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First the Storm then the Shells

Tropical Storm Andrea hit Manasota Key last week, and as named storms go, she was noisy and a bit persistent, but aside from tearing a screen and relocating a couple of deck chairs, Andrea mainly served as nature’s entertainment for our artists in residence.

Tropical Storm Andrea hit Manasota Key last week, and as named storms go, she was noisy and a bit persistent, but aside from tearing a screen and relocating a couple of deck chairs, Andrea mainly served as nature’s entertainment for our artists in residence.

For us, Andrea served another purpose. This is the time of year when our National Advisory Committee chooses the artists they want to invite for a residency. They give us the names and we send the invitations, which the artists aren’t expecting, always with a single, perfect shell from our beach, which they really aren’t expecting.

Part of my job is to scour the beach for those shells. I know, life is tough.

Lately the shells have been scarce, and the perfect ones that fit into our clear round box, even more so. But the day after Andrea hit – Shellapalooza!! Right in front of the Hermitage. At lunch time I threw off my sandals, grabbed my beach pail and hit the beach. Then I got to “work” (Hey it’s an assignment) and started sifting through the layers to find as many perfect shells as I could.

After a few years, I’ve gotten pretty good at sizing up the shells but I bring a sample box with me to make sure they fit. From the looks I get, I can tell my fellow shell seekers think it’s a bit odd that I make my finds pass a test before I toss them in my pail.

I left the beach after, well I’m not sure how long I was there, with about 60 “artist shells” and one extra cool, “I should keep it for myself but I won’t” shell.

Usually I decide where the shells end up since I put the mailing together. In order to make the process more entertaining, I’ll say, choose a more interesting shell to send to a writer in the Midwest because, I figure they don’t get to see that many (until they come here of course). If I notice on an artist’s website that they use a lot of color, I’ll pop them a more colorful shell. And sometimes I just shut my eyes and leave it up to shell destiny.

So, if you’re reading this and you get a shell in the mail in the next, let’s say 2-4 weeks, or if you are a Hermitage Fellow and still have your perfect shell in the box (and I hope you do), now you know how it got there. And if you are on this year’s list of Fellows and your name happens to be Andrea, have I got a shell for you!

Welcome Linda Mansperger

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and its Board of Directors is pleased to announce that it has added a Development Director to its staff. Beginning Monday, June 10, 2013, Linda Mansperger will be the first to hold this newly created position.

The Hermitage welcomes its first development director, Linda Mansperger

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and its Board of Directors is pleased to announce that it has added a Development Director to its staff. Beginning Monday, June 10, 2013, Linda Mansperger will be the first to hold this newly created position.

In this capacity, Mansperger will assist in all aspects of fund raising for the organization, including grant writing and reporting, special events and donor relations. “Since it officially began bringing in artists in 2005, the Hermitage Artist Retreat has been growing by leaps and bounds,” explained Board President Larry Bold. “Our local, state and national impact has gone beyond what any of us could have anticipated, with more on the horizon. With that in mind, the board is pleased to add Linda Mansperger as our first Development Director. Her experience in not-for-profit is extensive and we know she will be a great addition to our staff.”

Linda Mansperger has had only two consecutive positions in her 37-year career. From 1976 to 1985, she was the Assistant Director of the Historical Museum of Southern Florida in Miami. In 1985 she moved to Sarasota and was hired as the Executive Director/CEO of Gulf Coast Heritage Association, Inc., more commonly known as Historic Spanish Point. She held that position through February, 2013. Over the years, Mansperger has been a successful grant writer and reviewer, fundraiser, published author, public speaker and collaborator.

Linda is joining us at the perfect time. The Hermitage is poised to continue its growth and impact. To go to the next level we also needed to grow our professional staff . Linda will be a terrific addition to the team and we welcome her and her invaluable experience as we strive to reach all of our objectives.

How do you get into the Hermitage?

Getting an invitation to work at the Hermitage isn’t easy – intentionally so. As artist communities go, we’re about average size, but that size is small. We issue between 40-60 new invitations each summer. Each invitation awards an artist a “bank” of 6 weeks time at the Hermitage, and two years to spend that time in weekly increments of his or her choosing.

Getting an invitation to work at the Hermitage isn’t easy – intentionally so. As artist communities go, we’re about average size, but that size is small. We issue between 40-60 new invitations each summer. Each invitation awards an artist a “bank” of 6 weeks time at the Hermitage, and two years to spend that time in weekly increments of his or her choosing. Further limiting is the fact that we support many disciplines; writers, painters, poets, playwrights, choreographers, videographers, composers, sculptors, and endless combinations of the above.Therefore, invitations go out to about 10 visual artists, 10 composers, 10 writers, etc. In all, not very many people in each discipline given the vast numbers of worthy artists practicing their art in each.

Our admission policies were formed in 2005 when we decided to curate all our residencies – that is, to make them by invitation only. That decision came from playing with the question “how do we increase the significance of a Hermitage residency?” Well one answer was, make it the “coolest place you can’t get into.” If it’s hard to get into, when you do receive an invitation, it’s more meaningful. A second answer to the question of increasing the importance of a residency is to have the people issuing the invitations be significant people in each field we support. So if our invitation comes from someone with recognized importance in your field, it’s more meaningful. It means you’ve been recognized – and not just by your mother, or boyfriend, or wife, but by someone who knows.

So the first decision we made was to not have any application process. You can’t apply to work here. You have to be invited. The second decision was to constitute an advisory committee to issue the invitations, a committee of the most respected people in each of the disciplines we support. You can see the current National Artist Advisory Committee here.

To many artists, this is very frustrating. We hear it all the time. And frustrating artists was never our goal in creating the Hermitage. BUT it was our goal to make it special. Important. Exciting. And that means, we’ve learned, many people will not be happy with us. And those who receive an invitation are thrilled. And that’s good enough for us.

Why Trenton Doyle Hancock?

Trenton Doyle Hancock was selected to receive the 2013 Greenfield Prize at the Hermitage Artist Retreat. Why Trenton?

Trenton Doyle Hancock was selected to receive the 2013 Greenfield Prize at the Hermitage Artist Retreat. Why Trenton?

To get to the answer, let me backtrack to the founding of the prize for a minute. The prize was created by Bob Greenfield and me over the summer of 2008. Funded by the Greenfield Foundation, now of Philadelphia, the prize was the vision of Bob, patriarch of the Foundation. I got to work with his vision, and translate it into practical terms and scale it to a level that it would meet the goals of the prize.

In going through some old emails, I came across this one from Bob about the goal of the prize.

An artist may merit our support simply on the basis of his/her ability to create a work of artistic merit, even though not socially significant, or of social significance even though short of the top in artistic merit. Our objective is impact, artistic, or social, or both.

Whether you connect with Trenton’s work or not, it’s work that is powerful in its authenticity. It’s real. And it’s really Trenton. Deeply so. And the work derives its enormous impact from this uniqueness.

While we lost Bob Greenfield this year, it’s my job to carry forward the vision along with Joni Greenfield on the Foundation board. Trenton’s work is what Bob was talking about when he wrote “Our objective is impact, artistic, or social, or both.” His work embodies the values that drove Bob to create the prize – work that pushes forward, intrepid, authentic, and fearless. And this is why Trenton is the right choice for the 2013 Greenfield Prize at the Hermitage Artist Retreat.

To see more of Trenton’s work follow this link:

http://www.jamescohan.com/artists/trenton-doyle-hancock/

You can see a video of Trenton speaking about his work here:

http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/trenton-doyle-hancock

Art critic Jerry Saltz takes on the 40,000-headed beast

Jerry Saltz, Senior Art Critic for New York magazine, wants you to like him—but only if you are willing to engage in a dialogue about art. When I got the opportunity to sit down with this charming and self-effacing art critic extraordinaire, I was immediately swept up in his love of art, writing and conversation. Saltz was part of a panel of experts in a Creative Conversation on contemporary art in America during the Greenfield Prize Weekend for the Hermitage Artist Retreat. He gave the keynote address at the Greenfield Prize dinner, where artist Trenton Doyle Hancock received the 2013 award.

Post by Bonnie Silvestri

TWIS Contributor Bonnie Greenball Silvestri sat down with New York magazine art critic Jerry Saltz. Photo by Cliff Roles.

Jerry Saltz, Senior Art Critic for New York magazine, wants you to like him—but only if you are willing to engage in a dialogue about art. When I got the opportunity to sit down with this charming and self-effacing art critic extraordinaire, I was immediately swept up in his love of art, writing and conversation. Saltz was part of a panel of experts in a Creative Conversation on contemporary art in America during the Greenfield Prize Weekend for the Hermitage Artist Retreat. He gave the keynote address at the Greenfield Prize dinner, where artist Trenton Doyle Hancock received the 2013 award.

was already a fan of Saltz from his weekly appearances on Bravo’s TV show Work of Art, a reality show seeking the next top artist. He was widely criticized for pandering to the public and derided for “destroying art” in becoming a part of the show, and I liked that he was willing to continue in spite of his detractors. But his on-screen persona was a bit edgy. What I didn’t know was that he would be so easy-going and spirited in person and that we would be so squarely on the same page that the arts need to become more accessible.

The art world, especially the gallery scene in New York City, often gets a bad rap. Outside the tiny circle of artists, gallerists, curators and collectors, contemporary art can seem like an impenetrable wall to the general public. But Saltz is dedicated to tearing down that wall. In contrast to his detractors, Saltz believes that “art will do just fine” if it becomes more democratized.

“All you good little humanists, you want art to be understood and embraced by the public,” Saltz said, but then these same folks panic the minute the process of art making and art criticism is opened up for popular consumption.

To some extent, Saltz is a one-man show who allows art criticism to “cross this divide” between art makers and art consumers. In addition to his work for the magazine, he lectures regularly for art programs of the top universities in the country. Perhaps it is his training as an educator that makes him want to go beyond the confines of the four corners of his magazine. He responded with a personal note to every person who commented on his Work of Art recap blogs, which in the end garnered over 100,000 comments. Furthermore, Saltz said he resisted the magazine’s attempt to put up a firewall between him and his audience because he doesn’t want to “dance naked” alone. He wants to be understood. His “skin is like an elephant,” and he loves communicating with the public about his writing, art criticism and the art world itself.

Saltz wants to move away from the vertical model in which the art critic tells everyone else what to think about a painting, a sculpture or an exhibit, and that goes for the artists as well. Rather, he wants to create a “more horizontal platform” in which everyone has a voice in the creative process. He calls it the “40,000 headed beast” that seeks to engage in a conversation about art through online media.

“I’m not interested in power, I’m interested in credibility and in respect,” Saltz said. As he opens himself up to public critique, he makes himself a more valid critic. By pulling back the veil on the mysteries of contemporary art, he may be dragging the whole art world with him. Much like Web MD began to level the playing field in the doctor/patient relationship, Saltz has validated our particular tastes.

“My 15 percent may not overlap with your 15 percent,” Saltz said. But without public connossieur-ship, the art world may go the way of the dinosaurs. And with a richer understanding, we can begin to rely on the vehicle of the creative arts to help us communicate more meaningfully with one another. Three cheers to Saltz for taking on the establishment and winning!

******

Bonnie Silvestri is Senior Fellow for Arts, Culture and Civic Engagement and an instructor teaching law classes in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. Prior to moving to Sarasota, she lived in New York City from 1996 to 2006. She received her Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude in English with a minor in Art History from Vanderbilt University and her Juris Doctor from The Michael E. Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University. Most importantly, she is mom to the beautiful Daphne and wife of Michael Silvestri.

Hermitage Work Touches the World

Work created at the Hermitage is being produced, performed, published, and exhibited at major venues around the world.

Gogol by Lera Auerbach

Work created at the Hermitage is being produced, performed, published, and exhibited at major venues around the world. Here are a few examples of what our Fellows are doing:

  • Lera Auerbach’s opera Gogol saw a major production at the Theatre An Du Wein in Vienna, Austria last November.
  • Christopher Merrill’s latest non-fiction book The Tree of the Doves: Ceremony, Expedition, War was published in 2012.
  • Anna Clyne, Resident Composer for Ricardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony performed Prince Of Clouds in Chicago on December 13, 2012 (It will be performed at a total of five cities around America in 2012/2013).
  • Craig Lucas’ play The Lying Lesson will premiere at the Atlantic Theatre in New York City in March, 2013.
  • Craig’s opera, Two Boys, written with Hermitage composer Nico Muhly, premiered in London at the English National Opera and opens December 12, 2013 at New York’s Metropolitan Opera.
  • Pulitzer-winning composer Bernard Rands wrote a piano concerto that will see its premiere with the Boston Symphony in April 2014.
  • The Hermitage commissioned visual artist Sanford Biggers for a installation through awarding him the 2010 Greenfield Prize. That installation was exhibited at the Ringling Museum of Art for almost seven months, seen by tens of thousands, and now we are seriously exploring a national tour where it will be seen by many thousands more.

All this work was created at the Hermitage yet this is still just a sampling of the work and level of artistry that is being created every day on our campus by artists from all over the world. It’s not only our privilege to serve these wonderful creators, it’s our work. The impact, in the end, touches audiences, viewers, readers by the thousands. Of this, we couldn’t be more proud.

Biggers’ Greenfield Prize Commission Opens at Ringling Museum

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Greenfield Foundation are pleased to announce that Sanford Biggers, 2010 Winner of the Greenfield Prize and its first visual art recipient, has installed his commission at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, FL. The exhibition Codex will be on display until October 14, 2012. The exhibit was inspired by Harriet Tubman and quilts used to signify safe houses along the underground railway. Clouds, stars and constellations are interspersed throughout the work, symbolic of those used by slaves as they found their way to freedom.

Sanford Biggers Codex Installation
Codex (installation, detail)
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
Photography by Giovanni Lunardi
All work copyright Sanford Biggers, 2012

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Greenfield Foundation are pleased to announce that Sanford Biggers, 2010 Winner of the Greenfield Prize and its first visual art recipient, has installed his commission at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, FL. The exhibition Codex will be on display until October 14, 2012. The exhibit was inspired by Harriet Tubman and quilts used to signify safe houses along the underground railway. Clouds, stars and constellations are interspersed throughout the work, symbolic of those used by slaves as they found their way to freedom.

“I’ve not exhibited paintings or drawings for 15 years,” shared Biggers, an interdisciplinary artist, at the opening. “This project brought me back to those roots. The quilts, many donated to me by descendants of slave owners, were very inspiring to work with. The clouds are made from raw cotton grown in North Carolina. All my work is created from personal experiences. My hope is always that others will see it as a gateway, develop their own message and feel a part of the art.”

Dr. Matthew McLendon, the Ringling Museum’s associate curator of modern and contemporary art, added, “Codex plays a significant role in the continued maturation of Sanford Biggers’ work. Here we see the artist reconfiguring symbolism he has used before in three-dimensional forms through the return to his earliest form of expression, painting. As such, the works in Codex offer an unprecedented chance to see Biggers in the process of evolving his artistic practice.”

The Greenfield Prize was established in 2009 by longtime Sarasota residents Bob and Louise Greenfield through the Philadelphia-based Greenfield Foundation. The prize is a means by which a groundbreaking, enduring work of art will be created by a commissioned artist within two years of receiving the award. According to Bob Greenfield, “the intention of the Greenfield Prize is to bring into the world works of art that will have a significant impact on the broad as well as the artistic culture of our society.” Winners are rotated within three disciplines: theater, music, and visual art. The Prize consists of a $30,000 commission of an original work of art, a residency at the Hermitage, and a partnership with a professional arts organization to develop the work and assistance in moving the work forward into the American arts world.

“The Hermitage Artist Retreat is a big organization in a deceptively small package,” remarked Executive Director Bruce E. Rodgers. “Beautifully situated on 8.5 acres on the Gulf of Mexico, we offer an amazingly inspiring environment in which to create art. We offer only invited residencies, selected by distinguished arts leaders in all disciplines. Some of the world’s busiest and most in demand artists are finding their way to us. The Greenfield Prize is a special opportunity to encourage new art making by commissioning a project of the artist’s choice. The results in the four short years since its inception have already been staggering. We look forward to continuing to support great artists in their quest to create important work.”

A distinguished seven-person panel consisting of some of the most highly respected authorities in American art select each Greenfield Prize recipient. Three voting members on each jury are joined by a producing partner representative, Joni Greenfield of the Greenfield Foundation, Hermitage Greenfield Prize Director Patricia Caswell and Hermitage Executive Director Bruce E. Rodgers who facilitates. Jury for the Biggers selection included Chair Dan Cameron, chief curator Orange County Museum of Art, Franklin Sirmans, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) curator and artistic director of the Prospect.3 biennial and Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson, Aspen Art Museum CEO, director and chief curator. In addition to Biggers, other prizewinners have been playwrights Craig Lucas (2009) and John Guare (2011), and composers Eve Beglarian (2009) and Vijay Iyer (2012).

Conversations With Arthur Kopit

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art are pleased to announce that two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and three-time Tony Award nominee Arthur Kopit will share stories about his life in the theater, read from his work and speak about new projects during “Conversations with Arthur Kopit” on Thursday, February 2 at 7:30 pm in the Historic Asolo Theater.

Arthur Kopit

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art are pleased to announce that two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and three-time Tony Award nominee Arthur Kopit will share stories about his life in the theater, read from his work and speak about new projects during “Conversations with Arthur Kopit” on Thursday, February 2 at 7:30 pm in the Historic Asolo Theater. The program is part of the Hermitage Series at the Historic Asolo. Cost is $5.00; students with ID are free. Reservations are suggested and can be made by calling the Historic Asolo box office at 941-360-7399. The theater is located in the museum’s welcome center at 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota.

This will be an opportunity to meet one of our country’s greatest living playwrights and hear him speak about his career and what’s coming up as he explores new work. The Hermitage is very proud to count Arthur Kopit amongst its list of esteemed fellows. We are equally pleased to be able to share him with our community.

Arthur Kopit’s life in the theater has had many successes. He was a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his plays Indians and Wings. Kopit was nominated three times for a Tony Award. In 1970, Indians was nominated for Best Play, as was Wings in1979. In 1982, Nine was nominated for Best Book of a Musical. He won the Vernon Rice Award (now known as the Drama Desk Award) in 1962 for his play Oh Dad, Poor Dad,Mama’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad. In 1979, Kopit was nominated for another Drama Desk Award for his play Wings. Nine returned to Broadway in 2003 and won two Tony Awards, including Best Revival. In 2009 Rob Marshall directed the film based on Kopit’s script.

This will be the second time that Arthur Kopit has come to the Hermitage Artist Retreat to work. Our community give-back program was created to share our artists and their outstanding work with our communities at little or no cost to the audience. This evening exemplifies how special these opportunities can be. Anyone who enjoys a night in the theater will want to attend. And bring your questions. This is your opportunity to join in the conversation.

Vijay Iyer – 2012 Greenfield Prize Winner

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Greenfield Foundation are proud to announce that Composer-Pianist Vijay Iyer is the winner of the $30,000 Greenfield Prize, awarded this year in the field of music. Iyer will receive the award at a special celebration dinner on April 1, 2012 in Sarasota, FL. Serving on the jury that selected Iyer were Linda Golding, past president of Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. music publishers and founder of The Reservoir; Jennifer Koh, solo violinist and prolific recitalist, and Limor Tomer, general manager of concerts and lectures at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Vijay Iyer - photo courtesy of Jimmy Katz

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Greenfield Foundation are proud to announce that Composer-Pianist Vijay Iyer is the winner of the $30,000 Greenfield Prize, awarded this year in the field of music. Iyer will receive the award at a special celebration dinner on April 1, 2012 in Sarasota, FL. Serving on the jury that selected Iyer were Linda Golding, past president of Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. music publishers and founder of The Reservoir; Jennifer Koh, solo violinist and prolific recitalist, and Limor Tomer, general manager of concerts and lectures at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“I’m honored, delighted, and surprised by this award,” said Mr. Iyer. “It’s rare and astonishing for my work to be embraced on such a scale, and it’s a particularly special honor coming from the Greenfield Prize’s interdisciplinary perspective. This award will make a tremendous difference in my life in the coming year. It enables me to focus less on ‘career’ and more on art and community, two powerful and interrelated forces that can nourish and sustain us all. For this opportunity I am tremendously grateful.”

We are very excited to make this announcement. Since the Prize is awarded in rotation to three different arts disciplines, every year we have the great privilege of working with the top people in whatever field the prize is to be awarded in. Linda, Jennifer and Limor did a wonderful job. We look forward to April 1 when we not only present Vijay with the Prize, but also begin the two-year process of working with him and provide whatever support he needs to realize his commission.

Vijay Iyer is a Grammy-nominated composer-pianist who has been described by Pitchford as “one of the most interesting and vital young pianists in jazz today,” by The New Yorker as one of “today’s most important pianists…extravagantly gifted… brilliantly eclectic,” and by Los Angeles Weekly as a “boundless and deeply important young star.” He was voted the 2010 Musician of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association and named one the 50 most Influential Global Indians” by GQ India. Iyer has released 15 albums, including the Grammy-nominated “Historicity” (2009), which was named #1 Jazz album of the year in the NY Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Metro Times, NPR, PopMatters.com, Village Voice Jazz Critics Poll and Downbeat International Critics Poll. Among his many awards, Iyer has received the Alpert Award of the Arts and the New York Foundation of the Arts Fellowship.

On March 13 Iyer is releasing his new CD titled Accelerando (ACT Music + Vision). In addition to his performing life, he has composed on commission for the Silk Road Ensemble, Brentano String Quartet, American Composer’s Orchestra, Ethel, and filmmakers Bill Morrison (who will be in residence at the Hermitage this spring) and Haile Gerima.

The producing partner for this year’s Greenfield Prize winner will be the La Musica International Chamber Music Festival. As producing partner they will be a resource to Mr. Iyer as he completes his commission and they will be premiering the work in the 2014 festival.
You can find much more information on Vijay Iyer on his website at www.vijay-iyver.com. And you can see Mr. Iyer in concert recorded recently (January 12, 2012) on the National Public Radio site at http://www.npr.org/event/music/144979104/vijay-iyer-trio-live-in-concert?sc=fb&cc=fmp&fb_source=message.

Artist Ralph Lemon Asks Questions

Artist Ralph Lemon began by asking dancers to write a question, then dance the question. He asked others watching, do you know the dancer’s question? Does it matter? He asked the dancers, “Does it matter that people are watching?” He ended with “The resonance that was left behind is of the ‘doing,’ beyond the rigor and the discipline of dance…the other stuff is just the parts”.

Ralph Lemon

Artist Ralph Lemon began by asking dancers to write a question, then dance the question. He asked others watching, do you know the dancer’s question? Does it matter? He asked the dancers, “Does it matter that people are watching?” He ended with “The resonance that was left behind is of the ‘doing,’ beyond the rigor and the discipline of dance…the other stuff is just the parts”. This was at a workshop partnership between the Hermitage and the newly formed Sarasota Dance Alliance. More images taken by Ralph Barnette are on the Hermitage Facebook.