The Walpolean

My apologies to Virginia Carter.  When I did the first post, I neglected to include the time of the movie.  The program is Friday, September 9 from 7:00 – 9:00.  So sorry for the confusion.  I appreciate those who showed me the “error of my ways”! – Lil

Michael Mulhern, OV2 – 45th Road, 2002, oil on canvas, 78 x 80 inches

MICHAEL MULHERN
RENDERING THE UNTHINKABLE: ARTISTS RESPOND TO 9/11
9/11 Memorial & Museum, New York City

(New York, New York) The National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center in New York City opens a new exhibition entitled Rendering the Unthinkable: Artists Respond to 9/11, on September 12, featuring seminal, mural-sized works from the estate of New York artist Michael Mulhern (1940 – 2012). Each provides a very personal narrative around the national tragedy and its aftermath, both for viewers and for members of our national community, as we all continue to process its reverberative effects.

Jan Ramirez, the Museum’s Chief Curator, met recently with gallerist Cynthia Reeves, who represents Michael Mulhern‘s estate. Ramirez and Reeves reflected on the artist, the genesis of his work, and the curatorial narrative now, more than a decade after the attack. They especially addressed the life and times of the late Michael Mulhern in vivid detail, as the narrative around his seminal Ash Road Paintings series is a living tribute to the victims.

On the morning of September 11, Mulhern was in his studio on the 9th floor of a Cedar Street building, directly across from the Towers. When they came down, the windows along the façade of his building shattered. The tremendous onrush of air brought with it a tidal wave of ash and detritus. Feet upon feet of gray ash enveloped him and his workspace. With tremendous presence of mind, he grabbed the respirator he used in the studio, and felt his way along the walls until he reached the bath where he was able to shut himself in and wait. He had no idea if the City was under attack, and if so, how much more was to come. Hours passed. He finally felt his way out to the stairwell, and got out on to the street and, like all other New Yorkers that day, began walking through the thick, swirling air.

Michael Mulhern, Ash Road 6/45, 2003, black and aluminum painton gessoed paper, 106 x 111 inches

For several years prior, Mulhern’s work had been centered on a strict monochromatic palette of black, white and gray, often incorporating aluminum paint. He found a tremendous range in this stark spectrum, often referencing them as “color paintings” in spite of their lack of color. Highly influenced by the New York Abstract Expressionist movement in the 1960’s, Mulhern’s surfaces were heavily marked by pooling paint, drips and curves, paintings of tremendous vibrancy and depth and nuance. In the years immediately following September 11, Mulhern decamped to a temporary studio in Long Island City, where he began experimenting with paints from his Cedar Street studio – paints mixed and infused with the ash from the lost Trade Towers. In his words, the paintings became more “severe”, and Reeves agrees: “They have a power and force that distinguish them from prior works. Many have a roiling dynamism that one cannot help but equate with the events of that day”.

Mulhern had a very personal connection to the towers and felt he could “reach out and touch the south tower” and he got to know the office workers across the way in Four World Trade Center, who would watch him at work in the studio. “It was like having an audience”, he recalled, “but we got used to each other.”

Chief Curator Jan Ramirez is responsible for archiving the personal stories of courage, loss and resilience from the events of 9/11, and this exhibition is a next step in bringing those stories alive in new ways, through the lens of thirteen select artists with firsthand experience of these events. This exhibition is a departure from the tasks that have absorbed much of her time thus far as Curator at the Museum — the artifacts, images and recorded sounds that defined that transformative day. The Museum is open daily 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. For more information, please visit online at: http://www.911memorial.org
Michael Mulhern was born in Paisley, Scotland in 1940. He attended the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts in Newark, NJ and then continued his fine art education at the Brooklyn Museum Art School in Brooklyn, NY. He began exhibiting in the early 1960s, and continued showing work consistently over forty years, through the mid- 2000’s, before he retired in Maine to be near his family. Notably, Mulhern had exhibitions in New York City at CYNTHIA-REEVES, The Drawing Center, The Painting Center, Stephen Haller Gallery, and at Exit Art. The upcoming book by Exit Art acknowledges his contribution to their exhibition history. Mulhern was the recipient of two Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grants, a National Endowment for the Arts painting fellowship, and a Gottlieb Foundation Grant.

 

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UPCOMING/ ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

SHEN CHEN, CYNTHIA-REEVES, The Barn at 28 Main Street, Walpole, NH – On view through October 22

LIONEL SMIT, ECHO, CYNTHIA-REEVES, 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA – On view through September 25

LIONEL SMIT, MORPHOUS, (2014), Union Square, New York City – On view through April 2017

BETH GALSTON, 1315 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA – October 1 – November 13

 
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CYNTHIA-REEVES represents an international roster of established artists who share a process-apparent sensibility in their art. We are committed to artwork that demonstrates an authentic voice, an innovative use of materials and an appreciation of the mark in diverse media: site-based installation, video, sculpture, painting and works on paper.

A sub-text to the gallery’s program is artwork that celebrates the convergence of art and science, as well as our relationship to the natural world – a discourse essential to the examination of contemporary art and culture within the context of these broader challenges.

Please refer to the gallery’s News and Events tab on our website for the latest information concerning our exhibitions, public art initiatives, and art fair schedule. You can find additional information and images on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. As always, we look forward to connecting with you at our galleries, public art events, and at the art fairs, and continuing in the conversation around the artists we so respect and admire.

cynthia-reeves.com call: 212.714.0044 email: info@cynthia-reeves.com

 

 

“The Great Story,” a 49-minute film on the sacred story of the universe as a “cosmic liturgy,” in the words of the late Thomas Berry, a pioneer in the field of spirituality and ecology. He reminds us that “the entire natural world: mountains, rivers, birds, fish, and all living beings are not a collection of objects, but a communion of subjects.”

There will be time for a discussion following the film lead by Rev. Kitsy Winthrop.

No charge. All are welcome, of all ages.

Note: Hastings is NOT handicapped accessible, but there are two handicapped off-street parking spaces directly in front of the building if you arrive early.

Hastings House is on Union St., Walpole, behind the Walpole Unitarian Church on Main St. (the church with the clock in the steeple tower).

 

TOWN OF WALPOLE

CONSERVATION COMMISSION

 

NOTICE

 

 

Due to the Labor Day holiday, the next meeting of the Walpole

 

Conservation Commission is scheduled for Monday, September

 

12, 2016, at 7:30 PM in the Town Hall Downstairs Office.

 

Walpole Art After School resumes next Wednesday, Sept 7, 3:15 (immediately after school dismissal) until 5 p.m. We’re looking forward to a great year of drawing, painting, sculpting, weaving, imagining and creating. We’re splitting the group into two sections this year: 1-3 grades (meeting with Racheal) and 4-6 grades (meeting with Susan). The groups will do similar projects, but the 4-6 group would have some extra art challenges. It will still feel like one large, fun, creative group. Art leaders, Racheal Scott, Marilyn Wilking, JoAnne King, and Susan Kershaw, look forward to welcoming back students from last year and getting to know new students.

Registration forms are available for download on our website: www.walpoleartafterschool.org. Please bring a signed registration with your child on Sept 7. There will be forms available that afternoon.

Mark your calendars for the annual WAAS Art Show on Sunday, October 23, at 5 p.m., in the Parish Hall (“Art Room”) of St. John’s Episcopal Church. in addition to showing the work done for the semester by the young artists, we’ll be celebrating WAAS’s 10th birthday. There will be cake and ice cream!

Questions? Please contact Susan Kershaw, info@walpoleartafterschool.org.

TOWN OF WALPOLE

MEETING OF THE SELECTBOARD

AUGUST 25, 2016

 

Selectboard Present:     Steven Dalessio (Chair); Peggy Pschirrer, Whitney Aldrich

CALL TO ORDER: Mr. Dalessio called this Selectboard meeting to order at 6:30 PM in the Walpole Town Hall. He advised that this meeting is being recorded and asked anyone wishing to speak to identify themselves for the record. There were four people in attendance.

 

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD SESSION:

Mr. Aldrich moved to enter into a Non-Public Selectboard Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II to discuss (a) Personnel and (c) Reputations. Mrs. Pschirrer seconded the motion and, on a roll call vote with all in favor, the motion was approved.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 6:49 PM.

Mrs. Pschirrer moved that the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of August 25, 2016, be sealed. Seconded by Mr. Aldrich. With all in favor, the motion was approved.

 

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Accounts Payable check register in the amount of $28,025.39 for checks dated August 26, 2016. Seconded by Mr. Aldrich. With all in favor, the motion was approved.

PAYROLL:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Payroll voucher for the week ending August 20, 2016, in the amount of $25,081.82 for checks dated August 26, 2016. Seconded by Mr. Aldrich. With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the electronic fund transfer for the 941 Employer Taxes for Withholding, MEDI and FICA taxes in the amount of $5,200.56 for the week ending August 20, 2016. Seconded by Mr. Aldrich. With all in favor, the motion was approved.

 

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:

SELECTBOARD MEETING – August 18, 2016: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the regular Selectboard meeting of August 18, 2016, as submitted. Seconded by Mr. Aldrich. With all in favor, the Minutes were approved.

STAFF MEETING – August 18, 2016: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Staff Meeting of August 18, 2016, as submitted. Seconded by Mr. Aldrich. With all in favor, the Minutes were approved.

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

The Selectboard acknowledged receipt of Minutes of the following meetings:

• Cold River Local Advisory Committee – July 28, 2016;
• Walpole Conservation Commission – August 1, 2016.

 

BUILDING PERMIT:

STEPHEN STEFANKO and RUTHERFORD WITTHUS, 62 Elm Street, Map & Lot # 019-026-000: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to grant Building Permit No. 2016-33 for Stephen Stefanko and Rutherford Witthus to “Construct a 21’ x 13’ covered garden patio” at 62 Elm Street. Seconded by Mr. Aldrich. With all in favor, the motion was approved.

 

SUPPLEMENTAL TAX WARRANT:

TOWN OF WALPOLE, 160 Prospect Hill, Map & Lot # 008-062-00A: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Supplemental Tax Warrant, Tax Year 2016 1^st Issue, Town of Walpole, to Sandra J. Smith, Collector of Taxes for Walpole, New Hampshire, for the Town of Walpole, 160 Prospect Hill (Hooper Cottage) in the amount of $1,800.00. Seconded by Mr. Aldrich. With all in favor, the motion was approved.

 

FINANCIAL ITEMS:

MS-434R: The Selectboard reviewed the MS-434R form (Revised Estimated Revenues for Walpole).   A comparison was made of the 2015 numbers and 2016 projected numbers.

Mr. Aldrich moved to accept and sign the MS-434R document for the Department of Revenue Administration. Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer. With all in favor, the motion was approved.  

 

DRAFT RFP FOR HEATING OIL and PROPANE GAS: Mr. Dalessio has no issues with the draft Request For Proposals (RFP) but there are a couple of precedents being set if they do this. It may not be in their best interest to always do this. He has no problem with going out for quotes from ten people. There is a benefit with using local companies. There was a consensus of the Selectboard to solicit quotes from three local companies. The request should not be as formal as the draft RFP; just provide the number of gallons and the locations for deliveries. Contact Young’s for propane. The Selectboard appreciates the work that Mr. Kreissle did on this RFP; it is a great document.

 

Town Clerk / Tax Collector’s Office: Mr. Dalessio wants to acknowledge the work done by Mrs. Meaghan Hassan on the vehicle registrations. It is a significant number; approximately $650,000/year to the Town. She did a comparison for a few years.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

Boston Post Cane: Mr. Aldrich moved to make a presentation of the Boston Post Cane to Ms. Charmian Trundle. Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer. With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Mrs. Downing was asked to notify Mr. Ray Boas about this decision.

 

Town of Walpole DOT Drug Testing Policy: Mr. Aldrich moved to accept this Town of Walpole DOT Drug Testing Policy with the changes as presented. Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer. With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Mr. Dalessio recommended putting “HR101” on this document as the policy number.

 

Revised Town Hall Rental Information and Rental Agreements: Mr. Dalessio will have some recommendations on the insurance for next week’s meeting.

 

708 Main Street:   Mrs. Downing spoke with Mrs. Barbara Girard at Golden Cross Ambulance and they are interested in the property. Their question is if it is big enough and they need 3 bays and 10-foot doors. The Girards will take another look at it. They would be looking for grants and/or other financial assistance. Mr. Dalessio suggested they contact the Southwest Regional Planning Commission in Keene.

If Golden Cross is interested the Selectboard should have something in writing before they contact the Champlain Oil Company.

 

Wage Review: The Selectboard received information from Municipal Resources, Inc. (MRI) relative to the Wage Review. Mrs. Downing will scan and send information received from another company for the Selectboard’s review. A decision will be made next week.

 

Mary McMahon – Abatement Appeal: The Selectboard are reviewing the paperwork relative to this Abatement Appeal from Mary McMahon. They have time to respond. Mrs. Loren Martin of Avitar Associates will be asked to join the Selectboard and Mrs. McMahon during the mediation.

 

Ramp Repair Update: Mrs. Downing reported that the ramp should be repaired between September 6^th and 9^th. The job will be done before Primary Election Day on September 13^th.

 

Leases and Contracts: The Selectboard reminded Department Heads to bring in any leases and/or contracts that their department might have.

 

Employee and Volunteer Appreciation Picnic – Sept. 25, 2016: Mrs. Downing will be able to borrow some games for everyone to participate in during the picnic. The Selectboard will make a decision on alcoholic beverages at a future meeting as there is an Open Container Ordinance.

 

Building and Demolition Permit & Water and Sewer Application Forms: This will remain an Agenda item. Mr. Dalessio is working on the permit and forms.

 

Employee Policy Handbook Update: Mrs. Pschirrer reported that there will be another meeting of the committee in September. Some issues need to be addressed.

 

Sewer Liens: The Selectboard will meet with Mrs. Edkins to talk about sewer liens.

 

Town Seal: Mrs. Downing will continue to do research on the Town Seal.

 

NEW BUSINESS:

Lola’s Pizzeria – Beer and Wine Service Permission: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the application for Lola’s Pizzeria, at 16 Church in North Walpole, to the State of New Hampshire Liquor Commission for a Beer and Wine license. Seconded by Mr. Aldrich. With all in favor, the motion was approved.

 

Draft Warrant Article – Elderly Tax Exemption: Mr. Dalessio distributed copies of a graph showing the income guidelines for towns in the county for Elderly Tax Exemptions. Walpole is low. There was a consensus of the Selectboard to consider $20,000 for single applicants and $30,000 for married couples. They will go back and look at the assets. This change would have to be done by Warrant Article at Town Meeting.

 

Highway Department Vacation Time and Coverage: A Highway Department employee is out on sick leave therefore two other employees offered to re-schedule their vacations. They will try to take their vacations soon but it might involve a carry-over of vacation time.

Mr. Aldrich moved to approve Mr. Paul Clark’s and Mr. Mike Simond’s carry-over of vacation time. Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer. With all in favor, the motion was approved.

 

Primex Renewal: Mr. Dalessio advised that it would be beneficial if they could change from a July renewal to a January renewal date so we are on the same fiscal year for everything. The Selectboard agreed to have Mr. Kreissle proceed with getting figures for this change.

Town Hall Handyman Application: One application was received for the Handyman position.

 

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD SESSION:

Mr. Aldrich moved to enter into a Non-Public Selectboard Session pursuant to RSA 81-A:3 II to discuss (b) Hiring. Mrs. Pschirrer seconded the motion and, on a roll call vote with all in favor, the motion was approved at 7:55 PM.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 8:01 PM.

 

Mrs. Pschirrer moved that the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of August 25, 2016, be sealed. Seconded by Mr. Aldrich. With all in favor, the motion was approved.

 

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to hire Healy Maintenance Services as an independent contractor. Proof of Insurance will be required. Seconded by Mr. Aldrich. With all in favor, the motion was approved.

 

Drug Testing Vendor Proposal: Mrs. Downing had received two proposals for drug testing. Mrs. Pschirrer will compare these proposals.

 

Broadband Internet Service Committee: For clarification, Mr. Dalessio advised that Mr. Paul Looney can meet with his Broadband Internet Service Committee and when they have something to report or just to provide an up-date, they can come to a Selectboard meeting.

 

Town Dental Coverage: This is on-hold until Mr. Kreissle gets more information on the Town’s Dental Coverage from the Fall Mountain Regional School District.

 

RSA Books: Ms. Cheryl Mayberry, on behalf of the North Walpole Village Board of Commissioners, thanked the Selectboard for the old set of RSA books. They want to know if they could use one of the empty book cases in the Library to put them on. Mrs. Pschirrer said she should contact Ms. Justine Rogers at the Library. The Selectboard had no issues with having the RSA books available to the public.

 

RECESS SELECTBOARD MEETING:

Mr. Aldrich moved to recess this Selectboard meeting. The Selectboard will enter into a meeting at the Hooper Trustees. Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer. With all in favor, the motion was approved at 8:07 PM.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 8:21 PM.

 

 

ADJOURNMENT: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to adjourn this meeting. Seconded by Mr. Aldrich. With all in favor, the meeting was adjourned at 8:22 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

It’s here again.  The Clarion has gone to press so you can read it first by going to thewalpoleclarion.com or clicking on the blogroll on the right side of this homepage, or better yet, become a Follower and receive your own notification – Lil

Not sure about others, but when I hear the word Christmas and it is only August, I do admit to a big shudder!   Read on though.  It is not as bad as it might be! – Lil

Walpole Historical Museum Gift Shop celebrates Christmas in September! Come visit us from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday September 17^th and get a head start on your holiday shopping.  Weather permitting we will be on the lawn by our roadside sign with new and sale items to tempt you for your Holiday decorating or gift giving. We have new Christmas cards and napkins from Caspari. Locally crafted note cards , ornaments & framed pictures — candles and votive candles too.

Ray Boas’ book about Walpole, Louisa May Alcott booklets written by Ray Boas – We also have books written by Louisa May Alcott for your reading pleasure- Walpole mugs and wine glasses –Walpole note cards, local honey and little bags of sweet tiny candies! Great stocking stuffers.    This year we have Dellamano painted glassware– and you must see our beautiful new scarves and beaded necklaces from Country on the Common that will give just the perfect touch to any outfit.

Come and browse our Louisa May Alcott exhibit and check out the many “Louisa” items in our gift shop as well. You are sure to find something you will want to bring home or wrap up for the perfect gift! Come to the Museum on Saturday the 17^th—10am to 4pm and enjoy a Christmas cookie or two with us!!