At the State University of New York College at Brockport, a little-known treasure trove of artwork by one of the country's best-loved poets is in urgent need of repair.
The liberal arts college owns 72 works by poet E.E. Cummings, but years of wear and tear have taken their toll on the rare works. Few people have ever seen the pieces, and even fewer know that Cummings — best known for his use of lowercase letters and inventive syntax and grammar — took visual art as seriously as he did writing poetry.
The institution received the collection in 1978 from Hildegarde Lasell Watson, the widow of James Sibley Watson Jr., who was one of the poet's best friends. But the paintings and drawings languished in a room that lacked proper humidity controls. Eventually the collection ended up in a storage closet in the art building.
Complete synopsis at
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=76095288
The liberal arts college owns 72 works by poet E.E. Cummings, but years of wear and tear have taken their toll on the rare works. Few people have ever seen the pieces, and even fewer know that Cummings — best known for his use of lowercase letters and inventive syntax and grammar — took visual art as seriously as he did writing poetry.
The institution received the collection in 1978 from Hildegarde Lasell Watson, the widow of James Sibley Watson Jr., who was one of the poet's best friends. But the paintings and drawings languished in a room that lacked proper humidity controls. Eventually the collection ended up in a storage closet in the art building.
Complete synopsis at
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=76095288
