Articles by Steven Gilchrist

O ver the past several months, national political leaders have focused their attention and resources on the struggling economy. Similarly to the present day, national leaders in the 1930s were faced with an even greater economic problem – The Great Depression. Last year, marked the 75 anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a Depression era program created as part of one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal Initiatives. I first learned about the CCC at a presentation in May 2008 at a training academy for Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation park rangers. The presentation, titled “Civilian Conservation Corps in Massachusetts: A Legacy of Stewardship,” was conducted by Alec Gillman – Visitor Services Supervisor at Mount Greylock State Reservation in Lanesborough, Massachusetts. At 3,491 feet, Mt. Greylock is the highest point in Massachusetts. Mt. Greylock State Reservation is the location of a collection of CCC historic resources. 1933 was the...

L ast week, I visited the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston. A couple of years ago, the ICA moved from its former location on Boylston Street to its present location at 100 Northern Avenue along the Boston Harbor. On Thursday nights, the Institute offers free admission. When I visited the ICA it happened to be on a Thursday night. I had only been to the new location of the ICA once (in June of 2007) before to see a modern dance performance. I had also been to the former location of the ICA. The new location has a larger building and many more amenities. I was very impressed by the varied works of art, including: paintings, artistically oriented video clips, sculptures, and furniture. At the exhibit on the fourth floor, there were works by Gerard Byrne, Paul Chan, and Kader Attai. The latter of the three had a video on display called Oil & Sugar. The video showed a set of small sugar cubes in the beginning, followed by oil being poured down onto the cubes, consequently m...