LAURIE ZUCKERMAN'S MEMORY JUGS TO APPEAR IN LYNNE PERELLA'S UPCOMING BOOK: "ART MAKING—COLLECTIONS & OBSESSIONS"

Lynne attended the "Grave Matters" exhibit at the Loveland Museum last summer, while she was in town teaching at the Artists' Nook, where she saw my memory jugs and found-object assemblages. She later invited me to participate in her latest book project. I photographed three of my memory jugs for inclusion in the book, and sent Lynne the "fixins" for my latest jug, "Up in Smoke," for her own photographer to shoot. I can't wait to see all the other artists in her book, as I love the concept of artists who collect. The book is due out in 2008. Can't wait!

If you don't know of her work, Lynne Perrella is a terrific mixed-media artist, author, graphic designer, and workshop instructor. She conducts creativity events at various venues in the United States and abroad. She's taught some excellent workshops at the Artist's Nook, and will be back again in 2008. I took her class last summer and loved her teaching approach. She has three other books, “Artists Journals & Sketchbooks," “Alphabetica,” and 'Beyond Paper Dolls." Check out her website: www.LKPerrella.com. Her link is under my favorites.

LAURIE ZUCKERMAN'S ALTAR APPEARS IN: "A BEAUTIFUL NECESSITY: THE ART AND MEANING OF WOMEN'S ALTARS," by Kay Turner

"Marriage Altar" Detail, by Laurie Zuckerman

If you are looking for the best book on the history of women's home altars, try A Beautiful Necessity: The Art and Meaning of Women's Altars, by Kay Turner. I was proud to be profiled along with 99 other American, African-American and Hispanic-American woman altarmakers in this book. A photo of my Marriage Altar appears in the book, along with some quotes by me, but it is a different detail of this altar.

Each artist received a small profile. Mine reads: Laurie Zuckerman "all but abandoned" her career as a painter when she turned to altar-making in the early 1990s, but she approaches her altar aesthetic with a painter's concern for form, color, line, texture, and concept. She regularly spends time "adjusting" her altars: "They are the most fluid part of my home. Altars are intended to be altered, to grow and respond to life's persistent changes."

Several famous altar artists are in the book, in particular internationally acclaimed Betye Saar. Her work is a must see. Two of my friends were also included in the book. Kay's book was published in 1999 by Thames & Hudson and is available on Amazon.com.

LAURIE ZUCKERMAN IS HEADING TO OAXACA, MEXICO FOR THE DAY OF THE DEAD WITH MICHAEL DeMENG

This October I am heading to Oaxaca for a unique found object, shrine-making workshop with artist, Michael deMeng. I'll be spending my free-time photographing Day of the Dead shrines in the cemeteries and public squares. Here's a couple of public Day of the Dead altars I shot in 2005 in San Miguel de Allende and Guanujuato, respectively. I am ready for more color and more shopping at the sugar skull markets, as we will be building a collective Day of the Dead shrine at our workshop.

Here's the Day of the Dead ofrenda I spent the week building with the help of my old friends from Seattle in the home we all rented in San Miguel.



I was excited to discover my Day of the Dead blog entry on Michael deMeng's blog, after I signed up for his Oaxaca workshop. Thanks for the nice plug, Michael.


I am busy collecting up all my miniature skulls and appropriate goodies, and counting the days until we leave on October 25th. Lots of friends from the Artists' Nook are coming, too, plus my best altar-making buddy, Kathy Pinkerton, from Blacksburg, Virginia. Here's a shot of Kathy's Mexican altar at the Apex Gallery in New York City. This show was curated by art critic and author, Suzi Gablik.