Bard College -- Faculty of the Department of Film and Electronic Arts

To Jeffrey Hoone, Nancy Cantor, Eric Spina and Carole Brzozowski,

We write this letter in protest of the perplexing dismissal of Astria Suparak from the Warehouse Gallery.

Most of us have known and worked with Astria for many years. She is quite simply one of the most important and influential programmers of experimental film and video of her generation. Her numerous projects as an independent curator brought new audiences to experimental film and video, forged new links between the worlds of film, gallery art, and music, and promoted the work of young artists. Since arriving at Syracuse, she has brought fresh and exciting exhibitions to the Warehouse Gallery, and consequently pushed the profile and reputation of this fledgling institution far beyond the local level.

Given that the Warehouse Gallery and the Syracuse arts community as a whole have benefited so greatly from Astria’s work there, her sudden dismissal from her position seems inexplicable. Her firing would be a great loss to New York state film and art, and we strongly urge you to reconsider this shortsighted decision.

Sincerely,

Faculty of the Department of Film and Electronic Arts
Bard College
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York

Peggy Ahwesh
Gerard Dapena
Jacqueline Goss
Ed Halter
Peter Hutton
Les Leveque
John Pruitt
Marie Regan
Kelly Reichardt
Keith Sanborn

Caspar Stracke

Dear Mr Hoone, Ladies / Sirs


I am certainly aware of the fact that by now, eight days after Ms. Suparak's last official day in the Warehouse Gallery and endless chain of emails and discussions you certainly will have stopped reading any further email regarding this case.

Nonetheless, I feel obligated to send this mail. Here is a distant voice from South Korea where Astria Suparak's curatorial work is known. And I hope this geological distance underlines the dimension which this case has now taken. I appeal to Mr Hoone to re-consider his decision, after realizing what a strong international support stands behind Ms Suparak, an extraordinary curator and important creative force for Syracuse University and the region.

Regards,

Prof. Caspar Stracke
UNIVERSITY OF ULSAN
Department of Design, office: B/D 6-302
P.O. Box 18, Ulsan, 680-749, Korea