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The Ruby is a catalyst for creativity and a home for making art at Duke.

Music Maker Artists Visit Ruby Installation

Published By Katy Clune
Published on: December 13, 2019

When Little Willie Farmer and Pat "Mother Blues" Cohen visited the Rubenstein Arts Center before their  Duke Performances gig on Dec 7, they were greeted with an extraordinary sight—their portraits, ten feet tall.

Larger Than Life

When Little Willie Farmer and Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen visited the Rubenstein Arts Center before their  Duke Performances gig on Dec 7, they were greeted with an extraordinary sight—their own faces, made timeless in tin type portraits by Timothy Duffy, installed at over ten feet tall on the front windows. These blues musicians have received support crucial to growing their careers from Music Maker Relief Foundation.

Aaron Greenhood captured the moment, which was so moving to Cohen, she told him, “My dad discouraged me from being a singer. I’m going to send him this photo.”

The temporary installation at the Ruby was in support of Music Maker 25, a five-day festival by Duke Performances celebrating twenty-five years of this NC-based non-profit dedicated to preserving the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting musicians. See it inside—and outside—the arts center through January 31.

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