THESE THINGS ARE INTERCONNECTED
Mr. Combs,
In my 8 years of art schoolin’, one of the most infuriating comments I ever heard someone make about about their work was, “I just wanted to see what a male artist could make.” The answer, it seemed pretty plain to me, had been spelled out through the majority of canonical Western art history. Your emphatic “NO” at the conclusion of your article, “Should Parents Bring their Kids to Art Shows?” [April 12] seems similarly canonical, and without an eye towards a history that’s been exclusionary since its inception. From what I read, the article doesn’t question the classist idea that art shows need to be a childless affair. It neglects to ask who the parents are, why the parents might need to bring their children with them, and why the parents might feel a need to be there themselves.
You responded to critics of your article that you were “trying to start a conversation.” I think artist and mother Siera Hyte said it best when she commented, “it’s all well and good to want to ‘start a conversation’, until you build your argument around a sentiment that’s historically kept the art world as a space most accessible to economically secure, white, single men.” Your article neglects to point out key facts that might help someone such as yourself from feeling so annoyed next time the see a child at an art show.
• According to the NEA nearly 60 percent of
working artists are “close” to the poverty
line
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau 80
percent of single parent households are
headed by a mother
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau 40
percent of single parent households are
living in poverty
•Despite nearly 60 percent of arts graduatesbeing female, they make up only 45percent of working artists (BFAMFAPhD)
These things are interconnected. Poverty, gender and race are, as you may have heard, intersectional. When you tell artists, curators and arts patrons to leave their kids at home, more likely than not you are making members of underrepresented communities in the art world choose between their children and work. Because, and this is something you also fail to address, that “schmoozing and chatting” is more than frivolity. Much of what is happening is professional development; artists engaging in conversations with other artists, meeting curators and potential collectors. It stands to reason then, that if you are an artist or a professional within the art world, you find it necessary to attend openings, especially in a city with such limited resources, such as San Diego.
While I am happy to air my grievances as an artist and exhibition maker, I must admit it feels wrong. If yours is truly a widespread sentiment in San Diego, then CityBeat—and the city itself—would be better served by writing a full and well-researched article on the topic. I’m not a parent, but it wouldn’t hurt to actually ask some of them. Ask more artists and gallerists from both project spaces and commercial spaces. Might I suggest the issue in the second week of May? It would make a nice Mother’s Day gift to all the amazing artists that were left out for far too long in Western art history.
Morgan Mandalay, Hillcrest
[Editor’s response: Why can’t every letter be like this one?]
EXCLAMATION POINT
I would like to add a comment about the recent editorial about the Wall [“A pig is still a pig and a wall is still a wall, April 12]. CityBeat’s editorial about the wall really was so enlightening! I would like to share a little info with readers who may still thing the wall is the way to go! In Florida, thousands of illegal South Americans enter the US through Miami everyday! Many go to work in New York hotels; I’ve seen them there! And don’t forget the many French Canadians, who mosey illegally across the border seeking higher paying US jobs! So should we build a wall around the entire U.S. to keep all the “illegals”out? Gimmie a break!
Vivian Marlene Dunbar, San Ysidro