2/22: Final Friday Controversy

KMUW / Lindsey Herkommer

In January, the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation launched a new Final Friday campaign in the hopes to boost art sales. They are promoting monthly drawings for “Art Bucks” that can be used at any gallery marked by the new Final Friday logo created by the Greteman Group.

While this seems to be a pretty straightforward attempt to get people out on Final Friday and into galleries, the Downtown Development Corporation has stirred up a heated discussion in the arts community. Some view this new campaign as a city takeover and this takeover as a slippery slope to censorship. Some charge the Downtown Development Corporation with selling real estate on the backs of artists, only to gentrify the places where the arts currently thrive.

Not everyone feels like this, but I suppose this is the type of allergic reaction you’d expect from such a sudden announcement. Perhaps the underlying fear is the potential to create a “mainstream,” one that will become exclusive and encourage conformity – and this is a legitimate concern for the future. As it stands now, the new campaign is simply an added level of branding that will hopefully translate into increased interest and sales of local art.

Why shouldn’t we want to bring more people through gallery doors to celebrate art? As we gear up for the weekend, I hope we can continue the discussion, find some common ground and remember that Final Friday is about a community coming together.