Weekend roundup

This past weekend, two of the three most prominent art critics in New York were billed as participating in a political event with someone they're charged with covering: dealer Lucy Mitchell-Innes. [via] The Feb. 2 shindig for Barack Obama at Mitchell-Innes' gallery was co-hosted by Mitchell-Innes and New York magazine critic Jerry Saltz. (The invitation says that Saltz is "unable to attend, but will be there in spirit.") Speakers were listed as including The New Yorker's Peter Schjeldahl, artist Matthew Ritchie, and New Museum curator Laura Hoptman.

Art critics who write for major publications are journalists. As such their ethics should be guided by the rules of the journalism world, not the flimsy, whose-your-buddy ethic of the art world. Would NYTer David Pogue co-host a Clinton event with Bill Gates? No. Is it highly probable that Schjeldahl and Saltz have had and will have the opportunity to make decisions on whether to cover Mitchell-Innes & Nash gallery, Ritchie and Hoptman -- as well as scores of other people who attend their event (and who don't)? Yes. Think of it this way: If you're an artist, you don't want to wonder if you're not getting reviewed because your dealer didn't throw the right political party with the right critic.

This is not quite Christian Viveros-Faune/Village Voice territory. But journalists should not be partnering with people they're supposed to be covering.