Postering Problem
It is good to see the Free Speech Seattle organization at work to free up the utility poles for postering art and political events as well as community projects. I have been keeping involved with the subject from the standpoint of actually coming up with a workable plan. This is where experience and knowledge come into play. This issue keeps coming up every six years or so. I have been dealing with it for 20 years (in Seattle and other major U.S. cities).
The city was right to take action in the early '90s. But the lack of defined knowledge on both sides of the issue did not come up with the answer. So here we go again. Let's do it right this time. Remember, the right to "grass roots market," new, developing concepts is what is needed. The right to stick a flyer on any old phone pole does not market an idea well. It is a much more complex game than that.
When stepping out into the public arena you are playing a game that is much larger than most folks can imagine. Think of this: Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder made the cover of Time before Bill Gates! Eddie has actually hung out with the president (remember Ticketmaster?).
1975 to 1985 was a time in Seattle that set up the stage for popular music notoriety from our territory. Great music, art and political action took place. The industry started looking towards our scene. The mid-'80s took advantage of this energy. Postering was a crucial part of such activity.
There are people in this town who know the fine details of the subject. Take a look at Face the Music Productions or Music Mindset as an example. My message to both sides of the issue is: Let's do it right this time. The issue has never been addressed on a complete level before, therefore half-baked ideas become oppressive ordinance.
Seattle has been living off its laurels on the cultural scene lately. We actually have not been producing to a level that we should be. All sides of the issue can share responsibility for that matter. Living off laurels equals death. You must keep creating laurels in order to live.
The answer requires complex detail. The answer will require some work in dealing with many aspects. Do the work now because it makes life easy. If the work is not done now that means a lot of work to get nothing done in the future.
Douglas Mays
Seattle