Davis Square Prepared For Arts Invasion

     The Somerville Arts Council has announced its 2005 Art Beat lineup.

     From July 14 to July 16, Davis Square will treat approximately 8,000 people to one of the largest and most innovative arts festivals you will ever find, said program manager Rachel Strutt.

      Strutt said this year’s theme will be sampling, fair use laws and mash-ups.

      "In the strictest sense, a mash-up is the conflation of two or more songs. Perhaps the most famous recent example of this is DJ Dangermouse’s Grey Album, a collection of sonic collages that blend songs from the Beatles White Album with songs from Jay-Z’s Black Album. Though mashups are a relatively new trend in music, the concept of sampling, quoting and mixing in the art world is hardly anything new," she said.

     This is why the festival will kick off July 14 at the public library with a panel discussion that will raise and discuss answers to questions such as; what constitutes an original work of art? Should copyright laws protect the rights of an original artist or should artists be allowed to freely borrow elements from existing artworks? said Strutt.

      Panelists will include filmmaker Jeff Silva, photographer Gary Duehr and DJ C, she said.