Below is a letter to the editor in the Maine Sunday Telegram from PMAs Mark Bessire. While I commend Bessire for the graceful politesse of his letter, I am stunned by his reconfiguring the charge as though my complaint was about Casting a wide net in the hopes of soliciting many entries. I voiced several specific concerns; and it is bizarre to say seeking broad participation was one of them - when quite the opposite is true. My biggest concern was that the juror/curator sent personal notes to a handful (her word) of artists, asking them to apply. But there are other issues that are exacerbated by this pre-selection process, such as inviting a recent former employee, essentially closing painters out at the door, etc. Bessire claims I blame all this on the curator (the PMA didnt use an outside juror but the newish Curator of Contemporary and Modern Art) when in fact I never take a stand about who the author of the questionable behavior was - nor who should have ultimately been responsible at the PMA. Bessires letter appears in todays Maine Sunday Telegram (there is a link below). Biennial selection process was implemented ethically In his recent review of the 2013 Portland Museum of Art Biennial: Piece Work (“PMA biennial overlooks paintings but otherwise excels,” Oct. 13), art critic Daniel Kany accused the curator of contemporary and modern art and the Portland Museum of Art of acting unethically in our artist selection process for this exhibition. While I appreciate Mr. Kany’s efforts to keep us on our toes, I strongly disagree with his characterization of the selection process for artists, in which the museum widely solicited entries via its website, advertisements, word of mouth and via letter to dozens of artists asking them to apply. Casting a wide net in the hopes of soliciting many entries does not “rub against the ethics of a ‘juried’ show,” as Mr. Kany says; instead, it reflects the PMA’s mission to aggressively seek the best possible work for its audiences and to be inclusive and forthright in its efforts to engage artists. Institutions and exhibition programs change over time, a necessary and sometimes challenging reality. At the PMA, we are deeply proud of the 2013 Biennial and all of the participating artists. We welcome public dialogue and are grateful to critics like Mr. Kany for the care and attention they pay to the art in our galleries. Mark H.C. Bessire director, Portland Museum of Art Portland pressherald/opinion/Letters_to_the_editor__Families_need_help_from_SNAP_.html
Posted on: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 04:49:20 +0000
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