I want someone to explain this to me, seriously.

Anyone who has read my first few posts, or looked at my profile knows that Husband and I make our living putting art on other people's bodies. (For those who can't figure that out: we are tattoo artists.)

However, just because we put art on human skin, to make our living does, not mean that we are not artists in the "normal" concept, too. Both of us paint on canvas and have started a new ceramic sugar skull project (which is going quite well, and selling nicely, thank you very much.) Husband airbrushes - canvas, cars, trucks, motorcycles, t-shirts, bowling pins, murals, cheerleader megaphones.....well you get the idea. I do folk art style painting on reclaimed wood - fish, houses, farms, etc.

We have both sold our art online and out of the studio to collectors all over the U.S. (Yes, really. While I may not ever achieve the level of Van Gogh or Picasso, hopefully I will never go batshit crazy, have numerous mistresses, or cut off my own ear either.)

Anyway, now that we've covered all of that, here is what is pissing me off:

We have an Art Center in Smalltown. They showcase local and area artists, and put on shows for them. At different times of the year, they do things like ask local artists to paint on certain objects, that they then auction off to support local causes. This is all fine and great, I know.

However, when you have a fucking studio IN YOUR TOWN that does nothing but produce art ALL DAY LONG, wouldn't it make sense to say, maybe approach these people on getting involved in some of your projects? Makes sense to me anyway.

Unfortunately, due to the fact the we must be some kind of scary looking, bad influence type people for daring to have art ON OUR BODIES, the Art Center doesn't seem to feel this way. The only thing they ever ask us for are $$ donations every year so that we can be "members" of their little association.

What does this $ get us, you may ask? It's quite simple, we get postcards every month telling us what artist they are showcasing at this time, and fliers offering art classes in things such as wood carving, or how to construct a sculpture out of packing peanuts. (Ok, the packing peanut thing may not be true, but it sounds like something they might do.)

It's amazing, I sell my art all over the U.S., as does Husband, yet due to the fact that we do something so fucking horrible as tattoos, we aren't considered "artists" who are capable of putting on a show at the local art place.

And when it comes time to do those special little auction-off-for-a-good-cause items? Yeah, we're not asked to do those either. In fact, they would rather ask the guys who paint cars at the body shop to do it.

How fucked up is that?

We've even approached them about it, and offered that they could auction off some of our paintings or other art to help fund the center, or for one of the causes, in exchange for letting us display our art up there for even a weekend. You would have thought we'd ask to shit on their doorsteps from the reactions we get. They have come up with so many excuses, I don't even have the time to type them all out.

That's ok, though. I'll continue to paint, as will Husband, and we'll continue to sell our stuff outside of Smalltown. And then, when we become millionaires, I'll tell the Art Center to kiss my ass when they want a sizable donation. Sounds good to me, anyway!