The Rose is NOT Going to Close

Here is an update about The Rose Art Museum, at Brandeis University, as posted on Boston.com on Friday, February 27, 2009:

Reinharz: Brandeis may face five years of shortfalls. Brandeis FAQ: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions".

Quoting from the most important question:

"Q. What is the situation involving the Rose Art Museum?

A. Unfortunately, there has been a great deal of misinformation circulating in the media regarding the Rose. The facts are: 


1. The Rose is NOT going to close. The Board of Trustees voted to keep the Rose open as a teaching and exhibition gallery that is even more fully integrated into University life and the academic enterprise. A faculty-student-trustee committee is looking into ways to accomplish this goal. We envision a day when the Rose will host additional events, welcome more visitors from both on and off campus, and exhibit student and faculty art alongside some of the collection's notable works. We are pleased to share the news that a donor recently stepped forward to help fund the continued operations of the museum." Read more.

Read what is being said elsewhere:

More damage control from Brandeis: Now it's the media's fault on February 27, 2009.

"Status of the Rose," on February 27, 2009.

Lesson Learned

Since 2006, I have been sending my portfolio out to different galleries that either show work or have philosophies that are in line with the art I create, or that have had requests for proposals. I must admit that I have not had much success. Most of the time I have never heard back from the gallery, even though I have included return postage and packaging with my inquiry. A few galleries have returned my materials, but very few.

Very recently I get an email inviting me to have a one person show in a college gallery (I'll post where as soon as the details are confirmed), that I sent my portfolio to in December 2006. Like every other gallery I submitted to, and didn't hear back from them, and I had given up hope.

There's a lesson learned here. Sometimes some galleries do keep portfolios, instead of throwing them in the trash. I am very glad this gallery got in touch with me, and that I will have a one person show. Their gallery space is HUGE, so it will give me an opportunity to show a lot of work. I've got some great ideas, including mounting and showing all of my 12 x 12 x 12 Series, as well as some already created Orange Construction Fence Series from 2008 and earlier, and new work from 2009.

Planning New Work

It's now time to plan, and work on, Orange Construction Fences #67 and up. Just as I was inspired by a neighbor's construction project, which led to my December 2008 12 x 12 x 12 Series piece, I am also inspired by an other home construction project not quite a mile away, on Oak Street, here in Natick Massachusetts (where I live), as shown above.


A few nights ago, I did something that I rarely do, I made a sketch on my computer of what I'm going to use as I work on #67 and probably 68, 69 and 70. It's really difficult to break out of the grid of the printed construction fence, and also paint on one side of the fabric, knowing the other will be face out, without some kind of sketch. My brain has a hard time breaking a design in my head in to a grid, restructuring the grid, and also working on it mirrored. Am I making sense here?

Because of that, I now have the sketch, which will be a starting point for my new work. My next step is to pick out which grid/shape of an orange construction fence I will use when I print the fabric for these pieces. I'm hoping I have a few hours to print this weekend, since it's easier to do it in daylight, and also have a number of uninterrupted hours to work. Looking at the weather forecast for Sunday, where snow, rain, and sleet is predicted, that could be the best day to stay home and make art.

I have finished working on Orange Construction Fences #63, 64, 65 and 66, and I'm bringing them to be photographed tomorrow. As soon as I have the photos, I'll post them here on my blog, and on my website. For these pieces, I used the same photo, but created four different versions, which you can read about here. While I did pretty much stick to the same colors and overall design structure, each of these four pieces has a very different look.

I really liked creating a series (of four) within a series, and I will be doing it again with the Oak Street house photo and sketch. I may also use it as inspiration when creating a smaller version, for my March 12 x 12 x 12 Series piece. Do check back to see my progress. I assure you the different variations will be interesting.

Alexander Calder

It was with great interest that I read the article, "Long-lost Calder banners on display in Philadelphia," by Stephan Salisbury, in the Philadelphia Inquirer, on January 12, 2009.

Quoting from the article, "The eight banners are so large - ranging from 18 feet to 28 feet in length - that only the four shortest could be hung in the library's central lobby.

"They are beautiful," Davis said. "They aren't faded or damaged, except for some small water damage. These are the only banners Calder ever designed."

The banners owe their existence to developer Jack Wolgin, who commissioned three signature works in 1975 as part of the Redevelopment Authority's percent-for-art program requirement."

This article ties some events together for me about Alexander Calder and 1975.

Calder visited Philadelphia in 1975. I was in my freshman year at Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts), and I remember Calder's visit. I also vividly remember that the Pennsylvania Ballet was commissioned to do a ballet in his honor, and I was given a ticket to see it. The ballet was incredible, and was probably THE most inspirational and influential (art) event in my life. I remember being unsure if I belonged in art school. Watching a ballet that was performed for and about Alexander Calder, who was in the theater watching it while I was too, moved me in incredible ways, and led to my deciding that I should be studying art. Very powerful.

Patterns in Nature

It rained all day on Sunday. Then Sunday night, as I was watching the Academy Awards, the rain turned to snow, and in the middle of the night, it turned to rain again. When I took a trip to the compost pile yesterday afternoon, I saw this nice texture on the ground, and had to take a picture.

More Six-Word Art Memoirs

I posted some Six-Word Art Memoirs that I wrote, a few weeks ago. In that post, I said that I'd be glad to post any that were sent to me by readers of my blog. Here are some below.

From tipota:

Art studio hours: all ways open.

With art start from the heart.

From outside, it looks like fun.

From inside, it looks like work.

Ha ha, work is great fun!

Boo hoo, work is not selling.

Hmmm, must adjust heart and hands.

Help help I can not stop!


From Connie Sayler:

Art is in everything I see.

-------

Thank you for participating in this fun exercise!

Repairing/Patching Clothing - Part 2

After repairing one of two pairs of my husband's jeans near the front pocket (I have no idea how a hole was made there!) on December 2nd, I repaired the same pair again a month ago, on both knees. I placed a piece of black denim behind each hole, as a patch, and I used black thread to make the repair, with what I call "scribble stitching", by sewing back and forth over the hole and the patch material.


I patched this knee then (above), and again a few days ago, when I added another patch above it (below).


I feel other worn spots that will need patching soon, on this same knee.

Repairing these jeans is a little to save money, but mostly because they are really soft, and my husband loves wearing them. It's fun to do this for him.

Rubberband Ball

It's been exactly two months since I posted the the last post of photos of my family's rubberband ball. Above is a picture of the front side, and below the back side. Both pictures were taken yesterday.


I used to try to post updates every two weeks or so, but the changes over the last four months or so have been minimal. I touched it lightly after taking these pictures, and the rubber is hard as a rock. I guess it's fossilized. I'm tempted to cut the black band, to see if things change after that, but would that be cheating?

If you'd like to see what it's looked like in the past, click here. To see what the first picture I posted, in July 2007, click here.

President Obama and Construction Fences

Being a lover of orange construction fences, because I use them in my art work, I was very happy to see this picture of President Obama in Newsweek Magazine, sent to me by my Mom. (Thanks Mom!)

I'm not sure why the photographer chose to take a picture of President Obama at such an angle, and through a construction fence, but I like it.

Photo credit: Newsweek, Feb 23, 09, p 5.  Photograph by Charles Ammanney - Getty Images for Newsweek.

12 x 12 x 12 February 2009

Above is my 2009 12 x 12 x 12 Series piece for February. For some reason, the orange photographs much more intensely than it actually is, and it's really hard to color correct in Photoshop, so please keep that in mind.


I did some hand sewing to subtly extend the colored ovals on the center right. Above is a detail shot. I apologize that the photo isn't that readable. My camera didn't do a good job with the detail.

If you want to know more about this piece, I discussed how I started it on February 4th.

If you want to know more about my 12 x 12 x 12 Series, which I've been working on since 2007, you can read past posts here on my blog, or see all of the completed work on my website.

Arts in the Stimulus Package!

Interested in how the Arts survived in the Federal Stimulus Package? Read this:

"Saving Federal Arts Funds: Selling Culture as an Economic Force," by Robin Pogrebin on February 15, 2009 in the New York Times.

Also, it probably didn't hurt that over 35,000 people (so I've heard) got in touch with their legislators in support of the bill. Great networking!

The argument from the opposition was that Arts funding wouldn't contribute to "real" jobs, but that was ridicilous. I am a small incorporated business in the state of Massachusetts, and though I doubt I'll personally receive any funding from the bill, here is a list of some of who I do business with as an artist:

My photographer, printer, accountant, insurance companies (plural, not singular), Apple Inc, various software companies, Staples, the US Postal Service, FedEx, UPS, the state of Massachusetts (taxes, corporate fees, tolls and etc), the US federal government including the US Copyright Office, bank, credit card companies and PayPal (who charge fees), my internet hosting company, phone company, natural gas and electric companies, my auto mechanic (bless his heart!), gas stations, galleries who benefit from my entry fees +/or any sales I may have, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, and etc. That's just from the top of my head. If I went through my books, I'd have a longer list.

Thank you to the House/Senate for compromising, and doing the right thing for the Arts.

White House Art

Check this out:

"Obama's Plans For White House Art," by David A. Ross on February 11, 2009 at The Daily Beast.

Quoting form the article: "The art world is buzzing that the president wants contemporary art in the private residence of The White House. Former museum director David A. Ross on what could (and should) be hanging at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue." Read more.

The (Art) Week in Review

Below are is some of what happened in the Arts, in the Massachusets, this week.

Federal Stimulus Package:

Mass. could get $11.7b from stimulus by Matt Viser and Michael Kranish on February 14, 2009 in the Boston Globe.

Quoting from the article: "The Massachusetts Cultural Council would probably get about $400,000, which would be redistributed to various groups and artists, and a similar amount would be sent directly from the NEA to individuals and groups in the Bay State. The funding would help make up for a proposed $600,000 cut in the council's state funding." (Yeah!)

Shepard Fairey and/or ICA Boston:

"Artist Sues The A.P. Over Obama Image," by Randy Kennedy on February 9, 2009 in the NY Times.

Scroll down the The Art Law Blog to read the most current posts, and go all the way down to "Fairey Files (UPDATED 2X)" which was posted on February 9, 2009. There are a lot of good links here.

"Cultural acclaim, residents' anger. Artist's arrest points to a Boston divide," By Maria Cramer and John R. Ellement on February 10, 2009 in the Boston Globe.

"Fairey's art of hypocrisy," by Kevin Cullen on February 12, 2009 in the Boston Globe. Everyone's got an opinion, but all I can say about this is one is "OUCH!"

Stephen Colbert (my hero!!!), had a segment on his show, The Colbert Report, "Obama Poster Debate - David Ross and Ed Colbert," on Thursday February 12, 2009, where "David Ross and Ed Colbert debate the AP lawsuit against Shepard Fairey. (06:37)" Click on the link and search for the segment.

Art Education in the Boston Public Schools:

"Study urges more arts classes. Offerings dwindle in higher grades," by James Vaznis on February 12, 2009 in the Boston Globe.

Boston area college Art Museums:

"Campus icons, Amid uncertainty at Brandeis over the Rose Art Museum's future, officials at other institutions vow to keep their collections intact," by Lisa Kocian, on February 8, 2009 in the Boston Globe.

"Museum in Peril," by Kimerly Rorschach, Mary D.B.T. and James H. Semans Director, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Gary Tinterow, Engelhard Chairman, Department of Nineteenth-Century, Modern and Contemporary Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and Adam D. Weinberg, Alice Pratt Brown Director, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.

The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University:

Speak Clearly Rose.

300 attend Rose Art Museum town hall meeting by Ben Terris, on February 10, 2009 in the Boston Globe.

Six-Word Art Memoirs

I heard an interesting segment about Six-Word Memoirs, as presented by SMITH Magazine, on NPR (National Public Radio) the other afternoon. They were Valentine related, and it was fun.

Trying my hand at it with an art theme, here goes (in no particular order):

Economic stimulus. Arts are included. Yeah!

Need to create, it's my life.

Print, paint, stitch, again and again.

Art is my vocation, little income.

How long to create it? A lifetime.

So many ideas, so little time.

If you have want to write some, I'll try publish them here on my blog. Send me an email at jeanne@jeannewilliamson.com, and be sure to let me know if I should include your name (and link), or not. Your choice.

New Work in Progress - Part 4

I'm a little behind in posting this. Above is the front side of the fabric I'm using for Orange Construction Fence Series #66. For this piece, I wanted it to be light, and more abstract than #63 and #64, and #65, and to have the color be inside the ovals from the construction fence, not in the grid.

After I stitched it, I added small sections of the blue-ish horizontal color that is also on the first three in this series within a series, and some other small sections of color. It's too hard to explain/show what I'm on doing, but be patient, it will happen.


This is the back side of the fabric, which will not be seen when the piece is finished. I love painting on both sides of the fabric, but one side, unfortunately if I'm going to keep stitching them, has to be inside the finished piece.



This is the photo from the construction of the Cloverleaf apartments in Natick Massachusetts, which was my inspiration for the four pieces. Imagine it flipped horizontally to get the right effect.

I've been working on Orange Construction Fence Series #63 and #64, #65, and #66, all pretty much at the same time. I'm going to get all four of them critiqued today, and will make corrections/updates as needed, from the suggestions I get.

Then I'll get them photographed, and will post all of them here on my blog, and on my website, when they are finished. Should be in a week or two, because the photos will take time, as will my website updates.

Arts in the Stimulus Package?

The headline on Boston.com yesterday afternoon was "Deal Reached on Stimulus," but no details (yet) if there is any money for the Arts, in the House/Senate compromise.

While we wait to find out, here are some things to read, that are probably a moot point (or as the family joke goes, "mute point"), but still interesting.

"Stimulate the Arts and Keep American Strong," by Robin Bronk on February 6, 2009 on The Huffington Post.

"In economic stimulus package, arts deserve place in line," by Chris Jones on February 9, 2009 in the Chicago Tribune.

"Do arts jobs count as jobs?," on February 10, 2009 on ArtsJournal.com.

And, here's a strange bit of news:

"Soprano's senator dad buries arts stimulus funding" by Mike Boehm on February 10, 2009 in the LA Times.

Blurring Line Between Art and Craft

The February/March 2009 issue of American Craft Magazine has many wonderful articles about the blurring line between art and craft. I highly suggest picking up a copy.

I've been a subscriber of American Craft since the mid-1970's, and used to just look at the pictures. The magazine has grown up a lot, and the articles have gotten very current and interesting. It's now one of my favorite art magazines. Check it out.

New Work in Progress - Part 3

This is the front side of the fabric for Orange Construction Fence Series #65, and below is the back side.


In contrast to Orange Construction Fence Series #63 and #64, I wanted this piece to be presented on the darker side (very top photo).

I'm stitching it now, and have some design concerns, but I'm working to correct them.



This is the photo from the construction of the Cloverleaf apartments in Natick Massachusetts, which was my inspiration for the four pieces. Imagine it flipped horizontally to get the right effect.

I've been working on Orange Construction Fence Series #63 and #64, #65, and #66, all pretty much at the same time. I'll post about #66 soon, and also more about # 63, 64, and 65 when they are finished.

Copyright Questions

Read these articles about recent copyright questions. I am not going to offer an opinion about any of these. I am sharing it because it's interesting, and as artists, we need to keep copyright ownership in mind as we work.

Glass Artist Tom Patti / Sean "Diddy" Combs copyright questions:

"Cologne bottle gives artist sense of déjà vu, Lawsuit alleges Sean Combs stole container design," by Jonathan Saltzman on January 30, 2009 in The Boston Globe.

AP / Shepard Fairy, and Shepard Fairy / Baxter Orr copyright questions:

"AP Statement on Shepard Fairey Poster," and "AP alleges copyright infringement of Obama image," by Hillel Italie, AP National Writer, both on February 4, 2009.

MyArtSpace>Blog, scroll down to read:

"Fair Use: Shepard Fairey and Baxter Orr"

"Shepard Fairey Dodges Criticism at ICA: Street Artists and Copyright Advocates Demand Answers"

"Art Law Professionals weigh-in on Associated Press Copyright Infringement Allegation Against Shepard Fairey." 

The (Art) Week in Review

Here is how last week started, and below the status by the end of the week, as far as the Arts are concerned. What a strange combination of events.

A week ago, the House of Representatives approved a version of the economic recovery bill that includes the Arts!

"NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS GRANTS AND ADMINISTRATION:

For an additional amount for ‘‘Grants and Administration’’, $50,000,000, to be distributed in direct grants to fund arts projects and activities which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn: Provided, That 40 percent of such funds shall be distributed to State arts agencies and regional arts organizations in a manner similar to the agency’s current practice and 60 percent of such funds shall be for competitively selected arts projects and activities according to sections 2 and 5(c) of the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 951, 954(c)): Provided further, That matching requirements under section 5(e) of such Act shall be waived: Provided further, That the amount set aside from this appropriation pursuant to section 1106 of this Act shall be not more than 5 percent instead of the percentage specified in such section."

On Friday, the U.S. Senate, approved an amendment to the economic recovery bill that stated “None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and highway beautification project.”  No thanks to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) who offered the amendment, it passed by a vote of 73-24.

Now we wait and see what the compromise is between the House and the Senate.

- - - - -

Brandeis University /Rose Art Museum:

Letter: Brandeis president apologizes for handling of museum issue.

- - - - -

Shepard Fairey / ICA Boston:

"Famous Artist Comes to ICA; Gets Arrested," posted by Matthew Gamber on February 7, 2009 on Big Red & Shiny.

... and ...

"How phony is Shepard Fairey?," by Dan Wasserman on February 2, 2009 in the Boston Globe.

But thankfully, there was also this:

"Shepard Fairey, success," by Geoff Edgers February 7, 2009 on Boston.com.

- - - - -

It's going to be interesting to see what happens next, with the economic recovery bill, The Rose Art Museum, Shepard Fairey, and also with everything else that's going on in The Arts. Please stay tuned.

Surface Design Journal Article

The Winter 2009 issue of Surface Design Journal arrived in the mail, and I was very excited to see it. I'm one of the artists in the article: "One Cloth, One Quilt: Whole Cloth Composition," by Rachel Cochran & Judy Langille, on pages 14 - 21.

Artists mentioned in the article are, Judy Langille, Rachel Cochran, Joan Dreyer, Ann Johnston, Clare Plug, Barb Wills, and me. I like and respect all of these artists' work, and it is an honor to be in their company.

I've been in many magazine articles, and I think this is one of the best, if not the best. Obviously, since I work with whole cloth, the subject was really interesting to me, but so was the way it was written. It was very easy to understand and relate to. I felt like all of the artists were giving me a written demo of their work. That's how understandable it was. Quite a compliment from a visual person, who usually needs illustrations to help figure things out. No need in this article.

Thank you very much to the Surface Design Journal, as well as Rachel Cochran and Judy Langille.

Danforth Museum of Art Article, Lecture & Opening

Check out "The many tugs of fabric. Fabric art is subject of complementary shows at Danforth Museum," by Denise Taylor on February 5, 2009 in The Boston Globe. It's not only about the "Mixed Media Fiber Art" show that I curated at the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham, MA, but also about the other wonderful fiber related shows also on exhibit, "Sedrick Huckaby: A Love Supreme," and "Faith Ringgold: Story Quilts." All three shows are on exhibit through March 1, 2009.

I will give a talk, as Guest Curator, at the Danforth Museum, on tomorrow, Saturday February 7th at 4pm, followed by a reception 5-7pm. If you're in the area, I hope you will stop by and say hello.

Read more about the Mixed Media Fiber Art show here on my blog.

Thank you to Denise Taylor for giving permission for posting her photo here on my blog. It's a picture of me, in between the work of Lisa Call (Denver, CO), and Elizabeth Barton (Athens, GA).

Hard Time for The Arts Right Now

It's a hard time for the Arts right now. Besides the fact that artists of all kinds are having difficulties making a living as artists, and besides the fact that Brandeis University wants to close the Rose Art Museum and sell it's huge art collection, there is more Arts related news. I was rather taken aback this morning when I clicked on Boston.com (the Boston Globe's online newspaper), and saw three arts related headlines as the lead. Check out the links below.

"Boston schools face big job cuts, by James Vaznis on February 5, 2009 in The Boston Globe. This article is about the millions of cuts the Boston Public Schools need to make next year, including possible cuts of all art and music programs.

"Stimulus funding for arts hits nerve. Some doubt it would create jobs," by Michael Kranish on February 5, 2009 in The Boston Globe. This is about the Arts part of the stimulus funding proposal, with opposing opinions on whether the Arts are worth funding, and questioning whether it would create jobs. A must read for Artists.

A very good Opinion/Op-Ed piece by freelance critic Ed Siegel, who is a former theater and television critic for the Boston Globe, "Why should we care about the arts?," on February 5, 2009 in The Boston Globe.

"AP wants credit for Fairey's Obama image," By Hillel Italie on February 5, 2009 in The Boston Globe, about whether Shepard Fairey, whose show just opened at the ICA in Boston, is involved in copyright infringement.

Quoting the article: "The image, Fairey has acknowledged, is based on an Associated Press photograph, taken in April 2006 by Manny Garcia at the National Press Club in Washington.

The AP says it owns the copyright and wants credit and compensation. Fairey disagrees."

To sum up what I think about all of this, Oy vey!!!!!!

12 x 12 x 12 Feb 09 Fabric in Progress

It's a new month, and time to start working on my February 12 x 12 x 12 Series piece.

My original plan was to use one of my building construction photos as the inspiration for this month's piece, but at the last second, I decided to work more improvisationally. I used a piece of scrap piece of monoprinted construction fence fabric, but one that had a loosely stitched seam that I inconveniently found the last time I was unrolling fabric off the bolt. The last time I printed yardage, I printed it just the same, for a future date. Now is a good time to use it. (Actually, there's more of this fabric than what I am using now, so I can use the rest an other time.)


Sitting in the scrap pile on the table, were also two small pieces of left over fabric from my July 12 x 12 x 12, which appeared to be from the same size construction fence grid, so I collaged it in place, and added a little paint.

I've posted both the light (back) and dark (front) sides of the fabric. My plan is to use the light side. I don't know why, but the lighter sides interest me more these days.

The next step is to stitch, and most likely add more paint. More posted soon.

Massachusetts Artists

Part of this post is from a year ago, but is current for the next few days.

If you live in Massachusetts, and are a visual artist, musician, composer, writer, poet, playwright, new media artist, film maker, crafts person, actor, singer, performance artist, graphic designer, lighting designer, dancer, choreographer, or an artist not mentioned here, and have not done so, please complete the Artists Foundation Artist Survey. The Artists Foundation is collecting data, to better advocate for Massachusetts Artists.

Quoting from an email from The Artists Foundation on February 2, 2009:

"Just over 2,900 artists have filled it out!   Our survey was based on a MN survey and they had just over 1,000 responses. We would love to have over 3,000 responses!

Due to the request of several artists run advocacy organizations and artists leaders, we have extended the Survey until the end of this week (Saturday, February 7th, 2009).  Thank you to all of the artists who have taken the time to answer the survey!"

Even More About The Rose Art Museum and Brandeis

Below is a collection of different articles and opinion pieces posted in various places for you to read about The Rose Art Museum, and Brandeis University, if interested. They are posted in order of pub date. Each piece has a slightly different slant, and offers something different to think about.

"Five Rose-related Questions" on Arts Journal, dated January 27, 2009.

"A Talk With: Michael Rush" on January 28, 2009, and "Curiouser and Curiouser" on January 29, 2009, both by Richard Lacayo in a Time Magazine blog.

Edward Winkleman scroll down to read "Brandeis: Art = Cash" on January 29th and "A junkie pawning his wedding ring" on January 28, 2009.

"The Rape of the Rose" by David Bonetti in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on January 29, 2009.

Scroll down to read "The New England Journal of Aesthetic Research "Brandeis’s liquidator-in-chief" on January 29, 2009 and "Question: Will Brandeis close?" on January 30, 2009.

"Brandeis updates" on HubArts dated January 30th, and "On the Rose, Brandeis alumni align with the administration" on January 31, 2009.

"Students rally for Brandeis museum. Loss will hurt school stature, protesters say," by Lisa Kocian on January 30, 2009 in the Boston Globe.

Boston Globe Editorial "War of the Rose" on January 30, 2009.

"A lesson for Brandeis: Include your students" by Jaclyn Saffir on January 31, 2009. (Jaclyn Saffir is a junior at Brandeis University and an editorial assistant in the Globe's editorial pages)

"First-timers, old friends visit Rose. As news of closure spreads, many are drawn to modern art collection," by Eric Moskowitz on February 1, 2009 in The Boston Globe.

Op-Ed piece, "A betrayal of trust at Brandeis," by Miles Unger on February 1, 2009 in The Boston Globe.

"Brandeis Students: Save The Rose," by Brian Friedberg and Penelope Taylor on February 1, 2009 in Big Red & Shiny.

"Backlash to Brandeis Closing The Rose," by Mathew Nash and Micah J. Malone on February 1, 2009 in Big Red & Shiny.

From Obit Magazine, "Can A Museum Die?," by Jeff Weinstein on February 2, 2009.

And, an undated "Statement from Michael Rush, Director of the Rose Art Museum, regarding the impending closing of the museum."

New Work in Progress - Part 2

Above is the fabric for Orange Construction Fence Series #64. If you're interested, see what the fabric looked like a few weeks ago.

I wanted this piece to be a lot lighter than #63, which is overly colorful.


This is what the back side of the fabric looks like. I like to document it, so I can remember what is inside, and so I can use it as reference for future work.


Here it is after stitching. The stitching shows doesn't really up in this photo, but it is there. Next I'll be doing some tweaking with color and etc in places, and then cropping and finishing it.



This is the photo from the construction of the Cloverleaf apartments in Natick Massachusetts, which was my inspiration for the four pieces. Imagine it flipped horizontally to get the right effect.

I've been working on Orange Construction Fence Series #63, #64, #65 and #66, all pretty much at the same time. Here is what Orange Construction Fence Series #63 looks like after stitching but before finishing. I'll post about #65 and #66 shortly.