The responsibility of a good newspaper is to enlighten the public by representing both sides of a story. The Sept. 14, 2010, story about the Albert Lea Art Center’s lawsuit against my friend Susanne Crane tended to represent the one side, although I found the story to be less damaging than some of the earlier 2008 articles. It stated that Ms. Crane did not respond to a phone message. And I say that often happens to me, with the unreliable airwaves we all experience lost, dropped and very belated messages. There are always two sides to every story and so it is here as well.

It should be obvious that the 100 members of the Art Center who met at the Episcopal Church were being fed only one side of this terribly unfortunate situation. I have been involved in projects, meetings and had big dreams of how art can be a most positive, inclusive and healing influence on society. A most important contribution to Albert Lea and the surrounding community as it should and could be. I am on the Southeast Minnesota Arts Council in the capacity of panelist for the grant review process. I have reviewed many grant proposals, and it saddens me to see how our art community cannot begin to compare with the accomplishments of other communities. I cannot understand how depriving our community of Art in the Park for at least three years has been positive in anyway at all by the Art Center. The ongoing negativity will not stop as a result of the November trials verdict. I do not propose to know all or have the means of healing this deep seeded attack against art itself; however, I honestly feel that deep soul-searching and genuine forgiveness are crucial for us all.

Remember the old game of telephone? I think telephone has been played far too long in this scenario, and I propose we all just hang up that stringed tin can, take a long hard look at it and move on to a much more noble form of communicating.

Jan Schewe

Albert Lea

Editor’s note: The Tribune stands by its attempts to gather both sides of the story. Also, Crane always has the option of sitting down for an interview to be published in a follow-up story.