Tang draws big support
Remember Norton Utilities? They al- lowed for retrieval of lost computer files and other useful software workarounds. Their programmer, Peter Norton, is one of America’s biggest collectors of contem- porary art, amassing more than 3,000 works over the past 25 years. And now he’s donating hundreds of them to uni- versity and teaching museums around the US, including Skidmore’s Tang. Some 75 works from the Norton col - lection arrived at the Tang last fall. The Tang’s Dayton Director Ian Berry, ex- pressing thanks for Norton’s gift, said it “fits perfectly with our role as a labora - tory for ideas and dialogue, where art serves as a catalyst for students, faculty, and the public to advance knowledge across disciplines.” The Norton gift en- larges the Tang’s collection to more than 7,000 objects, and especially strengthens its holdings of late 20th-century work. And in February the Tang received a second challenge grant from the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. The $1 mil-
A la carte critiques
You can spot them as soon as you enter Murray-Aikins Dining Hall. Some are terse, some flowery. Some hang pre- cariously from their thumbtacks, threat- ening to take off in a stiff breeze. They are the Napkin Notes exchanged by the d-hall staff and their customers. And, according to Mark Miller, director of dining services, they get prompt atten- tion every day. “Often a student can pin up a napkin at breakfast and get an answer by lunch,” he says.
“I get lots of good ideas from these notes. Who knows what kids want? It’s all about communication. If you are a student and you want olives, I will try to find more olives for you.” At least one Napkin Note led to a minor d-hall re- model. The note asked why there were no coat hangers in the dining hall. Rather than invest in coat racks, Miller’s response was to install hooks on the booths around the d-hall’s peri meter, a quick solution that allows stu- dents to keep their coats and backpacks near where they sit. His reply on the napkin: “Great question. I hope you’ve noticed that we now have coat hooks on the booths.”
Overall, Miller characterizes the student feedback as “90% positive, 10% negative.” Then again, he remembers, “We got a note one day that said, ‘I don’t know what you did to the
d-hall coffee, but it’s great.’ Three days later, a note said, ‘The d-hall coffee sucks.’” A sampling of other napkin comments: • Taco Tuesday every Tuesday. It is my fa- vorite meal here.
• Korean Beef Tacos. I miss these dearly. • Mushroom on focaccia bread with tomato pesto = New favorite food
• The noodles are always amazing! You guys are the best.
• I love DHall but please stop serving fried food every single day. This is not a fast-food restaurant.
• Bring back the whipped cream • Fried Oreos • Onion Rings!! More Often Although Miller tries to post a construc-
tive reply, a thank-you, or an explanation for every Napkin Note, some are just too zany: To the recent request “Get the Jack- son 5 to play here!” he could only write, “Dear Music Lover, Do you have a con- tact for the tour manager?”—AW
A WORK FROM KARIN DAVIE’S IN OUT IN OUT SERIES, A GIFT FROM PETER NORTON
THE TANG’S I WAS A DOUBLE, NOW ON VIEW AT THE ILLUMINATION FUND OFFICES
lion one-to-one matching gift will sup- port the Tang’s interdisciplinary pro- gramming—including the blending of visual and performing art with a wide range of academic disciplines—which
has been hailed as a model for college museums. Berry thanked the fund “for its continued support and for its recogni- tion of our work of fostering meaningful exchange and dialogue in our commu - nity, and new ways of learning for our audiences in Saratoga and beyond.” Works from I was a double, an art-and- music show that was co-curated by Berry and launched at the Tang last summer, are on view at the Illu mination Fund’s New York City offices through June 5.
8 SCOPE SPRING 2015
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