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Fringe dweller; yep, that would be me. When I dropped out of formal high school, I ended up getting a GED. I was making art outside of any formal setting; a system of geography (Jasper Johns in South Carolina, Lou Reed's song "small town") Then I went onto Appalachian State via an upward bound program, which I eventual flunked out of because of partying too much. I attended one art history class at that point but the class was so wrapped up into memorization that I was too stoned to cope. I was still making art at that time, but again outside of any formal help. I eventual moved to Asheville after getting into a museum show (juried) and meeting other artists from Asheville, who had been formally trained. Upon being in Asheville I was a constant fixture at these artists’ hangouts. I finally felt that I was connected with a community that I could relate to. These artists also represented any connections that I might be able to make for purpose of exhibition. Over a period of time I developed as a painter and started getting shows in Charlotte and other regional areas. Every now and then the Asheville Museum would hold a juried show for regional artist’s .I got into this show and was looking forward to the opening. Artists that had been accepted into the Asheville Museum juried show came from all points of North and South Carolina to find that the doors were lock and the opening had been rescheduled; without any notice to the participants. Needless to say this really pissed me off and my fellow local artists. In response we organized the Asheville Ad Hoc Art workers Union and protested outside of the museum. Our objective was to make the museum reveal their mission statement for local/regional artists; noting that state funding required local outreach program for cultivating local art. Even at that point I saw a connection with the museum and the local university. Grad students were getting more focus than most local artists. The museum eventually gave the Ad Hoc Art Workers a forum to discuss these issues and the outcome was the opportunity to curate (pacify) one of there shows; which ended up being an invitational group show for regional artists. The museum paid all expenses for travel (visits of regional artists’ studios) and the U Haul to pick up the work. We could have never been able to get that kind of notice without a collective effort. I eventual went back into college (Montreat Business College) which was a spa program for adult and got my BBA; another fringe move on my part; The factory that I was working for paid 100% of the tuition. After graduating and divorce I moved to San Diego and then shortly afterwards I got into the Vermont Program; which is another fringe opportunity if we compare the level of cronyism that most traditional grad school represents. Most of the connections I have made post VT have been through our fellow alumni and not through a system of networking of faculty/administration. Being in San Diego I go to all the establish galleries and they are filled with work from alumni of UCSD and San Diego State. These colleges are farm schools for area galleries. I’m (speaking as an outsider) sure this is consistent throughout the art world.