David Hendley on wed 21 feb 01
This article from the New York Post is pretty interesting in
light of a lengthy discussion on Clayart several years ago
about the honor of being asked to donate work to the
"White House Collection of American Crafts".
At the time, my contention was that if they really wanted
to support American crafts they should PAY for them.
The article is at
http://www.nypostonline.com/news/nationalnews/24371.htm
NOTE: The author, Dick Morris, is a well-known Clinton
critic, so don't get too worked up by the anti-Clinton
slant to the piece.
BILL AND HILLARY A 'CRAFTY' DUO
Tuesday,February 20,2001
By DICK MORRIS
Hillary and Bill Clinton have shipped 70 museum pieces,
donated to the White House by prominent American craft artists,
to the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Ark.
There, they will presumably use them to decorate the president's
5,000-square-foot penthouse apartment or other parts of the
planned library - although the artists who gave them had been
assured that their works would be "displayed in a prominent
location in the White House at events throughout the years."
The objects were originally solicited to constitute the "first
permanent White House American Crafts Collection".
At the core of the crafts collection appropriated by the
Clintons is a magnificent Dale Chihuly glass piece displayed
throughout the Clinton presidency in the hallway of the
family residence.
The Clintons' fondness for Chihuly's work is well known.
They recently disclosed that the artist had also given them a
$20,000 piece and the president's Georgetown classmates
gave him a $32,000 glass basket by the same artist.
A spokesman for Mrs. Clinton, Jim Kennedy, said
yesterday she did nothing wrong - and the artwork was
"absolutely not" for the Clintons' personal use. Go ask the
Archives, he said.
The National Archives, which remains the titular owner of
the works, confirmed that the art objects have been shipped
to a warehouse in Arkansas where they are to be displayed
by the Clintons in their presidential library, expected to be
open in 2004.
According to associate White House Curator Betty
Monkman, the decision to move the objects to the Clinton
Library was made by "Mrs. Clinton herself."
Now that the federal government has had to repo the
furniture they spirited off to Chappaqua, one wonders if the
White House should also repossess these art works and
assure that they will be displayed to all Americans as their
donors intended.
Of course, Hillary claims she had nothing to do with this -
and only the Archives will decide where the pieces will be shown.
"The Archives have control of the exhibit and will continue
to control it," spokesman Kennedy said.
The pieces came to the White House in 1993 when dozens
of prominent American craft artists got letters on White
House stationery from Ann Stock in her capacity as "special
assistant to the president and social secretary."
The letters asked the artists to donate specific pieces of
their work which had been identified for the White House
by the former curator-in-chief of the Renwick Gallery in
Washington, Michael W. Monroe.
The letter assured the artists that, if they donated their
works, they would be permanently displayed at the White
House. But after the 70-piece collection, each item valued at
between $600 and $20,000, was completed, the Clintons
found out that the rules of the Committee for the
Preservation of the White House prohibit acquisitions from
living artists. So did they return the pieces to the artists who
donated them? No. Did they give them to museums around
the nation for permanent display? No. Did the Clintons present
them to the Renwick Gallery? Stock acknowledges that she
considered doing so, but says that Hillary Clinton herself
decided to house the collection in the Clinton Presidential Library.
Hillary's response, through spokesman Kennedy, is:
"Any suggestion of wrongdoing is completely fabricated,
because without Hillary Clinton this beautiful exhibit would
not even exist.
"She's very pleased that millions of Americans will continue
to have an opportunity to see it as it remains on display for
years to come."
The decision to move the museum pieces to Little Rock
was made in 1995, but was little noticed at the time and
certainly didn't get the scrutiny it deserved in light of the
Clintons' treatment of gifts and furniture.
Nevertheless, Hillary's decision raises several questions:
1. Who empowered the first lady to decide to bring these
pieces to Little Rock as part of the Clinton library?
2. Will the Clintons be able to make personal use of these
pieces, particularly in the apartment the president plans for
the library?
3. Why weren't these pieces put on public display?
The impetus for the collection was a joint resolution of
Congress and a presidential proclamation issued before the
Clintons hit town, declaring 1993 to be the "year of the
craft." The collection was celebrated in a glossy
coffee-table photo volume published by Harry N. Abrams,
with a forward written by Hillary herself.
"It's an outrage," said a source close to the artists. "It's too
awkward to ask a first lady to give back your artwork.
Nancy Reagan got in trouble for getting a few free dresses.
I find this more serious."
Now the Clintons will be able to admire Chihuly's work and
others in this wonderful collection at their Little Rock
library. It's too bad the rest of the nation will not be so
fortunate.
--
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com/
Eleanora Eden on sat 24 feb 01
I am totally blown away by the news that the Clintons hijacked the craft
collection. Unlike Dick Morris, I have been a stalwart Clinton supporter.
But how are we to try to instill any fairness in the
donate-your-craft-items epidemic if, from the very top echilons, this is
seen as an arena where high-handed poaching is acceptable?
If Dale Chilhuly can be ripped off like that what chances do the rest of us
have? Of course he may be okay with this and then again he may not be........
Eleanora
..............
Eleanora Eden 802 869-2003
Paradise Hill eeden@vermontel.net
Bellows Falls, VT 05101 www.eleanoraeden.com
Eleanora Eden on sun 25 feb 01
Brian and all,
I thought I was talking about the whole donate-your-crafts concept and how
open it is to misuse. This is something I have talked about in the past.
It is amazing that I could underestimate how any little thing can blow up
in your face on this list. I'm not even actually sure the story is true, I
was just commenting, a little too off-handedly, on David's post.
I do honor the "no politics on the list" credo and this is a good example
of why such a position is necessary.
There is some interesting commentary on fine art and craft as it relates to
the shifting sands in DC in the interview that Wendy Rosen did recently
that she linked to her post.
Eleanora
At 01:08 PM 2/25/01 -0700, you wrote:
>just a few days ago, mayor mel sent out a reminder that politics hasn't a
>place on this list. i think the following post breaks that rule. can we keep
>the discussion limited to ceramics, please.
>
Eleanora Eden 802 869-2003
Paradise Hill eeden@vermontel.net
Bellows Falls, VT 05101 www.eleanoraeden.com
Ken Russell on sun 25 feb 01
"I am totally blown away by the news that the Clintons hijacked the craft
collection."
Of course you are.
"I have been a stalwart Clinton supporter."
No doubt.
"But how are we to try to instill any fairness in the
donate-your-craft-items epidemic if, from the very top echilons, this is
seen as an arena where high-handed poaching is acceptable?"
Ahh fairness. What a wonderful and all powerful word. So much more
meaningful than truth, since truth has, in the past forty years, become
relative and fairness has become an absolute. Well, if you remember during
the 1992 campaign, at a townhall meeting, a young and brave man stood up at
the back of the room saying that the country needed a good parent, then
asked Bill Clinton, "Will you be our father?" Did you melt with oozing
emotions as most of the rest of the country did when Clinton bit his lower
lip and whispered, "Yes, I'll try"? Maybe if you think of him as Dad,
you'll conclude that Dad ought to get something for saving for The Children,
The Environment, Hard Working Families, The Elderly and School Lunches. If
you cannot come up with that excuse, er, good reason, then perhaps you can
use the explanation Gail Sheehy used of Hillary's justifications in her book
"Hillary's Choice" when she reasoned that (and I quote)"...Hillary chose not
to know what she knew" whenever her husband did something wrong.
"If Dale Chilhuly can be ripped off like that what chances do the rest of us
have? Of course he may be okay with this and then again he may not be..."
Of course. Perhaps Newt Gingrich forced them to do it.
Ken Russell
The Russell Pottery
Arlington, SD
gone2pot@ispchannel.com
Brian Molanphy on sun 25 feb 01
just a few days ago, mayor mel sent out a reminder that politics hasn't a
place on this list. i think the following post breaks that rule. can we keep
the discussion limited to ceramics, please.
> ----------
> From: Ken Russell
> Reply To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:10 AM
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: White House Collection of American Crafts
>
> "I am totally blown away by the news that the Clintons hijacked the craft
> collection."
>
> Of course you are.
>
> "I have been a stalwart Clinton supporter."
>
> No doubt.
>
> "But how are we to try to instill any fairness in the
> donate-your-craft-items epidemic if, from the very top echilons, this is
> seen as an arena where high-handed poaching is acceptable?"
>
> Ahh fairness. What a wonderful and all powerful word. So much more
> meaningful than truth, since truth has, in the past forty years, become
> relative and fairness has become an absolute. Well, if you remember
> during
> the 1992 campaign, at a townhall meeting, a young and brave man stood up
> at
> the back of the room saying that the country needed a good parent, then
> asked Bill Clinton, "Will you be our father?" Did you melt with oozing
> emotions as most of the rest of the country did when Clinton bit his lower
> lip and whispered, "Yes, I'll try"? Maybe if you think of him as Dad,
> you'll conclude that Dad ought to get something for saving for The
> Children,
> The Environment, Hard Working Families, The Elderly and School Lunches.
> If
> you cannot come up with that excuse, er, good reason, then perhaps you can
> use the explanation Gail Sheehy used of Hillary's justifications in her
> book
> "Hillary's Choice" when she reasoned that (and I quote)"...Hillary chose
> not
> to know what she knew" whenever her husband did something wrong.
>
> "If Dale Chilhuly can be ripped off like that what chances do the rest of
> us
> have? Of course he may be okay with this and then again he may not be..."
>
> Of course. Perhaps Newt Gingrich forced them to do it.
>
> Ken Russell
> The Russell Pottery
> Arlington, SD
> gone2pot@ispchannel.com
>
> __________________________________________________________________________
> ____
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
Earl Brunner on sun 25 feb 01
1. The Mayor may not be perfect.
2. He has to look at many posts each day, sometimes things slip through.
3. The original post on this subject is a difficult one because it was
about art and crafts in a political context.
4.It's not fair for one controversial opinion to slip through and not
give others a chance for rebuttal or to express their opinions.
5. This post that makes you uncomfortable may be a sort of compromise on
the mayor's part. I know that he hasn't let all responses through.
BECAUSE HE DIDN'T LET MINE THROUGH.
And perhaps that is good because mine wasn't very kind.
We have to allow the mayor or his designees a little slack when they
inadvertently let something through. Basically they do a good job.
(And they deserve every penny they get paid).
Brian Molanphy wrote:
> just a few days ago, mayor mel sent out a reminder that politics hasn't a
> place on this list. i think the following post breaks that rule. can we keep
> the discussion limited to ceramics, please.
>
>
>> ----------
>> From: Ken Russell
>> Reply To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
>> Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:10 AM
>> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>> Subject: White House Collection of American Crafts
>>
>> "I am totally blown away by the news that the Clintons hijacked the craft
>> collection."
>>
>> Of course you are.
>>
>> "I have been a stalwart Clinton supporter."
>>
>> No doubt.
>>
>> "But how are we to try to instill any fairness in the
>> donate-your-craft-items epidemic if, from the very top echilons, this is
>> seen as an arena where high-handed poaching is acceptable?"
>>
>> Ahh fairness. What a wonderful and all powerful word. So much more
>> meaningful than truth, since truth has, in the past forty years, become
>> relative and fairness has become an absolute. Well, if you remember
>> during
>> the 1992 campaign, at a townhall meeting, a young and brave man stood up
>> at
>> the back of the room saying that the country needed a good parent, then
>> asked Bill Clinton, "Will you be our father?" Did you melt with oozing
>> emotions as most of the rest of the country did when Clinton bit his lower
>> lip and whispered, "Yes, I'll try"? Maybe if you think of him as Dad,
>> you'll conclude that Dad ought to get something for saving for The
>> Children,
>> The Environment, Hard Working Families, The Elderly and School Lunches.
>> If
>> you cannot come up with that excuse, er, good reason, then perhaps you can
>> use the explanation Gail Sheehy used of Hillary's justifications in her
>> book
>> "Hillary's Choice" when she reasoned that (and I quote)"...Hillary chose
>> not
>> to know what she knew" whenever her husband did something wrong.
>>
>> "If Dale Chilhuly can be ripped off like that what chances do the rest of
>> us
>> have? Of course he may be okay with this and then again he may not be..."
>>
>> Of course. Perhaps Newt Gingrich forced them to do it.
>>
>> Ken Russell
>> The Russell Pottery
>> Arlington, SD
>> gone2pot@ispchannel.com
>>
>> __________________________________________________________________________
>> ____
>> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>>
>> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>>
>> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>> melpots@pclink.com.
>>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net
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