One of the most important things in art is to bring out the private sphere of art into the public world. Rosebud, a satellite gallery incorporating work from the Rose Art Museum into downtown Waltham, aims to do just this. The Brandeis Hoot had a chance to interview Nina Berger, Media Relations Consultant of the Rose Art Museum, to get information concerning this relatively new public project.
Rosebud serves as a hub from which new ideas, economic growth and cultural diversity come into play in order to create an intersectionality between different forms of art, such as movement workshops and providing a space for art.
Why does Rosebud exist?
Nina: We created the pop-up gallery to strengthen ties with the local community and bring Waltham closer to the museum. The Rose is literally blossoming in downtown. We thought, “How can a museum of the 21st century serve its public? There are pop-up stores and shops, why not a gallery? It’s a great location—right next to Cafe on the Common—in the midst of Waltham’s burgeoning arts and culture district.
What are the future plans, projects and/or collections or exhibitions that the staff is working on displaying at the Rose Art Museum?
Nina: William Kentridge’s Tide Table will remain on view at Rosebud through Feb. 11. We should be announcing the next featured video work very soon! I’ll keep you posted.
How is the project supporting the city’s long-term goals for economic growth and cultural vibrancy? Is the project indeed attracting new visitors to the neighborhood and helping to establish partnerships with “local businesses and arts-related organizations” as it is stated on the Brandeis’s website info section about “Rosebud”?
Nina: We have established partnerships with the Waltham Mills Artist Association and have been talking with Waltham Public Schools, as well as numerous local organizations such as the local non-profit “More Than Words” to find opportunities for collaboration. Our hope is that people can come to the gallery to look at art, create art, play music, recite poetry, and we are open to any ideas from people within the community. Waltham Mills Artists have already hosted several very successful drawing nights on Friday evenings.
I would like to know the origin of its name. Does it have any connection with “Citizen Kane?”
Nina: The name has no connection to Citizen Kane, it’s a happy coincidence. The name was brainstormed in a meeting about the gallery, and is more significant of being an offshoot of the Rose that is growing in downtown Waltham.
Why is it important to exhibit collections of video art? Do you believe the art form is sometimes an underdog?
Nina: Video art is dynamic and accessible, and a burgeoning art form. Many museums and galleries are now showing work created in the medium. And, specifically, our first installation—Tide Table—is a work that is conducive to sparking conversations about art, politics and a host of other topics. One of the aims of the gallery is to be a space of conversation and creation, and video work can be a perfect catalyst.
