THE DIRECTOR'S CORNER...
by Wayne Snellen

FUTURE PLANS...I have a wish list that never seems to get fulfilled. But one that does seem to be coming true is this newsletter or rather journal. I want to call it a "journal of the lesbian and gay erotic arts" so that it can be open to outside commentary, guest editoials, and such. Hopefully this can be a quqrterly venue for not only Foundation members but also contributors interested in the erotic arts. The erotic arts have been hidden too long. They have been denied their rightful place in art history -- too often relegated to the basement or closet. However, we must be vigilant because of the climate of the country in this regard.

One of the most immediate items that will bring about this renewal is funding. We need to tap into resources as yet undiscovered. This is difficult to do simply becuse we do not have the staff to persue this avenue. But it is sorely needed. If any of you out there have expertise in fund raising and/or grant writing, please, we need you desperately. If we are to be able to expand our facilities and truly become an educational resource institution then we must do what every other non-profit organization is doing -- scramble for money.

We also need to properly catalog and photograph the permanent collection which now numbers between 200 to 300 works. Next season we will want to display, from time to time, items from the collection so that you can see what treasures we have, to give you a better idea of what we are about and the importance of the Foundation. But again, we need volunteers to accomplish this.

I cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of a strong historical bent to the Foundation. After all, we are not only a gallery, but also, and in some ways more importantly, a repository for research. This takes careful planning and guidance. Our computer database and artist's files are growing rapidly. Maintaining them, checking for completeness, requesting missing items, is time consuming but so important.

Another item is our small library. Many important documents are missing. We cannot always afford to purchase books that would enhance our resources.

These are just a few of the necessary functions and materials we need to accomplish our goals. If you can help or know of sources of funding or have contacts that would be available to us please contact us. We need to know if we are serving our community. We are quite open, approachable, and always appreciate your comments and help. Thank you.