In Arts Town, and not

In Arts Town, and not

by Garrison Frost

Arts Town has a number of successful galleries.
Not Arts Town has very nice gift shops that some people think are art galleries.

Arts Town has open studio events.
Not Arts Town has arts and craft fairs.

The City Council of Arts Town is comfortable funding public art it knows some residents won't like.
The City Council of Not Arts Town has found that it can't fund public art because it can't ever find something that absolutely every resident adores.

But then the Arts Town City Council has found that it doesn't need to fund public art so much because so much culture exists in galleries and other spaces.
Not Arts Town has long since realized that there would be no art in the public eye if the city didn't commission it.

Arts Town has at least one successful non-chain coffeehouse and at least one non-chain bookstore.
The people of Not Arts Town crowd the city's two Starbucks every Sunday morning.

Arts Town tries to elevate and support opportunities for working artists.
Not Arts Town only funds arts programs for kids.

Arts Town has at least one local artist of some renown who everyone knows.
Not Arts Town might have artists of some renown, but no one in town knows who they are.

People come to Arts Town to experience artistic culture.
People leave Not Arts Town to experience artistic culture.

The Arts Town public library is a busy place hosting a great deal of activity and programming for people of all generations. Everyone in town visits the library once a week.
The Not Arts Town public library primarily hosts small numbers of children, seniors and homeless people. Most people can't remember the last time they were there.

Arts Town has at least one art house theater.
Not Arts Town has a multiplex.

The people of Arts Town buy and collect the work of local artists.
The people of Not Arts Town don't.

In Arts Town, art is accessible to everyone.
In Not Arts Town, it is clear that art is only for the wealthy.

In Arts Town, people discuss the dangers of gentrification.
In Not Arts Town, people discuss the danger of declining property values.

Arts Town has at least one piece of art identified with the city that everyone knows about, whether they like it or not.
Not Arts Town doesn't have any such pieces of art.

Controversial art prompts discussion all over Arts Town to discuss its merits.
Controversial art prompts people in Not Arts Town to argue over whether it should be removed.

Arts Town has one or more areas where one will find a concentration of artists' studios.
Artists' studios in Not Arts Town are scattered, if they exist at all.

People in Arts Town rarely talk about whether artistic culture is waxing or waning.
The boosters of Not Arts Town are always talking about an arts resurgence.

(April 13, 2005)