♪ >> WELCOME TO "CROSSROADS."

FOR MANY POP ARTIFICIAL AFICIO NADOS, CONCEPTUAL ARTIST ELAINE SEGAL, SHOWS CERAMIC POTS IF YOU WOULD OF RED LIQUID BEING SMASHED BY BAT-WIELDING CHILDREN, A CONCEPTUAL ART AND PROMOTER, SEGAL HAS BEEN ORGANIZING OFF-BEAT PUBLIC ART EVENTS FOR YEARS, SO IT CAME AS NO SURPRISE WHEN SHE ANNOUNCED A SHOW CALLED "THE VULGAR AND THE SUBLIME."

HELD IN MID AUGUST AT BURLINGTON'S FLETCHER FREE LIBRARY IT FOCUSED ON THE PERSPECTIVES OF A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE, VIS-A-VIS THEIR CONCEPT OF THAT WHICH EPITOMIZED THE VULGAR AND SUBLIME IN THEIR LIVES.

AS YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE THE ENTRIES WERE DIVERSIFIED AS THE PARTICIPANTS THEMSELVES.

>> "TH VULGAR AND THE SUBLIME" IS A COMMUNITY EXHIBITION WHERE AROUND 30 PEOPLE FROM ALL DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BURLINGTON AREA COMMUNITY WERE ASKED TO LEND ONE OBJECT THAT THEY FOUND TO BE OF UNQUESTIONABLE BEAUTY AND ONE OBJECT THEY FOUND TO BE OF UNQUESTIONABLE UGLINESS.

THE ONLY RESTRICTION ON THE OBJECTS WAS THAT THEY BE ARTIFICIAL, RATHER THAN THOSE OCCURRING IN NATURE.

AND THE REASON I PUT THAT RESTRICTION ON IT WAS THAT I WANTED PEOPLE TO REFLECT ON AN -- AND EXAMINE THE WORLD THAT WE HAVE MADE.

>> [INAUDIBLE] [INAUDIBLE] [INAUDIBLE] >> OKAY, I WILL PUT THE STEERING WHEEL, MY MOST BEAUTIFUL OBJECT BECAUSE IT SHOWS FREEDOM, ACTUALLY.

AS YOU ARE GOING DOWN THE ROAD, YOU CAN TH -- YOU CONTROL YOUR E WITH THE STEERING WHEEL AND YOUR EMOTION.

IF YOU WANT TO THE LEFT, YOU CAN GO TO THE LEFT.

OR TO THE RIGHT.

AND I JUST FELT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT OBJECT, AND IT'S NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.

I THINK IT DOES SO MUCH, IT JUST CONTROLS YOUR LIFE.

YOU ARE HOLDING YOUR LIFE IN YOUR OWN HANDS.

>> I AM FROM SHELBURNE, AND MY OBJECT OF BEAUTY IS THE HAND BELL.

I PLAY IN THE HAND BELL CHOIR AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, AND MUSIC HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT DEAL TO ME.

WHEN YOU DON'T SEE SOUND IS OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE, AND MUSIC, IN PARTICULAR.

WHAT I CHOSE WAS THE WORD, EXPLOITATION.

FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MY MIND IS EXPLOITATION OF ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.

WEAKNESS.

WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.

AND THE OTHER, THE SECOND THING WOULD BE OF OUR EARTH AND ALL THAT INVOLVES.

>> THE OBJECT THAT I PICKED WAS A SCULPTURE.

I DON'T THINK THAT I PICKED THAT ONE BECAUSE IT'S A WORK OF ART.

BUT SHE LIKED IT SO MUCH.

I DID, TOO.

I PICKED IT BECAUSE IT'S -- PEOPLE'S WAY OF LIFE, AND I THINK THAT THEY HAD THEIR BABIES WHEREVER THEY WENT AND THAT WAS NICE, YOU KNOW.

AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.

I PICKED THE DOLLAR.

MOST PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY.

A LOT OF GREEDY PEOPLE THAT WOULD LIE AND CHEAT AND STEAL AND EVEN KILL FOR IT.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY UGLY.

THAT IS BAD.

>> OH!

>> AND WELCOME TO "THE VULGAR AND THE SUBLIME."

I AM GLAD YOU ALL COULD COME.

AND FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK LOTS OF PEOPLE, MOSTLY THE PEOPLE WHO EXHIBITED THEIR STUFF, AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE EXHIBITION SO FABULOUS BECAUSE 30 PEOPLE REALLY SAT DOWN AND THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT WAS UGLY AND WHAT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND IT'S JUST SO MUCH -- IT'S SO MUCH BETTER THAN I EVER DREAMED!

IT'S WONDERFUL.

AND I THANK YOU.

IT'S REALLY, REALLY WONDERFUL.

>> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE PROUD TO INTRODUCE OUR INTERNATIONAL MUSICAL AND PERFORMING ARTIST -- SHE'S A WORKAHOLIC, A SPIRIT LIFTER SAYING HER BIGGEST CONTRIBUTION TO MANKIND IS HER ART OF MUSIC.

THE PRESS CALLS HER A GOOD WILL AMBASSADOR.

SHE SAYS QUOTE, "EVERYONE WHO LOVES MUSIC IS MY RELATIVE," UNQUOTE SO I GUESS THAT WE ARE ALL RELATED.

[APPLAUSE] >> OH, YOU ARE READY.

>> ALL RIGHT.

AND NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE JOIN AR LONA AND HER SAXOPHONES.

[APPLAUSE] ♪ ♪ ♪ [GOD BLESS AMERICA] [PLAYING THE TUNE TO, "GOD BLESS AMERICA] >> I THINK IT'S A REAL MISTAKE TO SEPARATE ART FROM EVERY DAY LIFE OR SEPARATE ART FROM OTHER KINDS OF VOCATION BECAUSE IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT YOU DO AS LONG AS YOU DO IT WITH A KIND OF FOCUS AND DEDICATION AND SORT OF PASSION.

IT BECOMES ART NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO.

>> I'VE BEEN ASKED A LOT WHERE I GOT THIS IDEA, AND EVERY TIME I AM DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER.

SO HERE, YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO A NUMBER OF GARAGE SALES AND YOU ENTER ALL THESE REALITIES AND YOU SEE, YOU ENTER LIKE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PEOPLE, AND YOU SEE ALL THESE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE AND EVERYBODY HAS A REALLY STRONG AESTHETIC, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST ART TYPES BUT EVERYBODY HAS A FEEL FOR WHAT IS BEAUTIFUL AND UGLY, AND SO I DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO APPROACH IT IN SOME KIND OF FORMAL WAY.

AND AN EXHIBIT, AND EXHIBIT PEOPLE'S AESTHETIC, ALSO EXHIBIT PEOPLE WHO DID NOT HAVE AN AESTHETIC VOICE.

IN PARTICULAR.

LIKE MY MECHANIC OR A WAITRESS AT HENRY'S DINER.

>> I WORK AT HENRY'S DINER AS A WAITRESS.

FOR 27 PLUS YEARS, AND I WAS ASKED BY ELAINE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EXHIBITION AT THE LIBRARY.

SHE SAID IT'S THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE UGLY.

SO I CHOSE A FAMILY WHICH HAS THE BIRTH STONE OF MYSELF, MY TWO SONS, THEIR WIVES AND EACH ONE OF THEIR TWO CHILDREN, SO FOUR CHILDREN, AND AT THE UGLY SCENE I HAD A FLY PAPER COVERED WITH DEAD [INAUDIBLE] >> I AM RICHARD, I AM A PSYCHOLOGIST.

I CONTRIBUTED A POLYESTER SPORTS JACKET, HIDEOUS PATTERN.

SOME HOW MATERIALIZED IN MY CLOSET.

I DON'T KNOW HOW I GOT IT.

ACTUALLY MY SON DUG IT OUT OF THE CLOSET AND WAS THE BRAIN BEHIND THAT.

IT HAS A FABRIC THAT HAS NO LIFE TO IT.

>> OF COURSE, ONE OF THE REASONS I DID THIS EXHIBITION IS BECAUSE THE QUESTION OF BEAUTY AND UGLINESS AND IS A PERSONAL ONE BECAUSE MY TASTE, THE THINGS THAT I THINK ARE REALLY NICE, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK ARE REALLY AWFUL.

AND HERE YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THEM.

HERE'S SOMETHING THAT I PICKED UP THE OTHER DAY, AND THAT, OF COURSE, IS REALLY AWFUL.

THIS IS REALLY -- THIS IS SUBLIME.

ONE OF THE DEFINITIONS IS THE ULTIMATE, RIGHT.

THIS IS NOT THE ULTIMATE BUT THIS IS A HINT AT THE ULTIMATE.

PLUTONIUM, AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING WONDERFUL ABOUT THAT, I THINK.

NOW THIS, FOR INSTANCE, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS THAT I OWN.

IT WAS MADE BY A WOMAN.

WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT, A FRIEND CAME OVER WITH HER BABY, AND THE BABY IMMEDIATELY WENT FOR IT.

AND THE MOTHER SAID DON'T TOUCH THAT.

YOU WILL GET BAD TASTE, WHICH WAS LIKE A KIND OF JOKE.

NOW, YEAH, THERE IS TWO OF THE HAPPY FACE, ONE SUBLIME AND THE OTHER VULGAR.

THIS SHOE, THIS IS A FLIPPER, THIS IS WHAT THEY GIVE YOU IN THE HOSPITAL IF YOU DON'T BRING YOUR OWN SLIPPERS, THIS IS A RUBBER SLIPPER.

GREEN AND BLACK THAT HAS THE HAPPY FACE.

I THINK THIS IS REALLY, REALLY UGLY.

THIS, ON THE OTHER HAND, I GOT AT A GAS STATION LIKE A COUPLE DAYS AGO, AND THIS, I THINK, WAS REALLY WONDERFUL.

IT'S SO BIG!

IT'S WHERE WILL WHAT IT IS.

ONE OF THE MYSTERIES OF BEAUTY, OF COURSE, IS THAT EVEN AMONG THE MOST KIND OF RELATIVE-MINDED AMONG US WHO SAYS, IF YOU REALLY GET DOWN TO IT, EVERYBODY KNOWS IN THEIR HEART WHAT IS BEAUTIFUL AND WHAT IS NOT, AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW AND I KNOW WHAT IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL.

NOW, I INVITE YOU TO VIEW THE FOLLOWING OBJECTS, AND FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE IS VULGAR AND WHICH IS SUBLIME.

♪ ♪ >> I AM GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT MY INTUITION IS, HUMAN BEINGS ARE TRAINED TO BE AUTOMATICALLY UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN THEY SENSE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN THEMSELVES, A KIND OF DEFENSE MECHANISM WE DEVELOPED TO KEEP GROUPS INTACT BUT IT DOES NOT WORK ANY MORE.

THIS IS GOING TO SOUND A LITTLE CORNY, BUT WE ALL HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE TOGETHER NOT ONLY DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCES, BUT ON ACCOUNT OF OUR DIFFERENCES, AND EVEN TAKE DELIGHT IN OUR DIFFERENCES AND THROUGH THE ACCEPTANCE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, LEARN THAT WE ARE ALL EXACTLY ALIKE, CREATURES THAT WANT TO LOVE AND BELOVED.

I BELIEVE THAT.

I REALLY DO.

>> WHAT'S RED, YELLOW, ORANGE, AND GREEN, A COUPLE OF MILES LONG, AND CAN MAKE PEOPLE SMILE FOR AN ENTIRE AFTERNOON.

IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN BURLINGTON LAST SEPTEMBER 14th FOR THE NORTHEAST SHRINE ASSOCIATION CONVENTION, I THINK THE ANSWER.

FOR THAT WAS THE DAY OVER 2,000 SHRINERS FROM ALL OVER NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN CANADA CONVERGED ON THE QUEEN CITY FOR THEIR HUGE REGIONAL PARADE.

THE GAUDY EASTERN MOTIFS AND HIGH SPIRITED FESTITY THAT SURROUNDS THE EVENTS STAND IN CONTRAST WITH A SERIOUS HUMANITARIAN MISSION OF THIS HUGE FRATERNAL ORGANIZATION.

WHO YOU THE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS OF THE 885,000 MEMBERS THE SHRINE OPERATES 22 CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS, THREE OF THEM SPECIALIZING IN THE TREATMENT OF BURNS.

IN 1985 ALONE SHRINERS RAISED OVER 150 MILLION, MUCH OF IT COMING OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS.

AS DEDICATED AS THEY ARE TO HUMANITY, SHRINERS HAVE A LEGENDARY PENSION FOR MERRIMENT.

NOWHERE IS THIS MORE EVIDENT THAN IN THEIR PARADES.

LET'S JOIN THE 14,000 OR SO SPECTATORS WHO LINE THE STREETS OF BURLINGTON LAST SEPTEMBER FOR THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF THE SHRINE EXPERIENCE.

♪ >> THIS PARADE THAT YOU ARE SEEING TODAY WAS THREE OR FOUR YEARS' LABOR.

WE'VE BEEN PLANNING THIS SINCE 1978 OR 1979.

THE MUSIC AND THE FESTIVITIES YOU SEE HERE ARE ALL FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC HOPING THAT WE CAN DRIVE PEOPLE TO THE SHRINE, NOT ONLY MEMBERSHIP, BUT MANY FOR THE HOSPITALS AND OUR GREAT PHILANTHROPY.

THE THINGS WE DO FOR THE CHILDREN, THROUGH THE HOSPITALS AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS, I DON'T THINK THAT WE COME OUT A DRY EYE.

NOT FOR SADNESS.

THIS IS FOR JOY.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> THIS IS THE NORTHEAST SHRINE ASSOCIATION WHICH COMPRISES ALL OF THIS AREA IN NEW ENGLAND.

NEW BRUNSWICK, QUEBEC, MONTREAL, [INAUDIBLE] AND NOVA SCOTIA.

WE GET TOGETHER TWICE A YEAR, IN THE SPRING, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪