"Performance art" hits Wal-Mart

Redandblack.com (The University of Georgia student paper) ^ | December 08, 2003 | AARON JOLLAY

[Wumpus Hunter]

'Performance art' hits Wal-Mart Store staff forces crowd to leave

The Oconee County Wal-Mart was under siege Friday night by a guerrilla performance art project staged by University students for their Studio Art 2810 final.

The students, who call their group "Private Agenda," held a rave in the family bathroom and a fashion show in the electronics department before being asked to leave by Wal-Mart staff, who warned participants over the store's public announcement system that they could be arrested.

"Wal-Mart is the New America ... united we stand, 24 hours a day, consume, consume, consume," said James Kubie, a sophomore from Dunwoody and an organizer of the performance.

Kubie said the project was put together by students without any input from their teacher, Michael Oliveri.

"We just wanted something we could do at Wal-Mart to bring the youth culture and the art world into kinda like a fluorescent-lit wasteland," he said. "We thought that most of the employees would get a kick out of it, but a lot of the older employees were not amused by it."

Although a few employees stood smiling at the antics in the electronics department, Janet Gossage, an assistant manager at the Epps Bridge Road Wal-Mart, said people in the fashion show had been exposing themselves indecently.

Organizers and participants interviewed by The Red & Black said there was no indecent exposure.

"The most flesh that showed at all was one guy took off his pants and was wearing a pair of hot pants underneath," Kubie said.

Gossage refused to comment when contacted by The Red & Black Saturday night and would not say if surveillance videotapes had been reviewed for any indecencies.

"Our one guideline was to not break any laws, because the intended purpose was that we didn't want to break any laws but we wanted new (policies) to have to be made," Kubie said. "I think we were pretty responsible in the way we executed our overall plan. There was no permanent damage and very little cleaning to be done."

While Wal-Mart staff were caught off-guard, the performance art invasion had been advertised by the students for several weeks.

Televisions in the art school showed commercials made by the students to promote the event, and Kubie said he inserted flyers into about 150 copies of Flagpole Magazine.

The group documented their performance with photographs, video tape and audio recordings, and will put material on a Web Site for their final grade.

"It was an anti-control statement," said Sam Marks, a senior from Atlanta who wore a black dominatrix outfit Friday night.

Marks said her friends have been kicked out of Wal-Mart for things like hacky-sacking in the store.

"We went there to shake things up," said Roxanne Abelle, a junior from Thomasville, Tenn. "Either people really like Wal-Mart or they really hate Wal-Mart."

Abelle said the performance was "an excuse to get away with all the hijinks that aren't illegal in any way and aren't hurting anyone."

However, Gossage said the group made a mess of the family bathroom and insulted her customers by the fashion show.

Kubie said the only mess in the bathroom was a boombox and a small amount of confetti left behind.

Another issue that remains unclear between the students and the store was the event's purpose.

When asking students to leave, a Wal-Mart staffer referred to the event as a "feminist protest."

This may have been because of Natalie Gazaway, who wore a tiny white nurse's dress while being pushed through the store in a shopping cart asking people to take surveys.

"Would you try feminism even once?" Gazaway asked Wal-Mart customers with confused looks on their faces.

Adelle said Wal-Mart managers told some participants and spectators standing in check-out lines after being dispersed that they were not welcome to buy anything.

[goodnesswins]

..."though when I consider Wally-world's refusal to sell even labeled "explicit lyrics" CDs while its trying to run other vendors out of business, I lose a lot of sympathy for the entity."

It's a FREE Market....they can sell (or not sell) whatever they want to...I'm sure you can get your "explicit lyrics CDs" elsewhere. And, they CAN kick people out of their stores who are disrupting business, which is all these little idgits were doing. As far as "running other vendors out of business".....move to Russia, maybe you'd like it better there.

[bird4four4]

What was the purpose here?

we wanted new (policies) to have to be made

It was an anti-control statement

Just a bunch of future members of ANSWER, MoveOn, FARQ, what ever, as long as it flies in the face of someone it must be progressive.

[CindyDawg]

we wanted new (policies) to have to be made

You were part of this? :') What new policies? Hackysack? I used to kick my kids outside when they were playing this. They kept knocking stuff over and breaking things.

[bird4four4]

No I wasn't a part, just cutting and pasting from the article. The students never say what policies they dislike or who is taking control over them. They are just spouting what the professor has told them.

As for hacky, I play quite a bit. Soccer too. It's great excercise, like jogging in place with high steps for half an hour. If you are good enough you can do it in a small room. The ceiling height is usually more of an issue. It definatly should be an outdoor activity when possible.

[avg_freeper]

We should all plan a BBQ / ho'down at their next art exhibit complete with line-dancing and a roasted pig.

[11Bush]

a penknife, one canteen of water, a sleeping bag, and a book

To some guys I know that isn't survival, it's a vacation.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Reminds me of the Mob craze from last summer. :)

[G.Mason]

"To some guys I know that isn't survival, it's a vacation."

I know a few myself. I can't picture them [even as kids] going along with, never mind being part of, a stunt like that.