SFArtsED is excited to present Richard Olsen's This letter could be viewed in many different ways, an exhibition on view in MSP's Atrium that is more than 50 years in the making.

Created in 1970 and never before shown, this particular series of Richard's correspondences centers around different artists’ and writers’ answers to his letter, which featured one sentence: “This letter could be viewed in many different ways.” Here, the artist turns to his signature call-and-response tactic to elicit a kaleidoscope of replies in text, image and object. Among the recipients are Howard Fried, Phil Linhares, Knute Stiles, Richard Miller and many more. 

About the project, Richard says:

"In this series This letter could be viewed in many different ways, the different responses resulted in a rich, surprising, and multifaceted tapestry. Each vastly different. Each perfect. Each coming together to be part of the unpredicted whole. Over 50 years have passed since this series was developed. It has never been exhibited until now. Who the participants were and how their lives developed, and in some cases have ended, adds another dimension to it. Conversations have existed in much of my work and my teaching over the years, a particularity that had its own reality and often charm and humor."

SFArtsED