Tomb

In this city, there are artists and then everybody else stupid enough to match their tie with their cowboy hat. The people here, high on oil and gas, don’t deserve art. Let them keep their infinite prairie landscapes hanging in infinite glass lobbies; let them keep their lite rock radio; let their fat fucking children eat at chain restaurants with reinforced chairs. Let them, because we don’t need them.

Feel better?

It’s the rant every actor, musician and writer has wanted to say, for every gig or reading drowned out by a Flames game. Though, with Calgary boasting a bona fide music and theatre scene earning respect on the national and international level, it’s a rant you expect to hear less often. Yet, as a journalist and writer operating in the borderlands between the art scenes, the siege mentality exemplified by that rant still exists, even thrives. It’s seems that, more than ever, there isn’t any room for criticism, legitimate or otherwise — even if it comes from an imposter.

Recently, I came under fire from the local music community for a letter I didn’t write. Apparently, some other Alan Cho, or more likely, some heretofore unknown arch-nemesis out to sully my name, characterized the local music scene as unimaginative and just all-round sucky. In response, certain people in the scene staged anti-Alan Cho parties, complete with anti-Cho T-shirts, and slagged my name onstage, as well as put up nasty blog posts and e-mails. While trying to write a story on the local music scene, I dealt with hostile interview subjects who would question my motivations.

All of this hullabaloo from a single letter. Before we go on, let me clarify again: That wasn’t me. I believe the Calgary music scene is the strongest it’s been in blah, blah, blah. Various people have apologized to me and that’s all squared up. This incident, though, underscores the hostile environment that exists for criticism and discourse within the arts communities.

The letter is just one example. Fast Forward Weekly has been accused of trying to destroy the art communities of Calgary through its so-called unfair reviews and coverage. A scene needs dissenting views to open it up to a diverse group of voices and audiences, but currently it seems only binary options exist for discourse; you support and promote all the artists of this city or you’re just one of many forces colluding to destroy art and all it stands for. This with-us-or-against-us mentality seems to be borne out of being an artist in one of the nation’s most corporate and sprawling cities. Despite the strength of both the music and theatre communities, it’s almost as if they feel this hard-won legitimacy can be taken away in an instant; that if one hater yelled loud enough, everyone would retreat to the suburbs and stay there.

Fast Forward Weekly and other local arts press don’t exist to only champion the arts community, nor do they serve as the sole arbiters in determining what is art. It’s more nuanced than that. It’s about facilitating a discussion of the value of art between those who create it and those who consume it. It’s within that dialogue that a scene flourishes and discovers its identity. And right now, that dialogue isn’t happening and, despite the number of strong and original voices, the identities of these scenes seem fragile. The organized action in response to that letter establishes a precedent: Say something we don’t like and we will punish you. What happens now if somebody writes an unfavourable CD review or if a theatre company doesn’t feel as though it’s getting enough coverage? Do they get the Alan Cho treatment?

There needs to be room for criticism, whether people feel it’s legitimate or not, without fear of repercussion. A scene with siege mentality doesn’t grow; it retracts and retrenches and engenders a paranoia where everybody is out to destroy you. That mentality is a stumbling block on the path to greatness, where Calgary could become a place known for its artists, rather than its oil and gas.

Let’s celebrate the strength and vitality of our arts communities without needing to come to its constant defense. Let’s foster a scene of many voices, even those that piss you off. Let’s actually talk to each other, instead of waging campaigns of personal attacks. The arts communities need Calgary, the local press and all therein, even if it includes the rantings of some douchebag claiming to be Alan Cho.