Pillow Pages: Member Spotlight on Julie McCarthy
Member Spotlight: Art Inspiring Artists
by Elizabeth Van Vleck, Individual Support Intern
Name: Julie McCarthy
Occupation: Photographer
Residence: Stockbridge, MA
Joined: 2003
Tell us about your history with Jacob's Pillow.
Oh, I love the Pillow. It's been a part of my life since we moved up here over twenty years ago. I remember first coming here with friends to an Inside/Out performance. We sat outside, had a picnic, and saw a performance. It was magical. We became regulars quite easily.
I got hooked after I became the Volunteer Coordinator when Liz Thompson was the Artistic Director back in the '80s. Liz created a special energy reaching out to the community. She made Jacob's Pillow a welcoming and warm place.
I think Ella Baff has really taken the torch and run with it. Even in this economic climate, Ella continues to challenge us. She takes risks. Every time I come to the Pillow, I expect to be challenged, amazed, or outraged. With events like the pre- and post-performance talks, Ella educates and cultivates us. The warm and welcoming environment creates a safe place to explore - to be challenged and inspired.
What was the first performance you saw here?
I remember one of the first pieces I saw here. It was Merce Cunningham. The sound design was water dripping out of a conch shell. I remember half the audience walking out. I loved that - that people could have such strong reactions and felt free enough to leave. The rest stayed and loved it. Art should challenge us.
It sounds like Jacob's Pillow has been a great part of your life. How have you involved your family in the Pillow experience?
Jacob's Pillow has been a part of our family for decades. We used to bring our daughter to Inside/Out performances - since she was two or three years old. It didn't really matter what was being performed, it was the setting, the whole experience. When my daughter was young, she'd dance around in front of the stage during the performance. She's been coming with us ever since.
Recently she came with us to see a performance of a smaller, less standard company. She's now twenty-two. She wasn't crazy about the performance but I could see how she's become hooked now, too. Immediately after the show, she bought tickets to some other upcoming performances.
You are an artist yourself - a successful photographer. How has the Pillow affected you as a visual artist?
I believe artists are fed by one another. The performances I see at Jacob's Pillow - the colors, the sets, the lighting, the energy - stay in my mind. They fire up synapses and leave an impression on me. The performances have an effect on the way I perceive everything which then influences my own work.
How did you decide to become a member?
Over time, our relationship with the Pillow really blossomed. I had been involved with the Pillow on many levels - as an audience member, volunteer, volunteer coordinator, etc. And it was my husband who decided that we become Members. There has never been a question about supporting the Pillow. What we give, we get back ten-fold.
Above photo: From the series, "A Dance of Unusual Beauty" by Julie McCarthy, 2005. From the piece, "Mattress Ticking" choreographed by Dawn Lane.
Click here to read the next Pillow Pages article: Alumna Spotlight
by Elizabeth Van Vleck, Individual Support Intern
Name: Julie McCarthy
Occupation: Photographer
Residence: Stockbridge, MA
Joined: 2003
Tell us about your history with Jacob's Pillow.
Oh, I love the Pillow. It's been a part of my life since we moved up here over twenty years ago. I remember first coming here with friends to an Inside/Out performance. We sat outside, had a picnic, and saw a performance. It was magical. We became regulars quite easily.
I got hooked after I became the Volunteer Coordinator when Liz Thompson was the Artistic Director back in the '80s. Liz created a special energy reaching out to the community. She made Jacob's Pillow a welcoming and warm place.
I think Ella Baff has really taken the torch and run with it. Even in this economic climate, Ella continues to challenge us. She takes risks. Every time I come to the Pillow, I expect to be challenged, amazed, or outraged. With events like the pre- and post-performance talks, Ella educates and cultivates us. The warm and welcoming environment creates a safe place to explore - to be challenged and inspired.
What was the first performance you saw here?
I remember one of the first pieces I saw here. It was Merce Cunningham. The sound design was water dripping out of a conch shell. I remember half the audience walking out. I loved that - that people could have such strong reactions and felt free enough to leave. The rest stayed and loved it. Art should challenge us.
It sounds like Jacob's Pillow has been a great part of your life. How have you involved your family in the Pillow experience?
Jacob's Pillow has been a part of our family for decades. We used to bring our daughter to Inside/Out performances - since she was two or three years old. It didn't really matter what was being performed, it was the setting, the whole experience. When my daughter was young, she'd dance around in front of the stage during the performance. She's been coming with us ever since.
Recently she came with us to see a performance of a smaller, less standard company. She's now twenty-two. She wasn't crazy about the performance but I could see how she's become hooked now, too. Immediately after the show, she bought tickets to some other upcoming performances.
You are an artist yourself - a successful photographer. How has the Pillow affected you as a visual artist?
I believe artists are fed by one another. The performances I see at Jacob's Pillow - the colors, the sets, the lighting, the energy - stay in my mind. They fire up synapses and leave an impression on me. The performances have an effect on the way I perceive everything which then influences my own work.
How did you decide to become a member?
Over time, our relationship with the Pillow really blossomed. I had been involved with the Pillow on many levels - as an audience member, volunteer, volunteer coordinator, etc. And it was my husband who decided that we become Members. There has never been a question about supporting the Pillow. What we give, we get back ten-fold.
Above photo: From the series, "A Dance of Unusual Beauty" by Julie McCarthy, 2005. From the piece, "Mattress Ticking" choreographed by Dawn Lane.
Click here to read the next Pillow Pages article: Alumna Spotlight