BEHIND THE SCENES

A selection from the thousands of colorful task lists Lorraine Serena compiled to organize each day of work on the project beginning in 1991

“Women beyond borders has become enormously sophisticated, thanks in large part to the long hours Lorraine Serena clocks each day to work on the website for funding, logistics and the search for a permanent home for the boxes. But there’s no martyrdom here.” Lorraine replied: “This is not about me. This is not about one woman, this is about all women.”

– Melissa Minkin

Not many have seen the tremendous collaboration and commitment going on behind the Women Beyond Borders scenes for over three decades, both internationally and in the USA. Since we were a grassroots project starting out on an unknown process away from the mainstream art world, we learned by doing: packing, shipping, unpacking, acting as conservators, archivers, curators, translators, fundraisers, event planners, videographers, photographers, and negotiators. All that, with many a customs challenge along the way! The photos below show a microcosm of our work.

Lorraine working at her desk in 1991, she didn’t know it then, but she had just begun a journey that would span multiple continents and would still be a part of her life over three decades later.

This was the first computer Lorraine used to work on the project, a Macintosh IIci.

A note was left by the hotel front desk for Lorraine Serena, informing her of a call that was made by Daphna Naor, the primary curator for all Israeli WBB boxes and an early partner in the project.

Lorraine Serena and Curator Esther Regueira in Lorraine’s studio sometime after the initial box exhibition. Esther was the first guest to come to see the boxes in Lorraine’s studio, she traveled all the way from Spain for the visit.

Anette Kubitza Ph.D., Art Historian and Archivist cataloging WBB boxes.

Lorraine Serena and Anette Kubitza, just before interviewing Fluxus Artist Alice Hutchins about her life and works.

WBB artists Saritha Margon and Pepa Devan working with a friend to repair boxes in Santa Barbara.

Luz Maria Anguiano, Assistant and WBB artist preparing boxes for shipment.

Jenna Drammer, playing with an Italian music box in Lorraine’s Studio.

Jenni Marsh, Assistant, in the process of creating a database.

Lorraine’s Studio, filled with boxes from all around the world.

Lan Huong Nguyen carried the boxes all the way from Vietnam with three of her siblings. She said that “it (WBB) was a new way of art for Vietnam”.

Frank Serena lifts another completed crate that he built to transport WBB boxes internationally.

Jan Fieldsend, Manager of Tin Sheds Gallery, the University of Sydney with Frank Serena, Seraphina Martin, and Paola Talbert preparing to open the crate of WBB boxes for the exhibition. All three women created a WBB box.

Jan Fieldsend, Lorraine Serena, and Paola Talbert opening the crate.

The WBB Big Green Crate returning to California.

Karen Nedivi, WBB Assistant, photographing hundreds of boxes for the website.

Dawn Simonelli, Assistant, reviewing the WBB collection.

Unpacking and inventorying of WBB boxes returned from an exhibition abroad.

Lisa Marsh receiving a new box.

Karen Nedivi and Alison Bradley, Creative Director at Wackypuppy Design and Bitvision Technology Group, reviewing the initial design for the WBB website.