Dorothy & Herbert Vogel, Art Collectors Extroadinare

By Lauren McAloon

Lauren is the summer intern for Arts in Media & City Theater Company. She will be a senior at UD this fall.

I enjoy art, however I think there is a difference between appreciating art and understanding it. Art enthusiasts, Dorothy and Herbert Vogel did both. The couple was married in 1962 and purchased their first work of art together in 1963. As Dorothy worked at the Brooklyn Public Library, Herbert was employed at the Post Office. They spent one salary on their living and the other on their art. The Delaware Art Museum is opening the Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: 50 Works for the First State on June 19, 2010. It will be on view until August 29, 2010.

This inspiring couple studied art and art history in school and naturally, became art collectors. Over the years they have collected over 4,000 works! Apparently they house their art in their one bedroom apartment wherever they can. (There’s actually a documentary about them Herb and Dorothy that tells their awesome story!) They teamed up with the National Gallery of Art with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Institute of Museum of Library Services to launch Fifty Works for Fifty States. The Delaware Art Museum received the Vogel Collection and is very honored by the gift. The Collection focuses on contemporary art and it received drawings, paintings, sculptures and collages by 23 artists.

As I walked through the Collection that was expertly introduced and explicated by Margaret Winslow a few pieces of art stood out. There was a piece of cardboard with a large red geometric shape by Judy Rifka. I thought it was awesome that the artist used a piece of cardboard as a canvas. The bright red geometric shape really popped out from the cardboard. The words “abstract expressionism”, “minimalism”, “post minimalism” were used in the explanations of these pieces. Even if I don’t exactly understand what all of these art eras depicted, I know that they were very important.

I am a fan of Andy Warhol and his pop art. Stating that, I thought that the “new imagery” of the 1970s was pretty cool. Most of the artists and pieces that were in that section of the collection used everyday symbols in paintings and left the viewer to interpret the painting. There was one painting that was very odd. I liked it; it looked so interesting, and if you were looking correctly you can see a distorted candle. This artist used a special technique that was very cool looking. I also really liked a piece by Robert Barry. If you took a quick glimpse at the work of art you couldn’t tell what was so special about it. However, if you got closer, you see a hand drawn rectangle and words along side of the lines. Barry rarely used nouns, he let the viewer engage and interpret the words. I thought it was fun to try and think about why he placed the words where he did. A set of words on one line were “quiet”, “private”, “lasting”, “ask”, “toward”, “guess”, “evaluate”, “torment” and more. This work of art may have been my favorite.

I can’t paint, draw or quite frankly even cut a piece of paper in the right direction, but I really appreciate and value art. I think I have that in common with the Vogels. I love that this Collection brings artists to the surface that might have been overlooked in their prime. It’s a great support outlet for Contemporary Art. The Vogels gave thought to all of the collections for each individual institution. I’m sure the Delaware Art Museum knows how lucky they are and is very proud to have the Collection.

Artist, Richard Tuttle, gave the Vogels drawings from his loose-leaf notebook. Watercolors on loose-leaf notebook paper as daily exercises...maybe I should give it a try.

You can check out The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: Fifty Works for the First State starting on June 19 at the Delaware Art Museum. There’s also a special event: An artist panel, An Afternoon with the Vogels, on Saturday, 6/19 @ 11a.m.-2p.m., free with paid admission.

See http://www.delart.org/.

Jumping into the Loop

The Wilmington Art Loop means something different to so many people. For some, it’s an opportunity to have a different crowd come through their bar or restaurant. For others it’s a chance to exhibit new work, or even exhibiting for first time. For many, it’s a social event or a networking extravaganza. I took the downtown loop bus, with the fabulous Shawn at the helm. He always makes sure it’s a fun time, even though he sometimes has to play the part of Shepherd, corralling stray art-lovers back onto his bus. As usual, I met some fascinating people on the ride — a photographer, a board director of a new local dance troupe, a mathematician, and a retiree.

Colourworks is a photographic and digital imaging lab on Superfine Lane. A converted sugar mill, the exposed brick interior made a rustic backdrop for Heather Siple’s fish-eye lens photography. The magical windows she created each held their own worlds. She told me a friend had showed her how to mount the fish-eye lens onto her zoom lens, but then she discovered interesting effects when mounting it directly onto the camera. Siple loved the shadows and round “frames” this created. In her photo “Golden Mushrooms” she experimented with expired film, and got a very rich, earthy result. Her book, Through the Crystal Ball, a collection of her fish-eye lens photos, was available.

See http://www.sipleart.com.

I was especially moved by Danielle Hamilton’s paintings and mosaics. Mounted in the Wilmington Library, the work of this self-taught artist is full of themes of nature, Africa and womanhood. Hamilton told me she dreams of Africa, but knows she will never visit. Her mosaic/painting “Jewels of Africa” is filled with stones, beads and rubber netting. When I asked her how she knows when a work is done, she told me the work lets her know when to stop. A friend of hers, who works at the library, suggested she submit her art for the loop exhibit. I am so glad she did! Welcome to the Loop, Danielle!

2010 Italian Festival Gala Concert

It was Jean Scalessa who really started the Gala Concert eight years ago – and it has become a more professional and polished concert each year. But how can we appreciate those who have the courage to start a concert series and who accept the risk that a new series might fail? And after the grueling work of convincing everyone to join in, they then hand it over to the lucky successor who has a ready-made tradition.

The first performers on the Gala Concert this year were the Wilmington Children’s Chorus, another group founded by a pioneer. David Christopher founded a chorus for kids living in the Wilmington area hoping to mix kids from city and suburbs and create a free, quality choral program. Kimberly Doucette, an active participant from the start of the project and current artistic director, prepared the kids well, showing how she has truly created an atmosphere of discipline administered with a smile. The kids came on quietly, sang well, watched the conductor, had the lyrics down pat (and they sang in Italian). Afterwards I complimented one of the singers who responded with a warm and sincere ‘thank you’ – no teenage squirming or dodging, which shows the program will give them music and mature poise.

Joe Soprani played an outstanding arrangement he created for accordion of Carnival of Venice. The accompaniment on piano by Jordan Irazabal was a great foundation for the piece.

The program also included excerpts from operas, and I was impressed with the round bass voice of Martin Hargrove in Verdi’s Te Lodiamo.

I enjoyed the traditional Italian numbers like Va pensiero from Verdi’s Nabucco, which I like to sing with the chorus and I was delighted that Dr. Brian Stone brought more discipline to the conducting than I had seen in the past. The chamber orchestra also had a great sound for Preghiera from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni – again rounded out by piano.

Would that there had been more orchestral accompaniments than piano reductions! Piano reductions are great, but why use them when you have a full chamber orchestra for the afternoon? If they use the chamber orchestra for all of the solos next year, the concert will have developed in a way that would make Jean Scalessa proud.

See http://www.stanthonyfestival.com/.