Locally Grown Art

Paul Mullin's piece on local arts in Seattle has many parallels to the Tampa Bay arts scene. His point about art being local throughout history dovetails with my point that most artists in NY come from somewhere else. He also talks about collaboration between artists. As far as I've seen in the Tampa Bay area, in the past few years, I've seen a rise in the collaborative process and people making efforts to collaborate. His play that was "about Seattleites, for Seattleites, by a Seattleite" made me smile. Maria's Song is a play "about Floridians, for Floridians, by a Floridian". And I will say, they did embrace it. As for the "Big Houses" that pay "lip service" to the local artists, here again we have another strong parallel in this community. But that's not the only community I've seen pay "lip service" to the local artists. In the numerous festivals I performed in, many gave most of the advertising and TV spots to "big names" to the detriment of the smaller artists--this and yet the reason for the founding of the fringe was because uninvited theatre companies showed up to the Edingburgh International Festival. But I do disagree with Paul about the "big house" responding. If it does, great, if it doesn't, self-produce, and sell out. That way you begin to establish your reputation for your future works. Actors and directors want to work on challenging projects. Patrons will want to see your work again. "Word of mouth" is the top reason patrons attend an event--more than any other type of advertising. Good luck!