I’ve spent this summer working on an exhibition called “How To Be Friends” for which I’m joining my wonderful friend, Maggie Stern, a prolific, authentic and very imaginative artist whose work is carried by The American Museum of Folk Art, The Barnes Foundation and many other museums and shops. The show is at The Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA just outside Boston and will be up from September 3rd to November 3rd. The opening is September 10th from 3-5 pm.

The inspiration for the show came for me when I looked at what Maggie had been making with painted wood objects. She makes such touching imaginative sculptural scenes of people, animals, fish and birds. Her work seemed to me to be all about connection and the joy that is inherent in that. It seemed logical to work on the idea of friendship.

At first, we’d been given a small space in the Center to show our work so it didn’t seem like a big deal for me to complete my part of it for which I already had a clear idea. So I began work in a very relaxed way in late June. But then, late July, we were invited to take over the whole ground floor and we said yes and without hesitation. I love to say yes to yes. Of course, there was a moment or two of panic! Will I have enough? Will I know what to do? There was nothing to do but dive in. The work I’d originally planned would not fill this larger space at all so I decided after some time drawing and exploring ideas to make some posters as well. I love the idea of posters because I can approach ideas in them with some ease. They needn’t be complicated and can be made digitally which suits me just fine. I also love that they’re affordable almost anyone can have them if they want to. Luckily, Maggie also remembered a set of four paintings I’d done a few years ago—”The Mahatma Gandhi Hat Company”—which is very much on our theme as was all of Maggie’s work. I’m very grateful to The Arsenal Center for giving us the opportunity to both create and share work most of which wouldn’t exist without this support.

Here’s a sneak preview of some of the work lined up on the front stairs this morning before its hanging this evening. I include a close up of three of the posters. Tomorrow I’ll see how it all looks in the space when hung and displayed beside Maggie’s wonderful work.