Lose the stereotype
Although The Bridge art space is described in the subhead to your cover story as “the city’s freshest art space” I have to say I was put off by the stale image that was used by Greg Kelly in the very first paragraph of the article [“Greg Kelly’s big vision for local art,” December 15]. I’m a fan of The Bridge and started reading the article with great interest. yet, it bothered me that in describing how he arrived at The Bridge he stated he “didn’t want to be this isolated, misunderstood misanthrope that’s drunk in his studio, producing masterworks that will be discovered later on after I die”.
Although I suppose it was meant to be self-deprecating it perpetuates a silly cliche about studio artists that is surprising coming from someone who should be more informed. It makes a couple of assumptions that I would question. The first would be the obvious inference that there are truly that many artists who work (even in isolation) drunk and/or misanthropic. It’s time to retire this comic-book character–and his bongos, and his ear bandage. The more subtle inference is that he would have been making “masterworks” if he had chosen to stay in his Batesville studio. I guess we’ll never know.
Rex Drummond
Charlottesville
Bright idea
When you listed our best green ideas in your recent article [“10 steps to a greener Charlottesville,” December 8], you left out my favorite—Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville including its Habitat Store, which does a great service in recycling, plus funds the building of green Habitat houses.
Frances Lee-Vandell
Charlottesville