Tag Archives: ArtsWestchester

The Art of Working Remotely

Many people think that employees who work remotely are happier, healthier and more productive. Others remain unimpressed by such claims. I for one had never given any thought to the matter until most recently when I took a nasty fall at my daughter’s wedding. There I was radiant at the nuptials and one minute later I didn’t have a […]

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All That Jazz

Jazz people love labels. They just can’t help themselves. That’s probably because their music defies explanation and often challenges logic. Ask Gerry Malkin, the 63-year old tenor sax player, who calls his ensemble “post bop.” Hard to explain, he told me. He used the old Alec Baldwin line: “it’s complicated.”  He threw out themes like stretching harmonies and aggressive interpretation of bebop. Finally, he invoked […]

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Get Your Jazz Pass

Alysa Haas is a chip off the old block…in a good way. She comes by her musical talent through her genes, so to speak. She is the daughter of  Bira Rabushka, a violinist for 40 years with the New York City Ballet orchestra and the founder of the sorely missed Northern Westchester Center for the […]

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The Best Things in Life Are Free

I looked up from my computer this morning and was struck with the realization that summer is almost over.  That led me back to my computer to check out the last few weeks of Music in the Air.  Yes, there’s still a reason to pack a basket and a blanket and sit out under the […]

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The New NY Bridge

I got to thinking about bridges…both real and metaphorical…when I got a call from Andy O’Rourke. He’s the son of the former County Executive, who by the way, believed the arts were an important asset to Westchester.  Given that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I was not overly surprised to get a […]

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All Hail to Art Teachers

Bravo Mayor Bill de Blasio for putting art teachers back in the classroom. They are some of the unsung heroes of our education system. Don’t take my word for it. Take the word of Carmen Fariña. Take the word of national studies that attest to the value of the arts in the classroom. Many professional […]

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Remembering Ruby

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 […]

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Bragging Rights

Hundreds turned out at the Katonah Museum (KMA) last weekend to salute three of the museum’s stalwarts, among them Betty Himmel of Purchase, an ArtsWestchester board member who was instrumental in guiding and expanding the Katonah Museum of Art, first volunteering in 1968 and later becoming Board President in 1976, and again in 1991. She […]

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