Mary Hale, President of the San Diego Artists Equity Ass., Project Director Del Mar 2000, and Art Columnist for Ranch & Coast Magazine, wrote this letter to the Executive Committee of the SDMA on March 4, 1982:
     "The San Diego art community has been turning in recent months for guidance to San Diego Artists Equity. Artists Equity has been the spokes voice for visual artists nationally, statewide, and in San Diego.
     We have long supported the San Diego Museum of Art through membership, docent and guild participation as well as volunteer and fundraising activities.
Artists Equity National Executive Policy advocates that visual artists maintain active participation on Museum Boards and in museum activities.
     We would like to have a dialog with you concerning the important and traditional artist participation with the San Diego Museum of Art. We would like to offer our active organization support for this effort and projects with the museum that recognize the vital and viable art community.
     We suggest that representatives form the S.D.M.A. Guild and Artists Equity meet with members of the S.D.M.A. Executive Committee as a good will gesture and opportunity to share goals and concerns."
     Copies of this letter were sent to the San Diego newspapers and art groups.

     At the Board meeting on March 8, 1982, the Board discussed the previous letter and other matters which was recorded:
     "Mary Hale submitted an Artists Equity letter in reference to a discussion with the Museum. Artists Equity registered support of our position…
The Board drew up a grievance list;
     1) Loss of Sales and Rental Gallery.
     2) Censorship of Newsletter and Shows.
     3) Dealing in bad faith.
     4) Non-cooperation with Guild business.
     Hansmann suggested Board members draft philosophical statement about his/her position, the value of the artist in the community, the link with the past, and other pertinent considerations…
     It was agreed upon by the Board that the Board will request help from the general membership to make and distribute armbands, and to distribute the grievance list at the time of protest on April 23, 1982."

     This article in the San Diego Evening Tribune came out on March 10, 1982:
Guild Board Hits Action Of Museum
     "Seven members of the Artists Guild's nine member board have vowed to resign in protest of the San Diego Museum of Art's recent decision to eliminate the Guild's annual award show at the museum.
     The resignations will be turned in shortly before this year's Guild Exhibition that opens April 23, according to Guild President Gary Hansmann.
     'We believe the museum acted n bad faith and we want nothing further to do with them,' said Hansmann, who is among those stepping down.
     In addition to the resignations, other protests being planned include picketing of the Guild Exhibition opening, Hansmann said.
     Retiring board members have refused to take a stand on Hansmann's proposal that the guild 'secede' from the museum. Hansmann said he would present the plan at a mid-April general meeting of Guild members called to nominate new board members."

     On March 14, 1982, Jean Swiggett penned this letter to Gary Hansmann:
     "Somewhere a rumor has started to the effect that there is a possibility that the Guild Board will recommend that the Guild secede from the Fine Arts Society in protest over the loss of the Art Sales and Rental Gallery and the three-person award shows as has been the custom. Another rumor is that the Guild Board will resign en masse. I hope that neither is necessary. I feel that all possible positive steps should be taken first. The Society needs the support of the Guild, both aesthetically and financially...
     I feel that the Board should take advantage of all that the Museum Board has to offer at this time. We should see to it that the forthcoming Guild show at the Museum is the very best possible. You have selected an outstanding artist who should be a good juror.
     The recent 'Bash' sponsored by the Contemporary Arts Committee should indicate to the Museum Board what the Museum will be losing should the Guild secede. Fourteen artists donated work for the Silent Auction, the Committee getting a percentage of sales which, I believe, totaled about $1,800. (In my case, I donated the entire amount received.) While the auction total wasn't earth-shaking, it should indicate to the Museum Board how the artists feel about the Museum and how they support its activities.
     If after exploring all avenues of cooperation with the Museum Board and you still find the situation impossible, there are undoubtedly several ways to go… You may find there is more support than you think.
     I'm sure the Guild Board won't take any hasty action, and I'm sure that all that can be done in a positive way will be done."

     In April of 1982 seven out of nine Guild board members resigned in protest against the SDMA behavior. Many who attended the Guild show wore black armbands in as another symbolic protest. Only 25 artists attended the annual meeting. Later that year, 50% of dues were in arrears, showing the radical drop-off in membership. Gary Hansmann announced his resignation from the Guild in May 1982.

     (Note: During his research for this book the author came up with this paper, unsigned in the Artists Guild's files. He presumes it was written in 1982. He has his idea of who wrote it, but because the paper wasn't signed, he will leave it up to the reader to surmise.)

     Here are the contents of this paper:

QUESTIONS ARE RAISED

"Is ART dying in San Diego?

Are opportunities for the arts deliberately being killed of (eliminated)?

Are we going to do anything to improve the arts scene?

Can a museum properly function detached from the active arts?

What is the purpose of the Guild?

The Guild - After a year of sincere self-appraisal, the Guild believes it is a unique committee of the museum. It is the link between institutional representation of the arts and the living arts community. Its purpose is mainly educational, and is not that of raising money or manufacturing 'gate.' The living artists of our community are our current precious heritage, to be nurtured, encouraged, and exhibited.

The current crisis came to a head when the museum cut back one more opportunity for San Diego artists by eliminating the Guild Award Winners Show. This is not an isolated event, handled with frank and honest interchange, but is one more piece of arbitrary action exhibiting distrust.

Guild Award Winners Exhibit - LOST Not directly told that this action was pending, the Guild Board inadvertently discovered that this award opportunity was not included in the 1982 prospectus. Giving award winners this show does not eliminate or cut back other opportunities as argued by the staff; the one does not obviate the other. The guild would welcome as many other exhibitions of San Diego or California artists as possible. Showing award winners would not jeopardize quality (as they also argue) since the staff has, and has always had, full curatorial over-ride of exhibition decisions.

The Art Sales & Rental Gallery - LOST The staff of the museum, responsible for jurying the contents and quality of that gallery, dropped their exercise of that control and then used that as an excuse to eliminate this major opportunity for local artists.

The Hawaii - California Biennial - DROPPED Saying that the participation of Hawaii was negligible, the staff totally eliminated an exhibition which was bringing to San Diego fresh new work of our major American art region.

The Membership Vote - REMOVED The loss of the membership vote signaled the end of democratic community involvement in the S.D.M.A. Without a proper exercise of opinion and input, the museum membership was summarily disenfranchised and has since been totally frustrated in the desire to see the art scene grow in a healthy manner. Said to save money, the new policy has resulted in greater legal and public-relations costs in a wave of growing opposition.

The Museum Style - BAD FAITH Assuming a posture of parent-to-child, instead of colleague-to-colleague, the museum has not frankly dealt with the issues in the open. Policies directly affecting the Guild have been made in the absence of artist representation. In 1980, at one meeting not attended by our Guild president, the Art Sales & Rental Gallery was voted out. No one had consulted the artists involved. This year it was only by accident that we learned of the elimination plans for the Awards Show. In the so-called 'hearing' with the executive committee of the museum trustees, the artist representatives were dismissed after giving their point of view, not allowed to hear, evaluate, or respond to opposing arguments in open discussion.

To our astonishment, Guild Board members have been told to censor the newsletter and to keep our 'underlings in line.'

Lack of respect for the professionalism of artists has shown up in the constant request for donated work and time--with no suitable honoraria or commissions."

     Harry Sternberg, wrote this in the May 1982 Newsletter:

PARTING IS SO SWEET
     "Your editor herewith offers some remarks for your edification before turning the Newsletter over to the new editor.
     From the vantage point of a seat on your Board, I have only praise for the Board members. They did strive, often against insurmountable odds and all gave generously of time and energy.
     Also deserving of special thanks is Gary Hansmann, your retiring President. Out of devotion to the Guild, he gave to its welfare large chunks of his studio time. He never hesitated to act and speak for the good of the Guild, often to the direct detriment of his career as an artist.

* * * * * * *

     As a protest against the Museum's mistreatment of the Guild, seven out of the nine members of the Board of the Guild resigned. Some who attended the opening of the Guild show wore black armbands as another symbolic protest.
     A membership meeting was held one month earlier at the home of Gary Hansmann to elect a new Board so as to ensure the continuation of the Guild. The general membership meeting was attended by only 25 members.

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