About the VAF Purpose...

I have been asked to share more ideas about our purpose. Well, keep in mind that the VAF is providing a space for a rich diversity of minds, and so the purpose and the visions will range from artist to artist. I want to provide this open space so that individuals can make their own important points, since I know every artist has one. But I do have a personal vision which is specific to the creation of this event. I will share some of this in hopes that we may all agree, or at least think about what the point of doing something like this may be.
In short, I have thought of six concrete points or goals regarding the VAF vision:

1) To entertain, engage and enrich all of the city of Pittsburgh with a fun venue that promotes art in its widest and deepest sense.

2) To provide a space for rare and diverse visionary expressions that may not normally find outlets in the existing art market.

3) To create a strong venue for dialog among artists and community members, outside of the conventional art world and free from a lucrative focus.

4) To engage youth and promote active, independent leadership by means of example and inspiration.

5) To raise Pittsburgh’s awareness regarding the potential of art to transcend ornamental value and address real topics of public and personal importance.

6) To aid a definition of art which honors true impressions, emotions, struggles, concerns and free thinking, and that is not ruled by standardized and conventional notions of aesthetic value, academic norm, craft standards, economic worth, marketability or productivity.

Ultimately, my interest in facilitating such event as The Pittsburgh Visionary Arts Festival comes from my own experience with feeling extremely passionate about art work, yet finding that the existing structure for exposing art is somewhat limiting and often times inappropriate for the rare nature of many works. There is a fundamental error in a society that supports art solely for aesthetic or ornamental reasons. This is not to say that I don’t fully support the existing structure, I just hope to compliment and extend the definitions of art as perceived by viewers. What I find to be the truly important art is the equivalent of a materialization of Spirit, much in the way of aboriginal, shamanic and sacred art. It involves an understanding of art which reintegrates it to the most fundamental necessities of human kind.

I have met artists who have stopped making art altogether for not having found an outlet for their unprofitable creations which are instead charged with deeper purpose and inner beauty. This applies not only to artwork per se, but also to original, questioning lifestyles and thoughts. I have been fortunate and driven enough so as to participate in the conventional art scene with great success, and yet the general public does not seem opened enough to appreciate many of the more inexplicable aspects of my work. This openness has to come from exposure and so more venues must exist for the subtler and “stranger” arts. I am inspired to encourage artists and non-artists to continue on creating works and lives that don’t seem to have an obvious place in this world. I intend to recover that place. It is ultimately a dream of mine to provide a venue where the rarest and least-understood corners of creativity can be proudly displayed, shared and enjoyed with the world.