We also enjoyed cool, crisp weather, a side trip to Butte, MT (many defunct copper mines and a fascinating intact but non-operating brothel) and to a Helena-area brick yard which has become a ceramics hotspot for young artists. Altogether a great week. Glad to be home, in my own bed, and to have the cat forgive us for putting her in the kennel while we were gone.
Spent last week in Helena, MT with the Mountain Plains Museum Association. This is a pretty lively group which includes a lot of young museum professionals as well as a core of long-timers. I attended sessions on making art museum programs attractive to "generation Z," dealing with copyright issues and orphan works, using social networking to promote business and museums, getting rid of unwanted donated materials, handling antique medical supplies and other toxic artifacts, and finding creative ways to deal with politically incorrect materials. The last was fascinating--a few years ago a Montana human rights group became the recipient of a very large number of books by a noted local white supremacist. His organization had kept solvent by selling these books, so there was no desire to get them back into circulation. Working with the Humanities Council and a contemporary art museum, the Montana Human Rights Network devised an exhibit, "Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate" of art made out of the books with a theme of denying hate and endorsing tolerance. Nationally and internationally known artists in paint, ceramics, fiber and mixed media participated, and the exhibit toured regionally for a year. Participatory teaching sessions for school kids were part of the program. Artists used the books as papier mache, cut all the prejudiced words out of a volume (leaving no text at all, just lacy pages), built a play house out of the books, etc. You can see the works at www.speakingvolumes.net We also enjoyed cool, crisp weather, a side trip to Butte, MT (many defunct copper mines and a fascinating intact but non-operating brothel) and to a Helena-area brick yard which has become a ceramics hotspot for young artists. Altogether a great week. Glad to be home, in my own bed, and to have the cat forgive us for putting her in the kennel while we were gone.
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AuthorBobbe Shapiro Nolan, Fiber Artist in Eagle Lake, TX. Trying to learn to call the sewing room my studio, and myself an artist. I retired after 15 years in hospice nursing--so now I have the time!. Archives
July 2021
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