Canton Museum of Art is beyond grateful to have received a thoughtful gift from artist Judith Brandon of her piece Golden Rule, which was recently displayed in our lobby. We greatly admired the piece when it was here for our Three Voices exhibit and know that it will contribute significantly to our Permanent Collection.

Judith Brandon grew up in Ohio, in a house at the bottom of a hill. Every spring, she would have to help her mother “rescue” their basement as it flooded with water. These occurrences helped to inspire the thematic character of her artwork–how nature can sweep us away, stirring up our emotions and causing us to feel helpless or awestruck.

In Judith’s work, you will see a union of nature and emotion, and Golden Rule is no exception. Indeed, it seems that Judith was swept up in emotions when she made the piece, saying that “It came spilling out one late afternoon and was finished a few days later, which is extremely rare for me.” She states that “Golden Rule is one of those pieces that is best shared. Its essence is: Love and accept yourself, only then can you truly love and accept others.

Ominous storm clouds crowd the top of the painting, only to break apart by a glowing path of golden light which illuminates the ground below it. Various words are incised over the piece, such as “Quit waiting for something to happen,” “You won’t ever be the same as yesterday,” and “The other side is love,” among others. Some are well-hidden, others are easily visible. What phrases will you find to inspire you?

-Kaleigh Pisani-Paige, Assistant Registrar