2/7/11 - Editorial - What is the life and work of an artist worth?

Editorial:

Originally the illumnai were
to be made as a screen.

What is the worth of an artist? And who decides? Can an artist achieve full recognition of his or her contribution and value to society during their lifetime? Does society in general, even care, about artists, their work, their lives or their dreams? Recent trends in society tend to say no, that they don't care. For instance the file sharing phenomena of the last decade - at first it seemed like a a backlash against the perceived greed of the recording industry. Now it seems that people just like to get what they like for free regardless of the harm this inflicts to the creators of said desired items.

Bronze illumine.

Let's move this line of thought along to examine the "hometown" perception of the work and life of a particular fine artist.

What would you think of a NYC raised star art student who attended a top private east coast college, graduating with flourish and having a great many opportunities open to him who chose, of all places, to come and work in Lexington at the University of Kentucky Art Department? Furthermore he not only starts his career here but he stays on year after year, raising a family of two sons with a wife who patiently and regularly asks "...when are we going to go home - where you will be acknowledged and appreciated?" This artist does not go home but instead immerses completely and with no regrets into the day after day process of transforming himself into the artist of his dreams but also, amazingly shares this mission and passion with each student who passes through his tutelage, bringing or starting many of them along on the journey as well.
Do you even believe that this is a true story?

If you watch PBS much you have probably seen the series where a team of traveling experts travel around the country to town hall type meetings to discern not politics but the value of  individuals either acquired or inherited antiques and collectibles. I think the series is Travelling Road Show or something like that. In many cases participants in the process much to our (the viewers, and the TV  show subjects) delight it is often discovered that an item in question is really quite valuable, quite rare and definitely worth preserving. I suppose that something equivalent to the Road Show treatment needs to happen for the cultural community of Lexington - for we collectively possess items that we clearly don't know the significance of!

Let's not be poor caretakers and guardians of this legacy of untold value and benefit ...act now.

Friends of Tuska Meeting
6:30 PM,Wednesday 2/9/11
147 Old Park Avenue 40502
(Corner of Park and Central)

Come out and be prepared to be amazed by the artistic and intellectual endowment to our community from an artist who lived, worked and taught his entire professional career right here in LEXINGTON! Doesn't that kind of commitment and love deserve better?


Learn more:

• Feb 1st 2011 Business Lexington article on Tuska House and current crisis by Ide Boudin
• Jan 21st 2011 - David Tabatsky comments on Tuska House in Facebook post

• David Tabatsky
 “It's been an honor to be brought into the Tuska world - one I see full of infinite possibilities as a learning center, a museum, a central point of community energy, and as a historic landmark of Kentucky art history. I've been deeply moved by Tuska's work - not only his absolute mastery as an artist of multiple media, but maybe even more by how he shows and teaches us the human condition. His work must live on. It would be a crime to...."

• Tuska Musuem on facebook  

John Tuska's motto - translated from Italian:
One life is not enough.