Looking for a Bertoia Bush / Tree

Celia is looking to purchase a bush style Bertoia, perhaps 18" tall or so. Prefer fuller rather than sparse branching, but will consider all. We need one for a Centennial show coming up in 2015. Reply here, or go to the harrybertoia.org website and use the contact.

TALK & DEMONSTRATION IN BOZEMAN, MT

For my local Bertoia fans in Montana, there will be a Bertoia talk and demo at the Bozeman Public Library on September 13th, 7:00 pm. There will be a number of Bertoia originals to peruse and play, an informative talk, and plenty of time for questions or to go in whatever direction the audience dictates.

This is your chance to meet Celia Bertoia, experience Harry Bertoia sculpture firsthand, and learn about the Mid-Century Modern movement that rocked our world. Whether you are a Bertoia fan already, or have never heard of him, or maybe saw a few Bertoia chairs in a magazine once, this is an opportunity not to be missed.

Talks on Bertoia are not given often in Bozeman - once every few years - so come on down and join us!

Talk in Denver

The Denver Modernism Show at the National Western Complex Expo Hall on Humboldt is coming up on August 24th - 26th. Celia Bertoia, Carla Hartman (Eames), and Susan Saarinen will speak on their famous relatives Harry Bertoia, Charles Eames, and Eero Saarinen.

This is a very fun show with over 100 vendors from across the country covering everything from Art Deco, Retro, Pop, Mid-Century Modern, furniture, art, gadgets, cars and more. There is even a "Miss Modernism" pageant Friday night.

Check out www.denvermodernism.com for details. The Bertoia talk begins at 2:00 on Saturday. This is the sixth year and it has grown in size and popularity every year. Come on down to join us!

M & T Bank in Buffalo, NY, has restored the Bertoia fountain sculpture. This is a huge bronze welded organic looking piece nearly 50 years old. For those of you in upstate New York, I recommend a visit to this magnificent piece. A brief article explaining the restoration is here: https://www.mtb.com/aboutus/community/Pages/Past-New-York-Events.aspx

Joe Fresh video - wonderful

If you haven't seen the Joe Fresh video on Harry Bertoia's huge panel sculpture in New York, take a few minutes to watch an uplifting story: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoMFtO6o1pI
A little background: the 70' screen was installed in 1954 at the bank on 5th Avenue. The glass fronted building allowed passersby to see the sculpture clearly from the exterior, so the piece became somewhat of a New York landmark. When, after a change of ownership, the heavy screen was removed, there was a public outcry. After a lawsuit, blogging protests, and general discontent, the sculpture was returned to the building. This video shows Joe Mimran (founder of Joe Fresh clothing stores) rejoicing in the return of the Bertoia.

Upcoming lectures and events

The Denver Modernism show (see http://denvermodernism.com/events/ ), coming up August 24, 25, 26 of 2012 is a fun, huge event dedicated to Mid Century Modern design, autos, clothes, furniture, everything. On Saturday, 2:00 pm the Daughters of Design, with Susan Saarinen,
Celia Bertoia and Carla (Eames ) Hartman, will discuss modern design in terms of their relatives Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, and Charles Eames. More details to follow as the time grows closer.

On September 13th, 7:00 pm, in my hometown of Bozeman, Montana, a presentation on Harry Bertoia will be accompanied by several original sculptures, and a special surprise. All Montanan modern art lovers, be sure to be there! Out-of-staters welcome, too. This is a free talk at the Bozeman Public Library. More details to follow later in the summer.

Authenticating Bertoias

I find various blogs discussing the difficulty of authenticating Bertoias. This is indeed a problem, since Bertoia rarely signed his pieces, believing that a work of art speaks for itself and needs no ownership. Although it is a generous and wonderful concept, it has created challenges for those of us who follow him. Val Bertoia, son of Harry, at http://bertoiastudio.com/north.html  is still your best bet for validating the real deal in sculpture. If it is a monoprint or painting, find me, Celia Bertoia, daughter, via http://harrybertoia.org/contact.html.  One thing I can say is that a true Harry Bertoia always has a feel of integrity and high quality craftsmanship. He was very skilled and did not cut corners in workmanship.