Artists Village Not ‘Publicly Funded’

* Your Oct. 8 article on Santa Ana’s Artists Village is incorrect in one important respect. Contrary to express statements made in the article, the Artists Village is not, to any meaningful extent, “publicly funded.” The article recaps public controversy over a single work of art created by local artist Connie Sasso. No public funds went into the creation of the work of art, the establishment or maintenance of Ms. Sasso’s gallery or, for that matter, the establishment or maintenance of the Santora Arts Complex, which houses her gallery. Ms. Sasso is a private business person, as are the other artists who display their works in the Santora Arts Complex.

The city has made some effort to promote the Artists Village and to facilitate its development by way of appropriate land-use regulations. In doing so, however, the city did nothing more than it has done for any number of private commercial developments. The city of Santa Ana also (much to its credit) fostered the development and promotion of MainPlace/Santa Ana. Yet neither Councilman Ted R. Moreno nor anyone else has suggested the creation of a “review board” to regulate what merchants may display in their shopping mall windows.

JOHN R. MACDOWELL

Santa Ana