The Cause Collection^™

We're glad you're here, just in time for our next tour.

I'll be your tour guide for today, so stay with me and we'll explore this phenomenal labyrinth together.

Please save all your questions for the end of our tour. Thank you.

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Let's begin with a bit of background information, expressed by the creator of this vision in his 'nearly non-fictional' account, The Will of A Fool . . .

The spirit’s a source,
the will’s a force, &
the choice is yours.

Although recently blessed with an unexpected inheritance, I had no recollection of the deceased. However, at the reading of his will, it all became quite clear . . .

By day I was a museum attendant, charged with protecting the artworks in the collections of Harvard University. A 'reading disability' prevented me from testing well on standardized examinations. Consequently, my scores made it difficult to enter directly into a full time graduate program in Art History. I was encouraged to enroll in Harvard University's Extension Program to prove I was indeed capable of graduate work. So, by night I was a part-time graduate student, confident of matriculating into the full-time program after demonstrating my dedication.

During the second year of this work, my research uncovered an artifact that undeniably questioned the establishment of an entire "period" of art. In fact, this finding completely contradicted the renowned expert whose speculations originally identified this period and its niche in the linear development of western art. Over the years, many volumes were published indoctrinating generations of art enthusiasts to the 'validity' of this period and to the 'authority' of its founder. Accordingly, when I brought my findings to the attention of the professors in our department, I was firmly encouraged to disavow this discrepancy. At my insistence that this matter deserve more energy, I was kindly 'invited' to consider transferring to the Philosophy Department.

Disillusioned by the politics of the academic world, I opted to begin the life of a restless artist in Alaska. However, before I embarked, I submitted a five-page resignation to the department that included the following paragraph:

The pupil that makes the master must be influenced, open minded, and adaptive; with a keen sensitivity and a passion for expression; unlimited by pure desire, sponsored by credibility, effective with talents, and uncompromising when necessary. There comes a time, in the course of a pupil's evolution, when one recognizes one's own credentials, demanding of oneself to realize one's genuine creative potential. One's capacity to practice the development of skill, observation, conception, and creation becomes the philosophy of the newborn master. With this understanding, the master's spirit then influences a world, nurtured by one's creativity and nourished by one's nature.

Although many of my creative works sold through various galleries over the past twenty years, I'm unaware of any that grace the galleries of museums. Unbeknownst to me, all of these works were collected by just one man. It came as a curious surprise to find that his will bequeathed the entire collection, along with an extensive reference library, to me! Furthermore, the will included a peculiar proviso: 'the reference library be utilized to adequately interpret the works, and the collection be made public for goodness sake.' At the reading of the will, the deceased was identified as Dr. Franklin Scattergood, the ex-chair of Harvard's Philosophy Department.

"As the lesser mysteries are to be delivered before the greater, thus also discipline must precede philosophy." Pythagoras

The following journey entitled me to my inheritance . . .

While washing dishes on Christmas Day, I pondered the question of making my work 'public for goodness sake.' I mused: each of these works communicating a social concern makes a statement related to a particular cause; perhaps, each cause is supported by the work of a dedicated nonprofit organization; together, the images, causes, and associated nonprofit organizations could become "The Cause Collection^TM" and serve as a means of raising social consciousness of the necessity for cultural renewal. Using this vision as a guide during the following eighteen months, my wife Rose Russo and I developed a network of nonprofit organizations willing to participate in this cooperative effort.

On the campuses of preparatory schools and colleges, we showcased Cause Collection exhibits as interactive educational experiences. This touring collection included a variety of paintings, sculptures, and assemblages. To contribute insight into a personal dimension of the art, Rose produced Bein' Spiritual, a collection of songs bringing to light intimate perceptions and understandings involved in the process of developing self-awareness. The exhibit as a whole ("The Art of Cultural Renewal") functions as a context for the concept that self-awareness and social responsibility are means to attain personal fulfillment while creating a world of improvement.

As we prepared for another touring season, Rose became quite ill with what appeared to be a kidney stone problem. She began the month of September as a seemingly healthy forty-nine year old and ended the month as a fifty year old with advanced osteoporosis, having the bones and posture of a woman in her nineties.Unfortunately, that was the good news. The bad news was multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer) was the cause. The doctors told us we'd be lucky if Rose lived another six months. Consequently, we refocused our creativity on healthcare at home while continuing to refine our creative work with The Cause Collection. To make a long story short (see About Us), we soon realized what followed was indeed 'borrowed time'. Nineteen months of heightened intuition, last words, and lasting memories reshaped our lives. We managed to remain in pretty good shape for the shape we were in. A new meaning to our lives was the understanding that nowhere did our lives have more meaning than here together now. In time, we saw we had nothing but time, lifetime, to enjoy the rapture of our relationship with life itself.

Directly after Rose's passing, I actively returned to our work with The Cause Collection. To enhance the flow of consciousness within the arrangement of the art and accompanying songs, tour guide's tales were composed to synthesize information previously conveyed in live presentations with interpretations supported by the reference library. With the advent of technological advances, our work is now made 'public for goodness sake' as a virtual experience at our website in cyberspace . . .

One small step for humanity,
One giant leap for harmony!