C Drew - Street Artist Adventures

Screens of Patch-Art waiting for volunteers to print them.

The Free Speech Artists’ Movement is not dominated by an all knowing leader. You must be the leaders. Everyone knows something valuable to aid our progress toward freedom in the Street Arts Scene of Chicago. Yes, I said it. The Street Arts Scene is not free in Chicago. In fact – it does not exist, yet. If there is the slightest urge in you to sell your art on the street in Chicago – you are far from free.

Likalee and Paola discuss a design to promote the Free Speech Artists' Movement at the Critical Mass ride on Friday.

Downtown interests are allowed to place huge planters on the sidewalk that are filled with snow for much of the year but if I sit down to print and give away my art in a fraction of the space used by a planter, I am told I must move because I am breaking a law. Some lawyers in Chicago tell me I ask too much to sit, print and sell my art on the public sidewalk in “the land of the brave and free.” How can this be if speech is a respected requirement of a democracy? How can speech, which is the basis of democracy, be less important than a concrete planter? How can concrete have more rights than an artist selling speech to sit in public? What do you think?

Patch design by Will Hopkins printed by Julie.

They tell me I am free to sell my art in public but not until I have $165 in my hand to give them for a peddlers license. If I am broke I can’t afford my freedom. Once I buy a license then they give me the fine print of the law that prohibits me from selling in all the practical places in the City where I might be successful. We are marginalized.

Patch-Art entitled Heavenly by Will Hopkins printed by Julie.

Our Movement is not a sect, a cell, a cult, a cabal or a junta. It is a growing movement of intelligent individuals adding their energies together to create a change in Chicago that is obviously needed. In my previous post, I added a photo of a patch with one of my opinions on it and a valued subscriber sent back her counter opinion. I posted her opinion with my response because this is a dialog. The vast majority of artists and more of the public in Chicago do not understand how the right to sell their art on the sidewalks and in the parks of Chicago is a right that derives from the First Amendment. Only discussion and dialog can change this.

We are blessed to have an African drumming group practice in the room next to where we print.

Our right to sell our art on the sidewalks and in the parks derives from the First Amendment and the case law surrounding it. Our rights should not differ greatly from New York to Chicago if this law applies to our nation. If artists in New York fight for their rights and win, we should be able to do the same or ask ourselves why we are so less deserving of those same rights. FACT: Artists in Chicago before 1994 had more rights to sell their art in public than we have today.

C Drew printed this design by Monica Brown entitled Sundance II.

What happened? A law was passed reducing our right to sell our speech in public. We did not fight for this right then. We don’t have it now. We are marginalized from use of our public spaces – our sidewalks and our parks. Who will fight for freedom here at home? The answer is – many will fight because the time is right. The question is how will we fight? The answer is the Patch Art Project.

C. Drew used multiple colors of ink to highlight Monica's theme. Each print turned out different.

The Patch Art Project is your opportunity to get your art and opinions out in public while supporting the Free Speech Artists’ Movement. I made a screen of my opinion that the Olympics should be held in any other city than Chicago because Chicago does not support artists’ full rights to sell our expressions in public. This is a human rights issue. If you disagree – disagree in writing! E-mail me. I’ll post it.

Israel and Paola discuss issues of art and life after the printing is done.

Our art scenes do not exist. Most can’t imagine life any other way than this marginalized state and they tell me - “What do you mean, we’re not free! I am free!” Is that you? Tell me where you are free to sell your art in public in Chicago without a license or large fees and when you have done it. I will post it. Or, if you have had difficulties trying to sell your art in public – tell me your story so I can post that too. This is a long overdue discussion. umcac@art-teez.org Please e-mail this text to your friends and post this invitation everywhere.