Make as Detergent Children

I resigned from Art Quilt Reviews yesterday. I really wanted to stay around and take part behind the scenes but some of the other board members seemed to think it wasn't kosher to have me around as an 'extra'. I don't know what their 'secrets' are that I may reveal, and was just doing it for fun- when it was not FUN anymore it was time to leave, the last thing I want is to be the cause of controversy. It all started when someone wrote a review of my little Acton show but was unfortunately also on the board. As soon as she presented it for editing, all hell broke loose about impropriety and conflict of interest and nepotism. I stayed out of it completely, waiting for a verdict.

Who ME? So I quit with the caveat that it was up to them to either publish the review or not, I*DIDN'T*CARE- I made that clear. Someone on the board wanted me to stay around as 'advisor' and that started a new stream of 'laws' flying back and forth with one threat to leave if I stayed on, and in fact another person abruptly resigning. The amazing thing was that they were all fighting about me staying when I had said I was leaving. Women, geesh.

It was a great review, and I am bummed that it won't make it onto Art Quilt Reviews, but there were all of a sudden about twelve 'laws' proposed about not allowing reviews of our own work, not allowing reviews of small or one-person shows, not allowing anyone rejected from a show to write a review, not accepting outside reviews, not accepting unsolicited reviews, etc. Silly. There were 8 people on the board and all were there for editing. They could edit the hell out of a piece before publishing it, removing any 'questionable' material or reworking wording to be less biased if necessary. (well 7 could do that because my password got messed up and I had no access to the editing pages since September.)

I had originally signed on to help get timely reports out there of shows that are still up and hanging so people could go see them. When we wait for reviews in Fiberarts or the SAQA or SDA journals or Art New England or any other reputable publication, the shows are long passed and forgotten. And really, what good is a review if the show is gone other than a line on the artist's resume?

So, anyway, I am sad that this controversy swirled around me, I am sad that the venture wasn't what I thought it was going to be, and I am a little sad that my review isn't published. I did save a copy and might do it here if I get permission, we'll see if that would be 'acceptable', but someone probably passed another law since I have been gone that no reviews meant for AQR can be published anywhere else even if they aren't on AQR!

I just don't 'get' this exclusionary stuff, never did.

Meanwhile I have to get my thought processes in working order to do my gallery talk! I know the crit group will be there, they are already talking about car pooling, so even though they all know everything about every piece there, I will make them listen again . On the way home I will apologise.