Art as Witness

Angelika (Angie) Littlefield: Writer, Curator, Communications Specialist

Aufbruch in die Moderne: Graphik des fruehen 20. Jahrhunderts aus der Sammlung Gerd Gruber

Gerd Gruber started his art collection, now almost 8,000 pieces, while a school boy in Germany. Aufbruch in die Moderne (Breakthrough into Modernity) is the name of the catalogue/exhibition at the Old City Hall and the Cranach House in Wittenberg from Mar to June of 2008. The catalogue, which serves as a memorial to works Dr Gruber saved from destruction as ‘degenerate art' during the Nazi regime, highlights approximately 1,000 works.

Dr Gruber provided a fascinating private tour of the two exhibition spaces for Judy Stonkus, Ludwig Hendricks and I and then went on to tour us through some of the architectural highlights of the ancient city of Wittenberg. The evening was capped off by a lovely supper. It was a delight to finally meet Dr Gerd Gruber after years of corresponding.

The photo gallery provides a few samples of his works.

Experiment Kalltalgemeinschaft: Die Koelner Progressiven in Simonskall 1919-1921

Having the Honourary Patronship of this extraordinary exhibition arranged by Franz Tiedtke for Hohen Art was as great as meeting my good friend MAF Raederscheidt again. MAF's grandmother Marta Hegemann and my great-aunt Angelika Hoerle, were the best of friends in Cologne in the World War I era. It was fitting that both of us were able to share reminiscences about these fine artists with an audience that overfilled the Marienkapelle in Huertgenwald.

The photos from the opening of the exhibition which ran from Mar to June 2008 in the Junkerhaus Gallery in the impressive Eiffel Mountains, show the wonderful natural setting to which the Cologne artists withdrew to read, discuss and create art.

Mar 15 – June 15, 2008 Cologne Progressives: 1920-33 at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne. The exhibition features Gerd Arntz, Franz Wilhelm Seiwert and Heinrich Hoerle, Angelika Hoerle’s husband. Curator, Dr. Lynette Roth, focused on three of many Progressives. The new release of Dirk Backes’ 1983 Heinrich Hoerle book will feature material on Angelika Hoerle—some of which I will contribute.

Also opening in March 2008 at the Junkershaus Gallery Experiment Kalltal: the Cologne Progressives in Simonskall. This exhibition sets the scene for the Museum Ludwig exhibition. Professor Walter Dohmen, a print expert, curates and will do a demonstration print from original Angelika and Heinrich Hoerle linoblocks which my husband and I are sending over for this exhibition. A very limited portfolio with five prints will be available from these 1919-1921 blocks.

Walking with Oma, my 780 km trek along the Elbe River from the concentration camp Terezin to Hamburg starts April 2008. The 48 day walk is a homage to my oma, Anna Skraika Schilling, who left Terezin on her own in May 1945 to see if anything of of her life remained in Hamburg. I will feature parts of the walk on this website with posts en route.

I am preparing Art as Witness, an exhibition of twelve archival photos of my great uncle Willy Fick’s works destroyed in World War II along with originals by himself and his brother-in-law, the Nazi-labelled degenerate artist Heinrich Hoerle. The Toronto Holocaust Education Centre sponsors this Nov 2008 exhibition which has superb teaching and resource materials for secondary History, Civics, English and Arts curricula.

Photo: Experiment Kalltal: Cologne Progressives in Simonskall. The photo shows Angelika Hoerle, Heinrich Hoerle, Marta Hegemann and Anton Raederscheidt . Marta and Anton were husband and wife at this point. The foursome visited Simonskall sometimes between 1919 and 1921.

My daughter Jennifer and I wrote The Ten Grossest Bugs and The Ten Deadliest Plants for Rubicon. They’re a lot of fun! They’re available from Scholastic Canada at www.scholastic.ca/education/the_ten/index.html Scholastic U.S.A. has them at www.teacher.scholastic.com/producsts/classroombooks/the10/htm There’s a whole series of these very educational books.

As an educator for 33 years, curator for 20, playwright and published author, I have a lot of experience. Whether you need speech or grant writing, presentations or seminar, research or editing, or you are interested in exhibitions to do with dada or degenerate art I will be able to tailor something to your needs.

This is also the place to order my writings:

• The Thomsons of Durham: Tom Thomson’s Family Heritage $20
• Two of the Talented Thomsons: George and Margaret $10
• The Dada Period in Cologne (out of print 36 pages) photocopy $20
• Willy Fick A Cologne Artist of the 1920s (out of print 106 pages) $35