Art Exhibit

On Sunday, I had the privilege to visit the Bowers Museum to see what all the fuss was about regarding the “Winding River” exhibit. Art and music are the bridges of mankind and should be viewed as the soul of their creators. It is sad that this battle is being waged, as these wonderful paintings speak so eloquently for themselves.

It is a shame that some of the Vietnamese community chooses to try to censure their fellow countrymen, when the very thing they came to America for was freedom of expression. Only here are they free to protest in a manner that is not life-threatening. Yet they will still deny this pivotal right to those wonderful and brave artists, who must be jumping for joy in Vietnam to have their paintings traveling the world, even when their creators cannot.

I applaud Janet Baker, curator of Asian art, and the Bowers Museum for standing strong and tall for the sake of these wonderful voices. The community should see these paintings in the light in which they were created. Namely, to share in love the soul of the artist with the soul of all of us.

SILVIA KELLY

Mission Viejo