A suggestion for the MacArthur Foundation: Give Arthur Ganson a "Genius Grant"

The MacArthur Foundation just announced the class of 2011 for the "genius grants." And while I sincerely congratulate this year's winners, for the past several years I keep noticing that there is a name missing from the list of awardees.

That would be the artist and creator of kinetic sculptures, Arthur Ganson.

If anyone has "shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction" to quote the grant standards, it is Arthur Ganson.  To further quote from the MacArthur website: "There are three criteria for selection of Fellows: exceptional creativity, promise for important future advances based on a track record of significant accomplishment, and potential for the fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work."  Again an apt description of Arthur and his work.

Rather than speak in greater detail for Arthur or his work,  I'll just direct you to his excellent website, and the wonderful video from the TED Conference embedded at the top of this post.

Creative work is often un(der)appreciated work, and while many wonderful artists, craftspeople, and facile thinkers will never receive the recognition they deserve, I hope that Arthur Ganson soon becomes part of the cadre of MacArthur award winners.



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The Missing MacArthur Fellow

The MacArthur Foundation just announced the class of 2009 for the "genius grants." And while I sincerely congratulate this year's winners, for the past several years I keep finding a glaring omission from the list of awardees.

That would be the artist and creator of kinetic sculptures, Arthur Ganson.

If anyone has "shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction" to quote the grant standards, it is Arthur Ganson.  To further quote from the MacArthur website: "There are three criteria for selection of Fellows: exceptional creativity, promise for important future advances based on a track record of significant accomplishment, and potential for the fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work."  Again an apt description of Arthur and his work.

Rather than speak in greater detail for Arthur or his work,  I'll just direct you to his excellent website, and the wonderful video from the TED Conference embedded above.

Creative work is often un(der)appreciated work, and while many wonderful artists, craftspeople, and facile thinkers will never receive the recognition they deserve, I hope that Arthur Ganson soon becomes part of the cadre of MacArthur award winners.

Don't miss out on any ExhibiTricks posts! It's easy to get updates via email or your favorite news reader. Just click the "Free Updates" link on the right side of the blog.

P.S. If you receive ExhibiTricks via email you will need to click HERE to go to the main ExhibiTricks page to make comments or view multimedia features (like movies!)

Museum Exhibit Inspiration: The Work Of Arthur Ganson

One of my favorite artists is Arthur Ganson. I've been a big fan of Arthur and his work ever since I met him many years ago while working in the Boston area. (And I can take some small credit for bringing Arthur to Austin for a show that led to the inspiration for his toy called "Toobers and Zots.")

Speaking of Boston, if you find yourself within striking distance of the MIT Museum, you should see Arthur's ongoing exhibition called Gestural Engineering. It's a magical collection of his witty and intricate sculptures.

The video below is from a talk Arthur gave at the TED conference that gives a nice overview of his work and approach. Enjoy!




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