A Tale of Two Festivals

Well, we've been back for a while but, as usual, summer is our busiest time, so posting will remain light.

One of the reasons for being so busy lately is all the festivals we try to take part in.  This includes an art festival where Eldest will be setting up a booth to sell her paintings.

There are two yearly art festivals in the summer, and they couldn't be more different.

One is a major enterprise.  It last something like 10 days, during which about 290,000 people attended in one year (I don't know if that's the average).  A section of downtown street is cordoned off for it.  It has a year round staff with internships, plus makes use of many volunteers.  It receives funding from all levels of government, from Federal all the way down to municipal and city, plus corporate funding.  It has an outdoor stage for musical performances, roving artists, a big tent for several larger displays, and numerous vendor kiosks.  There were a total of almost 30 gallery displays in the last few years, scattered around at various indoor locations, featuring a wide range of visual artists.  We usually manage about a quarter of them, mostly because we can't find the rest, or they're too far out of our way to make them worth seeking out.

This year, I was able to briefly check it out on opening night, then missed the rest while out of province.  This year's theme seemed to be a First Nations thing, though I'm not sure how a guy in fishnet stockings, cowboy boots and a bison skin works out (and it's bison, not buffalo, people!  You'd think they'd at least get that right).

Most of the stuff wasn't up and running when Youngest and I passed through, partly due to the foul weather, so I didn't see many of the vendors.  Some artists do have pavilions and displays of their work for sale.  Eldest had looked into getting one, but the cost was so incredibly high, it was unreachable.  Many of the vendors are actually people who stay for most, if not all, of the festivals, selling mass produced jewelry, "exotic" clothing and accessories.  Then there are the food kiosks, of course. And a beer garden.  There's almost always a beer garden at all the festivals. *L*

It's an interesting festival, but we've been liking it less each time we go.  The first thing we got tired of was the themes of previous years, which were universally anti-human.  People are evil; let me show you how by filling old cars with dirt and planting things in them.  Or sticking a bunch of garbage recycling found objects whatever onto this tall poll.  I think I would have liked the resulting displays a lot more if they didn't include preaching at me.

I think they do try to focus on local artists, though I am not sure, since we've seen so few of the gallery displays.  The live entertainment is usually quite good and very diverse.  I find it enjoyable to wander around, looking at the vendor displays, taking in the live entertainment, and enjoying certain food vendors for an annual treat of specific dishes we don't see any other time of the year.

It's an enjoyable festival, but there's one thing that doesn't happen.  People don't really buy any art.  It's there to look at, and those who can pay the exorbitant fees to put up a kiosk do hopefully sell enough to at least pay for their spot.  It is not, however, an event that is conducive to actually acquiring art.

Then there's the other festival.

This one is so completely different, it's hard to compare them. 

First off, there is no government funding of any kind.  The organizers did try that in the early days, but between the red tape and hoop jumping to qualify for grants - not to mention the strings that came attached to the money - made it more hassle than it was worth.  Especially since the cost of hiring someone to do all that used up most of the grant money they received.

There are no streets blocked off for it.  Instead, local merchants sponsor the festival and allow the festival organizers to use their frontage.  There is an application process for artists who want to take part, and they pay a nominal fee for their spots, based on the size.  Many of these spots are strips of sidewalks in front of stores.  Others are large enough to set up a small shelter (we have a 9'x9' folding gazebo, some string up tarps, while others just hope the weather is good).  The artists are required to actually be working on something while at their display, whether it's painting or sculpting, or whatever.  The artists are spread out along both sides of a major street, with a couple of side areas on some green spaces where there's a bit of extra room.  The artists can't block the sidewalks or store entrances, since pedestrian traffic has to be able to go through unimpeded, but otherwise can set up however they wish.  The organisers offer a lot of support for the artists, including giving advice on how to best market their wares, set up their displays, and prepare for being at the festival itself for 3 days (such as having sun hats or sunscreen, water bottles, etc.).

This year, there are about 400 artists taking part - the number has steadily increased over the years - plus a secondary location was found for crafters to sell their wares as well.  The festival lasts only three days, and about 300,000 people attend it.  For some artists, such as a co-worker of my husband's, this annual festival is the only time they put their art up for sale.  Over the years it's been found that, for many people, this festival is where they bought art for the first time.  It's also been found that these same first time art buyers often become life-long collectors of art, coming back year after year specifically to add to their collections.  People going to the festival have a chance to watch the artists at work and talk to them about their pieces.  For many of the artists, this festival is where they made their break into being a professional, as Eldest did, and is a major kick-start to their careers. 

The entire mood of this festival is completely different from the first one I described.  It is open, accessible and utterly unpretentious.  The artists and patrons interact with each other directly.  Fellow artists strike up conversations with each other, with experienced artists gladly giving advice to new artists, trading tips, stories and getting to know each other.  They even watch out for each others booths for bio-breaks.  It's also a fine example of free market capitalism!

In fact, other than both festivals being centred on art, they are pretty much complete opposites.

I know which one I prefer!

Which side am I on?

My friends in BC are pretty upset with the Campbell government right now. There are massive cuts to arts happening right now. A lot of them are highly involved with the arts community, so these cuts will affect them directly.

I find myself torn about the whole thing.

On the one hand, I don't believe that it's the government's responsibility to fund things like the arts. I believe that governments' priorities need to be with things like infrastructure, uploading law and order, including maintaining the police and military, medicare, public education, and ensuring the smooth running of the country. Once those basic requirements are tended to, then the government can look towards supporting "extras" such as the arts.

Right now, we're still in a global recession. Even though Canada has been withstanding the storm better than any other country, with some provinces completely untouched by the tumult, we still need to be vigilant to ensure things don't tank. Especially with what's going on in the US, since our economies are to closely integrated.

So to me, this is the time for governments to prioritize what needs to be taken care of, and the arts don't fall into that. As harsh as it might sound, these are the sorts of things governments need to cut back on; it is not the government's responsibility to promote and fund the arts. If people really feel passionately about it, this is the time for the private sector to step in.

Personally, I think a lot of the pain they're feeling is self inflicted. We live within walking distance of several stage theatre companies, music halls, and art galleries, yet the only events we've been able to take in are the free promotions. Why? Because as much as we'd like to support the arts and go to these shows, we can't afford the tickets. We could afford one, maybe two, in the cheap seats, but there's four of us and there's just no way we can justifiably squeeze that out of our budget. If I have to choose between buying art supplies for my daughter and buying a ticket to a symphony, my daughter's art supplies will win every time.

Oh, yeah. My daughter is an artist. A very good one, too, and constantly pushing herself to be better. She plans on making her art her career, and she's adamant that she will do this without any sort of grants or handouts from the government. Personally, I think she's fully capable of accomplishing that.

So as much as I empathize with my friends who are upset about the funding cuts, I can't completely agree with them, since I don't consider arts funding a priority for government resources. If people want the arts supported, more of them need to put their money where their mouth is, and if they can't afford it, then find some other way to do it. Even in rough economic times, there are wealthy people who can and do support the arts, as do businesses. I think, in many ways, people forget that the arts are, in fact, a commercial enterprise. If one cannot support themselves and their art without government grants and subsidies, perhaps they're not as good as they think they are. Lord knows there are some incredibly horrible things passing as "art" our tax dollars are supporting that I really wish they weren't.

On the other hand, the same people that are cutting arts funding are giving themselves raises, bonuses and perks.

Sorry, Dude, but if your in government during a recession and believe that arts funding cannot be afforded, then neither can your pay raise be afforded.

I'm not against funding for the arts at all - I think it's great if governments, at all levels, can support the arts. It helps add to the vibrancy of the community and can be a valuable hand up to budding artists. At the same time, I think government funding of arts shouldn't be a priority, and that too many arts organizations use that funding as a crutch - not to mention too many crappy artists who's tripe should never see the light of day are basically living off our tax dollars.

Which leaves me wondering. Which side of the issue am I on?