Arts Petition to Italian Government

Happy International Woman’s Day! We do not celebrate this in the States, but my Ukrainian friend and sculptor Vasily Fedorouk introduced this holiday to me years ago and it is known here in Italia as well.

Ma, if you have been reading some of my blog entries, you might remember that I occasionally work as a madonnari (street painter -- arts) here in Florence, Italy. Today there was an organized demonstration on Via Calimala where we draw each day.
Before January, the madonnari paid the government 300 euros per year for permission to draw in three spaces on this street. But in January 2008, the law for Street Art changed and we now must pay 695 euros every three months. That is quite a hike! Also, after 31 March, we do not know if we will be able to draw anymore in these spaces.

So, yes, that is me that you see wearing a chain around my leg with some of the other madonnari. My friend Inga took that image shortly after the press came. I am hoping to find my image along with my new friends in the Corriere Della Sera paper tomorrow. That would be pretty cool, si?

We were collecting signatures to be able to try to show the government that people support the art efforts of the madonnari – and anyone can sign. But, it is apparent to me that my speech needs to get better. One man made a bit of fun of me because I could not understand the language he spoke to my friend Laura, a native Florentine. But I understood about half. Speaking and understanding are two different things and my speech was far too awkward to describe to Italians what I wanted and why. Most were kind and grasped what I was trying to communicate. And, hey, I was better with the English-speaking viewers!

This last image is of my friends Inga and Abdu, who joined in the later drawing. Tomorrow they will continue in our demonstrazione in Piazza della Signoria. Wish us luck!!