The end is near ... the end is today :)

I am sad to announce that  'A long distance relationship' at the Attleboro Arts museum, ends today, at 5PM!!! It has been quite a well received exhibit, and it offers much appreciated information about the Boston Marathon and running in general.  I am honored to have been involved with such a wonderful show.

The invitation to participate introduced me to the world of women running and the amazing history of the Boston Marathon.  At the bottom of this post you will find a number of books that I read while preparing for this show, and which I found really interesting!

Thank you Mim Fawcett, the musuem director,  and the wonderful staff at the Attleboro Arts Museum for including my work in this provacative and inspiring show.

'she rns ...' organic embroidery, beads and wire (2016)

My third piece that I submitted for this exhibit is one of my organic embroidery pieces, called 'she runs ...'  Here's is my thoughts about this piece.

At this year's Golden Globe, Oprah Winfrey told how life-changing it was to watch Sidney Poitier accept the Oscar for best actor at the 36th Academy Award.  To see a black man celebrated on TV enlarged what this young black girl believed that she could accomplish in the world.   Many minorities speak of the importance of seeing themselves represented in successful and significant roles.  This was true for women's running.  As recent as the mid1960's, it was socially unaccepted for women to run. It was widely believed that it was dangerous for women to run, especially long distances; women didn't have the physical endurance, their uterus would be dislodged and fall out, running would prevent healthy pregnancies, women who ran would become unattractive, develop muscles and extensive body hair.
Men were making these assumptions and rules and many women believed them and repeated them.  In 1983 I was jogging in my hometown and I was flagged down by a neighbor, a younger woman whom I admired and who I believed was openminded about women's roles.  However she stopped me to warn me that running was dangerous, "women's organs are held up by spider webs and running can rip these webs."  I didn't stop jogging, however, her words haunted me.  My family was not athletic and I didn't know of many women athletes.
But fortunately there were many trailblazers in women running who were challegning these untruths;  Julia Chase who in 1961 at the age of 19 challenged the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)'s ban on women from competing officially in all U.S. road races;  Arlene Pieper, who in 1959, became the first American woman to run the 26.2 mile distance, finishing the Pike’s Peak Marathon in 9:16; Roberta 'Bobbi' Gibb, the first women to run the Boston Marathon in 1966 and Kathrine Switzer who brought much attention to women's running in 1967 as the press witnessed and photographed Switzer being physically accosted by marathon officials because she was running with an official number. These are just a small number of women who courageously challenged societal norms and broke rules.  Because of these trailblazers any woman, young or old, fast or slow, competitive or not, can lace up their running shoes and run.

"I hadn't intended to make a feminist statement," said Gibb. "I was running against the distance [not the men] and I was measuring myself with my own potential." http://www.marathonguide.com/history/olympicmarathons/chapter25.cfm

I wanted to share some of the wonderful reads that I discovered while doing research for my pieces for #alongdistancerelationship exhibit at @theattleboroartsmuseum. I truly fell down the rabbit hole of research & loved every page!! I started reading about the Boston Marathon & then moved to women running! If I was asked to recommend one I would say ‘the long run’ by Catriona Menzies-Pike, but all of these were informative & enjoyable. #bookrecommendations#bostonmarathon #researchjunkie #rabbithole#womenrunning #womenwhorun #kvswitzer#catrionamenziespike #thelongeun #ambyburfoot#billrodgers #rebekahgregory #survivor#bobbigibb #goodreads #ilovelibraries #

thank you & peace,

virginia

'torqued & tethered . . . .' and a long distance relationship

'torqued & tethered . . . ' (2013) ribbons, chicken wire and rocks.

One of the pieces that I am exhibiting in Attleboro Arts Museum next exhibit, 'A long Distance  elationship' is 'torqued & tethered ...' and so I thought it was an appropriate time to share her story

I wanted to show this piece in this exhibit about the Boston Marathon because it reflects the story and experiences of women runners up until quite recently. In 1966 "for a grown woman to run in public was quite outside the social norm.” 1.

1.Interview with Bobbi Gibb April 2011; www.billrodgersrunningcenter.com/inwibogi.html
When Bobbi Gibb jumped out of the bushes to join the 500 men runners during the 1966 Boston Marathon, many thought it was life threatening for a woman to run anything longer than 1.5 miles. Bobbi hid in the bushes because she was afraid of how people would respond if they discovered that she was a woman, fearful that she would be physically removed and/or arrested.


'torqued & tethered ...' speaks to the limitations, expectations and restrictions placed on women which can stunt a woman's growth;  physically, mentally and spiritually, impeding them from reaching their full potential. This was true with women's running, especially long distance running, until trailblazers like Bobbi Gibbs, Sara Mae Berman, Kathrine Switzer and many more.



'torqued & tethered . . .' is the first of my dress sculpture where I played with the scale and shape of the dress. For this piece the bodice is stunted, emaciated, twisted and tortured. The sculpture hangs by only one of the shoulder straps, the other strap sags, defeated, exhausted. The way the bodice hangs the viewer can see in, under and through her; all is exposed. Being white, there is the suggestion of seeing bone.

'torqued & tethered . . . ' at "forever & after"
at the SSAC

The skirt of the dress is created by ribbons that hang from the bottom of the bodice. These ribbons strain against the rocks which have hold the ribbons to the floor; grounding her, repressing her, when all she really wants to do is to fly, to be free.

'torqued & tethered . . .' behind 'metamorphosis . . . '

This sculpture speaks to the omnipresent and destructive messages directed at young
girls/women, from the media (TV, movie, advertisements, ...), society, many religions and possibly family. The dress is white to implying the many cultural traditions where a girl or woman wears a white dress that represents purity, goodness, respectability and virtue. Usually a white dress is worn for baptisms, first communions, confirmations, debutante cotillions, some graduations and, and of course, a white dress is worn in a traditional wedding.

Lady Forrest 1876, Victorian style dress

'torqued and tethered . . . ', for me, represents an innocent young spirit/girl who has been pinned down by rules, expectations, dogma and traditions and who has twisted and tortured herself trying to free herself and just be who is authentically is; she just wants to soar!!!








Exhibition: April 10th – May 5th, 2018
Opening Reception: Tuesday, April 10th, 7-9pm. This event will include a recognition ceremony that honors each exhibiting artist and exhibition partners. Free and open to all.
Reservations are requested, but not required, by Friday, April 6th. 

Telephone: 508-222-2644 x10 or email office@attleboroartsmuseum.org 

thank you for your interest and peace,

va

we are approaching the starting line ....

Here in Massachusetts they celebrate 'Patriot's Day'. This was confusing for me when I moved to the Boston area.  I hadn't experienced a state-wide holiday, but there it was; banks were closed, schools were off and the library wasn't even open on this particular Monday in April.

I soon discovered that the Boston Marathon did take place on this day, so things were making some sense, but a state-wide holiday?!?!?

I had experienced marathons, when I lived on the upper West side and I was able to saunter over to Central Park and watch the non-elite runners finish the New York Marathon.  I was always emotional watching these runners cross the finish line after running through the five boroughs. 

My first year in the Boston area I lived in Newton and basically stumbled upon the Boston marathon.  I had put my girls in their stroller and headed toward the noise, not knowing I was going to a pinnacle point of the marathon, Heartbreak Hill. So once again I was witness to runners reaching deep at a very demanding part of the race, and again I was moved to tears by this raw expression of personal determination. 

Now the Boston Marathon is a more integral part of my life, although not to the extent of most Bostonians.  Again I am fortunate to live in one of the towns of which the race traverses; in fact I am again within walking distance of the course.  

Every year I try to join the festivities, I enjoy watching the pageantry and to be immersed in the energy of the event, but most of all I go to see and cheer on the runners.  I am always moved by the heart and spirit of each participant and in awe of their courage.

So when I was invited to contribute to the Attleboro Arts Museum's upcoming exhibit, "A Long-Distance Relationship, The 26.2 Mile Journey", I didn't hesitate to participate and to celebrate this Boston event. 

With the invitation came a list of aspects of the marathon that we artists could examine via our works: 

Enduring energy and resilience
The landscape and icons of the race route
Loyal and encouraging spectators
Product design (wheelchair, prosthetic, running shoes, gear, other)
The community of – and comradery between – runners
A Boston tradition since 1897
Hydration, nutrition, routines, training, injuries
The physical form of runners
Women join the Marathon
The Wheelchair Division
The profound impact of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings
Watertown, shelter-in-place, the vital first responders
Boston Strong
Other

With so many interesting and provocative themes, I had a hard time deciding but settled on, "Women join the Marathon" (if felt appropriate), and I began my brainstorming procedure - sketching ideas, surfing the internet and reading books. I have become obsessed with the subject and I have been shocked  by what I learned about women and the Boston marathon, women and marathons in general and women in long distance running!

When Bobbi Gibb was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1966, women were not officially allowed  to run anything longer than 800 meters.  yes you read that correctly! And the BAA (Boston Athletic Association) did not officially sanction a women's division of the Boston Marathon until 1972!! 

The subject of women joining the marathon reflects on much more then women in running, it casts its shadow on many issues and battles that women are still contesting today.

This exhibit and project has lead me to so many interesting books and so much information I need to assimilate that I plan to use this blog as a sounding board of sorts.

So stay tune and mark your calendars for this exhibit which will definitely be a winner ....

  

A Long-Distance Relationship, The 26.2 Mile Journey,  Attleboro Arts Museum  

Over twenty visual artists have been invited to explore the endurance and strength of distance runners andwheelchair racers, a 26.2-mile path to the finish, and to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings.Artistic expressions in oil, watercolor, wood, paper and other mediums will be on view.A Long-Distance Relationship: The 26.2 Mile Journey opens on April 10th, 2018 just days before the running of the 122ndBoston Marathon. 

thank you & peace, va