Above: A beautiful battery powered exhibition of artists and crafts people in the Plaza De La Constitucion during the Holiday Season. The city's claim was that artists were damaging the park and hurting the local merchant economy. In fact, we created a thriving market away from St. George Street, which is a pedestrian street. The city had removed artists from St. George Street and gave us an empty park with very little foot traffic. St. George Street would be a much more suitable place for this kind of activity. The pedestrian street is a very roomy concrete sidewalk with many places for an artist to set up. In the park, we had a few mulched areas and otherwise we set up off the sidewalk in the grass. St. George street is already designed to facilitate outdoor vending. Perhaps the stores would stay open past 5pm if we were there. We managed to make sales up to 11pm often. If I had a store on St. George Street, I would consider suing the city for ruining the local merchant economy by chasing off all the artists, performers, and musicians who had the right to be there in the first place. It was an attraction that many people and businesses I met referred to as the "good old days".
I began selling my art in public in St. Augustine, FL. I was living out of a truck driving around Florida looking for a sailboat to live on with my girlfriend. When I arrived in St. Augustine, there was a buzz around town. I was actually making my art in a park near the lighthouse. I needed to make a dozen or so to take into a shop and sell my work wholesale. The truck was too crowded for making my art. This was a perfect place to do so. While making my art on a picnic table, a woman passed and admired my work. She said her husband was a sculpture who would love to see my work. She went and fetched him. He came to see my work and immediately said," The city just started allowing artists to sell in the plaza without a permit. An artist just won a court case. It's all over the news here." At that point, I had this great idea that when we buy a boat, we would come to St. Augustine and sell my art in the plaza.
Four months later we had purchased a sailboat and were anchored in St. Augustine. I went to where the city issued permits for vending to make sure I did not need a permit. The girl asked me what kind of art I make. I told her it was wire sculpture. She then said art was only prints, photography or painting. She said I would have to take it up with the city attorney. So I scheduled an appointment. Three days later, the city finally assures me that sculpture is indeed art and that I did not need a permit.
The next day, I set up my art in the Plaza De La Constitucion. I met Greg Travous right away. He was friendly and welcomed my presence. He was very interested in my meeting with the city attorney about whether or not sculpture was art. We sold art in the plaza for five months together up until the time the city announced it was not issuing permits anymore. We had created a beautiful art/craft scene in the plaza. The free speech artists were allowed to be there without a permit. Crafts people and retailers were required to buy a permit. The city gave all the vendors a christmas present they'll never forget. They stopped issuing permits for crafts people and eventually started arresting artists exercising free speech. This led to a class action lawsuit against the city by artists. After three long years, the court sided in favor of the artists. That doesn't mean the artists are free to sell and display art. The city takes a rogue stance by granting a permanent injunction and then four hours later, in the same meeting, writes a new ordinance that prevents artists from displaying art in public. Now, they have stopped harassing Greg Travous, because he is the man behind the lawsuit. The city still intends to arrest artists whom exercise free speech despite the court case. It's crazy really.
Art In The Market is the name of Greg's blog dedicated to the same causes as this blog. His blog is a vast resource to artists whom are displaying art for sale in public or anyone interested. There are links to many court cases and articles on the side bar of his blog. It is very useful. Be sure to check it out.
http://artinthemarket.blogspot.com/
There is a link in the side bar called "Art In The Market".
