http://www.finest.se/userBlog/?uid=30701&beid=1040511

Actions like this by the artist and the fact that Obama praises him should be questions,

http://obeygiant.com/headlines/full-coverage-part-1-dc

See this article that expose Obama and Fairey,

http://lgwilliams.com/obama/obama_poster_challenge2.html

As an artist I have to agree that artists like Andres Serrano, who is now sculpting with his own feces, should not be funded. I’d rather see an unknown painter funded than a hack like that. A lot of artists never have their work shown while anyone who uses bodily fluids as a form of expression is at least given some press. And you wonder why so many Americans don’t care about art.

Obama claims to support the arts while walking hand in hand with Shepard Fairey who is a career copyright violator and supporter of the orphan works bill. I don’t understand why so many people are ok with that. Why would any artists support Obama? I know he has made statements supporting art education and art programs. But what about the rights of artists Mr. Obama? Actions sometimes speak louder than words and Obama hand selected Shepard Fairey so what does that say about his position on artist rights?

I like street art but I don’t think it is wise for a candidate for President to support it openly. Obama actually praised Shepard in a letter for his career and for ‘bombing’ images of Obama on illegal places like stop signs. How can a candidate support risky activity like that which could result in an accident? The clean up of graffiti and other street art does cost tax payers billions per year. And Obama supports that? Talk about wasteful spending that could be used to support art education and art programs! Obama has already failed the art community with his actions while supporting it with his words. It just does not add up.

I know that McCain’s campaign has upset artists for using their songs without permission but there is a difference because they bought the rights to use those songs. At least McCain’s campaign was nice enough to stop using them even though they paid. And the difference is that McCain did not select those songs his campaign did. Obama hand selected Shepard Fairey to represent him as an official campaign artist. Obama has accepted $400,000 from this copyright violator and criminal but he donated Rezko’s donations to charity? McCain has fought for copyright protection and patent protection. So he has my vote.

I make part of my living selling prints. So I will not vote for Obama because he threatens my career. The media should expose this and McCain should target it!

But if you want a quick synopsis, it goes like this:
- Increase the budget for the NEA
- Increase Arts Education Model Development and Dissemination Grants (which encourage public/private projects between schools and arts groups)
- Create an “Artist Corps” to work in low-income areas
- Promote cultural diplomacy to foreign countries
- Amend the tax code, as I mention above
- And what many individual artists would surely see as the best proposal: Provide health care for artists, but that’s really just part of his general health care plan.

Thank you, Mr. Weeks.