Public television is the ideal venue for "Art on the Block," an engaging 19-minute documentary that profiles some of the artists commissioned by Leopold Gallery's Paul Dorrell to create works for the new H&R Block world headquarters. You'll find that flash-drive-shaped building in downtown Kansas City, at the intersection of Commerce and Art.
Much like the subjects of "Art on the Block," KCPT, which is airing the film at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, has increasingly had to depend on corporate underwriting for its livelihood. Aside from the lovely visuals in this film -- courtesy of UMKC professor Daven Gee and his student-directors (pictured) -- the overall impression left by "Art on the Block" is that corporate money has become the primary means for support for many struggling artists, as seen in this clip linked below:
- VIDEO: Art On The Block clip
To be fair, there's also a discussion in the film of art's relationship to community development that goes beyond the corporate-patron angle. But even that is informed by a refrain of voices from the artists whose works were chosen by Dorrell and underwritten by Block. Generous as the tax-preparing giant has been to Kansas City, "Art on the Block" does leave me wondering how much our definition of "community" is determined by business interests instead of the public interest. Kansas City is lucky to have a public art program, but that, too, is paid for by the private sector. One passerby is heard to complain that he'd rather have the city supporting local artists instead of giving him free garbage pickup. But that voice is a fringe one, it seems. Taxpayer money for the arts is an idea whose time has passed, at least in this country.
(Pictured above: "Confluence" by William Lobdell)
By the way, I gave the video team the wrong URL. For more information on Art on the Block, you should actually visit
http://cas.umkc.edu/comm/aotb.htm
Also, Alice Thorson (our art critic) set me straight on the Kansas City One Percent for Art Program.
Posted by: Aaron | August 08, 2007 at 05:27 PM