galleryblog @ tufts

Fridays I will be posting some comments from our guest book here in the Gallery. These have been collected over the past two weeks. I have not edited them. I will not post names or identifying details.

Got something to add? Post it here!

This is 60 degrees of RAD!

I’m surprised there isn’t a moment of silence at the end of the narrative recording in the auditorium.

You have got to be kidding.

Pseudo-science.

Disquieting combination of art, science, and fantasy.

Two reviews out this week.

One from Ken Johnson at the Boston Globe. Sad to say that Ken is leaving the Globe for NYC…more cosmic energy there, probably.

One from our own Tufts Daily!

Happy reading.

September 19th is National Talk Like a Pirate Day.

This is not something I would normally blog about, but considering that I have at my resources a way to communicate effectively through all languages and periods in time - via the Center for Cosmic Energy, of course - this day holds some significance all of a sudden. Just think - most people are probably faking their way through pirate-speak, but you (who live near enough to come to the Gallery and experience The Center) can actually commune with pirates of yore. In their native language. Fluently.

Alright, onto the serious part of this posting.

The Everglades have officially been removed from the World Heritage endangered list. It is, however, still an official World Heritage Site. I heard today that the US has contributed about $7 billion dollars to its cleanup efforts. (This of course is relevant to The Center because we have a slideshow that includes several UNESCO World Heritage sites. Yesterday there were two little boys in the Gallery and they watched the entire slideshow with their mother. They could name almost EVERY picture without looking at our cheat sheet.)

Congrats to the Everglades. I am now going to study up on our slideshow so as not to be outdone by further legions of overly-smart seven-year-olds.

Arrrrrrrgh.

No, this isn’t the new website of the Alpaca Farmers of America (if such a group exists). This is one of the alpacas at the Stonehenge of the United States! The North American Alpaca Show is but one of the many events that Stonehenge USA hosts. Who knew?! This mystical site is located in New Hampshire, for all you New Englanders out there. Not getting enough cosmic energy at Tufts? Take a roadtrip!

Today starts the daily walkthrough, such as it is, via photographs. Trust me, it’s much better in person, but on the off-chance that you’re too far away to visit, this should give you an idea of what’s in store.

The Emblem

This is on the wall behind the front desk, and is our signature image/logo for the exhibition. We’ve never had one before, and think it’s pretty…cosmic.

The Entrance

To the left of the front desk, there is an introductory panel [see music stand], a projection of the Kabakovs’ Utopian City model, and a speaker [that clear upside-down bowl-like thing]. The speaker is called “secret sound” and is designed so that if you stand right under it, you hear the narrative, and if you stand anywhere else you don’t.

The Orientation Space

This is where we’ve put prints by Ilya Kabakov, a slide show with sacred images and music composed for the exhibition by members of the Tufts Music Department, and text panels that highlight key ideas and themes of the exhibition. Note the crazy emblem projected onto the floor:

It’s called a GOBO and although I don’t know what that stands for, I do know that it’s basically a slide projected from a spotlight. I know, how technical of me.

Tomorrow we’ll go beyond the orientation space into…The Communication with the Cosmos Building!

We have a mention online at Boston.com. Here is the link.

Tomorrow I’m going to post the first of a series of pictures walking you through the exhibition. Obviously there won’t be a sound component, but I think the images will at least give you a sense of layout…stay tuned!

I know we’re in the arts, but here’s a math equation for you. Or maybe a recipe.

1 Center of Cosmic Energy
200+ guests
8 staff members
2 greeters
8 platters of sushi
12 bags of shrimp
a lot of sandwiches
= A REALLY GREAT OPENING.

Thanks to all who came to experience The Center of Cosmic Energy last night! The cosmic energy was flowing, and the reactions were wide-ranging - just what we wanted. Here’s hoping the word spreads! We have a couple of reviews coming out in the next week or so; keep your eyes on the news. If you’re a WBUR listener, keep your ears on ‘All Things Considered’ and you might just here our radio spot! I know, so technological of us. Radio, Internet, Newspapers…what’s next? Television?!?

In the meantime, if you haven’t visited the Gallery yet, come to see what all these pictures have added up to! I’ll post more of the actual finished Center next week.

Have a cosmic weekend. We’re open 11-5 Saturday and Sunday if you’re running low.

As of 5:30 this evening, the Gallery will be fully up and running, much to everyone’s surprise and delight!

The schedule of events, for those interested:
4:15 and 4:45: Preview tours with Director Amy Schlegel
5:30-8:30: Opening reception with ongoing Center tours

And then we are open our normal hours, Tuesday - Sunday, 11-5, and Thursdays until 8 pm.

The exhibition is up until November 11, but come early in the semester because it’s much more fun to say “I’ve seen it” than “Oh, I have to get there someday.” It will be over before we all know it.

Yesterday we had a press preview, with a lot of really good sandwiches. Oh, and some fun people as well. Luckily almost every piece of electronic equipment worked perfectly (and we’ve got a lot of it here) and it seemed like everyone was suitably impressed. It’s really hard not to be, what with the archaeological dig downstairs, a HUGE wood-and-steel structure upstairs, and lots of mood lighting. It’s a totally different place around here.

This morning I picked up our food (sandwiches and sushi and sweets and…I can’t think of another ’s’ word but we probably have one…). It will be quite the party.

See you there!