Spring Art?

The first of May I'll have a piece in the Benefit Auction for the LA Municipal Art Gallery. It's an honor to be included. Having heard from UNC just before all the basketball action was taking place I'd been hopeful that there may be some activity that would invite me to Greeley to find a spot and install my ReIncairnation of Totem Teddy. I've been busy with other stuff and have no idea what the climate is there now.. (I hear it's summer one day and snow the next lately?)

So.. this is just a little boost to the blog hoping that some magical awakening will happen and I'll be in Greeley when it's warm and sunny to make my contribution to the campus tradition.

Michael Sheehan

A New Year: 2011

I just found emails with 'anonymous' entries responding to this blog. The posts sound like someone who is fond of alma mater, but resents my quest to revive the past. If this person is in favor of the restoration of Totem Teddy, and it did sound that they might be, then it would be good to be open about who they are and if they are willing to be an advocate for the project.

I understand that there are 21st Century traditions that students who graduate from UNC will treasure. I hope that they will become advocates for their 'stuff' as I am an advocate for mine. I have no intention to demean anyone's idea of what a good memory of college life is like. That I want to remind all Bears where their totem came from.. their mascot... my mascot.. Totem Teddy is simply that. It is my intention to advocate for one of the first traditions that students rallied around almost a hundred years ago.

So.. This is not an 'us vs. them' routine. There is no us nor them. As far as I'm concerned it's only us: UNC Bears! That I have tunnel vision for this important project is only because my relationship with the Bear Totem is over sixty years old and has deep meaning for me.

All I want to do is revive the Bear Totem on campus and hope that current students and those students who may never have seen the original totem may have the opportunity to embrace this my recreation of this iconic figure. My artwork (see previous posts) will be a new totem. Hopefully, it will pique the interest of current students as well as alumni. It is not to replace anything, it is to awaken the Greeley campus to one specific thing that turned the 'Teachers' into The Bears!

All anyone has to do is to pledge support and I'll do the rest. All are welcome.

At least this 'anonymous' poster didn't say that college students today don't have time to deal with non-representational art! Thanks for your interest.

And, if I am ever in Greeley for any of the activities that Anonymous mentions, I'll be happy to participate.

Michael Sheehan

Politically Correct?

Just re-read my last post. Yep.. I'm a nostalgic.

The last few weeks I'd hoped to chat with officials at UNC about my proposed art installation, but that has not happened. The blog has been pretty quiet and even though my idea remains steadfast, I'm hoping I can find the politically correct way to make a proposal to the powers that be on campus that will be acceptable.

I've not seen a lot of art on the Greeley campus. One impressive installation is a circle of huge 'hinges' that stand to the north of Gunter Hall that reflect the style of Claes Oldenburg. Of course, I love it and wonder what its history might be.

If I stabilize my cairn and install it, hopefully, on the old campus, I'd hope that discussion about what it is and why it's there would ensue.

School will be in session for Fall soon. It'll be interesting to hear proposals that the UNC Foundation may have received for an actual tribute to the Bear Totem.

Ideas?

May 17, 1968

Forty years ago today, the Berrigan Brothers and seven colleagues made a statement about the Viet Nam War. Backed by thousands of Catholics and others who rallied to their call to Stop The War, these dedicated human beings performed an act of conscience. They destroyed Draft Records in Catonsville, Maryland.

I certainly cannot claim to have the dedication that these people had, but in a way, my passion for the Bear Totem runs at least a parallel course. If people in power don't support the traditions of my alma mater and the students simply have not been exposed to what traditions mean, then, I may be a voice in the wilderness, but, at least, I am a voice.

That VOR and TP basically come down shy of really much caring about tradition is probably representative of not only UNC, but Greeley and maybe even Colorado as a whole. This is a harsh judgment and if there are those who may care, even a little bit, then my apologies to you. If you do care, even a little bit, what would it take to awaken those who may be close to you? What would it take for you to speak up and establish little clots of people who, simply by their meeting together, might begin to create that 'heart' of UNC of which I've spoken?

It doesn't matter if it's a ceremony at the big bronze bear to tie ribbons round his snout or create a great big bear hug for a photo opportunity.

Why do I care? As my experiences in Greeley take on some perspective, I honestly don't know. I'm sure that TP and VOR and their kind would be happy if I just shut up. That the administration of UNC remains silent is typical, isn't it?

For what it's worth, I called the CCTHITA and if they have been in touch with anyone at UNC regarding any of this totem business, they didn't say so. Thus, the reports that the Tlingit may have any interest in my artwork seem unlikely.

In the spirit of the Catonsville Nine, I encourage each of you who may have an inkling of spirit for UNC tradition to simply say so. If you don't carry at least a candle, if not a torch, who will?

To Cairn or not to Cairn?

TP, old alum.. I have to hand it to you.. again.. you DO get it and that’s the best. And, that you are now suggesting a handbook like we had in the sixties which would be very simple to reproduce is a huge step towards getting back into our old traditions and, perhaps, creating new ones.

Colorado State College was a small school with its main thrust to turn out teachers. We were not a big institution. Our sports teams were pretty good. We turned out decent teachers. Theatre and music programs were on their way. I attended CSC because it was available and close (I grew up in Greeley) and I was certainly not prepared for the ‘real world.’

We had freshman beanies and the Handbook you recommend was required reading by every freshman. At any time, an upperclassman could stop you and ask you about the history of the college and you were supposed to know. Freshmen knew each other immediately because of the silly beanies and could bond with other new students. The days of having frosh bow down to Totem Teddy were gone, but Hi Bridge, where freshmen were not allowed to sit and mostly jocks would flirt with equally flirty coeds was a great hang out. It was decades past raccoon coats and pork pie hats, but, some of that energy was still in the air as we all prepared for Homecoming. Homecoming was a big deal then with rallies and a huge parade that involved all of Greeley. The town embraced the college and the students were a part of the community. Autumn in Greeley was a time for football and rah rah stuff that may seem passé now. Or, at least that’s what I hear. There’s no parade and the activities on campus are minimal at best.

My artwork is specifically made to be ephemeral and to garner attention for Tradition. I’m flattered that Mr. TP is interested enough to come up with ideas that may promote some semblance of a totem or a bear or something that harkens back to the early roots of our alma mater. It’s great that he has taken time to come up with workable ideas and may even take time to help promote them. A small handbook with all the information, including the UNC Code of Conduct, might be produced or even simply included in the first issue of The Mirror for all students to have, especially Freshmen.

It may be that, as has been said, Dawn Weimer’s big bronze bear might be a new rallying point for the university. For me, though.. because I had a relationship with Totem Teddy from the age of five, that’s the image that is still important to me. That’s why I’ve been passionate about it and why (even though TP isn’t a fan) my temporary installation was important for me to install. I’m genuinely flattered that he took time to figure out where it is.

Can you actually mean that students don’t have time to figure out abstract art???? Is that really the type of university that we want to encourage? A place where only the obvious is acceptable? Do we really want to encourage an institution where paint by numbers learning and multiple choice tests are the norm? What about a way to get students to think outside the box? Is critical thinking a threat? Is going beyond our limits such a challenge that we should simply do things the way they’ve always been done? Playing it safe?

What I love about this medium.. blogs and emails and such.. is that we can communicate in a pretty honest way and maybe even come to some mutual agreements or over come disputes by discussing them openly. If flames appear here, so much the better.. Flaming reveals the deep emotions that some folks have. I publish my name and email address in the hope that if I can be a lightning rod for ideas, I’ll be happy to take the heat.

TP.. I really respect your ideas and the fact that my work doesn’t appeal to you is really wonderful. That you took the time to find it and to make your comments indicates that you are not stuck somewhere and are totally into finding out things for yourself. You are an alum, so, I’d hope that you’d get in touch with President Norton and make your views known. Help write a new handbook? There are copies of the old ones in the UNC archives, I believe. Make new ones..

Finally, I agree that maybe the time has come to let the totem pass away. For what it’s worth, Totem Teddy stood on the UNC campus, probably, longer than it stood in Angoon. That it was a part of my personal history for over sixty years is, well, personal and I get to have that for as long as I live.

We live in a time when most of us are preoccupied with the future, let alone the present. I did a little personal survey when on campus last week and saw that more than half the students I saw were either on cell phones or listening to iPods. When I moved the wooden matrix from the UC through campus, only a handful of kids actually wondered what the heck was going on. I would proselytize the Faith of Totem Teddy to them and most had never heard of the source of the school mascot, The Bear. After while I felt like an evangelical talking about Jesus! Not there’s anything wrong with that!

But, TP.. if you are into helping with a movement to lay a little history on the kids, then, I’m with you and for you. My artwork is not really important.. What’s important is engaging the university in some sense of purpose that includes everyone: students, faculty, staff, alumni and administration. Currently, the feeling on the campus is just sad. I believe that a bit of tradition can rally spirit. And, it’s the Spirit of the Totem that I’ve attempted to retain in the cairn. What, do you think, would it take to get everyone on the same page: dedicated to an institution where Bear Pride and the sort of energy that may buoy everyone into a new space that includes great academics, impressive sports, world class theatre and art and an atmosphere of caring?

It’s that last that most concerns me. If all the university is concerned about is making money, especially the attitude of Mr. DeWitt in Alumni Affairs, dismissing my ideas by ignoring them because he perceives me as a shallow pocket… then, it’ll take a major effort on the parts of people who understand that at the center of any institution, there must reside a ‘heart.’ Without heart, everything grinds to a stop. Finding the heart and keeping it healthy and alive will generate the energy that UNC needs to become a happy place again. And, yes.. it was a happy place when I was there so very long ago.

It takes the dedication of men like TP who are close by and who, at least, care enough to have an opinion. Men like him who may be inspired to gather other friends, students, alumni to his side and then to make small steps toward resuscitating an institution that needs to find a way to grow and be a happier place. Certainly, not Disneyland, but a place where everyone on the campus is involved and may decide to get off the phone or their iPod and participate with other human beings in their own education and a time in life like no other. The college experience.

If my passion for one small segment of a tradition can expand to just a few others, maybe there’s hope.. Otherwise, you have a gigantic ‘institution’ that will survive on practicality and such, but without its heart, will, to me, simply be a zombie cranking out diplomas and less than joyful people to perpetuate their kind.

So.. TP.. are you up for the task? Find a way to reinvigorate your campus? Make a bonfire of my artwork! That’ll show me! Do you really understand what this is all about?

I think you may. And, I hope you’ll do the right thing for alma mater in your own way.

And, for those of you who may lurk here. Go beyond your limits and make a difference. Certainly, the difference I have made is minimal. But, we do what we can, often in the face of resistance. Do what you can and don’t take No for an answer.. Especially, don’t be ignored!

And, in closing, I must note the passing of a hero. Robert Rauschenberg has been my inspiration for many years. He died at the age of 82. This quote from his obituary in the NY Times rings true, perhaps, for what we've been discussing here. He said,

“Anything you do will be an abuse of somebody else’s aesthetics. I think you’re born an artist or not. I couldn’t have learned it. And I hope I never do because knowing more only encourages your limitations.”

Much love… Rest in joy, Mr. R.

ARCHIVES

This is a photo of the book made of the pieces of the Ghost Memory Totem. I presented it to the UNC Archives on May 6, 2008. There are 31 pages. There’s also a copy of the Greeley Tribune from April 30, 2008 with the story of the deconstruction on April 25th.

I’d forgotten about the text that I wrote on the hoop that held the image of the bear. I think that I may have been influenced by James Joyce a little when I wrote it. It’s a little mushy, but came from my heart. It’s sad to see the passing of something that means a lot.

“Ghost Memory Totem standing vigil silent homage to the Bears of long ago long gone away the Bears of time gone by remnant of a time gone by another age long gone away born again in memory a shadow Ghost…”

It was interesting to be so embraced and respected by the folks in the Archives while being ignored by the VP of Alumni Affairs and President Kay Norton. Of course, the Archives are all about the past of the university, which must, by definition, include tradition.

If there are any students still with me here, you may write directly to me at directortv41@yahoo.com to discuss the possibility of finding a space for the ReInCairnation. If enough students are into it, it would be a trip to have you form a bucket brigade line… (as I understand was used to transfer all the books from the Carter Library to the Michener) to move the 462 blocks from its current site to another site. One move would probably put the image upside down in a new cairn, but with a little figuring, it will be easy to reassemble it right side up. This cairn is 66 tiers of seven blocks instead of my first idea of creating it with tiers of five. Of course, with a ladder and more than one person doing the assembly, it can be reassembled to the original height of ten and a half feet. The current cairn is 8’3” high. The image of the bear is more abstract than I’d like.

The blocks were originally moved in bags of seven each. Another way to recreating the cairn would be to invest in inexpensive trash bags to carry the blocks in. I like the image of a line of supportive students formed to transport the blocks to the Bru-Inn / Gunter site. It's hard to be optimistic, but the fun of working together, maybe fraternities and sororities taking charge and putting their pledges to work to include the bear in their own traditions?

much love...

AT LAST!

If you check back to "Just the Bones" someone who claims to be a UNC grad and signs him/herself "TP" has made a comment that I hope all will read. This kind of limited thinking is perfect vis a vis my attempts to raise Totem Consciousness on the UNC campus. I wonder what "TP" stands for?


I'm delighted to have your comment. None of the the wooden blocks for the ReINCairnation Project came from Home Depot. In fact none of the supplies for the cairn were purchased. All were donated and/or financed by me. I did bring 46 blocks from California.

I've never intended for my ideas to be permanent and, in fact, they never have been. The idea that you remain anonymous and may never have done a thing to promote tradition at UNC is indicative of a feeling that has been on campus for years. Tradition is really not that big a deal. If grads like you were 1/100th as interested as a few others have been, it might be that tradition would survive on the Greeley campus.

The sad fact is that the college is foundering in a morass of indifference. So even your meager and inaccurate assessment of my art work is ... at least... something.. Now?? why don't YOU actually DO SOMETHING?

Did you ever have a 'fitting' idea for remembering a tradition at our alma mater? A sincere thank you for your comments. All ideas are welcome.

michael sheehan
818 244 9939

Where Did The Springtime Go?

I’d forgotten that in Colorado, you may be lolling in the sun one day and freezing the next. Fortunately, the weather isn’t so bad that my stay has been much compromised.

(Okay.. it's Friday now and the winds are running from 30 to 50 mph, gusting the radio says to EIGHTY, big limbs are down in the streets of Greeley and working outside, as I wanted to do today, became just too much of a challenge.)

I was asked for a word definition the other day from a reader of these musings.

The term, “snardly” comes from an old family term that goes back to the game of Hearts. Of course, we know that the object of the game is to either run the deck and get all the hearts and the queen of spades to win.. or to avoid getting any hearts and never the queen. The family I played Hearts with loved to sit for hours ‘snarding’ each other by passing all the hearts or collecting them and the queen. We changed the name of the game to ‘Snard’ to reflect the person who was the one who ‘snarded’ the other players by laying off all the bad cards on them.

Thus.. a snardly act is the act of doing something not exactly helpful.

It’s a gentle term. There are those in this current course of events who are beyond snardly. You can make up your own four letter term for them. I have.

As an artist it’s interesting to feel the chilly breath of politics. DeWitt’s defaming me because he intuits that I may not give actual cash to UNC still riles me a little. When I spoke with him on the phone, he apologized, as though that would fix the insult. Interestingly, it was almost in the same breath that he started to pitch “Planned Giving” to me! Of course, in fairness, that’s his job. You can’t put conceptual art that garners front page news in the bank. The idea that one imaginative kid who may bring fame to our alma mater (DeWitt says he’s a ’77 grad) because he saw that article may be a long shot, but, all it takes for an institution of so called higher learning to garner some attention is turning out a few successes.

For instance, the College of Theatre Arts, according to Tom McNally, has almost a dozen grads playing on Broadway (that’s in New York City!) The bestowing of Honored Alum on Gregg Germann last year is testimony that some folks wind up in Hollywood. I wonder if DeWitt did a search for me on the IMDB to check my Hollywood credits?

Knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing… what a way to live.

That DeWitt promised to call me back after bailing out on our phone conversation and refusing to respond to my emails shows what respect means to Alumni Affairs these days. I’m truly disappointed that the respect that I was shown over the years has vanished with an arrogant wave. Of course, I still love my alma mater. But, when someone basically says ‘get lost’.. or as he said in his email to all those other folks, that his decision was to say ‘thanks, but no thanks’ to my desire to honor Totem Teddy with a harmless temporary art installation speaks volumes. If his dismissal is the true policy of UNC, then, the students or faculty or others who care about the essence of the institution might consider saying something to President Kay Norton (who remains silent on this issue) or to others who may want to examine the type of people upon whom they bestow the title of Vice President.

I recognize that politics plays a part in almost every thing we do. Playing politics is something that people in suits are good at. Perhaps I should have learned that game, compromised my ethics and maybe garnered some local support. The problem with compromising one's ethics is the personal fall out. Some folks will say or do anything to get their way. Guess I just can't do that.

Are folks in Greeley or at UNC are so provincial that they just can’t get contemporary art? If so, it means, to me, that limited thinking begets limited thinkers, begets a tunnel vision that has no place in a true university.

If students see that some department heads are only in the game for personal aggrandizement and the administration is more interested in the business of education as opposed to education itself, the old aphorism of the tail wagging the dog may need moving in. Perhaps the faculty and students should be the tail doing some wagging?

All I’ve ever wanted to do is keep the memory of the totem alive for the Bears.. especially the Bears who don’t even know where their mascot came from.

Tradition is the seasoning.. maybe the mordant of college life and I truly believe, ought to be kept alive. As I’ve said.. maybe in the 21st Century, it’s ‘just the facts, ma’am’ and then off into the world. Wouldn’t that be sad?…

Just the bones

Shawn, Maggie, Emily and I decided that cutting the paper totem into pages for a book that would live in the archives of UNC might be an idea. I'll use the wooden hoop that held the bear to help bind it. I photographed the wooden matrix in several postions where the original Totem Teddy stood. This one, by what is now Gray Hall (Bru-Inn) is close to where the original stood. The well known photo of the students in 1947 shows the real position. I wrestled it around a little trying to find the right spot. The wind blew it over one time!

This is an adventure of the Spirit. The people whom I've met and have been gracious and helpful shall be remembered with much love. Steve Girault, one of my teachers throughout my entire education in Greeley used to sign his letters this way:

Much love..

ms

Ghost Retires

April 25, 2008

Met with Emily Carlton, Maggie Wright and Shawn Brackett today at the UC. Jay Dinges appeared with the lift and made sure that I understood that we had to be out of there soon. The kids decided to make a book of the paper totem, so we cut it into about 32 pieces which I’ll assemble into a book, using the wood from the hoop the bear hung in to bind it.

Chris Casey from the Tribune appeared with Jim, his photographer to do a story. Christina from The Mirror appeared later. Each of the students was charming and articulate and bright. We cut up the paper totem, then hauled the matrix outside. Dinges made it clear that if it was not removed from the UC by the end of the day, his crew would just smash it to bits. He was civil and helpful. But, obviously the art was not welcome in his UC. Ronna Sanchez never appeared. Theresa, one of the staff, was very nice.

I met some terrific kids on the way from the UC with the matrix. A beautiful girl..a quad.. let me guide her hand to sign the matrix. She was a pure spirit.. amazing.. Philip a tech major was effusive and fun to chat with. A girl who just loved God and liked to help other people helped me briefly in front of Snyder Hall. The fountain there is long gone.

All together, with the snardly attitude from Dinges and the fear of them destroying the matrix notwithstanding.. I’ve had a heck of a day.

Here’s to you, old Totem Ted.. Long may you wave.

Sheehan

Forty-six Blocks, One Big Bear

Today I cleaned the car and loaded the 46 blocks that make up the ReinCairnation of Totem Teddy. Thanks to Lynn Karowsky for this term. Now, all we have to do is find a way to get the other almost four hundred blocks cut and over to the campus.

This may prove to be a challenge.

I wrote to Rico Wint, the current president of the SRC asking for his help. It would be fun to include the newly elected students, too. If anyone reading this can help recruit them, I’d appreciate that.

Why do all this work for a simple art project and a memory? I ask myself that question, especially when other folks say that they’d pretty much forget about it. Being stuck, a little, in the past.. remembering the smell of spring in Greeley.. the feedlots! Freshly cut grass.. though more in the summertime.. blue skies.. wide streets. Trees trees trees.. is part of it.

Had a nice talk today with a lovely lady who was working in the Alumni Affairs office in 1990 when I was welcomed to UNC to do my Cranford Project. Supportive and direct, she gave me some insights into the bureaucracy of the university and how various factions really need to start communicating with each other to help UNC grow. I’m not close enough to really be of much help… and from the cool reception I’ve gotten so far, it seems that creativity and imagination are not at the top of anyone’s agenda to make UNC an institution where kids really want to come to get an education.

College is a preparation for life in many ways. The nuts and bolts are important, of course.. And, of course, a little tradition isn’t going to make a major difference, but evoking the imagination couldn’t hurt. This is a time for all kinds of life experiences. Biff Rose said "Man does not live by bread alone. You gotta have a little toast."

I’ll be in the UC this coming Friday, April 25th. Hope a lot of folks will show up and we’ll find a way to inspire some fun, remember Totem Teddy and facilitate his ReInCairnation?

Rein CAIRN ation

This is a Mirror photo taken in 1947 when Totem Teddy stood between Bru-Inn and Gunter Hall. This is where he stood when I first saw him in 1946.

After the weather and other elements wore on the totem, CSC President, Dr. William Ross, placed the totem in storage where he stayed until a petition from students allowed him to be restored to Central Campus in 1963.

The bear himself sat for a while in the Carter Library.

Poor Art?

Got another interesting set back today. A professor in the art department whom I'd hoped would recruit a student to help with the Bear Cairn as a project wrote to say that it won't happen.

I wonder what all this resistance is about? The donation of a piece of conceptual art to my alma mater seemed like an opportunity for me to honor my old school and maybe give students something to discuss. Actually, the impression I've gotten as the Ghost Totem has begun to deteriorate has been that the students were inspired to make a permanent replacement maybe because they didn't understand the impermanence of my installation?

The Cairn will be up for only a short period of time. It's going to look pretty cool.. crude and ephemeral..

Growtowsky inspired a "Poor Theatre" and trained actors to just act from the essence of themselves. Their guts and spirits. It was not about the building or the sets or lights.. it was about the actor expressing himself in a very basic way.. for a primer on this, rent My Dinner With Andre (Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn.. a brilliant movie directed by Louis Malle). The Bear Cairn is like that.. a simple statement, up for discussion, even if the discussion starts with "What the heck is that?"

I'm a little disappointed that there hasn't been much response here.. but it's essentially a journal of my experience that I'll log until my trip to Greeley is complete. It's a quest.. windmills to tilt.. new folks to meet.. questions to be answered...

One question I'd like to have answered would be why the alumni folks who welcomed me in the past seem to have turned their backs on me?

Anyone?

How in the world could a few wooden blocks make much of a difference to anyone?

Bear Cairn

This image is now ready to place on the wooden blocks for the Bear Cairn.
He's about 36 inches high and 18 inches at the widest point from his right paw to his back.

There's something so simple and even pure about this unpainted image. A nineteenth century critter on a 21st century quest. What a trip.

Big Step

The deal is..

that not knowing whether or not the university will cooperate in this cairn idea is a little frustrating. So I just forge ahead and prepare. Today was a Big Step and pretty wonderful. A good friend, a producer with whom I've worked over the years, Robert Roll, has computer equipment superior to mine. He volunteered to honcho a job that I was going to have to pay big bucks for at Kinko's and I took him up on his offer. We spent a better half of this afternoon tiling the image of the Original Bear onto some really nice paper that I'll adhere to the cairn blocks tomorrow. It's pretty labor intensive, this project.

I have to smile because as a concept artist, I have to realize that the art.. the 'so called art?' is mostly in me.. I have the idea.. I work to make it manifest, but regardless of the outcome physically, the important part is done.. The Idea. Of course, this may be like the bear in the forest.. or is it the tree falling? hmmm anyway. I'll post a photo of the Original Bear that will adorn the Cairn Totem.. or should we call it the Bear Cairn? And, will be happy to see what it looks like ten feet in the air.

Having a tough time with this bear image.. stand by..

Stay in touch.

Emily Inspired Dali?

This image by Salvador Dali may have been partly responsible for my inspiration for the Cairn Totem image. Of course, the Bear is less complicated and I don't pretend to have Dali's skills as a draughtsman. I really hope that with the help of Emily and other students on the UNC campus that we'll be able to erect this cairn temporarily.

I'm open for suggestions as to a location for the cairn and regarding the disposition of the Ghost Memory Totem, though I have a loose plan for it.

What I'd really love is for students to buy or find clean eight foot 2 x 6 boards and have them cut into EXACTLY 9 1/2 inch blocks. An eight foot board will yield ten blocks. Home Depot sells the construction grade lumber for about $3.50 for an eight footer. HD will do the cutting, but you often have to watch them carefully to get precise cuts. I'll reimburse anyone who gets blocks made. Please save the receipt.

If we find an on campus location for the Cairn Totem, construction will happen, I hope, the last week of April.

All ideas are solicited and welcome! Thanks.

Re: VP Jerrold DeWitt

I sent an email to Jerrold DeWitt, UNC Vice President of Alumni and Donor Relations, after not receiving a call from him on March 31st. He's probably a busy guy. If you'd like to give him a call or send him an email supporting the idea of the installation of a temporary Bear Cairn, please do.

Here's his contact information:


Jerry DeWitt
Vice President of Alumni and Donor Relations
UNC Foundation
Judy Farr Alumni Center, Campus Box 20
Greeley, CO 80639
970 351 2557 Office
970 381 1753 Mobile
jerry.dewitt@unco.edu

Facebook Opens the Door

Facebook saves the day?

The suggestion to log on to Facebook was brilliant.

I’m hoping that there may be lots of you UNC students now reading this journal and that I may be able to meet you when I get to Greeley.

I now live in Glendale, California. After graduation from CSC, I landed a teaching job in Orange County and eventually wound up in Hollywood where I’ve made a living working as an actor. My artwork has been more personal. That my alma mater has honored me by allowing me to do art projects there has given me reason to return to Greeley. I've been very grateful. Greeley is also my home town so I'll get to see family and friends.

If I'm on schedule, I’ll leave for Greeley on Earth Day, April 22 and arrive at the UC on Friday, April 25th. Depending on whether or not The Cairn Totem Project will be allowed to be installed temporarily with as many of you UNC folks participating is currently in the balance. Certain things have been said about me and my artwork that leads me to believe that the only way I’ll get to install one last tribute to Totem Teddy will be if the students really want to and a space is provided. I’d like to do it in the UC where the Ghost Memory Totem has been since 2005. Communication with the Alumni Affairs office has stopped, so I’m unsure who needs to give the okay. I've asked the director of the UC, Ronna Sanchez.

If any of you, especially after your elections coming up are concluded, you new leaders on campus.. if you start asking for ideas as to how to allow me this opportunity, it may make a difference. I’ve heard from current student leaders who, I hope, will be supportive. I have not heard from President Norton and don’t know what her response might be. In the past, I worked with a Vice President in charge of Student Affairs who was really a terrific help. I hope that the current administration will see not only the educational value of unusual art on campus, but the effect on raising awareness of UNC tradition. Of course, that’s what it’s all about.. Renewing an interest in the history and tradition of UNC.

Make comments here. Write or call. I really would like to know how you students feel about this project. And, if you have time to join the Totem Teddy page on Facebook, that will be terrific. Please spread the word.

Sheehan