*OCTOBER 10 (6:30-8PM), MINNESOTA STREET PROJECTS, SFADA: ART CRITICISM IN THE DIGITAL AGE

A panel discussion featuring San Francisco Chronicle art critic Charles Desmarais, Art Practical director Michele Carlson and art writer DeWitt Cheng, moderated by Patricia Maloney, director of Southern Exposure. Join us for a lively discussion on contemporary approaches to art criticism in the evolving art ecosystem. The panelists will explore current and future channels for critical discourse -- print & online publications, podcasts, social media – and address issues relevant to art critics and their audiences today. How does one write about the physical experience of artwork when audiences are increasingly getting their art virtually? How can one maintain focus on aesthetic values, when much of the readership is focused on market values? Panelists will explore the shifting relevancy in art of social engagement, identity politics and affirmative action in times of crisis. They’ll also be asked whether or not, as art critics, they see the Bay Area as an incubator for globally recognized art.