C Drew - Street Artist Adventures

We gave away Art Patch Project art today, 12/21/2010. It was one hour and a half of fun offering free art to a public pressured by the holidays. The art comes from more than 50 different artists and many of the 150 different designs already submitted to the Art Patch Project. Art Patch Project volunteers took over the intersection at State and Lake Street on the southeast and the northeast corners. We had a team of five volunteers bombarding people with free art to knock them out of their holiday rush. We urged them to re-focus on us as an art group. “What…?” many said after the third person tried to give them some free art. “Free Art!” we insisted. We gave out over 1,000 art patches in that short hour and a half. The hidden part of the Art Patch Project process is what happens after the art-patch give-away.

Of the over 1,000 patches we gave away, we found about five on the ground. “That’s bad – look there – how they’ve disrespected your effort,” someone might say seeing the few discarded art-patches. Not so – I have watched people who give away commercial fliers or even non-profit literature. It hits the trash fast and is scattered everywhere along the walks where the distributors pressure those passing by. Our art has people taking a second look and often results in further interest. People stop and engage in discussion. What we are doing is clearly more than passing out propaganda or a quick money-motivated, bring-your-wallet-our-way wrangle.

We’ve got local art. The art works over time quietly, humbly, waiting for someone to take a second look and get lost in trying to figure what the art is about. Later on the L or at home cleaning out their pockets they look again captured for a moment, caught by curiosity. Can you imagine them thinking, “what’s the artist’s intention? Who is the artist? Oh look – there’s the artist’s website! What is this safety-pin for? (will they pin it to something?) And let me read for the first time this small flier pinned to this art. Free Speech Artists’ Movement – what’s that?”

I have been giving out screen printed art on cloth patches to the public for over seven years and I know how people react. I’ve hawked other things to the public while working odd jobs alongside my creative work. These art-patches are perfect to fold up and tuck anywhere. No pocket, no problem, many a person has pinned the art-patch immediately to their clothes. Consequently, the art turns up later as the person goes through their daily motions and it gets a second look along the way. Someone that is very disposed to art will collect these art patches. Others will pin their art-patch up somewhere if it speaks to them. The ultimate compliment is when some young person sews it to their favorite cloths, like a jean jacket or a hat or pants or dress or… Some will be thrown out but usually not before someone has looked over the flier and become aware that artists in Chicago question the constitutionality of the Chicago’s peddlers license law. That’s all we need them to understand for the moment.

As a team of five volunteers wearing Free Speech Artists’ Movement t-shirts, we made an impression on the passing public. New artists expressed interest in our activities. The Gappersblock.com website sent a reporter. Our video artist Nancy Bechtol collected video for a Youtube posting. We need to make this winter solstice art give-away an annual event. Every December 21st we should give away art from the Art Patch Project. As we build our volunteers we can have a bigger effect and reach more people.

Before we went out, a rumor was spreading that we might be getting arrested at this Art Patch Project action. The following friendly blog reported…

http://www.chicagotalks.org/2010/12/12/free-art-takes-its-toll-on-art-activist-and-issue-of-freedom-of-speech/

“On Tuesday, Dec. 21 at noon, under the “L” train at State and Lake, Drew and some volunteers for the Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center (UM-CAC) will give free art away as part of the Art Patch Project, and risk arrest in their effort to reclaim some downtown territory in the name of free speech.”

The writer was doubtful about the way the Chicago police might handle our completely legal action of giving away the art. The author might have reasoned, that because I have been accused of a 1st class felony for audio-recording my own arrest and because I have been out of jail on a $20,000 bail-bond for over a year, that the Chicago police might arrest anyone with me for completely legal behavior just because…they have been known to take liberties.

This did not seem likely to me - not on such a high profile occasion anyway – with a video artist and our photographer covering our action. Another person representing our issue before potential volunteers asked me about the possibility of getting arrested while giving out the art. I assured her that we intended to do everything to avoid arrest. We intended to assent to whatever authorities said to us. As a group we would listen, witness and evaporate, if need be, to report over the Internet our experiences giving art away in Chicago.

My original arrest was to initiate a court action to bring the question of the constitutionality of the peddlers license into federal court. In New York artists are ready for mass arrests but in Chicago the artists’ community is not. I would not ask other Chicago artists to be arrested at this time. My effort would be fruitless. In New York they are fighting not to lose real jobs, in Chicago we are fighting to create jobs yet unimagined to this generation of artists.

Luckily, I have twenty years of organizing art activities and some of our volunteers have known me that long. Our plan did not require a crowd, so five volunteers was all we needed to be effective. The Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center is a qualified 501(c)(3) art organization and can legally collect donations. Our collective action confirmed giving away art is not illegal in Chicago. No one bothered us. Police ignored our presence. Our activity is normal and totally legal, although less orthodox and more unique.

To have experienced a hassle would have been an extreme act by authorities. They understand our public relations abilities and give us some respect. People speculated up to the last moment about being hassled. Then we did gave out the art and proved to those fearful that it’s ok to give art away – even in Chicago - even after challenging the system and being charged with a 1st class felony. It’s ok to give out art before Christmas in the Loop. We got our crew together and had our fun. Art for the people. Art to defend the people. Free art for freedom. Free art. Those are our chants.

At next year’s winter solstice Art Patch Project event we should have 250 designs by 75 or more artists and 20 volunteers offering the art – wow – twenty volunteers would blow the Loop up with art!

A quick shout-out to Charles Lewis - photographer excelente - who helped offer up the art but is not pictured here. Thanks Charles and all who came out to help.

On the 4th of January I need to gather another crew of 4 volunteers to give away the art for a visiting video journalist from Burkley, California. Our goal is to have as many different journalists and artists to tell our story in as many online locations as possible. E-mail me at umcac@art-teez.org if you can help.

Don’t be afraid – be free – help give out some free art. When was the last time I heard that “brave and free” phrase sung? Which comes first the bravery or the freedom? Help us offer art in public on January 4th, 2011 and at future Art Patch Project events in the New Year. Happy holidays.