In Honor Of Labor Day

MEG member Michael Borek wasn't thinking about Labor Day when he took this image at the abandoned Scranton Lace Factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but it certainly portrays the changed landscape for many U.S. textile workers. 

Founded in 1897, just 15 years after Labor Day was named an official federal holiday, the Scranton Lace Factory closed its doors in 2002. Milena Kalinovska, a curator at the Hirshhorn Museum, says Michael's Lace Factory images capture the tension of changing times: 

 "With laces still in the looms, chairs on the stage of the company’s theater, the images capture dissonance between quiet beauty and troubling reality.” 

In October, Michael will launch Effective Immediately, a new exhibit at MEG featuring his Scranton Lace portfolio (more details to come!).  

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Lest the vision of an abandoned factory coinciding with the end of summer depress you, here's an image from MEG member Alan Sislen that shows the beauty that awaits us. Happy Labor Day!