April 21, 2001
Ms Betsy Baker, Director
Georgia Council for the Arts
260 14th Street NW Suite 401
Atlanta, GA 30318
Madam:
Your lack of a response to my last communication regarding art funding has left me wondering just how serious is your commitment to diversity and inclusiveness. Given these times of George W. Bush, Jr. when apologies are charades to cover double talk that one takes back as soon as one gets what one wants, how does one build trust? Vicariously, I was forwarded an invitation to a "Dialogue with Atlanta, Fulton and Georgia Agencies" hosted by Global Arts Partners to be held on April 24, 2001. Although late in coming, a dialogue regarding the issues I raised concerning the extreme disadvantages young black artists and performers face in Georgia, in general, and Atlanta, in particular, is better late than never. Since, I did not receive a direct invitation I am still awaiting your response to my letter. Now, my question is what constructive role can I play at a meeting where no one will address the issues I raised in my last communication?
Recapitulating the observations made in that correspondence, I am a life-long patron of the arts. I see Atlanta's budding art effort as a tremendous expenditure of energy and resources with very little benefit derived. The history of art funding in Georgia has been dictated by segregation. Blacks are excluded from all decision-making with regards to arts funding. We are locked out of the inner workings of the arts community and blacks view the situation as a biased allocation process or blatant discrimination. In 1998, I began working with several young black performers struggling to produce community theater projects. The arts regime dictating funding policies at that time treated young black artists and performers as though funding black art was a waste of resources.
I am quite sure you recall my closing statement regarding, "no objective observer would dare suggest Atlanta's black citizens receive the same level of arts funding as do white art lovers." A prime example is what happened with arts funding in DeKalb County with Soapstone, which represented community arts for predominantly black south DeKalb. While paying Ariel Williams, a white woman, an annual salary of more than $50,000, line dancing for the elderly is all the makeshift Soapstone offered. Now, Soapstone is a distant memory and so is Ariel Williams. The history of arts funding in south DeKalb reflects the classic divide that is a relic left over from segregation's color line. Many members on arts councils and boards still hold to that heritage.
Boards and councils, dominated by such attitudes, refused to even talk with Yohannes and the collaborative back in 1998. Today, it is the black community's hope your arrival signals a new attitude and willingness to develop inclusive policies regarding the funding of black community-based art initiatives. Our young people are still waiting to engage the arts community in a fair, equitable and productive dialogue as members of the same community. My previous letter sought a meeting of minds to begin building trust and cooperation. Instead, we are dismissed with a cut direct just as if segregation was still the law.
My letter was a response to your assessment of Research Atlanta's art-support study. You characterized it as "a great wake-up call." That is one way of describing the paternalistic approach to art funding whites show the black community, but your admission that there are deficiencies and inadequacies in arts funding in Atlanta only further points up the true tragedy of total neglect of art needs in the African American community. However, it seems being allowed in the room after whites have decided how arts funds will be allotted is your idea of inclusion. Moreover, continuing to fund the same arts group to do the same old things under new names is not my idea of change.
As I pointed out, the young artists I represent have been unable to secure funding from the city, county, state, or federal government and private businesses and foundations turned deaf ears to their requests as well. Determined to present relevant and realistic art to the community inspired Yohannes to developed a concept around his artistic vision, T.H.I.N.C. (Teaching Humanity In New Consciousness): The Chrysalis of Evolution. He and other young performers saw a tremendous opportunity in Atlanta's underground poetry scene. Starting with a small group of poets, they organized The Atlanta Vibe Repertory Company. They pooled their resources to expand and vary performance venues. The ATL Vibe, as it is known on the streets, is a consortium based on individual networks of artists who combined their talents and other resources to create performance opportunities for artists and performers. Online, the ATL Vibe web site is www.thedish.ws click on Atlanta Vibe.
Unlike art groups that control arts funds, the Vibe's young artists are actually doing in the black community what white well-funded arts groups only talk about doing. Gloria Engleke, Director of Georgia Citizens for the Arts, and John Bacon of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce talked about the need for "increased arts support" if the Atlanta region hopes to attract and keep high-tech businesses that appreciate how critical the arts are to attracting and keeping "smart talent." Groups like Business Volunteers for the Arts, the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund, the ACVB's cultural partners, the Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts all share the same lack of a perspective on the "bootstrap" efforts young black artists are making. Unfortunately, these groups are concerned only with "taking art to the suburbs." They continue to think exclusively about art rather than inclusively with out-reach in the inner city.
These groups get public and private funds that are supposed to go toward developing art by broadening the audience base with the kind of community theater The Atlanta Vibe is currently presenting but none of the groups controlling art funds will share tax dollars. Presently, most art funds in Georgia do not go to pay for art or artists. As with Ariel Williams, these funds pay for jobs for administrators, coordinators, consultants, secretaries and office space. It can be compared to prisons in rural counties, which are seen as job programs for poor white communities. Such meetings as the April 24, 2001 dialogue cannot possibly address the history of segregation that exists in arts funding. We will continue to demand a fair and equitable share of art funds and support for our young artists and performers. We still await your response to these critical issues.
Respectfully,
John Burl Smith, Director
ICIM Public Relations
cc: Veronica Williams-Njoku, Fulton County Arts Council
Camille Love, City of Atlanta, Bureau of Cultural Affairs
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