Wilmette Art Talk
A Great Work of Art: A Great Visitor to Wilmette
by Julie Ressler on 09/22/11
Last week I revisited The
Great Wilmette Clock from Generacion lll in Zacatlan, Mexico in its new home at the Wilmette Jr HS.
Wilmette Arts Guild’s generous patron,
Dick Davis, arranged for the clock to be made especially for Wilmette. This
would help the economy of Zacatlan and provide an interesting and useful work of art for Wilmette. When the
Wilmette Arts Guild approached him over a year ago, Superintendant of Schools
Ray Lechner said, “Yes, we want that clock!”
Principal Dave Palzet and his staff have done excellent work, setting it
in an alcove of windows so that it can be seen inside and outside. A handsome
glass and wood case made by the staff protects the gears and hands of the clock
from curious fingers and vice versa. This 9’ X 5’, spectacular mechanical clock
with gears, bells and pendulums help our children to realize that “TIME” is a
process, but also that mechanical objects are beautiful. There are only three
of these clocks in the United States. One is at the Lodi World of Wonders and
the other is the San Francisco Planetarium.
On this visit Dick Davis particularly wanted to meet WJHS
teacher Eric Willson who received the Dick Davis Encouragement Award for his
classes’ work on preserving the culture of Wilmette today through their
photographs. This award goes to the teacher rather than a particular student. It was presented at the WAG AWARDS in March.
I pointed out to these eager young faces that Dick is over seventy, I am almost seventy, Peter Nussbaum, our master photographer was in his middle eighties, WAG VP Barbara Roseman is in her sixties and all of us are still learning and using many of the skills we first encountered in junior high school! Dick remarked that his family was always very short of money, so he began working after school in Jr. High School. Eventually he said he discovered he had a talent for investing. This led to funding many adventures including losing the keys to his airplane on the Mongolian Steppe and having to be rescued by United Airlines, accidentally being locked into the Louvre and being arrested at Lourdes! (The judge believed that he meant no disrespect!) All this is just part of being Dick Davis. Quoting Joseph Campbell to the children, he urged each of them to “Follow your bliss.” He has for sure! We have all benefitted.
Ray Lechner summed it up best, “No other Junior High School in the United States has this wonderful clock and all the experiences that go with it, including knowing Dick Davis.” WAG and Dave Palzet continue to develop an Interdisciplinary Curriculum with the clock and “TIME” as its focus. When this is completed, it will be translated into other languages and go all over the world with the other clocks from Generacion lll. Dick Davis is thrilled how Wilmette handled the Clock, and has now offered his favorite village a monumental sculpture from Loveland, Colorado! Where shall we put it?
Wilmette Art Talk: The Power of Fiber Arts
by Julie Ressler on 09/03/11
Fiber
Arts are usually thought to be woman’s art. Penelope was at her loom.
The house-proud housewife’s needlework distinguished her and made her
family seem precious and comfortable. When my daughter was born, my
stepmother made her a dimity christening dress with Irish lace and tucks
and a bonnet. Every stitch was sewn by hand. She said it was the only
way she knew to get enough prayers into one little dress and bonnet.
When my elderly aunt took a long time dying in the hospital, I sat with
her and crocheted a baby blanket using my Russian grandmother’s pattern
for a young friend’s new baby. These ways go very deeply into the human
psyche. They defy definition as “craft” or even “fine craft” …they are
art, life art, even though the execution can be very flawed, they retain
a rich archetypal value.
It
is only within the last 40 or 50 years that things like
“homemade,”
“prayer,” “feeling precious” and having enough time at home to carefully
and individually be “at home” has come into such a confusion of
definition. It is part of having too much, personally and as a society.
There are too many people doing too many things for us. We work too much
outside our homes and bring the world too much into our homes with TV
and computers. We haven’t enough time to exhale. We go to spas instead
of our homes. Our young mothers are so tired. It used to be Dad was far
away, but now Mom is also in Iraq or in London working hard away from
home. Yet, one of the brightest “corporate” members of WAG crochets
jewelry as she flies and waits in airports. Handwork is powerful.
