Ruby Dee was never too busy. That is how I remember her. Would she record a TV spot for ArtsWestchester? Happy to do so. Would she say a few words at a local school? In a heartbeat! A poetry reading with her family at ArtsWestchester? Of course! Accept an arts award? Yes…but…heaven knows she didn’t […]
Some folks say lefties have more fun. With that in mind, and, because I had rotator cuff surgery on my right arm yesterday, I tested out that theory. In between ice packs and Advil, I dusted off my best left-handed hunt and peck and soothed my anxiety about spending the next six weeks in a […]
Every year, when the final figure for the NEA budget is announced, (this year $146 million) the nation’s arts community breathes a collective sigh of relief. It’s certainly not because the agency’s funds are hardy enough to trickle down to all the various localities in the country. It’s more because although its budget is modest, […]
There was love in the room. Hannah Shmerler was being honored for her voice by the Taconic Opera. Though operatically, she had sung Gilda in Rigoletto, Violetta in La Traviata, and Michaela in Carmen, it was another voice for which she was being honored this week. For years, Hannah has been the voice for the Conservatory […]
Over the years, many people have asked me, “Do you know an artist who would volunteer to….paint a mural for my son’s school…perform at a benefit for our library…do a workshop for a group of seniors?” This is a well-meaning request on the part of someone who wants to do good for a cause. Yet, […]
My mother used to call me a “leaf thief.” That had to do with my love of African violets such that I would ask friends if I could steal a leaf from any of their exotic violets that I coveted. I would “root” the leaf and eventually, I had a window sill of friends in […]
Like Ed Koch, I frequently ask the question, “How’re we doing?” Mine is not a personal question, not quite a global one, but more or less a national one. My yardstick is more moral than monetary. I tend to fall back on President Kennedy’s standard that, “This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor.” […]
I remember it well. Our first ArtsBash in our brand new, old historic building in 1999. I thought of this today as preparations got underway for this year’s ArtsBash tomorrow night. We purchased the building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains in 1998. It had been empty for five years. Our next door neighbor was […]
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