C Drew - Street Artist Adventures

“You have to move or go to jail.”

“Why? I am not blocking traffic. I’m not selling my art.”

“You can go around on State Street and do that if you want but you can’t stay here. This is my beat.”

“What law am I breaking? I am just giving away my art patches.”

“You can’t put anything on the sidewalk. You are sitting down. You can’t do that. You have to keep moving. If you want to know what law you are breaking - stay where you are. If you are here when I get back I’ll give you the law in lockup.”

Please take a good look. This is the face of oppression in Chicago. We are not even free to give art away in Chicago. Yes, on November 10, 2008 at 4:45 this story played itself out. This is routine for this officer. I would love to go to jail to challenge the law that says I can’t sit and give away my art while printing in public. But the police will not even tell me what law I am breaking.

I setup just south Washington beside an empty planter on Michigan Avenue at around 3:00pm. Down the way a homeless man was panhandling. Huddled in a doorway a homeless lady held a paper cup hoping for spare change. On the corner of Washington and Michigan another homeless person with a gauze bandage on one eye and a cardboard sign stood staring at those passing.

It was cold and overcast. The contrast from election night could not have been greater. Those who passed ignored me as I printed the same patches those on election night had stood in line for. In this spot, on this day, I was again an outcast, the same as those panhandling but with less rights. There are no artists or First Amendment workers able to be seen under the conditions Chicago’s laws allow.

We are not free under any stretch of the imagination in Chicago. We have not fought for our rights. Police tell us whatever they want to and we must obey. “Go to State Street,” the cop says. At State Street the next cop tells you to go north or south out of my beat. We are not even allowed to sit and give away our First Amendment protected work. If it were truly protected activity by the First Amendment (which it is) the City would have to have a valid reason to interrupt our activity. They do not. Do you care about your rights and the decimation of any opportunity for a street arts scene in Chicago or are you part of the problem? Do you want to help or are you too apathetic?

Do you have a similar story. Please e-mail me your comments or stories of police blocking your First Amendment activity in Chicago to umcac@art-teez.org . We must collect these stories and comment as a first step. Talk is not cheap. Your experience has value. Speakup! That is the first step toward freedom.