Originally published in the June 19th edition available on Amazon / Smashwords:
Brandon Wunder / Co-Owner The Alternative Gallery
Alternative Culture: Underdeveloped and Overlooked
Author’s Note: This article was originally intended to be a reflection of the first year of the Alternative Gallery in Downtown Allentown, a grassroots community gallery focused on celebrating the diversity of the Lehigh Valley. But as the writing progressed, it became an analytical look at cities and why they need places like this.
Every city, every town has its characters and its artists. No matter where you go you’ll discover ingenuity and something you may have seen a thousand times before, but done in a way you’d never imagine. Some areas cater better to offering outlets for these people than others, but smaller towns or even cities not deemed overly important are often very lacking.
Popular thought in a lot of cases seems to be that unless you’re in one of the top few cities in the country, you can’t have a serious art scene or an area with anything to offer. Or that if you haven’t made a name for yourself in one of these top cities than you haven’t “made it.” I think it’s quite the opposite, I see small towns as unique and full of potential. With less influence around them they figure things out on their own and take unique approaches to what they do. It’s more important to have that one person who does it completely differently than 20 people who do it exactly the same.
Allentown & the Lehigh Valley definitely have a variety of cultures and a lot of talent to offer. Being so close to New York City we often feel that we’re living in their shadow and can’t stand out on our own. This is why oftentimes when someone starts to make a name for themselves here, they leave and try their luck there.
Being influenced by places like NYC is not a bad thing at all, but thinking we have to be like them is. No city other than NYC can, will, or should ever be NYC. New York is great, but we already have one. People who come to Allentown looking for a New York experience have come to the wrong place for the wrong reasons. Plus that’s a thoughtless goal to have, think about how boring it would be if every city were similar to NYC. We travel because we search for unfamiliar places and something we haven’t seen before.
That seems to be the main problem with smaller cities, trying to model themselves after larger ones instead of embracing what makes them unique. This carries heavily over to their arts & culture venues. The people who run these institutions have long been out of touch with the current generation and the forward thinking of what will make tomorrow better for their people. They desperately clutch on to the fading ideals they were raised on or nostalgic memories, not that these points of culture shouldn’t be preserved, but they shouldn’t be forced as the current way of life. Creative individuals will only sit by so long without a proper outlet to gather with like-minded people, until they decide they have to create it themselves.
I think the best types of these places are the ones that exist because of necessity. It wasn’t a business venture or an impressive space to show off work, it was a space that was created because of the need for the people to get together, compare work, share crazy ideas, learn and get inspired by each other.
That was exactly how the idea of the Alternative Gallery began. It wasn’t an idea that we came up with, it was something that we realized had to exist and would exist one way or another, we just had to give it a name.
A lot is in a name; a name should have meaning and reflect that which it is a permanent part of. The title for this venture was carefully thought out, it was a combination of multiple ideas and had levels of meaning.
Before getting into the name, I think more importantly is I guess what you could consider the tagline for the gallery, a one-sentence phrase that sums up what we stand for; “Have you seen the Alternative?” First impression may be asking if you’ve seen the physical gallery space, but it means something more important. The question it’s asking is if you’ve considered other options, or looked at more than one possibility before deciding for certain or making up your mind. This has less to do with Art and more about the way we look at the world, which in turn effects how you see Art. But that’s just a happy coincidence and not the real meaning behind the question.
We’re not stating that we ARE the alternative, that it’s them or us. We’re saying we are AN alternative. We’re not necessarily saying we’re right, we expect to be compared to other options as well. Some will choose, some will not choose. Diversity in taste exists and some ideas work for certain people and not others. We’re simply another option in that pool of choices.
Alternative can mean different, or outcast. It can be a variation or the polar opposite. Many of the people that have naturally drifted towards our gallery could be considered outcasts. Or they do things in a way the general public normally wouldn’t or considers weird. Just because someone doesn’t like what you do doesn’t mean you have to feel the same way. But society really is all about fitting in and moving with the herd. Those who move against it are considered troublemakers, often because the person with that viewpoint doesn’t know why the person going the other way is doing so.
People have come to depend on this space and this outlet for creative inspiration and somewhere that they can be around like-minded people. It’s something that’s so necessary to exist but unfortunately seems to happen so infrequently.
This gallery is more than just a gallery and it exists in more than just the space labeled as our main location. We exist in the form of pop-up shows, community outreach programs, education through art, and even as a method to reclaiming control of your life. There are several people affiliated with us who are trying to kick drug addiction or stay out of prison by focusing on their art. They found this group of people they were comfortable around and wanted to grow with the tribe. Too much freedom for anyone is a bad thing, and that’s certainly true for an artist. Most of us need discipline and deadlines to keep us on track, otherwise it’s easy to keep putting it off and say you’ll do it tomorrow. Exhibits that artists take part in force them to get work done by a certain time, and on many occasions, I’ve been told by artists that the themes of our shows have helped them to do work they never would have done before.
At the end of the day our main goal is to inspire people; to inspire creativity, to inspire growth & change through art and education, and most importantly, to inspire others to start spaces like the one we’ve started.
Technology has put more power in the hands of the individual than ever before, and all it takes is one person with a great idea and un-relentless drive to make it happen. Why depend on high end institutions that are put there to make money and usually only show work that is a sure bet? Why is it wrong to create work that may not be accepted by everyone? Why is being offended considered a bad thing 100% of the time? Are only warm, fuzzy feelings of perfection the only feelings worth having? It’s important to explore other factions of ourselves, but when everything is designed to be one way that’s an impossibility.
So why Allentown? Maybe it’s because I was born here, or maybe it’s because when my Grandparents came here in the 60’s it was one of the best cities in the country for employment and for family life. Allentown has fallen on hard times in the decades since then after losing all of its industry to foreign markets. The arena and new development projects definitely offer new hope and incentives to bringing your business here, but even that’s not the reason. To me, Allentown is an underdog. It’s the one place in the Lehigh Valley that so many people can agree on, that it sucks. Allentown has become a target for people to hurl their harsh criticisms and vindictiveness towards, often times fairly so. And that’s what attracts me. Maybe it’s to prove that if we can take a city similar to what Detroit went through and make it great again, we can do it anywhere.
But the truth is, I do believe in Allentown; it was great before and can be great again. People are too quick to judge and overlook the great work people are doing simply because of a preconceived idea or a viewpoint they’ve held for a long time without ever re-examining it. I see the people of this city every single day; there is true talent among us and reason to celebrate. People love art here just as anywhere else, so why deny them of that? If they can’t afford to pay $15 to go to a museum than give them something for free, because everyone deserves to take part in it.
Not everyone visits art galleries or attends exhibits, so we try to put art in restaurants, local business, create art live on the streets, anywhere the people are. In a capitalistic society we often forget that art is bigger than dollar signs, it’s an expression of a group of people in time that will only exist in that moment and then be gone forever.
The paintings, sculptures & films we leave behind will one day reflect a society that no longer exists. The work we make will one day be more real to the people of the future than the people who created it. Let’s leave a good impression of who we were, what we did and why we did it. Set a good example for your fellow human beings. Help encourage the talented people in your life to make the most of it, and not let that talent go to waste. Champion those around you to dream big and live even bigger! Inspire the change that so many of us need!
https://www.facebook.com/brandon.wunder.7?ref=ts&fref=ts
Alternative Culture: Underdeveloped and Overlooked
Author’s Note: This article was originally intended to be a reflection of the first year of the Alternative Gallery in Downtown Allentown, a grassroots community gallery focused on celebrating the diversity of the Lehigh Valley. But as the writing progressed, it became an analytical look at cities and why they need places like this.
Every city, every town has its characters and its artists. No matter where you go you’ll discover ingenuity and something you may have seen a thousand times before, but done in a way you’d never imagine. Some areas cater better to offering outlets for these people than others, but smaller towns or even cities not deemed overly important are often very lacking.
Popular thought in a lot of cases seems to be that unless you’re in one of the top few cities in the country, you can’t have a serious art scene or an area with anything to offer. Or that if you haven’t made a name for yourself in one of these top cities than you haven’t “made it.” I think it’s quite the opposite, I see small towns as unique and full of potential. With less influence around them they figure things out on their own and take unique approaches to what they do. It’s more important to have that one person who does it completely differently than 20 people who do it exactly the same.
Allentown & the Lehigh Valley definitely have a variety of cultures and a lot of talent to offer. Being so close to New York City we often feel that we’re living in their shadow and can’t stand out on our own. This is why oftentimes when someone starts to make a name for themselves here, they leave and try their luck there.
Being influenced by places like NYC is not a bad thing at all, but thinking we have to be like them is. No city other than NYC can, will, or should ever be NYC. New York is great, but we already have one. People who come to Allentown looking for a New York experience have come to the wrong place for the wrong reasons. Plus that’s a thoughtless goal to have, think about how boring it would be if every city were similar to NYC. We travel because we search for unfamiliar places and something we haven’t seen before.
That seems to be the main problem with smaller cities, trying to model themselves after larger ones instead of embracing what makes them unique. This carries heavily over to their arts & culture venues. The people who run these institutions have long been out of touch with the current generation and the forward thinking of what will make tomorrow better for their people. They desperately clutch on to the fading ideals they were raised on or nostalgic memories, not that these points of culture shouldn’t be preserved, but they shouldn’t be forced as the current way of life. Creative individuals will only sit by so long without a proper outlet to gather with like-minded people, until they decide they have to create it themselves.
I think the best types of these places are the ones that exist because of necessity. It wasn’t a business venture or an impressive space to show off work, it was a space that was created because of the need for the people to get together, compare work, share crazy ideas, learn and get inspired by each other.
That was exactly how the idea of the Alternative Gallery began. It wasn’t an idea that we came up with, it was something that we realized had to exist and would exist one way or another, we just had to give it a name.
A lot is in a name; a name should have meaning and reflect that which it is a permanent part of. The title for this venture was carefully thought out, it was a combination of multiple ideas and had levels of meaning.
Before getting into the name, I think more importantly is I guess what you could consider the tagline for the gallery, a one-sentence phrase that sums up what we stand for; “Have you seen the Alternative?” First impression may be asking if you’ve seen the physical gallery space, but it means something more important. The question it’s asking is if you’ve considered other options, or looked at more than one possibility before deciding for certain or making up your mind. This has less to do with Art and more about the way we look at the world, which in turn effects how you see Art. But that’s just a happy coincidence and not the real meaning behind the question.
We’re not stating that we ARE the alternative, that it’s them or us. We’re saying we are AN alternative. We’re not necessarily saying we’re right, we expect to be compared to other options as well. Some will choose, some will not choose. Diversity in taste exists and some ideas work for certain people and not others. We’re simply another option in that pool of choices.
Alternative can mean different, or outcast. It can be a variation or the polar opposite. Many of the people that have naturally drifted towards our gallery could be considered outcasts. Or they do things in a way the general public normally wouldn’t or considers weird. Just because someone doesn’t like what you do doesn’t mean you have to feel the same way. But society really is all about fitting in and moving with the herd. Those who move against it are considered troublemakers, often because the person with that viewpoint doesn’t know why the person going the other way is doing so.
People have come to depend on this space and this outlet for creative inspiration and somewhere that they can be around like-minded people. It’s something that’s so necessary to exist but unfortunately seems to happen so infrequently.
This gallery is more than just a gallery and it exists in more than just the space labeled as our main location. We exist in the form of pop-up shows, community outreach programs, education through art, and even as a method to reclaiming control of your life. There are several people affiliated with us who are trying to kick drug addiction or stay out of prison by focusing on their art. They found this group of people they were comfortable around and wanted to grow with the tribe. Too much freedom for anyone is a bad thing, and that’s certainly true for an artist. Most of us need discipline and deadlines to keep us on track, otherwise it’s easy to keep putting it off and say you’ll do it tomorrow. Exhibits that artists take part in force them to get work done by a certain time, and on many occasions, I’ve been told by artists that the themes of our shows have helped them to do work they never would have done before.
At the end of the day our main goal is to inspire people; to inspire creativity, to inspire growth & change through art and education, and most importantly, to inspire others to start spaces like the one we’ve started.
Technology has put more power in the hands of the individual than ever before, and all it takes is one person with a great idea and un-relentless drive to make it happen. Why depend on high end institutions that are put there to make money and usually only show work that is a sure bet? Why is it wrong to create work that may not be accepted by everyone? Why is being offended considered a bad thing 100% of the time? Are only warm, fuzzy feelings of perfection the only feelings worth having? It’s important to explore other factions of ourselves, but when everything is designed to be one way that’s an impossibility.
So why Allentown? Maybe it’s because I was born here, or maybe it’s because when my Grandparents came here in the 60’s it was one of the best cities in the country for employment and for family life. Allentown has fallen on hard times in the decades since then after losing all of its industry to foreign markets. The arena and new development projects definitely offer new hope and incentives to bringing your business here, but even that’s not the reason. To me, Allentown is an underdog. It’s the one place in the Lehigh Valley that so many people can agree on, that it sucks. Allentown has become a target for people to hurl their harsh criticisms and vindictiveness towards, often times fairly so. And that’s what attracts me. Maybe it’s to prove that if we can take a city similar to what Detroit went through and make it great again, we can do it anywhere.
But the truth is, I do believe in Allentown; it was great before and can be great again. People are too quick to judge and overlook the great work people are doing simply because of a preconceived idea or a viewpoint they’ve held for a long time without ever re-examining it. I see the people of this city every single day; there is true talent among us and reason to celebrate. People love art here just as anywhere else, so why deny them of that? If they can’t afford to pay $15 to go to a museum than give them something for free, because everyone deserves to take part in it.
Not everyone visits art galleries or attends exhibits, so we try to put art in restaurants, local business, create art live on the streets, anywhere the people are. In a capitalistic society we often forget that art is bigger than dollar signs, it’s an expression of a group of people in time that will only exist in that moment and then be gone forever.
The paintings, sculptures & films we leave behind will one day reflect a society that no longer exists. The work we make will one day be more real to the people of the future than the people who created it. Let’s leave a good impression of who we were, what we did and why we did it. Set a good example for your fellow human beings. Help encourage the talented people in your life to make the most of it, and not let that talent go to waste. Champion those around you to dream big and live even bigger! Inspire the change that so many of us need!
https://www.facebook.com/brandon.wunder.7?ref=ts&fref=ts