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Wednesday. February 11,198

The Herald and The Lantern

Page 31

Art to the nth Degree

SURPRISED TELLER Marie Lo,Monaco calls for the manager after being confronted by artist Joanne Echevarria Myers and her check art. — • ■ ■ ■ , . i ■ . • r ■—! L

CAPE MAY - A local artist last week continued with the banking system what she began last year With the U.S. Postal Service — a process of functionalizing art: The art of Joanne ^EJchevarria Myers is attractive, but she wanted it . to be more. She wanted to get it into the system; the vital processes of everyday commerce and business “What it really is," she said, “is realism to the nth . degree. It’s as real as you can get because it's actually going through the system." THE SYSTEM she spoke of last Tuesday was the banking system, specifically the local branch office of the Guarantee Bank It was a very surprised teller (and

U. S. Aid For 25 Laid Off At -K&E

WASHINGTON, D.Cr ~ The U.S. Department of Labor has approved a request by Congressman Bill Hughes (D-NJ) to provide worker adjustment assistance to 25 former employees of the Keuffel * Esser Co. of Cape May Court House who lost their jobs because 'of foreign competition. Hughes said this certification by the Labor Department clears the way for the workers to be retrained and otherwise •assisted in finding new jobs. “Pm very pleased that the^Labor Department has approved this worker assistance,”’ Hughes stated. “These employees were the victims of unfair foreign competition, and they need this assistance to get back on their feet and

locate new joW. “It's a shame, however, that our government was not more aggressive in protecting these workers while they stijl had their jobs, instead ’of after their “lay-offs,’’ Hughes continued. "This action cases the burden on these 25 employees, but it fails to address the overall problem of foreign imports, which are costing thousands of American jobs each week." According to Hughes, the Keuffel • Esser Co. had employed 42 workers in two major work lines before its closing: a tape measure manufacturing department, and a drafting machine assembly operation. In September, 1979, the tape measure manufacturing department was sold

Opening Off Until March

to.a company in England, necessitating the lay-off of 17 employees. The company laid off the 17 workers with the leastseniority, and consolidated the 25 remaining employees into the drafting machine operations, in an effort to stay in business with just one work line. Unfortunately, this effort failed, and the plant closed entirely in April, 1980. The Labor Department approved trade adjustment assistance to the 17 workers who first lost their jobs, but denied it to the other 25 employees. Hughes protested that decision. In a letter to Marvin Fooks, director of the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance, Hughes said it was unfair to assist the workers with the least seniority, but not the employees who has worked there the longest time. Moreover, he challenged

the Labor department's conclusion that only half the company was affected by foreign competition. “It is apparent that foreign competition was the direct cause for the demise of this entire company," Hughes wrote. "It is a credit to the company officials that thdy tried to remain open and keep 25 workers employed, when they could have just as easily shut the whole plant down at once, and all the workers would have qublified for trade adjustment assistance. The Labor Department should not be penalizing the workers because they tried to retain their Jobs, instead of just giving up.” The Labor Department agreed to reopfen the case, and notified Hughes last week that all 42 former employees have now been certified for adjustment assistance.

later, the office manager) who all of a sudden came face to face with the artist attempting to cash her "painting” of a check (made out to herself for five dollars). Actually, her work of art is a combination of pen and ink and a transfer crayon method on unprimed canvas. Having some time ago mastered the mechanics of her art and developed an individual style, Ms. Echeyarria-Myers became enchanted with the possibility of combining the tangible and intangible aspects of ar{; of integrating the beautiful and the utilitarian. HER FIRST venture into the new realm came last year with her letter art. Her paintings of letters actually went into the post office, the canvasses going thru the mails to art critics, art museums and artiLs (not the least of whom was Andy Warhol, the leading exponent of the Pop Art movement in the 1960s i She likens what she

accomplished with the post office to the movie Miracle ■on 34th Street in which the Post Office legitimized Santa Claus by proving his existence by way of all the letters mailed to him With her check art, she explains, "the end result is that it pays my bill's and conducts my business and transfers money — and fs simultaneously a work of art." SYSTEMATIZING art - making it functional — brings to art a new dimension "It’s not only a painting of a check, it’s as real as you can get because it's actually gong through the system. It’s actually being sent, handled, stamped, written on " According to the artist, her letter paintings of 1980 and her check art of 1981 is simultaneously educatio nal too. “There’s a great tendency to separate art from everyday life. This is a move to dispell that fallaby by introducing works of art into the day to day business of our lives."

FOLLQWING CONSULTATION with the home office, the check on canvas was accepted, so the artist endorses the back. Hie teller still finds it all difficult to believe.

LOWER TWP. - The opening of Sturdy Savings Sc Loan’s new office at Breakwater Plaza in Lower Township has been delayed, president John L. Armour has announced. The office was originally scheduled to open on Feb. 19. "Wev have experienced delays in many areas," Armour related, "particularly in the shipment and installation of equipment. In fact, just about everything

you can think of has been delayed." "THE STURDY staff is working diligently to get the office open" Armour said. "We are now hoping to be able to serve the Lower Township people by early March. "When the new office is finally opened we’ll have a celebration featuring gifts for opening new accounts and an opportunity to win a new color TV;” Armour concluded.

By KIRK. HASTINGS

X WONDER IF THE ^ GROUND HOG SAW ^HIS SHADOW THIS YEAR?>

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