Missed Opportunity

Remember James Anthony? He had a gallery/retail space on SLC's East Broadway strip. His merchandise included apparel with illustrations and engravings from the late 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. His clothes put a unique spin on local residents' wardrobes. Then someone had to ruin all the fun by infiltrating a private party where alcohol was allegedly served to a minor. Slapped with a fine, James Anthony's store shut down. He had every intention to remain in SLC, but when opportunity knocked he headed to another Eastern district--in New York City. Nearly a year later, Anthony is thriving. He even caught the attention of one of my favorite authors, Augusten Burroughs (You might have heard of a little memoir called Running With Scissors? Read the book; skip the movie):

"Do you know? I walked the streets of New York City for A WEEK looking for cool t-shirts and I saw only garbage -stuff I have seen over and over and over and over. BLECH. Until these James Anthony shirts appeared from the sky, a gift from Jesus’s pet Cow."

Good for Burroughs and Anthony, shitty for us. Why does this city continue to drive away adventurous artists and business owners?

While we mull over that question, let's all continue to support the remaining businesses along East Broadway and every promising burg in SLC. Been to Disorderly House lately? Frosty Darling? Let's hold onto the pulse that keeps us at least in spitting distance of cutting edge.

(Jamie Gadette)