The Police Officer is a Cubs Fan
My first test of my Sox design in front of Sox ball park (US Cellular Field) was “quiet.” Still, I learned that it will take time for fans to begin to see me. Trying to pass something free to a fan leaving a baseball stadium in the City of Chicago is difficult. At Wrigley Field on entrance every advertiser is after their attention, the t-shirt and hat salespeople are shaking their merchandise at them from beginning to end and the homeless are harassing them with free newspapers and empty cans. On the way to the el-train it is the same. At Cellular Field the advertisers and apparel vendors are inside. Only the panhandlers and poets are outside. Most of the poets have given up. It is a long 15 minute walk from the first level concourse of Cellular Field to the el-train and that walk is empty concrete without life other than the chatter of fans.
The one thing Chicago baseball fans share is how fast they can get to the El Train after a ball game.
Although, I am less than five feet away from the fans, I am far from their immediate interest. No one is allowed to sell anything where I am located. The peddlers license says I can not be withing 1,000 feet of the stadium (3 football fields). I am a new strange character giving away a product no one has seen before. When I stand up holding out my free limited-edition patches they see me as some form of their three assailants above holding a scape of cloth.
This makes it necessary to become regular for the people to get used to you. It is like joining a community. The first day you show up nobody knows you. The only welcoming committee member on that corner this day was an elderly musician playing the same tune over and over. I gave him an “All the Way in ‘08″ patch and he liked it. If I could only get the fans to stop and look they would like it I believe. This is exactly why we must create art scenes to accustom the public to our presence. “If I have a good night, I’ll kick you out something,” the sax player said.
I was printing up a storm by the time the policeman came to check on me. He pulled up in a squad and walked around the back of his car to the sidewalk to ask, “What are you doing here?”
“I’m giving away free patches,” I said reaching over to show him the sign on my clipboard which I keep propped up facing the flow of foot traffic. The sign says “Free Baseball Patches.” I considered whether I should engage him on my rights or shoot a photo of him but decided against either act in this new and, likely, delicate spot.
“Would you like a free “All the Way in ‘08″ Sox patch?” I asked.
“No thanks. As long as you are giving it away, though, you can stay.” He left as fast as he came.
I thought about his swift departure and his refusal of my Sox patch offer. I laughed out loud to the wind, “He must be a Cubs fan!”
This corner is well within 1,000 feet of the stadium and vendors must be the other side of the street or even further away. If you aren’t sanctioned by the Sox and in their parking lot you are left with little opportunity to hustle this crowd. This spot, under the Cellular Field sign which was designed to be seen from the freeway and El Train - is very unlikely to be available to an artist to sell at. However, there is room for a solid row of 10-20 artists to make a part-time art job along this stretch on 35th street.
Even giving my art away for donations could be a money making thing if a patch or two catches on at this location. If it were available for a reasonable number of artists to sell their creations that do not violate the Sox trademark and copyrights, imagine 5-15 artists providing the fans with portraits, patches hand painted hats, airbrushed t-shirts and other items. Local artists creativity would add variety and a grass-roots flavor to the mix. The inclusion of artists would create a greater attraction that would bring more people and money to Cellular Field so the pie would be bigger for everyone. The importance of these social improvements out weighs any competition Cellular Field and the Sox might experience from artists. The Sox would still own all the official apparel and printed items. They would still have a captive audience. The artists would still fight over the crumbs available on the fringes.
The crumbs from 40,000 fans is plenty for a good hand full of artists, especially if artists create a friendly art scene. Naturally, the artists who succeed would have to get to know the fans and their wants and needs. Building an audience is always work but serious artists will make it fun. Those same serious artists who invest in the life of an art scene are the best leadership to keep under control counterfeiters and those selling non-speech items.
Wisdom suggests that the Sox should encourage and support the participation of serious designers and artists selling their items outside on the street because the greater the scene, the greater their long-term profits. We have to keep reminding people of the magic economic formula, for every dollar invested in art, three are returned to the economy. The encouragement of artistic activity promises to increase interest even when the Sox are not winning. Artists can turn a feared neighborhood into a trendy area. We can make the march to the el train more fun.
This game went into extra innings. The crowd stayed with their team and I ran out of ink. I decided to head for home and make a new screen that will have my copyright and signature on the design. I was happy with my first printing session under the Cellular Field sign. I had met the authorities and knew my limits. Maybe I will have many more good stories from this potential art scene.