Do arts festivals help artists- maybe not...letter to editors

When you see an artcar on the road don't think of the festival or the museum think of a person who probably does not benefit at all from so called "arts festivals" there is really little or no direct support for the arts. Most cartists do not use their cars as retail outlets (some do but not most) generally we put in hard work gas and suffer wear and tear and exhaustion ....meanwhile vendors and others are benefiting. Some day we will see festivals where every one volunteers and any money trickles down to every participant but we are not there yet. I don't mind giving but it needs to be known. When a paper talks of a budget just remember that we aren't getting anything. Often we don't even get any form of hospitality.....so I wrote the following letter to clear things up.

To The Editors

Artscape's Mask Slips

As a Baltimore artist I read with interest your article of Sunday 07.13.2008, Arts &Life. 8E "Artscape Expands into Station North District". All is revealed when we see behind Artscape's mask that the intended beneficiaries of the "$1.1 million dollar budget" are not the artists but, local businesses such as those inhabiting the Station North District, vendors and other business men and women who offer their wares for sale at Artscape..

Many who read the promotion of Artscape will assume that as a festival celebrating the arts that local "Artists" benefit. Let me assure the readers of the Sun that not a cent finds its way to local artcar artists who donate their cars, time and energy each year to entertaining thousands -all for free. If everyone involved in Artscape made similar donations of time, goods, services and energy the $1.1 million might do much good elsewhere. This is something to contemplate. At least your local artcar artists are doing their part.

We do not sell anything. We are not businesses. The support that Artscape provides for our art comes in sweat, gas costs and wear and tear- all costs that Artscape generates. Yet, we do it gladly and are thankful for everyone who stops in to say hello.

This year as costs for maintenance and gas are pushing us to our limits we would like to remind Station North Businesses, vendors and Artscape Visitors that they can help by utilizing the donation slots in our cars to keep us going. We would like to be here next year. This will not be possible if the burden of the kind of "support for the arts" that Artscape represents for us continues without relief.

Conrad Bladey

Art Car Artist- Cartist

402 Nancy Ave. Ave.

Linthicum, Md.

21090

cbladey@verizon.net