Sent in via email from Anonymous in response to the current Creative Loafing “Best of the Bay“

Anonymous writes:
I should have known that the September 10-16, 2008 issue of Creative Loafing would upset me when I Sarah Palin’s face mocking me and everything I believe in from the front page.
But this is not a political commentary.
The catalyst for this written expression of discontent comes from the pages listing the finalists for Best of the Bay, and more specifically, the Best Art Gallery category. Though pleased to see Nova 535 and Studio@620 among the finalists, I was stricken with a stomach twisting, sphincter tightening wave of horror as my eyes fell upon the third finalist: Tampa Arts Emporium.
Really?


For those who may be unfamiliar, the Tampa Arts Emporium is a store that rents wall space to artists, allowing any artist to show – if they have the money. This allows the store owner to profit without the bothersome work of finding real talent, maintaining any level of artistic quality, organizing exhibitions, or any of the other tedious tasks of real galleries. Their stagnant rotation of art is punctuated by monthly “mixers” (replacing openings) where mediocre artists attempt to justify their price tags to the other weekend painters who can afford the wall space. All for the typical clientele that thinks Thomas Kinkade is an artistic genius, and that any photo shot in black and white is automatically art.
This is an “art gallery” in the same way that print stores in the mall are galleries. If this is what the Tampa community considers to be an art gallery, then I would like to propose that the wall décor section of Wal-mart to be in the running for Best Art Gallery next year.
They sell paintings, so they must be a gallery.

Anonymous