Scroll down to 3 other posts to see it all.

if anyone one is interested, drop me a line:

fb.art@sio.midco.net

DRUG POLICY – Aprox: 20 x 30″ – unframed (canvas wrap) – $250

Art Blakey – Aprox: 10 x 14″ – framed – $25

These are the paintings I have left after my Black Sheep Show, if anyone one is interested, drop me a line:

fb.art@sio.midco.net

Sinatra – Aprox: 16 x 20″ – framed – $150

Jelly Roll Morton – Aprox: 16 x 20″ – framed – $150

David @ Fawick – Aprox: 24 x 36″ – framed – $50

Royal Jazz Juke Joint – Aprox: 10 x 16″ – framed – $25

These are the paintings I have left after my Black Sheep Show, if anyone one is interested, drop me a line:

fb.art@sio.midco.net

American History 101 – Aprox: 3 x 5 Ft. – unframed – $2500

Why can’t we talk about it – Aprox: 30 x 40″ – unframed – $100

3 is for Evil – Aprox: 12 x 6 x 4″ – framed – $25

King Catfish – Aprox: 3 x 5″ – framed – $25

These are the paintings I have left after my Black Sheep Show, if anyone one is interested, drop me a line:

fb.art@sio.midco.net

Ass-Plosion – Aprox: 10 x 10″ – framed – $25

Fork in the Road – Aprox: 6 x 12″ – framed – $25

George – Aprox: 16 x 20″ – framed – $75

Death Bot – Aprox: 16 x 20″ – framed – $75

This is a copy of the final letter I sent to the Pavilion:

Dear Mr. Hoffman,

After reviewing your letter I feel I need to offer some clarification.

In your letter you state, “concerns have been heard and discussed to improve future communications.”

I made the Visual Arts Center and yourself aware of all these concerns after the 2006 Arts Night. I sent copies and highlighted suggestions from a New York Times article about charity art auctions. If there would have been serious discussions after the 2006 Arts Night, none of this would be necessary.

You claim this wasn’t a juried show, so the jurors names don’t have to be made known. But when I received a solicitation letter from the Washington Pavilion on January 9, 2007 for an arts donation to the 2007 Arts Night the letter mentions the term ‘volunteer jury’  twice and the term ‘jury process’  once. My impression was this was a juried exhibit, by jurors.

Also in your letter you mention that “After many discussions about this issue, members of the (jury) selection committee were agreeable to having their names posted.”

I wasn’t aware this was under consideration. One day after I requested the names of the jurors on March 20,2007, David Merhib responded in an e-mail “The jurors are anonymous because of the nature of this fund-raising event.”

David doesn’t mention that he will discuss it with you or anybody and get back to me. He is very clear that the names will remain anonymous.

Even after my letter to editor was published concerning the jurors names in the Argus Leader on April 8, 2007, I still received no correspondence from your organization that you were considering releasing the names.

No where in said letter do I attack the jury for rejecting my art. I even say “ I do not take issue with rejection. ”  This is about the policies of Arts Night and the Washington Pavilion, not a jury’s decision. Yet it did not stop Washington Pavilion board of trustee member Paul Schiller from personally attacking me in a letter to the editor where he called me a ‘troubled artisan’ and a ‘complainer’. I think asking for the names of jurors who have judged my art is hardly a complaint from a troubled artist.

You also comment, “Unfortunately, after they (jurors) read your comments and postings online and in the Argus Leader, their perception (and mine) was that sharing their names held the potential for further antagonism and continued criticism regardless of who they are.”

If you look at a timeline of events you will see that I requested the names on March 19, 2007 and I did not post on the Argus Leader forum until May 5, 2007, ironically the same day Mr. Schiller‘s letter was published in the Argus Leader, forty-six days after I requested the names. I posted those comments because I felt I had to defend myself against not only Paul Schiller’s personal attacks, but future attacks from his former employee James Mathis and your Public Relations Director, Michael Williamson. Besides, how does practicing my FREE speech rights exclude me from knowing the names of the jurors?

Furthermore, you won’t release the names to me, because of assumed ‘repercussions’ but you did not release them to other submitting artists either. I find it interesting that you find it necessary to request permission from the jurors whether you can release their names yet you didn’t afford the artists that same right when jurying their art.

As for claiming a for-profit newspaper as a neutral party, I willfully disagree. I have never asked the Argus Leader to be involved, besides providing space for my opinion. According to your Public Relations Director, Michael Williamson, on my blog, he writes, “Regarding the divulgence of the selection committee members, I was asked by the Argus Leader (back in April) if the Pavilion would provide the names.”

Sounds like they were asking.  So why didn’t you provide them?

The names should be given to the artists that submitted, that is all I have ever asked for. In my first letter to the editor I said, “I questioned David Merhib, the Visual Arts Center Director, for specifics on why I was rejected and who the jurors were. He denied me the information. It is important that jurors are made known for several reasons, and retaliation is not one of them, that assertion is ridiculous. Commonly it is out of respect for the artist. Being judged by unknowns is unusual in juried shows.”

You can also see I stated clearly that I had no intention of retaliation. Ever. This is about policies not people.  I have no reason to retaliate against a juror or even a committee member for that matter. I simply wanted the Pavilion to do the respectable thing. You have chosen the exact opposite.

I really don’t understand all this contempt, ridicule and personal attacks towards local artists who simply want a question answered out of respect for what they do? What purpose does it serve? It is standard practice in publicly funded art facilities to release jurors names, usually before the judging even begins.

On one hand I am disappointed you chose secrecy and censorship over respect, especially since you receive public subsidies, but on the other hand I am satisfied you have made your stance crystal clear; protect the establishment and it’s esteemed members by attacking anybody who questions or dissents your policies while creating an even larger wedge between yourself and the local artist community, ironically something you were warned about in the WEBB report.

You’ve made your point.

Sincerely,

Scott L. Ehrisman

CC: Randell Beck, Executive Editor, Argus Leader
Robert Morast, Link Editor, Argus Leader
David Merhib, Director, Washington Pavilion Visual Arts Center
Ronald M. Moquist, Chair, Board of Trustees, Washington Pavilion Management

Aprox 8 x 12″

Mixed Media on wood, green wood frame

$50

15 x 20″

Mixed Media on wood, framed

NOT FOR SALE

Sinatra
16 x 20″ Framed in a light blue wood frame
$100
Mixed Media (tempera, acrylic)

This is a refab of and earlier painting.

Dizzy Gillespie
14 x 36″
Mixed Media
Commission – Private collection of the Speirs family

20 x 24″ – June 2007
Mixed Media on Canvas Board
Framed – Black Metal
$200