Rebecca Siemering Projects

Racine Art Museum

2011-10-31T18:17:00.001-07:00

Three new pieces are on display at the Racine Art Museum in, "To Wear, Or Not To Wear."

Continuing colorful pattern throughout the museum, RAM Curator of Exhibitions Lena Vigna organized To Wear or Not to Wear, which showcases artist-made garments and objects of adornment that are both wearable and non-wearable. Visitors to the museum will discover a dress constructed of ceiling tin, a collar of airbrushed aluminum, and shoes made of discarded lottery tickets. This exhibition includes the work of emerging and established artists such as Daniel Jocz, Kay Khan, John Petrey, Marjorie Schick and Rebecca Siemering, from various backgrounds including metalsmithing, sculpture, fiber, and commercial photography.

Join me for Pawtucket Open Studios

2011-09-06T01:14:00.001-07:00

Wheel of Fortunette

2011-07-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

This past week, I have been working on a piece for National Grid, using a recycled refrigerator. Several other artists are participating, and they will be on display in Providence in late July. Cannot wait to see what everyone else is doing. I am taking a cue from carnival fortune telling machines and I am adding a spinning wheel with environmental "fortunes" around the edges of a wheel Pictured is the start of it. The colors are from a palette given by National Grid.

Hope springs eternal

2011-05-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Back in the studio again after a brief absence for my biggest and lifelong project- the birth of my daughter Asha in March. Asha is a Hindi name for "hope, desire or wish." Being pregnant took me offline for awhile, and made my life more interior, so there have not been many posts in the last year. With a few shows coming up in the fall at the Racine Art Museum and the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, I am back at work. With the piece work style I use with the lottery tickets I have been able to continue work at a slower pace, but at least some pace. Look for more posts soon-including updating my web site.

Montreal

2010-11-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

Me and Erik went to Montreal last week for a little getaway, as it is such an inspirational art treat of a city. We stumbled upon the Silophone and Erik took some video of me singing into it. So much fun! I think this is one of the best public art projects I have ever seen. The fact that you can participate is extraordinary. I was also amazed at how well kept and clean the area was, no chips in the concrete or graffiti. An great deal was to get an art/subway pass good for three days. We rode the metro everywhere and went to at least 5 museums, got into special exhibitions at no cost and the botanical gardens. I really can't say enough about how tourist friendly and art filled this city is.

American Made in American Style Magazine!

2010-09-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

If you pick up the Fall issue of American Style, you will see a detail shot of American Made. More online.

Fiber Art International 2010

2010-04-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

My suit "American Made" is in FI 2010. It is an honor to be in this show, in the good company of fantastic fiber artists from around the globe. The conference and catalog surrounding the exhibition were well-put together, and visiting Pittsburgh is always a joy. What a wonderful city. I had time to walk through several neighborhoods when I was there, and in every one of them, there was an open window where a classical musician was playing. Even in my friend Joanne's home, her husband Layo is a musician from Venezuala, so I heard him practicing with his traditional music group. It was like one long dance through the city every day.

I also need to comment on the many wonderful artists I met. Everyone had a chance to share something about their work during the Fiber Art Forum. I have never been part of a show where there was so much interest in everyone else, and the willingness to share techniques and stories. I have a lot of new friends! In particular, I learned a lot about paper making from a fellow New Englander, Jennifer Davies, that Canada has an intriguing lottery system from felter Andrea Graham, and what it is REALLY like to live in Hawaii (firework mania and bugs that can move furniture) from Leisa Rich.

To see more about the show and the artists:
http://fiberartinternational.org/

Material Desires opens tonight!

2010-02-11T07:52:00.000-08:00

2/11/10 – 3/13/10 Material Desires Rebecca Siemering guest-curator
Jenine Bressner
Lynne Harlow
Peter Lutz
Jennifer Maestre
Barbara Owen
Islay Taylor

Bright work for a dull season. At the tail-end of winter, we all get a little stir crazy, waiting for the colors of spring to pop again. Craftland Gallery will be filled with primary colors and patterns to thaw the mental freeze of winter. Colored pencils, fabric, glass and paint will fill the gallery with eye-popping warmth and wonder.

Opening reception for Material Desires is Thursday, February 11th from 5-8pm.

Lastly, it never ends

2009-11-18T14:44:00.001-08:00

Creating piece(work) has been a very physical and mentally challenging task. If you look below, you will see the journey of the project through my (mostly) weekly posts about each swatch, and its meaning. The transformation will continue when it gets back into the studio on December 2, 2009, and I will put dated updates on the original posts.

I started out to physically sew in the window every week, with several objectives in mind: utilize only materials that were found or already in the studio; be very Providence-centric to make it site-specific; keep a rigorous weekly schedule to not over analyze each piece. Respond to the questions of the week or the day only. In a way, the individual pieces have become drawings and plans for future sculptural projects. From being in the window, and just being Downtown, I learned more about the community in the last few months than I have in years, and made some new friends. I have also learned some physical limits and how to plan a project of this size better next time. Learning never ends.

Thank you to everyone who has stopped by, Magnificent Meg, and to Mr. And Mrs. Park for putting up with me moving all of the wigs in the store to get in the door.

Wrap up

2009-11-18T14:26:00.000-08:00

For my last swatch I am ahead of myself, as the store is closed for Thanksgiving. Being a season of giving, there is a wonderful exchange that happens Downtown on the State House lawn the day after Thanksgiving. Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is either "Black Friday" to some (those who want good deals for Christmas and care to shop), or the antithesis "Buy Nothing Day " ( for those who would rather stay away from the crowds or be charitable to the community in some way). This year, with the hard economic downturn, it may be hard to choose for some, if one has the option that is. Buy local or at least buy at a business to keep the economy healthy, or save money, downsize, an hopefully give to others. I think many are conflicted.

Well, for the latter, who want to reach out, the 13th Annual Buy Nothing Day Winter Coat Exchange is held this Friday, November 28, from 10 am to 2 pm, State House lawn (rain/snow site: St. Patrick’s School, 244 Smith St, Providence). Exchange a coat or leave a coat for someone in need. If you do go out and get some Christmas shopping done early, buy local if you can, and that is another way of giving back to the Rhode Island economy

Buy Art!

2009-11-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

Did you know that for every dollar an artist receives, at least 3 times that amount goes back into the community? Providence has more artists per capita than any other US city according to some studies. The Providence Art Windows project can personally vouch for the % above, as I had past artists take a survey this Spring. For the $100 given to an Art Windows selectee, at least $200 went out for supplies, $20 for coffee and lunch, $50 if the artist needed a babysitter for the hours of installation. For out-of-state participants, the % was much higher, at least $700, which included air fare or car rental, and hotel stays. With the high unemployment rate, let charity begin at home. Buy local art, or locally funded projects, and you will let the wealth spread back into the community.

Can all you Can, Can, Can!

2009-11-18T13:51:00.000-08:00

This October, I had a visit from some unwanted new friends-mice.

We had never had any in our house, but we knew our neighbor Charles did, and he was battling them all of the time. Charles decided to move this Fall after becoming seriously ill with pneumonia. He was in assisted living for awhile, and I would take him flowers from his beloved garden and straighten up the house while he was still away. He thought he would return within a few months, but all of the food went bad in the fridge, which I threw out,too. I missed him, as we would always chat on the porch when I took a break from working at home or passed him coming back from the studio. His relatives came and cleaned out the house in September, and right after he moved to Virginia, Charles passed away in his sleep. The neighbors and I still morn the man whom we called, "The Mayor of Pawtucket Avenue," always on the proch with a smile, a good word, and advice for the garden.

The new visitors came once the food was gone next door. I also think it was my prolific garden of sunflowers, dropping seeds throughout the yard, and me collecting them within the house for next year. I grabbed a few though Have-A-Heart traps and let the mice go in the woods, and got several plug-ins that emit a sound only mice can hear to drive them away. I started to think about how many people are being good little mice these days, canning and freezing food from the garden. I put up blackberry jam, tomatoes from the yard, pickles and peaches from local produce, and froze blueberries and peas, dried some beans. There is a shortage of food in the country, and more and more people are having a hard time providing food for their families. I hope many learn lessons from the dreams of mice, and put away for the future.

Back in the Window next week

2009-11-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

If anyone is dropping by the window to see something new this week, I had to take a break due to back strain the studio. I wish I could say it was something heroic, but long hours of sewing, and not stretching enough, can take a toll! I am about done with a bunch of swatches, the quilt will be at a point of finished. I will be updating the site with these swatches as I complete them this weekend. Sorry to miss you if you drop by!

Pigeons

2009-11-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

This week's piece is about the residents many love to hate; we trip over them Downtown, they congregate in the plaza and fly in hordes near where we eat-pigeons. Pigeons have a long and intimate history with humanity, following humans into cities. These "Rock Doves" have survived on our garbage, and are often called "flying rats," but they are from the same family as doves.They are actually one and the same, just a different species. It is all semantics as to which is the better bird.

With the weather still holding it's warmth, I have passed by many children at the bus stop running through packs of these birds, enjoying their company. Seeing the lift off from the child's play reminded me of the exploration of Eadweard Muybridge's photos, and how simple and curious investigation can lead to something profound. The city is a place of work, but is it a place of play outdoors enough for families? I grew up in Omaha, NE, and in the very heart of Downtown are built in slides. Big, bright, and large enough to sit in your mother's lap if you got scared. Located in the Gene Leahy Mall, an outdoor park in the middle of the city, the park edges a massive library, fountains and shops, what you want in the heart of a city. Burnside Park in Providence has had a lovely transformation in the last few years, and it has become a place to congregate and celebrate during the warmer months, and through the winter months at the skating rink.

When I first came to Providence, I would walk Downtown on weekends and it would be me and a few pigeons. I would maybe run into a few people. The city echoed. Pigeons have historically followed humanity and its ephemera. The flocks are so numerous now that they have attracted predators like hawks and owls. It is only because of Providence's success at attracting more people to live and work Downtown that they have been able to multiply.

Included on this section are quick sketches of rock doves I have seen while waiting at the bus stop. Many of these were done while seeing children running through large gatherings of them. The pigeons are not only on this swatch, but they fly and eat elsewhere on the quilt, scattered like in real life, and everywhere!

2009-11-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

Art New England reviewer Doug Norris recently called to interview me in my capacity as Providence Art Windows Director and the current show, which I am a part of. He also writes his own independent blog, the independentsartsblog, where he had this to say about my work:

Lot of Art
"A Providence artist has found a way to make something of value from all of those shredded hopes and confetti dreams. Rebecca Siemering’s “A Fine Suit,” made from more than 1,000 discarded scratch tickets and representing over $3,500 in gambling losses, was presented as one of the Providence Art Windows in 2007 and now stands in the offices of its new owners, Fidelity Investments in Smithfield.

Siemering, now the director of Providence Art Windows, began creating additional objects out of lottery cards, while developing installations for other projects that represent some of the most intriguing art being made in Rhode Island. Among them: Her latest art window, “piece(work),” a time-based installation on Eddy Street, and “The Bells Ring for Thee,” still decaying in the North Burial Ground as part of the Cryptic Providence group installation. For her window, which she visits and works on weekly, she designed a “crazy quilt” that reflects the news of the world and the buzz of conversation around Providence. For the graveyard, she created a landscape of sound in an adjacent field, “planting” rows of metal flowers that played a vibraphone’s range of tones in the breezes, gusts and rainfalls that filled the seasons."

Thanks Doug!

When it is a good thing not to be first.

2009-11-05T11:44:00.000-08:00

"Unemployment will reach 13.8%" is the prediction that Rhode Island will reach this number by 2010. At least we are still not the highest. Our little state has been hit very hard.

Providence just hosted the National Arts Marketing conference this weekend. I was privileged to participate in the Artist Boot Camp, among the many offerings and volunteer at the tourism table to let the attendees from across the country know what great things there are to do around town. Everyone was impressed by the small size, excellent offerings of art and food, how easy it was to walk from one thing to another. It was nice to be reminded we are doing things right in a lot of ways, and if we pay attention, our "Creative Capital" can help everyone benefit and make the % go down.

Caduceus

2009-10-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

There will be no sewing in the windows this or next week, as I prepare two large pieces in the studio, and finish several smaller ones....

Caduceus, symbol of communication and the healing arts. From the Encyclopedia Britannica," staff carried by Hermes, the messenger of the gods, as a symbol of peace. Among the ancient Greeks and Romans it became the badge of heralds and ambassadors, signifying their inviolability. Originally the caduceus was a rod or olive branch ending in two shoots and decorated with garlands or ribbons. Later the garlands were interpreted as two snakes entwined in opposite directions with their heads facing; and a pair of wings, in token of Hermes’ speed, was attached to the staff above the snakes. Its similarity to the staff of Asclepius the healer (a staff branched at the top and entwined by a single serpent) resulted in modern times in the adoption of the caduceus as a symbol of the physician and as the emblem of the U.S. Army Medical Corps. Let's hope the two sides of our government can come to an agreement, and decide to help and heal, rather than hold back on healthcare for everyone. Stay tuned for some pictures of the work in progress.

UPDATE: I finally finished this piece this week, and have left my pencil tracing on the background to show my original tracing of the caduceus. I started to think more and more about the fight for healthcare, and imagined two blind snakes reaching with their tongues in the air, hunting, seeking...something. Seems visually apt for the discussion that keeps going back and forth in committees.

Later on in the season, "Can all you can, can,can!" This is the time of saving and storing. How could I not speak of how many are trying to save money and share the bounty of their own gardens? This year, I planted potatoes, which are now in the fridge, along with blackberries and blueberries from the yard. Tomatoes, cucumbers and more blackberries went into the pot to savor them later. I hope everyone enjoyed their yard as much as I did (despite the extended rain).

Guess Whoooooooooo's Coming to Lunch?

2009-10-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

On October 9, Downtown Providence had an infrequent guest-a stippled barred owl- which sat in a birch tree in Financial Plaza,sleeping, resting, and causing a stir among the workers and lunchers below it. So what does it mean,having this night creature appear in such a public place? The owl was probably resting before starting a hunt in Kennedy Plaza or the streets later on in the evening. Of course, there is much symbolism placed on owls-symbols of wisdom, symbolic of guiding souls to the land of the dead among others. Whatever one makes of this surprise visit, let's enjoy it.Mr. Owl will be resting high in the corner, watching over the progress of the piece, and extending his stay.

Me and the owl will be in the wondow for a late lunch (1:30) on Thursday, September 15.

Dive in.

2009-10-07T18:53:00.001-07:00

This week's piece is about retaining mystery.

Last week, I had a confluence of events and thoughts. I went to see photographer Joe Deal's New Work show at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum. Mainly known for his large and expansive views of the Plains states and Western America, he has recently turned to photographing cave structures, specifically the mouths of them. There were a few I found particularly striking, staring into an abyss of darkness. The dark tones of the photographs became a mirror, and caused a reflection of me within the darkness. The second event was me doodling around on Facebook, and looking around at what friends were up to. A high school friend of mine, Violet Clark wrote on her page, "The Need For Approval Is The Enemy Of Art." Violet is an artist and musician, and I am assuming she was having one of those moments where too many people want to tell you what you should be doing. As an artist, I have had those moments, and so have friends. Working in the art world, you get surprises you would never expect. The simplest art can can cause the strongest reactions. It started me thinking how no art would be made if we did not jump past all of the eyes and into the abyss.

So here is my homage to art making. Sometimes you have to go with your gut and listen to nothing else; let it shine; let it burn. I made three versions of this piece before paring it down. When you see it, there is a place for your mind to rest, and no-one has to know what you are thinking.

When it rains, it falls on everybody's house.

2009-09-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

This Sunday it rained. It rained hard, like it did most of the summer, a summer where I did not put my winter clothes away until July. One swatch of the quilt has been delayed until now, and if anyone is reading this that is not an artist, it will explain how sometimes a mundane experience can trigger an idea to be finished.

I was riding in the car a few days ago and got behind a cab which had the following vinyl lettering, "When it rains, it rains on everybody's house." I love phrases that on the one hand seem contradictory in image and different in what they mean. I think this makes the message stronger. The image of rain could be torrential, black clouds, hail pelting those huddled in houses below trying to stick it out. It can also be the same, but a hard, spiritually cleansing rain, washing away what needs to go down the drain. In both interpretations, it reflects that we are all affected by things larger than ourselves.

When I started the quilt, the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina was in the news. I listened to survivor's stories. Within the horror of the situation, there were so many who stuck together, and rose above the situation. New Orleans is in transition, but the spirit is surviving. I was not sure how to put this in a visual form, and then Sen. Kennedy died and that flooded the news, so to speak. So I put off.

So when I saw the phrase on the cab, I knew how to finish the swatch..I thought of raindrops, rooftops....all together now! It also reminded me of the acute hosuing crisis we are having in Rhode Island.

Come and see this section placed on the quilt this Thursday, Oct 1, from 11-1 p.m.

My name is...

2009-09-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

While monitoring all of the installations for Providence Art Windows last week, a woman named Jenny stopped and helped artist David J. Delay at the 203 Westminster site, and inquired about what the project was. Jenny is an enthusiastic woman who had an interesting story herself. Jenny is an advocate for the homeless, finding shelter, transporting and giving hope to many. She asked if I could sit down for an interview for the homeless newspaper Street Sights, and talk about the project with one of the staff writers, David. I agreed, and I met her and David this past Friday outside of Tim Horton's on Westminster Street.

I work down the street from Tim Horton's, at the Arts & Business Council of RI. I had passed by David almost every day I was Downtown working, and he seemed to be a person of note, giving advice, his writing being interrupted by the many who stopped by his table trying to find Jenny. I had met David briefly last year when my husband Erik Gould started a photographic project on the economic crisis, and we had visited the tent cities that had recently cropped up in the area. I always try to pass by with a smile when I see him.

So now, last Friday, we sat down together to talk about Providence Art Windows as a free, open art project that is available for anyone to look at 24hrs a day... at least that was the premise of the original story. We had a little time before Jenny arrived so I wondered about David's story. He is living at a Vet's center, writes constantly and finds it to be his salvation to keep writing. If he is writing, that is all he needs to be content. When Jenny arrived, we started to talk about piece(work) and I think they will talk about the project as they asked for my picture in front of the last panel. Erik came along to introduce himself and talk about his project,and we were invited to attend a editorial meeting to learn more about the paper.

This meeting and interview inspired my current panel, which will go up tomorrow. I have been reading a lot of negative information about the homeless in the major papers of the region, and I decided to give the voice of my current panel to the people who come to David's table. I cut up a pair of old Carhart's (a la Gee Bend quilt style), and gave them to David to collect individual stories or positive messages from individuals he knew. Some of these requests I got to make in person(a particularly nice one is from Paul H. Botelho), but for others David carried the pieces of cloth and some Sharpie pens in his rucksack.

I will be adding these pieces tomorrow, from 11AM-12PM. This section may grow, with different colors, but for now each piece is stacked upon each other, at least 12 so far. Not all are signed, as not everyone felt comfortable to do so. I know most of these individuals by first names only. BUT-I think viewers will find some of the commentary insightful and/or hopeful.

Many thanks to David, Jenny, Dave, R.W.M., Paul, May, D', RAM, and anonymous contributors.

There is WORK to be done.

2009-09-19T15:58:00.001-07:00

My first panel at the cornerstone of the quilt is a dedication to the late Senator Edward Kennedy. I was very moved watching his funeral, and the title of the section is , There is WORK to be done., after his famous and touching oration at his own brother Bobby's funeral many years ago. As I watched a lot of the news commentary, the phrase would not leave my mind. With all of the debates about healthcare, the economy, the world....the news seems flooded with angry Americans, spouting hateful words, and all I can think is,"Well, what are you doing about it? How are you personally going to make it a better place to live?" There is work to be done. Let's get to it. Let's work hard and be compassionate while we are at it.

The panel is 6'3" long, the height of the late Senator, and made of sailcloth, velvet, and suit material. As part of my ongoing "lottery series", I have added stars from found lottery tickets,which hang from the panel and spread across the floor in the shape of stars and words. This is the majority of the material I find in Providence and Pawtucket where I live, which says a lot about our economy at the moment. We just passed the 10.3 % mark for unemployment. Small wishes on the ground, fluttering away.

Like many Americans, I feel I have a personal connection to the Kennedy's,with all of the family's tragedies and triumphs so public. My brother Bob was born not long after Bobby Kennedy's assassination in 1968, and is named after him. My father Art Siemering, was a reporter in the 1960's, and took photos of Senator Kennedy when he stopped in Omaha, NE, on his train trip across America, campaigning to be President. One of these photos always had a prominent place in our home, where ever we moved to.

My condolences to Sen. Patrick Kennedy(my Rhode Island Senator) and his family.

piece(work)

2009-09-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who came to see my Cryptic Providence installation that lasted through the Winter. The group is trying to bring back this exhibition next year, so stay tuned!

My current installation is a time-based piece called piece(work). The title is a wordplay, the installation being put together piece by piece, like a quilt, the work being finding and reflecting on Providence itself, and making a visual commentary.

piece(work) is part of the Fall installation for series for Providence Art Windows(of which I am Director), and contains artists invited by me that reflect intensive labor, obsession for materials or passion for subject matter. Several artists and collectives within this round of Art Windows have an intense enthusiasm for making Providence a better place to live and work. My “crazy” quilt, with pieces culled from the streets of Providence and the news of the day, will be a reflection of the time from September 1-December 1, 2009, the duration of the show, and a new section of the quilt will be added every week. Since a window reflects the viewer and the city, the installation as a finished piece of art will also reflect the City of Providence. The city is a work in progress, and this quilt is a hopeful, demonstration piece.

Come back to this blog as I document the process, and go to providenceartwindows.blogspot.com to see the other fantastic artists!

Bells in Winter

2009-01-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

The Bells Ring for Thee has been enjoying an extended stay in the North Burial Ground. Even the tough winter weather has not kept the Bells from tinkling away, and the recent blanket of snow has created a new landscape of sound. Drop by and enjoy if you are in the neighborhood.

Rain Date!

2008-09-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Same time, same place, next weekend, October 4. The monsoon rains have pushed events to next weekend.

Curtains for Cryptic Providence

2008-09-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

September 27th is the last day to view all art installations for Cryptic Providence. Please join me and fellow artists Robert O Jones, Nancy Austin and Caroline Woolard for special art and history tours, and performances. I will be leading a special tour that will end at the Bells Ring for Thee (Take Away If You Please), where visitors will be able to take away parts of my installation. I hope that this will provide a way for my installation to live on, and when anybody asks about the "Bells" in someone's yard or a vase, they can tell the story of the Potter's Field, and everyone buried there will be remembered again and again...thank you to everyone who helped, inspired,visited and cheered me on to make this installation.

Read below for more information. Please join us!
Saturday, September 27th, 2008, Noon-6-PM North Burial Ground, Branch Ave. & No. Main St., Providence, R.I.
Enter at the intersection of Branch Ave. and N. Main St., 1/3 mile north of Whole Foods Market. All tours begin at the Welcome Tent at the cemetery entrance.

1:00-2:30 PM
Final Passage/Final Repose
A Historical and Artistic Walking Tour
by Cryptic contributor & architectural historian Robert O. Jones

Explore the North Burial Ground (founded 1700), one of Providence's oldest surviving Euro-American artifacts and the city's oldest municipal facility. This tour will examine the complex interweave of natural and man-made elements in NBG, the cemetery's evolution in response to changing attitudes toward death and burial practices, and select historical and artistic features, including the graves of the famous and those-who-should-be-famous, and the aesthetic character and symbolism of funerary art. The latest edition of the self-guided tour flyer that Jones created for Cryptic Providence and NBG will be available for distribution. The tour will end at the Jones family plot in time for the Tea Party.

3-5 PM
Footnotes: a tribute to Albert J. Jones
the forgotten founder of R.I.'s first Art Museum
A Performance and Installation by
Historian Nancy Austin (Newport, R.I.) and
Artist Caroline Woolard (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

At the Jones Family Plot in the North Burial Ground
Linden Avenue near Central Avenue
directions at the Welcome Tent, or follow the tea cup signs

Join us for this event, planned in dialogue with the opening of the new wing of the RISD Museum of Art. The RISD Museum, Rhode Island’s first, was founded as a direct result of a bequest to the people of Providence by native Albert J. Jones, the New York Times's neoclassical and public sculpture critic in Italy for twenty years. This still-timely, but sadly forgotten story of the Jones Bequest illuminates much about the ecology of culture in R.I., from past to present day.

Beginning at Noon, a cast sugar "neoclassical" bust of Albert J. Jones will be installed on a pedestal at the Jones Family plot in the North Burial Ground, amidst a "room" of mirrored tea tables spiked into the ground and at various heights, from 2-4 feet. Nineteenth-century shoes will be thrown into the tree branches spreading over the site, to mark the territory for Albert J. Jones, who started out as a shoe salesman at the Arcade. From 3-5pm we will conduct a tea party, in homage to RISD founder Helen Rowe Metcalf. The tea is the kind that was served at the bookstore/tea cafe run by Helen Rowe and her orphaned siblings after they moved to R.I. from N.Y. around 1850. A tea party was the first fundraiser of the women who put up the seed money to fund RISD. One of Mrs. Metcalf's teacups is buried in the cornerstone of a RISD building. These are a few of the associations we draw on for the collective performance of a tea party at the Jones site.

Between 3-5pm on Sept 27th, join us for a tea party among the graves. We invite you to add sugar to your tea from the cast sugar bust of Albert Jones. Thus, over the course of this performance, we will consume him in our tea.

For more information, see: www.EcologyofCultureRI.com. An exhibition catalogue with essays written by historian Nancy Austin will be available for sale.

4-5 PM
Cryptic Providence Art Site Walking Tour/
The Bells Ring for Thee (Take Away If You Please)
by participating artist Rebecca Siemering

Tour the Cryptic Providence art sites as Siemering discusses the installations, living in the neighborhood of the North Burial Ground, and the experience of making public and site-specific work. The tour will end at her installation, "The Bells Ring for Thee," where visitors will have the opportunity to take a piece of this installation with them on this closing day of Cryptic Providence. A suggested donation will go to the North Burial Ground.

Betty

2008-08-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

When originally setting up this piece, I never met anyone who had a relative buried in this section. This past week, when re-setting up after the vandalism, a woman parked at the edge of the field. She came out of her well-polished, and clean Suburban looking car slowly and held the Cryptic Providence map tightly in her hand. She was a well-dressed African American woman, looked like she was on a lunch break, maybe at the cemetary to appreciate some art and solitude.

I greeted her and asked if she was there to view the art and she replied that she was trying to find her baby's grave. She was off from work and said she wished her day off matched when the grounds manager was there. She could not remember which numbered grave was her baby's. She pointed to the middle section and said she thought it was there. That was about where she remembered standing in the rain, 20 years ago.

We spoke for a while about her life, then and now. She said she had her baby girl young and she died an infant. Betty was 18 when this happened, but now she owned her own home and had two teenagers. She was here to see if she get her baby girl out of the field, to re-bury her properly now that she had the money to do it. Betty wanted her children to know(and it sounded like one son in particular) that suffering can happen, to be mindful of the world and what it has to offer. I said I was sorry for her loss, but very glad to meet her, and left her to go and have some privacy.

I am glad me met as it re-affirms to me when making this piece that a person's life can change drastically from bad to good, good to bad...to be mindful of my days. These numbered graves have a life attached, however brief, and a mother who probably hoped for the best.

The Bells Return

2008-08-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

The Bells will return by August 12th. Thank you to everyone who has expressed concern over the vandalism and for volunteering to put them back up.

Temporarily Down

2008-07-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

The project is temporarily down due to vandalism and for site maintenance. When creating this project, I expected to replace some bells every week, because of sticky fingers. Objects are taken from graveyards all of the time, and it is also oddly flattering that someone would want to keep a piece as a memento. With close to 1,600 separate pieces, I can see how a person could say to themeselves,"Oh it's just one, it won't be noticable." A little can turn into a lot very quickly.

I returned to take down my project for site maintenace by the crew a few days ago and from a distance I thought it looked a little thin. When I got to the middle of the project I was shocked to see ten whole rows missing, close to 300 individual pieces gone. This shocked me. This would have taken a while to do( to take that effort), I thought it must have been noticable and noisy. When I returned again to take it all down, I noticed a shiny bundle in the woods next to the canal. It turns out someone or several individuals, took the rows and wadded them up into little nests and put them at the edge of the canal. At least I do not have to replace every single piece, but there is some damage and I have to unbend them all.

So, stay tuned for the return of the "Bells" in August.

Visitations, Natural and Otherwise

2008-07-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

Rhode Island, specifically on the Pawtucket/Providence city line , experienced a freak hail storm last week. I am originally from Nebraska, and I know bad things happen when a cold front and a warm front meet(i.e. massive tornados). I had been on the phone with a friend when I thought I heard a very heavy rainfall coming. My cat knew better, and with a swift trot, made a beeline for under the bed. In the next moment it was as if Mother Nature dumped an ice chest over my house. The street became a river of ice,when only moments before it had been reaching 80 degrees inside. Big and little pellots of ice. It lasted for about 20 minutes. I went outside afterwards and even my car was dinged a bit. The ice stayed in the yard until a warm rain in the evening.

So you can imagine what I thought happened to the little tin bells at the the North Burial Ground. I feared the worst, but I had made extras for natural and human disasters. I went the next morning to check on everything...and almost everything was fine and tinkling like normal! Just a few blew around here and there. What I found very curious were the human interventions. One bell was wrapped in knots and replanted, half its size. In a few spots someone gathered surrounding bells an planted them together. In the very back there was some vandalism and I started to think of the movie "Yellow Submarine." Have you seen any Kinky Boot Beasts in the area?

The bells also naturally (or maybe supernaturally) catch onto each other, forming pairs. Maybe some companionship has formed underground and is reaching upwards?

Cryptic Providence opens tonight, 5- 10 PM

2008-06-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

I planted approximately 1,600 "bells" between last night and this morning. The video to the right was made at around 7 PM last night with the installation in progress. More footage will be up this weekend if you miss experiencing them for yourself.

If you live in the area, the opening is tonight with live performances, a film and tours of the cemetary. Please join me and all of the other wonderful artists who have created work for this historic site in Providence, RI. Click on the link for ArtTix to the right for more information and schedule.

Just me, the birds and the June bugs

2008-06-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I needed to wait for the grass to be mowed, so I started this evening, which was just fine. I had an idea it would take me at least 4 hrs. to set up the larger part of the field. It took me a little longer than that, and I still have a tiny bit tomorrow, but I'm not so off the mark.

A cemetary is not just a place for mourning the dead, as it provides a natural respite within the city for wildflife. This became more apparent than normal as I was setting up and could be quiet and observe. I felt besieged by Robins. The grass is so dry, I could not figure out what they were eating until dusk and I could take off my sunglasses. Apparently it's mating season for June bugs and they were having a lovely time in the grass! There are many other birds besides Robins who make happy homes in the trees and bushes. I have seen Junkos, Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, Grackels, Starlings, Chickadees, Pigeons and a Blue Heron to name a few.

By the time I shot a little bit of video with my Cannon Elph, the windy part of the day had died down. It was too bad, as there was a lovely tinkly and tinny noise, just what I want. The heat had finally gone down and the moon was just rising overhead. I really enjoy looking at this installation by taking thr long view...in the distance of the field, the bells begin to look like floating stars or fire flies. It wasmy intention to make a piece that not only made sound, but was visually potent. I love viewing and listening to sound art, but when the technology breaks, or the parts don't work anymore, is it still art? I wonder this often when I view installations in museums. I don't wnat anywone thinking that with mine!

2008-06-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

Today I begin to install all of the bells. I finished early over the weekend, much to my surprise! I always try to add another 20% to the time frame of a project. There is always something unforeseen. Hopefully not tonight!

To the right is a calendar on which I will post when the installation is up, and when it is not. The field where it is installed needs to be mowed several times a month. I have some very generous volunteers already, but if you would like to help out, please contact me!

1,300 cans of beer on the wall, soda and tea cans as well...take one down., pass it around

2008-06-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

So as of today, I have 1,300 separate pieces done. 350 to go for the big installation next Friday. Whew! I hope to be done this weekend so I can gear up for the planting.

A note about the difference in cans:

Having collected beer, soda, Goya, Red Bull and Arizona Iced Tea cans, I am surprised that each one has a different thickness. I thought there would be similar gauge by regulation. When I first started cutting them up, beer cans had the thinnest walls, then soda, iced tea/fruit drink cans had thicker walls, almost impossible to cut. I am wondering if the fruit flavorings are so acidic that the cans need to be thicker. Then I started thinking if the fruit drinks are eating away at the cans, what's going on when we drink them? Anyone have any answers for me?

Weapons of Mass Construction

2008-05-24T17:36:00.000-07:00

To make the "bells" which have become flower-like, I need a variety of snips and scissors. Two of these are on loan, and I am so greatful to have them. They have saved my hands. As of today, I have at least 600 full pieces done, 400 more tops to finish off with wire tomorrow. Over 650 more to go after that is done, but by now it's a lot easier since I have broken in my arms. My right arm is beginning to look like Popeye's with all of the piercing, cutting, folding and twisting!

Recycle Night Is All Right!

2008-05-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight was our local recycling and trash night. You really get to know your neighbors when you are asking for their trash.

I have lived in my neighborhood for over three years and just met a few people on my block for the first time a week ago because of this project. I didn't know one neighbor who is trying to sell his house, so we talked about the state of the economy. Matthew knows me well now and puts his beer and soda cans in a bag to make it easier for me to carry. Very sweet! We talk about art and his kids and I think he waits for me on Wednesdays now. The neighbor to our left, Charles, is an avid gardner and we talk over the fence all of the time. He's a diabetic who likes his soda and tries out different kinds to see what works well with his blood sugar levels. Tonight we talked about the difference between diet Pepsi and Coke Zero on his system. Pepsi is winning, but a real Cherry Coke would make him happy.

First Test

2008-05-21T04:50:00.001-07:00

The Idea

2008-05-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

The idea for "The Bells Ring for Thee" came from the presentation artist Jay Critchley and Robert O. Jones of the Preservation Society gave when a call went out to do projects for the North Burial Ground. Those present took a tour through this cemetary of ornate stones, with a history going back to the beginning of Rhode Island. When the Potters Field came up, I learned that it was also called the "Strangers Vale" and the name stuck with me.

I live down the street from the cemetary and passed through the burial ground many times for a walk or a ride on my bike. There are many trees, a pond and the ornate stones are like art to me. But going to the back of the cemetary, where the Potters Field is located, never occurred to me. Why go? Only numbers on stones, a little dishelveled with time.. a lonely place next to the highway, within view of the Bonanza bus terminal. Those who are buried there have no names, just a number; a body lost with time and a bad turn in life.

I thought this part of the cemetary deserves just as much attention as the rest. So I started thinking about artful and poetic associations with untimely death. Bells kept coming to my mind and I kept hearing blues songs, poems by Edgar Allen Poe and the final scene in "It's a Wonderful Life" with Zuzu Bailey saying, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings." I wanted this place to sing,too, to let the voices come out again.

I take a walk every day in my neighborhoood and collect what I find to make sculptures and textile art. I decided to collect cans around the cemetary and in my neighborhood to tread lightly with my materials. Everything will be recycled or repurposed when the show ends.

Cryptic Providence

2008-05-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

I will be creating a site-specific piece for this summer-long project in Providence, Rhode Island. My intention is to bring the public along the way with my creation of the piece, working in the studio and outside. My work will be located in an area that needs to be mowed, so it will be going up and down all summer. I will create a video so if someone comes on a mowing day, they can look at it online. The press release is below:

"The historic North Burial Ground in Providence, Rhode Island will host a summer long art and performance project by Provincetown artist Jay Critchley, entitled Cryptic Providence. Fifteen projects from visual artists and performers from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, Ontario, Canada and New York City were invited by Critchley to create original, site-specific installations and performances throughout the cemetery.

Cryptic Providence opens Friday the 13th of with performances on the first two weekends. The cemetery is located at 5 Branch Avenue (at North Main Street) and is open to the public seven days a week from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm daily. All events are free and open to the public. For more information contact ArtTix at www.arttixri.com, 401 621-6123.

Visual artists creating summer long, site-specific installations include: Critchley’s Final Passage−a vintage Chevy “mummified” and installed in the abandoned mausoleum; from Brooklyn, Joseph Burwell’s archeological mausoleum installation, The Purity of the Vikings; Justin Pollmann’s disintegrating text installation, We Live, Brooklyn; artists and designers from Michigan and Ontario, Canada: Rochelle Martin, Valentine Mancini & Jay McGuire who construct a place of repose, Message Board; filmmakers Sandrine Silverman & Alfred Schoeninger, Quincy, MA, Our Stones Last Beyond Our Years.

Rhode Island artists include: installation artist Rebecca Siemering, Pawtucket, The Bells Ring for Thee, activates Potter’s Field with handmade bells; Erik Carlson & Erik Gould, new media artists from Pawtucket and Providence with the web-based, geo-tagged, Strange Loop: An Ethereal Walking Tour of the North Burial Ground; visual artist Jae Willard, Barrington, constructs an eight-foot, mixed media Tree of Life; installation artist Jen Raimondi, East Greenwich, creates a flock turkey vultures with Big Hair; and from Providence; historian and project consultant Robert O. Jones creates an historic guide; Nancy Austin, Newport, & Caroline Woolard, NYC, Footnotes −a tribute to Albert J. Jones (1821-1887), The forgotten founder of RI's first “Art Museum”.

Cryptic Providence performances are scheduled for Friday, June 13, the opening, from 5:00 to 10:00 pm; Saturday, June 14 from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm; June 21 from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm; and the closing weekend, Saturday, Setember 27. Performances include: dancer/choreographer Wanda Gala, Brooklyn, & sound artist Bob Bellerue, Oregon, collaborate on a durational movement/sound piece in the mausoleum, The Blue Storm; Hannah Verlin, Boston, Nest Eggs, an installation of burning ceramic eggs; JUMP! Dance with Mary Paula Hunter, A Grave Dance; musicians Arvid Tomayko-Peters & Christie Lee Gibson from Brown perform a voice and electroacoustic Requiem Mass; Constance Crawford directing the Coalition of Perishable Goods from Perishable Theatre, presenting a multi-site narrative, Otherworldly Voices.

Cryptic Providence is funded by a New Works grant from the Rhode Island Foundation and sponsored by the City of Providence Parks Department and the Department of Art, Culture & Tourism, with support from AS220. The Rhode Island Foundation’s New Works program was established to support artists in the creation of original art and exploration of new artistic directions. The program awarded grants from 2000 to 2005 to artists partnering with nonprofit arts and community-based organizations to expand the state’s cultural richness, develop new audiences and strengthen community connections to the arts.

Selected artists will examine and interpret the history of North Burial Ground, established in 1700, and burial practices in relation to the rich history of Rhode Island. The project also hopes to create new ideas, perspectives and images about our relationship to death, dying and burial customs, and bring increased visitation and use of the cemetery by highlighting the historical and cultural resources of North Burial Ground."