Fifty cents for the Mona Lisa

Early this week, Jonathon Winkle, an artist and President of the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center, asked me a very thoughtful question. He noted that we talk a great deal about the importance of our cultural assets in corporate talent attraction but we never ask if we have created both the opportunities and public attitude to attract and retain artists. As a performing artist, he noted the reduction in concerts and other events which allow artists to support themselves financially. But what concerned Jonathon more was a general public attitude that we don’t even think about or actively discuss the environment here for artists.
His point was brought home again with the brewing flap over Janet Zweig’s proposed public art installation on Wisconsin Ave.  I  think public weigh in is important on public art but comments like “I wouldn’t give 50 cents for the Mona Lisa” by our elected leadership just creates the image again of an unsophisticated city that does not value art or artists. I don’t think represents Milwaukee or its art community fairly at all.
I’m a great optimist in the community’s ability to correct its course quickly when needed. It is time for some public input on both the decision to delay payment of the commission and effectively kill the project and send the funding to another community (sound familiar) and how to create more awareness and better process for public input. Let’s not send out the message that Milwaukee is down on art and artists.

You can help change the course of this debate by calling your alderperson–

Thanks to Dave Reid for the information.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/twoaday

Urban Milwaukee http://urbanmilwaukee.com

UWM Downtown! http://www.uwmdowntown.org

The Public Works Committee would put a stop to an effort to improve Milwaukee’s pedestrian environment.  If you believe we should support public art in Milwaukee please contact our elected officials today.

C. C. President Willie L. Hines, Jr. - 15th District Alderman - whines@milwaukee.gov

Alderman Ashanti Hamilton - 1st District Alderman - ahamil@milwaukee.gov

Alderman Joe Davis - 2nd District Alderman - jldavis@milwaukee.gov

Alderman Nik Kovac - 3rd District Alderman - nkovac@milwaukee.gov

Alderman Robert J. Bauman - 4th District Alderman - rjbauma@milwaukee.gov

Alderman James A. Bohl, Jr. - 5th District Alderman - jbohl@milwaukee.gov

Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs - 6th District Alderman - mcoggs@milwaukee.gov

Alderman Willie C. Wade - 7th District Alderman - wwade@milwaukee.gov

Alderman Robert G. Donovan - 8th District Alderman - rdonov@milwaukee.gov

Alderman Robert W. Puente - 9th District Alderman - rpuent@milwaukee.gov

Alderman Michael J. Murphy - 10th District Alderman - mmurph@milwaukee.gov

Alderman Joe Dudzik -11th District Alderman - jdudzi@milwaukee.gov

Alderman James N. Witkowiak - 12th District Alderman - jwitko@milwaukee.gov

Alderman Terry L. Witkowski - 13th District Alderman - twitko@milwaukee.gov

Alderman Tony Zielinski -14th District Alderman - tzieli@milwaukee.gov

Posted in Art, Culture |