About Arbitrary Art Grants

2003 Arbitrary Art Grant
for Digital Graffiti

2002 Arbitrary Art Grant
for Creative Writing

2001 Arbitrary Art Grant for Film

2000 Arbitrary Art Grant for Music

2002 Arbitrary Art Grant for Music
Awarded on June 23, 2000

For the very first Arbitrary Art Grant, we thought it would be fun to tag along with all of the mayhem surrounding the grand opening of the new and much anticipated Experience Music Project (EMP). Designed by Frank O. Gehry and filled with Jimi Hendrix artifacts, it was an opportune time to make a little statement about our own version of an“experience music project.” On one designated street corner, we promoted the Arbitrary Art Grant for Music. The call for participants went something like this:

$500.00 will be awarded to one random person in the act of creating music using a non-traditional or homemade instrument. Friday June 23, 2000, between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m., on the northwest corner of Broad Street and 5th Avenue North. An envelope with cash will be handed to someone participating in the act of creating sound, noise, music or any combination thereof. Award will be given at random and, as such, is not based upon skill, volume or virtuosity. Anyone can play, one person will win.

With people playing rubber chickens, water bottles, elaborate homemade stringed instruments, magnetic tape, toilet paper rolls, plastic spoons and aluminum crutches, it was an entirely surreal orchestra that no pedestrian, participant or security guard could quite comprehend — as weird as weird gets. I don’t think the EMP security appreciated the unanticipated performance on the corner of their new building, but I’m pretty sure that if Jimi Hendrix caught a glimpse from his perch, he’d give the group of noise makers a big smile, a thumbs up, and whisper “play on brother, play on…”