The Renaissance is OVER.

It ended a few years ago.

Did anyone notice?

Beware, gentle reader.  Some of the following words written in combination together may cause some consternation, slight discomfort, or an itchy-foot sensation, like you�ve heard it all before or maybe you agree with me and you want to see some cool shit happen in this town.  Or you disagree and you are an active celebrant of the Gritty City growing more grit and moss and slumping into a future of nondescript conservative conformity. 

with that said, you have been warned. Read on, dear reader.

This city, with its fledgling, just-hatched arts scene is desperately in need of more than one artwalk, more surprise guerilla street performance, more public sculpture, and more critical art commentary.

In fact, I get the distinct feeling that Tacomans like everything just the way it is, but I must say, this �Renaissance� that started 4 years ago is still moving at a snail�s pace and it�s time for some of you artsy people to raise the stakes.

If Tacoma ever wants to rise up to become more than a hazy afterthought of Seattle, residents of the City of Destiny must make the effort to take a few more risks and support young and emerging, starving, under-and-non-represented creative folk.

The most relevant, cutting-edge, thrilling, and challenging art of our times is very often disregarded because the artist does not have �fine art� credentials, a mile-long resume full of high-end galleries and juried show awards.

Tacoma needs more collaborative art events, multimedia art orgies, carnivalistic Andy Warhol-Style Factory Freak Fests, Absurdist Dada Parties.  Happenings happening in multiple locations at the same time for different, similar reasons.

Tacoma needs an Anti-ArtWalk at the beginning of the month. Seattle has at LEAST a First Thursday, a Second Friday, and a Second Tuesday ArtWalk. Portland has at LEAST a First Thursday, First Friday, Second Thursday and a Last Thursday.

Why can�t Tacoma do this too?

Why does Tacoma�s art world bow down so low to Seattle?

Why do Tacomans continue to keep as much as possible underground and hidden away, and then bitch about it?Tacoma needs a new home for starving, low-income artists to hang their paintings and play their music among peers, supporters, patrons, and the unwitting public. Tacoma needs a new Art Co-Op that is two-to-four times bigger and better than anything else ever. A Co-Op with little or no monthly fee that follows the RampArt model of cramming as many artists as possible onto as many available walls.

Not any kind of snooty high-end �gallery� but an explosive, bombastic, interactive, 24-hour, 7-day, ongoing art happening, gritty and funky for the avant-garde anti-elite. A place that will open its arms to the underappreciated, carve new paths of opportunity for the unexposed, and above all things, be a fun place to kick it any time of day for all-ages.

Come on, patrons, I know you�re out there.

Hey, business and building owners with those empty storefronts all over Pac Ave, DownTown, MLK, and South Tacoma Way!! Why not take a risk and invest in the arts for a change? I dare you to become a real patron and support the starving artists of your fair City of Destiny and help to transmute the urban decay.

I DARE YOU.Tacoma needs more free, non-juried group art shows that recognize and support new talent rather than accepting artists based on their show history or art education.

Tacoma needs more challenging, critical visual arts-scene commentary; voices that aren�t afraid to offend or pull punches but let it all hang out and throw the cards down. It�s time for honesty that hurts.

I�ve heard many a wistful neo-beatnik claim, with a misty look in their eyes, that oh, yes there is definitely a scene here in Tacoma, where the people gather to celebrate life with mirth and intelligence, but you have to really seek it out, you have to scratch at the grit to find the shiny special parts deep beneath the crusty layer of orange rust.  But what I must ask, is the point of having a scene that scuttles around in Tacoma�s gutters, tucked away in ratty buildings in shady shady shadier parts of this forlorn town.  Poor Tacoma.  And to think that the scene is secretly about to BOOM.  And oh what a scene it is.  Blossoming like a flower, our �South Sound Warehouse Scene� is about to explode with a whole ONE WAREHOUSE called, yes, the Warehouse.  The ancestry of this �scene� is of course, Brooklyn, Oakland, and everywhere else that is way too cool and lacks a little love.

Well, Citizens of Tacoma, I know you�re trying, but you must try harder. I�ve been all over the world twice and looking at Tacoma I must say there�s still a lot that�s missing.  Not to say that there are some things that aren�t. You�re off to a great start, but really, it�s time to take some more risks and dare to stand out. Do something different. Take a leap or three, see what happens. Be BOLD. Don�t wait for someone else to start doing something cool, be that person, and if you see something exciting and original happening, don�t be afraid to add your voice to the mix.

Don�t get me wrong, or, get me wrong if you think you�re right cause you might be; I love art no matter what kind, I happen to know what I like and have formed an opinion of what�s nice and what�s not. Artists, I don�t mean to hurt your feelings. I just want to stick you in the ribs with my paintbrush and get you out there making more art, performing more, writing more, creating, creating, acting, doing. Feel free to critique my critique. Or if you want to have your own page for your own rants, contact me and let�s make it happen.

I want more dialogue.

That�s why I started this foolish blog in the first place and making surprise, discreet appearances at gallery openings disguised as a critic in disguise.