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Letters to the Editor

By PW Readers

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Aug. 15, 2012

State of the Arts

Regarding Katherine Rochester’s recent feature about the closing of art galleries around the city:

I’d venture that one thing this points to is a disconnect between the art and art-administration communities in the city. There should be more engagement between those with formal training in art “making” and those from an art “business” background. These cordoned-off silos that exist within cultural organizations also seem to pervade the cultural landscape at large.

I also think it’s a mistake to place too many collective hopes and fears on Pew/PEI. They wield power and are influential, but they are also not the only game in town. The overall impression that Pew/PEI alone represents a make-or-break determination on the life of a cultural organization flirts with the conspiracy-theory attitude presented by the film Art of the Steal. Get to know the broader philanthropic landscape in your community. Dig and then dig deeper.

J.W. BUSSMANN via philadelphiaweekly.com

Maybe galleries don’t survive because there is nothing being shown which is worth seeing, let alone buying. TV/Internet electronic media is immediately powerful and offers some level of catharsis for consumers. Your gallery cannot compete against the latest pop tune or hot movie. Modern/contemporary art is difficult for the average person to handle, and if they do “figure it out,” they still might not care.

PETE via philadelphiaweekly.com

Licensed to Ill

Regarding Randy LoBasso’s story about a new voter law that would make it harder for homeless people to obtain identification:

The good news is, for those who hold driver’s licenses, if you remember your license number, you can always get a new copy without any other secondary identification. However, for those who have nondriver IDs, it may be more difficult.

And believe me, some people would rather live out on the streets than go into the shelter system. I know, I was one of them.

JORDAN GWENDOLYN DAVIS via philadelphiaweekly.com

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