Kay Howard on mon 26 aug 02
I don't know if they're dying or not. I hope not. However, change is =
inevitable. What fairs will look like in 10 years is anyone's guess. I =
hope that we will individually and collectively help to improve them. I =
firmly believe that they serve a cultural purpose--that it's a good =
thing -a necessary thing--for art/craft to be accesible not just to =
those who are comfortable entering galleries. At a time when art, music =
and other creative endevours fight , sometimes vainly, for public =
dollars art fairs are one venue for the demonstration that creativity =
lives. So what if we are entertainment? So what if the sofa swatch =
needs matching? One of my pieces has inscribed in stone(ware) "great art =
does not...sofa." so I'm not knocking the phrase-- (My test is "do I =
want to live with this piece? I'm awed by much that I don't want to live =
with!) We are still educating. We are still answering kids' questions, =
and letting them know that not everything comes from Wal-mart and =
factories. I can whine with the best of them about poor sales (you =
know the differnce between a puppy and an artist? Eventually the puppy =
stops whining) but we aren't alone in that regard. And there will =
always be the challenge to balance the business of art with the soul =
enriching do-it-because-I'm-human-and-I-have-to aspect of art. I'll =
continue to do shows--maybe not so many, maybe different ones. Who =
knows.=20
What I like most about clayart is the diversity--one size does not fit =
all--there is a place for fairs, galleries, beginners, veterans, =
youngsters, oldsters, smartasses, and the serious--you get the picture. =
Kay in glorious Grass Lake looking forward to the community trip
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