WHO KNOWS ART

Who Knows Art, Wendy H. Outland 

Consultant to Visual Artists & Arts Organizations

P.O. Box 1382, Asheville NC 28802, (828) 231-5355

April 10, 2014 

To Whom It May Concern: 

There is an important story to be told.

It is a true tale that began in Florida more than two decades ago. 

Jean (Head) Skinner McLean was a fifth-generation farmer living in Florida in the Fall of 1992, when her family's citrus business - along with the entire Florida citrus industry - collapsed due to pre-NAFTA trade agreements with Mexico. 

By January 1993 her family's business had plummeted. Citrus growers were left in a bankrupt relationship with the land: hanging from the tree of life without a net. The story of her ensuing 10-year journey to payoff the million dollar family farm debt is reminiscent of a John Grisham novel, replete with a cast of villains and heroes. 

McLean had an idea, created a prospectus, and presented it to Demetri Baches and Andres Duany at Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DPZ), who decided to become involved in full capacity with the Orangewood project. 

At an early age, McLean had begun art classes and painting lessons. Additionally, she studied Old Master painting techniques (DBJC - now Daytona State College) and Metalworking (University of Kansas, University of Georgia and Penland School of Crafts) taught by AI Pine, L. Brent Kington and the esteemed Robert Ebendorf, among others. McLean earned a BFA in Applied Design (Eckerd College) and subsequently was licensed by the Florida State Board of Architecture and Interior Design. 

Over time, as McLean began to visually interpret her experiences associated to the upheaval of her own family, as well as many others whom she knew well, a series of 84 large scale paintings evolved. 

Last summer, McLean hired me to assess the artwork and discuss her plans to make the work, as well as the story, public. During my visit to her Charlotte area studio in June 2013, I examined 18 of the paintings. I also saw the carefully preserved volumes of notes, correspondence and published articles she had collected over the years, detailing her observations and experiences related to NAFTA. This extensive body of artwork relates to a wealth of information about an epic chapter of Florida's history. Her family lived that story; she documented the facts and then channeled much of her experience into the paintings she created. 

As a native Floridian, I appreciate McLean's first-hand documentation of a devastating chapter in the state's history (PAIN). But more significantly, I am impressed with the passion and creativity that went into her series of dynamic and controversial paintings 

Mahatma Gandhi stated:
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. 

Now, after many years have passed, it seems that McLean's project timeline has arrived at the sweet spot. I have encouraged her to work toward gaining funding that will allow her to move forward with her project, whether it evolves as a book, theatre production, documentary, and/or traveling exhibition. It is also possible that the collection of artwork and documentation could be donated to a college or university collection. 

It is an important story - and one that should be told.

Please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance in any way. 

Wendy H. Outland

Who Knows Art 

P.O. Box 1382

Asheville NC 28802

(828) 231-5355