So, I just read an article about a town in Florida considering banning artists from performing or setting up in their park. I found it interesting since I have just relocated and I found out that my town also has a similar restriction with regards to the town area. The thought behind it is that the artists create competition with local businesses, they keep people from entering these businesses by blocking or disrupting potential customers. The noise levels can get out of hand and generally they create an undesirable atmosphere in the town.

I am a plan air artist. I paint on location. There are many places to paint in the area that are not restricted, but this seems to be a situation that is becoming more popular with towns around the country.  Speaking for myself, when I set up in a town, I am very well aware of the space I am occupying. I avoid entrances to stores and I take with me what I came with. I also believe that seeing an artist on the street adds an element of  charm to the area. It points out the beauty in the ordinary and adds a cultural element in general.

That said, I am concerned that this will eventually be a problem for artists who aren’t fortunate enough to be associated with a gallery or recording, theatre, publishing  or dance company.  Getting exposure is difficult enough. I am curious about what your opinion is on this matter.

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  • Jo-Ann Brewster says:

    It’s sad to hear this. Don’t we live in a free country? That’s why I live in NH where the state motto is Live Free or Die. Good luck

  • Laura says:

    I can see that this type of thing could create competition for other artists renting store front space, but I agree there is a certain type of charm seeing artists working on location. Perhaps the town could issue vouchers to artists for a certain number of days per year to paint, perform, etc. They would need to agree to some basic ground rules to obtain the vouchers. It’s a delicate balance most likely for the towns to maintain. If you go to Rome, there are places where people are selling mass produced art all over. That kind of practice is annoying. Cities need to distinguish.

    • Joe Terrone says:

      Well thought out. It seems like a good compromise. I get the problem of having an area flood with peddlers, be they artists or other. In my case I’m not really selling, just painting very privately. If I make a contact, great. But I can understand how things could get out of hand. It would be nice to have the town consider all aspects of this issue. Thanks for the reply.

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