FluxforFran-Continuing The Dream

Saturday night will be a spectacular evening at the Nandi School of Art, located at 179 Glenridge Avenue. Beginning at 7 p.m., over twenty well-known artists and musicians will donate their performances to an event called "FluxForFran." Performance artist William Pope L will be there. His piece "Great White Way," in which he crawls up Broadway on a skateboard wearing a Superman costume the entire length of Manhattan, is currently featured in the Whitney Museum's Biennial Exhibit. Bassist Hilliard Greene, who has performed with jazz legend Cecil Taylor, will be there. Violinist Basia Danilow, who has performed with the Metropolitan Opera and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, will be there. Internationally acclaimed fluxus artist Geoffrey Hendricks will be there. Montclair's own talented singer-songwriter Jan Loe will be there. The name-dropping could go on and on. All these outstanding talents are assembling to honor the life of a dear friend-Fran Morgen-and to simultaneously transmit her genius for art and music to less-than-fortunate children. Fran, who called Montclair her home for more than twenty years, lost her long battle with cancer last February. FluxforFran is both a performance party she asked her husband to throw as a final goodbye, and a fundraiser for The Fran Morgen ArtKids Trust that will send talented but economically disadvantaged children to the Nandi School. Who was Fran Morgen? A self-described conceptual artist and classical pianist, Fran was prolifically talented in a broad range of artistic mediums. Among her many projects, she wrapped the Hahnes Building in six miles of mylar for First Night Montclair 1998, she constructed an eleven foot high birdhouse sculpture for an exhibition she organized to benefit Habitat For Humanity, she addressed her illness in a powerful video entitled "Metastasis," and she contributed her energy and organizational abilities to the public art organization Creative Time. Beyond all that, she was a mercurial concert pianist who maintained a longtime studio in Montclair and guided many grateful students through their first real musical experiences. Fran valued communication, community building, and education. These three values, coupled with her love for children, made her a rare and special teacher. In her honor, The Fran Morgen ArtKids Trust will seek out artistically talented children who need financial assistance, and provide them with the opportunity to attend the Nandi School of Art. Through our contributions to these youngsters, Fran's dream of a better world based in art will continue. What is the Nandi School of Art? It's an innovative institution directed by Andrey Tamarchenko, himself an immensely talented artist and friend of Fran. It's a community-oriented school where children and adults can learn to draw, paint, sculpt, and work in photographic and digital mediums under the guidance of talented artists who, like Fran, realize the importance of their work in the young lives of their students. What is a fluxus event? A fluxus event is an art happening (think of a 60's happening or love-in). Parts may be planned, parts may be spontaneous, but one never knows ahead of time. An audience may be asked to perform for the performers, or the performers may wander off and perform somewhere else, leaving the audience to decide for itself whether to follow. Along with these spontaneous art performances, FluxForFran will also feature conventional musical performances from classical, jazz, blues, and folk musicians. FluxForFran is open to the Montclair community.

No admission will be charged, but a tax-deductible donation to the The Fran Morgen ArtKids Trust in any amount would be deeply appreciated. Donations payable to The Fran Morgen ArtKids Trust can also be mailed to Community Foundation of New Jersey, P.O. Box 317, Morristown, New Jersey 07963-0317, attn: Susan Soldivieri.