Centerpieces
June 10th, 2006Friday was the Mayor’s Arts Awards Luncheon with the Arts Council of New Orleans, and Adam was asked to do the centerpieces this year. This is one of his steel vases, but they have variations of shape and colors of glitter.
His artist’s statement about them reads: “Rust is just a crustier form of glitter, which I think is evident in this series of vases. It is metaphoric of New Orleans as a whole, with its showy duality and swampy utopianism.”
I think it was neat he was asked to do this project this year in particular; every annual thing these days is not just another event, but the first since the flooding. It all feels at least somewhat monumental; every continuing tradition is a statement about the resiliency and the strength of this city’s culture and people.
We had fun talking to children’s book author/illustrator and TV/movie producer William Joyce before the ceremonies. He has a sad but funny story about his hurricane and Mardi Gras-themed New Yorker cover drawing getting bumped after Dick Cheney shot his friend…here’s a link that tells that story in more detail. Now he’s going to sell prints of the cover-that-wasn’t, and the profits will benefit Louisiana artists and arts organizations. The email address to inquire about buying a print is katrinarita@nadersgallery.com.
So that is all very cool, but we really liked Mr. Joyce because he’s into odd antique toys and kinetics and things like that.
Overall, we’re both glad to have participated in this event. Adam donated 100% of the centerpiece sales to the Arts Council, and we got to get to know some of the staff as well as some interesting guests. Can’t argue with that, although we do wish the mayor had showed up.
-Amy
ETA: The link wasn’t working, but should be fixed now.