ROANOKE TIMES 

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

DATE: FRIDAY, June 18, 1993                   TAG: 9306180400
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ART SHOW DISCREDITS AREA ARTISTS

THIS VALLEY is blessed with artists of national caliber. It has the potential to be an important regional art center, as well as a mecca for relocating artists, because of its natural beauty and wealth of cheap housing, particularly unused warehouse and second-story space in the heart of Roanoke. There are many who work hard to make Roanoke a viable art community.

For these reasons, I am loathe to criticize the local art scene, but this year's City Art Show, currently at the museum, does not represent the vast talent around here. I am one of those artists who chose not to enter this year.

There are some excellent works in this show. But there are also a number that are not worthy of a decades-old art show, juried for entry as well as for awards, and not worthy of being installed in the main galleries of the region's art museum for almost two months each year.

I have no argument with the museum choosing the curator of a crafts museum, in honor of "The Year of the American Craftsman," as sole adjudicator for this show. Doing so, though, resulted in three-dimensional works being heavily favored over two-dimensional, and traditional paintings being ignored almost altogether. There are some well-thought-out and well-executed pieces in painting, sculpture and crafts, but there are some just-slapped-together pieces, too.

As for the awards, I am baffled by the judge's choices.

Unless the museum has changed the show since I was there soon after it opened, it is the most poorly hung art show I have ever seen, and the installation detracts from what is good about the show. Nearly all three-dimensional works are jammed up against each other, as well as up against the walls with the two-dimensional pieces. One wall is completely empty, leading a visitor to conclude that submissions were too few to even fill the space.

The inexplicable installation and poor lighting, along with the selection of works overall, give this show a very dreary feeling. On two visits, I came away very depressed that this show would represent Roanoke's art community. An art-wise friend who accompanied me the second time was equally dumbfounded.

I and numerous other artists should share part of the blame for not entering, but when I inquired, I was told that there were plenty of entries. I know of extremely accomplished area artists who were rejected. How can this be when there is so much empty space? Unfortunately, this show is absolutely no inspiration for me to enter next year.

There is no excuse for the way the museum has presented this year's City Art Show. I think the installation makes the museum look quite amateurish. PETIE BRIGHAM ROANOKE 


 by CNB