Art from the Unknown

Ten years ago, in an excess of social justice zeal, I challenged a ruling of the Alberta Social Services Appeal Panel in Queen's Bench. With the help of a lady friend far braver than I, The Edmonton Social Planning Council and a lawyer willing to work pro bono for media exposure I took my complaint about what I considered unfair treatment into Provincial Court. It was pretty wild, the newspapers and TV loved it. My friends and people in the local Social Justice Community tried to help me raise some funds to pay the filing fees and other court related expenses by setting up venues where I could put up artwork for sale. These sales were not particularly successful.

Pam Barret head of the NDP Party party at that time, was very supportive in issuing press releases and letting us use their photocopier. Then Raj Pannu, the NDP MLA from Edmonton/Strathcona, gadfly and goad of the Conservative hegemony, decided to host an art show featuring not only my work, but also the work of any other artists in the community who were not getting any gallery action. The response was phenomenal, in the numbers of people who submitted work, in the quality of the work and in the number of people who came to the showing. The show Art from the Unknown became an early winter tradition for many years thereafter. Then Raj stopped doing them and shortly thereafter announced that he would not run for office in the next election. This year I will be able to attend another installation, tomorrow evening. I'm looking forward to seeing Raj Pannu (Raj Against the Machine), Strathcona's beloved MLA one last time, maybe get to thank him for ten years well spent in public service. Only politician I ever liked, and I never voted in his riding.

My challenge in Queen's Bench didn't accomplish much. The first judge looked at the case and told the Provincial lawyers, this decision is no good because you have given this lady no reason for your decision. She is entitled to know why the Appeal Panel reached this decision.

Went back to the Appeal Panel. The program designer wailed,

”She wrecked my program!”

They came up with 13 pages of reasons why it was appropriate to turf me out of the program. We went back to Queen's Bench again, the second judge came up with nine pages of circular arguments about why the Appeal Panel was right. I guess I could have appealed that judgment at a higher court, but I figured I had gotten as much justice as I or my friends could afford to pay for by this time. My therapist estimated by the time they had paid all those billable hours for the Provinces lawyers I had probably cost the government at least $10,000.00. Drop in the Alberta oil bucket.

Anyway, I'm so happy that Raj, (or rather his fabulously creative Administrative Assistant) did the Art from the Unknown show. That is the single most valuable and useful positive energy that came out of my whole Quixotic joust with the powers that be.

I even met an old friend I hadn't seen since the early sixties at that first show. We used to drink cheap wine and listen to Barbara Streisand together when we were teenagers. She had some paintings in the show. That was magic.

I hope to bring back a sampling from this years show. Maybe I'll run into some other old friends.