November Issue 1998
Here's Your Chance!
by Tom Starland
Some of you have been waiting for over ten years while some of
you have just been waiting just a couple, but no matter how long
you've waited, your opportunity to express your opinions in "Carolina
Arts" has finally arrived - a least for some of you. That
is, those of you who can restrain yourselves to writing what can
be printed.
Over the years, many have asked if we accepted "letters to the editor" and I have had to explained that there was barely room for my own opinions and I owned the paper. Opinions take up space and a lot of people have them. I've never been against other people's opinions - I just couldn't afford them. Now, with our electronic version of the paper - "Carolina Arts Online", we have the space to post other people's opinions - about what I said, about what I didn't say, about what you would have said instead, or about anything you want as long as it pertains to the visual arts in the Carolinas and is suitable to print.
Of course, there are a few restrictions. One, you have to sign your name to your opinion, just like I do, and you have to give a phone number to verify you are who you say you are - there's no room for anonymity in the world of public opinions, especially if you're going to criticize something or someone. If you want to give your opinion and stay anonymous you'll have to become one of those big time editorialists who work at the big newspapers. You'll have to become a professional. Two, you have to keep your opinions civil, just like I do. You wouldn't believe how many times I have had to rephrase my words to make them printable. Really! Sometimes it takes three or four revisions. If you say something out of line, we just won't print it. Three, you're on your own. You're going to be solely responsible for what you say. So, you better not liable anyone and you better have your facts straight. There are plenty of lawyers for hire.
Now here's how it all works. We're not crazy enough to give the public full access to our paper, so send your opinions (typed) by letter, fax, or e-mail. Don't forget to include your name and phone number or it just goes in the trash.
Letters go to: "Carolina Arts", P.O.
Drawer 427, Bonneau, SC 29431. Fax us at: 843/825-3408. Send e-mail
to: (carolinart@aol.com). "Carolina Arts Online" can
be found at: (http//members.aol.com/carolinart/).
More Arts Than We Have Room For
Someone responding to our new web site after
a little surfing e-mailed a message proclaiming that there was
more on the web site than there was in the paper - a lot more.
My reply was that it is cheaper to put more on the web site than
it is to print it all up - a lot cheaper. This was one of the
main reasons for starting the web site. Like I said above, we
can now include other people's commentary, more of my commentary,
more articles, more gallery listings (even from outside the Carolinas)
and more information about all kinds of issues.
The Boston Connection
A few people were surprised to see an ad in our last issue promoting the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, (check the back cover) but I didn't think it was so unusual. We have lots of connections with this school and our art community. Recent exhibits in the Carolinas featured alumni from this fine school. The McKissick Museum in Columbia, SC recently featured works by Maybelle Stamper and the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC, is featuring Lois Mailou Jones. Charleston's own William Halsey and Corrie McCallum attended this school as did Edwin A. Harleston. Roderick MacKillop who is teaching at University of North Carolina at Charlotte is an alum.
So, if you're a senior in high school looking
for further study in art or a grad student looking for a place
to get your masters - don't think Boston is so strange - a little
bit of snow can go along way towards building get-up-and-go. It
didn't hurt me. But remember, I was smart enough to know where
to end up - in the sunny south.
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer
427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: carolinart@aol.com
Subscriptions are available for $18 a year.
Carolina Arts is
published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary
of PSMG, Inc.
Copyright© 2000 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston
Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan.
1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright©
2000 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the
authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission
is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout
North & South Carolina.