Salute to Mary and James

With your theatrics and artful moves;

You shaped a family that could not lose;

You lived with flair, panache, and style as husband and wife;

Fur coats, cars, cameras, boats, tickets - the best things in life.  

You were passionate, opinionated, forceful and giving;

You modeled a life and a way of living;

But what mattered most was never the material things;

It was a simple cartoon, a quote and the joy that love brings;   

You encouraged us to follow our dreams;

Our Camelot came so gracefully it seems.

You said to savor the moment but seize the day;

By nature children are impatient and want to go their own way.

On the lake, football plays or plays for the stage;

Scripted in acts, written, and read carefully -- page by page;

Measure for measure - Edgewater days and autumn afternoons;

We marveled together as the first man stepped on the moon

Expressions, impressions, watercolor tides

Museums, parks, parades, and roller coaster rides

Tutor trim, lucky stones and fireplace flames;

We can never thank you enough Mary and James.

Time goes by and now it seems too fast;

Life is ephemeral and never meant to last. 

Rest in peace.

Digital Dan

My brother is a commercial photographer. But, more importantly, he is a guy who has adjusted to the recent developments in marketing both his business and the nature of his practice. He studied photography at the University of Dayton in Ohio. He sharpened his skills, working for our father’s design studio which offered services related to art, advertising and photography. Dan always had an interest and affinity for technology. So when he took his talents to New York City he became very proficient in offering photography ready for publication. Sotheby’s Auction House discovered Dan Morgan as a resource for quality, high volume production of everything from rare books, fine art to artifacts that would be offered for sale at auction. He worked in the Big Apple for nearly a decade (and still has clients in the Northeast), But he returned to his beloved Cleveland, Ohio because it was where he and his wife, Annette were comfortable calling home.  

Along the way Dan realized that managing a database of friends, customers and prospects was worth cultivating. So to engage this growing audience, he developed an ongoing program called JPEG of the WEEK. On a weekly basis, Dan shares a photograph. (AND has been doing so for more than a dozen years!)  He is also active in other social media channels such as facebook, twitter and via instagram. He has been a guest blogger. He actively supports emerging artists in and around Northeast Ohio.

Dan knows how to leverage networking and interacts in a way that builds relationships. If you know Dan, chances are he has found a way to engage you over time. It reinforces his brand and puts him top-of-mind with those who may have a need for a professional photographer. Dan interacts in a way that feels more personal to users than conventional methods of outbound marketing & advertising.   

Every week Dan Morgan sends out a recent image -- commercial, editorial or fine art. For more information visit: aboutdanmorgan.com or E-mail Dan to be added to his special JPEG of the WEEK distribution list (rex@straightshooter.com).

Carts & Cocktails 2014

Laumeier Sculpture Park Carts & Cocktails 2014 

More than 200 guests attended Carts & Cocktails, a progressive party as unique as Laumeier itself, Saturday, September 27, 2014 at the Sculpture Park. Guests cruised through the Park in golf carts, enjoying sweet and savory fare, specialty cocktails, a silent art auction of works by Tom Huck, and live entertainment from the Boney Goat Band, The Root Diggers, and the Cree Rider Family Band. The event proceeds will support Laumeier’s exhibition, education, and art conservation programs.

Guests first traveled to The South Woods where they found passed hors d’oeuvres and Geoffrey Krawzyck’s site-specific installation Recess, 2014, an interactive space that refers not only to the decline of the Mississippian civilization at the Cahokia Mound site but also the urban areas of St. Louis. The room-sized chamber consists of reclaimed materials, especially bricks, from one or more of the authentic architectural ruins of St. Louis’ North Side.

Next, they went to The Way Field for dinner stations and became part of the artwork during a special preview of Laune: A Dance Performance, riding through the cultural landscape in which the performance takes place. Dancer, choreographer, and 2015 Kranzberg Exhibition Series artist Ashley McQueen honored the labor that goes into the manicured landscape at Laumeier. Through a series of performances using riding lawnmowers, McQueen’s dancers explore Laumeier’s unusual relationship with St. Louis County Parks, highlighting the passion and hard work that goes into the care and maintenance of the 105-acre landscape.

The journey subsequently stopped at the Moss Shelter and Leaf Pavilion, converted into a cigar lounge and whiskey tasting venue with Hooch House Favorite snacks. The Cree Rider Family Band entertained the guests before concluding with Moonshine Madness Desserts.

Laumeier Sculpture Park manifests a living laboratory where artists and audiences explore the relationship between contemporary art and the natural environment. Founded in 1976, Laumeier comprises one of the first and largest dedicated sculpture parks in the country, making it an institution of international significance as well as a unique compliment to the cultural landscape of the St. Louis region.

Laumeier, a nonprofit, accredited art museum, operates in partnership with St. Louis County Parks. Programs are supported by the Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council, the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis, and the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Laumeier encompasses 60 works of large-scale outdoor sculpture in a 105-acre park available free to the public year-round. It serves 300,000 patrons annually through temporary exhibitions, education programs, public events, and conservation of the Permanent Collection.

Event Chairs:

Adrian Harrington and Jamey Edgerton, Kate and Dan Pollman

Executive Director:

Marilu Knode, Aronson Professor of Modern & Contemporary Art, University of Missouri-St. Louis

President/CEO:

David Schlafly, Board Chair

Staff:

Lauren Kistner, Marketing Communications Manager; Sara Matthew, Special Events Manager; Rick Fouts, Accountant; Clara Collins-Coleman. Docent Coordinator; Don Gerling Operations Supervisor; Nick Lang, Chief Preparator; Karen Mullen, Curator of Education; Elisabeth Murphy, Collections Manager & Registrar; Julia Norton, Administrative & Volunteer Coordinator; Jennie Swanson, Membership & Museum Services Manager; Dana Turkovic, Curator of Exhibitions; Joy Wright, Librarian

Welcome:

Marilu Knode, Jamey Edgerton

Libations:

Assorted Schlafly Beers, Wines, other libations; Whiskey Tasting-Collingwood 21-Year Canadian Whisky, Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Whiskey, Jack Daniels Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey, Glenmorangie 10-Year Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Powers Signature Release Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

Entertainment:

South Woods-Boney Goat Band; The Way Field-The Root Diggers; Moss Shelter and Leaf Pavilion-Cree Rider Family Band; Laune: A Dance Performance

Sponsors:

Leading-BSI Constructors; Supporting-Edward Jones; Contributing-Northstar; In-Kind: Arcturis, Clare de Lune, Ironman Sound Industries, Schlafly Beer, Midwest Valet Parking, Sauce Magazine, STL Cigars, Thorn Studios, Traube Tents and Structures, Worn Vintage Rentals; Operating-Saint Louis County Parks, Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council, Arts and Education Council, University of Missouri St. Louis Fine Arts and Communication

Menu:

Dinner Station 1 Stuck on a Stick - Drunken Pig on s Stick served with Dried Cherry-Chipotle Relsih, Deconstructed Potato Salad Skewers, Watermelon Caprese Skewers; Station 2 Little Bit O'White Lightening- Biscuits with Pumpkin Moonshine Butter, Grilled Chicken with Corn Likker BBQ Dip, Crunchy Apple and Fennel Slaw with White Lightning Vinaigrette; Station 3 Harvest Moon- Moonshine Bloody Mary Soup Shooter with Pickled Shrimp Garnish,, Cornmeal Grits Crostini with Roasted Peppers and Olives; Hooch House Favorites- Union Square Rosemary Spiced Nuts with Espresso Pecans, Chili-Bacon Breadsticks, Sesame-Chile Kettle and Caramel Corn; Moonshine Madness Desserts-Mini Red Velvet Moon Pies, Crushed Peanut-and Pretzel-Topped Caramel Bars, Granny's Fudge Brownies, Coffee Service

Attendance:

200+ Guests

Attire:

Business Casual

Special Thanks:

to Marie Oberkirsch for her years of dedicated service. Best of luck in your new adventure-you will be missed. Additional thanks to Cheri Hutchings, Claire de Lune Productions LLC and Sherry Muehlfarth, The Party Broker, for their assistance with this year's event.

Information:

Lauren Kistner, 314-615-5277

Ticket Prices:

$175 Non-Member Ticket | $125 Member Ticket, Patron Ticket $250

Event Committee:

Laura and Brent Davidson, Suzanne Miller Farrell and Paraig Farrell, Sam Foxman, Meredith Frey, Judy Glik and Harvard Muhm, Rachelle L'Ecuyer and Kent Evans, Margaret McDonald, Meredith McKinley and Jeff Winzerling, Kim and Colin Millstone, Cheresse Pentella, Nancy Reynolds and Dwyer Brown, Lori Lea Shelley, Josephine and Richard Weil, Susan and Rob Werremeyer, Gene Woodward; Patron Parties-Alison and John Ferring, Barb Gervais, Adrian Harrington and Jamey Edgerton, Nancy and Ken Kranzberg, Kiku Obata, Dorte and Jim Probstein, Patricia and David Schlafly, Mary Ann and Andy Srenco, Josephine and Richard Weil, Susan and Rob Werremeyer; Patrons- Judy Child, Adrienne Davis, Clare Davis and David Obedin, Barbara Eagleton, Suzanne Miller Farrell and Paraig Farrell, Marilu Knode and Kevin Miyazaki, James Kolker, Keri Lappas, Jamey and Ramsey Maune, Larry Mooney and Jim Reid, Mary and William Nolan, Nancy Reynolds and Dwyer Brown, Claudia and Jim Riley, Marilyn Schnuck, Marilyn and Ken Steinback, Sissy and Ted Thomas, Trivers Associates

Steering Committee:

ST. LOUIS COUNTY COUNCIL- Charlie A. Dooley, St. Louis County Executive, Hazel Erby, District 1 Representative, District 2 Representative, Colleen Wasinger, District 3 Representative, Michael O'Mara, District 4 Representative, Pat Dolan, District 5 Representative, Steven V. Stenger, District 6 Representative, Gregory F. Quinn, District 7 Representative; LAUMEIER

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL-Joe Baker, Director and Chief Curator, Longue Vue House and Gardens, New Orleans Expertise in contemporary art, contemporary Native American artistic practice, community collaboration; Susan Cahan, Ph.D, Associate Dean for the Arts, Yale College, New Haven, Expertise in diversity in contemporary artistic practice; Mark Coetzee, Executive Director and Chief Curator, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art, Cape Town, South Africa; Silvia Karman Cubiña Director, Bass Museum of Art, Miami, Expertise in contemporary art, Latin American art; Laurie Ann Farrell, Director of Exhibitions, Savannah College of Art and Design, Expertise in contemporary African art; Kees Lokman, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture in the Master of Landscape Architecture Program, Sam Fox School of Art and Architecture, Washington University in St. Louis; T. Kelly Mason, Artist, Los Angeles Artistic practice, explores the language of painting through sculpture and light; Mats Stjernstedt, Director, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo Expertise in contemporary global art; Elizabeth Smith, Executive Director, Curatorial Affairs, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Expertise in contemporary art and architecture; Kim Yasuda, Co-Director, University of California Institute for Research in the Arts (UCIRA), Professor, University of California – Santa Barbara, Research areas include temporary architecture, definitions of landscape

Board of Directors:

David Schlafly, Chair, Joan Abrahamson, Jonathan Aronson, Susan Barrett, William Bolster, Matt Coble, Carmon Colangelo, Adrienne Davis, John De Gregorio, Jamey Edgerton, Alison Ferring, Sam Foxman, Gary Hoemann, Sanjay Jain, James Kolker, Kenneth Kranzberg, Nancy Kranzberg, Ramsey Maune, Margaret McDonald, Dorte Probstein, Mary Ann Srenco, Kenneth Steinback, Mike Walsh, Susan Werremeyer, Gary Wolff, Patricia Wycoff; Ex-Officio: Marilu Knode, Executive Director, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Aronson Professor of Modern & Contemporary Art, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Tom Ott, Acting Director, St. Louis County Parks, Maureen Jennings, Laumeier Docent Co-Chair, Wes Morgan, Laumeier Docent Co-Chair, Patricia Zahn, Des Lee Collaborative Vision, University of Missouri-St. Louis; Barbara Eagleton, Emerita, Barbara Gervais, Emerita, Lawrence Mooney, Emeritus, Sissy Thomas, Emerita, John Wuest, Emeritus Chair 

Happy Birthday Ben 10-12-86

A Silent Leader

A Silent Leader, the camp counselor suggests

“I think I got ‘em all right” after a placement test.

Allison says Amazing -- I know.

Nelly, Ludacris, The Eminem Show

You will be tested but you will prevail -- you always do.

It goes without saying, we could not be prouder of you. 

In Six short years -- facing a new Millennium (You were 8).

If -- Then you’ll be a man my son. You will be great.

Now you are among the Manhattan Upper West Side DINCs

Never lost but always searching for links

You know the answers are not on any spreadsheet

Maybe there are clues in public places – as you look and seek               

Extraordinary as time goes by

The numbers will guide you but they sometimes lie.

Rockin’ like a Hurricane, Led Zeppelin, Sinatra and Mozart,

Whitney, MoMA, The Met, digital trending visual arts.

Graffiti, plants, bricks and Mortar – all those places.

Can you see the expressions -- on the faces?

In this world, there are people you want around;

You make others feel calm, safe and sound.

Happy Birthday – Enforcer, Goaltender, Scholar, Friend.

Wonder. Ponder. Do the means justify the end?

In shorts and tee shirt. Super fly in suit and tie. Comfortable in your own skin.

So much joy in your life – the movie you are in.

You have learned to appreciate the journey from the start

There is no place like home. That is where you find your heart.

Live well. Smile. Smell the flowers. 

Love Dad 10-12-2014.