Memorial Union

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The name for our little group of seven artists came about out of a perceived need. At first we were rather flummoxed about what to call ourselves until member Bruce Burris suggested The Cosmic Bell-ringers. We embraced the spontaneity of the suggestion, for to some degree it made sense, at least to a couple of the older members of the group who are admittedly hippie holdovers. Younger members, perhaps less so, and at least one spouse rolled her eyes when told of our decision. Yet it has stuck, perhaps out of convenience, but more so because we have come to embrace its symbolic resonance for our diverse group of photographers, painters and sculptors.

Some students may be familiar with a pedagogical exercise from high school called a "bellringer" as a brief assignment given by a teacher shortly after the school bell rings. The intent is to immediately engage the students and set the pace for the remaining period. The Cosmic Bell-ringers instead use a hyphenated form of the word, as one would when speaking about someone who rings church bells to announce the gathering and fellowship of the faithful.

Isn't all that is cosmic heavenly? And if one subscribes to the belief that everything in the universe is interconnected, then when our small group of artists gathers from time-to-time to eat, drink, and critique each other's' art—despite our disparate media and ways of approaching art- we extend our individual horizons to encompass the group. Indeed, we rely on our community, just as we do the sun.