Taking In The Rain

If your mem'ry serves you well,

We were goin' to meet again and wait,

So I'm goin' to unpack all my things

And sit before it gets to late.

No man alive will come to you

With another tale to tell,

But you know that we shall meet again

If your mem'ry serves you well. B. Dylan This Wheel's On Fire

Brian Kain, Tire/mirror (affinity) Willis Gallery 1990

About two weeks ago Gary Zych [our gracious host and companion for the Central Park-Metropolitan Museum-MOMA romp, of the previous March 12 posting] helped me contact Richard Dennis, who is a superior maker and craftsman of all things needed (a denizen of the hard and fine arts). Richard, Gary and I are interconnected through various associations surrounding Cranbrook Academy of Art and Detroit/Hamtramck, circa 1985-93. Most notably we each studied with Michael Hall, artist-in-residence for Sculpture at Cranbrook, 1970-90. I first met Richard while working with Gary on Robert Cobb's house out on Pine Lake (in the lake region just northwest of Detroit). Robert Cobb, a Detroit businessman and philanthropist, is best known among the Cranbrook-Wayne State University-Center for Creative Studies crowd for his 25 year support of the infamous / famous now defunct Willis Gallery (1971-96), in the Detroit Cass Corridor.

Marsha and Richard outside their Red Hook gate / Kain 2009

Through Richard I met Marsha Trattner, and together the two welcomed and introduced me to Red Hook Brooklyn and to Tini's Wine Bar on Van Brunt St, where they plied me with fine foods and spirits.

As it so happened, Tini's was preparing to move down the street, that very Sunday, to reopen as Home/Made at 293 Van Brunt. To expedite the move, Tini's proprietor Leisah Swenson and other principle folk organized a community parade - to move the whole kit and kaboodle down the road. Marsha, who is a metalsmith-blacksmith (teaches for School of Visual Arts) was slated to be part of the team to resize Tini's timber and steel plate bar for its new installation at Home/Made. Marsha, who is also a sweetheart of a person, encouraged me to come back for the event. So I did - and glad to have done so. What follows below are some pix prior to the parade. A fine cast of characters: with chefs, artisans, musicians, patrons and community organizer types.

Moving the bar [upper left: Gary (not Zych), Derek and Marsha break it loose] Kain 2009

Smitty with his 1934 Regal Dobro, outside Tini's on moving day (a super fine, natural law, peidmont blues / rag player - like honey for your soul). Smitty performs every Thursday night at the Red Hook Bait & Tackle / yeh! go see and hear