Artists and farmers vie for park space

Eleven years ago, farmer Tom Wikstrom and his colleagues built Salt Lake City's Farmers Market from the ground up at a public park that was known more for drug deals and prostitution than for trees and grass.

Now, however, Wikstrom said all that work is on the verge of going to waste at Pioneer Park as street artists have been mooching off the farmers' sweat.

Since artists have moved into the park near the market, more people are coming down, spending more time and making the park so busy Wikstrom's customers won't visit anymore.

"They came right down and parked next to us," Wikstrom said. "And there's people who are going out of business."

But those crowds are exactly what Mayor Rocky Anderson is looking to bring to city parks and business districts.

Wednesday night Anderson's administration convened a public meeting at the Pioneer Police Precinct to hash out ongoing issues over street artists in Salt Lake City.

Anderson is preparing an ordinance that would codify different rules regarding where and how artists can set up shop. Under Anderson's current proposal artists wouldn't need a permit before setting up at a park or on a sidewalk in a business district. Also artists could set up 100 feet from existing events like the Farmers Market.

Anderson's ideas are earning praise local artists.

"We should be begging these artists to come out on our streets and give us some culture," Renee Shaw said Wednesday.

Still the City Council might change some of Anderson's goals when they consider the mayor's proposed ordinance. In a previous, temporary ordinance governing street artists, the council went against Anderson's wishes and imposed a $50 annual permit fee for street artists.

That temporary ordinance has since expired, and the city currently has antiquated laws forbidding the sale of street art. Those ordinances are now unconstitutional given recent federal case law upholding artists' rights to sell art on streets and in parks, senior city attorney Larry Spendlove said.

The city's property manager, Linda Cordova, caught Anderson off guard Wednesday when she told the precinct crowd that she thinks the city should impose a permitting process on artists — a recommendation contrary to Anderson's desire.

"It would be good for the administration to speak with one voice," Anderson said. "She's not discussed this with me before."

The Downtown Alliance, which operates the Farmer's Market and promotes businesses downtown, has expressed concerns about Anderson's plan because it allows artists to sell "reproduced art" and not just original art. That could create a flea market type atmosphere, the alliance fears.

Spendlove, however, said court ruling give artists the constitutional right to sell reproduced art.

Anderson said he would put together a panel of business, artists and other interests to further discuss the proposed ordinance.

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E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com