Community Art Patrol

Community Art Patrol - July 22, 2005 Performance in the Exchange District of Winnipeg's inner city. Performed by KC Adams and Valery Camarta. Exhibition organised by Platform Gallery.

This piece was performed during the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, when suburbanites descend into the Exchange District to take in the festival. Val and myself, dressed up as the Community Art Patrol to be the protective service and the voice to the people of the neighborhood. They are made up of pan handlers, homeless people and the artist community who occupy this area twelve months out of the year. During the summer months the homeless people and the pan handlers are pushed out of the area by the Exchange Biz Patrol and the police. Picked up and transplated to other areas of the city or into the drunk tank at the police station. Their treatment by the Patrols and the police are usually physical and hostile. The artists are pushed out of the area because it is loud and full of suburban dwellers who take over the area and the bars. Our intent was to walk the area and let the visitors know that they need to respect the area, the people who live in it and say no to social cleansing. The following photos were taken by local artist Scott Stephens and were on display at the Platform Gallery.