>> MARIETTA, Ga (Reuter) - House Speaker Newt Gingrich Tuesday
called on the Phoenix Art Museum to close an exhibition that
shows the American flag lying on the floor and draped over a
toilet.<<

Although I certainly find Gingrich's comments annoying, I will suggest that it
also could be used as a reminder to all museums that we are not doing a very
good job of selling ourselves to the public.  Is there some pro-active way the
museum field in general could develop a public relations program that would give
America insight into who we are, what we do, and how its done?  It seems
somewhat ironic that in this day and age of people searching for relevance,
meaning, and community connections, that the very institutions that do this are
thought of as "the bad guys."

Susan M. Ward
Heritage Communications, [log in to unmask]