By Mike Leavitt
It took living here for 13 years for me to realize how deeply the arts are embedded at the core of Vashon. Yet somehow, I still don’t understand it. To this day, every day living here, I am in constant awe at how many brilliant talents work their magic amongst our woods.
If you too appreciate this virtue of Vashon, I invite you to my art show at Vashon Center for the Arts in November.
If you also consider yourself an Island artist – no matter your capacity or practice – consider the political climate’s effect on surviving as an artist these days. Paints, brushes, carving tools, print-making supplies, photography, websites, taxes, bills and rent checks all fall hard under the skyrocketing cost of living. The arts are classically the first victim of capitalism gone wrong. Do you think any of this is getting any better these days?
My career sits on a razor-thin edge between art and commerce. I make sculptures for sale that make fun of selling things. This is my way of making fun of capitalism while living with it. This struggle remains no matter how much anyone benefits, reflects the purity of anti-capitalism, faithfully follows the dollar, or floats between these realms.
While Vashon suffers from a lack of institutional infrastructure, arts institutions are under threat from a private fear of backlash and institutional funding further up the chain being gutted at the highest levels. Consider the VCA’s free talks and public forums, and how the VCA disperses funding amongst artists. Consider the classes only available because of the VCA, how tuition funds the artists who teach, and the impact of the education itself. Now consider whether any other Island institution is doing all of this.
The arts aren’t just under attack from above. It’s also coming from those of us who – no matter how much we love art – don’t see our role in the grand dynamic playing out right here on our chunk of clay in the ocean.
My art show at the VCA wrestles with the effects of present-day Capitalism on the arts, the environment and politics. The work installed will include art aimed at the oil and gas industry, childhood obesity, the fashion industry, and sculptures depicting firearms in reference to mass shootings. The show is titled “Good Buy! Cruel World.” The show will be on display until November 30th. Gallery hours are Noon to 5pm Wednesday to Sunday.
At 2:00 p.m. Sunday, November 9th, I will do a free talk at the gallery. I encourage anyone to attend and confront me with difficult questions. One purpose of art is to spark dialogue. So, let’s have it out. Bring opinions. Come equipped with hard thoughts. This talk – and the VCA broadly – is a forum for civil discourse.
