Punching the Clock: Arranging inspiration

Artists are in a trade that rewards tedious attention to detail and an important part of one’s work depends on how it’s presented to the public.

The Chenango County Council of the Arts is the liaison responsible for that vital introduction. When a gallery puts an artist’s work on display, there is one chief consideration above all the rest – how can the display enhance the creator’s interpretation.

Executive Director Victoria Calvert Kappel introduced me Wednesday to the volunteer “troop” that regularly helps arrange the council’s West Main Street gallery: Mike, Linda, Van and Joyce. Victoria said the council relies on about 100 regular volunteers throughout the year to do a variety of tasks.

My job yesterday was to aid the other volunteers in setting up a renowned artist’s work, which can be far more difficult than it may seem.

On the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, the Council of the Arts has the honor of being the first to host “Countdown to Eternity,” an intimate, black and white photographic collection of Dr. King himself from the preserved archives of world-renowned photographer Benedict J. Fernandez. The exhibit will begin its tours in the halls of the Chenango art gallery and then travel south, eventually ending up at the site of his assassination in Memphis, Tenn.

This historical archive is complete with 78 total photographs depicting the toils of protesting and Dr. King’s personal life.

The set came with a timeline dating back to Dr. King’s birth and each photograph was numbered. The collection arrived in a large crate and we had to organize every single piece. This required the handling and re-handling of the pictures far more times than I care to remember. The next task and the most difficult was to arrange the photos in the gallery itself.