Bravo for This Show!

Not so long ago, I swore off reality TV, but Bravo's new reality show "Work of Art" has made a liar out of me.  Fourteen aspiring artists compete to become the "next big thing" with the winner garnering a one man (or woman) show.  This show appeals to me on a couple of levels.

I am all about bringing art to the average person.  I have studied art off and on for 25 years and believe strongly in its value-- and I don't mean material value.  Art can inspire, comfort, provoke, or simply appeal to our sense of what's beautiful to us.  And it's different for everyone.  But everyone has some type of art that they enjoy-- pottery, sculpture, photographs, watercolor, architecture, or installation pieces.  This show is a wonderful way to bring art into living rooms all over the country and start a conversation about art that might never have taken place otherwise.

On another note, one of the three judges of the show, Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, fascinates me.  She is a Vasser-educated art historian and accomplished art consultant in NYC, yes.  But it is her residence/gallery on the Upper East Side, Salon 94, that captures my imagination.  She and her husband bought an abandoned orphanage and after extensive renovation, reside on the upper levels with their two young children.  The bottom floor/living space doubles as gallery space that highlights new and mid-career contemporary artists.  It's where she works and entertains.  The visual surrounding shift with each installation.  I love this idea.  So many of live where we work and work where we live in our home offices.  According to her, it's the best of both worlds for a working mom.  For some images of her inspiring spaces, head over to Habitually Chic for Heather's recent post on the living spaces.

Now that's thinking outside the box!