Since 2003 this space has been host to countless opinions, introductions and questions. A forum for the editorial voice, it is the place where I and each of my predecessors has had the freedom to advocate for the ideas most consequential to us without fear or censorship. While the form has shifted under each editorship these core ideas remain unchanged. A look back through our archives will give you a sense of the breadth of opinion and discussion that makes its home here. Yet this letter is only the tip of the spear. What consistently follows are reviews, interviews, essays, recommendations and projects penned by writers and artists from localities around the world. These are the heart of ...might be good and we would not be the publication we are without them. As we celebrate our 200th issue I cannot reiterate my gratitude to our many contributors enough. You live in different communities, have divergent opinions, backgrounds and tastes but together under our umbrella you are ...mbg. Thank you!

I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to ...mbg’s tireless founder Laurence Miller whose commitment to this publication, artists, writers and curators is electrifying. When I was a cynical graduate student the conversation and vision I saw being hashed out on the pages of ...mbg and walls of testsite gave me hope for what Texas could be; likely keeping me, and others, in the Capital City. I’ve also had the absolute privilege of working with Emily Ng during my tenure, and without her tireless efforts ...mbg would only be a collection of Word documents and images on my hard drive. I'd also like to thank our donors, especially Mike Chesser whose bold and enlightened support of arts organizations and ideas is unparalleled in Austin. Mike gives from his heart and out of a genuine belief in the necessity of art and artists in our daily lives.

So here we are, issue #200. In celebration we’ve put together a substantial issue for you. Two outstanding interviews start things off. The first is from ...mbg founder, curator and writer Regine Basha who talks to artist Nina Katchadourian. Hot on the heels of Wendy Atwell’s review of her exhibition at the Linda Pace Foundation PhD candidate and writer Kate Green picks Shahzia Sikander’s brain, discovering insights into her practice and the performance that accompanied her animated video, The Last Post. A pair of Long Reads keep up the pace. Israeli-based artist Gilad Efrat currently has a stunning exhibition up at Inman Gallery in Houston and SMU professor, artist and writer Noah Simblist contributes an engaging essay on his work. Through the lens of archaeology, history and politics Simblist deftly examines Efrat’s current paintings. ‘Art Horoscopes’, by former ...mbg editor and writer Wendy Vogel, rounds out the section with a sign by sign look into the art world zodiac.

It wouldn’t be an issue of ...mbg without reviews and we’ve got two of them for you. From Houston, writer Rachel Hooper writes thoughtfully about Debra Barrera’s exhibition Kissing in Cars, Driving Alone at Moody Gallery. The Art Institute of Chicago is currently host to a retrospective of Steve McQueen’s work and writer Patrick Bobilin gets to the heart of its successes and failures in his review. Artist and writer Mary Walling Blackburn contributes to our Artists’ Words feature this issue with a humorous and biting story about the naming of a sandwich. We wrap up the issue back in Houston, with artist and filmmaker Kelly Sears providing our Project Space–a source list of references and inspiration for her films and thinking.

Before signing-off I would like to extend my sympathies to those effected by Hurricane Sandy. I encourage you to offer your support to the many institutions and individuals who suffered loses due to the storm. There are many outlets for your donation but those of us here at Fluent~Collaborative would like to humbly recommend two that are particularly close to our hearts. Project Space contributors Ghost of a Dream are residents at Smack Mellon, whose studios and galleries suffered major flooding and damage from the storm. Printed Matter, one of the absolute finest resources for artists’ publications in the world, was also swamped and could use some helping hands.

We’d love to hear about your favorite issues of ...mbg either by emailing us at: askus@fluentcollab.org, finding us on Facebook, posting a comment on the site, or reaching out on Twitter by following @mbgETC.

Thank you for your ongoing support and readership!

Eric Zimmerman is an artist and Editor of ...might be good.