here..........Visual artists are characterized in Federal Court affidavits and oral argument that we cause disruption to the flow of pedestrians, creating a safety hazard. Frankly, if it were popular artist Peter Max set up in the Plaza we can assure you that the general public would not "flock" around artworks as they would a musician or street performer.
Ordinance 22-6 states "It is unlawful for any person to sell or offer for sale, compensation or donation, or rent or offer for rent, goods, wares, merchandise, food stuffs, refreshments, or other kinds of property or services upon the streets, alleys, sidewalks, parks and other public places within historic preservation zoning districts HP-2 and HP-3."
Each time Suvo was arrested and jailed ( not for selling ,but simply 'offering for sale') he pointed out as he is led away in handcuffs that the musicians and street performers right next to him had their hat or guitar cases out collecting money. This falls on deaf ears all around.
We visual artists have been banned from the historic district. Yes, we are told that Constitutionally we can display but not take money. What happened to the health and safety aspect if we CAN display only? Dunno? We apparently become a hazard as soon as we say "that's 15 dollars, sir".
In the recent photo above, a magician is performing at Cathedral and St. George Street. Note all of the people completely blocking access to the only sidewalk there that leads into the Plaza. After his act he passes his derby around and waits another half hour to gather a similar crowd. Entertaining and colorful ....yes .Constitutional Right? Who said so?
The question is...why are visual artists who produce constitutionally protected art, banished from the entire historic districts HP1 and HP2 while performers can do their thing throughout the districts with the exception of a five block area on St. George Street?
Does it appear to you that visual artists are being singled out? Is it coincidence that a wealthy gallery owner has four galleries surrounding the Plaza de la Constutucion? His sales consultants appear to take their prospects from gallery to gallery crossing the Plaza . They can now do so without worrying about their client's wandering eyes.
The gallery owner is protected by a circle of golf playin cronies in City Hall .So far they have prevailed. The Golden Rule.......he that has the gold........ Put these guys in their place!
The City of St. Augustine's accusations against painters.. link HERE
Please note that merchandise vendors have been banned for over two years
Also notice that the word artist is never used in the affidavit language.
Some of the incidences described go back to the year 1990!
By the way. If you plug into a city outlet to make a phone call on your depleted cell phone......it'll
cost you 200 dollars...........at least if you are an artist. I used to get my waterbowl filled at the faucet at The Government House but this scared Suvo off and now I drink two dollar Evian . Tastes the same!

What The Other Side Watches

Our "man" inside City Hall tells me that this show is popular among the staff. Of course, as opposed to the series storyline, St. Augustine City Hall is basically a 'White Mens Club" since City Prosecutor Robin Upchurch left to get married and move to Columbus Georgia as a military wife. Robin was entertaining. Though she felt villified, we liked her and always felt that she was simply "playing a role". Come see us again Robin......seriously.

Yes, we are still waiting on a decision by Federal Court Judge Marcia Morales Howard
"For every day that we cannot work, the city wins"Suvo