Bertoia Beat

Harry Bertoia Foundation News 
February 2017 

Greetings Bertoia Fans! 

We are bursting at the seams with lots of news for you! If you haven't been on our website lately, take a look! The revised and updated harrybertoia.org is up and running. Classic Ink, an award winning marketing firm here in Montana, arranged the images artistically, organized the FAQs, rebooted a streamlined store, and added all kinds of helpful links (we listened to your requests). 

We are still working out the transition glitches, so if you see something not working correctly, let us know.


We found the correct beryllium copper alloy for the rods to create just the right sound and look for our new limited edition reproduction. The original is one that Harry gave me as a teenager and I have always treasured it. It traveled with me to my college dorm room, kept me company in Colorado and Montana and now sits in the foundation gallery. Yours will come securely packed in a wooden crate and looks forward to greeting you every morning.

Find out more & order yours by clicking here: harrybertoia.org/shop


The Jeffrey & Miriam Eger film and interview of Harry from 1971, Sonambients, is almost ready. There are previously unheard words and concepts from Harry which will make you remember why you love Bertoia. Truly, this video was viewed a few times in 1971 at a handful of museums and events, but then was locked away and almost forgotten until last year. 

If you went to the MAD exhibition in NYC, you may have seen it. John Brien of Important Records is doing the packaging of the set, and if you've seen or own the Sonambient Box set, you know how meticulous and high quality this unique collector's set will be. Find out more: harrybertoia.org/shop

Clear Sounds/Perfetta

Speaking of Important Records, another amazing recording is now available for Sonambient fans. 

Harry spent much time playing the barn sculptures with his older brother Oreste, an amateur musician. Many of the notes accompanying the original tapes are in Oreste's hand. One side of the new CD is Harry playing and the other is Oreste, cut straight from the original reels. 

There are also a handful of golden vinyl records available (from the centennial Kickstarter campaign).

Bertoia Film

A grand documentary on Harry Bertoia, produced and edited by independent filmmakers Sarah Moses and Harlow Figa, is slowly coming to life after over a year of interviews, events and exhibitions. 

Now it's crunch time for Sarah and Harlow; full scale editing to create the perfect professional film. I’ve seen snippets of it and so far it is truly spectacular with excellent different angles on Bertoia. 

Soon we will need your help on Seed & Spark, a crowd funding site for independent films. They're raising funds to cover the remainder of production and equipment costs, post-production (including color correction and sound design), festival fees, and distribution.

If you would like to pledge your commitment now, prior to the formal Seed & Spark campaign, you can do so at BertoiaFilm.com/pledge. You will receive a reminder email when the campaign launches so that you may formalize your commitment.

In any case, expect to see a request by email for your help in the coming weeks, with plenty of exciting perks for your generous donations including one of the limited edition Table Tonal II's!

Remember to follow the Bertoia Film on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.

Last but not least, enjoy the first in our new series "Bertoia Treasures from the Past" featuring unique insights and historical articles from the Foundation Archives. Featured this week is a wonderful article from 1970, published originally by The Morning Call, a local newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania.