V'Ann Cornelius (by David Lister)
Here is a tribute to V'Ann that I posted last night on the Origami List ((Origami-L). Anne LaVin has asked subscribers to repost their memories to this special page on the Ousa web site. V'Ann's husband, John Cornelius has already graciously replied to my message.
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When I read two weeks ago of the tribute paid to V'ann at the Escondito
Facility of the Mingei Museum, I was immensely glad for her. Yet, I also read
that she was in a wheelchair and, I sensed that all was not well. I am shocked
to learn how very quickly my anxieties have materialised and I feel so sorry
that she has departed from us so soon and at such an early age. My heartfelt
sympathy go out to her husband and children.
I may be wrong, but don't think that V'Ann ever came to England to attend a
convention of the British Origami Society. If not, this was our loss. But I did
meet her several times at two conventions in New York and at an OUSA Conference
in San Francisco. The first time was in 1995, when John Smith and I had newly
arrived in New York and were settling into our rooms before the convention
started. She was the first one to come to our room to greet us, very warmly. We
also visited her in her own room, along the corridor, where we found her deeply
immersed in organising the convention with the help of her laptop.
convention of the British Origami Society. If not, this was our loss. But I did
meet her several times at two conventions in New York and at an OUSA Conference
in San Francisco. The first time was in 1995, when John Smith and I had newly
arrived in New York and were settling into our rooms before the convention
started. She was the first one to come to our room to greet us, very warmly. We
also visited her in her own room, along the corridor, where we found her deeply
immersed in organising the convention with the help of her laptop.
I again came to New York for the Convention in June, 1997, where I met
her once more and later that year attended the first PCOC at San Francisco,
where V'Ann was again busy with the organisation.
her once more and later that year attended the first PCOC at San Francisco,
where V'Ann was again busy with the organisation.
Following my visit to San Francisco I travelled south to San Diego to visit
Florence Temko. V'Ann also lived in the area. There, at a Saturday afternoon
meeting for local folders in a small local library, I met many of the local
folders. Thanks to V'Ann, and others, San Diego was to become a very active and
creative centre for Origami.
Florence Temko. V'Ann also lived in the area. There, at a Saturday afternoon
meeting for local folders in a small local library, I met many of the local
folders. Thanks to V'Ann, and others, San Diego was to become a very active and
creative centre for Origami.
During my visit to San Diego, I visited the Mingei Museum (or rather, it
was the new Mingei Museum because it had recently been magnificently
rebuilt. I knew that the Mingei had previously had associations with papercrafts
and my immediate object was to inspect Florence Temko's splendid gift of origami
books to the Museum. On this occasion there was no exhibition of origami taking
place but there were many interesting exhibits to inspect.
was the new Mingei Museum because it had recently been magnificently
rebuilt. I knew that the Mingei had previously had associations with papercrafts
and my immediate object was to inspect Florence Temko's splendid gift of origami
books to the Museum. On this occasion there was no exhibition of origami taking
place but there were many interesting exhibits to inspect.
In 2003, the Mingei held its great "Origami Masterworks" exhibition. This
was the finest exbibition of Origami, ever to have taken place. Nothing of this
range or scale had ever taken place before, even taking account of the great
exhibitions of the work of Yoshizawa in Japan. V'Ann was heavily engaged at the
centre of its organisation
was the finest exbibition of Origami, ever to have taken place. Nothing of this
range or scale had ever taken place before, even taking account of the great
exhibitions of the work of Yoshizawa in Japan. V'Ann was heavily engaged at the
centre of its organisation
My last meeting with V'Ann was at the Masters of Origami Exhibition in
July,2005 at Salzberg in Austria. V'Ann didn't organise the meeting itself, but
on the strength of her organisation of the Origami Masterworks Exhibition at the
Mingei she had been invited to Salzberg to set up the exhibits. At Salzberg, she
was appointed Co-Curator and I found her very busy everywhere organising the
displays But as always she remained in the background and she never sought any
of the glory.
July,2005 at Salzberg in Austria. V'Ann didn't organise the meeting itself, but
on the strength of her organisation of the Origami Masterworks Exhibition at the
Mingei she had been invited to Salzberg to set up the exhibits. At Salzberg, she
was appointed Co-Curator and I found her very busy everywhere organising the
displays But as always she remained in the background and she never sought any
of the glory.
More recently, beginning early in 2007 and still continuing at the present
time the Mingei has been holding another exhibition of paperfolding, with the
name of "Paper Transformed". This time, V'Ann was appointed to be the Curator of
the exhibition. Once more, the exhibition has proved to be an exceptionally
popular one for the Mingei, which is now established as the leading origami
museum in the world, Could this ever have happened if V'Ann had not lived in
the area of the Museum? To our sadness, we now know that much of this time,
unknown to us all, V'Ann was hiding the shadow of the illness which eventually
took her away from us.
time the Mingei has been holding another exhibition of paperfolding, with the
name of "Paper Transformed". This time, V'Ann was appointed to be the Curator of
the exhibition. Once more, the exhibition has proved to be an exceptionally
popular one for the Mingei, which is now established as the leading origami
museum in the world, Could this ever have happened if V'Ann had not lived in
the area of the Museum? To our sadness, we now know that much of this time,
unknown to us all, V'Ann was hiding the shadow of the illness which eventually
took her away from us.
All this time, V'Ann was also acting as a regional member of the Board of
Origami USA and helped to hold that organisation together through periods when
the tensions between the Board, based, (like the earlier Origami Center, in
Lillian Oppenheimer's home city of metropolitan New York), and the regions of
the United States, which threatened to tear the organisation apart. Throughout
this time V'Ann stood steadfast and continued, loyally, to work for OUSA as a
whole and also to contribute to the success both the New York Conventions and
also to the Pacific Coast Conferences. But she was very much a back-room worker
and sought no self-credit for her own achievements. Her total contribution will
probably never be known, even to those who were closest to her.
Origami USA and helped to hold that organisation together through periods when
the tensions between the Board, based, (like the earlier Origami Center, in
Lillian Oppenheimer's home city of metropolitan New York), and the regions of
the United States, which threatened to tear the organisation apart. Throughout
this time V'Ann stood steadfast and continued, loyally, to work for OUSA as a
whole and also to contribute to the success both the New York Conventions and
also to the Pacific Coast Conferences. But she was very much a back-room worker
and sought no self-credit for her own achievements. Her total contribution will
probably never be known, even to those who were closest to her.
Fortunately, in the nick of time, realisation came to a few people and on
28th December, 2007, both the Mingei Museum and Origami USA announced
unprecedented awards to V'Ann, at the Facitlity of the Mingei Museum at
Escondito. This was a facilitywhich she herself had been instumental in
creating. There,Origami USA announced the creation of the "V'Ann Cornelius Award
for Regional Groups" and The Mingei Museum formally renamed the Museum's
collection of origami books, the "V'Ann Cornelius Origami Collection". V'Ann
attended the event with her family. She was confined to a wheelchair, but she
clearly enjoyed the occasion. V'Ann died just twelve days later on 9th
January.
28th December, 2007, both the Mingei Museum and Origami USA announced
unprecedented awards to V'Ann, at the Facitlity of the Mingei Museum at
Escondito. This was a facilitywhich she herself had been instumental in
creating. There,Origami USA announced the creation of the "V'Ann Cornelius Award
for Regional Groups" and The Mingei Museum formally renamed the Museum's
collection of origami books, the "V'Ann Cornelius Origami Collection". V'Ann
attended the event with her family. She was confined to a wheelchair, but she
clearly enjoyed the occasion. V'Ann died just twelve days later on 9th
January.
From the start of my subscribing to Origami-L in 1996, V'Ann was always
"there" and I frequently exchanged e-mails with her on all manner of topics of
Origami. I confess that one of the first things I impertinently asked her was
about was her unusual name. She happily explained told me that her name had been
chosed by her father and it was intended to be pronounced in two parts: the "V"
as in the letter "V"and followed by the more usual name of "Ann". it was
certainly a distinctive name for a distinctive person! I shall miss her, as
will so many who have had anything to do with international origami during the
past twenty years. But we shall always have Origami and as long as we have
origami, V'Ann will always be with us
"there" and I frequently exchanged e-mails with her on all manner of topics of
Origami. I confess that one of the first things I impertinently asked her was
about was her unusual name. She happily explained told me that her name had been
chosed by her father and it was intended to be pronounced in two parts: the "V"
as in the letter "V"and followed by the more usual name of "Ann". it was
certainly a distinctive name for a distinctive person! I shall miss her, as
will so many who have had anything to do with international origami during the
past twenty years. But we shall always have Origami and as long as we have
origami, V'Ann will always be with us
David Lister.
Grimsby, England.
10th January, 2008
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