Posted by Maury Bynum on January 17, 1999 at 13:13:05:
I attach a current related proposal for your comments.
An email sent to Elena Tzareva and Robert Pinner today. I shall appreciate your thoughts on this proposal.
Revised 1-16-99 at the suggestions of several interested parties.
TURKOMAN PROGRAM PROPOSAL
Dear Robert and Elena,
It is my opinion that Turkomen rugs are the most subtle and least understood of all rug groups
and that the two of you are the leading authorities on the subject.
I have an idea to try to bring you to Chicago for an unusual program:
The program is designed to give advanced collectors an opportunity to spend some time
(Nominally 1 1/2 hrs & not a value appraisal session) with the two of you in a small group format
to discuss their rug(s) which they would bring. Consultations with 5-6 collectors would be
scheduled for 1-1 1/2 hours, 3 per day per day (Fri and Sat, 10:00-11:30, 1:00-2:30, 3:00-4:30)
with approxmiately of 30 attendees. Non attendees could attend the Saturday night dinner.
Time slots would be assigned as fee checks ($300) were received. Checks would be required six
weeks in advance (by April 9th) and held until expenses and reasonable stipends are collected ( I
would poropose that the two of you divide the net (ex: all 30 slots fill netting $9.000. Expenses
total $5,000.) Many IFs. If expectations are not reached six weeks before, but expenses are met,
the two of you could decide if the balance made sense for you! No checks woulld be deposited
until sufficient funds swere collected to insure success--otherwise, checks would be returned and
the program abandoned.
The two of you would give a program at a dinner on Saturday evening, fielding questionsat a
show-n-tell. The dinner would be open to the collecting community wheather-or-not they were
participants.
I hope that the two of you can make this activity a reality by coordinating your schedules. May I
suggest Friday and Satyurday, May 21-22.
I have received generally enthusiastic support for this activity and believe that all slots will fill
quickly.
This activity could form the critical mass around which some future study tour may develop!?
I shall appreciate your thoughts on this program and shall be looking forward to firming up a
schedule soon.
Maury
cc Marvin Amstey
Wendel Swan
John Howe
Paul Ramsey
Suzanne Kaufman
Sharon Fenlon
Bob Putnam
Dennis Marquand
Murray Eiland
You may note that the suggestion of sponsorship by both ACOR and CRS has been removed: Sharon
Fenlon, ACOR President was very negative toward the proposal and Suzanne Kaufman, CRS President
was reticent. If the proposal has merit, It should be enhanced with the absence of bureaucratic
incumberance, although organizational sanction would certainly augment it.
I hope that, as a turkoman collector, you would help by informing your colleagues of this activity.
Your suggestions are encouraged.
Thank you, Maury