Inky Eakins- The Shock of the Price

Today Stephan Salisbury reports in the Inky that there might be a strain on local fundraising for Philadelphia non profits.

I see this cultural tidal wave to be an opportunity for the arts leadership to see the Philadelphia region as a center for creativity. The demand has brought together a common goal that should help to focus on the needs of all who work to promote the arts here.

The reason the painting sale happened started with a desperate attempt to kick start a fundraising campaign. Do those who are tasked with finding the resources for large projects have any idea what the local interests are? Are they solely focused on the goal at any means?

This time of year I receive many requests for donations. The development databases are running on overtime. I can tell that they are created by computers because they are ignorant of my current circumstances. It is almost like they have created an identity for me that has some mythic nature. They have taken my name and assume that I am wealthy.

I digress, is the fundraising sector, dependent on databases, as flawed as the intelligence created to fight the war?

The sale of The Gross Clinic is a symptom of a disease that spreads through our society. We don't know who we are or what we care about. I went to see the movie Babel last night (movies are my only entertainment these days) and the theme of cultural difference struck me as important. The cultural divide between those who work everyday to make art and those who have the wealth to acquire art is very wide.

Eakins Fundraiser

Thanks to a post on Artblog I had an idea:

How about an eBay charity auction as a fundraiser for the Eakins painting? I would donate a drawing. This would take lots of work but it might give artists who have little to give a chance to help.

Eakins Teaching Legacy- Anthony Visco

We all feel the hurt that this sale gives. The art world has suffered from a lack of respect and understanding.

Posted in: Adventures of Phoebe the Cat and Friends

"Presidents And CEO’s Are Allowed To Have Bad Ideas Too" by Anthony Visco

"I can only say that after 20 years of teaching human anatomy to artists in the same rooms as Eakins, after lecturing to incoming med students about the relationship between art and medicine, Mr. H sadly does not know the Sisterhood of these two. with this in mind, I am truly concerned for the students at Jefferson that regardless of the possession of the Eakins, may be losing that all too important link between art and science.....

As we all know too well, presidents and CEO's can have bad ideas too. Selling off priceless collections of art, tearing down architectural wonders that can never be replaced, rare out of print books thrown in dumpsters; we all have experienced these and more and are well tired of it.

Anthony Visco
November 22, 2006"