There is nothing you can do to stop a wildfire!

Posted on February 7, 2023February 5, 2023 by admin

The Joe Biden administration has decided to let COVID-19 rip with no mitigation other than advising people on occasion to get vaccinated. He said, that there is “nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next several months” — which is the exact opposite of what presidential candidate Joe Biden promised voters during the 2020 campaign. Back during the election, he said “the trajectory of COVID-19 in America is headed in the wrong direction,” and only he could fix it. In a Oct. 23, 2020 speech, Biden pledged to “immediately put in place a national strategy that will position our country to finally get ahead of this virus and get back our lives.” He never delivered.

Right before July 4th 2021, Biden again claimed the pandemic was over, and we should all celebrate by gathering in large groups to watch fire works. I was in Saint Augustine and the maskless crowds were insane. It is as if a word from the president acted as a mass hypnosis, convincing all to unmask and breath in each other’s faces. We were some of the very few who wore masks. At the time Delta was ripping across the country. In July of 2021 1,208 Americans died due to COVID-19.

On January 20, 2020 when Biden was inaugurated, there were 396,837 confirmed COVID deaths. As of February 5, 2023 there have been 1,073,693 deaths due to COVID. That is most contently an under counting. That means Biden’s bungled pandemic response is so far responsible for 676,856 COVID deaths as opposed to Trumps inept response which resulted in 396,837 COVID deaths. The media is strangely silent on Biden’s horrible handling of the pandemic.

Biden remarked about the pandemic saying, “I mean, look what’s happened, and I think we, I sometimes underestimate it because, I STOPPED THINKING ABOUT IT, but I’m sure you don’t: we lost 1 – over 1 million people in several years to COVID.” Biden warned that, “there’s nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic.”

Biden informed Congress on January 30, 2023 that he will end the twin national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, 2023. Sure 500 people are dying every day, but that is the new normal. The United States public health emergency was first declared on Jan. 31, 2020, under the Trump administration. Lawmakers have refused for months to fulfill the Biden administration’s request for billions more dollars to extend free COVID vaccines and testing. The administration has surrendered and they have left you to try and survive as they gaslight you to make you think the pandemic is over. News flash, the pandemic is not over.

Angel Jones in Blue Box Number 3.

Posted on February 17, 2016February 7, 2022 by Thor

27 Blue Boxes are painted on sidewalks in Downtown Orlando. These
boxes are for panhandlers and buskers. Back when they were painted, they were referred to as beggars boxes. Panhandling is possible only during
day light hours. Although set up for panhandlers, police often insist
street performers must use the blue boxes. If you loiter on the sidewalk, you are suspect. Performing outside the boxes
can result in 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. I have started a series of 27 sketches in which performers utilize
these Blue Boxes. These Boxes represent the only places downtown where
theoretically there is complete freedom of expression.

Angel Jones is a Fashion designer, stylist, model, writer, and artist from Melbourne Florida. Angel has spearheaded a Facebook group called, “Artists Unite! A group formed to protect all artists and our freedom” This page unites artists from around the state as cities like Winter Park and Saint Augustine create unconstitutional laws limiting freedom of expression. Orlando doesn’t have an ordinance specifically banning artistic freedom of expression, but the police do not see the difference between creative expression and panhandling.

Finding these blue boxes is a bit of a treasury hunt. I arrived at the intersection of Amelia and Hughey and found a complex jumble of spray painted marks. Surveyors are marking up the sidewalks probably to keep track of electrical and plumbing lines. A block a way the “Creative Village” is now a desert of sand and dirt. Sidewalks and pavement are all being ripped up for whatever is to come. There are several Blue Boxes in this construction zone which may no longer exist.

Angel was a bright splash of color on an otherwise drab and grey downtown street corner. She created handmade Victorian cupcake dress herself with countless hours spent sewing the brightly patterned fabrics. Her wig was bright pink an her necklace had every color of the rainbow. Angel’s Insanity and Bazaar Bazaar the clothing line, features her unique handmade creations. She chatted about her army brat upbringing and leaving home at the age of 15. Although considered the black sheep by her family, she clearly made the right choice to pursue an art inspired life. At protests she is the most exuberant champion for artistic freedom of expression.. She is a dynamic force who you definitely want on your side.

Students from Orlando Tech were the most common pedestrians. They would often stop to chat with Angel to find out what we were up to. A father and daughter on bike stopped to watch me sketch for bit. She is an artist and wanted to know how I sketch so fast. My advice was to loosen up and accept the imperfections. A sketch by definition is incomplete. A bright pink Lynx bus rushed by accentuating the pinks in Angel’s hair and dress for a moment.

I never saw a police patrol car. The police station is several blocks to the south of this Blue Box. Angel didn’t have an open case, or tip jar and if she did, I doubt any bills would have been dropped in. Once again the blue box was far removed from businesses where executives in suits might wander out during their lunch hour. They were safe from the threat of art. If you know someone who might want to join the Blue Box Initiative, send them to the group page which is where these sketch sessions are scheduled once a week.

St. Augustine at 450: A Crealdé Documentary Project

Posted on February 1, 2016February 7, 2022 by Thor

Hannibal Square Heritage Center, (642 West New England Avenue, Winter Park, FL) held an opening for Crealdé‘s newest photo documentary project, which celebrates the oldest city in the United States, Saint Augustine, on the occasion of the 450th anniversary of its founding.

Ten photographers captured the city’s past, its preservation efforts and its place as a tourist destination, college town and home to a diverse population.The photos showcased the city’s historic sights. Had this been an exhibition of pie in air paintings and or sketches it would have been a different story. The historic city of Saint Augustine has a law on the books which makes the creation of art in the city’s most historic areas illegal. Artists found guilty of painting or sketching are subject to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

The city of Winter Park decided to copy this insane ordinance which is being contested in the supreme court for being unconstitutional. It is non illegal to create art in Winter Park’s Park Avenue, New England Avenue and Heritage Square. Largely drafted to prohibit performance art, visual art’s are included in the law. If I were to return to Heritage Square Center, where this sketch was done and I tried to sketch the building exterior, I could face jail time today. The ordinance went into effect on December 14, 2015.

The Musical group in this sketch is Ka Malinalli which performed traditional Mexican tunes and original music. The violinist is 16 year old Ariah Deason. Kattya Graham, who founded the group has since decided to perform solo. Kattya gave me a CD and I enjoy the music in my car on long drives. A large Day of the Dead skull and a small sculpture of a face breaking free of a mask pointed back to the mystical Mexican roots behind the music.

Would I return to Hannibal Square to sketch now that Winter Park considers my actions criminal? Only time will tell. But Winter Park has certainly taken a step back to the dark ages by limiting and criminalizing freedom of expression. Were Ka Malinalli to perform outside the Heritage Center today they too could face jail time.

Winter Park welcomes Dogs and bans Artists.

Posted on January 13, 2016February 7, 2022 by Thor

On December 14, 2015 the City of Winter Park passed an ordinance that makes it illegal for artists to “perform” on Park Avenue, New England Avenue and Hannibal Square. “Perform” is broadly defined as, ,”acting, singing, playing musical instruments, pantomime, mime, magic, dancing, artistry or the sale of visual art and wares.” The broad definition is because a city can’t discriminate based on content. Any artist caught performing could face 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. To protect our first amendment rights, the city designated Winter Park’s Central Park as a “First Amendment Zone.” This will make the annual Winter Park Sidewalk Art festival happening this coming March, a perfectly legal money maker for the City and Park Avenue merchants. If I try and sketch that festival from the opposite side of Park Avenue however, I could go to jail. It could be argued that taking a cell phone photo could be considered “artistry” or even witchery so keep those phones in your pockets people.

The ordinance, “finds that the existence of street performers … would interfere with
the public health, safety and welfare of the pedestrian traffic … [by]
attracting audiences which congest the prohibited public area” and would
“adversely affect the city’s interests in the aesthetics in a city with
a unique historic downtown district.” To think that a visual artist might attract an audience that could block traffic is ridiculous. Most people don’t even notice an artist at work. I’m also surprised they think artists are a public health hazard and ruin a city’s aesthetics.

The ordinance was modeled after a similar ordinance in Saint Augustine which bans street performers and artists. That ordinance is being contested in court. That ruling is still pending. Winter Park merchants decided they need the ordinance because of some rather loud street performers. One band allegedly used a car battery to power amplifiers that blasted the music so loud that nearby merchants couldn’t hear their own store muzak or thoughts. Rather than come up with an ordinance to ban amplified music or restrict noise above a certain decibel level, the city decided to ban all artists. Visual artists are not street performers. They are no more intrusive than a person reading a book, or an iPad. This is something that city officials and law makers do not seem to understand.

On January 5th, I was invited by a Winter Park merchant to sketch and report on the opening of their new men’s department store. I got to the store a bit early and peaked inside to find the place rather empty. It looked like a boring sketch opportunity. Instead I strolled up Park Avenue with every intent to break the law. I stopped in front of Bank of America and decided to sketch a group of men having a bottle of wine outside the Wine Room. The scene reminded me of a cafe painted by Van Gogh in Provence. Thank god police didn’t catch him in the act. Flames flickered up in the vertical space heaters at Luma. For once it was cool enough out so that I wouldn’t sweat as I sketched. One person walking by joked that my sketch wasn’t complete, since I didn’t include the bank’s ATM. Another person wanted to shoot a photo of me at work. I allowed it, but now realize that the photo could be incriminating evidence in a court of law.

It turns out, that an old friend, was one of the men at the table. He was seated facing away from me, so I didn’t notice him at first. When he got up to leave he noticed me sketching and came over to say hello. He joked that most of the men at the table were deviants, but little did he know that he was speaking to a hardened criminal practicing his dark and mysterious craft. I love the warm glow of Park Avenue at night, but I was lucky that I wasn’t caught as I tried to capture it. Winter Park is now a place that doesn’t welcome artists, so I will simply no longer consider it one of my sketching destinations, unless there are protests against this insane new ordinance. After finishing a sketch, I usually order a drink or food, but this night I slipped away like a criminal into the night.

Creating Art is a Cime in Saint Augustine.

Posted on December 24, 2015February 7, 2022 by Thor

Back in 2009 Saint Augustine city officials wrote an an ordinance that banned the creation of art in public spaces. Painting or sketching city parks became a crime punishable with 60 days in jail and a fine of $500. In the ordinance, artists are grouped together with street performers, and vendors. Performers in the law includes, “acting, singing, playing musical instruments, pantomime, mime, magic, juggling, artistry or the creation of visual art, and wares, which means drawings or paintings applied to paper, cardboard, canvas, cloth or other similar medium when such art is applied to the medium through the use of brush, pastel, crayon, pencil, spray or other similar object, and the creation, display and/or sale of crafts made by hand or otherwise.”

This clearly contradicts our first amendment rights which allows for freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The law bans art on 8 public streets and 4 public parks and green spaces. My first reaction was indignation and then I found out about a protest that was going to be held in front of the Lightner Museum and City Chambers (75 King Street Saint Augustine). The city is celebrating its 450th birthday and this law seems like it was written back before there was a US Constitution. Sections of King Street are included in the ban on creativity but I couldn’t find out online if it was illegal to sketch on the block where the protest was being staged. My original plan was to do a digital sketch, which would seem to fall outside the laws limited definition of visual art. The protest was at noon however, so I returned to work in an old fashioned sketchbook. Imagine toddlers scribbling with crayons in their sketchbook getting arrested. Illegal or not, it was time for a road trip and a sketch.

I believe this insane law was put in place because the historic parks were being turned into a free for all flea market. Vendors sell all forms of tourist trinkets, including snacks, sunglasses and clothing. Brick and mortar merchants must have wanted the ban so that they wouldn’t loose a dime in tourist sales. Some performers would attract large crowds of tourists who would sometimes block traffic. If the city would ban the tourists, then there would be no problem.

Saint Augustine City commissioners do not seem to mind having artists creating in public, but artists are still bundled into the law prohibiting performers and vendors. It should be noted that artists are not performers and they seldom attract a crowd. While the flea market continues, police turn a blind eye. The police do however take photos of artists at work in an effort to build a case against them. Artists are being considered a threat to public safety and a visual blight. There are 12 spots in the plaza that are legally available for $75 a month to rent, and these are given out on a lottery based system. Even if an artist were lucky enough to rent a spot in the park, it certainly wouldn’t offer the historic views that beg to be sketched all over the city.

My primary concern as I drove into Saint Augustine was the parking. 450 years ago the city streets were set up with only pedestrian traffic in mind. The streets are narrow and often one way. Parking meters charge $1.50 an hour with a time limit of 3 hours. Clearly I would have to execute the sketch with that 3 hour window and then get the hell out of Dodge. The museum parking lot was full and I didn’t have enough quarters for a meter, so I got lost on the suburban side streets until miraculously a parking spot appeared. I’m thankful that I didn’t pay the city to document the protest.

I was quite nervous as I began the sketch. Every line was an act of civil disobedience. A musician pulled up behind me on his medical scooter. He had a friendly old Labrador retriever who wore sun glasses, a white beard and a Santa cap. As a musician, he clearly is affected by the law. He was looking forward to giving a speech later in the day. As I sketched the gorgeous architecture several dozen protesters gathered on King Street holding signs that said Art is not Crime, Freedom of Expression, and Spend 60 Days in Jail. Sketching was the perfect way to document this protest. One protester told me that the Mayor would at some point notice the protest when she glanced out her window. She would then likely have the police chase the protesters off. A silly little red tourist trolley stopped in from of the protesters. The driver was annoyed that shouts of “Art is not a crime!” interrupted his endless monotone scripted spiel. One police cruiser passed the protest without incident. Apparently you need to stay in motion when you are protesting. Protesters paced back and forth. As an artist, I was the only one who remained completely still and therefor I might be suspect.

Angel Jones welcomed me and handed me her card in case police gave me trouble for sketching in public. I was told that handing out business cards in Saint Augustine is also illegal. Angel was definitely the protests greatest cheerleader. When cars honked their approval, she would shout and cheer. Her enthusiasm was contagious. From across the street she shouted to me, “Don’t worry, if the police show up we will surround you. I’ll chain myself to your chair if I have to!” She was hilarious.

A Japanese family stopped to watch as I sketched. The little girl almost pressed her nose to the page as she crowded in to watch intently. The last thing I wanted was to draw a crowd because that is what got this insane law started. The trouble is that people love to to watch artists sketch. People kept asking me about the protest, so I got a chance to inform people over and over again as I worked. Limiting artistic expression is an issue that is near to my heart. Winter Park, which is a place I sketch often, is considering a similar ban on artists. Their reasoning is that artists hinder foot traffic on public side walks. This insanity is getting closer to home.

As I was finishing up sketch, some one told me that the area where I was sketching was safe from the ban on artists. Had I sketched one block east, it would have bee a different story. The city needs anti-art signs to let people know where creativity is prohibited. Maybe there should be an anti-art curb color to ward off possible painters or sketchers. It would have be nice to know it was safe to sketch earlier, the sketch might have been less frantic. I posted a picture of my sketch in progress on Instagram and close to 300 people have joined the conversation on the issue. Protests in Saint Augustine will be happening biweekly. When my sketch was done, I got out of that backward city as fast as I could.

The ongoing case to overturn this ordinance is in federal court, and a ruling
is pending. Change comes slowly, and this battle has been going on for too long, but you can help by telling others about this crazy law and of course you can e-mail city commissioners to let them know how you feel about St. Augustine’s current anti-artist laws. As Queen Victoria said, “Beware of artists because they mix with all classes of society and are therefore most dangerous.” The next step could be burning books.

Nancy Shaver, Mayor
NShaver@citystaug.com

Roxanne Horvath, Vice Mayor/Commissioner
RHorvath@citystaug.com

Leanna Freeman, Commissioner
LFreeman@citystaug.com

Todd Neville, Commissioner
TNeville@citystaug.com

Nancy Sikes-Kline, Commissioner
NSikesKline@citystaug.com