JR discusses the N&R's (lack of) arts coverage with Art in America.
If there was ever a problem that community engagement might help solve, this is it.
Greensboro has no shortage of people who are passionate about the arts. Why not encourage them to blog? Host their sites at the N&R page? Excerpt the good stuff at a central arts page, and in print?
The opinion editors recognized the value of this piece by Dr. Wharton, and ran a version in print. There's no reason that kind of thing shouldn't be happening all the time.
Just to be clear, the writer and I were talking about visual arts and, more specifically, visual arts criticism, as opposed to coverage, in the paper.
That said, you could be on to something. I think David is a special, special talent, but perhaps he's not unique. Anyone else out there interested in what Ed is suggesting.
Posted by: John Robinson | Mar 07, 2007 at 01:55 PM
Wharton is playing this game at a higher level than most pros, to be sure.
But I would bet that there are plenty of talented folks who could and would create and contribute criticism and news coverage -- not just of visual arts, but of music and dance and, for that matter, rec league sports and bass fishing and...whatever.
The paper could discuss all this in print, where it has the most readers, and on its web pages too. Brief tutorials on how to set up a free blog, standards and practices, etc, could be included. And in theory at least, the whole thing would take on its own momentum.
Posted by: Ed Cone | Mar 07, 2007 at 01:59 PM
Kudos for a newsworthy and important article about a family that eats spaghetti every once in a while. What the hell was that?
Posted by: Alan Cone Bulluck | Mar 07, 2007 at 06:13 PM
ACB, I had a 7:30 meeting this morning, and I was a little dazed and pre-caffeinated as I read the paper, and I sat and stared at that page for a while while the coffee brewed, wondering the same thing you did.
Posted by: Ed Cone | Mar 07, 2007 at 06:54 PM