As a performing artist, I am all too familiar with the struggle to maintain a living wage. For some reason, the performing arts are often seen as outside the realm of other skilled trades. This perpetuates a slippery slope of devaluing the effort and skill that goes into performance. Other municipalities are able to provide similar concerts while fairly compensating their artists.

In this light, we urge the Town Of Essex to fairly compensate performers hired for their "Tune Up The Parks" series of summer concerts. Asking performers to play for "exposure" not only devalues our community's art and culture but also perpetuates mistreatment of artists across all disciplines.

Artists happily donate their time for charity but should be paid appropriately for taxpayer-funded events such as these concerts. It is important to note that according to Statistics Canada, musicians earn an average income 45% lower than all occupations in Canada (Statistics Canada). This highlights the need for fair compensation especially in publicly funded events.

We call upon those responsible at Town Of Essex to rectify this situation and ensure that artists are valued and compensated justly for their contributions. Please sign this petition if you believe in supporting local artists and maintaining vibrant cultural life in Windsor / Essex County.