There are 3 special art installation in the Valley this week. The first one is the White House Project at the Emily Dickinson Museum, Zea Mays Biennial at APE and an exhibit in Holyoke at Paper City Studios. Two summer ago, I traveled Pioneer Women from Tabla Rasa Gallery, NYC to Holyoke at Paper City and seeing this wonderful installation last night reminded me of this exhibit.

http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/07/22/finding-wonderland

Terry's Women

As I was working in the studio this week, taking a break from production of the White House Project and the Amherst Biennial. I noticed there were a lot of women hanging out in my studio. Dorothy from OZ was visiting, as well as several  Lady Liberty's. Well, I guess I live through their worlds, Dorothy is at the Crossroads, and yes there are times I don't know which way to go, the road less travelled?. And the Statue of Liberty, well she represents all that's good in America. So in these volatile times it's no wonder, I'm drawn to her (no pun intended)

This installation shot at OZ: from Toto's Point of View was taken by John Polak at the Nash Gallery, Easthampton in '08. I had just moved my father into assisted living with Alzheimer's. I never really finished this body of work since I was suffering from pneumonia in the run up to this show. Only now am I able to come back to this work with new eyes. This piece has changed greatly this Spring. Dorothy is more grounded in my reworked piece; she's older and wiser now. If my co-curators agree, I'd like to install this piece in the Biennial and invite the public to bring their ruby slippers to celebrate "There's no place like home." It seems the White House project encourage my return to this work. Thanks Peter. <www.actionartinc.com>

White House & Pioneer Women

As I'm cranking up promotion for the Little White House Project and facing the challenges of doing a public art installation in a college town, my thoughts wander to the Pioneer Women exhibit last summer which also had challenges. As we were installing the exhibit at the Jasper Rand Museum and  the Storefront installations in Westfield, the city started tearing up the sidewalks.. There are always challenges when working in the public realm, it's learning to roll with the punches. One of the stars for Pioneer Women is Rosalyn Driscoll (image of What is meant to be) whose tactile sculptures engage the viewers, visually and with touch.

http://pioneerwomenart.wordpress.com/susan-mikula/