Mr. Mayor:
If Mr. Alexander Scott Hughes was telling the truth when he wrote the following to us--
I am one of the artists that exhibited work at Artlinks 9th Annual Juried Art Exhibition. My work is solid and from the soul. I do not condone how Artlink has handled this exhibition. The works feel as if they were haphazardly hung, the lighting was poor, and the public was uninformed of the event. I was there opening night from seven till around eight thirty. It was about that time when one of the other guests told me that he overheard that the awards would not be handed out. There was no announcement, they simply left. I have called the Artlink office twice this week to ask about this unsettled matter and still have heard nothing back.
-- then Artlink can get away with anything and not have to justify their behavior, no matter how badly they screw up.
Artlink has a website which can be easily updated. They also have a discussion forum where they're quick to whine if the City asks them to obey laws, but where they're totally silent when it comes to answering questions about the Wearable Art Auction and the Juried Art Exhibition awards. (E.g., They couldn't come up with $300? Where's the membership money going? Who's looking at their books?)
Instead, they're hosting a stinky party about us. And they're laughing at you, too. For example, here's Bernard Schober, a loudmouth from Mesa:
. . . Apparently, Phil Gordon will be so shamed by this that he's going to cut all Artlink funding, have Jeff Falk executed, bulldoze the Grand Avenue galleries, and have Catherine King design all the Phoenix city uniforms (well, not so much design them as add fringe to them).
That's how seriously they take a situation which might amount to fraud. We really think you should be ashamed by your support of these irresponsible people; and you ought to begin to hold them accountable by looking into Artlink's accounting records. These clowns on the forum might stop laughing if, for once, someone forced them to stick to the subject at hand, instead of indulging in their usual arrogance and slander.
Sincerely,
Jerome du Bois
Catherine King
The Tears Of Things
kinganddubois@cox.net