A Time for Reflection

The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is my time for deep reflection. It’s a time for me to focus on the hard questions about life and art – am I living to my full potential? am I fulfilling my creative objectives?

The artist residents of San Miguel should utilize some or all of this week for collectively reflecting on what kind of a city we want to create for ourselves now and for future generations. Are we going to be happy with a city of pleasure for the elite but unlivable for the majority?

Clogged with traffic and choking on fumes, we are in danger of committing suicide by tourism. The city is growing too fast. Our cultural riches are being cheapened by commercialism. I doubt most of us would say, yes, we endorse this kind of rampant growth. Inevitably, the commercial potential is being exploited by those who seek only to profit from the city’s exploding popularity. But we artists should take up the role of the conscience of the city. I believe it’s our moral duty – we should protect and preserve the best of the city that has been so good to us.

San Miguel's Art Glut

There's a definite art glut in San Miguel. Art is everywhere, and that's not a bad thing because it helps to beautify the city. But it's getting harder for galleries to stay open. Too much competition, I suspect. Just learned today that a gallery with good art by serious artists in a prime location that's been open for the last 8 years is going out of business, and will be closing its doors forever this  week. Knowing what I do about the owners, I'd say the reason they are closing is lack of sales.