Blurred Perceptions: The Report From Art 21
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During the three days of speeches and discussions with panelists who mostly ranged from mediocre to abysmal, attendees kept complaining that not enough artists had been invited. Later, when working artists were asked to stand and be recognized, everyone looked shocked at the sizable number of bodies that popped up. It seemed the substantial contingent of arts administrators in the audience simply couldn’t recognize around them the kind of people with whom they presumably interact on a regular basis.
The opening speaker, writer Thulani Davis, vividly highlighted the artist’s plight. “We live in a society that denigrates art,” she said. “We live in a world where the places you might find artists are closing down.” She went on to lament the humiliation artists endure when they are consistently asked to work for minimal fees that clearly indicate what little respect the marketplace has for them or their efforts. Richard Loveless, director of the Institute for Studies in the Arts at Arizona State University, was far less successful illustrating how art and cutting-edge technology will come together in the 21st century. The conference came alive on the second day with the arrival of movie-star-handsome Henry Cisneros, the former mayor of San Antonio who now heads the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. A slick Cisneros waxed eloquent about the need for artists to join the search for solutions to crime, violence, and drugs in our communities. Noted Cisneros: “Young people who live in crime-ridden public housing need to be inspired and uplifted.” But by far the best speaker was saved for last: Carnegie Foundation president Ernest L. Boyer simply and emotionally reaffirmed the importance of art in a fulfilled life.
The financially strapped Wisdom Bridge Theatre soon will be leaving 1559 W. Howard, its home for the past 20 years. In a move intended to save the organization, Wisdom Bridge has cut a two-year deal with producer Doug Bragan to mount productions in Bragan’s Ivanhoe Theater, which he regains control of August 1. Wisdom Bridge producing director Jeffrey Ortmann says the Howard Street theater’s small seating capacity and the rapidly deteriorating neighborhood were “financially crippling” the company. The new game plan calls for the immediate sale of that theater, though no buyer has been found as yet. Ortmann maintains that his company’s imminent move does not interfere with its previously announced plan to produce in a new performing arts center scheduled to open in Skokie in two years. He says Wisdom Bridge might opt to extend its arrangement with the Ivanhoe when it moves into the Skokie facility and begin producing year-round using both venues. He also talks about doing additional “site-specific productions” at other locations, such as the Body Politic Theatre. But the question remains: Does a company that was bouncing payroll checks as recently as last fall have the money to carry out such ambitious plans?
