Speed? Baloney.

By now this is pretty much old news, but every time it somehow wanders back into my consciousness via facebook, or Leo weekly it just infuriates me. I wanted to kind of keep it to myself for the most part because I am not a part of it, and I don't live there, but I was a Louisville artist, and I will be again in about 3 more weeks, so it kind of impacts me.

For those who don't know, or need a refresher click HERE and HERE.

I may just be a simple printmaker, but I think that if these artists were so concerned about how much art supplies they could take off their taxes then they were doing it wrong. It is a donation because you don't get anything out of it except for the satisfaction of helping the cause, which in this case was art education related programs. You know them right? The ones that get cut every year when the schools have to cut budgets?

My understanding is that this was an open call, not a mandatory exhibition. Meaning you didn't have to do it!! C'mon artists, I'm sure most of you grew up during, or at least existed in the '80's. When you don't want to donate your artwork to art education programs do like the Reagan's "Just Say NO!"

Is selling baloney really going to change people's minds about...wait...what is it you want from this? Different tax laws for artists, or to force people to charge more for donated pieces even though you see none of the money, or to not be solicited to as much? I guess it will keep people from asking you to donate your work to causes. I mean if there is one thing that artists hate it is being a part of social change, and helping people. It's all about cold hard cash, and tax breaks! "All for one and one for none!!" I should make that into an 8 1/2 x 11 one color print...and then sell it for 300 dollars, because I'm worth it.

That's why I got into art. Who cares if a bunch of kids won't have the chance to experience a better art education. My 5 X 7 work is worth more than $27 dollars, and I can only claim a small amount on my taxes, and sigh, so many people are like, making me read emails about donations!

To me it just sounds like a bunch of whining stuck up artists who apparently can't say no, and don't care enough to donate to a cause that sounds like it is pretty much directly related to what they want to do for a living. I guess having a bunch of kids who never get to experience art will thin the heard out a little when they get older. The less art education that children have, the less educated artists there will be in the gallery world 2 decades from now.

This isn't Duchamp's "fountain" questioning what art is in the gallery world, this is a fundraiser for children who would could have had the potential of an extra $2025 in art education money raised if a group of artists submitted the actual artwork that they seem to be so proud of instead of lunch meat.

I just wonder how many of these artists will be willing to boycott/protest/lunch-meatify one of the many $20 and under shows that spring up over the year.