Tully time, Q. Cassetti, Rob Cassetti, 2010
Home again home again jiggity jig
Utica Club Brewery Sign on a Fall Day, Q. Cassetti, 2010Up and back. A big fagged…but up and back. We split from Tburg around 4:30 yesterday afternoon to drive to Utica (getting us to the concert at a quarter to showtime) with a little time to spare. Rob had managed to ask a colleague from Museumwise if she could get us a pair of tickets for this honored event- a double header of “The Sleigh Bells” and “LCD Soundsystem” for Alex and a friend. This was, as Alex proclaimed, “the concert of the season” and after the concert is was affirmed times ten (“How did you like it? ” we asked. Response “I’m speechless.”). We were absolutely charmed with Hamilton, this beautiful campus on a hill in Clinton, New York with old and new buildings all harmoniously designed and working together. The concert was in a small venue (low stage no more than 700 standing students)….in this inside/outside complex of buildings that had a “diner like” food offering, mail room, and various study and hanging out spaces in these low silo like spaces with different sized perfomance spaces as well. It seems like a great school for the right type of kid (they all seemed really nice, earnest, and friendly)—who would like to spend four years on top of their little hill overlooking Utica. We left the boys to check into the hotel (Hotwire…and it was called the Clarion which really was the Hotel Utica). The Utica is an oldstyle hotel that seemed to be ramped up and revamped in the mid eighties and sort of, kind of missing the mark by miles. But the beds were horizontal and seemed to be bedbug free…so we plunked down our bags and opened the windows and waited for the call from the boys. Prior to finding our accomodations downtown, we decided to go to dinner at Matt’s Brewery (which it turned out was closed for a party) so we ate in the Brewery area—dumbfounded by all the worker bars that were there (no food, just bar stools, bad lighting, linoleum floors) which had outdoor spaces for overflow. These places were dead last night…and our only assumption is that summer brings the beer drinkers and the need to expand to the outdoors. Matts also had a big stage etc…so that probably is the case.
We got up early this morning and had our free breakfast at the Hotel Utica and 
The Face of Tully, Q. Cassetti, 2010got the boys to the cross country event an hour plus south of town in Tully. Tully is one of my favorite races as we always have a “Tully Day”—cloudless blue skies, brilliant sharp light and all the Tully touches such as huge pallet loads of crisp cold apples free for everyone (today was macintosh!). The Tully team and families knock themselves out with teeshirts and consessions, music and a dj, and all the trappings of timers and mascots and places for teams to set up and have their pictures taken. And, it all goes remarkably smoothly for all. Alex did not run his best (no “PR”—personal record) and cramped up midway. But others did quite well, happily and against a mixed group of big and small schools (something that doesnt happen very often). But now, Alex is worn out…and a bit low.
My Birthday was nice. Really nice. I got some flowers from friends and family. I had dinner with my boyfriend. And I was given an iPad which is in the box and is next on my list of things to do after I finish talking with you. Very exciting. As you know, I love my Kindle and this is a Kindle with more…email, images, movies, youtube, books, audible books, and more. I hope I can get good with the keyboard so I can use it to post here too. I am, unfortunately, fond of a keyboard. We’ll see, won’t we?
Kitty’s gothic lolita dress just arrived from China. Terrific. And, if you are in the market for this sort of thing, trust me, you need to get the petticoat too. It absolutely makes the look. There are bows galore and the sleeves are detachable (not noted but a great thing). Something every girl needs. The shoes are on the way…and we got stockings at Target to compete the rig. Tres victorian mourning meets manga character. She should flip over this (at least I hope). All is well for classes. Same for friends and the stuff they are all doing during the hangout time. Kitty is fiddling with Pencil and is working on a series of little animations of some of her little critters. They should be fab. This could be a niche she pursues.
More later.
IF: Beneath
Beneath the Golden Sun, Q. Cassetti, 2010
Pencil it in:: Amy Brill Open House 10/09/2010
Amy Brill, fashion and knitwear designer as well as all round majorly creative person, is doing something we have never had the opportunity to participate in, an open house!
Amy’s sweaters and clothing are carried at high end clothing boutiques that specialize in smaller, more art oriented clothing which we do not have much in the way of here in Itown. Plus, as an old house person, her house and grounds in Jacksonville where her living and creating happens are not open to a wide group of people, and the house is as much part of her energy and image as the work itself. So, on October 9 (and maybe 10th) Amy and her associate, Meg, will be throwing open the doors (which you are traversing Rt. 96 during the Ithaca Art Trail) to the public for a sale of her sweaters, jewelry, accessories, and clothing which we do not have access to. Learn more about Amy on her blog or site>>
Amy Brill
The Trees/ Trumansburg Road (Rt 96)
Jacksonville, NY.
Grey Wednesday
Phone call central here. Had a good meeting with the Yearbookers today. We planned the Senior picture this a.m.—going out to the bleachers with the students sitting in the bleachers to see how we are going to set up the shot. We have 15 minutes to do it. I am going to pray for sunshine. We are working on the pretext that we will be working in InDesign and Photoshop to produce a publication at Lulu. But, after trolling the web, I found a cool option to this. Take the ease/ simplicity of layout from the big Yearbook companies and marry it to the speed, price and options of on design printing (Lulu) and it is manifested at Entourage Yearbooks. I ordered a sample and we will see what we can do. We can do custom custom custom…but the minute I don’t want to give up my morning slot pre work, they will need a sustainable resource and approach that doesnt need the coaching and training by a professional designer/ print pro. This idea of sustainable is important… and taking the designer out of the equation…is important too. So…I think I will be looking at some of the tutorials etc. prior to our plunging in. Plus, they dovetail with Josten and Lifetouch perfectly…Less work for me. Maybe more fun for the class. I am feeling very good about this.
We are making plans for the first. LCD Soundsystem and the Sleigh Bells are playing at Hamilton College (and we have snagged 2 tickets)—so we are driving to Utica with Alex and a friend and leaving them for the concert (with Rob and me hanging somewhere else).—and then picking them up. Alex is absolutely thrilled that Rob could work out getting tickets and for once, we are okay. We will spend the night in Utica (as we have to go to Tully, NY early the next morning for a Cross Country Meet and will take Alex and friend down for this gig). For once, we are doing okay as parents. It’s rare…but sometimes we hit. Sounds like another not too relaxing weekend. Over the 16th we are back in Amherst for a parents weekend with Kitty. Rob is gone the next weekend. A weekend in November we are off to Chicago for the SOFA show (maybe taking Alex too). I am seeing deepdish pizza and brats with the boy.So lots of getting out and about. Bizzy.
Am working on an image derived from the week in the Adirondacks. The more wonderful the picture will inspire other images of dancing bears, pinecones, and cottages. Bring on the canoes, fires, and fish.
Have a wall of calls from now on. Just wanted to say hi.
Dreary Tuesday
East West Postcard, Q. Cassetti, 2010, for the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NYUpcoming fun at the Corning Museum of Glass. Pencil it in…with Kelley and the Cowboys and Eric Meek, glassmaker extrordinaire along with John Ford..the man that spans both cultures interpreting in probably both Chinese and English. The show opening, “East Meets West” is an interesting take on objects inspired by those things Eastern created by Western hands. A bit of this, a bit of that. Eggrolls and Tacos? Tofu and Hamburgers? Sake and and Whiskey? Rockabilly and a Tea Ceremony? All in beautiful Corning New York. If you are a CMU alumni, there will be a gathering of the Tartans as well. Look for more details coming your way. And as you can see, two color layout with my favorite Hoefler Frere Jones font, Knockout in all sorts of iterations.
Alex is being challenged to win the race today. Everyone else is being asked to make it a “tempo run” with Alex and a friend being told to take it…with some stiff time expectations put in place. I hope he can do it. Now the question of the big dinner I need to whomp up for him.
Am working on tables and info for the Baker and Feline. Lots rolling for the big client. We MAY have a holiday card…pretty noncommittal, but something. Right now, I will take anything.
Monday Monday
Modified Rooster, Q. Cassetti, 2010, digitalA low little Kitty was on the phone last night. She was just plain tired…and wasn’t dealing well with the overachievers and competitive sorts (of which she is reluctant to agree that she is too) overdoing it when given an assignment to get familiar with the tool they will be using to do some animation (Pencil-animation.org). So over the course of two calls, we got here to a point that she was ready to let go a bit…and maybe take a shower and go to bed early. Man, do I sound like a mom or what? She is all worked up…but as I reminded her, she had only been at Hampshire for less than 26 days..and of those days, how many days in class. I mean, get a little real? Poor thing—its not all going to come immediately—(something her brother understands)—but with time and effort, it will happen. I guess this is why they call it school. Lots to learn.
Bruce came back from a very fun few days of visiting and gathering with friends. We hung out…and I cooked a bit (biscotti with dried blueberries and almonds, and two big pizzas (not the best…but edible). Big pot of recycled soup for today’s luncheon extravaganza.
I downloaded a collection of the Deerslayer volumes (James Fennimore Cooper) to get my head wrapped into the mythology from which I believe the romance of the adirondack style has sprung from. I do not know why I am on a jag about this…but I am fascinated. First, though, I need to finish William Gibson’s latest, Zero History
I got my notebook for the library project mentioned last week. The topic I picked was Secret Code…so I am musing on the Masons (of course) and the odd stuff I love about them. Maybe a little Masonic tome made by little ole non masonic Q.
It is grey and stormy. Rob spoke on Martha Stewart Radio (Sirius) this morning. Shady is back to smelling bad (need to get a major deodorizing shampoodle for her). I wonder if part of shaggy dogs getting older is that they stink more? I hope that isn’t the case. Oy. It absolutely radiates from her despite her bath yesterday.
More later.
another look
Birch Man, Q. Cassetti, 2010, photography
two face
Two Face, Q. Cassetti,2010
Sunday
Birch Head, Q. Cassetti, 2010Went to the Pourhouse last night to hear the GoCats, a rockabilly group. They were excellent. Packed house. We went to bed with the assumption that our dear boy would be home by midnight, the time the Homecoming Dance would be over. At 3:15 our eyes sprung open. No boy. So on went the clothes—on went the brains and we clicked into problem solving. Before we started to launch into search mode, said boy walked in the door kind of shocked to see us fully clothed and functioning. Oops. Lesson, I think, learned.
Today, there is talk about a crew coming here to watch the Godfather. I will make a mess of pizza shells and pizzas for this crew to keep things interesting. Now that I think of it, I will make the pizzas…and have popcorn def for them. Maybe the pizzas just for us. Rob will be installing the fixed computers over at the neighbors. Its a day without deadlines or focus—so maybe some beginning pictures around Sagamore that have been floating around my brain (in the Silhouette/ Home Sweet Home mode). Will be pulling out the pens, dredging up all the iconography from the week and putting it all together.
Vegging. I feel like coffee, flour and ink. That’s planning.
Back from Shangri La
Old Forge Hardware, Old Forge, NY, Q. Cassetti, 2010Rob gave a great presentation Friday morning about the “three legged stool” of budgeting and how to compress your strategy into a single, workable document that becomes the milestone from which management, the museum board and each individual contributor can work off the same “song sheet”. The day was brilliant and surprisingly warm, “indian summer” with all of us searching our bags for the singularly cooler thing to wear contrasted with the clothes of the week. All the participants were melancholy as the time dwindled and they all had to go back to reality—energized and motivated by all they had heard, participated and responded to during the week of The Museum Institute at Sagamore from Museumwise. It was thought provoking for me to hear about the work and tribulations of these focused and stressed individuals trying their best despite odd board dynamics, small budgets, high expectations and the general accountability and record keeping around each and every accessioned object in their collection whether it be a museum or a historic building, site or event. Each shared in the same push pull…and took heart from each other.
While on the other hand, there was little old me, reveling in the language and nods to Adirondack fabricated romance and romanticism, imagery and iconography, language and form.
Sagamore Yin Yang, Q. Cassetti, 2010Where I am going with that is this: I am fascinated by the iconography of what makes up “Adirondack”. You know the drill: birch bark, canoes, ADK guide boats, log or tree inspired architecture, twig chairs and furniture, adirondack chairs, taxidermy and “trophies” on the walls, snowshoes, enamelware, pine trees, hemlock trees, pinecones, stone, mossy/lichen, fish/ jumping fish, all things fish (creels, rods and reels, tied flies etc.), loons, ducks, herons, glassy lakes, rocks, pack baskets, bear, moose, deer, pine scent, wool blankets, plaid, all things native american, lean-tos. You get the drift.
What is curious to me is that all of this stuff is derived from a victorian style that emerged in these Great Camps (with Mr. Durant driving this forward) that romanticized the working man’s Adirondack lifestyle for these imports, these city dwellers who came North for vacation to participate in sampling this rough and ready, scrappy life that the loggers and true outdoorsmen lived. It was adapted and modified into this lovely depiction for these brownstone dwellers of fresh air, and a refined unrefinement which were polished and presented “naturally” (with hordes of servants and staff in the background) and became the style that we think of as Adirondack. Not to just make it stylistic, 
Tuffitts of Moss, Q. Cassetti, 2010Durant and others borrowed quite liberally from James Fennimore Cooper’s writings (Sagamore and Uncas being just two of the characters from his books)…to the naming of houses and lakes, places and things that were derivative of this victorian view of Central New York and the Adirondacks. It is inspiring me to see if I can chew on this a bit, read a few of these books and see how this romanticism is manifested (when John Muir lived in nature and spoke cleanly, and purely on his interpretation of his experiences). When it all comes down to it, it is a fictionalized, romanticized view of this life, which we have just accepted…somehow as more historic than it really is…a “disney-ifcation of reality”.
And yet, if we think of the Adirondack identity—it is the art, architecture and craft from this golden era, this fantasy—which is presented to us as the historic reality it isn’t.
I was horrified and delighted by the real life photographs at the Adirondack Museum of the loggers riding
from the collections of the Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, these sleighs atop pyramids of enormous logs…with the narrative speaking to how these vehicles might lose control with the drivers jumping off and the poor horses left to fend for themselves if the sheer weight got the downward momentum of the load got to be too fast/too much. The impaled logger poster…and the descriptions of the camps and the absolutely primitive life these men had…eating and working with outdoors sport and hunting as the fun independent of family, or others. It was gritty, hard and though outside, as hard a job as any coal miner or railroad man might have had at the time. The trick was to stay warm, fed and active during the winter…and not to die getting the logs from the forest to the trains where they were taken away to the cities. Imagine the black flies and issues in the summer. At least if you fell in the river— the water might not freeze you…but being swept away with the tide and millions of pounds of wood would be horrendous. Not the cushy, pine scented, warm rooms with blazing fires in stone fireplaces with inglenooks and tea, oysters and champagne, (and people to make it for you and heat up your beds).
Curious. Bring on the Cooper.
Speaking of continuing the fantasy, we left on our trip home to stop by the Old Forge Hardware Store.
Old Forge Hardware is the Vermont Country Store of the Adirondacks. They have all things woven, camping, enamel, food, outdoors wear, from bungee cords to campfire percolators (enamel or stainless?), from cast iron to smoked food…You could provision a cabin or a castle here…with chairs and back baskets, to canoes to Orvis fly fishing gear. It was fun. I was tempted but did not succumb. We have enough stuff regardless of how much I love this stuff. I mean, canoes and portable saw mills—beautiful enamel dutch ovens and tons of cool crockery that you can add a spiggot to in an instant (I adore these things). Gradient and colorful Pendleton shirts that put both of us in the way back machine (def. need to start thrifting for this sort of stuff). Crusher hats…the whole magilla. All there with brass sleigh bells on things, and huge jugs of maple sugar to go. Hardware store meets brand identity for ADK.
We got back late—and then up early this morning to get Alex to school to catch a bus to get to the Baldwinsville Cross Country invitational. “Bee Ville” is always one of the best meets, so we always go…and did. Alex and team did very well with some happy surprises in the JV, and a new varsity crew that did well. Tonight is a homecoming dance. I have thrown all sorts of leftovers from the week into a pot with some tomatoes and have a recycled soup in the works for the team next week.
Need to go…Alex awaits. More later.
IF: Old Fashioned
Old Fashioned Sweetness, Q. Cassetti. 2010, pen and ink.
Another view
Morning Mist: Sagamore Day Four
Lake View, Q. Cassetti, 2010Another day in the Adirondacks. Someone thinking about where we need to be and what and when we need to eat, talk, perform. Bliss. It really is a landlocked cruise boat experience where all you need to do is either go with the flow or do what you want to do. Its crazy, but just over the few days we have been here, you can literally see the trees changing color in the landscape as the evenings are cool/cold and the mornings just a bit warmer to give us mist rising over the lakes, these mirrored lakes that dot the horizon around here.
The words and ideas of James Fennimore Cooper seem to pop up even here. Not just Cooperstown, but points north with Sagamore and Uncas being characters in his books. I guess the Leatherstocking nomenclature and reach is part of this culture here—east and north of Cooperstown and Otesaga…but I hadn’t linked the two. Niagara Region, the burned out zone all have names and brands. The Finger Lakes with the lakes and waterfalls really do not capture any sort of romance or nod to anything beyond natural history…something with some toothiness that we could work with (I am thinking this with regard to Farmer Ground Flour and Stefan’s bakery). Where is our history with the plumb line county maps, the Greek named towns with the Greek Revival Buildings? Where is our history beyond that of fossils, salt mines, and deep cold lakes with the avian flyover? Where are our icons like the Adirondacks of pine trees and cones, snowshoes, loons, baskets, quilts, fishing gear, chairs, birch trees and the like? I am looking and cannot find a link. What is the key? How do we capture it? Time will tell. Often just letting it simmer, something will pop out.
Today is work on the Feline and Baker and then a trip to the Adirondack Museum for a talk by John Buchinger, Associate Director of Education at New York State Historical association and Program Development Consultant—on the cycle of community/individual that Rob has told me about so many times. We are applying this good thinking to localvore food…and I am anxious to hear it from the conceiver of this big idea.
More later.
Treat time
Treat trip to Uncas, Q. Cassetti, 2010
We had the distinct pleasure and honor to go to visit Uncas, one of the Durant Great Camps near Sagamore thanks to the private owners and to one of our generous* Camp Uncas was developed 1893 to 1895 on Mohegan Lake in what is now the Adirondack Forest Preserve.
“US Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced yesterday that Great Camp Uncas on Mohegan Lake has been selected as a National Historic Landmark.
Camp Uncas is located a few miles south of the hamlet of Raquette Lake, in the Town of Long Lake, Hamilton County. It is close to the geographic center of the 9,300-square mile Adirondack Park. The camp was built by William West Durant, pre-eminent architect and builder of the Park’s most famous and well-preserve great camps (including the adjacent Great Camp Sagamore, also an Historic Landmark and open to the public for day trips and overnight stays).
The designation of Great Camp Uncas marks the third building in the tiny hamlet of Raquette Lake to be awarded National Landmark status. The other two are Great Camp Sagamore and Great Camp Pine Knot, all built by Durant.
Great Camps are compounds of buildings meant as a self-contained (often self-sustaining) seasonal retreat for a wealthy family, mimicking a tiny rural village. Great camp architecture reached its peak around the dawn of 20th Century, as the industrial magnates of the Gilded Age were spending their fortunes on ways to escape the crowded and polluted cites of the Northeast. Each building served a separate purpose, with dining halls, libraries, game rooms, blacksmith shops, boathouses, carriage houses, barns, farms, guest quarters, servants quarters and lounges.
Many great camps fell into disrepair as the wealthy owners passed away or lost their fortunes in the Great Depression. Some were later purchased by scout groups and other institutions that had the means to keep them in order.
Perhaps the two most important features of Durant’s great camps are his use of the landscape to conceal the buildings from view until you are right next to them, and his use of whole logs, rock and bark to create a rustic look that matched the landscape but also provided great comfort within. It was a combination of the American log cabin and the opulent European ski chalet. The style has been widely emulated, serving as the prototype for nearly every major lodge and administrative structure built by the National Park Service, including Yellowstone Lodge in Montana.
While Durant built Great Camp Uncas for himself, he was forced to sell it to pay his debts. New owner J. P. Morgan used it as a wilderness retreat for many years.
For the past 30 years, visitors to Great Camp Sagamore have been given tours of Uncas as well. More than 20 group tours came through just this past summer. Uncas and Sagamore have each hosted the Adirondack Council’s Annual Forever Wild Dinner and Conservationist of the Year Award celebration. This year, Uncas hosted the Adirondack Architectural Heritage organization’s annual meeting as well.
The Sagamore and Uncas roads are designated bike trails, surrounded by Adirondack Forest Preserve lands.
* Camp Uncas is one of the best examples of Adirondack camp architecture, which was designed for leisure. It is of exceptional historical and architectural significance as the first Adirondack camp to be planned as a single unit by William West Durant, widely recognized as one of the most important innovators of the property type.
* At Camp Uncas, Durant developed the camp as a single cohesive unit: a “compound plan” for camps that provided for an array of separate buildings, all subordinate to the natural setting. Camp Uncas was built as an ensemble from start to finish.
* The Adirondack camp had a strong and lasting influence on the design of rustic buildings developed for national and state park systems in the 20th century.”
Get the Work Out!: The Sketchbook Project: Brooklyn Art Library
We know how precious a sketchbook is. You carry it with you everywhere, spending months working on it. It becomes a part of you. When you’re finished, share your hard work with the world. We’ll make sure you stay connected with your sketchbook as it tours the country and after we catalog it in The Brooklyn Art Library.
After signing up, you’ll receive a 5 .5x8.5 inch Moleskine Cahier sketchbook. Every artist who completes their sketchbook and returns it to us will have their book included in the tour. Your book will visit galleries and museums across the country, putting your art in front of thousands of people. (Psst - this is a great way to add some new lines to your résumé.)
Keep in mind that you can also access individual groups by typing their names into the search box and following the direct link that appears.Every person who views a book, whether it be at the exhibition or in The Brooklyn Art Library, receives a library card to use while browsing. As a participating artist, you’ll receive a limited edition library card with your name on it. With artists participating from all around the world, we know it’s impossible for everyone to be able to see our exhibitions. But we don’t like “impossible.” We’ll be filming exhibitions from the tour so our far-away artists can see first-hand how viewers interact with their work. And the exhibition at The Brooklyn Art Library will be broadcast live over the internet! Take that, impossible.
Your sketchbook will be given a barcode with a unique number - this allows us to keep track of your book and record who views it at every tour date and while it’s in The Brooklyn Art Library. And after we catalog it, artists will be able to log-on and view realtime statistics about their book for years to come. Each and every single time your book is viewed, you’ll receive an e-mail or a text message alerting you what city it was viewed in and the first name of the person browsing through it (well, only as long as they provide their name!) Even better, you can turn these notifications on or off at will. Just like your local library, we know exactly where each sketchbook is hiding. You can send friends, family, and art lovers to The Brooklyn Art Library and we’ll be able to immediately pull your book - or any other work you may have displayed with us - for them to view. Same goes for our tour. We like to keep things organized. here’s a handy pocket attached to the inside cover of every sketchbook. Inside this pocket, you can place a card that contains your artist information - anything from a short biography to your website address. The Brooklyn Art Library’s main goal is to improve our collection so as many viewers as possible will see your finished products. That in mind, we’re putting our collection of sketchbooks online for the whole world to see. Starting in the Spring of 2011, we’ll begin the task of meticulously digitizing each page and posting them online.
typographic tidbits from the Adirondack Museum
All things Adirondack
We visited the Adirondack Museum for a “meet up” with Museumwise on Monday night. It was fun and even better, we met old friends and acquaintances of Rob’s from his past and from his professional past. So we have new friends and another chance to be in that museum. I was in the gift shop looking for pine pillows and pancake batter (for the project I am working on) and looked at the art there. There was an interesting vector poster that said “Adirondacks” with vector illustration. I googled the artist, to find out that she is part of the Wild Apples stable of illustrators. Beyond that, I was looking at all the stuff, and the pretty solid iconography that says “Adirondacks” to the general populace: snowshoes, chairs, pinecones and boughs, pinetrees, loons, bear, wicker backpacks and those things homey and simple like quilts and soup pots. And I thought,” hey you! Icons are your middle name—puhease get yourself in gear and sell some stuff….you already have the loons” . And then I thought, and now I know people. So put it together princess! Get going.
More later.
evening at Sagamore
images from Sagamore, Q. Cassetti, 2010
Sagamore: Day Two
Evening at Sagamore, Q. Cassetti. 2010Another day at Sagamore with blue skies, clouds, rain and then a clear evening. From frost to warm and back to cool again. I love the brilliant swing that the weather, light and day gives us that for me, is united by cups of tea, many pixels and intermittent visits of Robbie to check his email, his facebook and to make sure I am breathing and where he left me.
The new crew for the week came in today. I am invigorated by the 2010 group of interesting, bushy tailed and serious people who have come to The Museum Institute at Sagamore. Paralleling the board, this crew are vital, engaged, intellectually engaged and actiively open and social—within the first three hours in meeting their fellow participants and peers. Its learning in the classroom with seminars and discussion continuing here at the beautiful Sagamore and then mixing at dinner with different people. By the end of the week, the collegiality and new connections that each individual will make gives each person confidence, a new group of peers and an appreciation (at least for me) for all things New York.
Today, I met the new Director of the History Center (Ithaca), the Director of the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association, and the Executive Director of the Bartow-Pell Mansion. Active minds actively working, connecting, actively engaging at The Museum Institute at Sagamore. Lets just say, I feel a bit overwhelmed albeit I got a lot done on the Cornell work and some roosters for another project. Having a bit of time to myself just to work outside of a schedule is delightful and on par with the time I had in graduate school just to collect myself and get my wits together. By the end of the week, I hope that all my loose ends will be gathered and straightened.