Patriotism

I went to an art show this weekend and bought two pieces. The same amount of money at WalMart would have bought me a new set of dishes, a mat for the front door, some tulip bulbs to plant for spring, an eight pack of socks, a couple of outfits for the offspring, laundry detergent, a whole mess of nasty lunchbox snacks and the new People magazine at the checkout line. (I really do want to know how Britney lost sixty punds in thirty days.) ANd maybe I could have thrown in a couple of cheap watered down prints to overcompensate for the art I'd have left behind.

But, aside from some self-indulgent escapist hoarding, what would I have gained? Cheap rolled back prices are instant gratification. Goods are goods, cost is cost, and I'm thinking somebody has to suffer for the smiley face. Who makes the stuff on the shelves of WalMart? What can they possibly be paid per hour for a hand painted door decoration that costs $4? And what's the impact of the fact that nearly any item you flip over is stamped "Made in China?" Would I have supported the job security of the dozens of employees inside? I think not considering the average salary of a WalMart employee is below America's poverty line and half of their full time employees are without health care. I'd say those jobs are ripe for the picking...with all the money WalMart saves from their employees paychecks they can afford to stay in business. But really what I;m thinking about today is the small, local merchants that can't compete with WalMart's bottom line, so they either fold or never get the chance to open.

The art that will hang on my walls after the show is over is a small triumph for true, local talent. I could only afford to buy two pieces, but I will savor them. I will be proud of them. I would rather have two beautiful examples of local culture than a dozen bags of cheap imported junk. Besides, if we don't reward our artists, our photographers, our writers,painters, craftsmen, the record keepers of our culture, what will become of them? Only sweat-shops work for free.