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Show Rift between Kimball Art Center and private galleries on the mend In addition, the board said, the KAC would list the private gallery in their brochure promoting the show, and that their staff members "would make a point of recommending the local gallery as a place to see additional works of the particular artist." The preliminary pre-liminary policy will be presented to the full board for a vote in September. "I didn't expect them to be so receptive. It's quite exciting, excit-ing, the lines of communication communica-tion are really opening up," Gwen Latterner said. At the meeting, Rick Prince thanked the local galleries for bringing their concerns to the attention of the Kimball Art Center, which he said had resulted in a thorough policy review. He reiterated the Center's intention inten-tion to "assist galleries in their efforts to bring the best art available to Park City, and to make Park City known on a national level for its dedication to art." To that end, the executive board also said that the Center will make an effort to help local gallery owners find new talent by inviting them to meet the artists showing at the KAC, and will assist in providing information informa-tion about the artist to any interested gallery owner. Charges that the Kimball Art Center was using its nonprofit status to compete unfairly with the private galleries were also examined. ex-amined. But, Prince restated the board's commitment to present classes and educational educa-tional programs in addition to artwork sales. According to Balaban, the board has also made a commitment to schedule special shows in which the work is not necessarily for sale, but would be an educational service to the community. Two of those shows have already been scheduled. They are the Judge Ritter Navajo rug collection, which has been exhibited at the University of Utah, and an exhibit of Utah folk art. The KAC's policy of re quiring exclusivity of artists showing work in the gift shop areas in the KAC, however, has not changed. Prince said, "the policy enables the Kimball Art Center to avoid direct competition with the local galleries and assures art patrons and buyers they will not be seeing the same items they have seen in other local galleries when they visit the art center." "I think the gallery owners now realize that we are genuinely concerned with their welfare and they heard from us that we are not in direct competition," said Prince. "It is a marvelous first step," said Gwen Latterner. "Frankly, I was shocked," said Gwen Latterner after hearing Tuesday that the Kimball Art Center executive execu-tive board had granted many of the private gallery "owners requests for better cooperation. Gwen and Charles Latterner Latter-ner own the Old Town Gallery and were among the group of gallery owners who, . two weeks ago, voiced strong disapproval of the Kimball ' Art Center's policy of exclusivity. exclu-sivity. They also questioned . the Art Center's role in the community. Tuesday s meeting was called in direct response to those com- plaints. During the meeting, Kim- ball Art Center Board Chair-! Chair-! man Rick Prince, President 'Dick Beck and Community 'Relations Chairman Diane ' Balaban presented several policy changes and clarified the Center's exclusivity policy to representatives of the Salt Lake and Park City Gallery Owners Association. The biggest change in the ( new policy is that an artist who has been previously represented by a local gallery gal-lery and who plans to exhibit . his work in the Little or Main Galleries at the KAC is no c longer required to remove j' his work from the private gallery during his KAC t show. This represents a v major modification of the ; previous policy of exclusivity. |
