http://www.mvgazette.com/obituaries/2012/03/29/al-hurwitz-91-was-work-art
http://www.mica.edu/news/peek_inside_the_sept-oct_issue_of_juxtapositions/the_legacy_of_chair_emeritus_in_art_education_dr_al_hurwitz_%E2%80%9941_(1920-2012)_is_felt_worldwide.html http://insea.org/publications/memorium-albert-hurwitz Just found out an important mentor to me passed away. Unfortunately, it looks like he passed away a year ago, which makes the pain even worse. I should have known that, period. After all moved away from the area many years ago we fell out of touch. It's unfortunate, but it does happen. Al Hurwitz was a person unlike any other. I didn't get to know him very well, but the little time I had the chance to spend with him was cherished. I first met Al when I was doing my M.A. at MICA in 2001. He was a vivacious spirit and a kind, mannerly man. We met during the winter of '01/'02 at a meeting of the minimester portion of my MA studies. I immediately took to him. He was an encyclopedia of knowledge and could sit and talk forever. The mere fact that I was able to partake in these discussions is a blessing. He complimented me heavily for a series of questions that I asked during a presentation from a visiting professor from Columbia University Teachers College. From there we'd talk from time to time. I even helped him move out of his house in the Pimlico section of Baltimore. Given his age at the time, and the fact that his home had been burglarized a few times, he decided that he and his wife should move to Martha's Vineyard to live with his son. It was crazy, but he could barely get anyone to help him pack up. I mean, he was nearing 80 at the time. So my wife and I (we weren't actually married just yet) helped him out, and I was able to bring two of my uncles along as well. My uncles were key because Al needed help taking stuff to the dump as well. Not only did he save me some books, but he let my wife go through his years of National Geographic magazines. My wife's great grandfather was featured in one in the early 80's and she tries to collect as many as she can. In addition, he gave me a priceless print from the 1950's, by an artist named Irving Amen. What killed me was that he had put many boxes of books on the side for the Decker Library at MICA. I even helped drop some of them off. As I was finishing my M.A. in the summer of '02, they had put some of those books on the $1 (or less) book cart, for sale. I couldn't believe such a callous act. So I made sure to buy several just to have a piece of him at home. The world was a better place with Al in it. Kids were better off in this world because of all of the work he did for and to promote Art Education. I'll miss you Al.
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November 2015
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