We suppose, since you ran an article on the sale of the Field Gallery, that you would be the logical venue for us to gush.

My family and I, plus the ghosts of my parents, are just ecstatic about the sale of the gallery to the town of West Tisbury. We are grateful to the selectmen for their indefatigable efforts, and especially for the overwhelming support of the town meeting voters.

We also want everyone to know that our real estate broker, Tea Lane Associates, was so socially considerate about this sale that they forfeited half their commission. I wish the word “classy” had a bit more class to it, but this was a classy act.

There are others — the planning board, Frank Creaney who did such a nice job reshingling the building, and many others to whom we are grateful.

And to assuage the angst of letter-writer Gault who is dismayed that the town did not put the lease out to bid: the lease with Chris Morse was a long-term lease with us, not a new contract with the town, and the town agreed to honor the lease. Chris and his crew have been most professional and thoughtful tenants, a true lagniappe for the town.

And just to clarify: The sculpture on the lawn of the Field Gallery is not part of the sale to the town. Just as the paintings and other art objects inside the gallery are for sale, so too is the outside sculpture there on consignment. That doesn’t mean they will be gone by Labor Day; art on this scale and in this market moves pretty slowly. And as they do move to their “forever homes” (as they say when you adopt a rescue pet) other significant figures will move in to take their place. The Island has a great many artists and the gallery field will continue to offer a platform for the best of the lot.

Timothy E. Maley
West Tisbury