So earlier I posted a letter to the editor relating to an article in the Guelph Mercury. Without delving into that dialogue again, I have rediscovered that one of the outcomes of speaking out is that you draw both wanted and unwanted attention to yourself. For the most part I have received a cascade of responses from those in the Guelph arts community, thanking me for my comments and generally applauding my letter.
And now for the downside. :-( At least one gallery that I have been interested in for some time has decided that for an upcoming show (which I was to be invited to participate in) that they cannot now show my work. The reason being that they feel there would be a conflict of interest if they show my work so soon after this recent article. Sigh.
What does that mean to me? Well first thoughts were....."shit" all that hard work down the drain. But then upon reflection, part of my decision to be an artist was to have a voice and to explore that voice through my work. It was for this very reason that I responded to the article. So lesson learned - Keep your voice in your art not in the press. Am I likely to learn this lesson? Nahhh. ;-)
The often parochial nature of the the Guelph arts scene can be baffling. As was the response from the gallery. Your voice need not be expressed only through your art. The original Mercury article was odd - I could not figure out if it was an advertisement or uninformed.
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