What's Art Got To Do With It?

Last night I was looking for something my wife wanted me to pick up at Hobby Lobby and I saw one of those rubber stamps with a line on it that when roughly like this…. “Art washes the soul of the dust of life.”

There is a tendency for people to view art as something superfluous or even a luxury. While I admit, if it were a choice of giving my family food to eat or art, I’d have to choose food. However, if we choose to view art in the context of the quote on the rubber stamp, it seems particularly sad to think that those who are less fortunate, who have to give up something for food or say are too disadvantaged to have health care, may well lack something that cleanses the soul of life’s grime. So what is the value of art? Is it really only for the upper crust of society?

Recently, the metropolitan Kansas City area established something for art that parallels United Way. It’s a workplace-based fundraising campaign designed to support arts and culture. The regional ArtsKC Fund as it is know has been stated as a test program with originally 27 area workplaces that will allow employees to sign on to have “x” amount withheld each pay period to supports arts in the community. The program was just launched in February so I have no idea how well it is being received. The idea is not totally new, as I believe there are some 100 communities across the U.S. that have undertaken similar ventures.

So what’s the value of such an undertaking is in a major City? Why would businesses sign on to something like this? A recent article in BusinessWeek indicates there is a connection between the growth of art communities and economic development in a city. It cites many instances where communities which were once art havens have become upscale and now too pricey for many struggling artists. If you accept the premise of this article, cities should clamor at the opportunity to support and enhance the development of artists within their city limits on the basis of return on their investment. Much in the same way many cities now view professional sports franchises. Cleansing the soul of that community would just be icing on the cake.

Mid-Week Pulse Check

• George W. Bush
• Dick Cheney
• Michael Brown
• I Scooter Libby
• Donald Rumsfeld
• Carl Rove
• Alberto Gonzales
• Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley
• Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman
• Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey

Is the entire Bush Administration Ethically Challenged or what?

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There are Tulips peeking out of the loam in my front yard.

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Day Four - I Still Hate Daylight Savings Time.

Full Moon Clears the Right Field Fence....

Ah, I am so in the mood for baseball. Even more after seeing the 3rd House Journal Baseball Haiku post.

Bush seeks 8,200 more troops for wars - Yahoo! News

Bush asked Congress on Saturday for $3.2 billion to pay for 8,200 more U.S. troops on top of the 21,500-troop buildup he announced in January.


More troops, more tax dollars, more death to propagate a war based on lies to the American People.

Words That Raise The Dead: An Interview with Poet Martín Espada

Lisa Alvarado interviews Martín Espada. [Click here] I heard Espada read and lecture in Kansas City about a year ago. He is extremely authoritative when it comes to Pablo Neruda.

They Took AN Hour Away From Me

And They Couldn't Wait To Do It..... :(

Trying to Shake A Shade of Blue

When I came home from work last night we began tearing up our carpeting throughout most of the homes. The old carpeting along with some other miscellaneous items then were loaded in a rented truck and early this morning we visited the dump.

Things are moved about here and there so you can imagine the house is presently pretty much a total disaster. We have about 900 sq ft of imminent flooring to replace the carpeting. Of course there is no way the flooring is going down in one night like the carpet came up. I have a strange feeling of both accomplishment and feeling blue. Yes, we got right into the demolition part and completed it promptly. Still, I feel like I am in some foreign building and I don't know when I will be able to return home. Of course I know when I do, The floors will look really awesome. It just seems far off into the future.

In the meantime, I got a draft of a chapbook I'm working on sent off today to be reviewed. That was good news. Of course, as soon as it is gone, you feel a sinking feeling in you get that maybe it isn't ready. And I was able to read some in Kelli Russell Agodon's Small Knots that arrived by mail yesterday. I am really enjoying what I have read of it today, and I'll more to say about it later.

I've been pretty wasted today, I presume from all the carpet stuff. I really hope I am not coming down with something. (crossing fingers) I am quite as bad off as I was earlier and I may actually work on some rewrites this evening.