Comments on: Jacksonville as a Commodity

By: julia biscuits

julia biscuits — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 03:54:40 +0000

Ms. Adrienne I can’t believe I’m just now getting around to reading this! I’m glad you enjoyed Warhol Economy and I will make sure to let you know of any similar finds that i come across. love you darling.

By: jerrycornwell

jerrycornwell — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:57:48 +0000

Some factors should be considered, and probably different conclusions drawn concerning adriennes post, although im actually more bullish on jax art.
new york city may well be the greatest city ever but i feel historically its on the downslide, indeed all “cities” are. i feel that the 20th century will be looked upon as the century of the city, such urban life will degenerate as technology as prevailed. my wife “tele comutes” to manhattan everyday from downtown jax. nyc has left its artistic contribution to
culture to its past (just like athens,rome,paris, london before her) and veered towards its financhial history (greed). in the same way as hong kong tokyo and the others. the nyc of warhols day was a city easily accessible by struggling artists (of all the mediums) primarly because they were the only ones with that desire to live in manhattan. in 1977 through an act of divinity (ed koch) the city miraculously escaped bankruptcy. today finds new york unattainable for those artists, but as their desire as artists to create will not be conquered the find other venues, opportunities to carry on that necessity that most importantly addrienne does address. the most important contribution is from steve jobst who never, never deviated from his commitment of personal computers for the artists.
its of utmost importance to realize that those 2 21 year olds do indeed exist in nyc, but live on multi million dollar trusts catering to paris hilton, light years away from the passion of joy (bogda) byron (jaxcal) jim draper (pie studio) and joey (Urban jax). forgive me for not mentioning the many others that define jax art and culture. that is the essence and possibiliies i see in jacksonville fine art.

By: skink

skink — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:19:48 +0000

Well done.

This is a well presented addition to a discussion that seems a permanent fixture in the Jacksonville arts community.
The current changes being cultivated arotund the urban core and online are the most encouraging efforts in this direction in a long time.

Jacksonville does posses a dominant identity and culture. It does little to cultivate diversity and creation. Earlier efforts,while passionate and principled, lacked the cultural gravitas, social inclusiveness, and technical effectiveness to create a viable alternative to this dominant culture.
The beauty of what is happening now is the myriad ways that individuals can contribute. And the commitment that these individuals and groups show to creating their own options …creating and placing a value on what they are passionate about.

There is a fundamental egoism to the act of creation. It requires an assertion of value.
The people who refuse to accept others valuation of our city…and who work to change the subtle pervasive influence of the dominant culture are finally making considerable,broad-based progress.

By: BAM

BAM — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:35:18 +0000

I just finished reading “Rise of the Creative Class” 2004 edition by Florida and I believe Jacksonville was listed at 143 in his Creativity Index, beat by Tampa at 51, Miami at 72 and Orlando at 77. It was a really informative book for me and reading Florida’s description of Pittsburgh was like looking in a mirror for Jacksonville. Lots of money spent on stadiums and convention centers, but that middle age bracket with the disposable income keeps leaving for Austin, Frisco, Seattle, Boston, etc.

By: thelakelander

thelakelander — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:52:36 +0000

Why must we choose? There’s no reason why we can’t have and embrace a vibrant cultural scene and still tend to our “more important needs”.

By: mcm

mcm — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:25:13 +0000

If one compares Jacksonville with other cities it’s size, I would think that there would not be much difference in what is offered to the local artists. I can understand your wishes and desires, but in the grand scheme os things, there are many needs in this community far greater than art.

While I do agree with Adrienne and her statement about the “fusion of creativity”, I still believe there are more important needs, and art will have to wait

By: Chad

Chad — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:13:26 +0000

Mcm, I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t feel the city or you owe me anything. I like this city and try to help the art scene whenever possible. I do secure my own spaces when hosting or participating in shows. Also, I stated I was an Ã¢â‚¬Å“artistÃ¢â‚¬Â because I can relate to what is happening in the local art scene.

As for the high ceiling and white walls, I wasnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t suggesting someone provide me with that type of space. I feel walking into a real art gallery is much different then walking into a coffee shop and looking at a few paintings hanging on the wall. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a different experience, and the urban core has very few galleries like that compared to other cities.

So mcm, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s true, you nor the city owe me anything. But I will ask you for a favor. When there is an art show and you donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t have any plans, go to it and show support. Maybe we will run into each other and we can discuss improving the art scene.

By: Jennifer McCharen

Jennifer McCharen — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:50:49 +0000

Nobody owes anyone anything, that’s not what Chad was saying…but still, nothing compares to high ceilings and white walls. Point is, I think, that those spaces are not usually run by artists. They’re run by gallerists with money who make money off the art market…and there’s no such market here at the moment. Maybe there are bits and pieces, but not a thriving, insane art economy like there is in New York. We’re comparing big apples to tangerines.

By: markcreegan

markcreegan — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:03:02 +0000

'nuther link

By: markcreegan

markcreegan — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:59:51 +0000

I have been sending major voodoo vibes Miami way to get Craig Robbins to move up here. not much luck yet.