Kevin Hoffberg’s comments in the recent article about Vashon Center for the Arts, “Changing course, pondering the future,” (April 11) appeared to separate visual arts/gallery sales of $58,500 and visual arts/art auction sales of $121,000 into separate budgetary line items. In fact, artworks provided to the art auction were generously donated in part or in whole by the artists. With gallery sales, VCA charged artists a commission, profiting by 40% of each sale of work. The bottom line is that it’s all visual art and that visual art “revenue stream” brought VCA $179,500.

While perhaps not enough for VCA, its certainly not chump change. And without a break down for those total visual art sales as to gross or net and without the financial report for the rest of VCA’s income and expenses, the figures are completely out of context.

Finally, the comments on visual art sales, those regarding our community’s lack of appreciation or appetite for visual art, as well the inference of a radical change of direction for the visual arts at VCA, denigrate both the community and the makers of art.

— Christine Beck