August 14, 2001

Subject: Our Lady
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:15:36 -0700
From: Mortimer H Herzstein <mortlaw@pacbell.net>
Reply-To: Mortimer H Herzstein <mhh@mortlaw.com>
To: almalopez@earthlink.net

I am a trustee of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and when I was in Santa Fe earlir this month for the annual meeting I saw your work that caused such a fuss.  I am strongly behind keeping the work on the wall and not removing it on first amendment grounds.  The fact that it troubles some people is their problem.  As an American Jew I have been troubled at times by depictions of certain Christian religious events that demeaned Jews, but I never asked for any removal of the offending items.

I noted that this image was a multiple and I wonder if any are available for sale and the price.  I might be interested.  I have a John Sloan etching that was banned from exhibition back in the 20s or 30s.

It puzzles me that such an innocuous image could cause all the "alleged outrage".  It also demonstrates how little the protesters, including the archbishop, understand about the first amendment. 

Thank you.
Mortimer H. Herzstein
Attorney at Law
San Francisco, CA