I arrived to Highways on this overcast Wednesday to a quieter office. Normally Kate would be sitting next to me working diligently to finish her myriad of projects, music blaring. She took a half day today so she can start rehearsals for UCLA Live, I'm so proud of her!! A few other things have changed. I can play the music I listen to and sit in her chair, which is much better than mine.
Meanwhile I'm here and my desk is packed with the many "ongoing" projects that being an archival intern entail. Hundreds of MiniDVs spanning 20 years of Highways' history, the newer DVD technology allowing for much more effective storage (all requiring an ID# and labels), a pile of names to be added/removed from our mailing list, and the many documents, letters, cards, press surrounding the history around the space. Deciding how to end my term here and how much more I can realistically accomplish is the greatest challenge.
In my ten weeks here, I've really discovered the battles being waged in the art world, the repercussions of movements in government and amongst arts administrators. Two decades ago Highways' inception marked a bold step in genuine dedication to the innovation of art and performance. A conservative movement in the Federal Gov't in the early 1992 flipped the art world upsidedown, when George Bush, Sr. let go of John Frohnmayer and replaced him with conservative Anne Imelda Radice as chairperson of the NEA.
I've had the privelege of delving into the archives and spending time with these documents. One document, a letter from Linda Burnham to John Frohnmayer, comments on "how the words 'artistic quality' now mean something else-- now stand in at the NEA for words 'obscene,' 'indecent,' and 'offensive'" I had the chance to speak to Danielle Brazell in person about the issue at the Getty Arts Summit at the Getty Center and we agreed that this incident has shaped the history of arts funding, still affecting us today, since arts funding has been on a steady decline since the Culture Wars, Los Angeles being one of the areas most affected. Linda's very same letter resonates with me today when it says:
"Highways [is] playing to sold-out audiences with performance works dealing with racism, sexism, homophobia, labor problems, homelessness, incest, immigration, censorship. This work feeds us and feeds our diverse, multicultural, audience. We are a very small space, but we serve 10,000 people a year, and all of them pass through the gallery. People have come up to me at Highways with tears in their eyes, thanking me for making a space where work can be shown that has some real relevance to their lives, where art is about ideas and not about sales."I feel as though, so much of that holds true to this day. In my ten weeks as Getty Intern, I've experienced so much new work that I can barely wrap my head around the fact that it all took place at one space. All of it had something special that penetrated my soul as a gay man, a Mexican American, and everything in between. And the number of packed houses I've seen here, inspire pride in me stemming from every facet of my identity. When I think of tonight's sold out show, I get the sense that I was part of something bigger than myself.
AH
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