March 27, 2024
Theaster Gates
Socially Engaged Art
Madelaine Shellaby
artist, educator, curator
Theaster Gates
Socially Engaged Art
Madelaine Shellaby
artist, educator, curator
Marsha Levin-Rojer, introducer, and Madelaine Shellaby
Minutes of the 24th Meeting of the 82nd Year
On March 27, 2024, President John Cotton presided over a meeting of the Old Guard of Princeton at Springdale Golf Club. Frances Slade led the members in singing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” The minutes of the previous meeting were read by Julie Edward-Berry. Guests were Susan Chermak introduced by Earlene Baumunk; Laura Berlik, by Len Berlik; Mary Kay Kuser, by Rob Kuser; Jeanne Mazzetti, by Joe Mazzetti. There were 115 members in attendance.
The speaker was Madelaine Shellaby and the title of her talk was “Socially Engaged Art.” She was introduced by Marsha Levin-Rojer. Ms. Shellaby is a world-renowned artist, educator, and curator. She has taught at all levels of schools, locally at Stuart Country Day School and at the Peddie School. She has a BA from Scripps College and an MA from the University of California Berkeley. Madelaine has been a member of the Old Guard since 2021.
A conceptual view of art started in the early 20th century when artist Marcel Duchamp exhibited a urinal and said that, as an artist, art is what I say it is. Joseph Beuys after WWII used his art to motivate people to do socially good acts like planting trees.
Socially Engaged Art has Six characteristics:
Relational
Collaborative
Post-material
Timeless
Participatory
Of social benefit
Socially Engaged Art usually includes all of these characteristics. It differs from object-oriented art in that it is not necessarily physical. It can be conceptual.
As an example of a producer of Socially Engaged Art Madelaine used Theaster Gates. He is a “Placemaker,” an artist who creates a place for making art which has a socially good benefit. Gates is a man of many talents. He is a potter, an installation artist, an archivist, a musician, an urban planner, and an architectural interventionist. Madelaine reviewed his many projects.
Gates exhibited his pottery with Dave the potter, a Civil war era potter who made inscriptions in his pots both before and after emancipation. The pots show how something beautiful can be created from nothing.
He renovated numerous run-down buildings in Chicago and elsewhere showing the potential of old buildings that have become community centers for local art and culture.
Gates renovated a garden in Chicago that became a community asset.
He reused museum slides, which were going to be discarded in the digital age, in many of his installations that demonstrated their continuing value to the community.
He organized dinners, sometimes with actors, to stimulate discussion in the poorer communities.
He wrote music that would demonstrate the value of social benefits.
He acquired and displayed a collection of “Negrofilia” to teach the black population about their history.
Gates used pictures from Jet and Ebony magazines in some of his exhibits showing the value of black culture.
Gates even exhibited an installation in Germany to demonstrate the plight of Huguenots in the 17th century.
He founded the Rebuild Foundation, a job training organization that benefits poor people.
He continues to develop art and installations with a socially good message.
As other examples of artists who produce Socially Engaged Art she named Lee Ming-Wei and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.
Respectfully submitted,
Len Berlik
The speaker was Madelaine Shellaby and the title of her talk was “Socially Engaged Art.” She was introduced by Marsha Levin-Rojer. Ms. Shellaby is a world-renowned artist, educator, and curator. She has taught at all levels of schools, locally at Stuart Country Day School and at the Peddie School. She has a BA from Scripps College and an MA from the University of California Berkeley. Madelaine has been a member of the Old Guard since 2021.
A conceptual view of art started in the early 20th century when artist Marcel Duchamp exhibited a urinal and said that, as an artist, art is what I say it is. Joseph Beuys after WWII used his art to motivate people to do socially good acts like planting trees.
Socially Engaged Art has Six characteristics:
Relational
Collaborative
Post-material
Timeless
Participatory
Of social benefit
Socially Engaged Art usually includes all of these characteristics. It differs from object-oriented art in that it is not necessarily physical. It can be conceptual.
As an example of a producer of Socially Engaged Art Madelaine used Theaster Gates. He is a “Placemaker,” an artist who creates a place for making art which has a socially good benefit. Gates is a man of many talents. He is a potter, an installation artist, an archivist, a musician, an urban planner, and an architectural interventionist. Madelaine reviewed his many projects.
Gates exhibited his pottery with Dave the potter, a Civil war era potter who made inscriptions in his pots both before and after emancipation. The pots show how something beautiful can be created from nothing.
He renovated numerous run-down buildings in Chicago and elsewhere showing the potential of old buildings that have become community centers for local art and culture.
Gates renovated a garden in Chicago that became a community asset.
He reused museum slides, which were going to be discarded in the digital age, in many of his installations that demonstrated their continuing value to the community.
He organized dinners, sometimes with actors, to stimulate discussion in the poorer communities.
He wrote music that would demonstrate the value of social benefits.
He acquired and displayed a collection of “Negrofilia” to teach the black population about their history.
Gates used pictures from Jet and Ebony magazines in some of his exhibits showing the value of black culture.
Gates even exhibited an installation in Germany to demonstrate the plight of Huguenots in the 17th century.
He founded the Rebuild Foundation, a job training organization that benefits poor people.
He continues to develop art and installations with a socially good message.
As other examples of artists who produce Socially Engaged Art she named Lee Ming-Wei and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.
Respectfully submitted,
Len Berlik