I’m sorry to leave Belleville. A midwest town with a slow and stalling art scene. It’s sputtering and suffering birth pangs, but I think it’s growing.
The rednecks are fighting it, of course: One of our hosts, Dan, describes having bottles thrown at him from passing pick-up trucks, and his son, Clay has been smacked in the back of the head by guys in the back of OTHER pick-ups. Yet ANOTHER pick-up drove up to where a mural was painted, and laughed at the … waitaminute… male and female couple… calling them “faggots”. Sigh.
Everytime we told people where we were going, the response was the same… “Belleville? Belleville, Illinois? I’m sorry.” or “Watch our for the cops.” When we arrived there and passed these sentiments along, the response was … “well, maybe if you’re black”.
The town certainly has some problems, but we managed to only get second-hand knowledge of the underbelly of the place. It didn’t ruin our Love of the town. Houses are cheap, the artists are raising themselves slowly, and you can at least recognize the Enemy by that flatbed behind the engine.
The people who have FOUND something to do with their Lives, however, have really been creating something good here. Greg, the Adama-esque Storyteller I’ve mentioned, is creating an arts council, and is making headway with art shows that don’t include flowers or ducks. Mike and Terri Isenhart have used the revenue from their successful tax accountancy business to create the Midtown Revue nightclub, which is a new home for “adult theatre” and independent playwrights to strut their creations. Oh, and not to mention creating the Belleville Summer Solstice Dan and Amy are an artistic couple who have purchased a building and created not only a spectacular Living space for themselves, but a slowly growing coffeehouse which I wish I could transplant back to Baltimore.
The people are friendly and unpretentious, and all in all – I regret leaving this town. I regret that it’s 833 miles from home. I could Live here.
