I cringed when I heard Russian President Vladimir Putin announce: “There is no such thing as happiness…it’s only a mirage.” Shocked as I was, it seemed to me to be the ultimate denial of three American ideals embodied in our Declaration of Independence – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. […]
There seems to be a new way of thinking that is surfacing in the arts community. It may be something that’s been evolving quietly over time and just now bubbling up to the surface. Here’s what seems to be emerging. As we try to Restart the Arts, we confront anew that arts and culture are more […]
Just when I thought I knew everything about Abraham Lincoln, I found out something new while watching the fabulous CNN documentary on his life. Now, we all know that history is often tinged with various interpretations of events. No surprise there. But my “a-ha“ moment was truly a revelation, and a source of great pride as […]
ArtsWestchester CEO Janet Langsam is commemorating President’s Day with this blog about a founding father.
One of the things we miss the most during this Covid nightmare is teachers. They have always been the unsung social workers of the neighborhoods. As a kid growing up in Far Rockaway, I learned that from my mother, a fifth-grade teacher who practiced her own version of tough love both in the classroom and at […]
Polio was all around me as a kid growing up in Far Rockaway. It was in every whisper, every newspaper, every mother’s nightmare—the idea that the simple act of going to a swimming pool or a movie could cripple you for life. Those were the stark choices we had to make as kids growing up […]
The rhythm filled the Tarrytown Music Hall on a recent Saturday night as the Tom Chapin family took the stage to celebrate the music hall’s 135th birthday. It was a gala occassion, on Zoom of course, and the chat room was spinning. This venerable old theater started life as a venue for classical music. The […]
Dear Friend of ArtsWestchester, We are reaching out to you because you have been a friend to the arts in Westchester and we need your friendship now more than ever. Community support has enabled us to keep the arts alive and vital in Westchester in good times—and in not so good times. Right now is […]
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