Saturday, July 28, 2007
NY Times says Gee's Bend Foundation has $147,000
The New York Times reports in the Sunday, July 29 issue that the Gee's Bend Foundation "was slow to obtain nonprofit status and only this month elected a board." The article, Handmade Alabama Quilts Find Fame and Controversy, by Shaila Dewan, also mentions that "Royalties from reproductions of the quilts go into the foundation, which now contains $147,000." No word on who the board members are. [Thanks to the PropertyProf blog for noting the article.]
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6 comments:
I saw the NYT article online yesterday, too. My first thought when I read about the $147,000 was: so that's supposed to make up for the millions the Arnett's have raked in? Seems to me and many others that the women and their families were not dealt with honestly, and it's only now coming to light.
what evidence do you have that proves the Arnetts have made a dime much less "millions."
For one thing, they have admitted as much in this article....
Please do elaborate. I assume you mean the NY Times article. To what part of the article are you referring?
Bill Arnett is quoted as saying that they had taken some money from the gallery sales.
I find it purely shameful that one would convict someone (who is clearly doing more than ANYONE to champion this field of art) for selling a small amount of his collection to provide for furthering the cause. Let's not forget; Bill Arnett is THE reason we all know and love the quilt makers of Gee's Bend. There is ENORMOUS public evidence that he has invested everything he has in this cause. (Have you ever met him?) There is however ZERO evidence that he has made a single ounce of personal gain. If you were willing to take the time to objectively evaluate the recent cases, you would find that all the negative content about him is completely anecdotal and based on hearsay. I challenge you to consider what is MUCH more likely going on here. Fact: The OVERWHELMING majority of quilt makers in Gee's Bend love, respect, and care for Bill Arnett deeply. Therefore, isn't it much more logical that the recent hard feelings among a few quilt makers are signs of that seemingly inevitable social dynamic shift usually present in "rise from obscurity to fame" stories? Think about it. We've all seen this theme a million times. An example that comes to mind is a band member who thinks that because their rock band is getting famous, someone is getting rich and they look to someone to blame. Fact: all the many things the Arnetts do to give this art the spotlight it deserves (and has been cheated of) are all lousy moneymaking propositions. Ask anyone who publishes "20 pound" academic art books and they will laugh at you if you said they were "raking in" millions. I propose you challenge yourself to ask if you really KNOW the situation; or if you are forming your perceptions from on-going sensationalized hearsay. What I don't think you realize is that by spreading unsubstantiated claims, you are undermining the long-term legacy of this magnificent field of art and these amazing artists who create it...and I would assume this is not your intention.
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