Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Museum donation update


In the summer of 2016 I made a gift of Map panels to the Aichi Prefectural Art Museum in Nagoya, the host institution of the Aichi Triennial. It was out of gratitude for the invitation I had been given to participate in that massive show.

Last year, after the American Folk Art Museum chose me as one of the three artists featured in their annual "Uncommon Artists" lectures, I made a gift to them. That, coupled with the Nagoya gift, spurred me to make similar gifts to other museums throughout the world.

To accomplish my project I made a list of 52 museums and put their names in a jar. I drew names at random and proceeded to send each one a square block of 20 original Map panels like the one above.

To date 16 museums have been sent panels. Four have accepted the gift; five have rejected the offer; and the rest have yet to respond. Of the five rejections only two have returned the panels.

I now look on this project as part of the art making process itself. I have long claimed that my Map is part of the real world, not a framed object apart from it. So, finding an ultimate home for my work is a natural element in the life of the Map.

I welcome suggestions for museums which might welcome a gift from me.

Thank you!

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