A decade ago, artist duo Lissy Robinson-Cole and Rudi Robinson, known also as Lissy & Rudi, began crocheting playful additions to their neighborhood in Auckland, New Zealand. The pair yarn-bombed local fences and covered their car in fiber, and by 2018, they were thinking even bigger, imagining a full-size wharenui—a traditional Māori communal house—made entirely from brightly-colored yarn. “Straightaway, the vision was very clear,” the artists told a local news outlet. “We didn’t know how we were going to do it, or anything at that stage, but we just had the vision in our minds of this whare.”

The remarkable, glowing “Wharenui Harikoa,” which translates to “House of Joy,” emerged from 5,000 balls of wool that Lizzy & Rudi hand-stitched into vivid poupou panels, a tekoteko gable figure, patterned tukutuku beams, and an elaborate pou tokomanawa, or center post. Wharenui play a significant role in Māori custom as gathering places, usually forming the focal point of a sacred clearing known as a marae, which connects people to their ancestors, or tūpuna. Neon colors, glowing under black light, add an exuberant touch to myriad patterns and textures, creating an immersive, prismatic space in a celebration of Māori culture and heritage.

“Wharenui Harikoa” opens today at Waikato Museum in Hamilton, New Zealand, and will be on view through March 17, 2024. Explore more vibrant work on the artists’ Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In ‘Wharenui Harikoa,’ Lissy & Rudi Crochet a Māori ‘House of Joy’ From 5,000 Balls of Wool appeared first on Colossal.

In this Student View column, Fenton Krupp ’24 describes how he spent his fall break meeting with St. Olaf alumni working in the communications field in Washington, D.C. — and what it taught him about the power of a liberal arts education.

I am a senior computer science major in a precarious situation: I don’t want to develop software or hardware after I graduate. Instead, I have developed an interest in the art of storytelling. My foray into communications began outside of my classes. I joined the team that connects students to St. Olaf College’s Board of Regents, and I now serve as the student representative to our board. I also work in the college’s Marketing and Communications Office, where I help craft impactful stories for the St. Olaf community.

While these roles expanded my communication skills, I wanted to learn from others who were doing this work elsewhere. This fall I spent a week in Washington, D.C. meeting with St. Olaf alumni in the communications industry, with funding from the Johnson Family Opportunity fund. The Johnson Family Opportunity fund was established in 2014 by former St. Olaf Board of Regents Chair B. Kristine Olson Johnson ’73 and her family, including daughters Berit and Kelsey and husband Robbin. The Johnson family, who themselves benefitted from scholarships to attend college, recognized the importance of studying abroad, off-campus internships, and other high-impact learning opportunities. 

While everyone I met with in D.C. understood the power of storytelling, there’s no such thing as a “typical” communications professional. Some of the alumni I met worked at PR agencies, which help corporations across the world better tell their stories and respond to crises. Others worked in-house for a single company, which let them dig even deeper into that organization’s story and tell it even more compellingly. I’m still trying to learn which of those paths — agency or in-house — appeals to me the most, and speaking to people who have done both types of work was incredibly helpful.

My journey to D.C. helped me understand more about how I can craft stories professionally and underscored the value of the liberal arts — all thanks to the wisdom of our remarkable alumni and the generosity of the Johnson family.

Alum: Karen Hopper ’11
Major: Music and Political Science 
Job title: Senior Director of Performance Marketing 
Workplace: Bully Pulpit Interactive — a data-driven advertising agency that shapes political narratives and helps organizations affect change. Clients range from nonprofits to political candidates to global corporations. 
Favorite spot on the Hill: Christiansen Hall of Music — especially Fosness and the music library

Karen is an Ole through and through: she was in the St. Olaf Choir and sings with The Choral Arts Society of Washington when not busy with work. We spoke about her journey through several different agencies, and she explained her love of the fast-paced yet innovative environments. We share a fascination for solving novel problems creatively, and I especially appreciated her insight into what a career at an agency could look like beyond the first few years. I was also reassured by how her liberal arts background has guided her in every role she has taken on, from her first job right out of college to today as she guides a team of other strategists. 

Alum: Alexander Currey ’19
Major: Psychology and Economics
Job title: Senior Brand Strategist
Workplace: Weber Shandwick — one of the largest public relations agencies in the world, with an international client list to match. His work with H&M helped launch 10 startups that combat fast fashion.
Favorite spot on the Hill: The prairie area of the Natural Lands (especially at sunset)

I got the opportunity to meet with Alexander and a few of his team members at Weber Shandwick, including an intern on his team and a colleague from Weber’s Analytics Department. Speaking with Alexander helped me get an idea of what a global agency might look like. I’d be fascinated to work with national brands like Pop-Tarts and eBay, and it must be so cool to see how your work impacts decisions like commercials and entire marketing campaigns. He spoke about team collaboration and the ability to learn from all sorts of different people working in adjacent roles to you. He also shared advice on finding an affordable apartment in D.C. and what he loved about living in the city.

Alum: Patrick McWilliams ’14
Major: Sociology/Anthropology
Job title: Senior Associate Asset Manager
Workplace: Placemakr — a hospitality startup that offers luxury stays that combine the convenience of hotels with the homeyness of AirBnB.
Favorite spot on the Hill: The Pause in Buntrock Commons

Patrick and I spoke about communications in a slightly different context. Patrick spent over eight years at Marriott and was the primary financial contact for nearly 100 hotels across the United States before shifting to his role at Placemakr. Patrick still works in hospitality — Placemakr combines apartment living, vacation rentals, and hotel stays into one experience. There are interesting parallels between asset management and strategic communications work: both roles involve being able to explain the value of assets and identify opportunities to increase that value. Also, I spent last summer interning in hospitality management, so it was interesting to learn more about what that career might look like 10 years down the line. 

Alum: John Stoltenberg ’66
Major: Philosophy
Job titles: Author, Activist, and Executive Editor
Workplace: DC Theater Arts — the premier source for performing arts news in D.C., including reviews, interviews, current events, and calendars of performances happening in the area.
Favorite spot on the Hill: The Ytterboe Annex, a since-demolished wooden building where John produced satire reviews he’d written and began a Saturday-night improv group called Playmakers

John and I spoke about how communications impacts a wide array of fields, including theater and the arts at large. John wrote and edited for a variety of publications in New York City and D.C. before retiring to the position of executive editor at DC Theater Arts. I appreciated John’s insights into the power of storytelling in shaping public opinion about an event or convincing those in power to use it for the right reasons. I also was struck by John’s clarity about his time at St. Olaf — I’m not sure how much I will remember about the Hill in 2080, but I hope I can still remember the hijinks I pulled with my roommate and the professors who made an impact on my education.

Alum: Kathy Minardi ’67
Major: English, Literature, Education
Job title: Executive Director
Workplace: Whole School Leadership Institute —a nonprofit international institute that transforms school leadership teams through immersive and collaborative training modules 
Favorite spot on the Hill: The Student Center

Kathy and I met in Columbia, Maryland, a planned community between D.C. and Baltimore. Columbia was formed to create a community free of segregation based on race, religion, or economic status, making it the perfect home for the Whole School Leadership Institute. Kathy and I walked around Columbia while she explained her journey as an educator and how she came to found the Whole School Leadership Institute. The Institute offers a transformative leadership training program for school leaders from across the world. Good leaders tend to be good communicators, and I have a particular appreciation for educators. Both of my parents are teachers, and my work with St. Olaf’s Board of Regents has helped me understand how governance structures can help guide educators toward a better institution for all.

After talking to these alumni, I carry with me a newfound appreciation for the liberal arts. It’s one of those clichés that exists for a reason: no matter where you come from or what you study, a liberal arts education opens doors for you. It makes you more adaptable, creative, and open to learning new things. 

As a computer science major, I never imagined myself working in communications. But the beauty of the liberal arts is that I can now see how my computer science work will inform how I tell stories, whether that’s understanding how generative AI works or being able to leverage technology to be more efficient in my workday. While I’m leaning toward pursuing agency work after graduation, I know that my time at St. Olaf has prepared me to merge my interests so that I can succeed anywhere, and that’s something I’m really stoked about.

So if you’re a student like me, don’t hesitate to explore beyond your major, engage with alumni, and make the most of opportunities like the Johnson Family Opportunity Fund. Whether you’re studying computer science, music, psychology, or something I’ve never even heard of, take a moment to connect with others in your fields of interest and learn from their journeys.

Every week, Artnet News brings you Wet Paint, a gossip column of original scoops. If you have a tip, email Annie Armstrong at [email protected].

THE HEAUX MENTOR AND THE ART COLLECTOR

While I’d like to pretend that 100% of reporting Wet Paint is made up of me in a trench coat and dark sunglasses idling outside of Gagosian uptown, often some of my better scoops are sniffed out in a manner less Pink Panther and a bit more doom-scrolling screen-addicted Gen-Zer. 

On a recent slow afternoon (Artnet execs, don’t read this), I was mindlessly looking at what people were chatting about on Twitter, when I saw an old meme recirculate. An image from 2017 of a peculiar eulogy was making the rounds once more. I’ll let Demanda, aka Amanda Drago, who is now known on the Internet as Duchess Lydia Dupra, speak for herself: 

Via X.

I’ll let you take a beat to digest all of that.

So why is this in Wet Paint? It certainly is salacious, but where is the art angle? Lucky for you, I am exactly the type of tragically online to dig a little bit deeper into who exactly this whippet-loving diabetic named Brad is (or was). What I found made me do a triple-take.

According to an obituary published on obituary aggregater Legacy.com, the man in this photo is Bradley Carmel, who died at the age of 47. The obit goes on to mention his love for jam bands and his dedication to his fantasy baseball league, and mentions that he is survived by a sister, Candy Barasch, née Carmel. Wha?!

Presumably everyone behind this paywall knows who Candy Barasch is, but in case you don’t, let me catch you up to speed. Barasch is a prominent collector and New York-based real estate heiress, who has been a mainstay in art industry headlines this year as a former top client of advisor Lisa Schiff, who brought her to court on allegations that Schiff had failed to remit $1.8 million owed on the resale of an Adrian Ghenie painting. The saga of Schiff’s alleged misdeeds spiraled from there, but we’d need an extra 3,000 words to reiterate the whole thing.

I suppose this story fits more under the surprising oddity category in the grand scheme of Wet Paint items, but I’d encourage any of you who are interested to follow along with the Youtube channel belonging to Demanda, who goes by the moniker The Heaux Mentor, as she continues to publish videos about how Brad haunts her. It’s great cocktail party chatter for Miami next week.

HUGH HAYDEN’S WET SCULPTURE 

Courtesy a tipster.

I’ll admit that I’m biased as a journalist when it comes to the artwork of Hugh Hayden. Since I first saw his show Huey at Lisson Gallery back in 2021, I’ve kept a close eye on the biting visual language the 40 year-old sculptor is building through his imaginative use of material and symbolism (his presentation at Clearing’s booth at Felix LA a few years ago nearly turned me into the tabi swiper). Adulation aside, I’m always keeping a close eye on what goes on with him. 

So that’s why I asked my cohort of spies in Los Angeles to keep me posted on what went down at his new opening at Lisson, Hughman, his first ever in the city of Angels. I fear I may have cursed the opening with the spirit of Wet Paint, though, as one of his site-specific installations unwittingly became a Wet Sculpture. 

According to the show’s press release, “Upon entering the gallery, the visitor is confronted with a large, open space lined along the perimeter with generic metal bathroom stalls… Hayden probes this notion of privacy and expectations throughout the exhibition, including urinals with atypical positioning that suggest the users participate in an usually intimate arrangement.” 

One insider told me that Hayden took the installation of these urinals a step further, by rewiring the gallery’s old plumbing from when it was a gay club (the gallery declined to confirm this). That old plumbing apparently did as old plumbing tends to do, and during the opening, viewers were also confronted with some sewage water. 

Strangely enough, the gallery denies that this ever happened, despite the photographic evidence I have had sent to me from many sources (including photos of the water being soaked up by moving blankets, which I’d have to imagine come from within the gallery). If you’re reading this, Alex Logsdail, I say don’t be ashamed! And also never forget that I have eyes everywhere. 

WE HEAR

Courtesy a tipster.

Though his name isn’t listed on the job posting, it looks like Loic Gouzer is looking for a new assistant, and the pay is  pretty decent… Did anyone else notice that Nino Mier isn’t showing at NADA next week? Wonder why… Dover Street Market will have some sort of special presence designed by Oscar Tuazon at Felix LA next year, which is an art + fashion collab I can finally get behind… Journalist Kat Herriman has crossed over into the gallery world and was named director of client development at Nina Johnson… James Fuentes has picked up representation of Dalton Paula… Phillips made this perhaps Freudian typo in a recent announcement… 

I love this typo: “Hernan Bas: The Conceptualists is resented with support by PHILLIPS.”

— Grant Wahlquist (@GW_Gallery) November 26, 2023

SPOTTED

Should someone tell Jerry Saltz that he doesn’t have to live like this? *** Gwyneth Paltrow apparently stopped by the Ruth Asawa exhibit at The Whitney, which led to hushed titters from the staff who imagined she’s probably excited to finally see a real one *** Sophia Cohen is officially off-the-market, mazel tov! ***  Marc Spiegler, Lola Kramer, and Bridget Donahue were among those to stop by Diamond Stingily’s equal-parts fantastic and devastating first solo show at Greene Naftali ***

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