News from the Front: Venice Girds for the Summer onslaught
By Della
Franco
What is the news? That is the
question on every one’s mind. But no one really knows for sure. There are
so many unanswered questions, so many conflicting versions.
Artists are holding their breath. What is
going to become of the boardwalk? And
when?
But right now, in the haze of all
the confusion, Venice Beach is once again beating to its own rhythm. Artists and
vendors are not playing by the City’s rules, the damned ordinance is being
ignored, abandoned, disobeyed.
But for
how long? Is this the calm before the
storm?
When will the cops start to
harass again? Arrest again? Confiscate
again?
Incense and sage fill the air
once more. Handcrafted materials fill the spaces and make the boardwalk look
beautiful, colorful, cultural. It feels alive
again.
The police still patrol, and
they still do nothing about the vendors who are obviously selling factory-made,
mass produced, “Made in China”
products.
Note to those vendors: If you
can’t make your art on the spot - GO AWAY! You are ruining it for everyone
else.
And the police still stalk the
authentic artists who are busy making their art by staring coldly at them for
long periods of time from their patrol
cars.
The word on the street is that
there are one or two, maybe more, pending court decisions about the fate of the
boardwalk and the Ordinance.
How long
will that take? No one
knows.
“They say” the
boardwalk will soon ONLY permit tarot readers and performers. Does that mean it
will include artists making their art on the spot or
not?
Are they not performers
too?
“They say” that anyone
who does not abide by this law will be
sued.
The police will again use their
power to crush and control the spirit of Venice and they will have the city
behind.
But when? We were promised by
the Councilman that he would help make amendments to the
ordinance.
He gave us his word that he would
protect the craftspeople who were
overlooked.
We are still waiting for
those changes.
I hope it happens soon.
I pray that the Ocean Front can finally exist in peace.
Posted: Fri - June 1, 2007 at 10:00 PM