A Fiery Few Strike Sparks for ‘A Day’s Pay for Day’s Art’

“Artists are damn fools and deserve what they get. They deserve to be ripped off and beaten down. They deserve to be used and to make millions for others. They deserve it because they are stupid and naive.”

With characteristic irreverence, novelist and screenwriter Harlan Ellison delivered a fulmination Saturday during “A Day’s Pay for a Day’s Art.” The weekend conference was designed to explore and help expunge what the speakers maintain is a widely held notion that artists should work for free, and to encourage artists of all disciplines to work harder for greater public arts support.

Ellison, a vociferous picketer in the recent TV and movie writers’ strike, also urged conferees to demand remuneration for their labor. But his statements had a limited impact. Though organizer Susan Franklin Tanner sent out 6,000 mailers, and though notices appeared in local newspapers, only about 60 people attended the $15 seminar.

“There are 62,000 artists in L.A. County,” said painter Jesse Silver, citing statistics from the Los Angeles Arts Council. “How come they can’t get 100 of them here?”

“It’s kind of scary when you think more people don’t want to be active,” said independent film maker Pat Russell.

Tanner, director of the TheatreWorkers Project, said that the small crowd “is indicative of artists’ concern that we should stop working for free. The consciousness is obviously not out there.”

Nevertheless, those who did show up at Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design heard impassioned pep talks, artists’ survival tactics, ways to advocate politically for public arts support and other related discussions.

Parking a cart containing his books in front of the audience and urging listeners to buy them, Ellison gave listeners a lesson in self-esteem and salesmanship.

“This is called being a responsible artist,” he said. “You do your work first, without paying attention to who will buy it or if anyone will like it. Then you say ‘thank you’ and ‘good night’ to the artist, and boom! Out comes the ravenous beast, the salesperson. You’ve got to do it. No one else thinks you’re worthy of this but you.

“You must understand that you have a job and you have a product,” Ellison continued, “even though it emerges from your mind and not from a template at some Chevrolet plant. They both are products” worthy of payment.

Actor Peter Bergman, a co-founder of the comedic Firesign Theater, gave his several rules for surviving as an artist in America.

Comparing European and American governmental arts support, he said one rule is “if you want to make it as an artist in America, leave it.” Yet, Bergman added in another rule, “if you’re willing to do lip service,” there’s plenty of public money to be found here, whether it’s from “the Iron Duke in Sacramento” or an arts-loving member of the Los Angeles City Council.

Indeed, Councilman Joel Wachs, who might fit that description, appeared at the conference to encourage artists to support the proposed Los Angeles Endowment for the Arts. Wachs is the chief backer of the endowment, which could provide up to $25 million annually for arts and artists citywide.

Heading Wachs’ advice, those attending the conference agreed to meet Oct. 9, about two weeks before the endowment is scheduled for City Council vote, to discuss how they can help ensure its success. The meeting, to be held near downtown Los Angeles, will be open to the public. For information, call (213) 221-7672.