A publication called Pitch Weekly in Kansas City, Missouri, has stepped up with one of the first critiques of the Bates traveling exhibition in a column called, “Art Capsule Reviews” for November 2, 2006.

In Santiago Ramos’ November 2nd review, he writes:

Cryptozoology: Out of Time Place Scale – A cryptid is a creature like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster — that is, lost, rumored or thought to be extinct. Cryptozoology is a science — or pseudoscience, depending on whom you ask — that studies such creatures. A real-life cryptozoologist named Loren Coleman joins 17 artists from around the world in a tribute to the human imagination and the seductive attraction of the unknown. Among the animals not to be missed in this surreal zoo: Rachel Berwick’s 4-million-year-old Coelacanth and her extinct Australian thylacine, Walman Corr;êa’s Ondina mermaid and Mark Swanson’s Yeti. The exhibit takes a turn for the tragic with Rosamund Purcell’s images of conjoined and disfigured human twins. And the section devoted to Coleman’s work goes beyond art: He claims to believe that a lot of these cryptids — including the Chupacabra of X-Files fame — really exist. Through Dec. 20 at the H&R Block Artspace, 16 E. 43rd St., 816-472-4852. (S.R.)

Yikes. At least all of you here know I would never use the word “believe” (which is about faith not science) and “Chupacabra” (especially since it should be “Chupacabras”) in the same sentence. Oh well, at least it is good to know the exhibition is getting some attention from folks in Missouri, a mostly conservative and skeptical location, the appropriately named “show me” state.

This image of the front cover for the book Cryptozoology: Out Of Time Place Scale may be clicked to enlarge it.

BTW, a special note to those people waiting for your catalogue of the exhibition: The very real slow boat from the Asia-based printer finally arrived via Bates on Halloween, while I was in SW Missouri speaking about Momo. I’m back home in Maine, have the books, am packing these volumes, addressing mailers, and will be posting them over the weekend to you. Thank you all for your patience. It is a truly remarkable volume, and under the direction of editor Mark Bessire, it is quite a good book.