 |
| Peruvian gourds |
For those of you who read my latest article, about Saving Creativity by Supporting Local Artists in America, I must pass along this link for one of Martha Stewart’s blogs which I stumbled upon by accident. It’s the proverbial straw which broke this camel’s back, and I hope you'll take a look:
Hoping to garner support for our cause (struggling artists in America), what did I find but an article about Martha's recent trip with the CEO of Macys, Terry Lundgren, to Haiti, where Macys is purchasing artisan goods for their stores.
It’s a humanitarian effort and I’m all for artists, in any country, trying to earn a living. It’s not easy, but before people feel good about helping the impoverished citizens of Haiti, they must ask themselves: How much is really going to the artists?
Haitian artists make fabulous items, and just like other third world countries, entire families, sometimes whole villages, work together to produce their goods. How do I know? They’ve told me, during International Art Festivals in which I've participated, plus I’ve seen manufacturing plants in Taiwan. That’s how they can crank out their levels of handmade production. Maybe we should do away with child labor laws here, to make us more competitive in this New World Market?
Look at Martha’s photos more closely. Who are the ones really smiling?
The first photo shows Martha and CEO Terry, happily photographed in a private jet, off to take advantage of great bargains emerging from the rubble of a holocaust. That in itself seems insulting, but it brings to mind another ugly period in history. Lucky for Mr. Lundgren, anything can be purchased for a song, and that’s really the appeal, but they’ll put the humanitarian spin in the forefront to distract and mislead savvy shoppers. Don’t be fooled.
They’ll buy crafts from artists who can live on a pittance, and mark them up at least 100%. Good news if you’re a Macy’s shareholder. So where is your hard-earned going?
Galleries and stores generally take 50% of the purchase price; besides the artist's fee, there’s the shipping and handling, advertising, packaging, middlemen to be paid, and who knows how many palms to be greased before that hard working artist sees a single santim. Not to mention that jet. You pay $15 for an ornament, easy to do in Macys; I’m guessing the artist sees about a buck.
This is not sour grapes; this is fed up. That’s why today people around the globe are participating in anti-Wall Street demonstrations, and greed in general. This is just another piece of that same pie. So feel good about supporting those middlemen and corporate brokers, but then take a look at all the artists in your own back yard. We can’t live on $30 a month; could you?
