Letter: My condolences to Vail’s Art in Public Places

I would like to express my deepest condolences to the town of Vail’s Art in Public Places team. They have chosen to undertake a major endeavor: vetting the work and digital footprint of every potential artist in residence for a hint of political expression — even if that work does not relate to their installations intended for Vail. It’s no small task. Innumerable hours, and innumerable taxpayer dollars, it is now their duty to scour the social media, archive of interviews, and the artist’s catalog of work itself for any indication of partisanship.

Certainly, if that is the case for Danielle SeeWalker, it will set the standard for all contracted artists going forward. And why stop there? Perhaps they should audit all artists whose work is currently installed, just to be sure none of them ever expressed a stance on Ukraine, abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, or climate change.

Vail is, of course, within its rights to commission apolitical art for public spaces. But firing a prospective resident artist because they expressed a political opinion outside the scope of their contract with the town is a concerning choice. It is made even more concerning when that artist is indigenous. Vail clearly loves the idea of supporting people of color, as long as they do not have to contend with the intersectionality of their identities.

Karina Schorr
Edwards