A Week In TAcomA

Tuesday we went with Glen and Mustaffa up to Antique Sandwich to catch us some Open Mike.....and we were not disappointed.
After months of listening to TacoMan on the radio oh oh on the radio.....and an amazing 3 peep group of voice and guitars....stunningly ethereal.....and the last act....who had to perform for about a half hour.....because there can be no Dead Air.....
It was a cleansing moment....to be there with voices and low tech tech, and organic foodstuffs and Fair Trade...and a new couch, and the stairs.....
It was the calm before the Storm....

Then news of Steve's death.....and I have been in a daze......
What sustains is the human touch and only the human touch....
Which is what art is.....a human hand creates.

Some asked on Derek's blog for a place to meet where it is all human......
where it is not a bar..(no thanks to the Volcano)
Where it is not a church.......
and that place has been for about 25 years or more....
the Antique Sandwich Company...
no snotty hipster attitude, but an appreciation of home-grown
hair, home-grown food, home-grown down-home funky furniture.......
home-grown community the way it has been done since The Garden...

and there you have it.....
Dorothy.....it's been here right in your own backyard.

NOW.....on to business.....
I call on you to Light It On Fire.......Cause an ART RIOT !!!!!
and to illustrate....I give you a google-purloined Art Chantry

Thanks for Hume and Bender and all you artist types..
If I forget to remember some of you I blame grief and vodka and awe.

Thanks for coming to honor Steve and honor RampArt...
it did not pass my eye though that the windows upstairs were open.

Then up to the Silverstone, with Glen, My Beautiful Husband, My Beautiful Son, Shayne.
When Mark & I couldn't work our shift days at Rampart, we could count on Shayne to fill in for us. So, Shayne was one of the Lucky Chosen People to be a part of The Best Place in Tacoma For UnCommon Happenings.
I shudder to think what Tacoma would have been but for RampArt.
thanks to Steve, David, Eric, Patty, Kelly and those few others who had the distinct privilege to be a part of The Best Place.....
While there have been many on Antique Row, and all ran fine shops...
RampArt was a slice of City Life the very thing you are all trying to create...
kinda.
You are so afraid.
You are playing it safe.
In 25 years I've seen about 5 shows that stepped out.
One was at the gasp! Glass Museum. I loved the Penis X-Rayz.
Galleries.......you are doing a great job of Keeping Tradition Alive.
Yes, you belong.
But NOW is the TIME to step it UP.
Cut up your credit cards and Be Free.

I Dare You To Lower Your Commission to 5%. And therefore your "prices"
I Dare You to hand the reins over to artists you are not quite sure about
I Dare You to hand the reins over to artists you don't understand
I Dare You to put Art in Your Empty Bldgs
Empty Bldgs = Empty Mind
I Dare You to let go, let the love flow....
I Dare You to stop doing the same old thing.....
And if you are the 3 or 4 that are trying to meet the challenge.
Keep on Keeping on......and create space for what makes you uncomfortable

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How do you know if you are creating space? You nodded your head in agreement.
If you got pissed off, you may need to wonder why.........all who wonder may not be lost after all.