Spicy Vegetarian Chili and Corn Bread with Golden Raisins &
Cantaloupe Sorbet with Melon Confetti Compote

Interview with Darcy Burgund

Interview with Jim Venable

Performance Photos


I am not an actively social person, I will admit. I hardly ever strike up conversations with strangers, despite loving to talk to new people about pretty much anything. And the last place I would typically start talking to someone is in the middle of an art gallery. Nonetheless, I suppose this is what Leah and I are trying to encourage.

This particular performance was a wonderful example of a bit of success we had in this arena. There were something like a dozen people who were in the gallery this day, few of whom knew each other, yet we all sat down to eat some of the most delicious chili and cornbread ever created and ended up talking about everything from punk-singing parrots to various conspiracy theories regarding Texas lawyer-hunting. I came away from the performance marveling in the undisputable fact that had I been in the gallery under 'normal' circumstances - just there to view art hanging on walls and standing on the floor - I never would have met these interesting people. I would have kept to myself, looked at the art and left. End of story.

I wanted to share with you comments of one other participant that were made on the "Cheap Thrills - Boston" email list, as less-biased opinions are always a nice thing to have! Thanks, Rob.

"I was expecting a rigid, intellectual, stereotypically 'arty' performance with food -- like a cooking demonstration from Yoko Ono. It was much warmer, more pleasant (and delicious) experience. As part of an exhibit called 'Thread Counts Project', the most compelling piece comes alive every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday afternoon. Leah Gauthier and Halsey Burgund have created a multi-media experience about food being a common thread among people, and how people come together through food. The artists actually cook 2 dishes for you while you listen to music composed for the piece. Amazing and -- again -- delicious; it's a small gallery, but there are several interesting pieces to give some time to. In the end, I walked out feeling like I was part of the 'performance', but that was cool... "