Art Center seemed to miss the symbolism

The July 10 story “11 things to do this weekend in Des Moines include 80/35, Ankeny Summerfest, IndyCar concerts” mentions “Coexist,” a new Des Moines Art Center exhibit that “delves into the rich, complicated relationship between humanity and nature, one based on both conflict and interdependence, revealing the connection between environmental activism and art.”

How remarkably ironic and/or clueless of the Art Center’s leaders to mount this exhibition just as they pursue the shameful destruction of the nationally acclaimed work in their permanent collection that brilliantly represents the exhibition’s title and thesis, "Greenwood Pond: Double Site," the beloved installation by land art leader Mary Miss.

Charles Birnbaum, president and CEO of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, Washington, D.C.