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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Bravo, Neuberger Museum of Art

This month, Westchester arts enthusiasts are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Neuberger Museum of Art. There is no getting away from it that sitting quietly on the SUNY Purchase campus is one of the most preeminent collections of modern, contemporary and African art. The collection includes such famous artistic greats as Milton Avery, Romare […]

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Maestro

Some liked it a lot. Some didn’t. I am talking about the movie Maestro, an intimate version of the life of Leonard Bernstein, legendary conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and “bad boy “of the music world. Many of his fans were disappointed that the movie was more about his love life than his […]

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Public Art: Making White Plains Vibrant With Mayor Roach

Some time ago, ArtsWestchester was asked to weigh in on a selection process of artworks for the $93 million train station renovation at the White Plains train depot. It was quite an occasion, for which we invited Mayor Thomas Roach to join us and give his point of view on the opening selection. We traveled […]

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Become an Arts Ambassador in 2024

Our Arts Ambassadors are a hardy bunch – generous with their time and talents. Truly, we couldn’t do what we do without them. This year, our Arts Ambassadors helped us survey more than 800 arts attendees throughout Westchester County for an Economic & Social Impact Study conducted by the Americans for the Arts. The study results […]

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