C Drew - Street Artist Adventures

The “Free Artists’ Movement” patch changed last night. I went to screen-print at Columbia College (Chicago - 1104 S. Wabash) and to pass out free “Free Artists’ Movement” patches to those in attendance at the Democratic Vistas Forum produced by the Center for Arts Policy.

I met a man there and gave him a minute long rant ending with the statement, “There are zero street art scenes in Chicago.”

“You should put that on the patch.” he insisted - his tone hinting he thought it was a gross over-site on my part.

“I’ll try and find some space for it.” I growled thinking - “Doesn’t my patch say everything already?” The criticism got under my skin, even though I knew I shouldn’t let it. Behind that thought lurked another that said - “He’s right fool! You should have included that from the get-go!”

He made me think again about a design I thought I’d finished when the present version actually required another stroke of the pen.

This is why we show our work. The fact that I came out and printed in public rewarded me with honest criticism.

Who else but a stranger would tell you exactly what he/she feels without a touch of remorse for your feelings. Ha-ha, but that is what I needed.

The design needed a reference point to become a quantum level more potent. Why is there a movement? What is the need? Of course, how could I forget that?

In my struggle to limit my words I had yet to find out how to summarize all the reasons we need an artists’ movement in Chicago into a short phrase.

So I had left all that for the website to explain. An idea began forming as I rode home.