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WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
945 Madison Avenue at Seventy-Fifth Street  New York, New York 10021  (212) 249-4100

December 17, 1970  received DEC 29 1970

Miss Howardena Pindell
Westbeth Artists Housing
564 West Street D-517
New York, New York

Dear Howardena:

I'm really sorry for the confusion that was engendered about the Whitney Annual and Mac Doty's exhibition in the spring. Our policy of trying not to show the work of one artist in consecutive shows is by no means a hard and fast rule. It is simply a matter of trying to show as many interesting works by as wide a range of artists as possible. Certainly the choice was not made on a personal basis.

The reasons for deciding not to show a sculpture in the Annual are often difficult to pin down because the decision is made by a consensus of curatorial opinion. You are quite right that selections for Mac Doty's show are made by him alone. Because you were out of town, there was unfortunately no chance for the other curators to see the work at your studio, making it more difficult to include a piece on the basis of slides and my verbal explanation alone. As you know, I very much enjoyed seeing the work, and asked Mac to visit you.

I hope this letter is of some help in straightening things out. Best regards.

Sincerely,
[[signature]]
Marcia Tucker
Associate Curator

MT:skf
Gertrude V. Whitney, Founder
Flora Whitney Miller, Chairman  David M. Solinger, President  John I. H. Baur, Director  Lloyd Goodrich, Advisory Director