I had a wonderful day yesterday! I went to an all -day artist’s sabbatical at the Dahl Museum, on scholarship. It was an awesome gathering of about 100 of South Dakota’s best visual and performing artists, do address issues such as artistic integrity, success as an artist, marketing our careers, how our art is under valued or compromised, and building bridges to the community. For one whole Day, I felt connected instead of alienated, I was with people of my own ilk instead of being the lone whistler of Deadwood. The whole day was a feast, for the soul and for the senses. Desert was pending the evening listing to Normal Liota, the Canadian Guitar God, in a casino. He even managed to serve up some classical guitar to Deadwood and they ate it up, without protest. He had little kids dancing to his original compositions, and he had me in tears with his version of “Whiter Shade of Pale.” You know, so great, so evocative…so good…(Please don’t blow my bad girl cover, and let anybody know I’m sentimental, I’ll have to break your knees!)
As many of you know I am embroiled in a pitch battle for my right to play my whistles on public property from my own enjoyment Being there for the day, took away that crazymaking absurd feel of things happening here in Deadwood. My decision is to chain myself to the railing on the steps of City Hall with my whistle and NWA picket signs and play my heart out, and attempt to do the best I can do as a hunger strike, civil disobedience in the name of free speech. The only way I can challenge this dumb law on a constitutional basis is to get arrested and ask for a public defender. I chose the life of an artist, the life of a poet. I’m not starving, but I living under the nation poverty level. We are the outback here, and poor on legal resources. I’ll do this. I believe in whistles and freedom of speech. I believe whistler can make this a better world. I believe that we are all interrelated, and every thing we do impacts every creature and human that in habits this planet.
A legal defense fund has been started, and I’m getting wonderful support from many diverse groups, churches, the Living History Foundation, etc. I am also asking begging groveling pleading for help from you C&Fers. I am doing my utmost to create an international media feast.
One other thing, there is an internationally know artist, Sandy Skogland, from South Dakota, who just had a show in Paris, and is coming home to do a collaborative installation with little kids, arts students, artists and members of the community. She uses crumpled paper, living people, who decide what role that want to play, and every thing will be green, or other complementary color, It is about spontaneity, texture, community, etc. She also uses found objects, too! The last step is the photography. I contributed by Doolin (least favorite, to be painted green! ) Heavy symbolism here folks! I also gave away another whistle to a local musician, who like winds, but didn’t know what a whistle was! Boy, that was progress.
Funny, the street musician tradition has been around a lot longer than these wild west characters here!
I wish they could see how absurd and surreal and funny this whole situation would be if I were not in the middle of it and if there weren’t a serious issue at the bottom of it!
Geeze, avatutria, I should send you my chiff and fipple forum posts for editing…tired, taking this day to loaf and invite my soul! screw spelling, I expect all of you to know what I mean.
Let it shine! Anna “Dances with Weasels” Martinez
[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2002-03-24 10:42 ]
Mike
Mike