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SEVEN DAYS
12.27.17-01.10.18
SEVENDAYSVT.COM
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FEEDback READER REACTION TO RECENT ARTICLES
DYNAMIC DUO
I was happy to read Rachel Elizabeth Jones’ article on the exciting art of Rueben Vidrio and Ross Sheehan at the Flynndog gallery [Art Review: “Inner and Outer Space,” December 13]. There’s enough energy there to melt the most frigid of winter doldrums. I disagree, however, that “a meaningful dialogue between two artists’ styles feels thwarted.” I see the combination of these two artists as a nuanced duet in which each artist is brightened in the presence of the other. Some correlations I enjoy: Both artists delight and experiment freely with the sheer sensuality of materials. They are both fluidly comfortable in the language of abstraction. Both have an unapologetic, restless creativity that is not afraid to jump around with multiple styles or materials in search of just the right expressive note. That trait seems connected to the antennae that Jones speaks of in Sheehan’s work, but I see it in Vidrio’s paintings, too, bringing a shared dynamic tension into play. Most importantly, both artists seem drawn to the theme of home. Jones articulates that characteristic with insight when describing Sheehan’s work. But it’s present in Vidrio’s work in many dynamic ways, too. His haunting Aztec imagery feels like a visceral call from his native Mexico — a courting, a trance-inducing urge to integrate that heritage with his life now, while
TIM NEWCOMB
at the same time bravely inventing new, original forms and techniques. I’m excited to have a painter as prolific and original as Vidrio in our midst! The meaningful dialogue between these artists is loud and clear to me. Sharon Webster
BURLINGTON
SAY NO TO POT
[Re “Two Notorious Crashes Fuel Marijuana Legalization Debate,” December 6]: Legalizing pot opens the door for more. It will bring more traffic deaths, more ER visits, more psychotic issues, more crime, and a jump in homelessness numbers and the use of soup kitchens and food shelves from out-of-state folks. It will create challenges for employers needing clean help. There are more cartel influences and black markets, and there’s more use among teens. These aren’t scare tactics; this is drawing from what other states have experienced. Marijuana has been tested. MRI studies at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University show that it impairs brain development. Many know marijuana to be a gateway drug that leads to opioids. We don’t need more opioid deaths; 112 a year in Vermont is enough. Vermonters, keep a clear head — say no to pot in Vermont. Martha Hafner
RANDOLPH CENTER
REAL TRAFFIC ON CHURCH STREET
[Re Bite Club: “Bruegger’s Bagels Closes on Church Street,” December 12]: Church Street quickly became a vestige after the city’s “visionaries” 40 years ago decided that closing it to cars would help it stay relevant as suburban malls came into vogue. The closing of Bruegger’s on Church Street is merely the latest vacancy illustrating the difficulty of trying to keep downtown’s main shopping area vibrant in the face of the obvious. The only thing that will keep the stores healthy is to reopen the street to traffic and old-fashioned parallel parking. Towns across New England that have been successful at keeping their downtowns alive — while competing with suburban malls — have kept the old model in place: They have not shut those streets to vehicular traffic. Burlington can call Church Street a marketplace or a mall, but the reality is, it’s neither. And people aren’t stupid. If people have to walk to a store after wrestling with complicated parking meters several blocks away — or have to park in a garage — they will go to the suburban malls. Ron Redmond, head of the Church Street Marketplace, tried to mask the obvious with pure sputum. Redmond said that Bruegger’s is “typical of the cycle that happens on Church Street, where you have stores coming and going.” Then he topped it with this: “If you think of all the stores that were on Church Street 30 years ago, the scene is much different.” Pure, unadulterated, incomprehensible nonsense. The redevelopment of Burlington Town Center, meanwhile, will do nothing to solve the underlying problem. Taxpayers have to spend an additional $20 million to believe our lyin’ eyes. Ted Cohen
BURLINGTON
WONDERING ABOUT KISONAK
Usually, I just dismiss Rick Kisonak’s movie reviews, because when he likes something, I usually don’t. When he pans a movie, I usually like the movie. But his review of Wonder [Movie Reviews, November 22] goes over the top. I read the book. Then I read Kisonak’s review and was amazed, since many other reviews