5p, onesided pages, mimeograph on matte off white paper. 15 horizontal folds, staple in top left corner, 5 vertical folds, envelope printed on the the back side of last page, The Bulletin was mailed to Mr and Mrs Theodore Dreier in Cambridge. Multiple authors are credite- J.A. Markoff, Lucy Swift, Joan Couch, Jean Maurice, Dorothy Cole, Mary Gregory, Irv Kremen,
The College was awarded 4 army structures that are to to used as temporary housing The Community council was established in May. John Wallen was elected chairman at the first regular meeting. the appointment of Ilya Bolotowsky to fill in the vacancy of Josef Albers in the 46-47 Session; Franziska Mayer appointed to teach weaving. Mentions that the unfinished music cubicles were torn down and removed.
COMMUNITY BULLETIN Black Mountain College
June 1946 College year 13
HOUSING by J.A. Markoff
As a completion to negotiations that were started last January, Black Mountain was awarded, last month, four army structures that are to be used as temporary housing, which means that we can accommodate more veterans. Mr. Rondthaler, who has been in charge of the arrangements, described the buildings as being suitable both for studies and for sleeping. Two of them have been reconverted as apartments, each containing three units. The other two buildings have eight double bedrooms, four studies and four students apiece, and two bathrooms to be shared by eight people. These buildings will be located, one at the foot of the slope in back of the office, another south of South Lodge, at the bottom of the incline, in line with the Lodge, while the other two will be placed on the north side of the bend in the rhododendron thicket, near the Mac Wood cottage. In return for these structures we must lay an extension of the sewer connections, power lines and water mains within reasonable reach, and also do preliminary excavation.
Another provision requires that we, after two years time, reduce these buildings to nothing larger than “first panels”.
The original plans that were approved by the army engineers were drawn up, after a month of surveying by Max Dehn, John Urbain and Harry Weitzer.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL by Lucy Swift
The Community Council has been in existence for a month. At the first regular meeting, John Wallen was elected chairman (other faculty representatives; Molly Gregory, Johanna Jalowetz; students: Jack Bailey, Ollie Sihvonen, Lucy Swift; staff and faculty wives: Alice Rondthaler; member-at-large: Suzie Teasdale). It was decided that the committees now responsible to the council should be formed by general community elections, to allow for an approval and awareness in the community of the jobs of the committees and the people concerned with them. Another decision of the Council has established three Community Agreements, commonly understood rules of conduct, which ask for quiet in the Studies Building, respect for the college vacation dates, and privacy in bedrooms of the opposite sex. As a definite action the Council has asked that there be no more pets at the college, except those living at Faculty homes.
In general discussion, the Council has been working on statements and ways which may give a clearer and easier recognition of the standards and organization of the college to people new in the community. The community work program has been especially considered in its importance and its present problems and failures. The Council agrees in conception of a broad work program as being as important and as demanding of a part of the College’s living as the regular courses. The difficulties of communicating its necessity and reasons, as well as clarifying its conception, have been discussed in terms of its organization. The Council hopes to work out and have ready for next fall some kind of written material with the purpose of helping open the fall term with a common foundation in acquaintance and understanding of the College’s structure.
Along with this beginning of plans and activity, the Council is still in the beginning stages of defining its position with the purposes for which it was organized. It starts the formation of a central, working group which can be of active value within the total community.
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STUDENT MEETINGS by Jack Taylor
Now that the Community Council is functioning, the Student Meetings are relieved of many previous duties and are devoted to specific problems which do not come under the jurisdiction of the Council. Perhaps the most important single achievement of the Student Meetings during May was the conception and inauguration of a new Work Program Plan calling for definite days of availability for each student, set at his own convenience. An immediate result was noticed from this plan which constituted a great improvement over the previous day-by-day voluntary and indefinite system.
Ted Rondthaler announced new student fees, a raise necessitated by the increased living expenses of the college.
On May 20 new changes in the Constitution were read but no quorum was present to allow vote. At a subsequent meeting the following day the changes, involving student voting procedures, were voted in.
Hannelore Hahn, with Kendall Cox acting as straight-man, kept the students in a state of hilarious paroxysm at one of the meetings with her descriptions of desperate efforts to secure a projector for the showing of films from the Museum of Modern Art. The efforts involved attempts to beg, borrow, or buy the desired instrument, complete with contacts—by mail or in person—from Asheville to New York. It is hoped that the projector situation will be worked out early in the Fall Quarter so that the students and the community may benefit from the films and Hannelore’s and Ken’s efforts to date.
ALUMNI NEWS by Joan Couch
Ellie Smith and Fernando Leon were married May 23, in New York and are now living in Baltimore.
Nan Oldenberg graduated from Radcliffe in anthropology, cum laude.
Henrietta Barth, just of the Navy, writes from San Diego “my Navy career was rather exciting, but just long enough to leave a pleasant sensation….I’ve been delving into San Diego’s politics, am active in the American Veterans Committee and have met a lot of interesting people…made application to attend the University of Southern California this coming September as a special student.”
Judd Woldin will be here for the summer as a musician, playing with Jimmy Tite.
Maude Dabs is now studying at the Longy School in Boston.
Irma Ehrman has a new job with Alfred H Knopf, doing publicity work.
(Please write your news to us. We want to hear and relay it.)
ART NEWS by Jean Maurice
Ilya Bolotowsky, an outstanding American abstract artist, has been appointed teacher of art to take the place of Josef Albers for the coming year. His appointment followed a recent visit to the college Mr. Boletowsky was born in Petrograd, Russia, and received his early education at Constantinople, at the French school, the College of St. Joseph.
In 1923 he came to the United States and studied at the National Academy of Design in New York. Later he taught at various schools in New York, and, under the Works Progress Administration, gave lectures on art. He has designed and executed murals for the New York World’s Fair, the Williamsburgh Housing Project, and the Hospital of Chronic Diseases. As a member of the American Abstract Artists, and the Federation of Modern Artists and Sculptors, he has exhibited in museums throughout the country. In 1942 Belotowsky entered the Army Air Forces and, due to his Russian background, was sent to Name Alaska, as a translator and interpreter. He also conducted classes in the Russian language for officers and men. After receiving his discharge in 1945 he returned to New York, where he is now painting.
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During his visit at BMC, Belotowsky gave a lecture and an exhibition of his work showing the development from his early representational painting to his present abstractions.
Franziska Mayer has been appointed to teach weaving for the coming year. She will start this summer as assistant to Mrs. Albers during the Art Institute. Miss Mayer was born in Sweden and learned the beginnings of weaving on a Swedish farm. She received a weaving teacher’s diploma from Johanna Brunson’s Weaving school in Stockholm, and later was connected with workshops in Denmark and Germany. In 1938, she went to Newfoundland as weaving instructor and designer for the industrial department of the Grenfell Association. During the war, she worked as an occupational therapist and assistant director of the Grenfell orphanage. She came to this country in 1945 and has been connected with workshops in New York City. Miss Mayer is a niece of Dr. Dehn.
An exhibition of textiles at the Massachusett’s Institute of Technology held during May was organized and arranged by Anni Albers. The exhibition included material from the department of textile technology of M.I.T. The larger part consisted of hand-woven materials by outstanding textile designers from all parts of the country, and work from the Institute of Design in Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, Cranbrook Academy and Black Mountain. Mrs. Albers also gave a talk, sponsored by the museums committee of M.I.T., on “Some Problems of Textile Designing.”
The Museum of Modern Art is including necklaces of hardware, by Anni Albers and Alex Reed, in an exhibition of modern jewelry scheduled for July.
CONCERTS by Dorothy Cole
Eva Heinitz, ‘cellist, and Grete Sultan, pianist, presented an exciting concert on May 1 during their short visit here. A moving Bach Adagio opened the program, followed by a short Frescobaldi composition. Miss Sultan played six Bagatelles for the piano by Beethoven, and together Miss Heinitz and Miss Sultan presented the unusual Debussy Sonata in D for ‘cello and piano. In the second half of the evening Grete Sultan played the dramatic Chopin Fantasy in F Major, and the two artists presented on Brahms sonata. The concert was a high spot of the year. On another informal occasion Miss Heinitz performed one of Bach’s great suites for unaccompanied ‘cello.
Musicians in the community gave a concert of chamber music and songs on May 18. The Mozart E-flat Major Quartet was presented by Trudi Straus, Dorothy Cole, Gretel Lowinsky, and Anna Lockwood; Mary Fax and Edward Lowinsky played a Duettine Concertanto By Basoni; two Mozart songs were presented by Florence Fogelson accompanied by Marx Fax; Dick Lockwood sang two Schubert songs. The program was concluded with a performance of the Beethoven E-flat Major Piano Quartet, by Trudi Straus, Gretel Lowinsky, Anna Lockwood, and Edward Lowinsky. The Arts Club of Black Mountain (town) were special guests.
Marx Fax gave a concert on May 25 which was especially unusual in that his own and other contemporary works were highlighted Cesar Frank’s Prelude, Fugue, and Variations and a Beethoven sonata in B-flat were the first part of the program. The remainder was devoted to seldom heard works by Wallingford Reigger, the New York composer; Francis Poulene, one of the modern “French six” group of the twenties; William Grant Still America’s foremost Negro composer, whose works include important ballet music and the Afro-American Symphony; Mark Fax; and Manual de Falla, the Spanish composer now living in South America. It was a stimulating evening.
A student’s concert was given on June 1 at which the accomplishments of many of our students were presented to the community for the first time this year. Vesta Martin and Dick Lockwood played a short and engaging Bach two-piano work; Patsy Lynch performed the divorce French Suite in E of Bach; Dick Lockwood played the first movement of a Hayden piano sonata; Dorothy Cole and Fanny Hebart presented a Mozart sonata for violin and piano. Especially unusual were two songs by Mark Fax, the words of which were written by Mary Lee; Vesta Martin was the singer, accompanied by Mark Fax. Florence
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Fogelson, accompanied by Edward Lowinsky, sang a Schubert song, and Florence and Vesta, accompanied by Fanny Hobart, sang a duet from “The Marriage of Figaro”. Songs by Cornelius and Gerschwin were presented by Florence Fogelson and Dick Lockwood, accompanied by Mark Fax. Fanny Hobart played a Chopin Prelude and the unique Bela Bartok “Mikrokosmos”. The program culminated in a performance of the exciting Bach Concerto for Two Violin and Piano in D Minor, by Florence Williams and Earlene Wight, violinists, and Patsy Lynch, pianist.
WORK SUMMARY by Mary Gregory
The coal car which had been anticipated for months through strikes and all finally came and was finally emptied. It wasn’t lump coal which could be unloaded by hand; it wasn’t stoker coal which could be shoveled. People scratched their way through it.
The tennis court is really a tennis court with lines, a new back stop, and new net.
The reading room couches have been re-upholstered and a new table is being built for the magazine.
North Lodge has lattices running all the way under the porch to conceal the sundry storage, and there are new steps. This had been done with our lumber, which is almost silently sought by Ike Nakata and Francis Foster.
Fence posts have been set to protect the laundry of Malry and Cornelia from the dry cattle. Zomah was found with a bedspread draped luxuriously over her head and shoulders. The wire isn’t up yet and protection is still incomplete.
The coal shortage made things pretty desperate for a while. Buzzing wood and getting a ton at a time from Asheville barely got us through.
Sixteen plates, some wooden knives and forks, and belts were made in the shop to sell for the building fund. Easels and a bulletin board are being made new for the Art Institute.
The music cubicles, never finished, tired and shabby, are torn down and very decently removed.
There is much more: routines, concerts, sending out catalogues, setting tables. Fourteen acres of corn have been planted at the Farm, and around ten in soybeans. The ground at Morris which the college rents still has to be disked and sown. The beef cattle are quiescent and haven’t leaned on the mountain fence, but one never knows.
DIAMOND DUST by Irv Kremen
Following the direction of BMC education, this season saw the integration of a new activity in the pattern of community life…baseball, the great national pastime, on a rigged sandlot just south of the dam. Creatively speaking, batters, pitchers, infielders and outfielders developed where previously there had been many uncoordinated swings of the bat and butterfingers on the field.
The first game sprawled out into a one-sided affair, the score standing at the end something like 30-14. Sides had been picked unevenly and the game demonstrated our weaknesses on the diamond and in some individual cases a faultily conditioned behaviour pattern. These inadequacies were slowly whittled away in succeeding games until the score of the last game stood at 5-4, ample evidence of tightening up, improvement and, all in the all, a season well spent.
The learning value of diamond dust coating one’s palate is problematical but from the point of view of harmonious relations between various elements of the community, the teams always included students, faculty members, faculty wives, a large contingent of faculty children and other members of
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The community. Much previous experience was brought by various players to enrich the Sunday afternoons south of the dam; and even psychological lingo was used to rattle and encourage batsmen:
“Pitch him a little neurotic ball, Billie boy! This guy can’t hit! He’s scared of you…a little paranoic!”
“Oh, yea,” in answer, “accept him John, No tension! Just smack a little hit! Counter-will the pitcher, John!”
And big John Wallen stopped into a twisted, spiraling ‘neurotic’ pitch to blast a scorching single out into right center, smiling non-directively as he straddled first-base.
NOTES AND COMMENTS
Democracy has been trying to fight its way through again these past weeks. Two community meetings have been held to discuss the building program for the college. Students, under the leadership of designer Don Wight and promoter Jack Bailey, prepared drawings and construction data a small-unit living and study combination, to accommodate six. This proposal has come into conflict with the proposal already undertaken for a dormitory to house 40 persons, and has served to open BMC minds to the possibility of building something small with the money so far raised, rather than embarking upon the more ambitious $50,000 structure. The result of the community discussions has been a poll of opinion, which appears to favor some variety of small-unit proposal. The question of “when is a decision a decision at Black Mountain College?” has confronted us all recently. It’s not easy, but it's education.
Dr. Erwin Straus, professor of psychology on leave from BMC at John Hopkins University, visited us early in May and, between parties, talked to the community on the subject of “Error and Delusion.” He is against both, and proposed that an awareness of their nature, sources and symptoms might liberate us from their toils. Being a common affliction, their mitigation should be a common task.
Tempted by rosy tales of BMC spun to him by Ronnie Boydon, whom he met while the army in Hawaii. Dr. Karl Niebyl, economist, with his wife spent a few days here in late May. While on campus, he conducted one of Bill Levi’s classes in Contemporary Society and gave an evening lecture on “The Economic Bases of Social Change.”
Ted Dreier, who came down from Cambridge last week to renew acquaintance with us all and to take his first swim of the season, spoke at one community meeting on building. He also read to a group of interested students and faculty the beginning of a paper he is writing on Black Mountain College. All look forward to its publication.
In response to the interest in dramatics, Mr. William Malten and his wife are now guests of the college. Mr. Malten has spoken to the community about movies, radio, television, and theater, with which he has had direct experience during 25 years, first in Europe and, since 1940, in this country.
Public relations are flourishing as a result, most immediately, of appearances before the Lion’s club made by John Wallen and Bill Levi. There is the usual amount of chaffing to the effect that villagers are surprised to discover that BMC’ers have only one head per person and indeed possess certain ordinary practical skills. Dr. Miller spoke lately before Mars Hill College.
As we go to press, June 13, Bill McLaughlin is about to take his final oral examination for graduation in American history, with special emphasis on American labor. Professor Stevens, of Antioch College, is here as his outside examiner.
This will be the last Community Bulletin until Fall. We would like to know whether you wish to remain on the mailing list and whether this kind of informal news comment is what you prefer.
