Blue Star Exec Director Bill FitzGibbons is starting a grassroots campaign to save the job of arts writer Dan Goddard, one of the edit staffers who was laid off at the daily last week. Letter's below, with contact phone numbers and email addresses. Although the Current (read: I) have been known to complain that Dan's pieces are too much reporting and not enough criticism, the "artist profiles" cranked out weekly in the Hearst faux-alt reveal Dan to be a model of thorough analysis over on E Street.

While you're phoning and typing, put in a word for cartoonist John Branch -- the reason I still look for the paper in print.

From FitzGibbons:

It recently came to our attention that the San Antonio Express News is laying off seventy- five employees. Unfortunately one of these employees is Dan Goddard, Art Writer for more than two decades. We feel that the San Antonio Express News, with Dan's in-depth knowledge of the current arts dialogue, has showed great cultural support with wide-span coverage of arts and culture in San Antonio and across the state.

Dan's absence will adversely affect the coverage of Arts and Culture and we encourage you to contact the San Antonio Express News and voice your opinion of the importance of Dan's role and the value of arts and culture coverage in our beloved city.

Listed below includes contact information for executive members at the San Antonio Express News:

Publisher & President

Thomas A. Stephenson

210-250-3710

tstephen@express-news.net

EditorRobert Rivard

210-250-3111

rrivard@express-news.net

Executive Vice President, Administration and Finance

Susan Pape

210-250-3111

spape@express-news.net

Managing Editor

Brett Thacker

bthacker@express-news.net

Thank you for your support in this important initiative.

Best,

Bill FitzGibbonsPresident/ Executive Director

Blue Star Contemporary Art Center

www.bluestarart.org

210.227.6960