Photo © INAH, Centro Regional de Investigaciones

(While they distilled alcohol, I am fairly certain that members of the Mayan culture didn't carry firearms, wear safety orange or need special permits to take antlerless deer. In fact, some Mayan artisan actually saluted this doe in ceramic form. That said, happy firearms deer season to you hunters who will go sit out in the predicted freezing rain before sunup next Monday. P.S.: Never make fun of art historians for incomprehensible pursuits, all right? Ever again. You know who you are. And I know where you've plugged your campers' extension cords into our household outlets.)

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So, today the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities named 26 nominees to this largely ceremonial post. Which is cool because, hey! It's honestly thrilling to see a guy so busy trying to find a large enough tow truck to pull the US economic bus out of the ditch give even a passing nod towards something so crucial (to some of us) as the Arts and Humanities. And the Honorary Chairman of the PCAH is First Lady Michelle Obama, a lovely, genuine human being with larger issues on her agenda. Please don't suppose that I suppose Barack and Michelle Obama stayed up late over the course of several nights agonizing over this list like a State dinner seating chart, because I'm not, quite, that stupid. However.

I've read over the official list, and can't help but notice that the roster reads more-or-less thusly: actor, actor, actor, actor, cellist, architect, playwright, jazz underwriter, film producer, Senator's wife, Senator's billionairess wife, Editor in Chief of VOGUE (I kid you not), ballet dancer and publicist. There are a lot of names, but none of them belong to visual artists, museum directors, gallery owners or, indeed, anyone who huffs paint fumes, cuts mats, welds or chisels for a living. By the way, a BOATLOAD of visual artists were on board for our current President during the election campaign that ended one short year ago.

Speaking from long and expensive experience, the "Arts" and "Humanities" include visual art. (If there are some new definitions of these words, I am going to attempt to retroactively sue a few undergraduate programs for my BFA.) Making visual art, studying visual art and preserving visual art are the lives' works of some US citizens who deserve both respect and recognition. As mentioned, these are largely ceremonial posts ... but how's about a tiny hat tip to the discipline solely devoted to one of our five senses on the next go-round, PCAH?

The independent film Mr. Art Critic was released on DVD a couple of weeks ago. Now, normally I don't "do" video reviews, but this opportunity was too good to pass up for several reasons. First, I have an extremely short, top secret list of art critics whose reviews I love to loathe and so was wondering if this comedy might shed some light on their ceaseless causticity. (The answer: not really; this isn't a documentary.)

Secondly, I was curious to see a comedic treatment applied to the terribly, terribly serious business of reviewing gallery shows and juried competitions. We've probably all seen works--and audience behavior--at both that required muffled coughing of us to stifle fits of inappropriate laughter, and we've doubtlessly all read reviews that seemed to be written about a completely different event. Could Mr. Art Critic deliver a solid 90 minutes built around these inside jokes? (The answer: yes. Deliciously so.)

Finally (upcoming shameless plug warning), aside from some opening footage shot in Chicago and a highway montage, Mr. Art Critic was filmed on location in Traverse City and Mackinac Island, Michigan. Richard Brauer, who wrote and directed the movie, lives and works in the area, and nearly all of the cast and crew are Michiganders. As am I. We share a beautiful corner of the Wolverine State, and I'm delighted to think of you viewing scene after scene of one of the most charming, picturesque spots we have to offer: Mackinac Island. If you've never visited, we all hope that you will.

For Your Reading and Viewing Pleasure:

• Mr. Art Critic review
• Mr. Art Critic trailer
• Brauer Productions, Inc. website
• The Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau

Hans Baldung Grien (German, 1484/85-1545)
Zwei Hexen (Two Witches), 1523
Oil and tempera on limewood
65.3 x 45.6 cm (25 11/16 x 17 15/16 in.)
Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main
Photo © Ursula Edelman

(If you are looking for subtlety here, forget about it. During the Northern Renaissance, witches were portrayed as evil women. Malevolent, naked, seductive women. Sinister, smirking, Fall of Man-causing women. Much like Eve in the Book of Genesis, minus the mitigating Satan/serpent flimflam factor. You can read all about this I-wish-I-could-say-it-no-longer-exists mindset here in "Christian Imagery and Witchcraft in Prints by Hans Baldung Grien" by Stan Parchin.)

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