The “Welcome to Port Townsend” sign lets our visiting tourists know right from the get go at our city limit that we are a Victorian Seaport and Art Community

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But are we? Still?

The art vibe here in PT has shifted a couple of times since I moved here in 2002 when the Quimper Arts group still met in the Jefferson County Fairground’s art building for weekly life drawing sessions. When restaurants and hotels and shops showcased local artists’ work on their walls for a month at a time. And when the Gallery Walk was attended and enjoyed as much as was dancing to live music at the now defunct Upstage or just hanging out at the long-gone Towne Tavern.

Though the city vibe has changed, the galleries and studios still exist and I hope our community will forever support the endeavors of all manner of artists.

Just recently I’d begun sharing my quick sketches on the public feed of the Nextdoor social media platform. I received lots of positive feedback and the views often reached up toward 3,000. So it came as quite a shock when, one morning last week, three of my sketches had been hidden from public view for violating the guidelines as spam.

When did art become spam?

Once a member of Nextdoor gets reported for spam, they are punished by not only having their post removed, but as well they are sanctioned from the platform for a number of days. My suspension lasted three. This time out also becomes a permanent strike against my standing as a good member, which, if I continue to post my art and it is reported, will potentially get me exiled from the platform permanently.

Leads and Team Reviewers remind members that we can scroll past content we don’t necessarily enjoy or opt to block that member from our feed all together. But when the art is deemed spam, the report smacks of intolerance which is then followed up in the form of

punishment. Getting unceremoniously shut down for an artist can be devastating.

I admit, my feelings are hurt.

If art has become spam here in Port Townsend, then we’ve turned a corner and perhaps should edit our welcome sign to Victorian Seaport. Period. What a great loss it would be for all concerned, residents and visitors alike.

“Art can help us understand our history, our culture, our lives and the experience of others in a manner that cannot be achieved through other means. It can also be a source of inspiration, reflection and joy.” - unknown