Oh, that’s right, you are just an asshole.

One of my favorite things about Portland, OR is that the art community here, is just that, a community. The amount of pretentious gallery people/artists is not as great here as it is in other cities that I have lived in. Everyone really comes together and celebrate each other’s achievements, works on collaborations, and even though we are all in it to forward our own careers, it’s not as catty as other places. Portland is really special in that way, and I love our city for it. I had an encounter with a curator, that was so uncharacteristically Portland, last night, that I almost couldn’t believe it happened. First off, let me say, that I don’t expect everyone in the world to like my work, or want to hang it, or buy it. It’s not for everyone, but a lot of work goes into what I do. And, I suppose it is good for us all to get that reality check every now and then, so that we don’t get to big for our britches, a my grandmother would say.

So, what do we do as artists when someone comes out very strongly against what you do, not just for a living, but what you do to keep living? Well, even when you feel like firebombing the gallery, with said curator inside, we all know that it has been a long time since a prison had a great art show. And even though you feel like broadcasting across all of your: blogs, twitters, myspaces, and email lists, how horribly insulting that person is, name names and try your best to destroy their reputation; that is only damaging to your own reputation. My advise, or at least what I am doing in this situation, is: vent for a little while, but don’t dwell, because then you are allowing them to further waste your time. Have a nice strong whiskey, and then, just keep going. Let their ignorant actions and words be the fuel to your fire. Know that if a curator has no idea what to do with your art, then it’s probably a good thing. Keep fighting the good fight, and out last the bastards. xo Heidi