Paper is a Lovable Material

Ever since paper was invented by the Chinese in 104 A.D., it has become one of the most treasured and accessible mediums for artists. Once an artist falls in love with paper, and there are many different kinds, they find multiple ways to use them artistically. To explore how artists use paper, I visited Alice […]

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Honoring Aaron Copland’s Legacy

Copland House at Bluestone aerial view

It’s truly magical how some good things happen, not just in Westchester, but around the globe. Usually, it’s not just about money—although, to be sure, money helps. Most often, it starts with a dream and becomes a matter of vision and leadership. That is the story of the Copland House cultural center and the tenacity […]

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A League of Their Own

What is more American than baseball? That is the question I asked myself when I was inspired by an exhibition organized by the African American Men of Westchester with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum called Discover Greatness. ArtsWestchester’s Gallery was filled with portraits of hundreds of players and teams who, in the early part of the 20th […]

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Building New Audiences for the Arts

Change is in the air – not just globally, but right here in Mamaroneck, where David Bander left Seattle seven months ago to head up the Emelin Theatre as its new executive director. Quickly, in understanding the winds of change, Bander is reaching out to new audiences in Mamaroneck, where he says a quarter of […]

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Art Teachers Are Rare Birds

Art Teacher Jessica Cioffoletti

Many moons ago, my first grader came home with the drawing of a hatchet. Even though it was February, and George Washington, as we now know, did not chop down a cherry tree, I’m bristled at the idea that this stencil image was an art lesson. It was then that I offered my services as an artist, […]

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30 Years of Transformative Dance

  Dance is one of those unique art forms that is totally transformative, or so they tell me. That’s because it is a combination of viewing both the body and soul. Your arms and legs become your instruments and your spirit leads the charge. This is what I learned recently when I was honored by […]

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The Legacy of Paul Robeson

It would be hard to find many people alive who may remember Paul Robeson, the base baritone artist who memorialized the song Ol’ Man River in a Broadway revival of the musical Showboat, which was popular in the 1930s. When I was a kid, I remember my father playing the Victor record over and over […]

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With My Deepest Appreciation

Over the past 33 years as CEO of ArtsWestchester, I look back on what has been an extraordinary collaboration in which all of you have played a significant role. While I consider myself an artist, my practice has been primarily visual arts, more precisely painting. Working with all of you, I have learned the nuances […]

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