THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Saturday, March 16, 1996               TAG: 9603160009
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A10  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   27 lines

DISMAYED BY DISMISSAL

I was dismayed and saddened to learn that the Chrysler Museum had recently fired seven of its employees (all of whom happened to be women) for ``budgetary reasons.'' Among the recently purged staff members was Trinkett Clark, curator of 20th-century art and organizer of the museum's highly successful ``Parameters'' exhibitions.

I was fortunate to have been the subject of a ``Parameters'' show in 1992. The experience not only helped my career as an artist but also left me with a great feeling of respect and appreciation for the Chrysler Museum's efforts to broaden its reach in the area of contemporary art. By giving such low priority to its contemporary-arts program, the Chrysler risks losing its position as one of the more energetic and diverse small museums in this country.

MICHAEL FLANAGAN

New York, March 5, 1996 by CNB