from MAN

The art world loves Project Runway
Because we're not just about deaccessioning, strippers at the Nelson-Atkins, Polidori, endowments, Diebenkorn, and other seriousness... The art world's favorite television show is Project Runway. In the last month I've, sigh, come out about my addiction to the show. Curators, critics, and artists have laughed at me... and then have copped to their own PR obsession. (Don't think I haven't noticed the way my email stays oh-so-quiet on Wednesday nights about 10 ET.) I think we dig it because it's every bit as art world as the art world -- and here are five things that prove it:

PR represents the creative process fairly accurately. BS'ing in the studio, Tim's crits, creative types editing other creative types, jealousy and sniping. Familiar.
The way a timeline can drive or force creativity. The judges are waiting, a show opens Friday, etc.
The way the judges push the designers to take risks -- but not so many risks that their work stops being their work.
The thinness that separates creative success from middling mediocrity. (Also known as: How quickly you can go from the high-creative world to the Asheville-craft-show-world.)
We know the characters: Laura's fatalism (She'll just "throw another kid on the pile"), Jeffrey's fear of failure (as manifested by the middle fingers he flashes when he succeeds), Michael's comfy suavity (he mixes the kind of phrases you figure he learned at his grandmother's house with teaching the Oklahoma-drag-queen designer how to walk), and Uli's laid back hedonism (let's get vasted). We all know artists like this. MAN's blog here

anyone will tell you I totally adore staying at the Omni, great service, free wireless, ff miles, wonderful preferred guest program and about 10 thousand white feather pillows on the bed. There is something about putting out the "do not disturb" on the door, locking it and knowing your in a state of blissful quiet until room service taps on your door - at a predetermined time - to let you know your complimentary coffee and juice are ready. I could live like this. It was interesting to stay at the Omni in Newport News. The architecture and decor are less traditional, they have a 2 story renaissance style mural on the first floor that I twice saw kids posing dramatically in front of it having their pictures taken (of course it is a college town). It has a night club and piano bar so it was more of a party atmosphere than the one here in cville. Raph and I went sunday to breakfast in the restaurant, he sweet talked the waitress into letting him go to the breakfast bar even though it was past time and they were breaking it down for brunch. And don't you know he ended up getting food from both breakfast and brunch. Youth!

The Images in Glass

Artist Tim Tate and the Washington Glass Studio have created these images, impressed in the glass. Here is a brief explanation of the symbols.

The nest – family

Wings – faith

Three hands – the power of community

Horseshoe – luck

Hand holding a virus - disease

Open hand – cure

Two houses – strength and integrity

Plumb bobs – balance and perspective

Arm – power through adversity

Hand holding soul – nurturing

Hand surrounded by “energy” – science

Sacred heart – faith

Heart inside the circular frame – Hope

ahhhh me! how I love driving to C'ville. Susan and I got a lot of good work done. We were really pleased with the quality of work in this year's cancer survivor's show. I checked in to my sweet Omni around 6, poured a glass of wine and ordered room service. I have two netflix and several complimentary mags, lots of stuff to blog.

USBG

Charming exhibit of state flowers by children at the USBG, we had ID tags made for them with their name, title, picture and state on them. Busy day at NIH today, giving two tours and then off to Cville tomorrow to install the Cancer Survivors show.

Robert Hughes, "Things I didn't know"

"Art, I now realized, was the symbolic discourse that truly reached into me - "

its a beauty!

more photographs of the actual piece tomorrow. we are so very proud of this work of art. I love it more every time I see it. Tim, Erwin and Michael did an amazing job - the installation could not have been more perfect.

Today we finally install our Tim Tate commission! I think it's been at least a year in the planning and design. We have a large glass window between a bank of elevators and a waiting room for intensive care. This will allow a little more privacy for the families in the waiting room and be a beautiful site specific work for our collection.

after the skins won I watched Morvern Callar, it was a great film set in Scotland. Samantha Morton is wonderful, I first saw her as the school teacher in Emma and she was great in In America. beautifully shot, interesting story.

SAH's News Brief

This new email newsletter keeps you current on relevant and recent press on the arts in healthcare field from around the country and the globe.
For more news, look to the articles on our website. Let us know what you think, by sending us feedback.

Support the Society
Join our community of members

Society for the Arts in Healthcare
2437 15th St. NWWashington, DC 20009
Telephone: 202-299-9770Fax: 202-299-9887

Humor is Her Weapon of Choice Against Pain
Fran Di Giacomo, who suffers from ovarian cancer, has gone through 21 operations, seven years on chemotherapy, and lost her brother and mother to cancer. Despite having to take numerous medications, and still being in severe pain, Di Giacomo uses humor and art to subside her pain. Di Giacomo has turned her suffering into humor by writing the book "I'd Rather do Chemo Than Clean Out the Garage: Choosing Laughter Over Tears," which includes a section entitled "You Know You're on Chemo If" "You get up in the morning and your hair doesn't."
SouthBendTribune.com, September 20, 2006
MORE>


Music Lessons Help Young Child Memories
A Canadian study being published in the online edition of the journal Brain found that children who took music lessons for a year received higher scores in memory tests than students who did not take music lessons. Researchers studied and took measurements of children between four and six years old. Research showed that children who took music lessons scored higher in memory tests on harmonies, rhythms and melodies, and in general memory tests, including literacy, mathematics, and IQ.
Yahoo News, September 20, 2006
MORE>

Wind and Water Colors: Healing Through Art
Twenty six artists from Hancock County, Mississippi, one of the best art towns in the United States according to USA Today, are coming together to exhibit their work after relocating and rebuilding due to hurricane Katrina. The traveling exhibit has helped artists, like Elizabeth Schafer who lost 200 pieces of her art in the storm, start creating again. Schafer's paintings of her reaction to hurricane Katrina's effects derive from blues and gospel music heard on the streets of New Orleans. Rome News Tribune, September 17, 2006
MORE>

African Talking Drums for Healing
Edward Kabuye, the founder of the Talking Drums of Africa, has made it his mission to help heal people suffering from Uganda's horrific past under the rule of Idi Amin, and to address current issues in Africa. Kabuye described how the drums help heal when he said, "Drums are close to our spiritual life, and when the African drumbeats start, most people are quick to note that the whole atmosphere changes. One's heavy spirit can be lifted." Society, September 17, 2006
MORE>

College Offers Music Therapy
Converse College started its undergraduate music therapy program this fall. The degree takes four and a half years to finish, and requires music therapy students to complete core classes, become adept in piano, voice, and guitar, and complete clinical training with the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind, and special education students in Spartanburg School district. Elizabeth York, an associate professor of music therapy at Converse College commented on the importance of music therapy when she said, "It's interesting because you can use music in a neonatal-intensive care unit for tiny babies and on the other side of one's lifespan, music therapy is used for hospice care and Alzheimer's patients." GoUpstate.com, September 17, 2006
MORE>

In Paintings, a Message: "I'm Still Here"
The Hearthstone Alzheimer Care program, run in Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut, helps patients suffering from Alzheimer's express their emotions, have a better sense of control, and even recall a part of their past. Paul Raia, director of patient care and family support for the Alzheimer's Association chapter in Massachusetts said, "Alzheimer's distorts reality in so many ways, but the art pieces all have definite structure. You don't see the same level of disorientation in their artwork that you would in their cognitive ability."
The Boston Globe, September 17, 2006
MORE>

Helping the Developmentally Disabled
People suffering from developmental disabilities are able create their own artwork on a weekly basis, and display it in the "Black, White and Red (Read) All Over show" at St. Peters Community and Arts Center. Tracy Higgs, who teaches the program said, "Participants learn how the arts can enhance their lies from a creative, leisure and social perspective. Participants also gain a sense of accomplishment and connection to the community arts environment." STLtoday.com, September 14, 2006
MORE>


With Courage, Hope and Color National Exhibit of Art by People with Epilepsy on View in Salisbury
On the Eastern Shore in Salisbury, Maryland, a show entitled, "Expressions of Courage: Through the Years," made possible in part by the Society for the Arts in Healthcare, will feature artwork created by people suffering from epilepsy. There will also be a diary from each artist describing their experiences with epilepsy. Dr. Jose Balea, director of public affairs of the Epilepsy Association of the Eastern Shore said, "The inspirational artwork focuses on the positive contributions of individuals with the disorder and demonstrates the positive role art plays in the healing process in people's lives." The Daily Times, September 10, 2006
MORE>


Art Therapy a Creative Solution for Senegalese Patients
Senegal 's two-year-old art therapy program is the first of its kind in the country. The program brings together professional artists and people with mental disabilities every afternoon featuring a different professional artist. Due to the workshops, patients have created pieces good enough to be shown in Dakar's 2006 bi-annual art exhibition. Dr. Cao, creator of the program, says that whether patients are cured, or simply just take pleasure in the therapy, that the work they produce may even change their status in society. NewsVOA.com, September 7, 2006
MORE>


Shapes and Colors: Special Education Earns Extra Credit from the Fanciful Vision of Michael Graves
St. Coletta Special Education Public Charter School, in Washington, D.C. is unique both inside and out. Besides the whimsical architecture and bright colors, the school also has studios for art and music, and a "sensory" room that uses lights, colors, and sounds to stimulate students. After fighting hard against opposition to building the school, students and parents alike are ecstatic. Doreen Hodges, whose son has Down syndrome said, "It's so beautiful and you could just feel the love in the building. You never thought anything like that was ever going to be available to kids like this in D.C." Washington Post, September 6, 2006
MORE>


Art Therapy for the Therapists
Faisal Mamsa, a Sioux Falls doctor, has taken up painting again after putting it on the shelf for 20 years. In treating patients with borderline personality disorders, Mamsa found it extremely therapeutic to paint. He said, "All these paintings depict the times I have felt helpless and could not do anything about it." Besides using his art as therapy, Mamsa also uses it as a way to describe the disorder to other people, and dispel the stigmas surrounding the disorder." KELOLand.com, September 5, 2006
MORE>


Art Therapy Can Reduce Pain and Anxiety in Cancer Patients
A study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that art therapy can reduce tiredness, depression, anxiety, lack of appetite, and other side effects of pain after only an hour long art therapy session. The four-month long study found that art therapy can be a delightful distraction from their pain, along with a tool used to explore deeper psychological issues, and help less verbal patients express their emotions. NewsTarget.com, August 25, 2006
MORE>

Health: Art Therapy Touches Lives at Runnells
The Runnells Specialized Hospital in New Jersey has put a unique spin on their activities therapy program, "Art of The Masters." In each session senior citizens, ranging from perfectly self-sufficient and active to suffering from Alzheimer's, learn about an artist and then create a piece of work that looks similar to one they learned about. They use various mediums including pastels, watercolor, wire, paint, and paper collage. Devine Media Enterprises, August 23, 2006
MORE>

took Raph and his roomies out to dinner last night - vry nice boys

I dont think there is anything more relaxing that the beach in September, we had beautiful weather. Ate a wonderful meal at Nantucket.

beautiful drive down to the beach to visit mom and gretch. had a very fun time - beach was gorgeous, great seafood & wine.

On Thursday we had a conservator come look at our Nevelson sculpture. It was a fascinating process.

after a busy morning installing Brooke Roger's pieces and a Bridget Walsh painting in our pediatric unit I headed over to USBG to jury a beautiful show, more below

The Corcoran College of Art + Design, in partnership with the United States Botanic Garden, is proud to announce a new certificate in botanical art. The program is an in-depth focus on the traditions, techniques and history of botanical art and illustration. Students will have the opportunity to study contemporary concepts and materials and to integrate this knowledge into the well established and highly regarded field of botanical art and illustration. MORE...

such an insightful discussion at Smith Farm last night. I am thrilled to be in this show with Elaine Langerman and Sheila Rotner - women I have long admired and followed their work. We all bring not only a definition of what is our truth - it is, as I realized last night, also the truth we are willing to share... Is it a crack in the door of what we will reveal or the door wide open? I can't wait to see how Scott installs the show. There are so many visual transitions - patterns, materials - thoughts. I am grateful to be a part of the process.

Joanne Miller

Artist Statement

My photographic expression reflects a journey of connection and introspection. Walking a path at nature’s pace, the wisdom of life is revealed in the details. Raised in the suburbs of Washington D.C., the natural world was presented in the context of
my backyard and neighborhood environment. I valued simplicity and harmony, and sought freedom of spirit. Chasing butterflies with a net, keeping cocoons in jars on
my windowsill, I was a collector of quiet beauty.

During my twenties and thirties, I worked professionally in art galleries and as a location scout for television commercials and documentary films. These experiences broadened my vision of the world.

At age 34, I moved to a houseboat on an estuary of the Potomac River ten miles from the U.S. Capital. My relationship within nature was seamless. Living the cycles of life, for four years I photographed animals common to an urban river: crows, blue heron and deer. The grace of a wing, an isolated splash from a landing, minimal details reduced to their essence in black and white. These images are not lonely ones, they share a quiet contentment.

Like the wildlife I photograph, my expression is instinctive and intuitive. Life on the river is timeless. Days turn into years. And then like the seasons of change, I moved back to the suburbs.

Now in my 40’s, I continue to explore the co-existence of nature and civilization. As the challenges of modern life come in closer, my journey with a camera continues to delve deeper into the essence of beauty. Whether sharing these experiences with others or on my own, I find that a connection to nature is essential for our spirits to thrive.

Joanne Miller joannemillerphoto.com

put it in a place and dance

watched All the Real Girls this afternoon. it was great - touching without being predictable. perfect casting, wonderful photography, music.

its been a very nice weekend, made beef stew for Gabe last night and will roast a chicken tonight. Had great conversations with KT and Raph and a very sweet email from Keriann. KT thought I was still in Cville and asked me to come see her. Wish I'd thought to do that! I've been working really hard on my house pieces - we are having a meeting at Smith Farm tomorrow night to discuss our work.

Anne Beck

bird or plane? Series of 16 prints. gouache, acrylic, pencil, ink, collage and inkjet on paper. 10 x 13 Bird or Plane? originated from my fascination with military weapons and vehicles of destruction which bear the names of carnivorous mammals, birds of prey, and pesky insects. The symbolic meaning of these names is curious. While the animals violent or pesky ways are necessary for their immediate survival, our manmade counterparts use their strength, speed, and weaponry to hunt and kill- or at least intimidate- other humans. The collaged text is excerpted from an article discussing the business of Air Force bases & civilian airports hiring falconers to rid the surrounding airspace of unwanted birds. Im struck by the absurdity & irony of this idea that migratory birds- flying in their instinctive and centuries-old paths- are now deemed a nuisance simply because we have conjured a way to use their space.Clearing The Runway, Nature's Way; Base Employs Birds of Prey To Fight Birds of Nuisance (Tina Kelley, New York Times, February 25, 2005). Anne Beck's web site here

Anne was recommended to me by Rebecca Silberman - they worked together on Exquisite History at UVA

@ VisArts through oct 10

VisArts (formerly Rockville Arts Place)
9300 Gaither Road, Gaithersburg, MD
Erwin Timmers Artist statement

In my work, I often confront the audience with an identifiable form in the shape of an everyday object. I prefer items that are so common, that you barely notice them anymore, which have been discarded and found again. I want to make the viewer stop and think twice by showing this object in a new and different light. At a second glance we often discover whole new aspects we didn’t catch the first time around. Sometimes we need a little reminder…

The traffic lights for this proposal are a perfect example of the everyday objects that we take for granted. We see them every day, and we often, unknowingly, develop a sort of love-hate relationship with them. Taking these object out of their usual surroundings and bringing them out of context catches the viewer’s eye and imagination, and brings up their emotional associations. Traffic lights are very symbolic for the choices we make and processes we go through on a daily basis.

Those choices and processes form the basis for my stories, which are all highly personal but also very universal. In previous traffic lights I have played out stories with references to love and hate, give and take, life and death, war and peace, and the acceptance of fate.

erwin@artbasement.com
Erwin Timmers
Co-Director Washington Glass School

happy belated bday e!

first off I should know better than to leave Charlottesville on friday afternoon. Traffic is always terrible. this was no exception. not bad until 66 and then 3mph. at least 45 minutes and one mile later a state trooper STANDING on the side of the road pulls me over for an expired inspection. 25 minutes later I pull back into the crawling traffic only to take another 2 hrs to get home. so e! thats my excuse for not posting on your bday. hope it was happy.

Tomorrow off to Cville.

Sabyna Sterrett

Artist's Statement

My work is about coping with illness as a caregiver.
I use my visual images, executed in colored pencil and
ink, to transform my inner life and struggles into reality.
Many of the images-the human armor, shield, book and
creatures depict how I felt about illness. Many of the
factors, such as judgement, trust, hope, fear, all play
a role in helping me cope emotionally to the changing
landscape of illness and its many stages.

I used art as therapy to express my feelings during a
long illness while I was caring for my husband, who died of Parkinson's Disease.

Looking for images

If you are an artist and have images of the cold or snow that you could like to share for a brochure on hypothermia you will be paid a small royalty and will receive credit.
Please send image along with your full name, title of piece and media. Thanks!
Lillian@ffineart.com

Its been 1 year and 832 posts.

Too much to do! The Alexandria Festival for the Arts is going on in Old Town (its the show I traveled to FL to jury). PC called and is there but I've been changing the shows at NIH while Ray is @ CNU for Raph's parents weekend. Interesting exhibition op below. Small world... Angela Jerardi is our very own Jane -from SAH's sister.


EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITY
The Arts Council of Fairfax County has announced Arts Council @ GRACE, a juried art exhibition offering $2,000 in prize monies. This year's exhibition will mark a first time collaboration with the regional visual art center GRACE in Reston, VA. Artists from DC, MD, or VA are encouraged to apply. Artists working in any media can submit up to four (4) images on CD, or video totaling no more than five (5) minutes on DVD. Juror: Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator of the American University Museum at the Katzen. Cash prizes totaling $2000. Entry Fee: $35 (waived for Arts Council and GRACE members). Exhibition will take place November 3 December 1. Deadline: September 22.
Arts Council @ GRACE prospectuses and further information is available here or contact Angela Jerardi, Visual Arts Coordinator at ajerardi@artsfairfax.org.

I went by the boathouse in Georgetown to see about renting a kayak. Thought I'd drop by the Swedish Embassy which is under construction... it was beautiful! A gorgeous architectural statement. This is a water wall that is at the entrance of the building.

beautiful night

More AAC

I also loved these textile transformations by Paula Bryan and Caroline Danforth's aerial landscapes.

Arlington Art Center

Interesting show at the AAC, REMIX: East West Currents in Contemporary Art. - Sept 30.

I especially liked this piece by Wanjin Kim - Self Portrait 2005. The series are individually hand fabricated copper pieces, images of Brain, Blood Vessel, Hair, Eye, Decorated Hair...

Sabyna Sterrett has an artist studio there, I picked up her work for her show at NIH which goes up Saturday.

Paul Klee:
The Silence of the Angel

September 8, 2006
12:30 p.m.

Join us for a screening of Michael Gaumnitz's stunning documentary "Paul Klee: The Silence of the Angel." This film examines how Klee revolutionized traditional concepts of composition and color by listening to the heartbeat of nature. The film will be screened on Friday September 8, 2006 at 12:30 p.m. This program is co-sponsored by The Embassy of Switzerland.

Admission to the film is included with admission to the special exhibition Klee and America. An introductory gallery talk on Klee and America will take place at 11 a.m. and is also included in museum admission.

Klee and America is on view through September 10, 2006.
The remarkable work of Swiss-born artist Paul Klee (1879-1940) celebrates the whimsy and playfulness of imagination. His small, colorful paintings explore a world of visual poetry inspired by the art of children, ancient cultures, music, and dreams. Although abstract, Klee's work illustrates the human spirit and experience.
The father of Dada and surrealism, Klee had a profound influence on Germany's Bauhaus before his work was a victim of Nazi art purges in the 1930s. He "dared to dream a universal language of art," and in doing so, created a legacy that influenced a generation of American artists including Mark Rothko, Kenneth Noland, and Mark Tobey.
The Phillips Collection is located at 1600 21st Street, NW in Washington DC, one block from the Dupont Circle metro.
For more information visit www.phillipscollection.org or call 202-387-2151.

too much tv

the odds are good, but the goods are odd.

Some Kind of Truth

"Life is like a schoolroom, but watch out for those ferocious cats!!!"

I love Elaine Langerman! her web site here
Our show at Smith Farm is going to be so wonderful, can not wait.

Its mornings like this, pouring rain, jacknifed tractor trailer on Old Georgetown Rd. that make it a joy to work at home for a few hours. I have a show to jury for Expressions of Courage (web site here) so I'll work on that and then head into NIH.

I've been working all weekend on my house series for the Smith Farm Show. I'm very happy with how they are progressing one minute - and feel that they are too precious the next. They do describe for me a simple truth, which in the end is what matters.