Posted on 11/07/2014 9:41:26 AM PST by Bettyprob
James Dupree is a world-renowned artist and native son of Philadelphia, who is about to see his art studio turned into a grocery store, thanks to the rubber-stamp review that passes for judging when his city exercises the power of eminent domain.
James' artistic accomplishments are truly awesome. He has five paintings in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Others can be found in the National Museum of Art in Cardiff, Wales; the Schomberg Museum in New York; the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts; and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
You can see the Philadelphia Museum of Art from James' studio. It is located in the Mantua neighborhood of West Philadelphia, where James grew up. The studio was a dilapidated warehouse when he purchased it for a little under $200,000. He spent $60,000 installing new electrical equipment and plumbing, $68,000 on roof repairs, and thousands more on renovations, furnishings and appliances.
The investment paid off, for James and for Mantua. What was once a dead, abandoned building is now alive and bustling with activity. James has hosted and taught art classes at his studio and has plans to start a mentorship program in order to give artists an environment where they "can create serious work and receive the support and freedom to explore new ideas."
(Excerpt) Read more at huffingtonpost.com ...
I imagine he voted for the very same politicians that are trying to take his studio away.
What’s the big deal, James?
YOU didn’t build that!
What a shameful thing it is to be on the zoning board in Philadelphia. Their are several dirty hands in this theft.
LOL, failure to donate large enough amounts to the local DemoRat party campaign coffers.
If Jimmy was running a Christian bookstore, the Puff Ho's would be ecstatic over this "eminent domain" theft of private property.
Let me guess: One of Mrs. Obama’s “urban grocery deserts” being worked on?
The Myth of Michelle Obama’s “Food Desert”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3014880/posts
A state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.
Looking at the comments. Huffpo readers are blaming Kelo on the conservative wing of the USSC... and finally people are calling them on this 180 degree lie.
They think the grocery will yield more taxes than the art. Redistributionist, tax greedy Philly. Sometimes conservative politics are best for the artsy fartsy group after all.
The SCOTUS New London case rears its ugly head again.
I was just thinking the same thing.
The Kelo vs New London decision was one of the worst Supreme Court decisions ever. One day it should be revisited.
Uh, what is that above the dude’s head? LOL
A strong, growing economy, based on conservative economic principles, does, in fact, create a populace that willingly supports all the fine arts and opportunity for quality artists in the free marketplace.
A caricature has sprung up in the arts, that if it’s offensive, blasphemous, or kooky it is great art.
Basically, it said that anticipated taxes are a valid public purpose. Those who accuse capitalism of losing its conscience have a valid point when referring to this.
Looks like this guy knows Lena Dunham’s father who also has similar “interesting” paintings.
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