The Living Centrifuge

I'd move back to Ottawa in a heart beat if I could live there as an artist.

The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Friday, February 02, 2007
Jennifer Dickson ranks among Ottawa's most respected artists. Her works hang in some of the world's most august collections, including the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. The native of South Africa has lived in Ottawa since 1976, and was inducted into the Order of Canada in 1995. Dickson spoke yesterday with Citizen Arts editor Peter Simpson, after she sat in on the city's cultural services committee meeting. The committee unanimously endorsed a proposal to increase funding to arts and festivals -- which is certain to get a rough ride in full council.
The following is an edited transcript of Dickson's comments.
'Every year the citizens or taxpayers scream and whine and say they don't want to pay any extra taxes, but they want all of these services. ... We as a group in the cultural industries all said we are quite willing to pay more taxes in order to have the kind of city that we want, and we want our children and grandchildren to live in.
"The cultural community is being set up to come out like beggars with their caps in hand. The real villains here are not the mayor or the councillors, they are the citizens who think they can have it all for nothing.
"I'm really tired of being cast in the role of victim or beggar. The city should be down on its knees in front of someone like Julian (Armour, of the Ottawa Chamber Music Society) and saying, 'We're so incredibly lucky to have you here, and what can we do for you to make you stay? What you contribute, not only culturally, but financially is incredibly important.'
"What we have in this city is what I call the faucet philosophy of cultural funding. You turn on the tap and you get a little drip. Then you suddenly have a crisis and you turn it off. Then some common sense prevails and you get a little stream and things start to flourish and grow, and then along comes another change in policy and you turn it off.
"We've pointed out so often the important catalytic impact of culture in the economy. The city makes a core funding commitment, then both the federal government and the province come in with funding. If you don't have that core funding in the city, you're not going to be able to leverage that other funding.
"The real responsibility lies with the citizens, the residents and taxpayers. In the end, you get the culture you deserve. If the people living in Barrhaven and Kanata want a free ride, then they can't expect all the services. You get what you pay for.
"There's no such thing as freezing taxes in the real world. We know we have to keep up with inflation, and more than that.
"My real hostility is towards those people who have no commitment to their community. I was talking to Peter Boneham (Le Groupe Dance Lab) about this: I said, 'What would happen if we decided to all just pack it in? Would they notice?' Well, you're damn sure they would.
"This city to me is a very schizoid city. On one hand you have the federal presence, and the very impressive federal facilities like the National Gallery and the National Arts Centre, which represent the whole country. That's not to do with the core city. And then you have this city that, frankly, is a pretty Third World place. There doesn't seem to be the pride in it, there doesn't seem to be the commitment in it.
"I'm tired of seeing councillors and the mayor being blamed for this. I think it comes right back to the people who want to live here, and don't want to pay for the services they receive. Well, there's no free lunch. And there's no free art.
"Another thing that came up in the meetings this morning was ... the younger generation has all left. It's true. My son has gone to Toronto. If you look around, the young people aren't here, because there's nothing for them. They're not asking for charity, all they're asking for is respect.
"I can't go before another committee and beg and explain who I am and what I'm doing and why this is important for this city to have any dignity. I mean, this is a shitty city: you can quote me on that.
"Art is the living pulse and heart (of the city). Art isn't a frill, it's part of creative thinking. It's where all our innovation comes from economically. In terms of the dynamic of a city, it's our life. How dare I interject that we are more than consumers! There has to be another dimension to life. Cities have to represent those other dimensions, they can't just represent the material level.
"I think here what we're looking at is a selfish, self-centred, greedy group of citizens who can't see beyond their noses. I'm not prepared to say anything bad about the mayor and the council: I think they're taking their message from the people who voted them in, and I think if that's what they want we should give it to them.
"I'm almost beginning to be angry. I said to Julian, 'Promise me if you don't get this funding that they're applying for that you'll leave Ottawa, get the hell out.' Why should we stay? It's a very good question: why should we stay?
"What can you say? We will get the culture we deserve, it's no good whining about it. They're a really cheap lot. ... It's time they learned to put their hands in their pockets, or face the consequences.
"I don't feel very proud of this city any more. I don't really like living here, I really don't. It's mean-spirited and ugly: do quote me on that. I think it's time it was said."
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© The Ottawa Citizen 2007