Eli Whitney Museum

The Benefit
Leonardo daVinci painted with unrivaled vision, compiled science with modern logic and invented with pure imagination. The Leonardo Challenge celebrates one of his inventions: improvisational creativity. One hundred artists, designers and playful spirits will transform a common object—this year, keys—with wit, whimsy and artistry.

The Key
Keys are ancient. As soon as people began collecting treasures, they began inventing devices to protect them. Naturally, keys developed their own mystery and power. Leonardo draws locks that were not much different from ancient Greek locks, or from the locks you grew up with.

But Leonardo is the prophet of individual identity. He imagines infinite differences. He hints that everyman is a map or code or lock with a unique key. The key becomes an icon of individual vision.

The Challenge
Each of us knows a drawer or cupboard that has collected keys whose locks are lost or forgotten.Why do we keep them? Perhaps we respect their secrets. We imagine an unknown door or chest they might open.

That's the Challenge: Find a key (or keys). Twist the key or its meaning. Insert or duplicate or cut or connect or color or conceal keys. Assemble new forms. Unlock new meanings. Let the keys start something.

The 14th Leonardo Benefit
Celebrate creativity.
Enjoy fine champagne, savor inventions
from the creative kitchen of Doug Coffin.

Thursday, April 10th 5:30 - 9pm
Support the the work of the Eli Whitney Museum
through your presence and your purchase of
artwork invented for this event.

Principal Underwriter
The MFUNd

Sponsors
Assa Abloy/Sargent
B-P Products
Brown-Forman
Lehman Brothers Engravers
Royal Printing

Contributors
Artspace
Kamco Supply Corp of New England
Brown-Forman
Koffee on Audubon
Normand Methot Collection