Art of the Matter

Regarding “Art, History and the Real World,” by Suzanne Muchnic (Oct. 3):

I used to work at the L.A. County Museum of Art. I was involved in ticket sales for the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival presentation of French Impressionist paintings, “A Day in the Country.” After the show officially sold out, I printed hundreds of tickets daily so that people could be pressured into buying $35 museum memberships to acquire tickets.

I remember receiving a memo filled with misspelled words from one bureaucrat claiming that he had a doctorate and was now to be addressed as “Doctor.”

In time, I left. I watched the Albert Speer-influenced building rise on Wilshire Boulevard. Once, I tried to return: I was appalled at the waterway flanking the entrance stairs, which reminded me of a higher-rent version of the stainless steel originals in the Dodger Stadium men’s restrooms, and was mildly amused to see that the David Hockney retrospective was “sold out” and tickets were available only with purchase of a museum membership.

I managed to block the museum from my mind until Oct. 3, when you ran your cover story about the museum’s recent leadership and financial troubles. I would like to share my reaction to the museum’s current plight:

Ha ha ha ha ha. Hee hee hee hee hee hee. Snicker snicker snicker. Giggle. Chuckle chuckle chuckle chuckle. Ho ho ho. Haw haw haw.

Thanks for making my day.

CARLO PANNO, Burbank