The Sunshine Coast’s vibrant art scene is one of its prize assets, filling the region with beautiful sounds and objects and priceless personalities. It pulls in visitors, elevates the quality of life and helps shape the community in myriad beneficial ways.
This week, however, we were exposed to a pair of less salubrious performances from the art world, showcasing a lack of sensitivity and, some would say, respect.
The first case involves the move by the Sunshine Coast Arts Council to blanket the Arts Centre gallery walls with drawings of nudes at a time when children, some as young as five, would be there as participants in the Festival of the Performing Arts. This did not sit well with some of the parents, teachers or organizers of the festival, whose president called it “completely inappropriate” and whose past president noted the event has been held during the same weeks in April for 45 years to prevent such inappropriateness.
Despite the objections, the Arts Council has thus far refused to remove the work, arguing that schedules were changed last year, that festival organizers had been told the gallery would be exhibiting adult artists in April, that the exhibition calendar was put together by a committee that didn’t know the dates of the festival, and that it likely wouldn’t have mattered if they had known.
It all seems like a rather passive-aggressive way to make the festival go elsewhere, done with no consideration to the sensibilities of some members of the community.
Our second example is a little closer to home. The facing page contains two letters to the editor, one by artist Gordon Halloran and the other by his partner, Caitlin Hicks. Two weeks ago we reported on Mr. Halloran’s vision of transforming derelict vessels into works of art. We also used our very unscientific poll to ask readers if they thought it was a good idea. The answer that came back, for what it was worth, which is just shy of zero, tilted to the catastrophic: of nearly 200 votes, 83 per cent did not like the idea. Even plastic straws had more defenders.
Halloran’s and Hicks’ letters can speak for themselves, and we embrace constructive criticism almost to a fault, but what warrants comment is the degree of elitism toward the public on display. Some people, we’re told, “just don’t get it.” They distrust creative energy. Or maybe they’re jealous of the artist’s carefree existence. And they shouldn’t have been asked, since they had no foundation on which to base an opinion (a full-page article). The response was “a lemming-think thumbs down.” Do they assume that art is “a bit of paint slathered over a soggy piece of wood?”
Never does it seem to register that many people want derelict boats to be – gone. No matter how splendidly they can be dressed up or transformed, some people just want them removed from the environment. And they have a right to feel that way.
Just like parents have a right to not want their young children to be surrounded by images of graphic nudity while they give piano recitals in public.
Again, it’s about respecting others’ sensibilities. Not being an insufferable elitist.
We wish Mr. Halloran a positive reception at the public forum he’s planning. And we trust the Arts Council can mend fences and come to a resolution with organizers of the Festival of the Performing Arts.
These are all good people and some of them are brilliant. We offer this as constructive criticism and hope they enjoy getting it half as much as we do.
