Commerce Street Artists' Warehouse

My name is John Evans. I am a member of I Love You Baby!, and a former member artist of CSAW. I exhibit under the name Jim Fat, and I occupied Studio D at Commerce Street Artists Warehouse prior to Skeez, Xavier Herrera and Mario Jose Olvera. I left CSAW, and the United States, in deep frustration at the state of the visual arts world there and came to the United Kingdom to embark on an international career unfettered by local politics. Given my closeness to the situation, I feel compelled to comment.

When I joined as a member artist of CSAW in 2002, the organization was already deep in the midst of a constitutional crisis. The problem then was as it is now, the conflicts between two essential groups: those who are genuinely there to be a part of a vibrant artistic community and those who are tenuously hanging on to the cheap rent. The latter group is generally far less productive than the former, and usually derive the money by which they pay rent by means other than art. More crudely, you could define this as a conflict between dedicated artists in a state of financial precarity versus hobbyists with “real world” jobs or independent wealth who are more financially solvent.

Maggi Battalino, whose Studio B looks much more like a luxury condo than the working artists studios in CSAW, is one of the latter group. I do not know to what Maggi owes her success as an artist, but (I say) the work that comes out of her studio is bland and uninspired, and lacks any sense of technique or design, and is a crude shadow of the real work coming from real artists’ studios 50 and 60 years ago from which it is so clearly derived, so I dare to put forth the notion that she is simply good at “playing the game.” We all know that the art world is populated by people like this, those lacking in talent enjoying undeserved success , but the corporate ethos with which we are forced to live in mega-cities like Houston encourages this type of thing to happen. It’s also helpful if you make art that looks like art by real artists who suffered for their trade generations ago, but which has since been accepted by the mainstream. It’s no risk for an investor from the business world to buy a new painting that breaks no ground and resembles the work of the past, nor does it constitute a risk on the part of the artist to produce such a picture.

Of the financially secure group at CSAW, however, Maggi is the most productive artist. The other members of this group derive their income from full-fledged careers in other fields or other means (such as teaching, nursing and alimony) and seldom make time for art, and contribute very little to quality of life and art at CSAW. For those people it is simply a long-term cheap rent situation, and every influence they exert over the organization is to make it a more pleasant environment in which to have a city apartment, to make events at CSAW conform to a schedule that does no harm to the early bedtimes they must keep so as to accommodate their non arts-related careers. If you can’t see the conflict of interest there, then you are probably one of the ‘artists’ of whom I speak.

Another contributing factor would be the death of our previous landlord, who was 103 years old when she passed on three years ago. When our precious benefactor passed away, ownership of 2315 Commerce Street transferred to her heirs, who are several in number. It was always suspected that when this group took over ownership of CSAW, that the tender stewardship provided by the departed would give way to lecherous money-suckling, and sure enough, it has.

I offer CSAW itself as proof of that. One need only look at the website to find that CSAW now has, all embodied in Maggi Battalino, a CEO, Treasurer and Liason! It’s proof that a dying organization has reached the depths of staleness. And now CSAW must surely be irrelevant to Houston, seeing how it has devolved into the vanity project of a select few whom I doubt have ever read the bylaw or mission statement.

So I raise a glass of good stout beer here in England to the final demise of that long-suffering Good Idea Gone Wrong. I lament what could have and should have been: a vibrant epicenter of the long-suffering community of dedicated struggling artists ideally placed in Houston’s 77002 zip code to provide a much-needed antithesis to the powerful corporate culture, rather than another of its bastions.

This is what you get when financial success is the only measure of an artist’s ability, those braver types doing stuff that actually is innovative are discouraged, and those with a little money in their pockets become monsters who STILL make terrible art. If Maggi Battalino is using CSAW money to pay cops and for her own agenda, she needs to go. If she is trying to make the place into a dormitory for over 40’s, she’s got to go. If she is monopolizing communication with the landlords in what is supposed to be a democratic collective, she has got to go. If she’s screening applicants for studios according to her own criteria, she’s go to go. And honestly, for her terrible work bringing down the integrity of the place, she needs to go.

The only way to save CSAW is for all the tenants to band together and evict Maggi on breach of the bylaws. However, as the article pointed out and I have elaborated on, CSAW is not really a place for risk-takers anymore. I seriously doubt anyone has the gumption to stand up to their newly crowned CEO.

Alternatively, one could call the Fire Marshall.

John Evans -a.k.a.- Jim Fat
Bristol, England
Great Britain

Damn Skeeze has left houston??? Well houston has lost a great artist... not! That's why artists largely suck. They are usually self involved, think the rules don't apply to them b/c they are self describingly "weird" and such drivel. If artists don't like the landlord's rules, freaking move somewhere else. That simple. World doesn't revolve around you. If I don't like the rules of a business, I don't patronize said business. I understand business has right to set their own policies. I'm not so self absorbed to believe the world was meant to cater to my every demand and whim. Skeez prob. puts himself amongst the greats, however, he can't even be forgotten b/c that would imply that somebody knows of your talents; ie you must be "thought of" to be forgotten. Was Skeez the dude who put MeatVerb all over the place? What the hell is that? Maybe he wanted to sniff some paint in a high altitude environment.

Actually, Billy, if you read the article again, you'll find THE JUDGE didn't read the bylaws. Ms. Battalino evicted them against CSAW procedure, and THE JUDGE didn't check the rules. The point of the article is how MAGGI evicted them against the rules. Read more carefully, my good man. Check the Mission Statement on the CSAW website to see how wrong your statement is.

Also, Skeez IS still in Houston, and he most definitely is not Meat/Verb. To my knowledge Skeez has never committed any illegal acts of graffiti, and I certainly rate him as a bona fide artist. Why not check out his work on the net to see that you don't know what you're talking about?

I am the person who left Houston. I never work with spray-paint, I am a law-abiding citizen and an award-winning, internationally exhibited visual artist who never graffitis, and yes, Houston DID lose an amazing artist when I left town. Ask those who know me. History will clarify that.

Look around you, Billy, and work on your reading skills.

Thanky!

John Evans / Jim Fat
Bristol, England
Great Britain.

test

Maggi (Ms. Battalino), has refused to work with any CSAW artist or board member who disagreed with her behavior/method/process in regards to skeez/xavier's exhibition in august and/or who questioned the eviction. If any of us try to ask her a calm question she doesn't want to answer, she just walks away (this includes dialog with board members). If one raises there voice so as to communicate down the hallway in which she is departing, she claims the artist is being antagonistic. She refuses to have any dialog about what her agenda is. Though she was appointed by CSAW artist members in march 06, she claims to not be accountability to the artist members of CSAW per her memorandum dated from august and on going behavior and comments. All the money she collects over the rent we owe the owners she is absolutely accountable, but has refused to account for. She has been contacted multiple times by several members to account for our funds, but refuses any disclosure. There is absolutely no accountability what so ever currently. It is my understanding that this is against the common laws of the state of Texas. Additionally, she has accused all who questioned the eviction to be drug users and to have been buying drugs from skeez. This is intentional malicious slander. She has also been heard saying that she doesn't represent CSAW but "is CSAW." she has also told one artist in good standing that he cannot have guests in his studio. She claimed one of his guests was subletting. Even after the artist clarified that this was not the case, he got an eviction notice from maggi's lawyer (who started out as CSAW the tenant’s lawyer and now claims to be CSAW/Maggi the landlord’s lawyer=isn’t that a breach of ethics?) that if the CSAW artist did not quit subletting his space he would be evicted. All despite the fact that he had already clarified to Maggi that the visitor was a guest.

Here is CSAW 's self commentary from our website which was our guiding philosophy before Maggi was voted into her current position.

Commerce street artists warehouse, located two blocks from downtown Houston, across the tracks and under highway 59 at 2315 commerce street., is an ARTIST RUN cooperative SPACE (warehouse) providing 21 studios for visual and performing artists and three exhibition spaces. Resident artists are involved in all aspects of scheduling exhibits and performances as well as maintenance and promotion of the space and events.

The mission of csaw is:

1.) To provide artists in the houston area with affordable studio space in a stimulating and supportive community of artists.

2.) To foster a multicultural calendar of visual and performing events by providing artists in the community with a performance area and gallery space.

3.) To offer artists, educational and volunteer groups, and the community at large support for visual arts, performing events, and literacy programs.

4.) To promote and stimulate discussion of current issues affecting visual and performing organizations and the city of houston.

5.) To heighten awareness of the arts in the community.

To become a resident of CSAW, artists must schedule an appointment for an interview with current members and be prepared to bring evidence of a professional career in the visual or performing arts (slides, cd, dvd, or other visuals), plus personal references and a commitment to support the activities of csaw.

Maggi no longer consults CSAW members or board members as to new artists coming into the building. You can be sure that she is carefully handpicking artist to try to counter her future removal from office.

Maggi in spite of having sent the by-laws to committee this past year has decided they are not valid. Though she regardly makes statements saying something is against policy and refuses to disclose what that policy is.

She claims if we un-elect her and elect new representation she will have the owners give us 30 days notice.

Additionally Maggi claims to have been the sole rescuer of CSAW after previous member artists incurred a large debt to the owners of our building. Yet this is not true. The board and artist members chose to increase their monthly fees in order to pay back CSAWs debt. Each artist who stayed or joined helped pay back this debt. Artist members maintained the building. Maggi still collects the excess we agreed to pay (to pay off the previous debt) and uses it however she pleases with absolutely no accountability.

Because her behavior is unethical, illegal, eradicate, and hostile she is a liability to the owners as well as the current members. She should be removed from office. Unfortunately, the owners believe based on Maggi’s evaluation that it is the current set of artists (whom Maggi helped select) who are the problem.

It is not mutiny to expect an elected official to uphold their duties and account to the body that elected them.

there are probably typos and sentence structure issues in this since it is written from ongoing exasperation.

Still hunting for a good, affordable alternative!

Sincerely, one of many frustrated CSAW members

I have just found this on the CSAW website: On November 25, 2007 at the Commerce Street Art Warehouse artist members elected a new board of directors effective the evening of November 25, 2007. We are very much looking forward to the new year.

The new duly elected board is as follows:

Michael Henderson
President

Kathryn Kelley
Vice President

Whitney Riley
Treasurer

Garland Fielder
Secretary

Nice going, people! Now you need to wrestle the missing money out of her hands and EVICT THE BATTALINO!!