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Last month I was excited to be juried into what I thought was a pretty prestigious event, the Our Town Art Show and Sale in Birmingham, Michigan. What especially appealed to me was the fact that both jurists of this show currently work as Directors and Department Heads at the Detroit Institute of Arts - our local world-renowned art museum.

When all three of my pieces were accepted into the show I was thrilled. It felt very validating as an artist to have work selected by such highly-regarded people who spend their careers literally walking alongside masterpieces that span centuries.

This art show celebrated it's 39th year, and is a big fundraiser for The Community House, who hosted the event. TV, newspapers and social media hyped the event even further.

The opening night for the show is an event in itself - catered, open bar, music, and an audience of artists like me with a sophisticated high-society crowd. Not my usual thing but I confess I was pretty geeked. If my ticket wasn't free I doubt I'd have attended, but I was glad I did.

Sort of.

My friends and I wandered the exhibit that meandered through many rooms and two floors. We were looking for where our work was hung. One by one we found them all, but when I spotted my last piece, I was immediately taken aback. The judges had obviously tried to group together paintings with a common theme, and my lighthouse painting was hung side-by-side with a scene of a boat at sea.

When I saw the work to the right of mine, my jaw actually dropped. My heart was pounding so hard I splashed my drink a little. I was so startled I didn't know what to say, and I probably couldn't have spoken in that moment anyway.

The painting next to mine was a blatant, intentional and poorly executed copy of a very famous painting: Breezin' Up by Winslow Homer, a treasured American artist who painted it in 1876. The original hangs permanently in the National Gallery of Art, coincidentally where one of our two 'esteemed jurists' had worked previously. It's widely considered to be one of his finest pieces, and I loved it so much I kept a framed print in my studio for years ever since I first learned about it in my college art history class.

My immediate reaction was bewilderment why it was even there, in a show that was supposed to be original art. It was all I could do not to yank my painting off the wall. I was SO offended that this piece was not only admitted into the show - but that it was hung right next to mine!

While the show was beautiful in so many ways with lots of gorgeous work, it was instantly cheapened and ruined for me and any sense of credibility was lost. I didn't want to derail the night for my friends - both who were later awarded ribbons for their wonderful paintings - but thoughts were just pinballing around in my head.

That night I had a lot of trouble sleeping, and I felt like I had betrayed myself somehow by leaving my work behind to stay in the show. I was still quite bothered the next day, and sent an email to the only contact I had asking why this piece of plagiarism was voted in. My email was forwarded to the two jurors and no surprise - I never heard from either.

When the exhibit ended I drove out to pick up our unsold work. I noticed that one of the people working there was the woman I had emailed. I asked if either of the jurors were there and she pointed out one of them. I walked over and asked if we could have a word, and no I didn't punch her. I politely brought up the Homer rip-off, and flatly asked how they could have approved that piece. I could clearly see her deer-in-the-headlights look in that moment, and she stumbled with what to say. What she landed on was "well... we noticed the similarities, but, uhh, well... we decided it was different enough." "Different enough? But it's not original art!" I replied. Then she started stammering and told me "All artists redo things!" In fact she said this 3 more times in the 4 minutes we were talking. I had both arms full of my paintings so I was unable to throw my hands up in exasperation at this, so I turned and left.

Now, I realize this is a long post. Yes, I'm ranting. Maybe you don't get what I was so worked up about. It isn't that I felt the jurors and the organizers had done anything to me personally. I didn't want or honestly expect an apology of any kind from anyone, because it was obvious they didn't feel anything they did was wrong at all. But I couldn't shut up about this! I wanted a rational explanation!

What I was so mad about then, and even weeks later still, is this is just one more example of the crumbling integrity we're witnessing in so many areas of our lives these days. The lack of any principles. This "Oh well nobody died" sentiment that allows all kinds of bad behaviors.

As artists, we're being bombarded by all sorts of unethical crap. Strangers copy and steal our original art and pass it off as their own, sell it, or reproduce it on everything from sneakers to aprons and sell it on Temu. And it's only getting worse as AI models scrape our work and imitate our style for anyone who can type a few prompts and shazam create Original Art all by themselves.

Nothing is sacred anymore! Hey! if I can get it cheaper than paying for an original then who has to know? And hey! I'm not a very good artist but let me copy somebody else's painting, who's gonna say anything? And hey! Look I can sell it! If it's on the internet it must be free, right?

As a commercial artist in my day job, I cringe knowing for a fact that AI will in a very short time probably replace living breathing humans in my own company, because after all, the bottom line for any business is to make money. Eventually we won't need any actual artists at all on staff. A computer doesn't need a salary or benefits.

Of course it isn't just original art being affected. Check in with songwriters and authors, whose work is being sampled and swiped at an alarming rate too. Even schools need software now to sniff out copied essays their students turn in as their own!

I refuse to not bark about this stuff!!!!! Now I don't know if there was some sort of favoritism going on with the jurors and the artist in this particular show, I don't care. But I can't not say something when something I love to do so much - something I pour myself into and is a direct expression of myself - is marginalized and cheapened and my efforts are made obsolete!

Once we lose our integrity I don't think we can get it back. As for myself, I just can't let go of mine that easily.