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Too much to do?
Supporting the local arts for dummies

By Greg Goodsell
E-mail: gregoodsell@hotmail.com

Within the artistic communities within Bakersfield and Kern County, there are rumblings of discontent. Chief among these complaints is that there isnt enough local support to keep things going. The Bakersfield Californians response to seven professional and semi-professional theaters in town was to simply stop covering them altogether. Happily, such Web sites as Theatre Addict (www.theatreaddict.com) as well as this fine publication came rushing in to fill the need for comprehensive media coverage. However, there are misgivings among actors, artists and musicians that one cultural event is stepping on the toes of another cultural event; taking away much needed revenue and exposure. It would appear that for the first time in Bakersfields history -- that there is finally too much to do!

However -- an awful lot of people who could benefit -- or should attend concerts, plays and art shows are staying at home to watch reruns of "Desperate Housewives" on TV. This has got to change! This writer has outlined various ideas that Joe and Jane Six-Pack can put into action to enrich our local culture.

1. ADOPT THE POLICY THAT ART CAN BE FUN. Close your eyes and meditate on the word "art." Ill just bet you thought of precious, impressionistic paintings in watercolor and pastels accompanied by dreary chamber music. Now, theres nothing wrong with impressionistic paintings and chamber music, but art is so much, much more. Art is the guitar solo on your favorite song on your favorite radio station played full blast as you tool down the highway. Art is the cryptic comic strip in a newspaper, which due to its shadings and nuances, makes you laugh out loud while others dont get the joke. Art is the crummy low-budget musical or crime movie you watch over and over again on battered VHS tape in lieu of catching the latest theatrical blockbuster. Art talks to you, art makes you stop dead in your tracks, art never really identifies itself as such.

One criminally under-reported gallery showing at the Empty Space Theatre was the Destructo Art Show. This highly unusual exhibit featured TV sets and computers smashed and riddled with buckshot and splattered with red paint. The effect was exciting, primal and alive; much more so than any splatter film. Art is challenging, visceral and dynamic -- or not at all.

2. ART GIVES YOU YOUR BEST ENTERTAINMENT VALUE. The majority of art exhibits are absolutely free and Bakersfields Empty Space Theatre has been successfully offering a wide variety of plays on a strictly donation basis. Theres no excuse not to take advantage of all this gratis entertainment.

One shining example was a poetry reading that I participated in. The event was in a beautiful, spacious building with air conditioning, with tons of free food and wine (quite a bargain for you budget imbibers out there). This reading was totally free and just a handful of people showed. At the same time -- hundreds of people jammed the Downtown Street Faire two blocks away in 104-degree heat, spending lots of money on food and trinkets. It was strictly their loss.

And single guys and gals? The people who show up at cultural events have a bit more on the ball -- and have a lot more to offer than the folks down at the corner cocktail lounge. Check it out!

3. YOULL NEVER KNOW UNLESS YOU TRY IT. Poetry isnt your bag? Zydeco music too exotic for you? A play about feminist issues appears to be too hoity-toity for a macho man like yourself? Youll never know if you dont check it out! Be daring and adventurous!

Recent examples of local plays that attracted big crowds were the plays "Toulouse" and "The Vagina Monologues." "Toulouse" was daring and spicy with its recreations of classic burlesque routines, but was still moored in documenting an American theatrical art form. Crowds were thoroughly entertained by a show that was anything but dry and academic. Many guys were put off by "The Vagina Monologues" thinking it would be feminist claptrap. The lucky gentlemen who did see the show were instead regaled with funny, sad and highly erotic tales recited by an all-female cast.

What if you go to an event and you dont like it? Theres a lot of inherent entertainment value in a bad play, terrible art show and a wretched musical performance. Well get to that later.

4. THROW CAUTION TO THE WIND AND PARTICIPATE. Ever have a yen to sing in front of others, no matter how flat you think you sound? Ever have some poetry you scrawled on a slip of paper that you wanted to share with the world and didnt have the nerve? Ever thought your attempts at painting were good enough to share with the world? Jump in with both feet forward! The local artistic community is very nurturing and supportive to newcomers and dabblers. The excitement surrounding a play that you act in, an art show with your work and a local publication featuring your writing adds immeasurably to the excitement of your workaday world!

As for myself, I was asked to participate in an art show on the subject of "Spirit Dolls." As the show rolled up, I hadnt prepared anything when it struck me that I could just take a stuffed bunny rabbit and affix a toy gun in his lap. The piece garnered serious attention from all places, The Bakersfield Californian. Many people afterwards told me that it was their favorite piece in the show. Ah, ego is everything

5. A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER. Here we get to the nitty gritty. Many of our local artists are leading hand-to-mouth lives, with very little monetary recompense to aid in their efforts. Yours truly is a man of very modest means, but I find enough money to buy paintings from local artists now and then, and now boast an eclectic art collection. I justify these purchases by the fact that I consider myself an artist (with a small "a") and its vital to show monetary support for other local artists.

When it comes to buying art, I let my personal tastes guide me. If there is a piece I like that is reasonably priced, I buy it. I never, ever buy art that I dont like on the basis that the artists phone is about to be disconnected (no art welfare) and I never buy a piece that is outside of my budget. Ive scored some really great paintings and sculptures for under $100 and they proudly adorn my home. I think a piece of art scored at that price will have a lot more lasting value than a night on the town I will dimly remember a month later. Plus -- theres always the chance that they may accrue in value. Ill never forgive myself for not scooping up more original artwork from punk rock cartoonist Raymond Pettibon back in 1981. His work now commands a minimum of $10,000 today!

6. ARTISTS ARE YOUR FRIENDS. People in the artistic and cultural community tend to be more energetic, more joyous and more vibrant than the people you interact with at work or in the bars. I count musicians, painters and writers as some of my best friends. Artists like doing things. They go in search of things that excite them and share them with others. Major in "show and tell" in elementary school? Become a part of the local artistic community.

And now -- in a very important step that is sure to stir up controversy -- that some people would advise against but I endorse whole-heartedly --

7. DONT SETTLE FOR SECOND BEST. Watching a dramatic production that is unintentionally hilarious? Laugh out loud! Show up to see a band and theyre over half an hour late? Stamp out angrily! See a painting that your three-year-old child could do much better? Let the artist know! Tired of diva-like behavior from minimally talented prima donnas? Dont kowtow to their demands!

Yes friends, if you show your support and dont like what you see -- let the people responsible know. It may hurt their tender egos, but they cant keep putting out crap. Art cant exist without an audience, and the audience must participate. No one benefits when more and more inferior art is produced, and the passive viewer suffers in silence, eventually leading to more empty theatres, nightclubs and galleries. The artist -- as well the audience -- must grow.

http://www.myspace.com/greg...