RELEASE: Oral arguments, CT Superior Court, July 23, 2026; in parallel to ongoing N a z i history / arts / zoning battle in CT, USA and 1930s research, European-made artwork concept finalized
By artdesigncafe
6 July 2026 - PRESS RELEASE / EXTENDED REMIX, artdesigncafe:
Art video demo Worlds collide (2017-25) by R. J. Preece with Mischa Kuball
European-made artwork finalized in parallel to ongoing N a z i history / arts / zoning battle in CT, USA and 1930s research; most importantly, a call for historical justice for Emily Hall Tremaine, Preece’s art / design hero
Sample American newspaper reporting on Emily Hall Tremaine (previously Spreckels) in September and December 1940, with screenshot of Worlds Collide artwork video in bottom left corner.
Post-WWII contemporary art collector Emily Hall Tremaine (previously Spreckels) (1908-87) is “BACK in COURT”.
After starring in the 1940-41 “He’s a N A Z I, no SHE IS” divorce case in California that shocked America, her former residence with Burton Tremaine in Madison, CT became a top 2024 architecture world controversy, according to The Architect’s Newspaper (#7 after Epstein and Saudi worker deaths.)
The lightning rod for the controversy was a design by disgraced architect and documented N a z i sympathizer / propagandist Philip Johnson on the property and a special exception zoning application (See Armed Forces Press). Concern was also raised about Tremaine’s known 1930s past. This, and the wider project with numerous zoning issues, drew protests and fierce opposition by neighbors and Madison residents.
The case then moved to appeals in the Connecticut Superior Court, starting in later 2024, with the final oral arguments scheduled for July 23, 2026 in Meriden. To date, the briefs have focused on practical zoning issues and not so much on the project’s pretext, reported in 2024 extensively in CT news media.
The artwork concept formally finalized in 2025
After an 8-year development period, R. J. Preece with Mischa Kuball finalized the concept for a proposed, temporary public artwork [VIDEO DEMO HERE], first designed as a tribute to Emily Hall Tremaine and her work officially based in Meriden, CT. The artwork’s meaning mutated after new N a z i history drops in media, three books, a declassified FBI report on Johnson, an unearthed secret deposition of Tremaine, and more, concerning key figures associated with the site.
By 2025, the artwork raises a range of uncomfortable questions about “what is behind the façade” of the parallel Modern design in Meriden. More widely it addresses the historical façade of a range of society and business folks that interacted with pro-N a z ism across the US (both Armed Forces Press), buried to some extent under art / design and social history, but strong in pockets of critical business history.
This spotlighted design has been attributed to Johnson and was “commissioned” by Burton Tremaine at the Miller Company, Meriden (1965), reported then in the Meriden newspaper with illustration. Entitled Worlds collide by Preece with Kuball, the primary sources and archival research in parallel to the artwork regards the three figures in relation to previously stated and unearthed 1930s N a z i-related history. The artwork functions as an institutional critique, serving as a symbol of how elite decision-making structures— stretching into media and state governance— can collectively drift into historical omission. It raises the ultimate question: What is going on here?
The video demo is expected to be exhibited by next year in Germany, with accompanying slides and unearthed documentation focused on the case of Emily Hall Tremaine. Aiming for conceptual purity, the artwork is not scheduled for installation in Meriden or exhibition in Connecticut, stemming from perceived conflicts of interest deeply embedded across facets in the state. However, truly independent CT arts and history venues interested in challenging this silence are welcome to contact artdesigncafe to discuss curation possibilities.
Preece, based in Europe for 29 years, grew up “down the street” from the Meriden structure. Preece notes, “The artwork Worlds Collide aims to prompt wider discussion and more research into buried and ignored 1930s history within the American elite and business circles. Think of Rachel Maddow’s book Prequel, and this content as a critical, curiously overlooked supplement for a much fuller picture.”
“Proudest professional achievement”; Call to declassify N a z i-era files for American history, and Emily
Over his 35-year career in international art / design publication and university education, Preece noted “his proudest professional achievement” was independently unearthing a previously-reported secret deposition of Emily Hall Tremaine. This was found in a California court archive, around 2021, and Preece may have been the first to see it in over 80 years. This unearthed documentation has enabled Tremaine to “speak for herself” about these contentious matters, “versus always being filtered by others!” This concerned the 1940-41 divorce action and associated N a z I allegations. This was put forth in his first of four letters to the Madison PZC commission, now “proudly” in the CT Superior Court record— “for history” and “for Emily”. (Also, see 4th letter here, with personal dedication to Tremaine at bottom.)
Preece also independently unearthed recently digitized newspaper social news and mentions out of California showing that Tremaine was in direct contact with the leading US Naval Intelligence anti-N a z i figure in the US, the legendary Captain Ellis Zacharias (Armed Forces Press). This was after the deeply contentious divorce case, raising question whether Tremaine was an informal spy for the US, like some others, or not. There has since been a call by Preece to declassify San Francisco, California-based US Naval Intelligence (Armed Forces Press), regarding N a z i consul officials, including their American friends.
This intelligence remains restricted under federal classification. Preece’s ongoing initiative aims to uncover why these pre-WWII records remain withheld from the public. CT politicians, independent arts figures, journalists, and historians are invited to join this public call, or strongly encouraged to create their own call, so that more of America’s historical truth, possibly including Emily’s truth, comes forward.
Oral arguments in CT Superior Court close to Worlds Collide site focus in Meriden
The oral arguments concerning the zoning matters, and presumably with some mention of the N a z i history / art / design history pretext, are scheduled for July 23 at 2PM, at the Connecticut Superior Court, in Meriden. This site is a few blocks from the Johnson / Tremaine design on Center Street, near Pratt Street, the architectural subject of Worlds Collide. This is along the path driving from I-691 at the Broad Street exit, to the court. You’ll see it down Center Street on the left.
While Emily Hall Tremaine’s ashes were sprinkled by plane over the higher hills of Santa Barbara, CA after her death in 1987, her fabulous fighting spirit from 1940-41 may, or may not, be present in the courtroom.
See the Worlds Collide video demo embedded in the artdesigncafe podcast series on YouTube: N a z i s in California: Emily Hall Tremaine fights back (over 15k views) See Preece’s independent research unearthing pro-N a z i elements in the US social and cultural sets into business, prompted by the “ground-breaking” research initially focused on pre-WWII Emily Hall Tremaine, at www.artdesigncafe.com . (Varied placements, critical content over 100k views.)
R. J. Preece is a senior international contemporary art / design journalist and occasional curator with over 400 publications on art / design, based in the Netherlands. He grew up in Meriden, CT into the early 1980s, completely unaware until the 2010s that Emily’s world-class work was officially based “just down the road”. Emily sent her artworks to over 1000 international exhibitions, with the location “Meriden” noted in exhibition catalogues. Preece’s research critically examining 1930s American Nazi-era interaction history, focused on the social set and business, is affiliated with a German university.
Mischa Kuball is an international conceptual artist from Germany. Kuball has exhibited works in hundreds of exhibitions, including the Jewish Museums in New York and Berlin. In 2020-21, Kuball exhibited a landmark exhibition responding to the shocking revelation that celebrated, anti-N a z i artist Emil Nolde was, in fact, a N a z i supporter.
Preece and Kuball have worked together regarding Jewish remembrance projects since 2008 in Europe.
PREECE: “Above all, Emily First. Historical justice for Emily— declassify the files!”
For more information, see www.artdesigncafe.com and contact artdesigncafe [@] gmail [dot] com.
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