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Iris Richardson

5 Years Ago

Dangerous To Be An Artist

Yesterday I was in Trenton at the Arts All Night even. Little did I know only hours later there would be a shooting taking place. It reminded me how many times artists by default put themselves in danger.

Art all Night Trenton is such a positive event. Artist trying to bring back opportunities and revise a neighborhood. I hope this is not the end of Art all Night. My heart goes out to all those families who are having loved ones fighting for their lives. Artists are known to move into a neighborhood which has fallen to the side, considered undesirable. To artist that represent affordable housing and studio space to create their art. The presence of artist improve the neighborhoods and slowly others move in. As soon as the property owners see the neighborhood turning around they push artist out for higher-paying tenants. The artist moves on to the next neighborhood and so on. There is little support towards the artist who so obviously is a benefit to communities. Artists create multi-billion dollar industry but see little to nothing for what they bring to the table. So my plea to you readers is; please support an artist. It is nice when you tell them their art is beautiful but it is your purchases which will help him/her continue to create art.

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2018/06/multiple_people_shot_1_dead_at_art_all_night_event.html

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Abbie Shores

5 Years Ago

That's a lovely message. I'm so sorry to read about it, Iris. I'm so glad you're safe.

 

Edward Fielding

5 Years Ago

Why is this limited to artists? Basically the public at large is in danger. School kids, nightclub goers, country music fans - no one is safe and nothing is done.

 

Janine Riley

5 Years Ago

I just read this. I want to say " unbelievable..." but unfortunately that is so not the case these days.

Glad to hear you left earlier in the day Iris.

Who knows who we haven't heard from yet. and may not.

 

Hans Zimmer

5 Years Ago

~~~~~~~~~~~
So my plea to you readers is; please support an artist. It is nice when you tell them their art is beautiful but it is your purchases which will help him/her continue to create art.
~~~~~~~~~~~

That´s precisely what i did with this image:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/quarter-million-homeless-2017-rosanne-gartner.html

One can read underneath the image what i did and why.

Happy to hear you´re save. :o)

 

David Bridburg

5 Years Ago

Iris and Valarie,

I am glad you are safe and sound.

We have all been touched in our neighborhoods by these tragedies.

I am becoming numb to them. Which is the worst we can do as a nation.

Dave

 

Iris Richardson

5 Years Ago

When I was there-there was not much police presence and I was upset because nobody was making sure that visitors can safely cross the road. When I dropped off my painting on Saturday a little kid almost run in front of a car. I was hoping more police was at the event later that night. I do wonder where the Trenton police were when the event attracts over 15000 visitors. This was their 12 year and the first time violence took place. The neighborhood is poor which is not unusual around old warehouses. But the event itself was very well organized. Volunteers made sure visitors behaved themselves inside the exhibition hall. But I did not see any police inside the building while I was there.

 

Mike Savad

5 Years Ago

i just want to know what it was about - were they arguing about artists? or was it gang related and was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

 

Iris Richardson

5 Years Ago

The art was for the most part from amateurs artist ,kids, and perhaps some pro artist. A few works could have been considered political, one painting of the president, another of an athlete kneeling. Overall not too much controversial art. If reports are correct the shooting started at one of the entrances where no art was displayed. If I had to take a guess the shooters came from the neighborhood and had prior grievances with each other.

 

Val Arie

5 Years Ago

Thank you David, Iris glad you are ok too. We are still waiting to hear from everyone we know who went. This was such a great event for so many years.

 

Iris Richardson

5 Years Ago

I agree 12 years and counting. I hope this shooting is not the end of it. I was so impressed on how well it was organized.

 

Bill Tomsa

5 Years Ago

I can only repeat what I always say whenever another shooting event happens and BTW it's nice to say "please support an artist", but if we really are serious about "doing something" about all of this gun violence then send MONEY/support to the anti-gun violence organization of your choice.

The only thing that can stop a pro gun lobbyist with big money (NRA/gun industry) is an anti gun violence lobbyist with bigger money.

Bill Tomsa

https://billtomsa.blogspot.com/

 

See My Photos

5 Years Ago

Glad you are safe!

 

VIVA Anderson

5 Years Ago

Yes,of course,so glad you are safe,and thanks for ideas,thoughts,for better safety. (Yesterday,down our main street,I viewed from my 2nd storey window, a tall
young woman,dressed smartly,carrying a huge backpack,and,leather rifle case....and, I could not rest with the worry: there was a big outdoor event in town.
So, perhaps uselessly, but, I answered my conscience,and called the local police, so am on record reporting a gun/carrying/innocent person, probably,but it
seems, every time in the news,that somehow we take our safety too much for granted, and do 'nothing', when 'something' could be done,even if wrong about
it/the person.....keep a sharp eye these days,sigh).

 

Roy Erickson

5 Years Ago

It is no more dangerous to be an artist than to be anything else - try being a policeman - or just another human being - anywhere in the world - name the place. the middle east, Europe (France, England, Italy, etc), Asia, Africa, Chicago, LA, NYC, Detroit, Jacksonville or Lake City in Florida, Miami, Tampa/St. Pete - You could be any person, any 'trade' business; a president or past president must go about with a small army of protectors, think Abraham L, Ronald R, and a few other Presidents.

If you deliberately put yourself in a place where danger exists - especially without planning or asking for police to be on watch - they don't appear out of thin air.

It is sad for it to be this way - but our world is what WE have made it.

 

"The shooting appears to be related to several neighborhood gangs from here in the city of Trenton having a dispute at the venue," Onofri said. ~ Reuters

Gang members don't care about gun laws... or whoever in the community gets in the way of their fire either. They are there strictly to bring chaos to law and order.

 

Shana Rowe Jackson

5 Years Ago

What a senseless tragedy. I am so glad that you are okay Iris. So scary that you never know where these things will happen!

 

David Bridburg

5 Years Ago

Our gun problems are everywhere.

Dave

More specifically it is hardly only gangs.

 

So, it seems, are our gang problems.

 

Lisa Kaiser

5 Years Ago

Glad your safe Iris.

I also support other artists as much as I can.

 

Iris Richardson

5 Years Ago

Here is an updated article and yes this was a gang-related shooting https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/06/trenton_shooting_suspected_gun.html


I am so glad the 13-year-old is out of danger.

Let me clarify due to economics many artists are living in neighborhoods which are not very safe. Not by choice but because affordable housing is very difficult to find. Even when I still worked as a chef the wages they pay did not really allow you to be picky about where you could live. My friend is a realtor in Florida and has a client who has $2000 a month for rent. She needs a 4 bedroom and can not find one in a safe neighborhood. It is easy for someone to say just don't live in those areas when they have the money to pick and choose. But that was not the point I am making. Artists bring back communities and do add value to society. They create their own jobs and when money is not coming in can't collect unemployment. For the most part, they are self-sustainable living folks. When you buy from an artist you support so much more than art.

 

MARTY SACCONE

5 Years Ago

It's not the same world I was brought up in.

You can't legislate the behavior of those who wish to do terrible things.

There's no law that will ever take into account "everyone's" personal viewpoint or needs.

All you can do is,..hope that your not in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Can't imaging the parenting skills that challenge families these days,...and how do you instill and maintain innocence when you're surrounded by the lack of it?

The world is now a smaller place where the immediacy of every day touches us all.















 

Bill Tomsa

5 Years Ago

"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit".
Napoleon Hill (www.brainyquote.com)

Perhaps one of the "seed(s) of an equal or greater benefit" that can come out of this whole gun violence epidemic is that artists (maybe even those here on FAA) can speak out, not only with their heartfelt words, but also with their HEARTFELT ARTWORKS.

Just as there have been artists throughout history that have used their brushes and paint to address other problems in their eras so too is it not possible for today's artists to put on canvas (real or digital) how they feel about this epidemic of gun violence in the United States of America?


 

Andrew Pacheco

5 Years Ago


Glad to hear you are safe Iris.

What amazes me most, is how quickly stories like this drop from the headlines when it is discovered that the shooter or shooters are from a demographic that does not fit the narrative the the mainstream media has been working so hard to create. Gang shooting, not a middle class NRA member gone berserk....lets push this one below the fold.

 

Pointing to the correct problem is part of the issue that seems to get pushed.

The problem here is a tolerant society regarding gang behavior. These gangs strike fear in society through their lack of conscience. A total disregard for the rules of society. And the many who outnumber the few allow this to happen instead of confronting it. It takes lots more guts by the whole to refute this lifestyle. Art might help to bring a bit of culture to a town. But it doesn't change the presence of evil better than a coalition of the willing who take a stand against allowing gangs to fester on their turf. Cockroaches always find the dirtiest and darkest places to multiply.

Good observation Marty.

Andrew... there are very few NRA members that go berserk. Quite a few have stepped in on a crisis recently and helped put the fire out. That very rarely finds a headline also.

 

Andrew Pacheco

5 Years Ago

Glenn, I know. The stories you are referring to, barely get a mention in the news...and when they do...it is begrudgingly so.

All violence boils down to the same problem. It's all a people problem.

 

JC Findley

5 Years Ago

Well, I no longer have a blue box so won't be banning those people with political posts like this one.

"I can only repeat what I always say whenever another shooting event happens and BTW it's nice to say "please support an artist", but if we really are serious about "doing something" about all of this gun violence then send MONEY/support to the anti-gun violence organization of your choice.

The only thing that can stop a pro gun lobbyist with big money (NRA/gun industry) is an anti gun violence lobbyist with bigger money. "

Thanks for the reminder Bill, my NRA membership is almost up. Time to renew it.

 

Bill Tomsa

5 Years Ago

I wasn't going to say anything BUT..

Seems to me like "blame it on gangs not guns" is the new NRA talking point being given out to it's members to replace the now time worn "blame it on the crazies not the total availability guns".

Send money to the anti gun violence groups.

You're welcome JC. Reminded me also to send money to Brady Campaign and others.

Nice cowboy outfit. Reminds me of the one I had when I was 10 years old.

 

Bill Tomsa

5 Years Ago

BTW JC Findley, you didn't bother to tell us exactly what was "political" about my post that you quoted.

 

Abbie Shores

5 Years Ago

Ok thank you everyone.

Iris, I'm very glad, as i said before, that you're safe.

It's now political and, as I had hoped it wouldn't, is getting nasty with a disgusting personal cheapshot at someone, which is not tolerated here for any reason.

Stay safe everyone, now take your politics elsewhere.

"Nice cowboy outfit. Reminds me of the one I had when I was 10 years old." Gets timeout

 

Iris Richardson

5 Years Ago

I will be closing this conversation

 

This discussion is closed.