dear diary

 So, was able to get a Malibu City Council member on the phone to hear me out, and with that conversation in my back pocket, sent the following email to the two top dogs of the Malibu Art Association:

I wasn’t upset when Pamela ended a call last Sunday afternoon, saying her blood was boiling, saying I’m out of the MAA and hanging up. I was like, gosh, didn’t think it would come to this, but as I’ve processed things over the past couple days, reviewing past emails, I wouldn’t say my blood is boiling, but I am feeling indignant.

The expository information is, I went to Legacy last Sunday and made sales, and someone told on me. The charge is I jeopardized the MAA and its relations with the city, which is untrue. I wasn’t wearing an MAA lanyard or t-shirt, or had anything on my table with MAA on it; in fact MAA never comes up interacting with folks. I always say I’m an artist who had a studio in Santa Barbara and show them a laminate verifying that; and should I be questioned by an enforcement agent with nothing better to do, I would not drop MAA into the discussion. In the decades of selling on the street, the two or three times I’ve been questioned, I say I’m just sharing my art, that I love talking about art with people, and that I’m not actively seeking donations.

At the first Legacy gig earlier this year I said to Bonnie and Martha and another, I had already left an art association based on internal politics. Then I had an amiable conversation with Bonnie, her telling me she wanted help. During one conversation Pamela told me Tim wasn’t all that great at Membership. At that point I knew I needed to see the by-laws to determine how much time/energy I was going to expend.

Then, an email round-robin about the by-laws—someone has them, who has them, aren’t they on our website? I then texted Pamela playfully, saying I cease and desist from asking about the by-laws, I’m just happy to be a member and provided opportunities to sell work.

Last Sunday Bonnie plied me again, that she wants to pull back from obligations due to circumstances in her life, and Martha was there, and I said I had already suggested, we just need a Zoom to get on the same page.

Ideally, you’d put out word to membership about a Zoom, at the top briefly detail where MAA is today, then open discussion about what needs to be done and what might be done (and I have been in contact with city officials, and there are options available to MAA). If, you’re like, No Way, this rogue artist is not going to get involved in our polite society—too many of us don’t like him—and guess I’d understand—then let’s discuss what that looks like from here.

I’ve been involved in writ proceedings when it comes to the arts, and it wasn’t because I had nothing better to do, it was because when it comes to the arts there are certain lines if crossed, mandate I act. I know how to look up local court rules for pleadings and so forth, but I’m not interested in drama, I’m interested in sleeping at night, knowing I said/did what any serious artist would under the circumstance. If I’ve been accused of anything, list those accusations and allow me to admit or deny; the by-laws certainly contain language concerned with removing members, and if you show them to me I can show you how to legally remove me, keeping the integrity of MAA in tact, while honoring the work and legacy of Marjorie Knowles.

For now this is the nicest and most gracious email I could compose in over an hour. As far as I’m concerned I’m a horse that could and would pull weight for MAA, and you guys have spooked me. Do I want to put hoof to stall and file a Writ of Mandate with MAA on the hook? No, I don’t, but if it turns out that’s what needs to happen to honor Ms. Knowles, I might be forced to.

Please consider how the present drama can be turned into comedy and harmony. I’m not a bad person, I’m an old artist who still cares about the arts. I don’t want to be president or an admin, I just want to be able to sell art, and do the work the association needs done.

Sincerely,

John