Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 7, 1991                   TAG: 9103070467
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IF CULTURE CRUCIAL, WHY IGNORE SMALL ART SHOWS?

A rousing amen to that statement. I'm glad our paper feels this way. But I must ask: Why do you continue to ignore the "art and cultural offerings" in the form of one-person and group shows at local commercial galleries?

I asked the same question of the editor of the Features section and was told that the paper's policy is not to review exhibitions at commercial galleries. Her reasoning was that there is little space available for this, and that the newspaper's surveys show that the readership is not interested in art exhibits.

If this is true, how do we explain the 100,000 people who turn out each year for Festival in the Park? If this is true, then how do we change and educate the paper's readers if we ignore the exhibitions at the local galleries?

I don't know of another town the size of Roanoke whose paper has this same policy. Even in Mississippi, a state considered backward by many, the Clarion Ledger of Jackson has a weekly art page devoted to featuring the local artist and previewing as well as reviewing current exhibitions.

Are you ignoring an obvious means of educating your readers to the arts and cultural events? ANDY WILLIAMS ROANOKE

note: We try to inform readers of cultural events, including art shows, in the region. Because of space and staff limitations, we can review only a few. We give preference to major art exhibits likely to interest the most readers. We've reviewed some shows at commercial galleries, and will do so as the exhibits warrant.