Here's a question to stoke some intra-Cascadia rivalry: is Vancouver's art scene better than Seattle's?
Is writer Jen Graves right? I'm not sure how much of her piece is just the "grass is greener," but the provocation is much needed. She offers a few sensible suggestions, starting with celebrating our region's work in our museums:
The Henry should step up its game by exhibiting all six short listers rather than just the winner, while the Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland art museums should all start reconceptualizing the meaning of "regional," like the Henry is doing, and quick. (The "inclusion" of such places as Idaho and Montana in Tacoma Art Museum's biennial, for instance, reflects a fake constituency and has fake results. Art is now and has always been a city game. The art "region" is along or connected to the I-5 corridor, and in most ways, Seattle has more in common with Los Angeles than Spokane.
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