Changing Culture

I had a meeting yesterday with Donna Wetegrove of Tips on Art (http://www.tipsonart.org). Though I have been showing with Donna for a few years now, yesterday's meeting was the first time I've seen her in about a year.  She is always in the best mood and greets you and speaks with a grin ear to ear.  Listening to her describe her projects is captivating as she talks with such enthuseasum and drive.  If she isn't working on securing a new arts venue for an artist event, she is working on her plans for an arts center, or simply finding new art from promising, overlooked artists.  She is slowly changing the culture of how the populous views art and artists.  We spoke yesterday about not having enough time... so many projects planned and the year coming to a close.  Little bites.  We just have to keep plugging away, taking little bites and changing the culture of art and broadening the view most people have to art.  Many of you may be reading this from across the country and across the world but here in central Texas this is a real problem.  The popular view is that if the painting does not have a cow, barn, or the state flower (the bluebonnet) in it, it is not art.  Most Texans would be more than happy to simply hang a painted representation of the Texas flag on the wall and call that art.  Changing culture. That's what we need to do and we can't do it separately. We are stronger together.  So if you're not involved, get involved.  There are Advocates and Arts Groups all across the country who do what Donna does.  My advice is find one near you, join, and contribute.

Just keep swimming

We all know the current state of the world economy.  For a while I was checking the news daily to see how the market was doing and if it had rebounded any.  I quit doing that.  It will rebound... eventually.  But I know that if I expect good news daily, I will be very disappointed most days.  My son, Bennett, is 19 months old and obsessed with Finding Nemo. If you haven't seen it, it is one of the good ones.  I should know.  I watch it about 6 times a week (down from 10 times/week one month ago).  Short synopsis: When little clown fish Nemo is taken off the reef by divers, Nemo's dad sets off on a journey to find him with the aide of an other fish named Dorie.  Now Dorie is not the brightest bulb.   She suffers from short-term memory loss and often forgets where she is and what she is doing.  Nemo's dad, Marlin (clever) is a little high strung and always worried. Long story short... Dorie makes her way navigating through a complex world with the mantra "Just keep swimming."  Throughout the movie, when times get tough and circumstances seem insurmountable, she sings her little song..."Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming, swimming..."

The point of my ramblings is this.  Times are tough, yes.  Especially for artists and galleries.  People don't buy art when they are loosing their homes and jobs.  We all know the economy will turn around, the only question is when.  So we all have two choices... we can worry and obsess about it every day and make ourselves crazy, or we can follow Dorrie and just keep swimming.