You (don't) gotta have art #2

On Friday, late for a meeting, I pulled out my camera to capture the moment--three classical musicians playing for the late afternoon Union Station commuter crowd, only to witness them get shut down. There needs to be some balance over "controlling" public spaces, having orderly and safe public spaces and places--and Union Station is a nonprofit corporation that may own the station, independent of the federal government--and joy and vitality.
Musicians at Union Station

Someone coming up to throw some money in the case.

Note the woman in the red coat, looking over at the musicians.

Musicians at Union Station, getting shut down by the (wo)Man. People still donating money, including the woman in the red coat.

Note that:

1. The Inner Harbor in Baltimore has an audition process that yields a set of authorized musicians to play on their privatized public spaces.
2. The NYC Subway system allows musicians to play in certain areas of stations.

3. WMATA is considering this, although there have been some complaints about the idea.

4. I've seen officially-sanctioned music played inside Union Station, they just need to expand their way of thinking about this.
Frankly, I'd rather hear music outside, where I can choose to listen, or listen for a brief moment, than in the station, where the spaces are contained, it's loud, and if I am waiting for a train, I have no choice but to listen.
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"You gotta have art" was an ad campaign that I remember from my childhood. Obviously, it stuck with me. I think it may have been by the Detroit Institute of Arts, and it was on tv and/or radio.

Index Keywords: arts-culture