From: Christopher Drew
Executive Director
Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center
1630 W. Wilson Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640

To: All Candidates for Chicago Mayor

Re: Questionnaire for Mayoral Candidates regarding the Chicago peddlers license and the right of artists to sell art in public.

Dear Candidate,

We want to know what you think about artists selling art in public in Chicago.

The Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center (UM-CAC) takes the position that art is protected by the First Amendment and that artists should have the right to sell their art in public without a license. During Mayor Washington's Administration artists did not need a peddlers license to sell art. Mayor Washington encouraged the Park District to allow artists to sell their art in the parks in Chicago. Mayor Daley ended that policy and in 1994 re-wrote the peddlers license to require artists to have a peddlers license to sell art in public and forced artists to abide by the unconstitutional provisions (when applied to speech vendors) of the peddlers license.

We are asking all those who campaign for Mayor to take a stand on removing the peddlers license requirement for artists and speech vendors in Chicago. This will save the City the cost and embarrassment of a Federal law suit on the constitutionality of the peddlers license as it applies to artists.

Please reply with your policy statements so we can understand your concern for the needs of artists in Chicago and to commit the City to write new constitutional rules for artists and First Amendment protected vendors in Chicago. For more information on our stance regarding the peddlers license read our online essay, “A Modest Proposal”

( http://www.art-teez.org/free-speech-movement/100818-right-to-sell-art-chicago-speech-violations.pdf )

If you would like to discuss this issue further we would enjoy that. You may correspond with us through e-mail at umcac@art-teez.org or simply reply to this message.
Sincerely,
Christopher A. Drew


QUESTIONNAIRE

Do you think Chicago's artists should be seen in public and that the public presence of the City's artists add character to the Chicago?

YES _______ NO ________ Don't Know ________

Are you concerned that artists should enjoy their First Amendment right to sell art in public in Chicago?

YES _______ NO ________ Don't Know ________

Do you think the City of Chicago should write a new law for artists and speech peddlers that is narrowly tailored to meet the City's public safety requirements and that respects artists’ First Amendment speech rights to sell art in public to replace the present peddlers license requirement for speech vendors/artists and which allows artists and speech vendors to sell art in public in Chicago without a license?

YES _______ NO ________ Don't Know ________

If NO – why not?



2) Do you have any established policy regarding community or public art in Chicago?

YES _______ NO _______ If yes please provide us a copy.


3) Would you like to learn more about our community arts policy concepts and our vision to change Chicago to make it more friendly to/for artists?

YES _______ NO ________

Thank you for your time and opinions.