莱镇人文第十二期：Molly Harding Nye Board Member, LexArt

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座落在莱镇中心窝塞姆大街（Waltham St）的莱镇艺术中心(LexArt)是鲜为人知的，已存在八十多年的瑰宝。它最初是一个行业艺人与当地艺术家们研讨交流提升自我的地方，逐渐地发展成为一个充满活力并极具前瞻性的教育艺术中心，鼓励并启发着各个层次以及处于个人艺术生涯不同阶段的艺术家们。经重新装修的The Molly Harding Nye 展廊更以焕然一新的面貌敞开大门。展廊由莱镇居民Joseph S. Nye与他的妻子Molly Nye 及朋友和家人慷慨捐助，并以Molly的名字命名为莫莉·哈丁·奈画廊。

得益中心拥有的传统工艺和现代艺术工作室空间、展览、各种课程以及奖学金，莱镇艺术中心不仅在莱镇得以广泛进行艺术推广，也将它的影响力辐射到了邻镇。本期莱镇人文的主题人物莫莉·奈就是让这一切得以实现的关键人物之一。

Molly Harding Nye

作为哈佛肯尼迪学院院长和两任华盛顿外交官Joseph Nye的夫人，莫莉以她的方式为美国尽一个公民的义务。她也是一个出色的陶艺家，一家著名画廊的缔造者之一，并长年活跃在莱镇工艺美术协会(LexArt) 和担任协会的董事。Molly 曾两次担任莱镇艺术中心的主席。

Molly认为自己最大的成就在于家庭。她最喜欢的头衔是：三个孩子的母亲。

"Get Involved!" 

- Molly Harding Nye

Molly Harding Nye的故事

绿野战原上的画廊主人

莫莉在新泽西州萨米特（Summit)出生成长，在纽约奥罗拉（Aurora）的威尔斯学院(Wells)求学深造。她和乔相识于青少年时期，并在大学毕业五天后喜结连理。这对夫妇随后在东非生活了一年半，直到 1964 年乔从哈佛大学获得博士学位。莫莉和乔回到美国，很快在莱克星顿安顿下来，生了三个孩子，约翰、本和丹，每个孩子都相隔一年。当丹六周大时，全家搬到危地马拉，以方便乔的研究工作。三年后，他们在瑞士日内瓦度过了一年。当孩子们七岁、八岁和九岁的时候，他们住在伦敦。  1977 年，当乔接受卡特政府的邀请时，奈一家搬到了华盛顿特区。

候鸟一般的迁徙生活直到1979年才暂告结束。源于对艺术的热爱，莫莉与朋友一起创办了“绿野战原上的画廊”。很快，这家与著名的民兵铜像仅仅隔路相望的画廊就成为艺术家与游客们的焦点。艺术家们在这个挚爱的艺术乐园里欣赏来自世界各地的艺术品，尤其是现代艺术以及十九世纪的美国绘画，相互汲取养分，振翅高飞。许多名人墨客和画家都是画廊的座上宾。

1993年，乔接受了克林顿政府的邀请担任国家情报委员会主席，之后成为负责国际安全事务的助理国防部长。繁忙的国际旅行使得莫莉不得不关闭心爱的画廊。现在，那里是莱镇居民喜爱的百里香烘培店。1995年，乔成为哈佛肯尼迪学院院长。

White House Dinner in honor of The Japanese Prime Minister

Vuitton Museum in Paris

艺术家莫莉·哈丁·奈

早在1969年，莫莉就是莱镇工艺美术协会陶瓷协会的成员；她曾经四次担任陶瓷协会会长。

她喜欢制陶，沉迷于陶土在她的手中转变成形态各异的陶器。而过去的八年，她更喜欢雕塑，尤其是人体雕塑。在她的工作台上，陈列着一尊名为Transported 的雕塑，造型优雅，气韵灵动，是莫莉非常喜欢的作品之一。

莫莉的雕塑作品之一：Transported

莫莉为DeCordova博物馆的旧石墙制作了一系列等比头像以向开拓者们致敬！石墙是西方文化中很普遍的一个存在，拓荒者清理土地之后筑起石墙以抵御动物的侵扰。作为早期移民拓垦地，整个新英格兰有着数千英里这样的石墙。

莫莉的石墙作品：Stonewall in Decordova

莫莉的石墙作品：Headstones

莫莉的石墙作品：Sculpture of a stonewall

莫莉·哈丁·奈画廊

莫莉对莱镇艺术的贡献远不止于此。

创立于1935年的工艺美术协会如今的莱镇艺术中心是一家非营利社区教育中心，它的宗旨是保护与促进优秀的传统与当代艺术及手工艺，通过艺术以及手工艺的创造力量来丰富人们的生活。

近二十年的时间，莱镇艺术中心没有永久的家；成员们在彼此家中或者社区中心相聚，追求艺术提高技艺。1952年协会注册成为非营利组织，次年在窝塞姆大街130号买下了一块地，又一年，一栋由协会成员们亲自设计与建造的大楼落成，协会有了首次公开展。

座落于莱镇中心窝塞姆大街（Waltham St）的莱镇艺术中心(LexArt)

Photo: Nicole Moredecai

莫莉是莱镇工艺美术协会的主席和联合主席。在担任联合主席期间，她致力于将学会带入二十一世纪。经过八年的努力，在新任主席韦恩·戴维斯的支持下，莱镇艺协终于得以改变，接受新思想，变得更加外向和面向社区。在将近 80 年之后，这颗暗投明珠开始大放异彩。

如今的莱镇艺术中心，除了绘画之外，还提供陶艺、装饰艺术、缝纫、编织、金属珠宝工艺、摄影、木艺等其他艺术形式的课程。它每年都有许多的展览与活动为艺术家们提供展示和交流的平台，也为不同水平的艺术爱好者们组织和设计了许多高水平的多媒体课程。它为社区居民尤其是高中生提供的奖学金激励了一代又一代的年轻人追求艺术之道，实现他们的梦想。从中受益的，不仅仅是莱镇居民，也包含了贝德福（Bedford）和窝塞姆（Waltham）等邻镇的居民。

莫莉八十岁那年，乔决定送给妻子一份特别的礼物。知道没有什么比莱镇艺协的改变和改进更能让她高兴的了，为了让更多人享受莱镇艺术中心并从中受益，Joe 向协会捐赠了一份重要的礼物。莫莉·哈丁·奈画廊（Molly Harding Nye ）由此诞生。它不仅代表莫莉，也代表莫莉的其他家人和朋友的支持，他们与乔一起赞助了画廊的建设。

现在的画廊简单、高效、优雅。它拥有一千多平方英尺的空间；新颖而优雅的LED灯饰让展品更加惊艳；开放式天花板创造出一个开放通风的空间感；电梯和浴室经过新装修，增加了残疾人通道；甚至还有了针对新冠病毒大流行而展开的一系列升级措施比如空气净化系统。

执行董事马特·西格尔（Matthew Siegal ）指出：“莱镇艺协正在在社区参与、社区支持和社区伙伴关系方面努力发挥更积极的作用。比如扩大我们的高中奖学金计划和青少年艺术教育计划。而莫莉·哈丁·奈画廊的建造为这一切提供了坚实的后盾。“

Molly Harding Nye 画廊 

摄影：Nicole Moredecai

Join LexArt 

LexArt

与中国的渊源

作为两任华盛顿外交官的夫人，莫莉对于中国并不陌生。不过她与中国的渊源还有着深厚的私人关联。莫莉的儿子丹和他的妻子梅根决定领养一个中国孤儿。在领养过程中，这对夫妇有了自己的小女儿。2002年，莫莉与年轻的家人前往中国将九个月大的新女儿Margaret Belle Ling带回家。由于各种原因的延误，梅根和婴儿艾莉在中国仅呆了一周就返回旧金山。莫莉和丹则在广州逗留了三个星期完成所有领养流程，将玛格丽特带回美国。莫莉称此次中国之行是一段弥足珍贵的经历。

Molly Harding Nye画廊 摄影：鱼儿

Molly Harding Nye's Story- English 

Editor's note

Located on Waltham Street,  LexArt - formerly the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society - has been a hidden treasure for more than 80 years. It originally served as a place for local artists and crafters to improve themselves and gradually transformed itself into a vibrant, forward-thinking educational art center that encourages and inspires artisans at all levels and at all stages. With its studio space, shows, classes, and scholarships, LexArt promotes art not only in Lexington, but also in neighboring towns. Molly Nye, a person who has helped make this happen, is featured in this issue of Discover Lexington. 

Molly Harding Nye's Story

Molly's Profile

Molly has devoted much of her life to her family. Her favorite title is Mother Of Three. But she also has been the wife of the Dean of Harvard Kennedy School, co-owner of the Gallery on the Green. 

Molly was born and grew up in Summit, New Jersey, and went to Wells College in Aurora New York. She and Joe met as teenagers, and tied the knot five days after college. The couple then lived in East Africa for a year and a half until 1964, when Joe received a doctorate from Harvard University. Molly and Joe returned to the United States, quickly settled in Lexington, and had three children, John, Ben, and Dan, each a year apart. When Dan was a month and a half old, Molly moved with Joe to Guatemala, so Joe could do some research for his academic pursuit. Three years later, they spent  a year in Geneva, Switzerland. When the children were seven, eight, and nine, they lived in London. In 1977, when Joe accepted an invitation from the Carter administration, the Nye family again left, this time  for Washington, D.C.

The revolving door came to a temporary close in 1979 and Molly, with some friends,  was able to start the Gallery on the Green in Lexington Center. The gallery soon became a focal point for artists and visitors alike, who enjoyed art, especially contemporary and nineteenth-century American painting. 

In 1993, Joe accepted an invitation from the Clinton administration to head the National Intelligence Council before becoming Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security. In 1995 , he becomes the Dean of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

White House Dinner in honor of The Japanese Prime Minister

Vuitton Museum in Paris

Artist Molly 

As early as 1969, Molly was a member of the Ceramics Guild of Lexington Arts and Crafts Society and has also served four times as president of the Ceramics Guild.

One of Molly's sculpture：Transported

She made pottery and was fascinated by the way clay was transformed into different shapes in her hands. For the past eight years, she has preferred sculpture, especially figurative sculpture. Molly has made a series of clay heads to fit in the DeCordova Museum’s old stone walls, in a nod to the thousands of miles of such walls all over New England. 

Stone walls in Decordova

Headstones

Sculpture of a stonewall

Molly has been very involved with Lexington Arts and Crafts Society since 1969.  Founded in 1935, Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, recently rebranded as LexArt,  is a non-profit community education center that aims to protect and promote excellence in traditional and contemporary arts and crafts, and through the creative power of arts and crafts to enrich people's lives.

For nearly 20 years,  it had no permanent home; members met in each others’ homes or community centers to pursue art and improve their skills. The association was registered as a non-profit in 1952 and the following year bought a lot at 130 Waltham Street. Within another year, a building designed and built by the members of the association was completed, and the association had its first public exhibition.

LexArt

Photo: Nicole Moredecai

Molly was the president and  co-president of the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society. During her co-presidency,  she worked to bring the Society into the twenty-first century starting in 2011. After eight years of hard work, and with support of the new chairman, Wayne Davis, the Society was finally able to embrace these ideas and become more outward-facing and community-oriented. After almost 80 years,  this organization, once a hidden treasure, is now ready to shine.

Today, LexArt provides lessons in pottery, decorative arts, sewing, knitting, metal jewelry craft, photography, woodworking, and other art forms. It hosts a variety of exhibitions and activities that provide platforms for artists to showcase their work. It also organizes and designs courses in different media for all levels. The scholarships provided to community residents, especially high school students, have inspired generations of young people to pursue their path in the arts and realize their dreams. It is not just the residents of Lexington who have benefited from LexArt, but also those in neighboring towns such as Bedford and Waltham as well.

Molly turned eighty this year and Joe decided to give his wife a special gift. Knowing that nothing would make her happier than changes and improvements in LexArt to allow more people to enjoy and benefit from it, Joe donated a significant gift to the association. The Molly Harding Nye Gallery was thus born. It represents not only Molly, but also the support of Molly's other family and friends, who together with Joe sponsored the gallery. 

Today's gallery is simple, efficient, and elegant. It has a space of over one thousand square feet, and new and elegant LED lighting makes the exhibits even more stunning. Open ceilings create an open and airy sense of space. The elevator and bathroom have been newly renovated to add handicapped access, and there are even a series of upgrades for the new coronavirus pandemic such as an air purification system.

Executive director Matthew Siegal noted: "The Lexington Arts and Crafts Society is striving to play a more active role in community engagement, support and partnerships, such as expanding our high school scholarship programs and youth arts education programs. And the construction of the Molly Harding Nye Gallery will provide a solid foundation for all of these programs."

Molly Harding Nye Gallery 

Photo：Nicole Moredecai

Join LexArt 

Molly Harding Nye Gallery 

Note from the editor

As the wife of a two-term Washington diplomat, Molly is no stranger to China. But her Chinese roots have a personal twist. Molly's son Dan and his wife Meagan decided to adopt a Chinese orphan.  During the adoption process , the couple had their own little girl.  In 2002, Molly with the young family went  to China to bring their new daughter Margaret Belle Ling, then nine months old, home. Because of the delays in the adoption paperwork, Meagan and baby Ellie returned to San Francisco after just a week in China.  Molly and Dan stayed in Guangzhou for another three weeks to complete the process and bring Margaret home to the US. 

Molly Harding Nye Gallery 

Photo：Jessie C.

Scroll down to read in English

往期精彩

莱镇人文

感受百年小镇的历史沉淀与文化底蕴

中文：Elizabeth Xu

英文：Ashley Rooney  

Anne Lee & Helen Zhao

图文编辑和策划：鱼儿

封面设计：袁力   封面摄影：鱼儿

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月刊 I 莱镇华协(CAAL) 2021 年 07 月