Getting 'up-to-date' on St. George performers

Web posted Monday, July 31, 2000

Getting 'up-to-date' on St. George performers
By PETER GUINTA
Staff Writer

It puzzles citizens of foreign nations to learn that what has long been permitted in almost all countries -- playing a musical instrument or selling one's art on the street -- is against the law in St. Augustine.

Hundreds of people all over the world have have been recorded as signing on to a World Wide Web site dedicated to St. Augustine's street artists, said its creator, J.D. Pleasant of St. Augustine.

Pleasant, an independent videographer, said he created the Web site two or three months ago, after the city reinstated its ban against performances or sales on St. George Street.

"I had been videotaping that story for five years, before the last ban,'' he said. ""That (ban) was overturned (in federal court) and there were a lot of colorful people involved in the celebration. There was a rally in the Plaza, a torchlight parade down St. George Street and jugglers.''

But when a new ban was imposed, he said, there was shock among the artists.

"The public outrage of the locals and tourists is much more notable this time. I couldn't find anybody to support the ban except for some of the merchants on St. George Street,'' Pleasant said.

He started a Web site to post photographs from his digital videos. The address is: www.geocities.com/pics--to--go.

Twice Pleasant's video camera has been grabbed by angry merchants while trying to film the street performers playing for the Fox Network.

Pleasant said, "That was one of the things that made it personal. Also, it was a human drama and I was there.''

He's now working on a documentary about the issue and each time he goes into the editing phase of the project, something else happens. Recently, for example, the Hispanic Garden was closed by the St. Augustine Foundation.

The Garden was a place where many street artists played to avoid arrest.

"The other day, I was at St. George Street and noticed how empty it was (without the artists drawing crowds),'' he said. "You could have shot a cannon down the street and not hit anyone.''

Trying to help the street artists and performers in her own way is Judy Lease of St. Augustine, who knew many of the musicians and performers over the years she has lived in the city.

She said most are poor and cannot afford to pay for paper or copying when they need flyers done.

In a computer store one day, she had an idea: make a calendar.

"I said, "I can do this.' I got a program that makes the calendar outline, then put photographs on top of them. Most of the pictures are mine,'' she said.

She had them wire-bound, bringing her total cost to about $6 each. Twice she sold her entire stock at $8 each and is having the third run printed now.

They are very crudely done, with fuzzy black and white photographs having no identifications of who is pictured, but she uses any money she makes for flyers or printing services for the artists.

"They're like an extended family to me,'' Lease said. ""They got a raw deal in 1995 and 1998, and are getting one this year. As many times as (the ban's) been overturned, why keep using taxpayer money to keep them out? They're not hurting anybody.''