[Forum] Meeting Notes & List Discussions

[Karen Kane]

I kinda like the baseball mitts (I'm a baseball fan, and you can sit  
in them!), and that stuff does evidently draw the public (and it is  
one way to invite the general public to the art scene)... but I agree  
that north berkshire / north adams public art should be the art that  
we are doing, not some painted icon.  We should go our own way, but  
maybe get together with pittfield folks to get some ideas or  
inspiration.

I think it would be valuable to have someone, like an "art czar" as  
Kurt says . . . someone who has the personality and skill to work  
with both the artists and the political establishment.


On Mar 6, 2007, at 7:46 AM, Gregory Scheckler wrote:

> Thank you all for helping do this and also get this forum going.
>
> Some responses to Joshua's excellent questions:
>
>> 1) is it okay that pittsfield take the lead in promoting the  
>> berkshires
>> as a cultural destination? should there be a similar effort in north
>> county? should the effort be berkshire-wide? whose job is it anyway??
>
> What I think is bizarre is the idea that ugly fiberglass baseball  
> mitts
> (or palettes in VT, or moose, etc.) are in any way a reasonable  
> investment
> in public art and/or tourist attraction. These types of projects  
> always
> require artists to do something different than what they are already
> doing. Instead, let's celebrate what we each specialize in. I bet  
> we can
> do better and a much classier job than the ventures Pittsfield  
> attempts.
>
> re: community organizer like M.Whilden -- where's Rod Bunt in all  
> of this?
> Can he help?
>
>> 2) north adams may be home to mass moca, the eclipse mill, gallery  
>> 51, a
>> burgeoning arts community and soon an arts focused program at mcla  
>> - but
>> how does this fit under a broader umbrella that is something people
>> outside of this community will understand/appreciate/be drawn to?
>
> Good question! Maybe it is simply the unique work that we feature  
> in the
> area. I'd like it to be the art that we're making, presenting, etc.  
> Less
> of an umbrella and more of a groundswell.
>
> gjs
>
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