For the most part, I have been pleasantly surprised by the increase in your visual-arts coverage over the past year and a half and use of many new freelance reviewers.

Now, it would be fantastic if some of those columns and reviews were available online on a regular basis, the week following their publication in the paper. It would be a great resource.

If arts coverage were a race, I’d have to say the Washington City Paper has been doing OK in getting reviews and coverage out on the more cutting-edge shows. For instance, way back in the summer, there was a lovely article on Tony Feher’s work at Numark Gallery (“The Pickup Artist,” 6/14/02). It would take the Washington Post until the closing weekend of the show to “box” it in the galleries column.

I can’t stress enough the importance of getting the arts columnists online. I live in the city and have for over a decade, so it’s not as crucial for me, but I repeatedly hear complaints from my artistically minded friends who for whatever reason live outside the Beltway and can’t get the City Paper that they are missing a lot of the great writing from the past year.

You’ve got a buzz going with a lot of these new writers. I’d run with it if I were you.

Mount Pleasant