Becky -

I think making it self-reinforcing may in fact be part of the reason the list was posted. It does reflect the "political" purpose of the site, but it's one of the places where visitors, especially new ones, can get a good slice of "what's up" without a lot of in-your-face advocacy.

The site is too large now for most people to just jump in and see what it's about. Since the list is there, it provides a place where those who aren't looking for a specific artist can get a "short sample" of what's available. I don't see a problem with suggesting that people start with what other people have looked at most.

I would think that many of our people here would be interested in the link to the "Living Masters" pages as well. It's another "short list" that gives a pretty good impression of where the site is trying to go (what kind of art) with its encouragement of living artists. The range of styles there is somewhat narrower than for the site as a whole, although still with good variety. (There's not much demand currently for etchings and engravings, or for those charming little "watercolor on ivory" lockets people used to put in their pocket to remind them of their loveys; but these, and other,styles are amply represented in the museum.)

John