Art and Advocacy

New Editor Ruth Resnicow’s brief tenure during volume 21 focused largely on funding and the survival of the arts, with three issues providing a comprehensive look at politics, public art, residencies and a host of other topics contributing to the general subject. Within these issues, original cover art by artists Lisa Tuttle (see photo) and Leslie Bellevance provided striking visual aesthetic moments, while then-Associate Editor Michael Pittari’s first feature article for the magazine appeared in the form of an interview with painter/video artist Cheryl Donegan. Other theme issues that year—different than in previous years in that all of the magazine’s content, except for reviews and news briefs, was dedicated to a given topic-focused on “The Curio Cabinet,” “Artist’s Books: Print Era and After,” and “Cultural Ownership.” The latter, in particular, was a seminal issue in moving the direction of the magazine towards globalism and cultural hybridity, with articles by Gerardo Mosquera, David Mura, and Olga Viso, as well as cover art by Jose Bedia. This year also saw the introduction of two regular columns: Studio Visit, devoted to the work of an emerging artist of note, and the Artistsâ Survival Guide, offering practical advice for working artists.