Friends of the Fine Art Center Galleries
Letter From Jill Moser, New York, NY
This page, sponsored by Friends of the Fine Arts Center Galleries, is not an official University of Rhode Island Web page. See disclaimer
Dear President Robert Carothers,
Your decision to close the Fine Art Galleries and dismiss Judith Tolnick Champa has shocked and dismayed the art community well beyond Rhode Island. As any artist who has exhibited work in the URI galleries under the extraordinarily careful and vibrant curatorial guidance of Ms. Champa will attest, the opportunity is one in which you can't help but be aware of the significant impact your work and presence has on both the academic and local community. Working with the most minimal of budgets and staff, Ms. Champa has attracted artists from all over the world who have been willing to contribute their time to share their work and ideas with the large audience of students, faculty and community members who flock to the galleries hungry to see and hear what we have to say.
I am a NYC artist who exhibits internationally and have taught at universities including Princeton and SUNY New Paltz. Over the past ten years I have welcomed the invitations to exhibit, lecture and critique students' work for very little monetary compensation for the opportunity to work with Ms. Champa and provide an essential experience unavailable to your students otherwise. When I last lectured in the Gallery during my show in the Fall of 2006, I was impressed by the great range of questions from faculty members and students in science, economics, English and mathematics as well as art. Ms. Champa had made great efforts to attract the academic community at large.
It has been well documented that the experience of engaging with actual works of art plays a vital role in enriching and informing academic learning. Ms Champa has provided this to the URI community through her inventive use of resources and tireless, dedicated work. She has made possible an exhibition program unequaled at university galleries with five times the staff and budget.
You will be losing an irreplaceable and invaluable resource which cannot be measured in budgetary terms.
In hopes that you will reconsider this unnecessary and drastic measure.
Sincerely,
Jill Moser