The Dialogues of Catcher and Fox (2 of 3)
Revolution at The Museum
It was almost December in Asheville, and the busy streets were somewhat thinned by the cooler temperatures. The pace of life was slowing, but in awkward misstep with the social climate, which never seemed to pause in its unspoken agreement of decay. Nevertheless things in the city moved on much as they had this last decade; art sales and coffee shops and communal hippie gatherings designed to manifest peace.
Henry Catcher was out on a jog in the brisk weather. He turned down College St., then Broadway, and took a right onto North Pack. As he neared the Square he shook his head. On the sidewalk outside the museum, drawing with colored chalk- was none other than Jack Fox, his old artist friend.
Jack had drawn a linear series of foot-step circles, a word in each one, reading altogether, as one walked across them
HOW
MUCH
DOES
IT
COST
TO
KEEP
POOR
PEOPLE
OUT
OF
THE
MUSEUM ?
$15
HENRY: Well Jack! You certainly seem to be making this museum your home.
JACK: You don’t know the half of it.
HENRY: I saw what you’d posted online. You’re really trying to get the museum to drop its admission fee and open its doors to the public.
JACK: Yeah. You know that. Are you gonna help me?
HENRY: It seems like a simple enough thing. I saw that your plan is to gather some artists to make a free offering of art to the museum in exchange for their opening the doors. I agree that a museum should be like a library--a free place where anyone can learn and experience beauty. It's a good place to begin focusing our energies.
You know I've talked to some people about this project and they mostly display some agreement along with some ambivalence and hesitation. They wonder things like "how will the museum keep the lights on if they don't have an admission fee" and "isn't it up to the owners and those in charge" or "$15 isn't really that much to ask for."
My hope is as we continue that our friends will realize that it is ok to ask things of our institutions and businesses. And you know I'm not artist, but to this end I've written something I'd like to contribute to the free offering.
[Henry pulls out his phone and sends a document to Jack]:
It is like this:
The systems are broken and the people within them are broken.
The people are like birds caught in giant turning gears.
They know the systems are broken but because they have been so ground down they don’t believe they can change them.
So they politely wait for, or furiously demand the systems change themselves.
Or they say “it’s the responsibility of the oppressor, let them change it” and they sit back.
The medical workers and mental health workers are afraid to say “We refuse to be bound to profit and insurance and numbers. We refuse to be overworked and then expected to heal others. Health begets health and belongs freely to everyone.
Those in food service, labor, and retail are afraid to say “This job is necessary and should therefore receive the best benefits, time off, pay, and respect.”
The teachers are afraid to say “I’m not teaching this. This is the wrong way to teach.”
The artists are afraid to say “I will find a way to live without becoming a sales person.”
The institutional directors are afraid to say “Moral love must come before the business reality.”
Everyone is afraid to say “We should be able to live well off the wealth of technology. Those profits belong to all of us.”
Everyone is afraid to say “We should be allowed to work much less, 50% of the time that we do.”
Everyone is afraid to say “No person should make ten-thousand times more money than another person.”
Everyone is afraid to say “A wealthy person gets wealthy because of their society and not as an island. It is their duty to give most of their wealth back to that society. And we would love them for that too.”
Everyone is afraid to say “I’m not going to pursue the credential, or education, or work I don’t believe in.”
Everyone is afraid to say “I’m willing to postpone my personal success and stability to change things.”
And behind all this repression of vitality, all this checking of common sense, all this fear of action, freedom has been hiding.
And political freedom is a dialogue, not an ordinance.
Hierarchy tries to teach us that those in charge are those in charge and ultimately there is little we can say to them.
But take heart—revolution is an archetype so deeply set in the human story that its emergence can never be done away with.
Revolution is the story that tells us we are obligated, each of us, to take political responsibility.
We are obligated to send information back up the pyramid of hierarchy and remind the leaders that they are servants.
Assume that no one is going to fight for you.
But look around and notice how frustrated your coworkers and friends are—they are ready to fight with you.
It will be better to take a hit together than a hit alone.
And many of your bosses, leaders and managers simply need to know that you have a concerted will and voice and they will change.
The decision to do the right thing always precedes the method of how to do it.
Until one decides to do the right thing, debate over method is just a coping mechanism.
It creates the ambiguity that allows one to continue doing the wrong thing.
It really is simple. Come up with your list of demands and ask.
And ask.
And ask.
And then demand.
Or just walk away and leave- that will feel better than continued cooperation, even if you don’t know what the next right step is.
Humans are political like they are spiritual.
In every full life a person will be called on to set their personal life aside and fulfill these roles.
We are all lights of intelligence and consciousness and we are all brothers and sisters, or citizens.
The grievance forms have broken the file cabinet.
It’s time to help each other.
[Jack reads the document, nodding his head.]
JACK: That's really good. I've been having some breakthroughs and this validated them. Your response is powerful.
HENRY: Thanks Jack. I've also typed up a pamphlet to try to attract some attention for this museum project, so it's not just us two standing outside the museum come Sunday.
Free The Museum
Hello! This is an open letter to all artists and art-lovers, inviting participation in helping to free the museum. We believe that the Asheville Art Museum, located at 2 South Pack Square, should drop their $15 admission fee so that its doors are equally open for all people.
How will it be done?
On Sunday the 18th of December, at noon, you are invited to meet with us at Pack Square outside of the Art Museum. We will build a collection of personal art to give to the museum in an offer of good-will, in a request that they remove their admissions fee. If you can, bring a piece of art you’ve made (or a poem, etc.) to add to this collection. Be aware that this art collection will be left with the museum to do with what they will. If they choose to dispose of it, that will be recorded in public history.
Each following Sunday at noon we will meet at the museum, gather a new collection of art to offer, and repeat the act until the museum agrees to a “pay-what-you-can” model of entry.
How will the museum keep the lights on?
The museum receives substantial public funding from the government, has membership programs, donors, a gift shop and a cafe. The admission fee is just one stream of revenue. By removing that fee the museum would gain the loyalty of the public, good press, and the influx of many more museum-goers who would shop at the cafe and store within.
The real-world effect of the admission fee is that poor people and teenagers are de-incentivized from accessing the art of their community. Those are demographics who might most benefit from coming into contact with art.
The bottom line is that it is better for a museum to be free for everyone than for it to have a smaller budget for collecting art (if, in fact, the museum doesn’t actually gain money by opening its doors.)
Why the museum?
Many of our institutions no longer do what they are supposed to do. The schools don’t educate, the government doesn’t govern, healthcare doesn’t provide healthcare, and museums have been seduced into honoring money more than the muses. A museum, like a library, is a civil institution designed to freely offer the cultural wealth of a society to all within it.
The justification for this project is twofold. First, that we are obligated as democratic citizens to request and demand things from our institutions. There is no reason at all to let private, let alone partially civil institutions receive no input from the public they are in relationship with. Second, that this is about proposing what a museum is in its best form. It shouldn’t be seen as adversarial. We are here to offer the Asheville Art Museum a better and more beautiful idea of what a museum is.
If this battle is won it may have far reaching consequences for the Art Museum, Asheville at large, and the functioning of our institutions.
Why now?
This is a manageable local issue that can be won. Currently cynicism abounds because of the systematic severity of our issues. This is a place to start and remind ourselves that we can make true changes in our institutions. So if you’ve been experiencing frustrated desires for social change, this is a concrete beginning to consider.
[Jack glances over pamphlet]
JACK: Look. I love it. It's a beautiful articulation of the argument. As a record. But, I don't want to be a movement, or a group. Make an art piece of it- that would be my humble suggestion
Let's take it for granted that we have the same aim: free the museum, and that people are watching.
Yes, join me, but build your own approach, that is from your beautiful mind.
We just have to hunger for the final goal together. Wide open museum doors, where we could meet for coffee whenever we want. I'd almost preferred it if your approach works better, as long as the goal is met, with art. That's why my sidewalk drawings are so abstract, because I am wanting intrigue that is rooted in mystical things, like play.
Two guys making a group is not the same as two guys approaching a problem from different angles. We want to get other artists working the problem, which is why you wrote the letter. But maybe attraction rather than promotion, as an idea.
What do you think? I'm not married to this argument. I'll support you however you want to help with the museum project.
[Henry laughs in surrender]
HENRY: Alright, alright.
I guess the group idea was reaching a little too far. Just thought it could maybe be a segue to future projects, but we can keep our horses first.
Here's my thoughts. I think you had a good idea and I believe the best way to move forward is to do it and have unity. I would like people to know that this is going on and have the four most basic counterarguments answered because that really is a stumbling block for folks, not even intuiting the frame.
Of course there's no guarantee that it even gets anyone else on board, but I guess I have naive good faith that if we don't ask we won't have sincerely tried. The mysticism is good and all but I want to operate with common love here. Not to say that you aren't, but maybe that's my approach to this, to return to that.
JACK: I think you now understand the argument. Now you are trying to figure out how to make the argument to others, which is awesome. What I'm trying to figure out is what the package for the art will look like but, this conversation helped me realize the package can be called a public record. I'm happy with that. I'll be looking for containers this week.
HENRY: I feel as if you're slightly evading me. Are you interested or not interested in my advertising this project to others? It's okay to be straight with me. You won't hurt my feelings. I can take it.
JACK: I'm only telling you this because I believe you'll understand it. I'm trying to avoid framing things; like recording a conversation as "content" to go online, or like saying that what I'm doing at the museum is a movement with a platform. I have no interest in making the argument to anyone. I know that freeing the museum is right.
You know I love philosophy, but I've been beginning to see how everyone is using philosophy to not do anything. As soon as change is brought up everyone becomes a philosopher. Debating whether the museum should open its doors is a false discussion, right? [Jack pauses, looking for confirmation.]
I just want to be doing the right thing, and if something comes from that, great.
[Henry stared at Jack with respect]
HENRY: I sense that what you're saying is true and profound, Jack. It was good to talk with you. I'll see you on Sunday with some art ready. Don't get arrested for pissing on the museum in the meanwhile.
THE NEXT ARTICLE CAN BE FOUND AT:
Maps-app Coordinates: HCVX+HV8 Asheville, NC
Hint: “something to lean on”
If you are interested in this work and would like to help form an Asheville community of spiritually motivated artists and philosophers disconnected from private economic motive, contact kramerflesmih@yahoo.com