Rago’s Hosts Auction Open House on January 8 Featuring a Talk Entitled “Everything is a Remix” by Writer, Director Kirby Ferguson

Lambertville, NJ: The Rago Arts and Auction Center hosts an open house on Tuesday, January 8, featuring a talk by writer, director Kirby Ferguson.

Kirby Ferguson’s talk entitled, “Everything is a Remix”, takes place during preview week for the Rago Unreserved Auction.  The 30 minute talk is followed by a presentation by Meredith Hilferty, who directs Rago’s Fine Art department and Jad Attal, Rago’s senior Modern specialist, to talk about remix/appropriation in their fields.

What's a remix? In Kirby Ferguson's view, any piece of art that contains a recognizable reference to another work--a quote from a lyric, a borrowed riff, a filmic homage--which makes almost everything a remix, from a Led Zeppelin song to a classic film from George Lucas. His deeply researched and insanely fun four-part web series, "Everything Is a Remix," dives into the question: Is remixing a form of creativity, a production of the new on the shoulders of what precedes it, or is it just copying? He comes out firmly on the side of creativity, calling for protections for people who, with good intentions, weave together bits of existing culture into something fresh and relevant.

Kirby Ferguson is a New York-based writer, filmmaker and speaker. He is the creator of the popular online video series “Everything is a Remix”, which has been highly praised by the likes of MythBusters' Adam Savage, Lost co-creator, Damon Lindelof, and acclaimed author, Clay Shirky.

Ferguson has spoken at TEDGlobal, South By Southwest and Google. He has worked with CNN.com, the Discovery Channel, Fight for the Future, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He is currently working on a political series, “This is Not a Conspiracy Theory”.

The Rago Unreserved Auction will be held on January 12 and 13.

The auction house opens on Tuesday, January 8 at Noon. A reception begins at 5 pm. Mr. Ferguson will speak at 6 pm.

RSVP to 609.397.9374 ext. 119 or raac@ragoarts.com. Unable to RSVP in advance? Please join us if you can. All are welcome.

TO THE EDITOR

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ABOUT RAGO ARTS AND AUCTION CENTER

Since 1994, Rago's has served thousands of sellers and buyers with a singular blend of global reach and personal service. One of the top auction houses in the field of  in 20th century design since its inception, today Rago's expertise covers centuries of fine art, decorative arts, furnishings, jewelry and ethnographic property.  It is a world-class venue through which to buy and sell. It is also a destination for those who seek to learn and share knowledge about art, antiques and collecting, offering free valuations for personal property (from a single piece to collections and estates), appraisals and auction exhibitions in house and online. Rago's, the largest and leading auction house in New Jersey, is located midway between Philadelphia and New York.

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