Art is Food

Bread and Puppet’s began in the 60’s and is still an active and vibrant Theater Company in Vermont. I came across a book about them after I had left New England in a Midwestern public library. I felt a kinship right away with their politics and their humor.

I had forgotten about them until I had the idea for this blog. My friend Lori mentioned their Manifesto after she visted the cyber Art Kitchen Studio the first time.

Lori is now living and making art in Vermont; she said she came across their manifesto in Kansas and that it really inspired her: “I included it in artwork I was making at the time....weird how things intersect in our lives....kinda cool.” Now she gets to go to their performances on a regular basis.

Here is a part of their manifesto:

…PEOPLE have been THINKING too long that
ART is a PRIVILEGE of the MUSEUMS & the
RICH. ART IS NOT BUSINESS!
It does not belong to banks & fancy investors
ART IS FOOD.
You can’t EAT it
BUT it FEEDS you.
ART has to be CHEAP & available to EVERYBODY.
It needs to be EVERYWHERE because it is the
INSIDE of the WORLD.
ART SOOTHES PAIN!
Art wakes up sleepers!
Art fights against war & stupidity
ART SINGS HALLELUJA
Art is for kitchens
ART IS LIKE GOOD BREAD
Art is like green trees
Art is like white clouds in blue sky
ART IS CHEAP
HURRAH!!

-Bread & Puppet Glover, Vermont, 1984
www.breadandpuppet.org