Letters for August 22, 2002

I feel that an interview done with me for a recent article was quite misrepresentative of my views.

My quotes about how superficial I feel television news has become were about television news in general, not specifically about Channel 8. The way they were positioned in the article, however, made it appear that I have bitter feelings about my time at that station and about those with whom I worked while I was there. I do not.

I spent 20 years at that station with some of the best journalists in local television. Granted, times have changed and so has the direction of television news, but those with whom I worked are journalists to be respected.

Because I may not agree with their current tack is not to say that I have “nothing good to say about them.” Indeed, I highly respect Ed Pearce, Tad Dunbar and Jason Pasco, who is currently at the helm. I learned a lot from these people over the years, and I feel, with them, I was able to make a difference in news coverage in this town. The fact that I was one of many cut from the ranks doesn’t mean that I no longer respect their accomplishments. I do.

None of my comments given to D. Brian Burghart for his article were directed specifically at Channel 8. They were given as views on the medium of television news and trends across the country.

While Burghart did a thorough job in researching his topic, he fell short in composing it to reflect the true feelings behind the quotes.

I feel that portraying me in a light of having bitter resentment toward Channel 8 was wrong. I may no longer be there, but I do still respect journalists like Ed Pearce and the work they will continue to do.

Erin E. Meehan Breen Reno
Cuz it’s bad art
Re “Sheep Exhibit Stirs Up Back Talk” [RN&R News Brief, July 25]:

Peter and Turkey Stremmel, the museums, UNR, Sierra Arts and numerous other individuals have, over the years, certainly gone the extra mile to provide clean, well-lighted exhibition spaces for many local artists to exhibit. They have chosen that particular “art monkey” to ride their backs, just as studio artists like myself carry a different species of the same art monkey. But these people have carried it, and even today, continue to feed the sonofabitch without complaining very much. They do this for the community. Have you ever wondered why no northern Nevada group exhibitions ever travel beyond Sacramento, while we exhibit the work of artists from across the country? It’s the work, folks. Much of the work exhibited locally is simply bad art. And as long as bad art receives encouragement and recognition, there is absolutely no incentive for serious artists, who should be trying to achieve recognition for their work outside the state, to participate in many local events.

I salute Turkey Stremmel for proving she can “talk th’ talk, and walk th’ walk” by convincing local corporations and private individuals that the local art community is worth raising money for. Do not criticize her for “borrowing” an idea proven to be successful in other cities. Yes, it’s been done before, but all art being done today has been done before. Each of us working in the studio or at the drawing board is just reinventing the wheel.

I participated in the “Black Sheep” exhibition, not because I wished to thumb my nose at any selection committee, but because every “ism” in the history of art has occurred because some small group of artists wished to take the risk of going against the grain. In this case, artists were trying to say, “I know this is your gig, but if the art community is intended to benefit from this, wouldn’t it be more community-oriented if a call to artists were announced? Then after a local preliminary review board approved 50 or so conceptual drawings, those could be mailed to an art curator at the Denver Museum, Oakland Museum, Crocker Art Gallery or similar organization and the 25 to 30 finalists selected by an unbiased curator would be the ones on display around here?”

This would inform museums outside this area that the Reno art community is making a serious effort to be “on the scene” outside the borders of this state.

Every artist continues to try an create the most innovative, original, exciting, cutting-edge work ever seen, and that remains our “monkey,” but we should encourage that group before we accept recognizable bad art. People who presently fall into the category of Reno artdom “movers and shakers” have only one agenda—to increase the visibility of Reno’s presence on the national level. They are very aware that this can be done by elevating the level of public art, and are receptive to worthwhile ideas and projects.

James L. Weaver
Reno