Art critic Sheila Farr was recently let go from the Seattle Times, and reaction is split between people who think it’s “a blow to the art scene of Seattle, and to arts journalism in general” and those who see the departure as a rather fitting fate for “the critic who never showed up.”
While Jen Graves, the leader of the latter camp comes off as a little harsh in her post on the topic, she makes a smart point that’s equally important at the national level: for certain publications that have been resting on their laurels, getting rid of fixtures, particularly those who have become a little to complacent in their posts, might be just the thing to help resuscitate a “deeply disengaged newspaper.” Or at the very least guarantee that they have a writer who is present — in both senses of the word.
Reading the piece made us wonder — where do most of you go to get innovative art news these days? More respected dailies like the New York Times, the Guardian or the Los Angeles Times? Magazines like Artforum or Juxtapoz? Aggregation sites like ArtsJournal? Smaller more local-oriented art blogs? Who are some of your favorite writers?
Leave any sites you think should make the visual arts section of our soon-to-be-born blog roll in the comments.