To the editors:
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Mr. Lazare may perceive that the only “big job” is a logo design, but in fact it is the continuous presence of exhibition catalogues circulated to the nation’s libraries; exhibition and program announcements, brochures, and bimonthly calendars which are viewed and used by hundreds of thousands of visitors; street banners on Michigan Avenue; and thousands of MCA t-shirts that make up the fabric of graphic identity of an institution like the MCA. All of these projects were done by Chicago firms.
Mr. Lazare notes “none of the 3,000 or so practicing professional designers in Chicago have stepped forward to question Purdle’s [sic] qualifications or talent.” This should be the heart of the matter. We endeavored to make a selection for a particular piece of work based on specific talent and experience. We reviewed a wide variety of firms, many of them Chicago firms. Our finalists included Chicago firms. To suggest that we make our selection primarily on the location of a firm, rather than our best assessment of their specific design skills for this particular job, is a cynical thought that puts politics above quality, and insults the integrity of every design firm in Chicago.
Museum of Contemporary Art
