Art is Freedom
"No guru, no method, no teacher, just you and I and nature, and the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, in the garden wet with rain" - Van Morrison. Birds of a Feather Art Project, Faith, Democracy, and Nature, Left Stage, Exit Right.
July is for celebrating the Fourth of July, God Bless America — and God Save the King on Canada Day. Where are the bridge‑builders who choose love and kindness between our two great nations, instead of the noise of profiteers and brokers of war? If they want the Gordie Howe Int. Bridge, let it be offered in the spirit of Jesus and José Martí’s White Rose. 🍁US
Xlife, continued...
Free from ARTifice
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City Mozza Pizza Versus Farmer's Market Exploding Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Life’s too short for small labels. XL Life - Home of my personal 'LISTEN Label Fashion Wear, worn inside the gallery, T-shirts and Sports Jersey Cover-Ups. Art is Freedom Baseball Caps and Winter Toques of Alberta. My Personal Tribute to Chicago's Virgil Abloh's, 2019 Figures of Speech and in Memory of Dennis Edney.
2017, 2026, Troublemaker, the coming storm
Birds of a Feather
“Society rises with art; it falls when the artists’ voices are taken.” — Arsene Arcand, Stone Carver, Edmonton. Public Statement on Restrictions to Art and Free Press in Edmonton
2026-06-27, These actions raise serious concerns about the future of artistic freedom, public documentation, and democratic transparency in Edmonton. When public buildings restrict peaceful filming, when officials refuse to identify themselves, and when artists and citizen journalists are blocked from recording public events, it signals a shift away from openness and accountability. Art and free press are not threats to democracy — they are its lifeblood. They ensure that public spaces remain truly public, that stories are witnessed, and that the voices of citizens, artists, and Indigenous creators like Arsene Arcand are not silenced or curated out of existence.
As we move throughout 2026, toward 2027 and beyond, the likelihood of further restrictions is real. My goal in speaking openly about these events during art shows — through word of mouth, through art, and through documentation — is to encourage a broader conversation about the role of public access, artistic expression, and free press in Alberta’s civic life. I will continue to paint, to document, and to stand in public spaces — because democracy depends on people who refuse to disappear.
