permission granted

Kt's pictures from Ireland

we had a flood in our offices at NIH. the fans were blowing so loud you couldn't hear yourself think - much less talk on the phone. So I came home early, talked to a wonderful new volunteer for SAH on the phone, worked out and took a NAP. what a treat. Made breakfast for dinner for the boys. Raph had his first day of work and when the counselor asked what kids wanted to go w/Mr.Ray 50 of them stood up. So they had to limit it to 5 - 7 yr olds. He had a great time, but was pretty beat when he got home. Got a wonderful email from KT, I'm waiting for permission to blog some of her photos. This morning we change the exhibits at NIH.

had a great time in C'ville, saw lots of wonderful art, found a new gallery. Purchased John Grant's White Dahlia for MJH, Vee had a brilliant idea for our commission. More at length on Friday.

went to the NEA today to hear musician, Robert Bluestone, and Jill Sonke-Henderson, dancer & Artist-in-Residence at the University of Florida, and fellow SAH board member discuss their work bringing arts into healthcare settings. Great talk w/Shanti about exciting times at Smith Farm Center and tomorrow off to C'ville to talk to Vee about a commission. Image from his web site. visit it here

Mad Hot Ballroom

took the afternoon off and watched the 2005 documentary Mad Hot Ballroom, it is totally engaging, filmed in NYC in the public schools. A sea of mismatched partners, charmingly funny kid comments, and great dance-off at the end. a lovely movie.

I've been banned from blogging KT's emails from Ireland, OH so sad - but I've learned that valuable lesson.

just the most enchanting party - a belated birthday for Grandma and welcome home for Raph's friends. beautiful weather, Raph and Keriann helped with the prep. Ray and Raph grilled, all all Raph's friends came with big appetite's. it was a sweet night.

you have one more week...

to see the Expressions of Courage exhibit before it leaves HHS and NIH and moves on to Vanderbilt University.

Tim Tate and Jon Gann's Combined Tiki/Pirate Solstice Party

pc and I had a great time and a wonderful talk. The party was just getting going as we left but I have a big presentation tomorrow.and pc a long drive.
Tim is doing a lecture series at the Portrait Gallery - his first talk was so well attended, they decided to do a monthly series. 5:30 w/cocktail party at a local bar to follow - you heard it here first.

More things IRISH

"Teaching Magic to Mercer"
by Susan MacWilliam appearing in Resolutions: New Art from Northern Ireland
by Max Perry Hidden within the various pieces that make up the show Resolutions: New Art from Northern Ireland ,at the Katzen Museum, is a 13" television which sits atop a small pedestal. It is accompanied by two small drawings. The piece is called "Teaching Magic to Mercer."I have found The piece "Teaching Magic to Mercer", by Susan MacWilliam to be absolutely fascinating. The piece consists of a video of a child drawing at a kitchen table while responding to an unheard voice. The voice, however, is seen by the viewer in the form of subtitles which appear at the bottom of the screen. The subtitles interact with the child in the form of strange tales about people with supernatural powers. The piece retains the viewer's interest because it can be interpreted in several different ways and because it is completely dependent on the viewer's own belief system as to its meaning, making it both mysterious and engaging, as well as highly interactive.One of the pleasant things about the piece is that it is unclear who is teaching the child because of its construction. The "voice" at the bottom of the screen simply functions as "teacher". The subtitles suggest another's presence without giving away who or what that presence is. Were it not for the occasional look to his right which suggest another in the room, the viewer could interpret the subtitles as their own thoughts while reading or as the thoughts of the child's imagination, as he draws.Regardless of the speculation involved with the mysterious subtitles, the piece is effective in its display of teaching magic. At no point does the child reject the possibility of the phenomenal. He embraces more at every turn. Thus tapping in to his own imagination which is the real magic referred to in the title.As Mercer interacts with the voice, so must the viewer ask the question "what do I believe?"

all things IRISH

Celebrate Printmakers
from Northern Ireland
at Pyramid Atlantic
Saturday, June 23rd
5-9pm
Join us for Irish art, food from McGinty’s Pub, music from Pete Moss and
the Bog Boys, and an auspicious fire ceremony!
5:00-6:00 Artist Talk with Jill McKeown
6:00-8:00 Opening Reception for Rediscover Northern Ireland: Belfast Printmakers Elaine Megahey and Jill McKeown 8:00-9:00 Fire Ceremony
Join us in rediscovering Northern Ireland with printmakers from two of Northern Ireland’s most active printmaking workshops: Elaine Megahey from the Belfast Print Workshop and Jill McKeown from the Seacourt Print Workshop. The fire ceremony, based on Japanese tradition, will consist of Helen Frederick and Gretchen Schermerhorn making images on artist-made papers with smoke from a fire.

Pyramid Atlantic Art Center
8230 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring MD 20910
301-608-9101
info@pyramid-atlantic.org
Red Line / Silver Spring Metro
http://www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org/

aaahhhh, well I have to say this week is turning out much much better. crisis averted last week, misunderstandings resolved, Gretchy gets a break from work to finish school, Raph will be home tonite, Angela delivered an astonishing painting for our permanent collection which - DRAT! I was in such a rush I didn't bring my camera.

well attended opening to the ART loves Science show.

KT Ireland day one

Welp, Dublin is great. Right after getting out of the airport (where I watched 20 year old American cartoons while waiting for the rest of the students to arrive) I came to Trinity and then was sent out to explore the city. Trinity is beautiful -- and 200 years older than our country. There are grass tennis courts right outside my window, vines over all the buildings, no TVs or computers (except for the computer lab that I'm in right now). it's great. I had my first class this morning where we read Yeats and had discussion, seems that there is going to be a TON of writing (yikes!), so we'll see how that goes.
Dublin reminds me a lot of every place I've ever been combined. It's a big city which gives it a kind of New York feeling, but all the buildings are hundreds of years old -- reminding me of old town. There are some hilarious street performers too. Yesterday my friend Rob and I saw a group of people doing capoera -- the dancing martial arts and right down the street from them was a guy dancing with a life-size doll. We got lost about 500 times (no surprise there) but would only take out our maps on the side streets, refusing to look like tourists even though it's pretty obvious we're Americans. Even though it's a big city there seems to be a really strong sense of community, which is a lot different then back home.
The weather is cool and there was a huge soccer game here yesterday so EVERYONE we saw was wearing blue and white jerseys. Apparently they get pretty competitive over here about their soccer and rugby. Even though rugby is huge and thousands of people go to see the games, all the players play for free which is totally different than American sports. We're planning on going to see a game on Sunday, I believe.
I'm still feeling exhausted even though I got a lot of sleep last night, soooo I think it's about nappy time! I'm going to see the book of Kells tonight (maybe?), should be really cool to see something that I've studied a lot about in art history.

Happy Father's day

well KT is off to Ireland, after a delay at National she made her connecting flight in Chicago with minutes to spare. After all the drama of last week I spent a good part of the day getting caught up on bookwork and preparing for the upcoming week.

ART loves Science

Lovely reception for the scientists yesterday at NIH. Deanne Alpert, NIH fellow, came up with the concept for the show, this image by Larry Bauer Patient Recruitment Specialist.

Posting has been light, I've just had a hell of a week, everything that could have done wrong has... from an artist's image being left off a card to a photographer not liking how their work was exhibited and threatening to pull it out of a show - and other more serious issues. So cross your fingers for me and lets hope next week things are better.

yesterday a busy day with a meeting w/medical arts, then the Children's Inn where Novie presented her drawing and color palate for the interactive mirror she and Philip Kohn are making for us. Katie's last day at the Inn is Thursday - then she leaves for Ireland, Raph goes to Maine this morning for a week. Today I install the Researchers show, the opening is tomorrow afternoon.

Multiple exposures @ Torpedo Factory

Bill Mould

On Thursday Bill delivered his commission, an amazing ceramic piece. It has been inspiring to see Bill's growth as an artist since I first met him at Capitol Hill Art League. This work is astonishing, no one else could have possibly created it. Just a detail, I'll photograph it for real once we have it in place.
The Hippocratic Oath
Bill Mould
When NIH approached me about commissioning a work for their permanent collection, the choice of subject came to me almost immediately. Most of my work has had a relationship to texts, words, communication. I have often tried to evoke documents from antiquity, hinting at lost languages, hidden meanings. Using only ceramic clay, my goal is not to directly imitate a substance or texture, but to evoke it.
It was natural to choose the Hippocratic Oath as the focus of a piece of art. The choice led to a number of surprises. Having determined to use the Oath in its original Greek, I began to search for the text.
I was stunned to discover that the original text is long lost -- no one even seems sure of when it faded from sight. Many medical schools devise their own version of the Oath, fitting it to the particular needs of the institution.
I was finally able to track down a reconstruction of the original Greek Oath. Opening with an invocation to Apollo, the patron deity of medicine, it enumerates a number of standards and practices for the physician to observe. Studying the Greek writing and its meaning led to another discovery. Nowhere in the lengthy text is the phrase "First, do no harm" to be found. Not only had the original text disappeared, but the closest thing we have does not contain the most famous words attributed to the Oath.
The materials I suggest -- metal, leather, and parchment/papyrus -- have all been used to transcribe and immortalize the Oath.. Ranging from the Bronze Age to the near past, all strive for permanence. But the surfaces evoked are subject to decay and destruction, as was the text itself. Yet despite the ravages of time and Nature, the essence of the Hippocratic Oath lives on as the moral and spiritual foundation of the medical profession.

Jorn Ake

One of my VCCA fellows. My piece "Lamb" currently on view at Strathmore Hall was inspired by his poem Lullaby for a Young Road

Jorn's blog here

sorry posting has been light this week. lots of projects . One interesting exhibit I'm working on is a permanent display of the original art created to illustrate the for the Medicine for the Public lectures. just a small sampling of work here.

Strathmore Hall

beautiful show at Strathmore Hall, Creative Crafts Council 26th Biennial Exhibition. Our own Lauren Kingsland represented the Fiber Arts Study Group and the quilts and fabric pieces are exceptional. Its up through July 6th so go by and see it if you have the chance.

we purchased this beautiful Diane Tesler for the 4th floor Clinic years ago. We are renovating so it will be temporarily moved. Diane is a lovely person, amazing teacher and as you can see wonderful artist. Her web site here

a day of little miracles... Last night, Gabe in a temper broke his cell phone in two. This morning someone called from B. Smith's saying they found my cell I lost 6months ago when I was out w/Paula - so luckily we can just replace his w/mine. And Robbie somehow escaped from his aquarium and Raph found him under the cedar chest covered w/dust. How he survived I don't know.

Millie has invited me to participate in this show..

Strathmore Celebrates: Women in the Arts Exhibition
June 1, 2007 - August 25, 2007
Through Strathmore Celebrates: Women in the Arts, we acknowledge and applaud the contribution of women to both the musical and visual arts of our region. While the Music Center hosts innovative female performers, the Mansion features works by outstanding Washington area female artists all summer.

Opening Wed 6 - 8pm.

planning meeting at Smith Farm Center
we are going to have a very exciting season, new gallery space, fascinating themes to explore, and for the first time a juried show.

Some of the artists who will be showing with us; Novie Trump, Michael Janis, Robyn Einhorn, Anne Massoni, Bill Mould, Tai Hwa Goh, Angela Henessey.

our own Darien Reece from Smith Farm Center

Darien was one of 25 artists participating in this project (and one of only two artists to create two paintings). The DC Commission on the Arts invited artists to create murals for the boarded up windows at the historic Eastern Market building during the renovation.Installation photo of Night Guardian II and depicts a winged spirit who guards the sleeping city.

Read all about Anne Marchand's great project at Eastern Market on her blog here. Needless to say we at Smith Farm Center are incredibly proud of Darien!

Dedication Ceremony today at 1. Eastern Market 7th St. North Carolina Ave. S.E. Washington, D.C.

this from the post, what a great idea!

Physics Professor Aims to Teach Art Students the Business
Monday, May 28, 2007;
Picture it: The abandoned building at 14th and U turned into an art gallery where graduate art students can learn how to sell and market their art.
This idea brought to you by Paul So, physics professor at George Mason University

Picture it: The abandoned building at 14th and U turned into an art gallery where graduate art students can learn how to sell and market their art.'

So, currently on a sabbatical, bought the building at 1353 U Street NW, next to the Republic Gardens, last year for $1.3 million. It is his dream to provide a space and program for art students so they can learn the business side of art, like how to write grants and how to market their work. Those selected would get two-year fellowships that would also include lectures and seminars by local educators, gallery owners and artists, So said. He likens his idea to getting a post-doc in art.
"It's difficult for young artists to exhibit their art. There are not many spaces for that here," he said, adding that he would like to keep local artists here, rather than see them run off to New York City. "When they start out, they are taught the artistic aspect of their art world and not really taught to market themselves, make a good portfolio, or know where they can sell work. I'd like to provide that."
A painter since his undergrad years, So's work is mostly acrylic on canvas. His paintings were recently on display at Artomatic, a show for hundreds of Washington area artists and performers. "I want to help young artists," he said. "There are a lot of artists in the city who are working right now but not seriously thinking about showing their work. Those I'd like to target also."
It may take a while. A construction plan should be complete by June. He hopes to get a building permit by July or August. Then he expects work to take as long as nine months. He will add office space for rent upstairs, and a couple of condos. That way, he said, he can afford to run the gallery and nonprofit group.
"I'd like to see an opening sometime next year this time," he said.
-- Amy Joyce

yesterday our healing garden tour went very well. We are hoping to do a talk next October at NIH with SAH and USBG as part of a larger symposium on horticulture. Last night I spent the evening getting ready for my Smith Farm Center planning meeting - we should have a fascinating 2008 season. Also made a cd of images for a grant application. Took my show down at the Lee center yesterday, always good to see Novie who's career is talking off like a star then took two pieces to Millie @ Strathmore for the "Women in the Arts" show. I'm thrilled to be included. More details later.