Publishing

Several years ago, I took my first steps in researching the art conservation field and discovered the three excellent programs that offer training. That same week I received an email from a former art history professor regarding a colleague from one of those very schools in need of a part-time assistant. Though I did not fully realize it at the time, this fortuitous event has given me an unparalleled opportunity to study art history while working alongside this paramount historian who besides a great scholar is most importantly a supportive mentor and friend.

One project mostly during the summer of 2010 was organizing, researching , and surveying the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection for a themed gift book, on "Metropolitan Couples."  My labors were credited on the title page, and with my first introduction to the publishing world I couldn't be happier with its release this fall.

A Maker

Me As Printmaker
I have never identified myself as an artist. The title is too loaded for me to attempt to live up or live down.

When I was a child my nickname originated, as with most family sobriquets, from my toddler sister's inability to pronounce my name. So I responded to Eekey or variations of Eekie, Eekster, or even Eakaline. With an early dislike of overly aggressive sports, I would say, "Eakey is not sports, Eakey is art." (Clearly 'I was not grammar. ')

I have always found myself with the desire to create and build and much of my youth was happily spent among weed forts, making clothes for my fashion deprived cats and digging mud castle masterpieces. As an adult, I've found myself fulfilling this desire in other ways, cooking or baking, decorating, yearly handmade Christmas cards and Halloween costumes.


But after the excitement and joy of making each piece I was saddened that this was no longer a major part of my day and how much I missed making. While a studio art major, I recall great pleasure in sitting and visually imagining and planning projects. I enjoy a great sense of physical empathy to my work and a tactile connection with what I see. During a yearly volunteer project where I design and paint murals for city schools I've noticed a loss of the physical in young generations. With many digital art devices many will not know the feel of the paper as their hand wraps around the waxed crayon and its soft contact stippelling color over the page. I recall a recent exhibit at the MoMA, Talk to me, where it was noted that babies imediately look for buttons to engage in a new object and even grasp magazines and attempt to manipulate them as if an ipad.

This Spring I am very happy that I have enrolled in classes at the Art Students League and eagerly awaiting to see what projects will come to life.