I’m a blessed arts lover. I live in New York City, which lures international performing arts mega-productions and emerging artists alike. Not only that, NYC has three major airports that afford one-stop travel to the world’s major cultural hubs.
Do I avail of this enviable cultural boon? Not nearly as much as I should or could. I do have a gig as a performing arts reviewer at a popular cultural events website, which propels me to downtown shows as well as international imports, readings, festivals, and more.
Also, somewhat recently cut loose from a cubicle, I have the flex schedule that is the stuff of arts-hoppers and globe-trotters dream of. Copywriting projects and the Almighty Internet allow me to work from virtually any wired stretch of Mother Earth. I’ve dreamed up ads for The New York Times while watching sheep lope in Ireland’s craggy Connemara. I’ve crafted radio spots from an 11th-arrondisement garret in Paris.
Moreover, I have a mission: To not only stay current on the blockbuster festivals and celeb-inflected “must-see” productions, but to also mine the artists making a statement with wits over wealth, with inspiration over press representation. I believe they are legion, though often minus the means and marketing chops to work the festival machine or connect with cultural press. Instead, each becomes an idle tree sliding silently into obscurity.
I aim to give them voice. Yes, I’m sure to contend with a swell of well-intentioned, witless attempts along the way. And I do have obligations in fair Brooklyn that keep me from dashing off whenever the impulse strikes. However, my hope is that this blog will formalize my desire to ferret out significant work.
Next stop: Paris at the end of May. After that, the finale weekend of the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.
