I was just wondering...

[biglakejudy]

Why doesn't the Merc Theater allow any posters on the new fence?. After well over a hundred years of historically using first the building, and then the fence made out of the building, to post on. Now they rip everything down. Its just a fence. Kind of a pedestrian at that. I liked the one from old boards better, but what the hey. Why can't people post on it?

[biglakejudy]

How odd. No one at the Merc reads the bulletin board? No answers for the seekers?

[valleysun]

As someone who has been battling with my own posters being constantly pulled down from the fence and after receiving the go ahead from the Merc team, even saying they purposely kept wood panels specifically so people could still post there, I can only assume it is a rogue community member who has taken it upon themselves to waste people's time and money by pulling down any and all posters from the fence. I have even retrieved posters from the trash near the front door and reposted them only to have them removed again and again. I do not believe the Merc is behind this. It is extremely frustrating though! If the person doing this is reading: PLEASE STOP!

[Reapward]

Webcam or stay out there all night to see who is doing it. (Hide, of course)

[biglakejudy]

The plot thickens.

[Slade]

Sounds like a whodunnit that the Merc could stage!

[biglakejudy]

I just want to put up posters

[DD&K]

Hey, thanks for bringing this issue up! Although I don't check the bulletin board often, I did finally see this. I'm the marketing director for the Merc and checked in with Kira, our executive director, about this issue (which is the first I'd heard that posters are coming down). While it's true that the new fence was designed with wooden sections specifically so folks could continue to share posters of local events, our board of directors became concerned about the practice and associated issues (litter, out of date posters, staples left sticking out, etc.) after the new fence went up. The staff is working to alleviate the board's concerns but haven't yet landed an acceptable solution, but we're still working on it — we'd love any constructive suggestions (email them to address below as clearly we don't see the bulletin board very often). Please be assured, we continue to be big fans of all arts & events in the Methow Valley — not only the ones we produce.

We too wish we'd have been able to keep the historical barn, but it was a structural hazard and our insurance was not happy. When we had to remove it, we did salvage wood from the barn to build the fence ... sadly, the old, rotting wood did not last long and had to be replaced with a sturdier model. We miss that charismatic old building more than you can imagine.

If you'd like to send a note to the folks working to resolve the fence issue, please email info@mercplayhouse.org and we'll pass along your constructive feedback to that committee.

Thanks!
Darla Hussey

[cwesthoff40]

As a child of the 70's and 80's it was the old posters and staples that was part of the attraction! I remember the telephone poles in Downtown Seattle, especially the U district, being covered in layers of posters with incredible art and images. It was fun to see a poster and say "hey I'm going to that show!" or see an old one and say "wow, what a show and what a night!". I say layer it up til you can't see the fence and at the end of the year have a pull down party and start all over again.

Chris Westhoff

[wildramble]

...old staples sticking out? Jeez knapweed indeed! Best pave paradise and put up a parking lot and a by permission-only flyer kiosk.
This is where committee concerns get silly and the map is not the territory but gotta gonna follow the map anyways.
While cognizant situational awareness is on the wane (main character syndrome -walking along intent upon cell phone gaze and scraping along the always-there fence in unawares-to-surroundings haze, the offensive staple draws blood and said character screams bloody tetanus shot lawsuit from frivolous graze....) is that really truly the committee's end-all comment to refuse postings to stay?
Please do not enable such frivolous decisions as to making every surface sanitized safe always. The Methow ain't no tree museum... and if there be hazards, valley life is part toughen up folks and see'em!