THE GIFT PERFORMANCE

The Gift performance occurred on September 17th, 2005. Fran Benton and filmmaker Grace Salez rode a pedicab through downtown Victoria. The cab stopped at four locations - Chatham and Store St, Fort and Wharf St, Government and Michigan St., and Dock and Dallas Rd. At each location collections of ceramic teeth and claws were offered to spectators. The objects they selected were wrapped in tissue and placed in small shopping bags. A pamphlet explaining the project and it's history were given to each participant. At each stop people were quite excited to receive the teeth and claws. There was lots of discussion about what it means to get a gift and what is was like to own the teeth and claws. Although reserved at first, people soon warmed up to the idea. The atmosphere was almost festive as people compared their collections and debated the concept of giving art away for free. They also discussed the concept of art objects coming to them rather than having to enter the sometimes intimidating world of the art gallery. People were also intrigued by the idea of the teeth and claws being made from clay, a medium usually reserved for pottery. The gift recipients included elderly people in wheelchairs, children, adults, teenagers, and a few dogs. Some people actually followed along to add to their collection. Over 2000 teeth and claws were given away leaving only a few which were given to the visual arts students at Camosun College.

So what did "The Gift" do for the artist and the people who participated in it? For Fran it provided closure in a long and complicated art project. The teeth and claws had new and interesting homes with people who found value in them. It also provided a chance to be in contact with many people who would not have entered an art gallery. For them it was a chance to play with their sense of curiosity and imagination.

" In the end "The Gift" was about a kind of public generosity and openness that was a new experience for me. I enjoyed listening to the conversations about art that occurred at each stop. People were so surprised and pleased that an artist would just offer them a piece of art and then authenticate it for them. "