This book addresses one of the most troubling questions of contemporary art theory and practice: Who is contemporary art for? Although the divide between contemporary art and the public has long been acknowledged, this is the first time that artists, critics, and the public have come together to debate the problem and to make artmaking, criticism, and public reaction part of the same process. Like the exhibitions, discussions, and seminars held at "The Castle" during the summer 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, this book is based on the premise that contemporary artists and the general public have something to say to each other. By positing the space of "conversation" as one in which artworks can be experienced as creative sites open to multilayered interpretations by changing audiences, the book provides an antidote to the modernist connoisseurial silence that has long been used to define quality. The book is divided into three sections. The first contains essays by project curator Mary Jane Jacob, critic and coeditor Michael Brenson, and cultural critic Homi K. Bhabha. Their essays describe fresh approaches to contemporary art and its audiences at a time of increased access through technology and decreased government funding. The second section contains essays by the six artists/collaborative teams involved in the project. Their works, aimed at public participation, included installation-performances, collaborations with Atlanta communities, cross-country tours, and the creation and presentation of food as a means to stimulate conversation and construct community. The artists are: artway of thinking (Italy), Ery Camara (Senegal/Mexico), Mauricio Dias and Walter Riedweg (Brazil/Switzerland), Regina Frank (Germany), IRWIN (Slovenia), and Maurice O'Connell (Ireland).The final section contains seven essays by the critics, curators, educators, administrators, and artists who led the "Conversations on Culture" at The Castle. The essays are by Jacquelynn Baas, Michael Brenson, Lisa Graziose Corrin, Amina Dickerson and Tricia Ward, Steven Durland, Susan Krane, and Susan Vogel.

A collection of interviews in which Walt Disney discusses his career, his vision, and his favorite projects.

"Follow the adventures of the real-life Martin family told through conversations between writer Sara and her wise, slightly impatient, black Labrador, Nell. Full of warmth and often laugh-out-loud funny; come along as the Martin's navigate a year of fantastic escapades with the odd scone thrown in of course"--

"An engaging history and examination of the studio furniture movement, Speaking of Furniture: Conversations with 14 American Masters is an informative, firsthand presentation of the creative processes of 14 diverse and highly accomplished artisan furniture makers: James Krenov, Wendell Castle, Jere Osgood, Judy Kensley McKie, David Ebner, Richard Scott Newman, Hank Gilpin, Alphonse Mattia, John Dunnigan, Wendy Maruyama, James Schriber, Timothy S. Philbrick, Michael Hurwitz and Thomas Hucker. Through these insightful and wide-ranging interviews, each describes his or her evolution as a furniture maker and reveals a uniquely personal approach to a craft characterized by its delicate and vital balance of concept and functionality. In his foreword, Edward S. Cooke, Jr., provides a succinct analysis of the American Studio Furniture movement and how the individuality of its practitioners contrasts with the constraints and task-specific demands of the traditional furniture trade. Author and furniture maker Roger Holmes offers an insider's perspective on the art and craft of producing exquisite contemporary furniture in his conversational Introduction and maintains that 'art or craft, this is very personal work' while emphasizing 'the fundamental connection between hand, mind, and the making of things.' The extraordinary range of exquisite and eclectic works presented in Speaking of Furniture is a feast for the eyes and a testimony to the makers' professionalism and mastery of their craft."--Page 2 of cover.

One of the 20th Century's most beloved novels is still winning hearts! I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has "captured the castle"-- and the heart of the reader-- in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments. “This book has one of the most charismatic narrators I've ever met.” -- J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series

A triumphant tale of a young woman and her difficult childhood, The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience, redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and wonderfully vibrant. Jeannette Walls was the second of four children raised by anti-institutional parents in a household of extremes.

Grant Kester discusses the disparate network of artists & collectives united by a desire to create new forms of understanding through creative dialogue that crosses boundaries of race, religion, & culture.