In reference to my frustration with the Post's galleries' coverage, photographer Jim Steele adds that he'd "hate to think [that] the lack of coverage by the Post implies a lack of respect for local artists, but I suspect this is a large part of the problem."

In the Post today, Style's Friday focus is movies, and appropriately enough, there are four movie reviews in the section. There is also one theater review and three different music reviews by three different writers. Nothing "extra" on the visual arts, of course.

Over in the Weekend section, Michael O'Sullivan reviews Jim Sanborn's great show at the Corcoran and at Numark Gallery. This show was earlier reviewed by Blake Gopnik on October 31.

As it happens almost every Friday, Weekend movie critics manage to review the same movies that the Style section critic reviews.

So three of the movies reviewed in Style are also reviewed, by different critics in Weekend. This is a great way to see how critics can differ - not just in movies but in any genre of the arts. So while Stephen Hunter says that Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World "suffers from what might be called colonitis," and generally dislikes the movie, his fellow critic Desson Howe offers that the movie is not only a "masterful performance" but also that "[the movie] isn't just a fabulous seagoing spectacle. It's one for the ages."

Guess which critic will end up quoted in those one line mini-quotes that movies use in their advertising?

As I've noted at least twice before, wouldn't it be great if once in a while the Post would send Blake Gopnik and Paul Richard to review the same gallery or museum show, and publish it the same day, to give us readers two different perspectives on one show?

This happens (not by planned assignment, but just because the Style section editor and the Weekend editor are different editors and do not "synchronize" who and what will be reviewed) very frequently with movies and theatre. It also happens on a rare ocassion (like today), when O'Sullivan reviews a show that either has already been reviewed, or is later reviewed by either Dawson (if it's a gallery show) or Gopnik (if it is a museum show).

But what this practice of multiple movie and theatre reviews does prove, is that the (sometimes offered) excuse that the reason that the Post does not review more galleries is due to lack of print space is an invalid reason not to expand galleries coverage to the same level as theater, music, and fashion.

Weekend also has an army of contract writers that provide mini reviews of dozens of music and theater events (and of course movies) throughout the area, but not a single contract writer to do mini gallery reviews.

Why not?

I don't know, but I would guess that the Weekend editor, Joyce Jones, does not think that offering the same level of coverage to art galleries and art museums as she gives to our wonderful theaters, night clubs, performance venues and cinemas is as important and that her readers are not interested in a gallery art show in Dupont Circle, Georgetown, downtown or Bethesda to the same level as in a play in Olney or a dinner theatre production in Woodbridge, etc.

Today is "Galleries" focus day at the Post's Style section, and Jessica Dawson reviews a library show in Baltimore.

In the "Arts Beat" column, Chris Richards discusses the Convention Center's art collection. For my opinion on that subject, read my Nov. 11 posting.

And just as I predicted yesterday, there are two music reviews in the paper.

This gets to the heart of the matter of my bitching about the Post's gallery coverage. Because Jessica is the only freelance writer that the Post employs to review galleries, and because not only does she review gallery shows, but also sometimes museums, and also embassy shows, and university shows, and alternative spaces shows, and library shows, and because (as she did today) she sometimes includes Baltimore in her geographical area, there just isn't enough coverage in the newspaper on a par with what the Post does for music, theatre, performance and even fashion!

In fact, a quick check online reveals that since April 25, 2002 the Post has published 146 columns on fashion while Dawson has only written 76 in the same time period.

How can the Post justify having several contract writers for all those other art genres but only one for our area galleries?

I believe that they feel that their gallery coverage is appropriate and see no need to expand it to the same degree of coverage that they provide in Style for music, theatre, fashion, etc. I disagree, but I am certainly not objective about the issue.

Why does the Post feel that way?

Simple: Because no one complains except gallery owners. And of course from our perspective the coverage could always be better and to them it is just sourgrapes.

But do the readers care?

I don't know, but the Post obviously thinks that they don't care. This is clear because once in a while, when Jessica is away or on vacation, they just skip the column.

I guess that we should be grateful that the world's second most powerful newspaper allows one freelance writer to write an (almost) weekly column to cover all of our area galleries, plus Baltimore's, plus embassies, and libraries, etc. And also lucky that over in the Weekend section Michael O'Sullivan has been allowed by his editor to expand his column from just covering museums and also include galleries in his coverage.

Thank you guys.

Today's Style section in the Post has the kind of coverage that one wishes the paper would give the visual arts on their "Galleries/Art News focus" day (Thursdays).

Wednesday is "Pop Music" focus day in the Style section, and there are eight separate columns or reviews by seven different writers (plus three different theatre reviews although Tuesdays is "theatre focus day" not today).

So at least for music and theatre, Style has several different critics and writers who provide us with fairly good coverage, offering a widely ranging set of reviews and opinions - dealing with both national level artists and Washington area artists and venues. Many of these Post writers are "contract" writers (freelance), allowing the Post to hire (and fire them) fairly easily I assume, while saving on having to provide 401K's and medical insurance, etc.

Nonetheless, I applaud the Post's interest in helping to cover our area's rich musical and theatrical scene. It certainly deserves the coverage given.

But on Thursdays - "Galleries and Art News focus day" - Why then only one column on "Galleries" by only one contract writer? And the Arts Beat column, which is published twice a month on Thursdays, often covers the entire spectrum of the "arts" - it is not just a visual arts column by far.

It's not fair to Jessica Dawson, who has to spread her single column all over the region, sometimes as far as Baltimore and often to embassies, and it's not fair to the many, many area galleries, who must all compete for the ear of just one Style critic, it's not fair to the many area artists and other good exhibitions which get ignored because of lack of coverage, and most of all, it's not fair to the readers of Style who must all just read only one critical voice and perspective when it comes to our area's art galleries and who often are also unaware of important exhibitions that go uncovered due to lack of print space allowed by Style to the visual arts on "Galleries" day.

In fact, I am willing to bet that tomorrow's paper, on their assigned "Galleries/Art News" focus day, will have more theatre and music reviews than galleries reviews.

Washington area artist Jae Ko, who shows at Marsha Mateyka Gallery on R Street will be exhibiting (through Dec. 21) at the opening exhibition of the newly renovated Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts.

Next Friday is the second Friday of the month, which means that it is time for the Bethesda Art Walk. Several galleries and art establishments participate, light food and refreshments are provided, as well as a free shuttle bus to take visitors around the galleries.

We will be hosting new paintings by Scott Hutchison and Caroline Danforth.

Public Art Opportunity: Call for Design for 9-11 Memorial, Westchester County, NY.

Westchester County, in conjunction with the Westchester County September 11th Memorial Committee, is issuing a "Request for Proposals" (RFP) for design services in connection with a memorial honoring its 111 citizens who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The memorial is to be located at the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla, New York. Budget $200,000. View complete RFP at www.westchestergov.com. The deadline is January 15, 2004.

I've been hearing good things about Brian Balderston's first solo, which opened last weekend at Transformer Gallery. The exhibition runs through November 29.

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