Dress for Sports

Lara + Oliver + Laura Davidson's "My Mr. Darcys"…

2012-01-28T16:40:00.003-05:00

My Mr. Darcy happens to be a lovely American bloke namedDave. My friend Lara’s Mr. Darcy is afine English gent called Oliver and theirsis a great story…

A few years ago, I paid a quick visit to my brother in London, where he was earning a masters degree inInternational Peace Keeping and Security at Kings College.There are a great many fun tales from that trip (one of which I’ve referenced on this blog before) but by far my favorite is the introduction of Lara andOliver.

Lara is a friend of mine from high school in Connecticut. Oliver is a Brit whom I met in graduateschool while he was on a one year research fellowship at Rutgers.Through a series of uncannily timed connections, it was brought to my attentionthat we all just happened to be in London on the same day several Aprils ago (meto visit Peter, Lara for free-lance work and vacation, and Oliver - well, he had finishedhis Ph.D. in anthropology and had moved back home to research and lecture insome of the finest British universities). Given the geographic coincidence, I figured we should all go out for adrink.

So, Peter gathered up some of his friends and I rang Laraand Oliver to tell them the time and place to meet. As soon as the two wereintroduced, I knew something incredible had happened. Call it fate, call it kismet, call it serendipity– I instantly felt as though both had been put under a delicious spell. Sureenough…a few weeks later, long after I had returned home, mybrother called and told me he bumped into Lara and Oliver - hand in hand - at thePortobello market. Magic.

Lara and Oliver got married this past summer in a picturesquesetting in Cotswolds, England. Unfortunately, the timing of their nuptials(and the timing of ours) precluded me and Dave from attending. Thankfully, I was able to catch up with Lara for herbachelorette party in New York Citylate last spring.

Iknew that Lara (a former visual director for Anthropologie and free-lancedesign and style genius) was planning a stunning English country weddingand I wanted to give her a unique memento that would fit the theme. It was a tall order, but I was delighted to find thisadorable “My Mr. Darcys” book by Fort Point artist Laura Davidson to provide alittle hand-crafted, Jane Austen flair for Lara’s big day.

It was a perfect tribute to Lara having foundin Oliver a most fitting and wonderful Mr. Darcy (and to ensuring there wouldbe a little Bostoncreativity present at their destination wedding, too).

And, I am excited to report that this little gift also has aplace of honor in their wedding photos gallery recently posted on the MarthaStewart Weddings website!

Congrats to the gorgeous couple (inside and out) – may youshare a lifetime of laughter and love together.

And thank you to Fort Point artist Laura Davidson forcreating a most special little book that became a most treasured gift.

Cheers all around!

(Images by Aneta Mak found via Martha Stewart Weddings)

The 2012 deCordova Biennial…

2012-01-18T21:15:00.000-05:00

It has been an extremely busy and exciting few weeks over atthe deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum as we put the final touches on the 2012 deCordova Biennial!

This will be the first exhibition for which I’ve been ableto lend a helping hand as the Koch Curatorial Fellow and I have to say, it feelspretty good.

I’m fortunate to have smart, savvy colleagues atdeCordova who absolutely are delivering on their promise to show me themechanics (creative and otherwise) of pulling together an excellent exhibition. And that’s exactly what the 2012 Biennial is shaping up to be…

There will be tromp l’oeil, rock and roll, and witty word play; there will be pretty paintings, towering sculptures, and pulsating films;there will be fierce photography, timely social commentary, and beautifullycrafted objects - all thanks to the keen curatorial eyes of Dina Deitsch andAbigail Ross Goodman.

So come on out to Lincolnand experience this fascinating survey of New England-made contemporary art (officiallyon view from January 22^nd – April 22^nd, 2012).

Happy Biennial!

Mary + David + Buzz Media Company...

2012-01-17T19:58:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I received in my inbox a link to the video embedded at the end of this post. It was part of an email sent by Mike Cyr of Buzz Media Company (the videography firm Dave and I hired to film our wedding last August) and its arrival made our evening!

We (okay, I) spent at least an hour watching this gorgeously edited highlight footage on a loop of sorts, reveling in the smiling faces and pure joy that were so much a part of that incredible day. And it got me thinking about the first time I spoke with Mike Cyr…

You see, Dave and I had decided that we didn’t have room in our wedding budget for a videographer and we were totally ok with that. Until, of course, I found myself in the surgical waiting area of St. Vincent’s Hospital, literally praying that the outcome of my father’s unexpected kidney-removal operation would be a complete success (which, thankfully, it was).

In those few hours, I truly began to realize how significant this wedding was going to be, not just for me and Dave, but for my mom and dad, and the network of friends and family we have amassed together. My dad was so looking forward to this celebration and I wanted to be sure we all could relive it and relish it over and over again long after it had come and gone. So with Dave's blessing, I picked up the phone right then and there (from my father’s hospital room), spoke to Mike Cyr, and booked Buzz Media Company for the day.

While Mike would be on tap for all the post-wedding editing, his colleague Scott would take care of all the filming and logistics. Scott was absolutely phenomenal – professional, unobtrusive, and uncannily able to hone in on all the right moments and details – we would hire him again in a heartbeat and are grateful for his presence with us that day. Mike took Scott’s raw footage and multiple camera angles and edited up a highlight reel that makes us beam and cry and laugh (all at the same time), and we can’t wait to sit down and enjoy the whole shebang when it’s ready. Buzz Media Company captured our wedding perfectly and we are similarly indebted to Sarah True of True Event for putting them on our radar.

And my dad? The man whose 80th birthday is right around the corner this weekend? Well, his dancing says it all...

Mary + David from Buzz Media Company on Vimeo.

Street Art Utopia...

2012-01-16T19:05:00.000-05:00

On two completely separate occasions this week, I received emails from friends who recently had seen a supremely cool public art "Best of 2011" list (which can be traced back to the blog Street Art Utopia). I'm thrilled that both MaryAnne Brennan and Laurie Tierno thought of me when they saw these images and am very glad to be able to share them with D4S readers, too. There are tons of wild and crazy interventions to be found on this site, so be sure to check out Street Art Utopia for more brain-teasing, eye-popping artworks implicating such disparate creators and characters as Dispatchwork, OaKoAk, Banksy, Pac-Man, and everyone's favorite heroes in a half shell - The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

(Images found via Street Art Utopia)

Let's Go Giants!...

2012-01-15T11:59:00.000-05:00

It’s not easy being a Giants fan in Boston, but Dave does an admirable job. He’s also a pretty amazing Fantasy Football strategist and I’m proud to report his team - Over the Dwayne Bowe - eked out another victory this year.

With that win under his belt and the Giants poised for a little post-season glory, Dave scored us a pair of playoff tickets, so we could be part of the throngs of die-hard G-men supporters dancing, chanting, and waving our towels at MetLife Stadium as they annihilated the Falcons last weekend. It was AWESOME. And the whole arena was most definitely back in a New York groove…

Dave’s brand of fandom is the kind that interprets the D4S mantra quite literally. Not a Mets or Giants game goes by that he doesn’t don some sort of jersey in support of his team. And last weekend’s adventure seemed to make all the angst and frustration of being a true fan seriously worth it.

So now it’s on to Green Bay…Go Giants!

And Then There Were Nuns...

2012-01-14T10:45:00.000-05:00

As D4S readers well know, my mom used to be a nun – a fact I find enlightening, admirable, humorous, and utterly confounding all at the same time. My brother and I (and now Dave, too) have a number of wonderful current and former nuns in our lives who, over the years, have become like family. They prayed and danced up a storm at our wedding (not necessarily at the same time) and lent a deep sense of spirituality to the occasion.

Funnily enough, there were a slew of nuns on our honeymoon, too. They were Croatian, of course, but we couldn’t help but smile a little and reach for the camera every time we encountered a lady in a habit or a shout out to Jesus tagged on the wall. And we definitely took these sightings as signs of good luck. Hopefully, they’ll prove to be good luck for D4S readers, too.

Sister Antoinette Regina…this post’s for you!

(I have to add that while I was putting the final touches on this post, Dave was watching all sorts of pre-game programming leading up to the Patriots / Broncos playoff match later today. I'm now kicking myself that we didn't have him assume the position of Tebow in one of these shots...).

A Reunion and Ryan Bowman…

2012-01-11T19:57:00.001-05:00

I encountered the paper art of Ryan Bowman quite by chance.

It happened at the tail end of a lively conversation last November at the South Windsor High School 15 year reunion, when I overheard Dave and Ryan reminiscing about the drawing classes they took together way back when. Clearly those lessons paid off…

Bowman’s paper cuts are carefully shaped, layered, and curled to form the objects of his desire. Whether riffing on the guitars of Gibson or Picasso, or a crazy little thing called love - Bowman presents original designs that swirl and spill over their surfaces into tendrils of sculptural sweetness. With a few more commissions, I say Ryan Bowman could turn this very D4S-esque hobby into quite the regular gig!

(Images found via the artist's Facebook page)

Introducing C.B. Ward Photography...

2012-01-05T20:55:00.000-05:00

I always enjoy being able to promote the entrepreneurial talents and successes of close friends, especially those who are striving to create their own Dress for Sports bliss.

In the past, I’ve gushed about my friend Sarah True, whose wedding and events planning business, True Event, is an elegant, personal detail-focused staple on the Connecticut Shoreline (and is making waves in the greater Boston area, too).

(Image found via True Event)

I’ve shamelessly bragged about my friend MaryAnne Brennan, whose beautifully designed and decadent Party Pops by MaryAnne treats are all the rage in Southern Connecticut and beyond.

(Images found via Party Pops by MaryAnne)

And now it is time to celebrate the launch of another creative friend’s big new adventure…

Earlier today, Christina Benson Ward, debuted the official website for C.B. Ward Photography – a boutique photo firm with an incredibly gifted woman behind the lens. It is my honor and pleasure to introduce D4S readers to this fantastic, South Boston based photographer and I hope you’ll join me in wishing her lots of luck (and following her blog, too!)

Much to my delight, Christina has included on her website two occasions that Dave and I asked her to document: an impromptu engagement portrait session and our rehearsal dinner.

(Images found via C.B. Ward Photography)

Without question, her photographs are fabulously fun catalysts for the spreading of utterly contagious smiles (even among the most awkward of subjects like the ones pictured above!) Boasting an eye for color, light, and amazing angles, Christina B. Ward is also a photographer full of heart, humor, and integrity.

Hurray Christina! May C.B. Ward Photography bring you great joy and gift to the world album upon album of your magnificently captured moments! We are so proud of you.

A Colossal Find on the Interwebs…

2012-01-04T20:05:00.000-05:00

I am a colossal new fan of the website www.thisiscolossal.com. Jammed with photos of the coolest accumulation artworks, participatory projects, quirky public interventions, and all-around zazzily designed stuff, this blog most certainly lives up to its bold url claims. To quote the author, Christopher Jobson:

I like to describe Colossal as a blog that explores the intersection of art, design, and physical craft. I enjoy artwork that is tactile, physical and non-digital in nature, especially sculptural work and installations that use impossible numbers of components, or sequences in a process. During the course of a week you’ll find roughly 30 posts on photography, design, animation, painting, installation art, architecture, drawing and street art. I share things that I feel are accessible to everyone, requiring little explanation or theory, so in that sense, I hope people not involved directly in the arts can also find this site engaging. My only true goal is to provide you with a constant source of visual goodness that hopefully inspires you to go make something awesome.

As if that enticing description weren’t enough to intrigue you, check out a few of the recent photos posted on this creatively delicious, treat-filled site...

("Rainbow Toy Car Installation Made from 2,500 Cars" found via Colossal)

("This is What Happens When You Give Thousands of Stickers to Thousands of Kids" found via Colossal)

(Tom Frantzen found via Colossal)

The Occupy Boston Tiny Tents Task Force…

2012-01-03T06:50:00.000-05:00

Last month, I shared a few photos of my stroll through Main Street of Occupy Boston. Since then, the protestors’ tents have come and gone but the spirit of their encampment most definitely lives on. Perhaps my favorite iteration of the movement involves the handy-work of The Occupy Boston Tiny Tents Task Force…

(Images found via The Tiny Tents Task Force)

I learned of this group thanks to an email from The Institute for Infinitely Small Things and laughed out loud when I poked around their website only to find these gut-busting, Lilliputian interventions – all promoted under the tag line, “evict us; we minify.” I think this project is brilliant and thus wanted to share with D4S readers the following invitation from The Institute for Infinitely Small Things…

The Institute for Infinitely Small Things in collaboration with the Occupy Boston Tiny Tent Task Force invites you to construct miniature tents and occupy. On Saturday, January 14th from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, there will be a workshop at the Mobius Art Space to construct hundreds of these tiny nomadic structures. Following the event we will go seperate ways to place them throughout the city. Participants are encouraged to document their actions and share results on the Tiny Tents Task Force website.

Mobius Art Space is located at 55 Norfolk Street, Cambridge, MA.

Free materials, instruction, and hot beverages will be provided. Optionally, bring your own fabric, and/or defunct credit or debit cards to construct tiny tents out of. Bringing a camera for documentation purposes is highly suggested.

Please RSVP to forezt@gmail.com with the subject line "Mobius Tiny Tents RSVP."

Can't make it to the Mobius event? Visit the Tiny Tents Task Force website for information about other events and to download a PDF template for making tents anywhere a printer and adhesive are available.

The January 14th tiny tent-making workshop with The Institute for Infinitely Small Things will appear as part of the Mobius series "The Art of the UnGrand."

For more information, visit the Mobius website.

Dance/Draw and East Side Story...

2012-01-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, Dave and I seized a quiet, unscheduled Saturday and took a nice long walk over to the ICA, Boston to catch a glimpse of Dance/Draw – the critically acclaimed exhibition that explores the lines of dance and the lines of drawing as powerful extensions of one another in vastly different dimensions.

As explained on the ICA website:

Dance/Draw assembles work by nearly 40 artists and explores the multi-layered relationship between contemporary dance and the drawing of the past 40 years.

During the period after World War II, modern dance deviated from the strict codes of traditional ballet en pointe, adopting everyday gestures and natural, childlike play into its standard repertoire. So too contemporary drawing abandoned the confines of technical perfection and frequently left the picture frame altogether. In both dance and drawing the line, as an independent means of expression, was liberated from the historical ideal of perfect form, and instead appears as a mobile, open-ended element capable of exploring a wide range of ideas dealing with history and memory, as well as the expressive potential of the body.

The show is a wonderful invitation to think about the interconnectivity of arts disciplines and ruminate on how creators of 2D or 3D objects/installations may be far more simpatico with their contemporary dance counterparts than often is recognized. The line - whether it is drawn, painted, sculpted, or danced - is a most unifying and provocative formal building block, and Dance/Draw provides some dynamic material through which to understand and push that artistic truth.

Dance/Draw is on view at the ICA through January 16th, 2012. For a quick overview of the exhibit by its curator, Helen Molesworth, check out the video below…

When finished with Dance/Draw, Dave and I took a stroll through the museum’s other galleries and were astonished to make a fun new discovery. Here’s the back story…

While in Croatia this past summer, we spent a day exploring highlights from the permanent collection holdings of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb. There were many Eastern European artists that caught our attention (and that will receive individual posts on this blog sometime soon), but one in particular bears mentioning now, for his work currently is on view at the ICA, Boston.

Igor Grubic’s 2-channel video “East Side Story” (2008) is a must see. The artist juxtaposes actual documentary video footage that captured the violent, harrowing outbursts and street fighting that took place during the inaugural Gay Pride festivities in Belgrade (2001) and Zagreb (2002) with a video of contemporary dancers, standing in everyday clothes, alone, at the exact sites in which these terrifying, unconscionable attacks took place. Grubic invited these dancers (some of whom experienced these riots in person) to re-interpret this painful recent history through modern choreography, backed by a pared down soundtrack of the original events.

(Image found via the MSU website)

“East Side Story” is a sobering, shiver-inducing work; one that reminds us that though a decade has past since those initial riots, and all physical traces of them are gone, these sites – like all others that bear witness to crimes of injustice - are forever charged with memories of the past. How lucky we are that we have artists in our midst, like Grubic, to remind us that we can and should be better and that in the twenty-first century there is still much work to be done.

The Paintings of Vatroslav Kulis...

2012-01-01T17:15:00.000-05:00

Dave and I enjoyed several splendid arts encounters all throughout our Dalmatian honeymoon last August (and it is my great hope that I finally will carve out some time to write about them in 2012). We concentrated on beaches and historical sites during the first half of our trip to Croatia and Montenegro, and hit up a number of great museums and galleries once we left the coast for the inland cities of Zagreb and Budapest.

While exploring our accommodations in the Croatian capital (The Palace Hotel, Zagreb), I stumbled upon a poster advertising the paintings of Vatroslav Kulis, which, coincidentally, were on display just rooms away in one of the hotel’s meeting spaces...

Full of bright, bold, drippy, colors and gestures, these paintings are unpretentious stunners. I imagine the non-precious presentation of these large, blooming works on paper is similar to how the artist would display them in his own studio: secured at the top with binder clips and suspended from nails in the wall.

The result is an authentic, honest, and extremely close-up art experience and we loved it.

I wish I could share a bit more about this artist with D4S readers, but I’m afraid my quick online searches yielded only non-English language sites and information. For now, then, we’ll just have to settle for getting to know Vatroslav Kulis through his exciting, bombastic, explosively painted expressions of life.

2011 Was A Very Good Year…

2011-12-31T17:08:00.000-05:00

(Image credit: Anna Sawin Photography)

Wishing all D4S readers a New Year filled with

peace | hope | creativity | good health | art-filled adventures

and

love

My Brother's Blog Is Back...

2011-11-27T22:09:00.001-05:00

After enjoying a well-deserved writing hiatus for much of 2011, my brother has returned to the blogosphere with an exciting new web journal devoted to travel, art, music, and literature with a distinctly African beat. I’m thrilled to have his thoughtful analysis and cross-cultural findings at my fingertips again and had a feeling D4S readers would enjoy being able to follow along, too. By way of a preview, I’ve pasted in below an excerpt from his most recent post, Infrared Congo:

"No matter how eloquent the speech or lucid the prose, the best articulations are still translations.

Richard Mosse’s Infra: Images from Eastern Congo represents a “radical rethinking of how to depict a conflict” and is inspired by the limits of articulation…

(Images found via pt africa)

This photography refuses to decouple the scenic from the tragic. Not only does it not allow for the comfortable dichotomy of bucolic landscapes and horrific violence, it turns the paradigm on its head. The raw, unrelenting, violence of nature comes to the forefront within the context of war. This translation helps fill in the gaps, articulating something that the inspired novelist or intrepid journalist cannot…"

Be sure to check out pt africa for the full article, quotes from the artist, and links to other photographs in this provocative series.

Welcome back, Peter, and bonne chance!

From Crystal Clear Waters to Ancient Cobblestone Streets…

2011-10-26T20:13:00.004-04:00

A few months ago, I posted a kooky little entry about British artist Ben Wilson, who transforms discarded sidewalk gum into tiny painted masterpieces.

That story got me thinking about the idea of being totally aware of, and in tune with, one’s surroundings - especially that which is underfoot and often overlooked. And so, I thought it would be fun to conduct a little documentary photography experiment on the subject (and since my toes were going to be painted with a zazzy hot-pink design for the wedding, I figured there was never going to be a better time than our honeymoon for my foot photo portfolio)!

So here's a quick glimpse at some of the different signs, symbols, and surfaces that Dave and I walked over, around, and through while vacationing in Croatia, Montenegro, and Hungary. From crystal clear waters to ancient cobblestone streets – it’s a most unusual record of a journey, but I hope a fun one, too.

Here we go…

Street Cathedral…

2011-10-23T09:55:00.007-04:00

There are many key images I remember from my wedding day. Of course, the majority of these involve Dave and my friends and family, but there are also a number of mental snapshots I have of the way particular things looked. For example, I remember vividly the moment when the florist arrived at my parents house with bouquets in colors more stunning and vibrant than I ever could have dreamed up; I remember my mom walking into the living room for the first time in her sassy, zippy mother-of-the-bride ensemble (complete with black tulle trim on the bottom of her skirt!); and I remember being in the church vestibule with my dad, waiting for our cue to round the corner and start walking down the aisle together.

There were so many things to take in on that stroll down to Dave – the smiling faces all turned to greet the bride and her father, the flashing of paparazzi-like cameras shimmering in waves before us, and the gorgeous glow of warm, colorful light streaming in through the church’s stained glass windows. I don’t know that I ever really had taken notice of the windows at St. Anthony’s before – possibly because I’d never found myself there in the afternoon. But on this day, at this time, the combination of sunlight and stained glass was simply miraculous.

I think it is exactly that crystallization of color, light, and – for lack of a better phrase – urban spirituality that Fort Point artists Michael Moss and Claudia Ravaschiere strove to harness in “Street Cathedral,” a series of transcendent little sculptures fastened to lampposts on A and Congress Streets in Boston this month.

Part of the 2011 Fall Public Art Series in Fort Point, the plastic boxes which comprise “Street Cathedral” have single-handedly jazzed up the sightlines in this neighborhood and squarely affixed some serious sparkle in the existing landscape of signs. For me, they also serve as a whimsical reference to the many computer programming/software design companies in the neighborhood, and the building blocks of digital pixels from which they derive their success.

Proof that small gestures can pack a lot of punch, “Street Cathedral” is a model for low-budget, big impact public art efforts that are as pretty as they are thrifty. For more information on “Street Cathedral” and the artists who created this piece, please visit the FPAC blog.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I wanted to note that I had the privilege of being on the public art jury that selected this work and I was delighted to see how the 2-D proposal images we perused last July were translated so beautifully into sculpture. Thanks to all involved in making this idea come to life and thanks for inviting me to play a small part in it!

Editing, Research, & Writing – Oh My!...

2011-10-22T17:23:00.007-04:00

The past few weeks have been filled with a slew of exciting editing, research, and writing projects (both those related to my day job at deCordova and those I’ve taken on in my spare time). The free-lance stuff is all still a work in progress (and thus not quite ready for prime time yet). But, I did want to share a sampling of the latest deCordova website entries that I’ve had a hand in shaping – all of which are about artists or artworks I thought D4S readers might enjoy having on their radar…

Martha Friedman

Orly Genger

Lisa Gross /

The Boston Tree Party

Ken Landauer

There’s more where these came from, so have fun exploring the deCordova website and stay tuned for links to several catalogues, web entries, and publications to come!

Happy reading…

PS...our fabulous curatorial intern - Hannah Mode - has just started a wonderful little arts blog of her own. It's cleverly called Mode of Thought and it's a delightful read. Congratulations, Hannah! I look forward to following your arts adventures and linking to them often!

(Above image found via deCordova)

Occupy Boston...

2011-10-19T19:49:00.000-04:00

Peace.

FPAC Open Studios (2011) or What A Difference A Year Makes…

2011-10-15T19:09:00.000-04:00

Last October (while still a relatively new transplant to Boston) my attendance at the annual Fort Point Arts Community’s Open Studios was an exercise in getting to know the artists in my backyard. I remember spending several hours exploring the converted buildings in the Channel district and the diverse array of live/work environments housed within. I had such fun familiarizing myself with the art being produced in this creative neighborhood and putting names to faces to art to spaces (an adventure documented in my post, “Meet Artists in Their Natural Habitat…"). It was an inspiring, informative, exceedingly well-spent Saturday, and I made sure to mark my calendar for this year’s iteration - which did not disappoint!

But what a difference a year makes…

Whereas last year I was blissfully, anonymously, wandering through one artist’s space after another, this year Dave and I dropped in to support some of the artists who have since become friends (and, in many cases, Dress for Sports supporters, too!). With only a few hours to spare this afternoon, we weren’t able to swing by and say hello to everyone we hoped, but we did manage to have some great conversations with those we saw (and snap a few fun photos of the artists side-by-side with the work that evidences the current trajectories of their ever-evolving artistic practices).

So, thanks to all the FPAC artists for being so welcoming and encouraging. And for those of you looking for a wonderful way to spend your Sunday – definitely treat yourselves to an art-filled stroll through FPAC Open Studios!

Pictured from top:

Elisa H. Hamilton

Kate Gilbert

Karen Stein (goodgood), Matthew Shanley, and Benjamin Gaydos (goodgood)

Liliana Folta

Iván Fernández-Gonzalez (aka Coyote Painting Walls)

& FPAC’s fearless leader - Gabrielle Schaffner

I Married A Mench...

2011-09-24T23:38:00.001-04:00

It’s the end of September and a lot has happened since my last post - all good things, I might add...

I married a mench, had a spectacular honeymoon, started a fabulous new job, celebrated a birthday (which, by the way, is the last one I will share with Jesus), and discovered that being wed to the one you love is pretty awesome.

I have a slew of stories that I’ve been saving and some quintessential D4S photos and videos to share, too. And while I didn’t bring my laptop with me on our honeymoon, I did bring a journal – and Dave helped make sure I took copious notes from which to pen my future posts.

So I thank my devoted Dress for Sports readers for their patience post-wedding and for indulging me a little more time off to get acclimated to my wonderful new full-time position as the Koch Curatorial Fellow at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum.

But the time has come to begin blogging again…and so, by way of a teaser and an introduction, I give you the following video short (comprised from a sampling of our honeymoon photos) with which my talented husband surprised me one morning after our return from a dream getaway to the countries of Croatia and Hungary.

Let the blogging begin anew…

Prelude to a Wedding...

2011-08-11T10:13:00.003-04:00

In a few short days, Dave and I will marry, and I have no doubt there will be all sorts of beautiful, spiritual, hilarious, poignant, and ridiculous moments to share. As I write this post, my brother and my fiancé are both en route to my parents’ home – and their arrival will mark the official beginning of this most exciting weekend.

I will be offline for a few weeks but look forward to posting all sorts of D4S related news and tales of our end-of-summer adventures come September.

And in the meantime, I leave you with a few thoughts culled from a lovely book of wedding blessings given to me a few months ago by our dear family friend - and my mom’s pal since high school – Honora Tomalski:

Real Love

For it is in loving, as well as in being loved, that we become most truly ourselves. No matter what we do, say, accomplish, or become, it is our capacity to love that ultimately defines us. In the end, nothing we do or say in this lifetime will matter as much as the way we have loved one another.

- Daphne Rose Kingma

A Blessing

May the love that you share give you strength

May the life that you share bring you joy

May the dreams that you share bring you hope

May the faith that you share bring you peace.

And wherever you are in your journey through life,

May your hearts always find their way home. Amen.

- The Reverend J. Lynn James

Abundance and Delight

Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness, and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulties, and fear assail your relationship – as they threaten all relationships at one time or another – remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives – remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.

- Author Unknown

Irish Toast

May you have warm words on a cold evening,

A full moon on a dark night,

And the road downhill all the way to your door.

- Author Unknown

(The excerpts above can be found in “Wedding Blessings” by June Cotner)

(Photo credit: Christina B. Ward)

Bluing the Crab…

2011-08-07T12:59:00.000-04:00

I love horseshoe crabs; I always have.

I’m not sure whether it’s the fact that their existence pre-dates the dinosaurs, they’ve got a truly fascinating anatomy, or they boast the coolest shell around – but they’ve always been a creature of great interest at Bay View Beach.

And so, on a cloudy day a few weekends back, Dave and I were excited to discover our very own, in-tact, horseshoe crab shell just waiting for us to pluck it from the creek, clean it off, and morph it into something even cooler.

Below, D4S readers can find the photos that document Dave’s transformation of the crab into our very own modern trophy…

Just love those Bay View crabs!

A Peaceful Summer Evening at Silver Sands State Beach…

2011-08-02T20:45:00.000-04:00

After a day spent stuck in front of my laptop, I finally broke free at around 5:15 PM and treated myself to a much needed 5 mile run. Ever the fresh-air lover, my father suggested I make my way over to the newly extended boardwalk at Silver Sands State Beach and boy was I glad I did.

It was a sublime setting in which to revive myself after several hours of toiling in front of the screen today and with low tide sandbars stretching out to the horizon, white sail boats sparkling in the distance, and peaceful messages left in the sand by previous beach-goers – it turned out to be the picture perfect antidote to my technology induced trance...thanks, Dad!

A NEFANTASTIC Eleven Months…

2011-07-29T11:00:00.001-04:00

I have spent the better part of the past year getting to know the NEFAns (who, for the uninitiated, are the great people who make up the New England Foundation for the Arts).

They welcomed me as their Public Art Fellow back in September, introduced me to the city of Boston and its many wonderful artists, clued me into the contributions and concerns of the region’s creative minds, and made me feel very much at home.

Between the Public Art Discussion Series, the Idea Swap, and the Creative Communities Exchange - I experienced first-hand a wide range of interdisciplinary professional development and networking events and am grateful for the connections, the conversations, and the expertise shared with me by all in the office (especially Lauren Winsor) over the past eleven months.

From research, to communications, to dance, to theatre, to touring, to accounting, to development, to native arts, to public art – the NEFAns opened their knowledge to me and painted me a very honest and enlightening picture of the greater New England arts scene.

And on Tuesday - in this, the concluding week of my fellowship - they presented me with a lovely little farewell tribute complete with breakfast pastries, a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and a card filled with sweet notes from all in the office. Thankfully, though, for me the goodbyes were made easier by the fact that I’m not going far…

In September I will begin another new arts adventure as the Koch Curatorial Fellow at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, MA and I couldn’t be more excited.

Thank you for an inspiring year, NEFAns! You’ve prepared me well for this next phase of my professional career and I hope to see you all at either the deCordova or at a NEFA Public Art Discussion Series event some time soon!

But my NEFAns weren’t the only folks to whom I had to say "so long" on Thursday…

You see...over the past eleven months - before I went to work each morning - I frequently would drop in the McDonald’s next store to the office on Tremont Street – right across from the Park Street station – and order a medium decaf coffee with milk and one Splenda.

I popped in with this order about twice a week and always was met with a smiling face behind the register and a helpful staff – who were very much culturally representative of the Chinatown neighborhood bordering this establishment. I imagine this was an interesting branch at which to work – day after day there are tons of tourists looking not just for morning sustenance but also for a bathroom, a sizeable gathering of Chinese-American senior citizens regularly eating breakfast together at the front of the restaurant, and a large population of homeless men and women who often come in to take a seat indoors for a while.

It dawned on me yesterday morning that I was going to miss the kind faces behind the counter who came to recognize me over the past year and so after I ordered my coffee, I called over the young manager and officially introduced myself. I told him I worked next door and that I was changing jobs and thus would no longer be coming in to order my decaf. I thanked him for his great customer service and to my delight he broke out into a wide grin and said, “best of luck, it’s been a pleasure serving you.”

That little exchange warmed my heart and I hope it made his day, too. He and his hard-working staff keep that place hopping each morning and I wish them all the best.

So, once again, a special thank you to the McDonald’s morning crew across from the Park Street Station for helping me start my days with a friendly exchange and a perfect cup of decaf.

The Idea Swap Happens!...

2011-07-29T10:01:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago NEFA posted their promotional video for the 2011 Idea Swap which includes a voice over by yours truly…

Thanks so much for inviting me to lend my voice to a great cause, NEFA!

A Cool Calder Google Doodle...

2011-07-22T16:32:00.001-04:00

It’s hot in Boston today...really, really HOT.

And after a full morning of public art related conversations and proposal reviewing (about which I’ll have more to share in September), I arrived home eager to tackle my email inbox and do a little online research.

And when I powered up my laptop and opened my browser, I was tickled to see a teasing, Calder-inspired Google doodle in motion on the screen – as though it had been caught in the cool breezes Bostonians so wish would blow their way.

The digital sculpture was designed by Google software engineer Jered Wierzbicki to honor the birthday of America’s own master of mobiles - Alexander Calder.

Of the project, Wierzbicki writes…

“Last year I wandered into a white room at Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago full of Alexander Calder’s delicate “objects,” all beautifully balanced and proportioned, moving gently in the air currents like a whimsical metal forest. Calder took ordinary materials at hand—wire, scraps of sheet metal—and made them into brilliant forms, letting space and motion do the rest. As an engineer, I work with abstractions, too, so this really struck me.

But you kind of want to play with the things. They do not let you do that at museums.

So I coded up a very basic demo of a mobile and showed it to a friend, who showed it to one of our doodlers—and then this amazing thing happened: talented artists and engineers who liked the idea just started to help! What we ended up with is way cooler than anything I could have built on my own. I’m proud to work for a company where an idea like this can actually happen.”

How neat is it that an in-person visit with Calder’s abstractions inspired this engineer to tinker around with and apply similar concepts to his own medium - which in turn lead to a fun, impromptu, creative exercise with his office mates? I’ll tell you…very neat.

To read more of Wierzbicki’s thoughts on how this doodle came to be, visit the Official Google Blog.

Three cheers for Calder, cool breezes, and collaboration!

“Urban Garden” Signals Something Special Indeed…

2011-07-20T21:42:00.001-04:00

This time last month, in a post entitled Something Special This Way Comes…, I shared a sneak preview of a few sculptures being installed in the Fort Point Channel Parks of the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of attending a fun cocktail party honoring the participants of this first-of-its-kind collaboration, observing passersby discover and interact with the works as they stroll through the park, and collecting some feedback about these new sculptures in our midst. And so, it is with a month of reflection in mind that I share with D4S readers a few of my thoughts today.

But first, a little background to get everyone up to speed…

“Urban Garden” is a temporary installation co-organized by Nick Capasso (Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum) and Kate Gilbert (Director of Public Programs and Outreach at the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy) and made possible with support from Boston Properties. The exhibition includes pre-existing sculptures by nationally acclaimed artists Tom Otterness, John Ruppert, and James Surls – all of which will be on display for the next eighteen months.

In the spirit of collaboration, the deCordova was invited to put forth a series of exhibition proposals that it felt would speak to the unique characteristics of, and hopes for, the Greenway. And the team at the Greenway selected this particular program (“Tree of Knowledge” by Otterness, “Pumpkin Series” by Ruppert, and “Walking Flower Times the Power of Five” by Surls) for the ways it would synch thematically with the Conservancy’s mission and be readily accessible to the park’s visitors and neighbors.

(Bottom image found via the Greenway website)

According to the Greenway’s press release,

“The final selection of works by Surls, Ruppert, and Otterness was based on scale, variety of materials (steel, bronze, aluminum), and range of aesthetic approaches. The Surls sculpture – the largest of the three – will be placed in the center of the lawn, oriented toward the main pedestrian approach from the southwest. It references the circular shape of the lawn and the site’s curving pathways and landscape contours. The Otterness sculpture will be placed in loose proximity to the pedestrian path to allow close inspection of its animal actors. Ruppert’s Pumpkins will be arranged toward the south end of the lawn, “scattered” in a way to suggest an actual pumpkin patch.”

With encouragement and approval from the City of Boston and the Boston Art Commission, “Urban Garden” might well represent a shift in how temporary public art can be conceived for and implemented within Boston’s urban spaces.

When I look at “Urban Garden” I see a small but assertive gesture to introduce sculpture in the natural environment in a way that hasn’t yet been explored in this city, for Boston doesn’t have the benefit of the same stellar public art organizations that city’s like New York and Chicago do.

The strip of green space that comprises the Greenway has much to offer and its parcels are as diverse as the constituents they serve. Some have open lawns, some are paved over; some have hotels and businesses as their backdrop, others have residences; some have water features, others have lights and pagodas; some are in Chinatown, others boarder the North End. The point is this – there is a wealth of potential on the Greenway for all kinds of dynamic, exceptional, site responsive arts interventions – and “Urban Garden” is a solid start.

“Urban Garden” is a prelude; it’s not a final statement and it should not be evaluated as such. Doing so is detrimental; it’s akin to cutting the project - and the forward-thinking public art conversation it’s trying to catalyze - off at the knees before it has a chance to grow in the minds of those who experience these works.

Let us instead enjoy living with these sculptures for a while, getting used to their size, their shapes, their contours, their position within the landscape and the ways they make us think differently about what exactly we may want to see in this space in the future.

Personally, I look forward to the day when the community can get behind something of a truly monumental scale that would compete with the height and breadth of surrounding buildings (or tall ship masts) and inject wild, unnatural, contrasting color combinations in this carefully gardened, urban terrain. As outlandish as it may sound, I also would love to see something like Carsten Höller’s “Test Site” slides (which I experienced first hand at the Tate Modern in London a few years ago) spiraling out over the street and onto the Greenway from the Firehouse adjacent to the Fort Point Channel Parks. But we are a long way from really considering, let alone implementing and fully supporting, that kind of gesture here in Boston - and that’s why the visioning and experimentation evident right now on the Greenway is so important.

And so, I will look forward to watching these sculptures as the seasons change and learning how their presence might influence some major next steps for the Greenway’s budding public art program – next steps that could well involve the commissioning of awe-inspiring Greenway-specific pieces.

Great public art takes money, vision, and unwavering faith in expert curatorial leaders (and more of all of these things are needed before the Greenway can be on par with the civic spaces to which it is often compared).

Let “Urban Garden” serve as a positive indicator that the desire is there and with continued encouragement, financial backing, and uninhibited exploration, the Greenway is one step closer to fulfilling its destiny as a beacon for public art in Boston.

"A July 4th of Records" at Bay View Beach...

2011-07-05T09:56:00.003-04:00

Last night, as we watched the chaos and calamity that is the Bay View Beach Fourth of July fireworks tradition, our friend Dennis Hrabchak turned to me and said, well, “it was a July 4th of records” - a line that was the perfect encapsulation of the events of the evening, the day, and the weekend...

As in years past, these pyrotechnics were hauled onto the beach by amateurs carrying them down in huge duffel bags and/or their kids' radio flyer wagons. There is absolutely nothing safe or sober about the display – but for those of us who keep our distance and admire from afar, there is something spectacular about the brilliant lights that paint the night sky year after year.

There is always a little something new at Bay View to keep us on our toes and talking, and yesterday evening – it was the addition of some beautiful sky lanterns, lit and set aloft on one side of the beach. It was fun to watch them slowly, quietly, gain altitude and fade off into the darkness amidst the bombastic explosions of dynamite in the foreground. But the air was thick and humid last night and the recklessness of the amateurs a little too ramped up – which made for a rather smoky, anxious atmosphere down on the beach like one we’d never seen (and prompted Dennis’ pitch perfect remark).

While last night’s firework display was certainly one for the record books, there also were several other noteworthy moments on this wonderful holiday weekend.

On Friday evening, I took a stroll through the neighborhood with my parents and was struck by the stunning sunset that greeted us as we approached the beach. The light was just right, the air was still, the water was calm, and it was one of the most tranquil, beautiful moments we remember witnessing at Bay View.

While on our little passeggiata, we also made sure to walk by the Kennedy cottage to see what fun and festive creations our friend John put on display this year. Each summer, John decks out their beach house in new variations of red, white, and blue in the hopes that the Bay View Beach parade committee (which, in our opinion has unfairly overlooked Creeland Ave. for the past several years) will honor the Kennedy holiday spirit with an award.

This year, in addition to the flags and garlands festooning the outside of the house and the wooden star with twinkle lights that graces the front lawn, John fashioned a fantastic Uncle Sam sculpture out of reclaimed beach buoys that he hand-painted himself! The result is marvelous and we kept hope alive all weekend long that this effort might just be enough to really impress the judges this year...

And so, when Monday rolled around, the Kennedy and Hrabchak clans came to the Tinti cottage for our traditional July 4th holiday brunch before hitting the beach. What we didn’t know, however, was that at that very moment, the parade committee was out walking, taking notes, and making their decisions. It wasn’t until hours later, when we were all sitting on the beach, that a neighbor came over and told John that she thought the house had placed! She brought him over to the head judge’s home and ten minutes later, a triumphant John Kennedy returned to the beach with his first prize bottles of wine firmly in hand! We clapped and cheered and realized that yes, this was a special July 4th indeed...

And then, of course, there was the parade – that hilarious mixture of stars, stripes, and Darth Vader (prompting Alli Kennedy to say “may the fourth be with you” – a line that has me laughing still…).

But by far, the prize for this year’s best parade float goes to the Hrabchak/Pelletier picnic themed submission – complete with a hot dog, hamburger, garnished plates and holiday tablecloth. It was a crowd favorite and set a new benchmark in this, the 35th annual Bay View Beach parade…

Yes, it was a July 4th of records at Bay View. I can’t wait to see what they cook up for 2012…

Dan Beyer’s "Wet Quintet"…

2011-06-29T18:23:00.001-04:00

What happens when you take five, well-crafted, wood framed music machines and strategically place them in the heart of activity at the Greenway’s Rings Fountain?

The "Wet Quintet," of course!

Created by local public artist, Dan Beyer (pictured in all-black, below), and debuted for the first time this afternoon, "Wet Quintet" adds a whole new playful, melodic dimension to the squeals of delight that emanate from the children (and adults!) who frequent the fountain.

A favorite attraction for kids of all ages, the Rings Fountain squirts water from beneath the paving stones in the Wharf District Parks in surprising and unexpected sequences. Visitors can run through and cool down, stand in one place and take a good long soak, or simply sit back and smile as others let loose and enjoy the splashing and laughter of their fellow park goers.

Beyer’s moveable sculptures, however, add another level of interactivity to the Rings Fountain. For when a sculpture is situated in a sweet spot near one of the water spouts, the vertical spray will activate a small mallet affixed to the wooden frame, forcing it to swing out and back and strike a metal tube in the center of the structure. The resulting sound is like that of a gentle gong clang and provides an acoustic accompaniment to the visual and tactile pleasures of the fountain.

And when the water was still this afternoon, and the children waited with a mixture of trepidation and excitement for the fluid festival to start again – they would take it upon themselves to move the mallets and bring the instruments of "Wet Quintet" to life. Talk about a bona-fide sign of interactivity and true audience acceptance!

Congratulations, Dan, on this very entertaining, well made, and well presented public art experiment. I hope we’ll be seeing (and hearing!) "Wet Quintet" on the Greenway many more times this summer.

I Respect "Stone Field"…

2011-06-28T22:02:00.000-04:00

I’m from Fairfield, Connecticut - a beautiful town on Long Island Sound that is about an hour south and a little bit west of Hartford. Growing up, I didn’t really know that much about our state capital - just that its slogan had to do with insurance and that if you were driving past the city on the highway, you could spy a cool blue dome decorated with stars atop one of the buildings.

Needless to say, Hartford wasn’t really on my radar until high school, when my cousin MaryAnne (who works in the area) invited my mom and me up for the day to treat us to lunch and share with us some of the city’s art treasures. I vividly remember going to the Wadsworth Atheneum for the first time and being so impressed by its great hall with floor to ceiling paintings hung the way they would have been in period salons. I also recall dining at a restaurant near Carl Andre’s “Stone Field Sculpture” that afternoon and listening to MaryAnne briefly share a bit of the controversy surrounding this public art commission (the only one of its kind by this famed minimalist artist).

I came across “Stone Field” again a few years later, when it was featured in one of my college art history lectures. In that moment, I remember being very proud – not only that I had a passing familiarity with Andre’s piece, but that I hailed from the state that made its existence possible. In Deborah Johnson’s classroom at Providence College, I learned that some citizens of the city appreciated "Stone Field’s" careful, serial arrangement of large boulders referencing the rugged, rocky soil of Connecticut’s farmland; the juxtaposition of finite elements with those that are seemingly timeless; the intersection of history and the present, life and death, patterns of geology and patterns of human behavior. I learned that others, however, railed against its cost and its un-art-like appearance, while clinging to the idea that the sculpture was a folly, purposefully placed in this highly visible location so as to mock the foolish tax payers whose money went towards its creation.

The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that I really enjoyed these rocks and the same is true today. I like what they symbolize on multiple levels and I like the contributions their minimalist creator made to the history of art.

I respect “Stone Field.”

And I think that the residents of Connecticut are lucky to have such a fascinating and thoughtful site-specific Carl Andre piece on public display in their capital city.

But I will admit to being one of those people who has forgotten “Stone Field.” I’ve been to Hartford a few times since that first encounter and on no subsequent trip have I made it a point to go walk among these rocks that I claim to appreciate. I never cease to be inspired by what I find at the Wadsworth (I even discovered the embroidered works of Arte Povera artist Alighiero Boetti there for the first time - in a tiny, pocket show - and successfully convinced my PC professors to let me make his work the subject of my senior thesis) but visiting “Stone Field” seems always to slip my mind.

I am going to do my best to remedy that oversight on my next trip through town and I encourage D4S readers to do the same. Time is of the essence, you see, because this still controversial public artwork (which has been on the ground for over 30 years) may well be under threat again.

For the full story, I refer you to Real Art Ways Director Will K. Wilkins’ op-ed this past weekend in the Hartford Courant entitled, “Hands Off Artwork: Leave Stone Field Alone.”

And I will conclude this entry by affirming and re-posting his final statements…

“This is an opportunity for education. Some people don't understand how it's art. Some people don't understand why it's special. Many, perhaps most, have never been encouraged to look.

This fall Real Art Ways will be hosting a downtown walking tour with UConn Professor Robert Thorson. He'll be talking about the varieties of stone used in our downtown buildings, where they come from, how and when they were formed. And we'll be concluding our tour at the Stone Field. Come open your eyes and open your hearts.”

So, take a few moments to introduce yourselves to “Stone Field.” Keep an open mind and try and recognize the significance of this piece on a personal, historical, and philosophical scale.

And now, at the risk of sounding completely cheesy, I offer a similarly-themed quote to that of Wilkins, from a most beloved television show – Friday Night Lights (which, unfortunately, suffers from the same under-appreciated malady as “Stone Field”)…

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose.

Of Wedding Planning, A Bridal Shower, and Party Pops...

2011-06-27T11:18:00.002-04:00

With under 50 days to go before the Tinti/Rys nuptials, I wanted to take a moment to profile and thank the people who are working so hard to make our day so special.

Each of these folks embrace the Dress for Sports mantra in their own personal and professional lives, so the parallels here are particularly appropriate. While I strive to discover, interpret, and share cool public art projects, they excel at providing similar services under the umbrella of event design and coordination. Their missions are to engage the particular personalities and needs of their client and execute that vision in daring and detailed ways – all the while playing project manager to the family members, vendors, and collaborators involved in the effort. They are a different kind of public artist/choreographer/stylist, but they are artists none-the-less. Here we go…

Thanks to the incredible taste and talents of Sarah True (aka True Event), Dave and I have been in very good hands from the start. She has helped us shape a modern vision for the weekend, infused our meetings with inspiring ideas, and assembled a team of all-star vendors who are gifted at their craft and – just as important – supremely nice people.

I was reminded of this fact just yesterday, as I stopped by the Jennie Fresa Beauty Library and spent an hour with Lindsay Milan figuring out how to securely fasten my mother’s vintage headpiece and veil so that I will be ceremony and dance-floor ready on the big day. Thanks to the awesome hair-cutting skills of my man Jared Durrance at SHAG, Lindsay’s make-up and styling prowess, the sewing talents of Edelweiss in Trumbull, CT, and the preservation techniques of Orange Restoration Labs, I hope to be putting a fun 21st century twist on my mom’s original 1970s look.

Hana Floral Design owner Yumiko Fletcher has translated our love of hot, vibrant summer colors into bold flower arrangements that are sure to pop and keep everyone smiling all day long. I can’t wait to see them in person.

Anna Sawin will be documenting the day with her keen eye and ever-so-sweet photographs and Christine Perusse will be facilitating the reception and all our surprise personal touches at the New Haven Lawn Club (many of which my mom is hard at work collecting/creating!) Mike Cyr and the guys at Buzz Media will be capturing and editing the events on video, DJ Renzo will lay down some killer beats, and Tom Ciancia will provide some great live piano music during the cocktail reception.

Earlier that morning, the fabulous ladies of Catherine H. (who first introduced my mom and me to the awesome fashions of Angel Rox) will help the women of our wedding party get dressed for the day in what we think are really fun bridesmaid dress alternatives. (And, a special thanks to Lori at Whispers from Lady Olga for making sure we've got the right stuff for under the dress, too!)

And of course, the true heart of the day revolves around our wedding mass and we are so grateful to be celebrating our marriage with Rev. John Baran and Music Director, Frank Macari of St. Anthony of Padua Church. My mom is humming the hymns already, Frank!

We had a bit of a prelude to some of the wedding activities last month during a beautiful family bridal shower hosted by my cousins at Chamard Vineyards (with style assistance from True Event and planning help from my mom). There was a ton of love and joy on display in the room that day and I look forward to reprising that feeling and multiplying it exponentially in August.

And…I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that in addition to the stunning and generous gifts given by the wonderful assembly of women in the room, and the Italian pastries contributed by my "Bayview Aunts" Maria Kennedy and Margaret Hrabchak, one of the best surprises was the addition of a special Party Pop treat set out at each guest’s seat.

These delectable desserts are the creation of my friend MaryAnne Brennan and are evidence of a delicious new craze sweeping across Fairfield County, CT! Whimsically decorated, decadent, and fun – Party Pops by MaryAnne are the perfect party favor, teacher gift, birthday treat, or holiday indulgence.

I am so honored to have been a part of their big debut and look forward to their making an appearance at a certain event in August, too!

A huge thank you to all who are working behind the scenes to make the Rys/Tinti wedding so memorable – we sincerely appreciate your efforts and can’t wait to celebrate with you in a few short weeks.

XOXO

Of Glen, Eddie, and Clarence…

2011-06-26T10:52:00.003-04:00

Just over a week ago, Dave and I made some time to commune with Eddie Vedder and his ukulele at live performances in Providence, Boston, and Hartford. While this triple concert pilgrimage might seem a little excessive to some, what you must understand (and I’ve come to learn) is that Ed’s music (and that of his band) is among those things that Dave loves most in this world and thus well worth the effort.

Glen Hansard opened for Ed which was a real treat - for Hansard is the kind of musician that totally wears his heart on his sleeve and is an exceptional guitarist and songwriter to boot. His music is raw, sometimes frenzied, deceptively tangled, intricate and emotionally lovely. On top of his mad skills (honed as a busker on the streets of Dublin from a very young age), Hansard was just so genuinely glad to be there and sort of still in awe that Ed had invited him to be on the tour. His music was infused with such incredible humility and you instantly got the sense that you were in the presence of a really good guy.

That realization was compounded when Hansard paused to tell a story about how he first met Ed…

Hansard was on tour with The Swell Season when, tragically, one of the concertgoers actually died on stage during their performance. It was an all-around shocking and awful experience and one about which Hansard was trying to make sense when he received a call on his cell-phone from an unknown number. He picked it up and - much to his astonishment - Ed Vedder was on the line. Vedder had heard what happened, wanted to reach out and see how Hansard was holding up, and welcome him to a club that no musician ever wants to be in (for Pearl Jam had experienced similar tragedy a decade earlier). Hansard recalls being on the phone with Vedder for an hour that night, just shooting the breeze and taking about a range of topics. And then, the next evening, Vedder called again.

That’s the kind of men we’re dealing with here…exceedingly decent dudes who also happen to be phenomenal musicians. And make no mistake - the power of the former absolutely influences the greatness of the latter.

On this tour, with Hansard in the role of opener, the audience was appropriately primed when it came time for Vedder to take the stage. Not surprisingly, each night was a little different, but for some rather unexpected reasons…

Night one happened to coincide with the final match of the Stanley Cup, so Vedder was dealing with a particularly hyped up crowd who cheered as though they were at the Garden and not the Providence Performing Arts Center. He played to his fans like a champ though, providing a stage hand with a score card that would announce each of the Bruins’ goals to the boisterous audience. That backdrop was a rather odd pairing for Vedder’s soft ukulele songs, but it made the simple sweetness of the music stand out all the more. With the Bruins victory clinched, night one transformed into a grand sing-along and left us yearning for night two.

Vedder delivered yet again in Boston – where the acoustics at the Wang Theatre enabled his voice to soar to unimaginable heights. With an audience completely trained on him, that evening, Vedder raised the bar for what a solo tour – yet alone one built around the mighty ukulele – can sound like.

By night three at the Bushnell in Hartford, Hansard and Vedder seemed to have settled into a smooth groove, but their performances were no-less transcendent. And on this evening, as with each of those previous, Vedder took a moment to send up a prayer to Clarence Clemons – a tremendous musical colleague and friend who was recovering from a serious health set-back. Amazingly, on this night, just as Vedder had started to acknowledge Clemons, one of his stage-hands came out and whispered something in his ear. Ed – visibly moved – paused for but a quick moment and then went straight into the next song. As we later discovered, Clemons had just passed away.

And so, yet again, it would seem that Hansard and Vedder would be united in loss and still - the show goes on. While Ed may have raised his glass to the Bruins, to his fans, to Glen Hansard and to Clarence Clemons – I raise my glass to him. The way he and the musicians with whom he surrounds himself connect to one another, to their audiences, and to their craft is so pure, so heartfelt, that one can’t help but feel challenged to be a better person after experiencing their honesty.

Cheers, Ed.

The "Homescapes" of Elisa Hamilton…

2011-06-22T19:34:00.002-04:00

As though channeling the talents of the early twentieth century Fauvists, Fort Point’s Elisa H. Hamilton deftly uses punched up, contrasting colors to create compositions whose hues brilliantly embolden the objects they represent. Add that zesty quality to the immediacy with which she appears to employ her crayons, pens, brushes, and pastels and the result is a joyful, mixed media reverie about the beauty that is lurking within our everyday interiors.

(All Images found via the artist's blog)

Though they are indeed kitchens and floors and corners and couches, there is nothing ho-hum about the spaces and arrangements about which Hamilton paints. In fact, they are such happy, exciting, stimulating environments that it’s hard to imagine having anything but an extraordinary life while living among these objects.

Hamilton’s use of a flattened, Fauve-like perspective ensures that the viewer’s eyes dance across the page – bouncing from one saturated, colorful object to the next.

All in all these vignettes are pretty, confident, and packed with so much personality (and a fun head nod to Jane Austen) that you can’t help but feel awash in creative energy while looking at them.

The artist says of this series,

“Homescapes is a collection of mixed media works on paper that explore intimate places from my everyday. I work directly from life inspired by the vibrancy I see in the things around me. Layering many different media within a single piece of art allows for a spontaneity that delights me, and results in artwork that exemplifies the essence of what I see in the world.

Beyond my personal connection to these spaces, it is my hope that these works capture the landscape of our collective domestic experience, and perhaps even allow viewers to approach their familiar places with a renewed awareness.”

“Homescapes” currently is on view at the Made in Fort Point gallery (where Hamilton is June’s Artist of the Month).

A Spectacular Saturday for Bruins Fans…

2011-06-18T14:46:00.000-04:00

Today in Boston, legions of Bruins fans came out to cheer on their heroes and watch them flaunt their hard earned Stanley Cup as it was paraded around the city. Here are just a few photos of the spectacle…

As Dave said, imagine how awesome it must be for some of these Dad’s who have dreamed of sharing a Bruins championship victory with their kids for almost 40 years and now get to do so on Father’s Day weekend. That’s a pretty cool inter-generational fan moment.

Congratulations, Boston!

It May Be Squicky, but Ben Wilson’s Public Art is A Pretty Unique Public Service...

2011-06-17T10:20:00.000-04:00

Last November, I received a very fun email from my friend Meghan Callahan which included the following line:

I saw this and thought of your public art blog, but it's a bit squicky!! Love, Meg

The “this” to which she refers was a link to a gawker.com article by Max Read entitled, “Meet the Man Who Paints Pictures on Used Chewing Gum” and I promptly, excitedly, filed it away as fodder for a future post.

(Image found via The New York Times and credited to Andrew Testa)

Fast forward to this past Tuesday evening, when I received an email from my mother, who was forwarding on a message from our family friend, Grace Darling:

This article is on the front page of today’s NY Times. Mary may already be aware of this artist and his unusual method of creating art but I thought I’d pass it on to her.

To what was Grace referring? None other than Sarah Lyall’s essay, “Whimsical Works of Art, Found Sticking to the Sidewalk” on the very same, squicky subject that Meg first put on my radar a few months before!

So, I’m taking these emails as a sign that it’s high time I shared the weird and wonderful works of British artist Ben Wilson with the D4S world. Here we go…

(Image found via The New York Times and credited to Andrew Testa)

While strolling through the streets of their city, some people keep their eyes peeled for lucky pennies, others for playing cards, why not lovingly painted and preserved nuggets of ABC (aka - already been chewed) gum? Well, if you live in Muswell Hill, England – you’ve got a good shot at discovering just that.

Wilson turns people’s lazily discarded gum - a nasty, sticky mess (which everyone hates to find on the bottom of their shoes) - into an urban street treat that encourages people to take pride in their environment rather than litter upon it.

According to the NYTimes article, Wilson, “developed a technique in which he softens the gum with a blowtorch, sprays it with lacquer and then applies three coats of acrylic enamel. He uses tiny brushes, quick-drying his work with a lighter as he goes along, and then seals it with clear lacquer. Each painting takes between a few hours and a few days, and can last several years if the conditions are right.”

I hate to point out that this could well be a vicious cycle (those who might normally toss their gum in the waste bin, might now ditch it on the sidewalk so that Wilson will have plenty of “canvases”), but as long as he’s around to pretty-up the goo, I say Ben Wilson is doing an awesome public service!

And who could argue with the results? They are fantastic conversation starters and environment beautifiers - mini, colorful round records of the people, images, and stories that make up the spirit of this community - and inject a bit of pride and joy in all who see them.

(Click here to be redirected to a sweet BBC video of the artist at work)

A special D4S thank you to Meghan and Grace for being such great lookouts and helping me keep my finger on the pulse of cool public art projects in our midst, on our streets, and under our feet!

Something Special This Way Comes…

2011-06-16T07:20:00.001-04:00

While running through the Greenway yesterday afternoon, I discovered a few hints of some cool things to come this June (and I’m not referring to the gorgeous blooms lining the paths of the park right now, although they are mighty lovely). I’m talking about several suggestions of sculpture that were not there before…

Stay tuned for a more complete synopsis of this intriguing development in the coming weeks. And in the meantime, here’s a little Greenway floral cheer to brighten your day…

And the Eddie Vedder Communion Begins Anew…

2011-06-15T08:24:00.000-04:00

It’s that time of year again…Eddie Vedder is crooning his way up and down the east coast and so begins the 2011 Rys/Tinti concert tour.

(Image credited to Danny Clinch and found via NPR)

I’m going in blind this year (which is a strange way to say that I’ve not done my usual pre-concert research by listening to "Ukulele Songs" over and over before hearing it performed live tonight, tomorrow night, and Saturday night). But this blindness was deliberate, because I want to take in the full spectacle of the experience (the music, the anecdotes, the community building) with all my senses, all at once.

Glen Hansard (famed musician from The Frames, The Swell Season, and the powerful little movie, "Once") will be opening for Vedder, which is an added treat as I’ve never seen or heard Hansard in concert before.

It should be an awesome series of evenings and I look forward to reporting back on this year’s musical bender once I’ve had a chance to soak it all in. See you soon, Ed…

Oh Technology - or - Smarter/Faster/Higher…

2011-06-14T23:18:00.006-04:00

People position themselves in relation to technology in astonishingly different ways. Some have every gadget under the sun and can’t imagine life without an iSomething; some long for the days when we weren’t so driven by the extreme capabilities of (or zombie-esque culture promulgated by) our machines; some are wary of the social, psychological, and physical ramifications of our developing dependencies on certain technologies (and embrace just enough so as to not be rendered obsolete); and still others are grateful for - and in fact crave - the knowledge and connectivity that emerging technologies make possible.

Regardless of where a person might fall on this complicated spectrum, it’s important to be dialed in to current conversations about our everyday technologies and to be thinking critically about how certain technologies – for better or worse – have a profound effect on all facets of our daily lives.

I find such conversations fascinating – but I must confess to being kind of an outsider when it comes to the technological know-how which most people employ on a regular basis. As a graduate student, I made a concerted effort to live within my means – which meant I missed out on the first few waves of the iPod and smartphone (and to this day have neither); and I have a modest laptop computer which houses all my research, writing, etc. (don’t worry, Mom, I have it all backed up!) and still serves purposes far more professional than recreational. I blog and I’m on Facebook, but I never, ever tweet. So my thoughts about technology are from the perspective of a keen and interested observer, rather than a fully immersed user.

Because of my arms-length relationship to so many now-ubiquitous technologies, I find myself depending upon contemporary artists to educate me in these vocabularies; for their work often is a creative product of, and careful commentary on, the very emerging innovations that elude me.

And so, it was with this spirit in mind that I spent an afternoon at the Danforth Museum of Art several Sundays ago learning from artist Elizabeth Keithline about how “A Tool Is A Mirror” and that technology might just make us “Smarter/Faster/Higher.”

For these related exhibitions, Keithline took on dual roles of curator and artist. As she began to create new sculptures for “Smarter/Faster/Higher” (her collaboration with musician Jeff Keithline , who also happens to be her husband), Keithline simultaneously sought out conversations with artists who similarly were grappling with technology-laden concepts, all the while recognizing that “contrasting viewpoints yield interesting work” (a sentiment Keithline shared during her gallery talk).

As an artist (not to mention a really nice person), Keithline is a fantastic networker and understands the value of brokering introductions and forging new connections. So, it’s not surprising that she would spend four years teasing out the wonderful and scary potentials inherent in our relationships to technology and how to manifest those ideas in her art.

(Image found via The Craft Alliance.

It should be noted that Keithline's installation at the

Danforth Museum was of a slightly different configuration,

but this image goes a long way toward conveying the spirit of the piece.)

“Smarter/Faster/Higher” evidences the latest evolution of Keithline’s three-dimensional, woven wire sculptures. In this case, she has filled a gallery with beautiful traces of life-sized human forms strategically placed among groupings of trees and/or computer screens so as to conjure questions about evolutionary cycles and our ties to the natural world in the twenty-first century. After all, Keithline ultimately asks, doesn’t technology, make us smarter, faster, higher?

Or does it? Is there humanity to be found in our machines? Is it true that as Keithline suggests – “every keyboard reflects a hand and every screen an eye?” If technology is a tool, is that tool a mirror of the new nature we have created for ourselves? What does that new nature look like and what does it say about us?

To delve further into these questions and others that viewers might raise when contemplating her work, Keithline offers up “A Tool Is A Mirror” – a tandem exhibition showcasing projects by nine artists currently wrangling with similar preoccupations.

(Image found via Danforth Museum website)

Here, the art of Brian Kane and Erik Sanner stood out to me as particularly astute. Kane’s giant "OMG!" balloon is just fantastic. As with his other creations, Kane’s witty, three- dimensional portrayal of a virtual “oh my god” exclamation invites his audience to recognize – and perhaps even chuckle over – disconnects between the lingo, signs, and symbols we take for granted in the cloud and those that govern the real world.

Sanner’s contribution, “Kitchen’s Door,” is the artist’s attempt at painting with both technology and time. Part two-dimensional painting, part video projection - this piece is a fabulous commentary on how Sanner’s real-life obligations – according to the painter himself - are constantly getting in the way of his being a full time artist. In fact, in and through this video he is literally banging on the walls of art, trying to understand how to become a painter and how to break into this new world..and his efforts just loop and loop and loop.

Both “Smarter/Faster/Higher” and “A Tool Is A Mirror” serve to address important questions about our technologies and ourselves and I only regret that by the time D4S readers see this post, both of Keithline’s exhibits will have come and gone.

On second thought, perhaps that fact is the best possible way to close this entry - for now, interested readers will be left to explore the artists and artworks mentioned here through the technological tools of their choice and ponder whether they are becoming smarter, faster, higher in the process…

My New Tutu...

2011-06-04T16:41:00.001-04:00

It was simply a stunning day in Boston today. The air was crisp, the sun was shining, and the skies were clear and blue - the absolute perfect conditions to take a stroll to the Rose Kennedy Greenway and check out what this year's FIGMENT activities were all about.

Within minutes of crossing Congress Street, Dave and I spotted a tent at which people were being invited to make their own tutus. Needless to say, I sat right down and started tutu-ing...

And then we wandered through the parks, said hello to my friend Bevan Weissman, and hung out for a while in his colorful web...

I treated myself to a delicious fig, goat cheese, and mixed greens sandwich (drizzled with truffle oil!) from Lefty's Silver Cart...

And then we wandered over into the North End before turning around and making our way home along the water...

I just love beautiful Boston Saturdays...

Carolina Aragón is quite the “Mother Flocker”…

2011-06-04T10:03:00.001-04:00

On Thursday evening I ventured over to the main branch of the Cambridge Public Library for a screening of several short films documenting the behind the scenes evolution, fabrication, installation, and community outreach related to Flocks – Carolina Aragón’s terrific temporary public art installation in the sky above Cambridge Street.

(Photo by Matt Lustig found via the City of Cambridge photo gallery)

Her hand cut, hand sewn, highly shimmery plastic birds are elegant minimalist sculptures that capture the essence and aerodynamic mastery of our avian friends. When strung together and suspended from a grid of netting in the sky, they become a fanciful symbol of dreams of human migration and relocation, epic life journeys, and flight patterns of immigrants across the globe. In the words of the artist, we can't forget that, “we all come from somewhere and we are all flying together at times.”

(Photo by Matt Lustig found via the City of Cambridge photo gallery)

The films presented on Thursday (created under the guidance of Matt Mena-Landry from the Cambridge Media Arts Studio) were culled from footage captured throughout the installation's planning, testing, and post-flight period. They revealed for viewers the tremendous teamwork that made the project possible and the way that Aragón gathered around her a group of truly awesome people who were equal parts knowledgeable, dedicated, and nice. College students; friends; experts in such disciplines as kite flight; fishing; and aerospace engineering; electricians from the city of Cambridge, and countless volunteers – all had a role in this magnificent undertaking.

Over a 16 month period, members of Aragón’s team (who affectionately refer to her as the “Mother Flocker”) conducted countless wind and weather tests and experimented with how to fasten these light-weight birds so that they wouldn’t fly away. The videos capture it all – the trial and error, the problem solving, the humor, the enthusiasm, the exhaustion, and the insightful sentiments of all who participated.

Because temporary public art is just that, temporary – it is usually quite difficult to find ways for projects to live on long after they have been dismantled. These videos are a tremendously entertaining archival resource both for art historians and for public artists in search of information about creative strategy, technique, and how to go about involving a local community in innovative ways.

Congratulations to all who had a hand in this wonderful project. Flocks doesn’t just fly, it soars.

As noted in the press release for the event, “Flocks: the Making Of, short films and a presentation…showcases the process behind the creation of Flocks, a temporary art installation. The project by artist Carolina Aragón and commissioned through the Cambridge Arts Council’s Public Art Program, can be viewed through July 8 along a one-mile stretch of Cambridge Street between Inman Square and Lechmere station. The short film presentation on Thursday, June 2 features interviews with the over 30 key team members, consisting of students, professionals, school teachers, and consultants, involved in the project, and documents their work over a 16-month period.

The short films were created by Matt Mena-Landry from the Cambridge Media Arts Studio, Boston Architectural College students Jordan Mills and Rood Vincent, and the artist of Flocks, Carolina Aragón….For more information, visit www.cambridgeflocks.com.”

Somewhere Over the Rainbow…

2011-06-03T22:53:00.002-04:00

This time last year, at about 3:30 AM on the morning of Saturday, June 5th, Dave and I were driving out to Cape Cod from Providence. I had just left work at WaterFire and since we were attending a wedding in Dennis that afternoon, we decided it would be better to drive through the night and just crash for a few hours when we got there, rather than go home and risk sleeping through the alarm and thus missing the ceremony.

As we drove, the clouds rolled in and by the time we arrived, daylight was breaking and the thunder, lightening, and lashing rain started competing with one another for our attention. Hours of sleep were not to be ours that morning. But the dreaded realization that we’d have to settle for power naps in between loud gusts of wind quickly took a back seat to the possibility that the horrible weather meant that Shanti and Alex’s outdoor wedding at the beach might not be happening, either.

As the ceremony time approached, the darkness overhead looked more and more menacing by the minute - but since there had been a break in the rain for a short while, the guests were instructed to take their seats.

The wedding party soon processed in, as did the bride and groom’s families - all of whom were all too cognizant of the bittersweet emotions that filled this day. For while this was a most joyous occasion, the reality was that it was taking place without Shanti’s father - who, sadly, had passed away just a few months before.

As Shanti was preparing to make her grand entrance from the top deck, down the stairs, and onto the lawn overlooking the water, the DJ cued up Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Suddenly, the clouds parted directly above us and the guests – overcome with the weight of this incredible, uncanny coincidence - began clapping and gasping as a wave of chills spread like wildfire over everyone on site. Lost in her own personal moment, the bride didn’t even realize what was happening until she came down the aisle and was met with the first ray of sunshine on the Cape that day.

It was one of the most surreal, spectacular few seconds I’ve ever witnessed and the memory of it moves me still.

Moments like this make you believe – in a higher power; in the mysteries of the universe; in the ability of love to transcend darkness, sorrow and uncertainty; and in the basic humanity that connects us all.

These are the moments that poets and musicians and painters live to recreate - and yet there we were, privy to it all…in real time…in real life.

It was the equivalent of an exceptional Impressionist masterpiece - and I thank you, Shanti and Alex, for letting me share it with the world.

Happy Anniversary...

A North Adams Adventure with NEFA...

2011-06-02T22:37:00.001-04:00

On the morning of Wednesday, May 18th, I packed a few bags, gassed up my car, and prepared myself for a very fun westward adventure out to North Adams, Massachusetts. The purpose of this little road trip? To help facilitate the Creative Communities Exchange – a fantastic event expertly organized by some of my colleagues at NEFA and the team at Berkshire Creative.

(Image found via the NEFA website)

Since I’d never been to that part of the state before, I decided to make the drive on the earlier side, so as to leisurely enjoy the gorgeous scenery along much of Route 2. On this particular day, there were short fits and starts of rain which made every piece of greenery on the ground glisten and that in the trees look extra verdant.

And the fog was simply incredible – it could surround you in an instant and was so thick in some cases that drivers could barely see three feet in front of them. There definitely were moments when I felt like I was destined to discover my very own Brigadoon (and I was secretly hoping that might happen).

Three hours later, I arrived safely at MASS MoCA and was eager to sign myself up for the 2:00 tour before reporting for conference duty. With me and two other visitors in tow, our tour guide, Cortney Tunis, shepherded us through the expansive galleries while treating us to a mixture of museum/building history, personal observation, and contemporary art in context. Put simply, this was an excellent tour - one delivered with enthusiasm, plenty of meaty facts about the art and artists (in this case, Nari Ward, Katharina Grosse, the Memery exhibition, and, of course, the stunning wing devoted to Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawings) and key revelations about their significance both to North Adams and to art history.

What a perfect institution to play physical host to the Creative Communities Exchange...I couldn’t wait to see what this conference had in store.

My role in the exchange was simple – to help with registration, wayfinding, question answering, and assisting presenters from throughout New England as they shared their stories of successful creative economy projects in the hopes that their peers might be able to emulate these efforts in their own communities.

By the lunchtime on Friday, roughly 32 projects had been shared, countless new contacts had been made, and the museum was simply buzzing with creative energy and conversations.

NEFA’s first-ever Creative Economy Awards were presented to two organizations that stood apart from the rest for the ways they continue to articulate clear strategies, demonstrate effective collaboration, and make a visible impact on New England’s creative economy. Both awardees received a cash prize of $3,500 – a symbolic amount with direct ties to NEFA’s 35th anniversary celebrations.

Here’s a glimpse at the winning projects, communicated through language from the NEFA website…

Rockingham Arts and Museum Project (RAMP), founded in 1995 by Robert McBride, received NEFA's creative economy award for its longevity, outstanding leadership, and breadth of projects - including public art, affordable artist housing, and a main street program - that have helped to turn a depressed, rural former mill town into a vibrant area that supports artists, businesses, and visitors.

Project Storefronts, a new initiative of the New Haven Department of Cultural Affairs, received NEFA's creative economy award for thoughtful project design, effective cross-sector partnerships with the Economic Development Corporation of New Haven (EDC), the City of New Haven's Office of Economic Development and Ninth Square property owner Related Properties, and clear impact on local artist entrepreneurs, real estate development, and community citizens.

My favorite moment of the award ceremony came when Robert McBride asked to take the mic and say a few words. He simply shared how excited he was and that when creative people are at the table together – creative solutions result. When whiny people are at the table together – whiny solutions result. So true, Robert, so true! I have a feeling that like me, most D4S readers would love to have a seat at Robert’s table and/or have him sitting at ours.

And finally, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman (who also was in attendance in North Adams) offered some food for thought at the conclusion of the luncheon. I’ve posted the video of his remarks here so that D4S readers can feel as though they, too, were a part of the day.

It was a really neat event, and I applaud my NEFA colleagues Nella Young, Dee Schneidman, and Adrienne Petrillo for this humungous undertaking (as well as their Berkshire Creative collaborators, the presenters, and the tremendously helpful staff at MASS MoCA).

While I may not have found “The Heather on the Hill” en route to North Adams, what I did stumble upon once there was pretty great, too.

A Must-See Marriage Proposal for Fans of Public Art…

2011-06-01T14:28:00.002-04:00

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit to having a serious case of wedding on the brain and it’s likely going to be that way until September - when Dave and I return from our honeymoon. There is an endless stream of fun tasks to accomplish between now and then: payments and plans to make, thank you notes to write, desserts to pick out, dances to practice, and so on and so forth.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve tried to approach the realities of wedding planning with the same excited verve I might put into the orchestration of an amazing public art project. But whereas I was referring to a mindset, apparently there are folks out there who are marrying these two concepts, quite literally and quite well.

Check out this amazing video that documents the creation/execution of a fantastic marriage proposal via public art. If a mural chock full of personal references was how this guy popped the question, I can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve for the wedding vows!

A special thanks to Lauren Winsor for sharing this completely adorable and apropos video with me today!

PS – I wouldn’t trade Dave’s perfect proposal for anything. Curious? You can read about it here…

May Has Been a Little Busy...

2011-05-24T20:42:00.000-04:00

…but in the very near future I hope to post dazzling entries about such topics as Liz Keithline’s musings on “Smarter, Faster, Higher” and “A Tool is a Mirror” at the Danforth Museum; a fun, educational encounter with Laura Baring-Gould and the “Clapp Pear” in Dorchester; my experience helping to facilitate NEFA’s Creative Communities Exchange in North Adams, MA; my impressions of MASS MoCA and the exhibitions currently on view in that amazing space; a little advert for the Public Art Dialogue Journal’s first issue; a beautiful family wedding shower at Chamard Vineyards; and a fun new Party Pop enterprise sweeping Fairfield County, CT…

All these stories and more will be coming to D4S shortly. So, stay tuned my friends and in the meantime, make sure you stop and smell the roses - or in this case, the peonies…

(Image courtesy of Sarah True...Bouquet by Hana Floral Design)

I’ve decided to apply for a grant...

2011-05-11T22:19:00.000-04:00

Here’s the deal - The Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant Program currently is accepting applications from arts bloggers and I’m going to put Dress for Sports in the running. I’m sharing a description of the grant within this post because I’m hoping that D4S readers can help me determine how to put my best foot forward.

As part of the overall application, each blogger must provide the URL for her/his website and send a PDF containing the blog’s top 5 posts (or, to put it another way, the 5 entries that best exemplify the criteria outlined below).

If you were in my shoes (neon pink Converse, remember)…which 5 would you choose?

The Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant Program supports writers whose work addresses contemporary visual art through grants issued directly to individual authors. The first program of its kind, it was founded in recognition of both the financially precarious situation of arts writers and their indispensable contribution to a vital artistic culture.

The Arts Writers Grant Program issues awards for articles, blogs, books, new and alternative media, and short-form writing. It aims to support the broad spectrum of writing on contemporary visual art, from general-audience criticism to academic scholarship.

Through all its grants, regardless of topic or category type, the Arts Writers Grant Program strives to honor and encourage writing about art

● that is rigorous, passionate, eloquent, and precise;

● in which a keen engagement with the present is infused with an appreciation of the historical;

● that is neither afraid to take a stand nor content to deliver authoritative pronouncements, but serves rather to pose questions and to generate new possibilities for thinking about, seeing, and making art;

● that is sensitive to both the importance and difficulty of situating aesthetic objects within their broader social and political contexts;

● that does not dilute or sidestep complex ideas but renders accessible their meaning and value;

● that creatively challenges the limits of existing conventions without valorizing novelty as an end in itself.

The Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant is spearheaded by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts as part of its broader Arts Writing Initiative and is administered by the Creative Capital Foundation.

A FAST Evening at MIT...

2011-05-09T13:16:00.000-04:00

Last night, Dave and I took a quick trip over to the MIT campus to participate in the final, illumination-themed evening of their Festival of Art + Science + Technology. With installations by both professors and students dotting the green spaces, hallways, and riverfront of the university – there was a nice sense of energy and light in the air over in Cambridge. I’ve included below some photos, links, and descriptions highlighting our favorite works:

Measuring Happiness Through Smiles…

Javier Hernandez and M. Ehsan Hoque, graduate students of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT’s School of Architecture, believe that happiness can be measured in smiles. Isn’t that fun? Thanks to the strategic placement of live-feed cameras throughout campus, Hernandez and Hoque are able to gather, analyze, and display evidence about the overall mood of their colleagues throughout the university.

Using smiles as their equivalent of a sunny disposition, the two researchers set out to shine a spotlight on “how our own smiles can positively affect the surrounding environment and to assess how friendly MIT might appear as a community. The dynamic, real-time information may help with answers to questions such as ‘Do midterms lower the mood?’, ‘Does warmer weather lead to happiness?’, and Are people from one department happier than others?’”

And, well, if smiles are both a barometer and a goal, their mode of inquiry absolutely renders grins contagious. We loved this piece, as you can tell from the photo above. (Hint, I’m wearing a bright red jacket and purple scarf…)

For more information about the project (and quotes like the one above) visit the MIT Mood Meter website.

SOFT Rocking…

I know firsthand the aggravation that comes with the realization that a portable electronic device (phone, laptop, etc.) is low on battery power. A frantic hunt ensues, one that sends people running for outlets before all connections are lost. If only our public spaces could be filled with relaxing rocking pods that would simultaneously soothe our nerves as well as our drained technological instruments.

Enter the MIT SOFT Rockers, “smart, clean energy charging stations disguised as outdoor rocking lounge furniture. Unlike conventional ‘hard’ urban infrastructure, The SOFT Rocker leverages its environment in a dynamic manner by using the human power of balance to create an interactive 1.5 axis 35 watt solar tracking system. Soft power electronics designed for this project charge the 12 ampere-hour battery and store solar energy harvested during the day. Put your body weight in play with an interactive, real time energy harvesting feedback loop that senses how you orient the rocker to the sun. Charge or run any USB device from speakers to cell phones and bring your friends to enjoy cool lighting loops at night for social gatherings…The SOFT Rocker blurs distinctions between pleasure and work and recasts power generation as an integrated and distributed public activity rather than a centralized, singular off-site project of ‘engineering’.”

For more information, photos, and videos about the SOFT Rockers and the creative team behind this installation (headed by MIT Professor of the Practice of Architecture, Sheila Kennedy) visit the FAST Light website.

Glowin’ on the River…

Last fall, a friend of mine sent me an article from a Philadelphia newspaper that described a really cool temporary light installation along the Schuylkill River that he thought would be right up my alley. He was spot on. After doing a little online research, I discovered the piece was created by MIT Associate Professor of Architecture J. Meejin Yoon and I held out hope that she might one day re-install this luminous work in the Charles River. Imagine my delight, then, when I found out Light Drift was to be part of FAST Light this weekend!

According to the artist’s description on the FAST Light website, “LIGHT DRIFT is an interactive lighting installation that will appear along the Memorial Drive side of the Charles River and draw viewers into a playful engagement with the artwork, the river’s edge, and each other. Ninety brightly glowing orbs in the river will change color as they react to the presence of people along the shore.

The lighting elements are shaped like orbs or buoys and are equipped with electronics that allow them to respond to a viewer and to communicate with each other. The orbs on land use sensors to detect the presence of a person and relay a radio signal to the corresponding orbs in the water, allowing visitors to transform the array of orbs in the river. As viewers engage the orbs, the grid of lights in the water becomes an index of the activities on land. Multiple viewers can create intersections of linear patterns, encouraging viewers to “play” with each other. These orbs bring the community together by providing gathering spaces for watching the river turned into a flickering constellation of a field of lights and creating new connections on the river’s edge.”

It was great fun watching the public interact with this piece, take photographs, and transform this area of the riverfront normally relegated to pass-by experiences into a space for social interaction.

I also couldn’t help but think how perfect Light Drift would be in Providence - especially on a WaterFire evening. It would showcase the kind of participatory community engagement that WaterFire strives to promote while also extending the spirit of the fires down to the lonelier section of the river just past Hemenway’s Restaurant and the Dyer Street Dock.

Since my wish for a Boston installation came true, maybe with a little luck Light Drift will find its way to Providence, too…

A Moonwalk MashUp at the Museum of Science, Boston…

2011-05-07T18:10:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday evening I attended the most incredible event at the Museum of Science, Boston; one that encouraged attendees to come dressed in their finest “moon-wear” so as to better experience a cosmic-themed story slam and a screening of Moonwalk – an experimental film by Clea T. Waite – in the museum’s new planetarium.

Self-portrait in the museum's bathroom mirror!

With a challenge like that on the invite, I headed straight for my closet to see if there was anything that would qualify as being out-of-this-world enough. Oh, and just before I started rummaging through Dave’s drawers, too, I called him to see if he had any t-shirts that might have space invaders or references to aliens on them (which, unfortunately he didn’t). Determined to make something work, I grabbed a Lady Gaga-esque tiny hat that I purchased at H&M last year, pinned a giant star brooch on it and figured it could pass as a celestial fascinator in honor of the Royal Wedding. (And, would you believe, I didn’t get nearly as many odd looks from my fellow public transportation travelers as I anticipated. Thank you, high-styled ladies of London!)

As I reclined in my comfy, star-gazing chair, I tried to remember the last time I was in a planetarium. Suffice it to say - it was many, many years ago. But as soon as the lights went out, I felt the familiar wonder of the experience. I was mesmerized by the beauty of our galaxy and couldn’t help but recall the majesty that Dave, my brother, and I witnessed together in Mali under the grand canopy of the African sky.

I slipped in and out of this reverie as I listened to six wildly different stories of space travel recited on site by the authors themselves (each of whom had answered the museum’s public call for participants a few weeks earlier). There was a story about Sputnik, who encountered a moon that fancied himself a stand-up comedian; a narrative of a night flotilla; an apologia for the awesomeness of Orion; a fairy tale about a princess who wanted a wedding dress fashioned from the stars; a supposedly true story about two little boys who swore never to mention the alien aircraft they saw in the night sky several decades ago; and a guide to fabricating a planet in twelve simple steps.

The highly entertaining story-tellers were a fun introduction to Moonwalk, described in the evening’s program as “an immersive computer animation composed of found footage, astronomical photographs, sound bites, poems, stories, and drawings; a history of humanity’s scientific and allegorical relationship with the Moon. The film characterizes our placid heavenly neighbor as a living, scintillating force. Stemming from the countless photos that comprise lunar atlases, the Moon shatters into pieces, and then rebuilds itself. Moonwalk reminds us of the Moon’s ubiquity, compelling us to reconstruct our own personal history of the Moon. The film won the IBM Innovation Prize in 2007, and has been shown in full-dome planetariums around the world.”

(Images found via the artist's website)

As I watched the film in this stunning planetarium, I found my mind wandering to think about how I might shape my own narrative of the moon. What would that look like? And, because my background is not in the sciences, I have a feeling my version would be much less rooted in authentic lunar discovery and imagery, and more focused on fiction - with plenty of nods to pop-culture and the history of art. It would pull from movies like Star Wars and Space Balls; shows like the X-Files and Fringe; artworks by Rauschenberg and Rosenquist; songs like Moon River, Dancing in the Moonlight, and Walking on the Moon (some of which were also present in Waite's film); and famous lines from the likes of the Honeymooners alongside beloved children’s book phrases, illustrations, and nursery rhymes…

I see the moon

and the moon sees me

The moon sees the somebody I'd like to see.

God bless the moon

and God bless me

God bless the somebody I'd like to see!

All of this creative, happy hooking of thought was made possible thanks to the foundation laid that night by both the storytellers and the filmmaker. The entire evening was a blast (pun intended) and representative of another exciting collision of art, science, and technology at the Museum of Science, Boston. I look forward to the next installment of their “When Science Meets Art” series, for I have so enjoyed the stellar perspective (again, pun totally intentional) I continue to take away from these experiences.

Brainstorming about Public Art on the Greenway...

2011-05-06T13:25:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday evening, I spent a little time with members of the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Board, staff, and Greenway Leadership Council at a meeting whose main agenda item was a conversation about public art.

Invited by Director of Public Programs and Outreach, Kate Gilbert - I gave a short presentation highlighting a few of my favorite temporary public artworks from the past few years in the hopes that the stories and images might set the stage for a room-wide brainstorming session about the kinds of projects the Greenway might like to pursue in the future.

I specifically chose examples that were in keeping with the spirit and layout of the Greenway space, many of which also have been featured in past D4S posts.

Matt Conti, editor of NorthEndWaterfront.com, was there videotaping the proceedings and I’ve included below three of his video excerpts that capture the presentations and subsequent discussion (along with every single cringe-worthy “um” that came out of my mouth!).

All kidding aside, it was a wonderful beginning to what no doubt will be a thoughtful and exciting exploration of public art on the Greenway. Kudos to those affiliated with the Greenway for seizing this moment; I was honored to be a part of it and look forward to all the next steps.

"In this first video, Kate Gilbert, Conservancy Director of Programs & Public Outreach, reviews the short history and current state of public art on the Greenway parks."

"Consulting for the Greenway Conservancy is Mary M. Tinti, who updates the group on notable public art installations in the video below. Ms. Tinti also writes a blog called Dress for Sports."

"As part of the public art discussion shown in the video below, Nancy Schön, provides her perspective and experience having created several prominent public sculptures including the famous Boston Public Garden’s “Make Way for Ducklings.”"

Anne Krinsky: A Provisional Space…

2011-05-02T12:02:00.000-04:00

I’ve had a great year so far as NEFA’s Public Art Fellow. Hands down, one of the best perks of this gig is getting to meet talented artists of all kinds and familiarizing myself with the people and processes behind the work.

Anne Krinsky and I were introduced back in January (at one of NEFA’s Public Art Discussion Series events) and I was delighted to reconnect with her last Wednesday at Soprafina Gallery, where her most recent show “Anne Krinsky: A Provisional Space” was on display for the month of April.

I had explored Krinsky’s paintings on her website back in January and again prior to my visit, but, as is always the case with visual art, nothing compares to a real life, close encounter.

Upon walking into the South End gallery on that most sunny of spring afternoons, I immediately was taken with the colors that surrounded me, for Krinsky’s palate is a wonderful mixture of soft hues – loads of them – that simultaneously warm and cool the space they occupy. I’ve had the Adriatic on my mind lately and for me, the colors within these non-figurative paintings conjure visions of pastel boat hulls, turquoise waters, and sun baked terracotta roofs. As such, they are a most welcome sight after a long and dreary Boston winter.

Krinsky’s abstract works are a mélange of attractively organized patterns, textures, and grids – some on Mylar, some on panel - each marked with a variety of different artistic instruments ranging from crayon to brush. While her gestures, colors, and overall composition make for very pretty paintings, their beauty does not come at the expense of their depth – for Krinsky is deeply connected to the sites in and about which she paints. There are personal references and traces of interesting experiences in each mark, in each abstract decision - and she uses the influences of her site in visually arresting ways.

Whether she takes as inspiration the vistas, colors, bright whites, and delicate tiles remembered from a recent trip to Tunisia; prominent and unique architectural details (like that of a particularly notable carriage door discovered while she was an artist in residence at the Rocky Neck Art Colony in Gloucester, MA last September) or the unusual interplay of light and shadow that filtered into her Rocky Neck studio - Krinsky imbues her abstractions with tangible, accessible, suggestions of forms. She also is unafraid to mine (and ultimately rework and re-purpose) elements from previous paintings – a decision that lends several more layers of interpretive history and possibility to her art.

Krinsky has used grids for years, but she updates and manipulates them according to that which catches her eye throughout her daily experience. While certainly recognizable, her grids are really more like calming, orderly, structures than they are rigid, limiting partitions. As such, they underscore the planned aspects of Krinsky’s paintings and provide a subtle commentary on the organization implicit in the perceived chaos of her highly appealing abstractions. And they invite viewers to connect freely and individually with the multiple associations these very careful configurations of color, line, and texture can conjure in us all.

(The images on this page are used courtesy of the artist.

For titles, dimensions, and an archive of related work, please visit the artist's website).

Voices Without Faces, Voices Without Races…

2011-04-26T00:51:00.007-04:00

A few Fridays ago I had a chance catch up and have a beer with Halsey Burgund, whose sound installation - SCAPES - at the deCordova so impressed me last fall. A lot has happened since we first walked the sculpture park grounds together and traded stories of our personal art pursuits back in October. Not surprisingly, Burgund has been hard at work on a number of exciting proposals and projects - one of which is currently on view at the Museum of Science, Boston.

It’s hard not to be immediately intrigued by Voices Without Faces, Voices Without Races, for race is an endlessly fascinating, complex and highly charged subject in our society. And, while my generation likes to think we’re beyond issues of race, the reality is we’re not – those issues and their legacy are ever-present, in all segments of our country, and they often run deeper than we know. As a result, Burgund’s approach to the topic is appropriately multivalent and full of relevant resonances from beginning to end and over again.

The installation can be thought of as a specially commissioned companion piece to “Race: Are We So Different?” – a traveling exhibit on view at the Museum of Science through May 15th. Culling from such disciplines as history, medicine, sociology, ethnography, psychology, science, and art; the exhibition seeks to address and mitigate our uncertainties about race and is a wonderful, myth-busting approach to many of the stereotypes that pervade even the most basic discussions of racial difference.

As with all traveling shows, however, “Race: Are We So Different?” lacked any obvious local links; and the staff at the Museum of Science sought to remedy that deficiency. By commissioning Burgund to create an artwork that would complement the theme of the larger exhibit, they infused an already provocative presentation with powerful regional references - and took a bold, much appreciated step towards conveying how science, history, and art can be used in tandem to elucidate important societal truths.

With the help of a few MOS interview teams, Burgund set out to record the voices of over 200 people living along the Route 28 corridor (a single road with vastly different pockets of communities - all on the same street). The idea was to get participants of all ages and races – new immigrants and long-time residents alike - talking about their neighborhoods, their personal histories, their hardships, their triumphs and their hopes for the future. Burgund took those recordings, hours upon hours of newly shared, first-person knowledge, and began to artistically shape those disparate outpourings into Voices Without Faces, Voices Without Races.

Occupying a room all its own on the floor directly above the main exhibition, Burgund’s installation invites visitors to privilege their ears over their eyes as tools through which to experience art. And what they’ll hear is an incredible collage of stories (two hundred and fifty, in fact) with excerpts of one woven on top of the next - all over the foundation of a carefully arranged musical score.

The voices weave in and out of one another – just in time to speak to a particular theme, remember a story, or share a present day observation before fading into the next. Each voice lingers long enough for the audience to really connect with the sentiments expressed by the speaker – without any preconceptions about his/her race, ethnicity, or age.

The result is a grand equalizer, one that values content above color and renders each voice essential and imperative. Those ideals are compounded by Burgund’s avoidance of a static audio loop. Because he wanted to create an authentic compilation – one that would and could change as often as real life conversations about race tend to do, Burgund created software that pulls out distinct voices and plays them back in unique sequences time after time. Thus, visitors will never hear the stories told in tandem with one another or a particular musical backdrop more than once. It’s never the same order, never the same music, and thus never the same juxtapositions of recorded ideas, sounds, or experience.

The musical backdrop provides a fluid home for these stories, while simultaneously reinforcing a sense of seriousness, depth, and calm in their telling. Burgund deftly uses lines within the music to mirror the tone of the topics in play. This reflection also can be found within the installation’s videos, deliberately designed to support the audio experience.

Because Burgund wanted to represent the physical landscape, distances, and diversity implicit along the Route 28 corridor, too, he embarked – quite literally – on a journey with Francois de Costerd, who filmed (and subsequently edited) their road trip from the Cape up towards Methuen to provide a three channel video accompaniment to Burgund’s audio environment. Burgund was so in tune with this fidelity, in fact, that he went so far as to mathematically incorporate physical characteristics – like the length of a city block or the time it took to traverse a particular town – within the overall outline of the musical score.

As with the voices and the music, however, the geographies shown in the videos are never an exact match with the stories being told at any one time and they’re not meant to be. As such, they better allow visitors to look, listen, and ultimately notice things more by chance. The results are disjointed, but in an incredibly cohesive and effective way.

(Image found via the artist's website)

I’ve written before about the necessity of close listening – in life as well as in public art – and Burgund’s project magnifies that principle exponentially. It is by listening to others that we can begin to learn and understand more about ourselves and ensure that the future is a place where all voices, faces, and races receive the same opportunities on both sides of the museum walls.

Voices Without Faces, Voices Without Races is an affirmation of the arts of listening and intelligent inquiry, and a reminder that such arts might really be the key to a more just society.

Seasons of Love...Karoshi!

2011-04-22T21:56:00.003-04:00

So Dave and I caught up on some of our Thursday night shows while eating dinner this evening. Like a complete dork, I started crying at the end of “The Office.” Why, you ask? Because the send off the cast gave to Michael Scott was pure, heartfelt magic and it struck very close to home.

For those who didn’t see the episode, I’m including below some explanatory text from The Huffington Post, as well as a Hulu video clip of this wonderful farewell...

“In one of those well-earned TV moments where a sitcom gets to be as bittersweet as it is funny, the Dunder Mifflin team gave Michael an emotional send-off for his last Dundies, singing their own version of "Seasons of Love," from "Rent." You could imagine Michael Scott crafting such a moment in his own head a million times over, but never actually expecting it to happen.

The episode was written and directed by Mindy Kaling, who wrote the original Dundies episode, and is the penultimate in the "Michael Scott is leaving Dunder Mifflin" story arc. As is often the case when a beloved character leaves a show that will continue without him, the televised goodbyes often nudge at the fourth wall, becoming real life goodbyes to the actor, and that's certainly the case here.

Michael's last words to the camera kind of say everything that needs to be said.”

Within seconds of watching this moment unfold, and hearing those ever-familiar and fabulous first bars of “Seasons of Love,” I was transported to the Sovereign Ballroom stage at WaterFire last summer – when my co-workers (who are dear friends) gave me a similar, unforgettable tribute. (For the full description, see the D4S post entitled Everything's Coming Up Roses...).

I am as moved by it today as I was last August. And with the start of the 2011 WaterFire season right around the corner, I wanted to take a minute to say thanks again, guys. Karoshi!

Of Easter, Pirates, and Superheroes…

2011-04-22T09:35:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, a great little boy named Michael Brennan celebrated his third birthday. His mom (my friend MaryAnne) planned a weekend of D4S-esque activities for her sons that were about running around with friends, hanging out with family and well, just enjoying being a kid.

She posted photos of the pirates and princesses party that she and another mom hosted for their playgroup – where each kid came dressed up as the pirate or princess of their choice and chased each other around the beach for a few hours before enjoying their birthday cupcakes. She also shared some images of their family party – to which her sister, nephew, and cousin came dressed in batman t-shirts and Michael, Patrick and their parents proudly wore the symbols of superman on theirs.

I loved looking at these photos and the pure joy on the faces of these little boys. And I had to laugh a little because when I thought about it, this is exactly the kind of weekend that Dave would want, too. I mean seriously…pirates and superheroes. Whether your 3 or 33, how can you go wrong?

And so, as I trolled the aisles of target this week in search of the perfect 2011 egg-coloring kit - I, of course, had to grab the one that included pirate stickers and a grayish dye that made the eggs look like rocks. What these details have to do with Easter, I have no idea; but Dave and I had a blast dying this year’s eggs and trying to one-up each other with some pretty peculiar color combinations.

While I may have won the Star Wars battle of 2010, this year – Dave definitely won the pirate war. Happy Easter…

Nothing Says Spring Like Neon Pink Converse…

2011-04-18T15:42:00.001-04:00

Spring is finally in the air in Boston! With Easter (and then, dare I say it…SUMMER) just around the corner, I am seizing the spirit of the season and trading in my winter blacks for some much needed bursts of color.

This time last year (and the year before), I remember going out in search of a trusty, but funky, pair of light weight black sneakers - because wearing all-black from head to toe is a spring/summer requirement for WaterFire staffers (who are in and out of the shadows all night long).

But 2011 is a new year, folks, and it dawned on me today that my feet deserve a change of pace this spring, too. And what could be more fun, more D4S, than hot pink Chucks?!?!
Cue the smiles…

Snuggling Up at The Duck & Bunny…

2011-04-13T16:07:00.001-04:00

I love cool coffee/dessert places. In high school, P. Gordon’s was the place to see and be seen. In grad school, the West End Café and the Dish Café were my haunts of choice. While working at WaterFire, I would sneak off to LaSalle Bakery most afternoons to savor one of their giant chocolate chip cookies. And now, in Boston, the Thinking Cup – with its decadent French hot chocolate and scrumptious cherry scones - has been known to lure me from the office from time to time.

While on a recent mid-week trip to Providence, I finally had the chance to cuddle up to the Duck & Bunny - a self-dubbed “snuggery” tucked inside the first floor of a charming house on Wickenden Street. Without question, the coffee, salads, crepes and sweets served up by this establishment are phenomenal; but what truly sold me on sending some D4S love to the D&B were the mad cute paintings decorating the walls of this tres chic and stylish shop.

(All photos found via the D&B website, where they are credited to Jay Gidwitz)

Taking as inspiration the art historical masterpieces of such painters as Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Seurat, Degas, van Eyck, and more; the D&B has painted ducks and bunnies into each of these witty and wonderful works. Sometimes the presence of these critters is subtle, and sometimes it is more central - but either way, this head nod to the history of art totally works and is a very sassy reinterpretation of the canon, indeed.

In fact, I think the inclusion of these slightly re-worked paintings within an already gorgeous décor speaks volumes. It not only signals an appreciation for the visual arts; it simultaneously suggests that the Duck & Bunny intends to be an important fixture for quite some time, too.

With its adorable interior and delicious eats, I’d say their brazen equivalence is spot on.

Reflections on Public Art in Boston…

2011-04-09T22:12:00.002-04:00

On Friday, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum played host to a discussion featuring a brief, but stimulating, lecture by Jennifer McGregor - Senior Curator at Wave Hill in the Bronx - and an exchange of ideas surrounding the state of public art in Boston.

It was the latest gathering of the Contemporary Curators Group, kick-started last fall as a means to bring together contemporary curators from across the region for some good, old fashioned project sharing and laid-back schmoozing. And, since the theme of this particular gathering was Public Art, the curators graciously reached out to those in the community who are genre enthusiasts and movers + shakers, too.

I’ve been in Boston for a little while now, and I’ve made a habit of listening (and I mean really listening) to the artists and public art administrators I’ve encountered. This act of close listening is one promoted by such public art world icons Mary Jane Jacob and Anne Pasternak and never fails to produce thoughtful results.

From the artists – I’ve been hearing a profound yearning for opportunities to create big-budget, site-specific temporary (or permanent) projects right here in their own backyards. I’ve also learned of their honest frustrations with what they see as a scarcity of local calls for their particular talents; and that when such calls do go out, they often offer too little money, indicate a preference for existing work, and require a rapid turn around time between the proposal and installation phases.

From the administrators – I’ve been hearing similar exasperations. They are frustrated not to be able to offer more money, not to be able to utilize the spaces of our city to the fullest, and they desire to get beyond all the outdated percent for art lamentations that seem to swirl around conversations of public art. Having said that, they are extremely proud of the work that is being done in neighborhoods from Jamaica Plain to East Boston and well they should be. For there is no shortage of fruitful community collaborations yielding beloved murals and memorials currently dotting that same geography.

Still, the frustrations expressed by both entities are realities in our city. To speak of them is not to undermine the accomplishments of those who are creating, administering, and promoting wonderful projects in communities throughout greater Boston; but rather to keep seeding the idea that there is both the need and potential for more robust, well-financed, expertly curated, monumental public art projects in our public spaces. And that is a conversation that must continue.

As D4S readers well know, I am a dedicated champion of all kinds of public art gestures, especially in and around my own neighborhood. I advocate taking the high road and shunning negativity at every turn. But at the same time, I caution us not to be satisfied with the status quo. Let us be confident and visionary enough to strive for a spectrum of public art projects that can be as big, bold, innovative and daring as our imaginations allow – on the Greenway, in the Seaport District, along the Harborwalk, and everywhere else.

I encourage all developers in the region to think about the current state of public art in our city. They have the financial means to fund artworks that can make a big splash in our public spaces and show the citizens of Boston what it’s like to live in a place where exceptional public art is not just discussed in the abstract, but instead made manifest.

And I look forward to the day when those developers rush to consult the very contemporary curators who gathered together at the deCordova on Friday so that the outstanding museums in our region can help lead the charge to render our parkscapes and walkways incubators for art and creativity in the public realm.

The energy is high right now in Boston. Let’s harness that dynamism and see where it takes us…

An African Masterpiece a la Aldo…

2011-04-09T20:13:00.000-04:00

My brother is home. He wrote an amazing love letter to Mali before he left and posted it to Facebook as he said his goodbyes to his extended African family (many of whom he may never see again) and boarded his plane to the states…

Dear Mali,

You are more vast, various, unrelenting, terrifying and beautiful than anything anyone could ever write about you. Thanks for everything, but most of all, thanks for reminding me that compassion is the purest of all virtues and that happiness is only real when shared. It's been real.

In the meantime, my father was putting the finishing touches on a special carving to celebrate Peter’s pending arrival.

He had spent weeks thinking about the design before deciding on precisely this particular way of highlighting Mali within the African continent and exactly this shade of shimmering blue for its vast oceanic backdrop.

I’m completely biased, but I think it’s pretty fab. Great job, Dad!

Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral...

2011-04-03T21:51:00.000-04:00

I’ve had music on my mind lately. Not just any music, of course, but the kind of music I remember loving to play as part of the concert, symphonic, jazz and pep bands in which I participated both in high school and college.

This trip down my musical memory lane was prompted by a desire to pinpoint a few songs I’d love to have played at our wedding reception this summer. From there, I branched out to consider some of the arrangements it might be nice to feature during our ceremony - an exercise which instantly had me recalling my great affinity for "Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral" by Wagner.

I remember sitting in the trombone section of the Providence College concert band as though it was yesterday; and being completely blown away the first time we rehearsed this song. I knew nothing of the opera, Lohengrin, for which it was written - but I did know how it felt to be among my fellow enthusiastic band nerds and breathe life into this gorgeous piece of music.

For many of the musicians (including trombonists like myself), there was a lot of resting required, but the absence of intricate note triplets on our sheet music meant that we could sit back and appreciate the slow layering of what would eventually become the quintessential translation of both anticipation and arrival.

The power, immediacy, and declarative force of the brass sections towards the conclusion of this piece are about as close to pure sonic joy as one can get. (And I hold it in the same esteem as Handel’s "Hallelujah" chorus or, say, Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma”).

Listen…

…right around the 5:20 mark through to the end…I mean, come on! What better prelude to a bride’s entrance on her wedding day?

15 years ago, I vowed to myself that when it came time for me to marry the man I love - I, too, would process to the church to this very tune. Now that the day is fast approaching, I’ve had a slight change of heart....I prefer to rely upon the wonderful live organ and vocal skills of Mr. Frank Macari of St. Anthony of Padua Church, rather than employ a recording of a symphonic favorite (which, frankly, may or may not be a little too bombastic for the occasion).

But I relish "Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral" as much today as I did in my sophomore year at PC. And am grateful to have so many artistic, cultural, and spiritual touchstones through which to enjoy with Dave the richness (and madness) that is the prelude to a wedding…

Vexed in Fort Point...

2011-03-23T23:14:00.001-04:00

"What is art? What is the utility of art? What is the moral responsibility of art? Is it to challenge or to hold back? Is there a universal moral to define what is right and what is not? Vexed is not intended to answer those questions but to stimulate reflection and dialogue through the arts. Vexed body of work is composed by local and international artists resident in Midway Studios – works that are consciously too far to be neutral. Vexed is the necessary and revolutionary progression of the art activity in the Fort Point area. Art needs to be alive and sharpened and Vexed tries to achieve this."

“Sincerity can generate a lot of enemies but it also consolidates friendship, promotes creativity and establishes honesty. Not only should art be free, it should also help free the mind of society.”

The questions detailed in the artists’ statement above are but a few of the thoughtful queries addressed in, or suggested by, the participants of Vexed – an unusual Fort Point exhibition featuring provocative work by a like-minded group of Midway Studios artists.

I use the word “unusual” here simply because this show evidences the first time I’ve witnessed this kind of collective, edgy desire among artists in the neighborhood to speak truth to power in all kinds of socially and politically conscious ways.

And it was both a welcome and well-curated sight.

Whether they were driven by issues of oppression (related to religion, gender, sexuality, nationality, race, etc.), mass-consumerism, technological obsolescence, censorship, fear-mongering, or a personal mantra to “create fearlessly” – these vexed artists open the door for some pretty pointed and honest discussions of the troubles of our times. Oh, and the artworks through which they transmit these ideas are a fascinating lot, too.

As D4S readers know, art can serve many exceptional purposes. And it is perhaps at its most valuable when it functions as a conduit for constructive conversation.

The works of Liliana Folta, Milan Kohout, Michael Tyrrell, Nathan Evans, Cesar Baez, and Iván Fernández “Coyote” do just that. And so, by way of a symbolic demonstration that is also in keeping with the spirit of Vexed, I have included below a series of photos that hint at the artworks in this exhibition but do not reveal them in their entirety…

Because nothing is more vexing than the false assumption that a mediated art experience yields the same results as a first-person communion…

(Images from top to bottom: Iván Fernández “Coyote”, Cesar Baez, Nathan Evans,

Michael Tyrrell (2), Liliana Folta (3), Milan Kohout)

The 2011 Southie St. Paddy's Day Parade...

2011-03-21T09:42:00.000-04:00

Last year it rained. I mean, it seriously poured. From sunrise to sunset, the skies opened right over Southie - sending forth a steady stream of messy weather that completely thwarted everyone's St. Patrick's Day Parade plans.

It was to be my first parade experience in Southie and I had been told I was in for quite a sight. Well, it turns out I had to wait a year to fully comprehend what "quite a sight" meant, but 2011 certainly delivered on that promise but big time.

By Saturday afternoon, street parking for residents in the neighborhood had become scarce as weekend partying transplants drove in and nabbed even the most undesired spots in anticipation of their Irish-themed benders. By the wee hours of Sunday morning, there was a strange mix of tradition, history, local politics, music, spring break, and Jersey Shore in the air (complete with a Rosie the Riveter/Sarah Palin look alike and a UFO wrestler sporting a "Bam! You're Pregnant" t-shirt) - and it all seemed to coalesce along East and West Broadway in the form of Southie's St. Paddy's Day parade.

As D4S readers may remember, I love a good parade (and you can reference my post from July 21, 2010 for the delicious evidence of that fact). Perhaps it's because I'm still relatively new in town, but I have to admit that yesterday's spectacle in Southie (and, for example, the scarcity of Irish dancers) left me nothing short of confused. So, rather than try and explain the amalgam of sights, sounds, and smells we took in - I thought it best to let my images do the talking...Sláinte!

An Afternoon at the Framers’ Workshop…

2011-03-20T12:34:00.003-04:00

Last summer, when my brother was home on vacation from Mali, Dave and I hosted a little South Boston rooftop barbecue in his honor. It was shortly after our engagement and we were psyched to be able to celebrate with Peter (who still had 9 months to go in Bamako) and a few of our mutual friends, reminisce about Mali, and catch him up on all the pop-culture gems he had missed since he’d been gone.

Andrea, Timbre, and baby Nate Bernard led the nostalgia charge with a hilarious Jonas Brothers gift bag for Peter filled with every American candy imaginable, before turning the tables on us - and presenting me and Dave with a most generous, thoughtful, and perfectly poignant surprise engagement gift...

You see, when Dave and I were in Mali visiting Pete in early 2010, we brought home a beautiful fabric artwork that we’d been meaning to have framed for months. (The story behind this panel is really quite amazing and can be found in a previous D4S post entitled “A Chance Encounter with Sidiki Traoré…”). We had shown Timbre and Andrea the piece on a previous occasion and simply were keeping it rolled up and stored on a shelf until we could figure out what to do with it.

Well, that evening, the Bernard’s gave us an engagement card filled with a gift certificate to the Framers’ Workshop so that we could spend an afternoon custom framing our beloved treasure and add yet another chapter to its story. It was a phenomenal gift and Dave and I simply were blown away.

And...I’m pleased to report that after a very long and blustery winter, we finally made it over to the Framers’ Workshop yesterday to put the finishing touches on our find. We brought with us another small piece which needed to be re-framed and set out on a fabulous pre-spring Saturday adventure at the Framers' Workshop.

The beauty of this particular store is that the experience can be as hands on as you like it. We arrived with our artwork and instantly were in the good hands of Dan, who chatted with us about our framing options, showed us some samples, and sent us on our way to a work station at the back of the store where our materials would be brought to us and we’d be shepherded through the framing process step-by-step.

Giddy with anticipation – we couldn’t help snapping a few photos as John came over to show us the tricks of the framing trade and troubleshoot some of the more unique aspects of our project (ie a large, hollowed out gourd that the artist had attached to the fabric panel and the uneven edges of its not-exactly rectangular shape).

When all was said and done, we had two beautiful works of art that finally had the frames they so deserved. And, we had spent a super fun Saturday afternoon together putting some of our own handiwork into the endeavor.

Thanks to the Bernards for their friendship, for their truly remarkable engagement present (which made possible the stretching and framing of our Sidiki Traoré piece) and for introducing us to the Framers’ Workshop where the staff is exceedingly knowledgeable, crafty, laid-back, and cool; and the creative energy in the room is palpable.

Thanks, too, to Dan and John for helping us ready our artwork for proud display in our home. We can't wait to go back and frame some of our future finds!

A Night at the Fights...

2011-03-15T08:06:00.002-04:00

How often do fans of live theatre get a chance to peek behind the curtain and learn all the tricks of the on-stage combat trade from seasoned, crazy-talented fight masters?

Well, Dave and I had just that experience on Saturday night when we attended one of the final performances of the GAMM Theatre’s “A Night at the Fights” starring Normand Beauregard, Jim Beauregard, and none-other than our friend (and my former WaterFire colleague) Paul “PK” Kochanek!

A mixture of lecture; humorous and lively demonstrations; and plenty of fascinating illusions sensitive to both history and the art of storytelling alike, “A Night at the Fights” left us ready to run home and practice our knaps (which, as we learned, are the mid-punch sounds that either the acting attacker or victim make to help the audience believe that contact has occurred. They can be produced by clapping hands or a slap of the chest, etc., but however those sounds are made, they are a critical part of the fight choreography on-stage).

We sat riveted as our three masters and commanders (or, dare I say…swashbucklers) made their way through explanations of hand-to-hand combat; battles with broadswords, epees, daggers, quarterstaffs, and hand guns – all the while underscoring how performer safety, the integrity of the director’s vision, and audience enjoyment are of utmost importance at all times. They even demonstrated the criticality of coordination and quick thinking by throwing in a phenomenal few minutes of juggling!

(Image found via the GAMM website)

Throughout this wonderfully entertaining and educational performance, I found myself remembering one of the comments Norm had shared early on in the evening…

I always love when artists and performers speak to the importance of live experience – or in this case, live theatre. To paraphrase Norm, there is something utterly magical about breathing in the same air as both the performers and your fellow audience members, in being totally and completely in the same moment at the same time as the strangers who are seated next to you.

It made me recall a previous D4S post in which I equated the communal airspace of Eddie Vedder’s unmistakable live chanting with the inhaling and exhaling suggested by a Richard Serra sculpture. Those kinds of universal moments can be grand equalizers, and such art – whether it be musical, sculptural, or theatrical – is vital to helping us remember we are all part of something much larger on this earth, and we indeed have timeless truths in common and countless stories to tell.

It was a great evening all around (complete with a fun, brilliantly executed cameo by Jessica Hill!) and I encourage D4S readers to take a look at the GAMM website so they can catch this show the next time it comes around (and take in a few excellent plays in the meantime, too).

I was delighted to be able to witness PK’s triumphant return to the stage after an 8 year hiatus and hope this will be the first of many fantastic productions in which he will play a starring role.

Break a leg, P Kitty!

Les Miserables and A Tale of Two Aldos…

2011-03-07T01:07:00.002-05:00

Early Sunday evening I stumbled upon a wonderful series on WGBH TV– a Les Miserables sing-in extraordinaire in celebration of the musical’s 25th anniversary. I instantly was riveted, for it’s been a while since I listened to my "Les Mis" soundtrack and it is still as it ever was – pure, unadulterated, chill-inducing magic.

I was blown away by the coincidence of my discovery, because it provided the perfect backdrop for one of my many tasks this evening: trying to come up with a song to which my dad and I could dance at my wedding. We’ve tried to brainstorm together and apart, but neither one of us can think of anything that sits quite right yet.

At a loss, I’d literally just begun going through some of my favorite musicals for inspiration (South Pacific, The Sound of Music, The King and I,…) and lo and behold there was Les Miserables on the television screen right before my eyes. (Unfortunately for me, neither Fantine nor Eponine’s story lines come close to being appropriate).

As I continued about my evening tasks, I let my mind wander in and out of the music and was taken with how timely the revolutionary anthems of this beautiful production are in relation to the events happening all over the globe right now.

And on a more personal level, I couldn’t help but be overcome when the following song was sung by no less than four Jean Valjeans at the end of the program…

It made me weep for the pending arrival of my brother home from Mali, simply because my parents have missed him so very much and have sent up similar prayers for quite some time. And it doubly touched a nerve in me tonight as we received some sad news from our Italian relatives that my father’s cousin Aldo Manieri had passed away.

My heart broke a little when my mom conveyed the loss and I only wished that I could reach through my computer and give my cousins Gianluca and Andrea ocean-crossing hugs right now. Like my father Aldo, their Aldo was the loveliest and kindest of men and all my prayers go out to them and to their dear mother, Iside - for this loss is deeply felt around the world.

It’s amazing to me that I would turn the channel to something so powerful as Les Miserables that evening, especially when I was foolishly resisting the urge to have a good cry.

Like incredible works of public sculpture, for example, excellent musicals have a way of inspiring and moving each individual who experiences them - all the while inviting their audiences to take an introspective look at the world around them and reflect upon the personal narratives they have chosen to create.

And sometimes, if you’re open to the possibility, such artistry can sneak up on you and give you a little dose of magic, sympathy, and hope when you feel as though you might need those qualities the most.

Wedding Planning…

2011-03-06T23:29:00.001-05:00

February escaped me. I returned from CAA with a series of galvanizing public art connections swirling in my head and an ambitious “to do” list that traversed both my professional and personal lives.

However, despite my good intentions - I’m a bit behind on, well, pretty much everything. And I and am only just digging out…that darn lion of March certainly roared but loud this year!

With 160 days left until the Rys/Tinti nuptials, much of the past two weeks has been spent seeing to various aspects of the big day. And with every email, every choice, and every possible piece of wedding-related minutia – it occurs to me that a wedding is in its own way a mad kind of participatory public art project, with an ungodly number of moving parts.

Thankfully, Dave and I have been swiftly and sweetly guided past many of the more paralyzing decisions at our feet by the wisdom, expertise and pitch-perfect taste of Sarah True (aka the ever-so-talented woman behind True Event). Sarah instantly honed in on our personalities, our lack of D-I-Y finesse, and our hopes for the day; and has helped us create a colorful and “oh-so-us” vision for our wedding that has a very D4S spirit.

She also steered us in the direction of several amazingly talented vendors, who each deserve a bit of early recognition for helping Dave and me navigate the worlds of photography, flowers, music, and make-up, respectively: Anna Sawin (Anna Sawin Photography), Yumiko Fletcher (Hana Floral Design), DJ Renzo (website coming soon!), and Lindsay Milan (Jennie Fresa Beauty Library). Thanks guys!

My mom and I made several great discoveries of our own as well. We are thrilled to be working with charismatic Christine Perusse of The New Haven Lawn Club, are delighted to have found the fashion flair of Angel Rox for the ladies of the wedding party (thanks to the fabulous style advice of all at the Catherine H. boutique in Milford, CT), and are grateful to Gail at The Write Approach for showing us the way to a wedding invitation suite that suits us just right.

Slowly but surely, the details of the day are falling into place. And I am ever mindful of how I can’t wait to marry Dave – the best guy I know; how I can’t wait to watch my father enjoy this long-awaited event with his little chickie; how I can’t wait for my brother to come home for good next month and usher in a new era for the Tinti family; and how I can’t wait for my mom to belt out her favorite songs at St. Anthony’s and bop her socks off at our reception.

March may have come a little too quickly, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t long for August…

(An original whittling by Aldo A. Tinti to mark our engagement)

The 2011 CAA Recap…

2011-02-23T21:31:00.003-05:00

Without question, the 2011 College Art Association conference in NYC was my favorite to date. Sprinkled with Public Art Dialogue related activities; reunion gatherings with grad school friends and professors; and a whole range of coincidental connections - the entire four day event was an energizing vortex of professional networking and genuine, “so glad to see you” sightings.

Good things happened for the PAD journal, too – including the first annual convening of our Editorial Board and a lovely (not to mention jam-packed) tea and scone reception courtesy of Routledge in their corner of the CAA book fair. Sample copies of the first issue were made available for interested scholars to browse in the hopes they would consider becoming both subscribers and future submitters. (I promise to gush further about the journal in March – once it is made widely available in print and online).

And on Friday evening, Creative Time’s Anne Pasternak was honored with this year’s PAD Lifetime Achievement Award in the field of Public Art.

(PAD Co-Chair Harriet F. Senie presents the PAD Lifetime Achievement award to Anne Pasternak)

On a personal note - I was delighted to have the excuse to reintroduce myself to Pasternak and thank her for some impromptu life advice she shared with me a few years ago…

Back in the spring of 2008, as I was readying myself for my Rutgers graduation, I took time out to attend a truly wonderful symposium at UMASS Amherst entitled, “Art in The Public Sphere: Singular Works, Plural Possibilities.” Pasternak was one of the panelists, as was Vito Acconci (whose public artwork at the Philadelphia International Airport was the focus of one of my dissertation chapters) and theirs was a discussion I did not want to miss.

Since I was pounding the pavement pretty hard at the time to line up a job, and had assumed a very “what do I have to lose” attitude, I decided to approach Pasternak and see if she had any openings in her office. Worried I would lose my nerve, I wound up following her into the hallway en route to the bathroom and saying something like “I’m so sorry to introduce myself this way, but my name is Mary Tinti, I love Creative Time and public art, I’m finishing my Ph.D. at Rutgers and I need a job!” Without missing a beat (or looking at me like I had four heads) Pasternak congratulated me on my accomplishment and said I should never, ever apologize for networking. She continued by saying that men advocate for themselves all the time and women should do so more often. She instructed me to be unafraid “to be bold and brazen” and while there currently were no openings at Creative Time, she wished me lots of luck in my search.

It was but a quick moment, a blip of a conversation; but Pasternak’s words really struck a chord with me. They were a most powerful mantra to pass on to a budding art historian and I was tickled to be able to retell the story to her on this night at CAA.

Similarly, this year’s CAA conference proved a special occasion for several other excellent, accomplished women – like my RU advisor, Joan Marter, who was one of five women honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women’s Caucus for Art.

Singled out for her steadfast dedication to women artists, her many scholarly publications, and her unwavering efforts to educate the next generation of contemporary art historians at Rutgers University - Marter deserved every bit of this recognition and then some. So loved by her advisees, Marter was met with a standing ovation and gregarious cheering and applause from rows of her former students as she stepped up to the podium and accepted her award. It was a tremendous pleasure to be present with my RU colleagues to celebrate the accomplishments of a woman who continues to shape the careers of so many talented young ladies. Joan, we salute you!

(Joan Marter and her advisees)

(See what I mean, CAA was pretty great this year. I can’t wait to see what happens in LA in 2012!)

Will Ryman’s Roses can put a little Park Avenue spring in anyone's step…

2011-02-19T13:44:00.002-05:00

While in New York last week (when the weather was still lovely and mild), I had a chance to stroll along Park Avenue and check out Will Ryman’s ginormous, beautiful botanical sculptures dotting the median intersections from 57th – 67th streets.

“The Roses” is Ryman’s site specific take on a perfect Park Avenue winter installation – one that hints at the signature flower box displays that dress up the street in the spring and summer months, plays into New York’s reputation for being larger than life, and reminds its viewers of all the different viewpoints and perspectives possible in this one-of-a-kind city (both literally and metaphorically).

Part “Alice in Wonderland,” part “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and part “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” Ryman’s “The Roses” provides a welcome, quirky, visual respite from the dormant greenery and the dirt-stained snow normally found up and down the avenue this time of year. In some cases, his pink and red flowers soar to heights of 25 feet on their yellow stems (complete with lizard-like green thorns). And all have a curious cadre of spiders, ladybugs, bees, grasshoppers and other garden insects crawling in the folds of their petals.

When taken as a whole, the installation is an imaginative encapsulation of all the strange and wonderful juxtapositions that can be found in NYC. "The Roses" calls attention to the push and pull of man-made versus natural environments and the rigid linearity of the city’s grids and skyscrapers versus the spontaneous patterns of its people - but in a far less haunting way than say, Roxy Paine’s fabulous stainless steel trees for Madison Square Park a few years ago.

(Image found via James Cohen Gallery)

As I walked north from 57th street, I couldn’t help but wish there was some sort of gesture made on the part of Ryman to play with the idea of sequence – for anyone experiencing his installation on Park Ave. (whether by car or on foot) would likely get to see several variations in a row before turning off the street. That Ryman didn't manipulate the fact that part of his audience is captive for at least a few blocks seems like a lost opportunity to me, one that simply would have added another dimension to an already very fun and spirited work. (While the artist did scatter some large rose petals in a few of the medians, I felt this aspect of the installation was less successful than the clusters of blooms at each intersection, which – in my opinion – had a really big, smile-inducing impact).

And, because so many of my thoughts are trained on Boston these days, I immediately tried to picture a work like “The Roses” on the Greenway – for so much about these sites (including their linearity, their position between highly trafficked roads, their proximity to both businesses and private residencies) is so similar. Boston is certainly deserving of its own site-responsive Ryman installation and what could be more fitting than a temporary installation of gigantic roses on the park space that bears Rose Kennedy’s name?

Fabricated from fiberglass and stainless steel, and presented by The Fund for Park Avenue Sculpture Committee and New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation; “The Roses” evidences Ryman’s first public project and hopefully will be followed by many more.

Come on Boston…strike while the iron’s hot!

Of Valentines, Conversation Hearts, and Bunny Love…

2011-02-18T15:27:00.002-05:00

I secretly love Valentine’s Day. I know it’s a rather manufactured holiday and I understand the argument put forth by folks who don’t think Feb. 14th should be any different than any other day - because we all should be telling the ones we love that we love them all year long. I get it; but I do think it’s rather sweet that once a year we have an extra special excuse to single out those important to us and make sure they know it.

In elementary school, for example, it's an early opportunity to learn the importance of inclusiveness – because whatever valentines you have chosen to personalize (I remember using Snow White and Bambi themed valentines in kindergarten before transitioning into Marvel superheroes as the tomboy in me began to come out on the kickball blacktop in the first grade) you are asked to make one for everyone. It’s a subtle message, but it’s seeded early on and that’s a very good thing.

In high school, I remember one of the service clubs would sell carnations all week – flowers which could be purchased for a special someone and would be delivered to his or her homeroom on Valentine’s Day. Every year for four years, all the girls in my homeroom received a carnation from our homeroom teacher, Mr. Trupp. I’m not going to lie - I was a little disappointed the first time it happened because I was hoping my carnation actually had been purchased by a secret admirer (whom I dreamed would be some Fairfield High School superstar like Derek Klimkowski of 1990s Mustang basketball fame). Alas, it was from kind Mr. Trupp who wanted the ladies of his Ludlowe homeroom to be able to walk around campus with a flower on their backpacks and a smile on their face for the remainder of the day. It was a really nice gesture and one that has stayed with me after all this time.

And this year, Dave and I made a pact that it was going to be a “cards only” Valentine’s Day. I was at CAA in NYC last week and arrived back in Boston on Monday evening. Earlier that day I sat down at my parents’ house and carefully cut out a few red hearts, mounted them on a piece of bright orange paper, wrote a cute message – and thought for sure I had created the most darling homemade valentine he’d ever seen. Well, I arrived at our apartment only to find out that Dave had done the same thing (although he was more than a little exhausted from the task! He proudly announced that he had embarked on a special shopping trip to buy colored construction paper and that it took him two whole episodes of Battlestar Galactica-watching to put the finishing touches on his card). Needless to say, his valentine was awesome – hands down the best I’ve ever been given. And in the moment of the exchange we realized we unknowingly kicked off a new Rys/Tinti homemade valentine tradition/competition that we’ll try and keep up for years to come.

And in related valentine-themed news…

On Wednesday I finally had a free minute to head down to the Made in Fort Point space and see Joanne Kaliontzis’ “Happy New Year Bunny Love” – a small display in the Featured Artist of the Month corner. My dear friend MaryAnne Brennan (who had made a quick trip up to Boston from CT to say hello and see our fun neighborhood) was with me and I was so excited to share with her all the creativity that radiates from this area of the city.

(Image found via the artist's Facebook page)

Kaliontzis’ graphics are a zazzy throwback to valentines of yore – when depictions of bunnies in hats and other such cute furry animals would grace the fronts of pretty vintage cards. The artist has taken the critters, bows, flowers, and hearts that were part of the original images, tossed in some deft graphic manipulations (and in some cases, glitter!) and poof – the results are a bold, enlarged, updated, post-Warhol twist on some serious old-school bunny love.

Here’s the artist’s statement:

I love design and illustration that is classic and iconic.

A few years back I found a collection of antique Valentine’s day cards; ones that reminded me of my childhood. I loved the corny phrases and illustrations. This exhibit opportunity was the perfect excuse to create some pieces based on these cards. I began experimenting with combining the imagery as I do for many of my digital collages. To be honest, my usual process of layering pieces in Photoshop was not really working for me. I felt that the charming essence of the illustration was becoming lost and found myself making “digital mud pies.” After making a set of glittered bunny panels, I took a step back and worked on a simpler approach to subsequent pieces. Being a graphic designer, I have always liked how “make-ready” and mis-registered prints can produce interesting results. Working with this idea, I manipulated the imagery to 4 color process dot separations and purposely distorted the registry of the imagery. The result was simple, subtle (for me), and pleasing to see oversized versions of these pocket-size images. - Joanne Kaliontzis

As I looked over the work on the wall and read the statement, I couldn’t help but think about what amazing baby shower gifts these images would make – for what better gift to give than one that embodies a love of good design as well as a love of others (and is itself a kind of ‘pay it forward’ gesture that encourages the next generation of artists and art collectors to get an early start!)

In addition to the prints, Kaliontzis created a series of hilarious refrigerator magnet conversation hearts which she calls “Conversations of Love…” and whose messages are inspired by the lyrics of Barry White. I can’t imagine a more perfect little take away for Valentine’s Day – especially in a neighborhood that used to house the Necco Factory at the turn of the twentieth century! And, since I happen to have a friend who is gaga for conversation hearts; I, of course, purchased one of these sets and will save it to send to her as a pre-Valentine’s Day treat next February.

Thank you, Joanne, for encouraging the spirit of Valentine’s Day to linger in Fort Point all month long and conjuring up a bit of the neighborhood’s history in the process. Oh, and Happy Birthday!

The Public Art Dialogue Website is Simply Too Fabulous for Words…

2011-02-08T22:19:00.000-05:00

In time for the CAA annual conference this week…the slick, new, steely-looking Public Art Dialogue website has arrived!

(Image found via PAD website)

Designed by Kyle Hemingway and Jeremy Hayes (aka the duo behind Too Fabulous for Words), the site - and all the tidbits and teasers it contains - now can be accessed at www.publicartdialogue.org.

With links to the current PAD Newsletter (as well as an archive of those from the past); information about the new Public Art Dialogue journal (whose first issue will be unveiled later this week); details about this year’s PAD related happenings at CAA; and all sorts of membership related news – the website is positioned to be a fine (if not zazzy) resource for the organization to populate with updates from here on in.

Click around; explore the goods; and consider joining.

As quoted on the website, “PAD was founded on the premise that dialogue is the essential element in all effective public art endeavors.”

The more voices in the dialogue, the more fruitful the conversation.

Won’t you lend yours?

Agency/Agencies for Public Art…

2011-02-05T14:50:00.000-05:00

A week from today, I will be at the College Art Association meeting in NYC – an event for which my Public Art Dialogue colleagues and I have been working diligently to prepare. It’s going to be a busy and exciting week for PAD and while I don’t want to reveal too many of our plans just yet, I did want D4S readers to have an inside track on one aspect of the conference in particular…

On Saturday, February 12th from 9:30–11:00am, I will be chairing a PAD panel entitled “Agency/Agencies for Public Art” and facilitating a lively round-table conversation between key figures from a variety of New York public arts agencies: Wendy Feuer - Assistant Commissioner for Urban Design and Art, Department of Transportation, (formerly director of the MTA Arts for Transit program); Anne Pasternak - Director, Creative Time; and Sara Reisman - Director, Percent for Art, Department of Cultural Affairs.

(FYI - this ArtSpace affiliated event will kick off a special day devoted to public art at CAA and is free and open to the public. Or, to put it another way – you don’t have to be registered for the conference to attend. So, if you’re planning on being in NYC next weekend, consider dropping by!)

(PAD logo design by Too Fabulous for Words)

As detailed in the panel abstract, PAD looks forward to an engaging conversation about the triumphs and challenges of these organizations, respectively; and a candid, critical examination of how the panelists might position some of their more recent public art projects.

The session format is simple: each panelist will take a few moments to introduce herself and her agency. Then, we’ll devote the majority of the allotted time to a room-wide public art discussion fueled by questions from the attendees and panelists alike.

My co-chair, Eli Robb, and I have solicited feedback from the PAD membership and prepared a number of open-ended conversation starters to get things rolling (and pepper throughout the caucus if needed). Questions like…

Much has been made of the need for better art education to help the public understand or interface more easily with contemporary public art. What have you done or seen that has worked best in this regard? What hasn’t worked? What advice would you give to artists for integrating or addressing this need in their artistic plans and proposals?

To what extent do your agencies view themselves as stewards of the public art legacies that you’ve brought to life?

What role does the community play within the public art process at your agencies? What kind of voice do they have? Is their voice a persuasive one? Should it be?

In addition to the roles you play at your individual organizations, you are all independent curators in your own right. Describe the relationship between those two realms. Is one an extension of the other? Is one the fulfillment of that which is not possible in the other?

Similar to the above question, how do you balance your personal taste versus that of your agency’s mission/agenda (or those of your agency’s different interest groups)?

How has the percent for art program changed over the years? As it has taken root in various cities around the country, do municipal administrators communicate across regions? Are you influenced by what other percent for art administrators do in their cities?

What is your approach to controversy? Have you or your artists ever experienced backlash from donors or from the public over a controversial work?

What is the future of public art at your agencies? What do the next 3 years look like for you?

To what extent do you feel that you are influencing art in other cities – any specific examples? And/or what do you see as the direction of public at more generally?

Well, those are but a few of the questions kicking around in our heads and I welcome hearing comments and suggestions from D4S readers, too. If you were in my shoes, what are the burning questions on which you would like these panelists to weigh in?

A Super Bowl Wager Fit for a Flaneur…

2011-02-04T11:54:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the cajoling of Modern Art Notes blogger and critic Tyler Green – for the second year in a row, there will be far more on the line (culturally speaking) for the cities sending teams Sunday’s Super Bowl show down than merely the residual football-related bragging rights.

Letting their civic pride and competitive colors show, both the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Milwaukee Art Museum have wagered the loan of a beloved Impressionist painting from their permanent collection on the outcome of the game.

So, if the Steelers win, their trophies will include Caillebotte’s “Boating on the Yerres” to be displayed at the CMA for several months sometime soon. If the Packers win, then Renoir’s “Bathers with Crab” will be among their booty and will hang victoriously at the MAM.

(Top image found via the MAM website

Bottom image found via the CMA website)

Not only is this friendly bet a great way for the oft stuffy world of fine art to tap into some fun American sporting spirit (and receive a fair bit of light-hearted press in the process); it gives the people in one of these cities an excuse to renew their pride in a local cultural institution and take temporary ownership of a true art historical gem.

I think it’s a fabulous idea and I’m curious to see how it all unfolds. Personally, I could take or leave Renoir; but boy do I love Caillebotte...Go Packers!

The Southie Space-Saver Saga Continues…

2011-02-02T12:39:00.004-05:00

Well, it happened. I’m not exactly thrilled about it, but I now can claim to have a pretty incredible “only in Southie” winter experience under my belt; the kind that makes my desire to pull together a public art project like the one I discussed in Of Southie, Snowstorms, and Space-Savers… all the more fervent – but with a few new considerations.

Here’s the story…

Two weekends ago, I went home for a marathon session of wedding planning with my Mom. I returned to Boston that Monday evening with the sinking feeling familiar to all residents of Southie this time of year; the one that accompanies the nagging question – where in the world am I going to park?

There hadn’t been snow since Friday morning, so technically folks weren’t still allowed to be claiming parking spaces with their detritus. But this is a rule rarely enforced in my neighborhood, so there were laundry baskets, safety cones, and broken coffee tables aplenty. After circling for ten minutes – I zeroed in on a beautiful spot; one that was freshly shoveled, had plenty of room, and was directly in front of street signs that indicated it was a legitimate resident parking space (on a non-snow emergency route no less!). This spot was like the Holy Grail of parking spaces and I figured I was being rewarded with it; that it was a kind of “pay it forward” gift to the girl who NEVER places a space-saver in her own spot so as not to perpetuate the cycle of parking pain.

I pulled in, checked and double checked the signs, and literally climbed out the passenger side because the snow banks on the driver’s side were so high you couldn’t open your door. I unloaded the car and proudly made my way home while thanking the gods for my good fortune.

Later that week, we had another crippling storm which dumped several more inches on Southie. But Dave and I, secure in our parking situations, simply opted for public transportation at every turn. We discovered entirely new MBTA bus routes and genuinely thought we were doing a service to the city by staying off the roads.

Similarly, I tend to walk home from work most evenings and the past few weeks have been no different. Last night was particularly fun because I luckily ventured home on foot just as the first of two expected storms was winding down. The sidewalks had yet to be shoveled, the mounds of snow everywhere were taller than me, and the side streets were a mess, but as long as you had your boots - boy was it beautiful.

I walked past several people digging out their vehicles, feeling a little sorry that they had to worry about driving to work the next day. My sympathy only grew as I noticed more than a few of them discovering parking tickets once they freed their windshields of snow.

Thank god I had found such a clutch parking spot last week.

The more I thought about it, though, that all-too-familiar nagging feeling seeped into my gut and I quickened my pace to check on my own car (you know, just to make sure a plow hadn’t hit it or something). As I rounded the corner, I was relieved to see all was well on I Street and the row of neatly parked cars in which I had left mine was unscathed.

But there was one small problem…my cute car – which had made up the caboose of this smart looking little line– had been replaced by another.

(This is not my car).

I went home, immediately called a few towing companies, and learned that my car had been towed last week because I was parked near a handicap ramp. I was horrified and completely embarrassed because, let’s face it, I’m a pretty big rule follower and yet I somehow managed to break a big one while also letting my car sit in a tow lot for days. It wasn’t my best move.

In my defense, there was no possible way to know there was supposed to be a ramp near this spot – largely because it was buried under three feet of snow. (And, I feel bad for the person parked there now who likely will get towed today, too). But, I now know that I should at least be checking in on my car daily (if not several times a day, because not doing so was pretty dumb).

Well, after a $10 cab ride to the tow lot and a hefty, cringe-inducing fine; I finally had my car back. But now, there was the matter of finding a place to leave it during last night’s snow emergency. So, off I drove to one of the special parking garages for those who can’t find parking in their neighborhoods and proceeded to trudge home in the dark on yet-to-be-plowed city sidewalks. I made my triumphant, albeit frustrated return to my apartment a mere two hours after my journey began.

I still have to pay the equally cringe-inducing parking ticket for unknowingly parking in front of the snow mound that was the unmarked handicap access ramp. But I’m telling myself that this money is going towards paying the workers who are diligently shoveling our city’s walkways (except the ones mentioned above) and plowing our streets, and helping them put food on the table – that’s the only way I can prevent my eyes from welling because this is not exactly the way I was going to spend this month’s paycheck.

There’s actually another small benefit to this saga in that it has allowed me to add an important consideration to the public art proposal that I’ve been kicking around over the past few months (again, see Of Southie, Snowstorms, and Space-Savers… for details on my idea). Rather than solely focusing on the concept of space-savers themselves, there also might be room for artists to use their creativity in the service of improving the signage in our neighborhood (and no, I don't mean signs that advertise "free snow") - so that winter parking debacles like mine become a little less commonplace next year.

Happy Groundhog Day.

Participatory Public Art - What's Your Story?...

2011-01-29T12:37:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday January 26th, with a snow-storm closing in on the greater Boston area, an intrepid group of artists and public art enthusiasts gathered at the Channel Café in Fort Point for NEFA’s latest Public Art Discussion Series: Participatory Public Art – What’s Your Story?

Thanks to Joyce Parlapiano and the entire Channel Café team, attendees could purchase delicious, warm beverages and bites to counter the effects of the cold weather while they listened to a diverse array of public art presentations by their peers.

(Image Found via Channel Café)

Gretchen Schneider, Bill Turville, Ursula Ziegler, Paul Simon, Kim Radochia, Peter Geisser + Mika Seeger, Neil Horsky, and Terry Bastian each spent about five minutes sharing the story behind a particular project (along with some slides) and a few more minutes answering questions from the crowd.

I should point out that as NEFA’s Public Art Fellow, I helped to organize this evening with Lauren Winsor, NEFA’s Public Art & Donor Development Coordinator - and thus was in attendance both as a troubleshooting facilitator and a rapt listener.

The atmosphere was lively, collegial, and conducive to a whole slew of networking opportunities; and I want to extend my gratitude to all who came out in support of this event. The evening was meant to forge great public art connections; and if my own experiences are any indication - it was a fruitful one for many. Here are just a few of the serendipitous encounters that resulted for this eager art historian…

A quick introduction to Southie sculptor Jacob Kulin (whose “Modern Dance” is gracing the Rose Kennedy Greenway for the next 18 months) lead to a brief email exchange in which I discovered that his work space is a mere two blocks from my apartment! We got together on Friday for some hot chocolate and an energetic public art story swap in his studio - which I know will lead to future discussions (and certainly a more in depth D4S entry detailing the fascinating design intricacies of this local public art piece).

I also met recent California transplant Dan Sternof Beyer – the sculptor behind the "Snowdecahedrons" that could be spotted in Porter Square earlier in January. In making our way around the room, Dan was able to chat with the folks at the Rose Kennedy Greenway – an impromptu introduction that resulted in a fun collaboration the very next morning! Check out the Greenway’s Facebook page for photos and a video documenting the awesome results of that new relationship.

And finally, I’m flattered to have received a number of thoughtful emails and blog comments in recent weeks from artists in and around Fort Point thanking me for shining a D4S spotlight on some of the work being created here, and the artists behind that work. A few of those new readers were at the event on Wednesday night and were kind enough to introduce themselves. Well, actually, they went a few steps further and invited me to join their table after the event, hang out, have a glass of wine, and share some laughs. It was an absolute pleasure to spend some time getting to know Joanne Kaliontzis, Liliana Folta, Kippy Goldfarb, Sterling Mulbry, and Anne Krinsky. Thanks ladies! I look forward to continuing our conversations and seeking out your work in person over the next few months.

As evidenced by these three personal examples – the NEFA evening at Channel Café was rife with a range of possibilities. For me, it reinforced the power of networking and the importance of putting yourself out there; for you never know exactly who or what may inspire you (and vice-versa).

I hope the same was true for others that night and that the positive energy in the room and newfound connections will keep everyone busy and buzzing until next time.

Of Leslie A. Miller's Papercuts and the Peace Corps…

2011-01-19T20:27:00.004-05:00

I remember loving going to art class as an elementary school student – especially at this time of year. With snow delays and Valentine’s Day imminent, there was no shortage of inspiration to create the coolest things with materials as simple as scissors and colored paper. Whether pink and red hearts were what you desired or lacy, delicate snowflakes to hang in your window; the possibilities for crafting something fun and fanciful were endless.

How fitting then, that Made in Fort Point’s Artist of the Month for January is none-other than Leslie A. Miller, an original papercutter extraordinaire.

I first met Miller back in December, when Dave and I swung by the gallery to peruse their holiday offerings. At first, I found myself drawn to her seasonal greeting cards and brass ornaments, which were lovely small-scale reproductions of much larger, much more intricate original papercuts.

There were several designs that heralded the joyous events of Dec. 25th and Jan. 6th - including representations both of the nativity and the arrival of the three kings, the latter of which I thought would be perfect for my parent’s Christmas tree.

(Images found via the artist's website)

Noticing my interest, Miller began chatting with us about her work and the fact that many of her pieces are actually commissions and thus the result of fascinating conversations with her patrons. And, some are conceived of and donated by her as fundraising tools for various local organizations. As we flipped through her portfolio, she would point at a detail in one of her papercuts and tell us its history, and how that element (and all the others) directly reflected the interests and passions of the people who commissioned the piece, or whose organization it was created to benefit.

(Images found via the artist's website.
Of the latter work, "Ode to Joy," the artist writes,
"A paper cut created to raise money for the Boston Symphony Orchestra....
The work includes Ode To Joy from Beethoven's 9th Symphony,
and many images from the grand Symphony Hall,
which is the orchestra's home....Be generous.
Donate to the Boston Symphony by purchasing this artwork.")

Whether the subject matter derives from classical music, religion, or the animal kingdom; Miller transforms both her given and chosen themes into grand, careful, studied arrangements that literally have no beginning and no end.

Intrigued by her work, I went home that evening and looked at her website and bio only to find out that in addition to having been an arts educator for most of her life, Miller had spent time in the Peace Corps in the mid 1960s.

Well, that sealed it for me. The next chance I had, I went back to the gallery and bought one of Miller’s ornaments for my parents. Not only was I sure my mom would appreciate the beauty of the piece itself; I knew she would love knowing that it was made by a former PCV, just like her son.

All I really know of Leslie Miller comes from my impressions of her paper creations, the contextualizing stories that she shared with us that December evening, and the information I found on her website. But I have to believe that her experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Iran still influence her craft - all these decades later. The people she encountered; the culture within which she immersed herself; the food, fragrances, fabrics, colors and languages she absorbed with every one of her senses while teaching art and advocating for women’s issues; that stuff stays with you for a lifetime.

And I began to think about all of this again yesterday as I listened to several moving tributes to Sargent Shriver’s life and service.

I know my brother will be forever changed by his time in Mali – as Dave and I were after our oh-so-brief sojourn to visit him. And those are but three of countless American lives directly influenced by the expansive vision of Sargent Shriver (the great man responsible for shaping such programs as the Peace Corps, Special Olympics, Head Start, and VISTA).

There is something so perfectly poignant about my chance discovery of Leslie Miller’s background, my purchase of a symbolic Christmas ornament for my parents, my brother’s announcement yesterday that after a near 3 year run in Mali he has bought his one-way ticket home; the death of Sargent Shriver; and the fact that Miller just so happens to be Made in Fort Point’s artist of the month.

And while these connections may seem a bit tangential or tenuous to an outside eye, they are crystal clear to me. For, like the papercuts featured in this entry, all of life’s moments have an amazing way of coming full circle over and over again, but it’s up to each of us as individuals to seek out and appreciate them.

Fifty Nifty United States...

2011-01-14T14:25:00.006-05:00

Just before the holidays, Dave and I swung by the Made In Fort Point store/gallery to complete our shopping for the season and chat with a few of the artists who had work on display. I immediately was struck by the colorfully bold, sharp, and smart paintings of Andrew Woodward which seemed to belong to their own genre altogether.

In these eclectic paintings I saw hints of John James Audubon, Edward Hopper, Jasper Johns, William Wegman, and Grant Wood but in a folksy/pop/realist art style that was all Woodward’s own.

Humble, funny, and clearly a guy that finds great enjoyment in his art, Woodward noticed us making a bee-line for his paintings and soon began sharing with us a few stories behind his show-stopping, “Fifty State Animals.”

(Image found via the artist's website)

The piece is comprised of fifty 8x8” panels which Woodward arranges in a 5x10 grid on the wall. Each of the panels is devoted to a single state and, more specifically, a rendering of one of that state’s most celebrated creatures of wildlife. Each animal is backed by a unique pattern which lends a vibrancy to the overall grouping, giving it a look similar to that of an elaborate, multicolored American quilt.

To give D4S readers a sense of the individual panels, I have included below a couple close ups - one for each of the states in which I've studied or called home: Connecticut (American Robin), Massachusetts (Boston Terrier), New Jersey (Brook Trout), and Rhode Island (Red Chicken)….

(Images found via the artist's website)

After expressing to Woodward how neat I thought his paintings were, I joked that he really should connect with our country’s Art in Embassies program, or better still - Woodward could consider finding his own road to the White House. I was only half kidding, though, because this kind of whimsical national portrait is one that should be on view in many more places than Fort Point (and – in case he hadn’t heard, the first family has been borrowing several artworks with which to surround themselves during their tenure in the capital). Perhaps if he could include a panel from the District of Columbia with a portrait of Bo on it, he’d be a shoo-in!

But seriously, I thought that Woodward’s good-natured, eclectic-but-unified artistic vision of America was a refreshing image to be put into circulation this week; especially at a time when we are all examining so much with respect to the future of our United States. Enjoy!