The art world YES man

My involvement with citydrift started over a year ago when a proposal I had for a public art project in India led to my first meeting with Peter Hopkins at Life Café in Alphabet City. Anyone who has had a chance to converse with Peter can imagine how I left that first meeting. At age 56 he had more energy, and enthusiasm than anyone I had ever met. We talked for 2 hours, about the art world, India, Detroit and more. We talked about possibilities, not anger or fear. Days after it slowly struck me! I had just met an art world “YES!” person. “Yes” you can make new ideas happen, “Yes” the art world is melting down, but seize the moment as an opportunity, and do not waste your time working on small things, or seeking approval from small people. It made me realize that up until this point that was the attitude that led to the realization of my curatorial projects and my co-founding a non-profit, Project For Empty Space. It turned out that I had met Peter at the right moment. At that time I still entertained the thought that I might possibly be a little crazy to think my life’s motto was – ‘ do something to make a difference.’ I was still confronted by individuals frightened into submission by the old order and the economic crisis. Those people would speak of “risk” and “creativity,” but were more concerned about not appearing “wrong” than they are about what the “new” might actually look like.