Censorship and existence are art words that fuel controversy. They are often the subject of debate amongst moralists, economists and historians.

The most recognized of the heated art discussions is government funding. When the political powers that be are the caretakers and sugar-daddies regulating the National Endowment for the Arts, cultural molding is at risk. Government funding for the arts may be criticized for its censorship or lack-of, but without this funding thousands of artists and their work would not exist.

To get to the heart of the matter for this month’s column, it’s the “survival of art” in our community. When art is a commodity whose existence depends on a local economic base, art fails. Why do I say this? “Trend” sounds demeaning, but realistically the history of art is a procession of trends. The big picture calls this an “art movement.”

That which is currently trendy and acceptable sells. So it only makes sense that to succeed in the retail business of art, one sells currently “trendy” art.” Sure the logic is there, but that total way of thinking just ain’t gonna do it for Kitsap County. If we want a grand place in the history books, we have to support the arts whether it be a sellable commodity or not.

Last year a friend, and good art client confided her concerns about a Bremerton art gallery’s explicitly sexual exhibits. This educated art lover was also concerned about the sometimes extreme contemporary nature of this gallery, and asked me if I thought it belonged in Bremerton.

Without hesitation and extremely serious, I looked directly into her eyes and said, “We have to have the Metropolis Gallery in Bremerton. Art, like science, does not progress without experimentation and its presentation and evaluation.”

The business of art is difficult enough. Galleries close their doors all the time regardless of the exhibiting content, but galleries that provide exhibiting space for experimental or controversial art don’t have a chance. The art usually doesn’t sell. The exception would be the big-name big-city big-budget galleries, and that is not Kitsap County (YET).

Last week the Metropolis Gallery announced within the Bremerton Arts District that it may have to close its doors. As true for most galleries, it needs more money, more business and more artists.

I spent sleepless nights thinking of solutions for this situation. People tend not to realize that the “starving artist syndrome” is kin to the retail business of art. But for me to pursue this, means stealing time away from my own art business and my own painting. How far can one’s responsibility stretch? What do we do?

First we need to recognize these art businesses and patronize them as we would any other business in our community. If something is totally against our moral grain, we have to protest, speak out and boycott. Not liking something is another story. Art is meant to be liked and disliked, because that’s the nature of the creature, and we support that.

Kitsap County has not received a great deal of government funding for the visual arts. I think that is our answer.