Wow. In one article, Jon Zurn manages to put the lid on and pound the nails into the coffin for the Twin Cities arts scene [“State of the Arts,” September]. “Small collectors are an endangered species”… “visual arts coverage in the local press has been little more than an afterthought.” I’m sorry Jon, but where do you live? There was a little something that ran for 8 years on local TV called “The Buzz.” It spawned other stations to cover the arts in different ways: “Newsnight Minnesota” (TPT 2), “Whatever” (KARE 11), “Round Town with Rusty” (KSTP 5). Although many high-end commercial fine art galleries have come and gone in the last 10 years, there is a thriving alternative gallery presence here that is thriving in part on the support of the small collector. That’s because it’s the small collector that’s causing St. Paul’s Lowertown Art Crawl and northeast Minneapolis’ Art-a-Whirl to grow. Galleries like Rogue Buddha and my own Flatland carry the works and the flag for emerging artists and participate in visionary projects like Yuri Arajs’ “Visible Fringe” festival, now in its second year. “Struggling valiantly for every penny…” Who? Certainly not the 18 galleries who bought ads in the very same issue of The Rake for the Twin Cities Fine Arts Organization’s “Art on the Town” event in September. Yes, times can be lean. And we’ve all taken a hit from the economic slowdown resulting from the tragedies of 9/11 and a rollercoaster stock market. But how many galleries did you talk to? Flatland can boast great sales dating from its first exhibit two years ago, which sold out—a rare feat. Our artists have been hired for commissioned works by Northwest Airlines and the Plymouth Music Series and had works acquired by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center. And we work hard to not only make sales but get something for artists that’s just as valuable—exposure to the public, other galleries, and critics. We’ve been featured in Art News, Travel and Leisure, and Elle Decor—all national publications. Did you visit Rosalux—one of the newest co-op galleries? Or DiStillo? How about Weinstein gallery? Gallery 360? All of these have found great ways to work a niche, or as a specialty gallery for local artists. Where’s your interview with Minneapolis City Councilman Paul Ostrow, who’s working so hard with the city and the artists’ community to lay the groundwork for neighborhood art parks, an arts corridor in northeast Minneapolis and to stop encroaching development that displaces working artists from their affordable homes and studios in Northeast? I don’t see any quotes from Sheila Smith, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. Or Jennifer Haugh with the Minneapolis Arts Commission, who’s working with the city on plans for a multicultural arts fair. Articles such as yours not only reinforce negativity towards our arts community, they send discouraged artists and gallery owners packing and tell an already supportive community their purchases and programs don’t matter much.
Robyne Robinson
Minneapolis
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