From the New York Times, news that Agnes Gund, a president emerita of MOMA, has resigned from the foundation dedicated to redeveloping the WTC site:In a letter to John C. Whitehead, the foundation's chairman, Ms. Gund lamented the erosion of the original master plan for the site, which was drafted to "permanently memorialize what happened on Sept. 11, while also bringing and weaving the site back into the fabric of the city."
Now, she wrote in her letter dated Thursday, "Governor Pataki (and it saddens me to say, Senator Clinton has joined him) has caved and virtually ensured that there will be no cultural component to the redevelopment."
"I hate to walk away from this situation and leave it to you and the others to sort out," continued Ms. Gund, who is a president emerita of the Museum of Modern Art. "But I am afraid that the governor and those few family members have succeeded in destroying what could not be destroyed on that awful Tuesday, which is our hope."
Gretchen Dykstra, president of the memorial foundation - the organization charged with raising money for a memorial and for cultural institutions at ground zero - said yesterday that she was disappointed by Ms. Gund's departure but not discouraged.
"Of course, we will miss Aggie, not just for her wealth but for her wisdom," she said. "But we in no way find this a setback." Roowwwwrrrr! (sorry, it has to be uttered). The crappy state of downtown cultural redevelopment can be laid at the feet of one person: a right wing blowhard named Debra Burlingame. Turns out there are good 9/11 widows (the Jersey moms who shamed the government into finally holding hearings) and one very bad, very loud one, who is pushing her bum taste in art and predilection for censorship on the whole city, using the emotional fulcrum of her husband's death in the Pentagon strike four years ago. (In case you haven't been following this, she opposed the relocation of the Drawing Center to the site, as well as any other organization that presents art she deems "critical of the US.") Hadn't heard that about Clinton signing on for the suppression of free speech at the site, but it shouldn't surprise anyone given her ongoing support for the senseless slaughter of American troops in Iraq.
due to her efforts, they bent the rules and her brother was allowed to be buried in arlington. The Army, which oversees the crowded cemetery, turned down a request from his family that Burlingame, who died on the eve of his 52nd birthday, be buried in his own grave, citing a requirement that reservists must be at least 60 at death to qualify for burial there.
so she made some friends (john warner. etc), got him in and now its payback time baby!
if you have the stomach, you can keep track of ms burlingame and her agenda at her web site "take back the memorial" where they've been doing the happy dance ever since they quashed the drawing center's interest in staying. "one down one to go."
Thanks. It's interesting to contrast Cindy Sheehan, who lost a loved one and did some good for humanity, versus this person, who in her righteousness can't see her own dark side and that she is obsessing over things that have nothing to do with her loss. But it wouldn't be working if there weren't weak politicians ripe for manipulating.
i have more research on DB's involvement in the amy wilson pseudo scandal and the fall of the drawing center here.
My eyebrows went up when I heard The Drawing Center was in the pipeline to move there. That site is inherently politicized and under the scrutiny of every wing nut with some extra time. It's good the Center pulled out, better now than after they moved. Let the Burlingames have their fake Americana--it would be nice if tax dollars weren't paying for it (don't know how the funding for cultural activities at the site breaks down), but the best thing the art world can do is vote with its feet. As thunderingly as possible--so good for Gund. In my gut I feel art needs to be dangerous, not vetted and approved. I was never a very strong NEA supporter during the Culture Wars of '89--maybe if they'd given me a grant...
This is a little off subject here, but in this context it's worth mentioning the very visible cross on the east side of the site. Currently there is at least one conservative petition floating around that aims to get this cross permanently included in the memorial. Yes, there is the historical fact that this crossing of the eyebeams was something that firefighters and police officers prayed under after the attack, but I think the symbolism is very clear and consistent with the single-mindedness of the politics of the situation.
My sense is that there will be very little debate as to whether or not this cross will be included permanently at the site. Now, I’m not necessarily opposed to including this in the memorial, but I find the problem is that there is little question or discussion about this tremendously loaded religious and political symbol and a whole lot of discussion over a few small drawings by Amy Wilson. It’s no wonder there will no longer be a “Freedom Center” or any other cultural insitutions.
"My eyebrows went up when I heard The Drawing Center was in the pipeline to move there. That site is inherently politicized and under the scrutiny of every wing nut with some extra time."
ditto
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From the New York Times, news that Agnes Gund, a president emerita of MOMA, has resigned from the foundation dedicated to redeveloping the WTC site:Roowwwwrrrr! (sorry, it has to be uttered). The crappy state of downtown cultural redevelopment can be laid at the feet of one person: a right wing blowhard named Debra Burlingame. Turns out there are good 9/11 widows (the Jersey moms who shamed the government into finally holding hearings) and one very bad, very loud one, who is pushing her bum taste in art and predilection for censorship on the whole city, using the emotional fulcrum of her husband's death in the Pentagon strike four years ago. (In case you haven't been following this, she opposed the relocation of the Drawing Center to the site, as well as any other organization that presents art she deems "critical of the US.") Hadn't heard that about Clinton signing on for the suppression of free speech at the site, but it shouldn't surprise anyone given her ongoing support for the senseless slaughter of American troops in Iraq.
- tom moody 10-02-2005 5:19 am
due to her efforts, they bent the rules and her brother was allowed to be buried in arlington.
so she made some friends (john warner. etc), got him in and now its payback time baby!if you have the stomach, you can keep track of ms burlingame and her agenda at her web site "take back the memorial" where they've been doing the happy dance ever since they quashed the drawing center's interest in staying. "one down one to go."
- bill 10-02-2005 5:29 pm
Thanks. It's interesting to contrast Cindy Sheehan, who lost a loved one and did some good for humanity, versus this person, who in her righteousness can't see her own dark side and that she is obsessing over things that have nothing to do with her loss. But it wouldn't be working if there weren't weak politicians ripe for manipulating.
- tom moody 10-02-2005 6:14 pm
i have more research on DB's involvement in the amy wilson pseudo scandal and the fall of the drawing center here.
- bill 10-02-2005 6:36 pm
My eyebrows went up when I heard The Drawing Center was in the pipeline to move there. That site is inherently politicized and under the scrutiny of every wing nut with some extra time. It's good the Center pulled out, better now than after they moved. Let the Burlingames have their fake Americana--it would be nice if tax dollars weren't paying for it (don't know how the funding for cultural activities at the site breaks down), but the best thing the art world can do is vote with its feet. As thunderingly as possible--so good for Gund. In my gut I feel art needs to be dangerous, not vetted and approved. I was never a very strong NEA supporter during the Culture Wars of '89--maybe if they'd given me a grant...
- tom moody 10-02-2005 6:49 pm
This is a little off subject here, but in this context it's worth mentioning the very visible cross on the east side of the site. Currently there is at least one conservative petition floating around that aims to get this cross permanently included in the memorial. Yes, there is the historical fact that this crossing of the eyebeams was something that firefighters and police officers prayed under after the attack, but I think the symbolism is very clear and consistent with the single-mindedness of the politics of the situation.
My sense is that there will be very little debate as to whether or not this cross will be included permanently at the site. Now, I’m not necessarily opposed to including this in the memorial, but I find the problem is that there is little question or discussion about this tremendously loaded religious and political symbol and a whole lot of discussion over a few small drawings by Amy Wilson. It’s no wonder there will no longer be a “Freedom Center” or any other cultural insitutions.
- Aaron Yassin (guest) 10-03-2005 5:13 pm
"My eyebrows went up when I heard The Drawing Center was in the pipeline to move there. That site is inherently politicized and under the scrutiny of every wing nut with some extra time."
ditto
- steve 10-04-2005 1:28 pm