Much has been made over the years about the first fridays Kansas City crossroads art district event. Enough to make me quite jealous of a very vibrant art community that wasn't on my back porch in Fayetteville, AR. I'm not sure what I always pictured, but it wasn't what I saw last night.
There were a lot of people there last night, but not the hordes I had been expecting. The art galleries were spaced out a lot more than in my imagination, and the quality of the art, just wasn't up to the scratch I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, there were a few pieces worth attending for, but I've seen far more in Fayetteville on the occasional exhibit there.
I told some of my companions, that it is really hard to compare anything anymore once you have been to the Art Basel festival in South Miami Beach. I stumbled onto that festival one week by accident when I was in the area for a photoshoot. I only had an hour to take in several hundred art exhibits all under the same roof of a giant warehouse. It was an incredible experience. There was all variety of art in that building from Warhols and Chagalls to the most obscure newbie. But all great stuff, and all for sale (out of my price range mind you.) I even got to see a vast collection of Ryan McGinness prints, which floored me.
While I know the small KC art district can't compete with that sort of intense instant gratification, I can see plenty of room for improvements. I think that I might start by inserting some pieces of my own into their midst. I'm giving myself a year to provide ten pieces which can be put on display somewhere and represent me and my tastes.
Wish me luck.
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