The Artful Mind - April 2010

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CAROLINA MONNERAT, Dancer PHOTOGRAPHYBY JULIE MCCAR THY Berkshire Artzine THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010

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This months issue

Transcript of The Artful Mind - April 2010

Page 1: The Artful Mind - April 2010

CAROLINA MONNERAT, Dancer PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIE MCCARTHY

Berkshire Artzine

THE ARTFUL MINDA P R I L 2 0 1 0

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Photography for Memorable Occasions by

JJuulliiee MMccCCaarrtthhyyPPhhoottooggrraapphheerr

Please call for an appointment 413. 298. [email protected] •www.juliewmccarthy.com

From the series “Poem Without Words”

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WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET APRIL 2010 ~ THEARTFULMIND • 1

“Lakeside Birches” 40” x 40” Oil

STEPHENFILMUS413-528-1253

www.stephenfilmus.com

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2 • THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010

SCHANTZ GALLERIESc o n t e m p o r a r y g l a s s

3 Elm Street, Stockgridge, MA 01262413-298-3044 www.schantzgalleries.com

PrestonSingletary

Eagle Warrior19 x 14 x 14”

John Sideli

Altered States1 April - 31 May 2010

Artist Reception: Saturday, April 10 4 - 6pm

PARK ROW GALLERY2 Park Row, Chatham, New York 12037

518-392-4800www.parkrowgallery.com

Powerball, 21 x 16 x 4”

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MUSEUMS &GALLERIES

ALBANY INTERNATIONALAIRPORTAlbany International Gallery, 3rd fl,7am-11pm daily Material Witness, thruJune 20.

BERKSHIREART GALLERY80 Railroad St, Gt Barrington, MA• 528-2690www.berkshireartgallery.com19th and early 20th CenturyAmerican &European art and sculpture, contempo-rary artists

BERKSHIREART KITCHENCREATIVITY / CONNECTION / CHANGE400 Main St, Gt Barrington, MA• 413-717-0031www.berkshireartkitchen.comMon - Fri, 3:30-5:30, Sat 12-5, & byappt.Exhibition of mail art by Karen ArpSandel and Suzi Banks Baum, Mar -April.

BERKSHIRE GOLDANDSILVERSMITHTHE GALLERY152 Main St, Gt Barrington, MA• 528-5227Beverly Bourassa, watercolorist

CARRIE HADDAD GALLERY622 Warren St, Hudson, NY • 518-828-1915Painted Cities, group show, Mar 4 - April 11.

CARRIE HADDAD PHOTOGRAPHS318 Warren St, Hudson, NY • 518-828-7655IdaWeygandt & Eliot Kaufman, Mar 1April 18. Polaroids: Worksby William Wegman, Mark Beard, John Dugdale, Melinda Mc-Daniel and Tanya Marcuse. April 22 - May 30. Opening receptionApril 24, 6 - 8pm.

CHURCH STREET ART GALLERY34 Church St, Lenox, MA • 637-9600Significant folk art pieces. Also works by David Eddy,Paul Graubard, Paul Jarvis and Larry Zingale.(Fri-Mon, 11am-4:30pm or by appointment)

CRIMI STUDIOLocated 2 miles from theAncram/Hudson exit of the Taconic StateParkway. • Viewing by appointment518-851-7904Paintings of rich color and form. Crimi studio in idyllic setting.

DONMULLER GALLERY40 Main St, Northampton, MA • 586-1119Beautiful American crafts, jewelry and glass, more

FRONT STREET GALLERYFront St, Housatonic, MA • 413-274-6607www.kateknappartist.com

FULTON STREET GALLERY408 Fulton St, Troy, NY • 518-274-8464Call for Entries: 32nd Photo Regional, Mar 26-May 22; Juror:Carrie Haddad; 150 mile radius of the capital region; up to 5 slidesubmissions. Details: [email protected]

GLORIAMALCOLMARNOLD FINEARTUpstairs at 69 Church St, Lenox, MA • 637-2400Realistic art that never goes out of style, artwork that evokes themood and memories of yesterday. Rotating exhibitions of scratch-board by Lois I. Ryder and oils and watercolors by Gloria MalcolmArnold. Open year round.

HOFFMAN POTTERY103 Rte 41, W. Stockbridge, MA • 232-4646www.EHoffmanPottery.comPottery by by Elaine Hoffman, also Tom Lynn’s cast aluminum bluejays and ravens, Ted Keller’s mosaic mirrors, and more.

HUDSON VALLEYARTS CENTER337 Warren St, Hudson, NY • 800-456-0507Regional and nationally-known artisans

LAUREN CLARK FINEART GALLERY402 Park St, Housatonic, MA • 274-1432www.LaurenClarkFineArt.comFine art and contemporary crafts and framing service.(Open Wed-Mon 11-5:30, Sun Noon-4, year-round)

MARGUERITE BRIDE STUDIOwww.margebride.comCustom House and Business Portraits, “Local Color”, watercolorscenes of the Berkshires, New England and Tuscany. Original wa-tercolors and Fine Art Reproductions. Visit website for exhibitschedule

OXBOWGALLERY275 Pleasant St, Northampton, MAHarriet Diamond’s exhibit of sculpture and drawing The Pit, opensApril 1, reception April 9, 5-8pm. Concurrently, Gary Niswongerwill show paintings in the backroom, closing April 28, 2-5pm

PARK ROWGALLERY2 Park Row, Chatham, NY • 518-392-4800John Sideli, Altered States. April 1 - May 31. Reception for artistApril 10, 4 -6pm

PASKO FRAME & GIFT CENTER243 North St., Pittsfield, MAVariety of artists on display; also framing service

SCHANTZ GALLERIES3 Elm St, Stockbridge, MA • 413-298-3044Over 30 years of providing representation to internationally recog-nized artists to exhibit their work and share it with the world. (Open11-5 daily.)

THE LENOX GALLERYOF FINEART69 Church St, Lenox, MA • 413-637-2276Featuring artists such as Stephen Filmus along with many othersincluding Paula Stern, Sculpture

WILLIAM BACZEK FINEARTS36 Main St, Northampton, [email protected] Sweeney, solo exhibition, Mar 17 thru April 17.

MUSIC, THEATRE AND DANCECOLUMBIA FESTIVALORCHESTRASt. James Church, Chatham, NYIntimate Voices, a new string quartet. Fri April 23, 6:30-8pm.Haydn, Op. 76 No. 1 in G Major, Dvorak, Op. 96 in F Major(“American”), Vivaldi, Op. 8 No. 2, SUmmer in G Major, Allegro

CLOSE ENCOUNTERSWITHMUSICThe Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center •413-528-0100 / 800-843-0778/ www.cewm.orgChopin and His Circle, Sat, Apr 24, 6pm;Prague Spring - Czech Idyll, Sat, June 5, 6@ 6pm

CRESCENDOwww.worldclassmusic.org . emailsales@crescendoberkshires .org or call860-435-4866The concerts will be held at the First Con-gregational Church, 251 Main St., GreatBarrington, at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 17and at Trinity Church, 484 Lime Rock Rd.,Lakeville, at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 18. Atalk about Latin American music will beheld 30 minutes before each concert byJuliet Mattila. Tickets are $25, $10 forchildren under 18. (A group rate is avail-able for the Great Barrington concert.)

THE EGGAlbany, NYJohn Pinette, comedian, April 17

THEMUSEUMATBETHELWOODSBethel, Rte 17, Exit 104, NY • bethel-woodscenter.orgThe Story of the ‘60s andWoodstock. Mu-seum located at the site of the 1969Wood-stock Festival.

WORKSHOPS & LECTURESINKBERRYAND PAPYRI BOOKS45 Eagle St, North Adams, MA • 413-664-0775Wordplay, a monthly reading series

is183ART SCHOOL OF THE BERKSHIRESStockbridge MA • 413-298-5252 / www.is183.orgAweekend workshop “Exploring theWorld of Colored Clay,” withinstructor Naomi Lindenfeld, will be held on Saturday and Sunday,April 17 and 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A weekend workshop “Venetian Lampwork Beads,” with in-structor Stephanie Maddalena, will be held on Saturday and Sun-day, May 1 and 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. One of many fineworkshops this upcoming season.

KATE KNAPP FRONT STREET GALLERYHousatonic, MA (next to the Corner Market)• 274-6607 www.kateknappartist.comThroughApril “ Portraits …All the people I loved to paint” 40 ormore paintings ,oils and watercolors, of men women and childrenfriends, family and members of the community, come see who’shere! through April; also ongoing painting classes Mon, Wed &Thurs 9:30am (gallery hrs: Sat & Sun 12-5, and by appt.)

SABINE VOLLMER VON FALKEN PHOTOGRAPHYWORKSHOPThe Norman Rockwell Museum, Rte. 183, Stockbridge, MAApril 17 at 10 am:Workshop to help amateurs navigate their digitalcamera to achieve better results. A talk called "Get More Out ofYour Digital Camera". A clinic will follow until 1 pm.

SPECIAL EVENTSTHE RED LION INNStockbridge, MA • 413-298-5545Culinary arts program dinner, April 12, 6pm. Celebrating the greatcity of New Orleans with a cajun-style family menu, live jazz musicand raffle drawing. Prepared by students from the prominent Berk-shire Culinary Arts Program, under the fantastic direction of RedLion Inn Executive Chef Dan BrianAlberg, BRIX’s Daire Rooney,and John Andrew’s Dan Smith.

FILMIMAGES CINEMAWilliamstown, MA • 413-458-1039 www.imagescinema.orgDocumentary film series, Garbage Docs, Apr 12 - 26, 7:30pm. NoImpact Man, Gargage Worrior, Marina of the Zabbaleen, discusshow garbage impacts the world around us.

Deadline for calendar listings: April 15 for May ��

SPRING / APRIL.2010. / CALENDAR

JUSTIN KIM, ADAM & EVE (DETAIL)APRIL 29 - MAY 30

AT THE OXBOW GALLERY 275 PLEASANT ST, NORTHAMPTON, MA WWW.OXBOWGALLERY.COM OPENING RECEPTION MAY 1, 1 -5PM THURSDAY - SUNDAY 12 - 6PM

WWW.ARFULMIND.NET THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010 • 3

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4 THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010

Carolina MonneratDance

Nanci Race10

Planet WavesAstrology

Eric Francis 12

Greater Backfish RoundupBob Balogh 18

Architecture & ArcadiaStephen Dietemann 19

Altered States: An interview with John Sideli

Terri E. Sisson 21

PUBLISHER Harryet Candee COPY EDITOR Marguerite Bride

PROOFREADER: Rae A. Eastman & Deborah Davis ADVERTISING AND LAYOUT DESIGN

Harryet Candee CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND MONTHLY COLUMNISTSBob Balogh, Harryet Candee, Stephen Gerard Dietemann, Rae Eastman, Eric Francis, Nanci Race, Kimberly Rawson

PHOTOGRAPHERSJulie McCarthy

Sabine Vollmer von Falken

DISTRIBUTIONR. Dadook, John Cardillo

120 PIXLEY ROAD, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA 01230 [email protected]

413-528-5628 Deadline for the MAY issue is APRIL 15, 2010

FYI: ©Copyright laws in effect throughout The Artful Mind for logo & all graphics including text material. Copyright laws for photographers and writersthroughout The Artful Mind. Permission to reprint is required in all instances

The Artful Mind TAM into APRIL 2010

THE ARTFUL MIND

Carolina Monnerat, Dancer / Photographer Julie McCarthy

Our Art....Our way

www.artfulmind.net

BEVERLY BOURASSAGALLERY AT THE BERKSHIREGOLD AND SILVERSMITH

An exhibit of watercolors by Beverly Bourassa will be on ex-hibit at the Gallery at the Berkshire Gold and Silversmith inGreat Barrington throughout the month of April. Bourassa is aself-taught artist and a true nature lover. Her exhibit includesabout 30 pieces in a variety of themes, including florals, land-scapes and seascapes.

Bourassa, a long time Pittsfield resident is a frequent ex-hibitor at Berkshire art shows, and has also exhibited in numer-ous juried shows, solo exhibits and a few national shows. Herwork is in private and corporate collections throughout theUnited States. Bourassa recently received the Award of Excel-lence from Kent Artist Association.

An active member of the Housatonic Valley Art League,Bourassa has also served as co-chair of the art league’s verysuccessful Small Works Art Show held each year in the fall atthe Welles Gallery in Lenox.“I find the characteristics of watercolor to be very exciting.

It dries quickly, looks fresh, fluid and I can work with it quickly.My goal is always try to capture the essence of the place I ampainting. I do not limit myself to landscapes alone. I enjoy

painting seascapes and florals aswell.”Gallery at the Berkshire Gold and

Silversmith, 152 Main St, Great Bar-rington, MA (413) 528-0013.

LILY POND, BEVERLY BOURASSA, WATERCOLOR, 2007BERKSHIRE DIGITALAs Berkshire Digital begins its fourth year of operation, it is

celebrating the gallery openings of three local artists, twopainters and one photographer, for whom it made all of the Gi-clée prints hanging in the shows. Capable of producing archival,museum quality prints on a variety of surfaces up to 42x96inches, BD also offers complete photography services to captureartwork of any medium.To further help artists, BD offers graphic design capabilities,

to create show announcements, posters and collateral materials.In addition to its printing services, Berkshire Digital also

provides Photoshop™ tutoring and consulting for people whowant to get a better understanding of the digital workflow fromcamera to computer to printer in their workspace as well as man-age and manipulate their own images.

The owner, Fred Collins, has been a photographer for 30years with studios in Boston and the metro New York area. Fif-teen years ago, he began working with Photoshop™ and grad-ually added extensive retouching capabilities to help with hisclients needs. His commercial work for corporations has takenhim around the world. His wife Alison owns The Iris Gallery,above Pearls, in Great Barrington. Berkshire Digital: 413-644-9663, www.BerkshireDigital.com

“No art was ever lessspontaneous than mine.

What I do is the result of reflection and

study.”-Edgar Degas

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WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010 • 5

Unusual InstrumentsFine InstrumentsAccessoriesCrystal Flutes

Orchestral & Band Instruments

More than 100 guitars in stockClassical, Folk, Electric, Handmade

Something for Everyone - All levels, All budgets!

All Things Musical

Open Daily Except Mondays NOW ON ~87 RAILROAD STREET, Gt Barrington 413-528-2460

The Music Storeon Railroad Street

THE VIOLIN...PLAYING TWO NOTES INA ROW...BEAUTIFULLY!

By Joseph V. Gallo

Is it a lost concept? Based upon the quality of too many mu-sical performances of the last few decades, the answer seems tobe, generally, “yes.” At concerts, I have seen “knee-jerk” stand-ing ovations for not much more than displays of technique, gri-maces and gyrations. But for too long now, I’ve been askingmyself: “Where’s the poetry?” “Where’s the magic?” In ourhigh-tech, over-stimulated world, is poetic performance nowrated as too low on the decibel scale? Is it not sufficiently “awe-some” for audiences? The world may be changing and moving fast, but people are

still pretty much the same as they always were. All this tech-nology has opened up new possibilities, but in many ways hasleft us more isolated and wanting for someone or something to“touch” us. This is where music comes in. Sure, we all like tobe wowed by a brilliant Paganini caprice or a Sarasate show-piece. But I believe that what we are really looking for when

we go to a concert is for someone to reach our hearts and minds,lift us to a higher place. That’s our challenge and privilege asperformers.

What does all this have to do with playing two notes in arow beautifully? There is no shortage of technique today. Lotsof violinists are able to fly all over the violin, but when asked toplay a simple melody, many fall flat - dazzling first and thirdmovements, but second movements filled with missed opportu-nities. However, it is precisely in these slow movements andsimple, lyrical pieces, where there is no place to hide, that a per-former’s basic artistry is disclosed. When you put that violinunder your chin, you must dare to wear your heart on yoursleeve! Scary, but exciting, and the reason we are musicians inthe first place.So, how to play beautiful notes one after the other? I suggest

you make a project of revisiting your slow movements and (de-ceptively simple) lyrical pieces. “Dig deeper” into the well ofbeauty of each note. Live there longer. Experiment. Approachand leave each note differently. Discover the “after-life” of eachnote and its inherent opportunities! First, you must think thesound before you can produce it. Take a piece such as Clare DeLune or any concerto slow movement. Analyze it. What does itsay? How does it start? What happens along the way and howdoes it end? What is the overall timbre? Keep the piano copyhandy. You’ll want to know what “the orchestra” is doing sothat you can better decide upon phrasings, bowings, fingeringsand dynamics. To start, play a few bars and decide upon the“must-have” fingerings and bowings that will satisfy your ex-pressive goals. Then go back and fill in with accommodatingmarkings. Continue to work the whole piece in this manner.Test, make changes, listen to the different results. Which fin-

ger sounds best? Tips or flat? Does the phrase sound better infirst or in upper position? What about shifting? From which fin-ger to which finger? Better to do so at the frog or tip? Up bow,down bow? Should you cross strings in high position for con-venience, or should you risk a leap to a note from first positionfor best effect? How long will you “live” there? Will it be worththe effort? Let your best sound be your guide, not your earlierteachings!The spaces between notes are beauty “opportunities.” It is

vital that you maintain your vibrato (your purr-machine!) fromnote to note in a manner that dovetails sounds seamlessly. Keepvibrating the note after the bow leaves the string! Also, think ofyour left hand as the note-finder and the note-player! Re-trainyour left hand to produce the note as if it had no bow as a partner(the audience doesn’t care that – or how – you use a bow!). Tryit, but do not snap your fingers down.Rather, for each note, softly place your“cushion” into the string, lightly rollyour finger, “scoop out” the note and“send the sound” directly to the listeners’ears. Simple “magic!” Eventually, bringon your bow. What luxury! You will hear

more character and sound projection with your new left-hand“reconsideration.” In lyrical passages, especially, try to keepsolid bow contact with strings, even when you change bows orcross strings. There should be no aural spaces between notes,only the “fat” sound carried over from the preceding note. Thinkof your right hand as “capturing” the product of your left hand.Do it in a manner that assures smooth transfer of the beautifulsound that is already available in your hands – to your violin –to your audience. You just need to think it, do it and give it away,free – and you’ll still own “your sound!” Welcome to the worldof left and right hand legato! It is a real concept and a key toseamless, beautiful sound.

In the beginning stages of your new approach to playingbeautifully, you must think and listen as perhaps never before.Eventually, like walking, your beautiful notes will come auto-matically – because you will like it! Have a good time in yourexplorations. If you do, your listeners will also enjoy your mu-sical communication. Know that only you (perhaps with theguidance of a teacher/coach who is sympathetic with this con-cept) can open “new doors” to the magic of beautiful sound. Asviolin players, we are lucky to have such tactile instrumentsunder our chins. It allows for a most natural extension and ex-pression of our body and mind. Enjoy it!In closing, remember: Your audience couldn’t care less about

how hard you work, what markings you use or how “properly”you play. What they want is to be reached emotionally and in-tellectually. So when you perform, free your mind to follow onlyyour most naturally beautiful instincts. Your hands will follow,and your audience will respond – this time with a standing ova-tion that is well-deserved!Joseph Gallo is a Juilliard graduate and has also studied pri-

vately with Mischa Mischakoff (concert violinist and concertmaster of the NBC Symphony Orchestra under the direction ofArturo Toscanini), as well as with Harry Shub, world-renownedconcert violinist. His entire professional career has been in NYCperforming in a wide range of musical venues, including theclassical, pops, film & recording fields. He is founder/directorof The Black Tie Strings and Orchestra, including several stringquartets. Mr. Gallo now resides in Williamstown, MA, where healso teaches the violin. He would welcome your thoughts andquestions. Tel: (413)458-1984.

JOSEPH GALLO, VIOLINISTJOSEPH GALLO, VIOLINIST

“When you see somebodydead for the first time,you can’t resist makingnotes on the way you

yourself feel, to use whenpoignancy is called for.”

-John Gielgud

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THE LENOX GALLERY

69 Church Street, Lenox, MA 01201 • (413) 637-2276over twenty-five artists • on two levels open year round - call for hours

O F F I N E A R T

paint ings • drawings • watercolor • sculpture • mixed media works • pastels • portrai t commissions

“...one of the finest and most charmingprivate galleries in New England.”

CRESCENDO A PIÑATA OF LATIN AMERICAN

CHORAL MUSICFrom the Spanish conquest onward, European and native

Latin American musical traditions, and instruments, have con-verged to create a startlingly varied body of compositions andperforming styles. In April, Crescendo, whose music director, Christine Gevert,

is a native of Chile, will present two concerts in Great Barring-ton and Lakeville featuring this music and a number of exoticinstruments, including the charango (a small very bright guitar),the bombo (an Andean bass drum) and the zampoña (a Peruvianpanpipe in use for more than 2,000 years).The program, “Hidden Treasures of Latin American Choral

Music,” ranges from the contemplative to the rousing, and in-cludes both sacred and secular pieces. One of the oldest is “Xi-cochi,” a setting of a villancico, a Spanish poetic form, byGaspar Fernández (1566-1629) in the Nahuatl language. Themost recent: “Oceana” by the Chilean composer Javier Fairas(b. 1973), a choral setting of a Pablo Neruda poem.The concert will present several East Coast premieres, and

the United States premiere of a villancico by Tomás de Torrejóny Velasco Sánchez (1644-1728), “Cuatro plumajes airosos,” anallegory in which a hawk, a turkey, a swan, and a phoenix areeach represented by a singer.

The many other pieces on the program include the Gloriafrom the “Misa Criolla” of Ariel Ramirez (b. 1921), a mass per-formed in its entirety by Crescendo in 2006 to much acclaim;also two works of Juan Orrego-Salas (b. 1919), founder of theInstitute for Latin American Music in the US, one of them hisCánticos de Navidad, Op. 22, three short motets for femalevoices—including an Alleluia that has been compared in moodand quality with the work of his mentor, Randall Thompson.Performers include the Crescendo Choir and the Crescendo

Vocal Ensemble, along with period and folk instrumentalists,including the Alturas Duo and other specialists from Boston,New York, and Hartford. The conductor will be Ms. Gevert.

The concerts are supported in part by an Alfed Nash Pat-terson grant from Choral Arts New England and by the Con-necticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.Crescendo was founded in 2003. It provides an ongoing pro-

gram of music performance and education, chiefly for the com-munities of Connecticut’s Northwest Corner and nearbyMassachusetts and New York. It offers workshops, lectures,master classes, and choral and instrumental concerts. With the participation of international performers and

teachers as well as non-professionals, Crescendo’s programsreach audiences of all ages and levels of experience.The concerts will be held at the First Congregational

Church, 251 Main St., Great Barrington, at 6 p.m. Saturday,April 17 and at Trinity Church, 484 Lime Rock Rd., Lakeville,at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 18. A talk about Latin Americanmusic will be held 30 minutes before each concert by JulietMattila. Tickets are $25, $10 for children under 18. (A grouprate is available for the Great Barrington concert.) For tick-ets and information, visit www.worldclassmusic.org emailsales@crescendoberkshires .org or call 860-435-4866.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC

MAHAIWE PAC PERFORMANCEClose Encounters With Music continues its 18th season Sat-

urday, April 24, 6p.m. with Chopin and His Circle, the secondof two programs celebrating the bicentennial of Chopin’sbirth. From John Field, father of the Nocturne, who paved theway for Frederic Chopin’s masterworks in the genre, to Hum-mel, whose music he heard in his youth and whose concerti heperformed, to the cellist Franchomme, for whom Chopin com-posed his Cello Sonata, to the charismatic Paganini, a frequentcollaborator, this program offers a spectrum of works byChopin’s friends and mentors, as well as his own sublime Bal-lades and Nocturnes. Chopin explored the resources of the developing pianos of hisday, resulting in the creation of new territory for future genera-tions to admire and plumb – with harmonies from beyond theboundaries of what was then theoretically possible. His callingcards were a polished personality and a body of highly individ-ualistic music which projected its novel beauty instantaneously.In music as seduction of the ear, no composer has surpassedhim. Joining artistic director Yehuda Hanani at the Mahaiwe per-

formance are pianist Adam Neiman, violinist StefanMilenkovich, and cellist Amy Gillingham. The concert will becomplemented by a Chopin Hour the following afternoon, partof Close Encounters’ Conversations With… a series of illumi-nating talks by notable speakers and performers. Guest pianist Adam Neiman is featured both at the Mahaiwe

concert Saturday evening and on Sunday, April 25, 2 PM at theHudson Opera House, Hudson , NY. Tickets for Saturday, April 24, $35 or $25 for adults and

$10 for students, are available at The Mahaiwe PerformingArts Center box office, 413.528.0100, through Close Encoun-ters With Music at 800-843-0778, or by emailing [email protected] Please visit our websiteat www.cewm.org

THE MUSIC STOREAs the spring flowers bloom around us, The Music Store

marks its second spring in our new location at 87 RailroadStreet, in Great Barrington, MA! Acclaimed as one of theareas finest music stores, The Music Store edges toward it’stenth anniversary serving the musical community in the Berk-shires and beyond.Providing musical instruments, accessories and music

motif gifts to musicians and music lovers of all ages and abili-ties, The Music Store boasts a fine selection of guitars of alllevels, from luthier handmade instruments, to fine handcraftedones, to good gutars for those on a tight budget. Alvarez,Avalon, Bourgeois/Panthon Baden, Baden, Takamine, Lunaand Greg Bennett guitars nestle among other fine, folk and un-usual instruments and international percussion. Walking stickand cane flutes (handmade in Stockbridge), thunder drums,bamboo flutes, guiros, African djembes, USA-made chimesand many other other instruments sit happily amidst necessi-ties such as a wide international array of all levels of strings,reeds, sticks and heads, among other accessories.For those seeking gifts, music motif kitchen wares, tee

shirts, curios and knick-knacks, keychains, miniature instru-ments, picture frames and reading glasses represent some ofthe gift possibilities available at The Music Store. Manuscriptpaper, method books, music books and sheets are also avail-able, as are a wide variety of services including re-stringing,set-up and repairs.All new instruments are backed by The Music Store’s life-

time warranty, including free custom set-up, free re-stringingand free labor on repairs NOT due to neglect. For those seek-ing specialty strings or unusual reeds or other necessary acces-sories, The Music Store will happily special-order such items,whenever possible, at no extra cost. Family owned, The MusicStore is also always happy to provide helpful advice, free ofcharge.From a first violin to a professional level guitar, from shak-

ers to shirts, tambourines to timbale sticks, music tometronomes, tuners to tom heads, rhythm sticks to reeds,doumbeks to D strings, The Music Store offers a magical mu-sical experience to all.As always, we wish you health and harmony in the months

to come, and look forward to serving your musical needs.The Music Store, 87 Railroad Street, Great Barrington,

Massachusetts, open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 to6, and on Sundays from 12 to 5. Call 413-528-2460 or emailus at [email protected]

AVALON QUARTET

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8 THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010

SABINE PHOTO ARTWhether it’s a radiant bride, a playful dad, a family gather-

ing, or a tree house, Sabine Vollmer von Falken is in rapportwith her subject. In the European photographic tradition, hertrue talent and interest lays in photographing real people and lo-cations. The results are natural and direct, capturing the emotionof the moment or the mood of the environment.Sabine specializes in young children at play and creating a

photographic record of their growth. A master of the subtletiesof lighting and the nuance of background, her eye for detail pro-vides photos to be treasured for a lifetime. It is to no surprise thatshe is a sought-after wedding photographer, as well.Sabine’s photo studio and gallery is located in Glendale, Mas-

sachusetts. She captures portraits there or on location. Eachphoto is tailored to meet her client’s needs—a black-and-whiteremembrance for a special occasion or a logo image to create anauthentic online presence.Her photographs have been published in a variety of maga-

zines and books. Her latest book Woodland Chic will be pub-lished by Storey Publishing in 2010, author Marlene H.Marshall. Other volumes include Full of Grace: A Journeythrough the History of Childhood, Making Bits & Pieces Mo-saics and Shell Chic.She will appear at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stock-

bridge, MA on April 17 at 10 am - 11am “Get More Out of YourDigital Camera”. A clinic will follow until 1 pm. Photo enthu-siasts are welcome. A member of the American Society of Media Photographers,

the International Center of Photography ICP and the WeddingPhotojournalist Association WPJA, Sabine offers workshops ather studio for professionals and amateur photographers.Sabine Vollmer von Falken, 20 Glendale Road, Glendale,

MA, 413-298-4933; www.sabinephotoart.com /[email protected]

MYRON SCHIFFERPHOTOGRAPHER

Prior to moving to the Berkshires in the late sixties, Schifferwas getting established in New York City as a piano teacher, ac-companist for auditions, and hanging around the fringes of jazz.Also fascinated with photography since childhood, he finallytook classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology to learn moreabout composition, lighting and fashion window display whilecontinuing to pursue music as his vocation.Now that he’s entered his ninth decade he has chosen to fulfill

his earlier hopes of doing something with photography. Thisyear he’s been busy exhibiting his work at galleries, frameshops, a retirement community and in the North Adams OpenStudios show. Starting Dec 19th he’s showing his new canvas prints on the

dining room walls of one of the smartest restaurants in the Berk-shires, Castle Street Cafe, next to the Mahaiwe Theater in GreatBarrington.Schiffer continues to work on his new photography website,

www.myronschiffer.com which is growing fast and seems to beattracting more attention each month. He never dreamed thatturning 80 would be so exciting.

Myron Schiffer, 413-637-2659, myronschiffer.com,[email protected]

Violin TeacherLeading multi-field violinist (NYC)is now accepting serious studentsin Williamstown.

Special emphasison seamless, beautifulsound and expressiveperformance techniques.

For information,please contactJoseph Gallo at:(413) 458-1984

(Juilliard graduate, listed in theirPrivate Teachers Directory.)

CARRIE HADDAD PHOTOGRAPHS

Carrie Haddad Photographs is pleased to announce Po-laroids: Works by William Wegman, Mark Beard, John Dug-dale, Melinda McDaniel and Tanya Marcuse from April 22through May 30, 2010. There will be an opening reception forthe artists on Saturday, April 24, 2010 from 6 – 8 pm.No other artist has conveyed the color, beauty and elegance

of the 20 x 24 large format Polaroid process quite like WilliamWegman. The fact that Wegman has also managed to use thisform of photography to bring humor, wit, intelligence and a hu-mane view of the world, most often via the eyes or visage ofone his beloved Weimaraners, is a great bonus for people every-where, both in the art world and beyond.Also on exhibit are Mark Beard’s Polaroid transfers of per-

sonal and compelling landscapes and portraits of downtownNew York performers, celebrities and friends. Tanya Marcusealso uses this method. In her jewel-like series Torso, the trans-ferred emulsion onto a sandwiched mylar material creates a lu-minous, transparent effect. John Dugdale’s use of 8 x10Polaroid film to capture his 19th century aesthetic results in im-ages that are remarkable in their other worldly beauty. MelindaMcDaniel uses the difficult to find SX 70 film to create abstractimages of rich color, shape and dimension in a continuation ofher distinctive body of contemporary work.

For more information, please visit our website www.car-riehaddadphotographs.com or visit us at the gallery 318 WarrenStreet, Hudson, NY, 12534.

WILLIAM WEGMAN, LITTLE RED, 1999, COLOR POLAROID, 24 X 20”

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Page 13: The Artful Mind - April 2010

APRIL 2010 THE ARTFUL MIND • 9

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JEFFREY L. NEUMANNCONTEMPORARY

AMERICAN REALISMMy aim is to create deeply personal work that speaks about

the soul of America.Throughout my life I have spent a great deal of time on the

road. My art is a distillation of that experience through the filtersof my memory, my imagination and my hand.Although there is an aspect of cultural anthropology in my

work, I have to experience a profound personal connection withmy subject. That connection can be as intrinsic as a part of mypersonal history or it can be an emotional response to a partic-ular scene. This emotional response is what I try to conveythrough my paintings. I’m seeking to evoke a certain moodthrough the limitations of paint.For me the most satisfying way to get at the mood I am trying

to convey is through a representational approach. Although I’minterested in the craft of painting and I try to create well-exe-cuted art, my paintings are not just about painting. They are alsovery much about the subject. Not necessarily a literal represen-tation, but one that contains a feeling that comes from the heart.

Neumann Fine Art: corner of Anthony & Coldwater St.,Hillsdale, NY, Tuesday – Saturday 10 – 4 and by appointment.Call 413-246-5776, www.neumannfineart.com. Neumann isalso represented by Hanback Gallery, corner of South Center&Main, Millerton, NY. 413-446-9235 or 518-789-0202.

MARGUERITE BRIDEWATERCOLOR LESSONS

Have you ever thought it might be fun to learn to paint butdidn’t know where to begin? Were large classes with many otherstudents a little too intimidating? That’s exactly how it was for me many years ago when I first

discovered an interest in painting. Actually it was my daughterwho said, “Mom you REALLY need a hobby”. At that time Iwas an engineering manager at a network operating systemscompany….and I certainly did need stress relief. At that time Iknew very little about art… I didn’t know anything about color,how to mix them, what kind of paints to start with, perspec-tive…essentially I knew nothing. All I had was a desire to learnand discover.And, of course to “de-stress”.I did that by working with an artist in her little studio, with

one or two other “newbies” like myself. Who knew then thatart would now be the love of my life and my full time career? Ihave my first art teacher back in Hopedale, MA to thank forturning me on to painting.I am now offering lessons in watercolor painting. Whether

you’re interested in a hobby, stress-relief, or might be a seriousbudding artist, I’ll teach you all I know about paper (yes, somepaper just “works better” than others), colors, paints, specialtricks and techniques and some funky tips.Many people think watercolors are so “un-forgiving”….. but that’s not true, because Iknow a secret. If you bring a desire to learnand discover, you’ll also know the secret.And, plan to have some fun in the process.

I have a new larger studio at 311 NorthStreet in Pittsfield…easily room to accom-modate two students at a time. Give it a try;you may have a masterpiece inside you hop-ing to be discovered.Details about lessons can be found on my

website or call me at my studio. There are afew openings for spring and summer lessons.

Marguerite Bride, Art on No, Studio 5,311 North Street, Pittsfield. Call 413-841-1659. Email: [email protected] web: www.margebride.com

STEPHEN FILMUSTHE LENOX GALLERY OF FINE ARTThis painting by Stephen Filmus depicts a stand of white

birch in early spring. The trees provide an architectural frame-work to the scene and a dramatic contrast to the Lake and Berk-shire hills. Filmus’ artwork reflects the essence of the Berkshire land-

scape. His ability to perceive and interpret the character of thescene results in a believable sense of place.

Stephen Filmus lives and works in Great Barrington, Mas-sachusetts and has lived in the Berkshires for many years wherehe has established his reputation and following. His work is innumerous collections and he has exhibited widely includingDavid Findlay Jr. Fine Art in New York and locally at the Berk-shire Museum and the Norman Rockwell Museum.Stephen’s work can be seen at the Lenox Gallery of Fine Art,

69 Church Street, Lenox, MA. 413-637-2276 andwww.stephenfilmus.com

JEFFREY IN STUDIO

POTTERYALLEY, MARGUERITE BRIDE, BLACK AND WHITE WATERCOLOR“LAKESIDE BIRCHES” 40” X 40” OIL

Page 14: The Artful Mind - April 2010

10 • THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010 WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET

The first time I met Carolina Monnerat she was behinda video camera filming my interview with Theodore Col-latos. The longer I was at their home the more I becameaware of the passion and excitement she feels when she’sworking. I became intrigued with her story so a few weekslater I returned to talk to her.Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Carolina has re-

tained a slight accent that adds to her appeal. Children gen-erally change their minds several times about what theywant to become when they grow up. From the time she wasa small child Carolina knew her path and how to get there.She spoke of hardships both emotional and physical andeven endured cruelty to reach her goal but Carolina over-came the obstacles including coming to the United States asa young teen, leaving her family behind. I followed her intothe small salon noting that the old cliché “glided across theroom,” was exactly what she did. She immediately im-mersed me in her world without any of the awkwardnessthat can happen when talking about one’s life. There wasno need to do more than sit back and relax because she hasthe ability to put people at ease. We talked at length abouther life. By the time I left I felt that I knew not only Carolinathe dancer but Carolina the woman.

Nanci Race: When did you first become interested in dance?Carolina Monnerat: When I was five years old, I went to watchSwan Lake. They have a huge government dance company inBrazil. I saw a dancer, whose name is Ana Botafogo, one of themost famous dancers in South America. She’s very beautifuland inspiring. She was very technical but she had so much emo-tion. At five years old I was looking for a way to somehow putmy emotions out there. I looked at my mom and said, “I’mgoing to be just like her.” The government dance company alsohas a school. You have to audition to get in and it’s a very strictschool. You have to study theater, music, and dance. I audi-

tioned and I passed. I had to be there every day seven days aweek. You go to your regular school then you go to the govern-ment school and you dance five to six hours a day. The gradesgo from one to ten. I was the only one in my class who wouldgo to the next grade. My grades would be five or six—veryhigh. It was great.Later in my career I danced with Ana many times. She was

the reason I started dancing. It was really cool. When I was leav-ing Brazil to come to the United States she actually called meto ask permission to do a solo that I used to do. They neededpermission from me and the choreographer. I said, “Wow,you’re asking permission? Of course you can, you’re the reasonI started dancing. You can do whatever you want to do.” She’sreally something and she’s still dancing.

NR: Dancing is a lot of discipline, hard work, and frustra-tion, how did you handle that at such a young age?CM: I had a good support system with my family. It was reallyhard because first of all you don’t have a normal childhood. Allof my friends would invite me to birthday parties or to do thingsthat kids do and I never had any of that. I didn’t care because Iwas really happy dancing. Sometimes there are teachers whotry to discourage young people with talent. Dance is a reallycruel profession. There are so many beautiful dancers out therewith so many companies. Even if you dance with companiessometimes you never become the principle dancer or the soloist.Then by the time you’re 40 you’re done. In ballet by the timeyou’re 30 you’re done. A lot of dancers don’t prepare them-selves for what happens after that. They become teachers andmost of the time they’re bitter. When they see the light in theeyes of some kid who is happy and wants to dance they punishthem for that for some reason. I had some teachers like that butmy mother was really good at keeping me focused.When I was 11 I got an apprenticeship in the big company thatI wanted to dance with. It was very unusual at 11. So one day I

went there and there were needles in my point shoes. The toe ofpoint shoes are made of wood so people would break the pointshoe in the middle with blades so I would fall. People wouldcall my house with threats. It was really crazy. My motherwould tell me not to continue if I didn’t want to but then I gotinto competitions every weekend. I never thought I would winanything and would exit before they gave out the prizes and Iwould always win. But that wasn’t the reason I was doing it. Iwanted to be on stage. Just having that moment of being onstage every weekend and being so happy was great. My friendswould say, “You have no life.” But I did have a life. That wasmy life. My family was very supportive and kept me in check.Even to this day they ask me if I’m prepared for life after dance.

NR: In addition to dance you also co-produced Ted Collatos’“The Chosen One,” as well as a couple of other productions.Why did you get involved in that?CM: I got to the point once in Brazil that I wanted to be in-volved in film. I acted in a few things on TV and I acted in the-ater. But I really wanted to be involved in film. I decided that ifI didn’t dance I wanted to be a filmmaker. But of course I neverstopped dancing. So I came to the United States and I metTeddy. I thought that he couldn’t promote himself. I’m reallygood at talking to people and getting organized. At dance schoolthey teach you how to organize things and get things together.So I started doing that and it really helped him. We were able toget into more festivals and get more articles and do morefundraising. Then I decided to mix passions. The first documen-tary I produced with Teddy was about a dance competition thathappens in Brazil. It’s called “On Point.” We went to a compe-tition to do a documentary. The competition brings in dancersfrom all over the world who are there to try to get a scholarshipor contract with a company in the United States or Europe.There is a lot of money that is given to the dancers. We wentthere and we followed five dancers from different backgrounds.

CAROLINA MONNERAT DANCEArticle written by Nanci Race Cover Photo by Julie McCarthy

CAROLINA IN MIDDLE,”TRAINS”, PHOTO BY MIKE STRONG

Page 15: The Artful Mind - April 2010

APRIL 2010 ARTFULMIND.NET THE ARTFUL MIND • 11

One of them was from Australia, the other four were Brazilians.We made that into a film and actually got into the Bucharest In-ternational Film Festival. We were in competition with a lot ofother big documentary productions. So that was really cool. Iwant to continue to do that.I don’t have a wish to be a director anymore. I haven’t really

tried it but I don’t think I have that talent. I do know I have thetalent to produce things, even other people’s things; not justTeddy’s.

NR: When you are a producer what is it that you actuallydo?CM: I have to try to get the money and that’s big. There are dif-ferent kinds of producing. Right now I do all different kinds. Iorganize the films, the staff, the actors, the food, the catering,the release forms, the legalities of the film and when the film isactually in progress I assist Teddy with whatever he needs—ifhe needs a certain camera, if he needs more tape, or if a camerabreaks down I have to run around and get another camera. I helphim choose the subjects. If it’s a documentary and if he getsstressed out because it’s too long then I am the pacifier so he canhave his artistic moment. I keep the artist happy so he doesn’thave to know all this drama is going on behind him. AfterwardsI have to make sure that we get press for the film or the colorcorrection done and figure out how we’re going to get moneyto pay those people. I have to do all the press releases. I haveto get the rights for the music and that’s a crazy job. Whenwe get distribution in place I have to make sure the distrib-utors are doing their jobs. It never ends but it’s a lot of fun.

NR: It sounds like it takes more time for you to put thefilm or documentary together than it does to do the ac-tual shooting.CM: “On Point” took a month to shoot. Then when we gotback home we had hundreds and hundreds of hours offootage in Portuguese. Teddy edits and that takes years. Hespeaks a little bit of Portuguese but when people startedspeaking really fast and say crazy things I had to sit by hisside with head phones on simultaneously translating thingsto him over and over again until he was happy with aboutfive hours of footage then we could put in the subtitles.Without subtitles it takes too much time. I sat by his side foryears.

NR: That sounds pretty stressful. What do you do forstress relief? Dance?CM: I drink a glass of wine, maybe go to the movies, and Idance. Although it hurts dance is good therapy. It actuallyhurts more if you don’t do it.

NR: What other things are you doing?CM: I am the rehearsal director for the company I work with,the Deeply Rooted Dance Theater. It’s a lot of work but it’sputting me on a different path. When I finish with dance Ican still be in the dance world. I also teach dance a lot. I ama guest teacher in a lot of places. Right now there is a com-pany in Memphis that wants me to go there and teach andchoreograph. I teach at a summer intensive for the companythat I work with. I also teach in Brazil at the competitions. Iam also a judge for those. So now I’m starting to get intochoreographing too. The company that I work with has a sec-ond company in Chicago and I’m trying to choreograph withthem. That will be the first time that I’m choreographing profes-sional dancers. That will be fun. I dance quite a bit with a com-pany called Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Ballet.

NR: That sounds interesting with a lot of travel involved.CM: I travel eight months of the year. It’s not fun traveling withyour co-workers, staying in hotels with them, you go back homewith them, and you miss your loved ones.

NR: What have you found to be the biggest hassle that youhave in doing all this stuff?CM: The injuries. Your body hurts. I have two slipped discs, Igot a bad concussion last year from dancing and I’m still recov-ering from it. That’s a big hassle because you don’t get enoughsupport in the arts for the company to get a good insurancepackage. And to be away from Teddy is really hard.

NR: A massage therapist isn’t going to help a concussion orslipped disc. Can you still dance with those injuries?CM: No the therapist doesn’t help with either of those thingsbut it does help relieve the pain. With the back I can still dancebut with the concussion I had to stop for a little bit. Last yearwhen I returned to dancing there were certain things I couldn‘tdo. I couldn’t do anything that would make me hit my head orshake my head. I couldn’t jump. It’s been almost a year but Istill get ringing in my ears and if I do certain things I get very,

very dizzy. Fortunately the choreographers that I work with arenice and understand my limitations at the moment. When it’syour head that’s a serious injury. Sometimes I have ripped ten-dons. You just pull through it. But with the head I’m not goingto risk it. Now I have hip problems and knee issues but it comeswith dance.

NR: How many more years do you think you will be able todance?CM: I think I’ll be looking to stop dancing when I turn 42 be-cause I’m thinking of some friends of mine who are going intotheir 40s. I have a friend who is 42 and she looks fabulous butit’s starting to not be as much fun for her anymore.

NR: You were originally a ballerina then you crossed overinto modern dance. That’s a little unusual isn’t it?CM: I was a classical ballerina under the mentorship of a veryfamous teacher named Eugenia Feodorova. She was a RussianJew. She was in the war and her entire family was killed. Herparents were walking in the concentration camp and they shother parents in front of her. Her sister started crying so they shother too. That left Eugenia alone in the world but she was one ofthe biggest stars of dance. While she was in the concentrationcamp she and the other ballerina’s would take ballet class. Theywere working on manufacturing bombs but one German soldier

saw that they were having the ballet class by themselves and hedecided to move them to an area where they would just paint thebombs. It was a safer area because of the bombs exploding andkilling people.

After the war she started a school in Brazil and she hand-picked her students. I really wanted to take a class with her. Iwent there and she said I was too young to take the class. I was10 and I lied to her and said I was 11. She didn’t want me to takethe class but I begged her and she agreed. After the class shesaw my mom and she said, “She is very talented, but we needto change things on her. She’s going to have to study very hard.Does she want to do that?” I said I wanted to so I quit an appren-ticeship with a company and I went to be her student. She saidthat I was her last student. And I really was her last student.They asked her to be one of the founders of the Bolshoi Balletin Brazil. Because of that I got my diploma from the Bolshoi inthe Vaganova technique, which is really hard in which to get adiploma. But she made sure her dancers were really smart. Alot of dancers are not very smart because they are so into them-selves and it’s just about their bodies. They just look at them-selves and they don’t know about the world. So she made surethat we were very smart people. She would kick you out of theclass if you didn’t know what was going on in the world thatday. Or she would show you a painting and if you didn’t knowwho the painter was she would kick you out of the class. If somemusic was playing and she asked you what ballet the song was

from and you didn’t know then you were out. She might askyou who composed it and if you knew that she would ask, “Wellhow did he die?” Everyday someone would cry in class. I gotkicked out a few times. But she really taught us that dance is anart form where you have to be a smart human being. She wouldsay, “Do not be a stupid dancer, do not!” She really was mymentor and she made sure that you appreciated the music youwere dancing to. Who was the composer, what was the musicabout, how was the life of the composer because that would addsomething to your performance. You had to understand theater.So she made us study Stanislavski and we had exercises byStanislavski. You would really appreciate how to act on stageand you had be an actor otherwise you’d just be a machine. Andthat to me is how classical ballet has become—unemotionaldancers. It’s just trying to see who has the highest leg or themost turns. It’s boring. She wanted us to know what was goingon in the world so we could see the parallels of stories—thelove that someone gives you and then you die and the drama.There were stories of that time that can reflect the stories oftoday and she just wanted me to be informed.

At that time I was doing all these competitions and I waswinning them and I was invited to dance at a seminar in com-petition. They bring the stars from all over the world. I wasdoing La Bayadere, which is a really famous classical ballet. AGerman Symphony was there. But I was getting tired. Even

though I was only 16 years old I had done Swan Lake, LaBayadere, Giselle and all of the ballets so many times. Iwas touring all the time. It was great but I was getting stuckemotionally. I didn’t want to do it like that anymore.

This company from Chicago had a teacher at the sem-inar and I went to take a class in modern dance. We don’thave a lot of modern dance in Brazil. The modern dancewas extremely difficult and so different. The other balleri-nas are so prejudiced against modern dance because mod-ern dancers don’t dance on point shoes and anyone can dothat and the ballerinas think that it’s trash. So I wanted togo see what it was about but I failed miserably in class. Butthe teacher had seen me dance and she was amazed becauseI was the first ballerina in her class. She told me to comeback, which I did for the entire summer. One day she asked,“Do you really like to dance?” I said, “I do. It’s very beau-tiful, very emotional, and very physical. It’s really diffi-cult.” She talked to the directors of the company about meand she said, “They want you to come to Chicago and Ithink you should come.” I talked to my mom. I had finishedhigh school really fast and she made me do a bunch of teststo see if I could get into a university so I could have that lifeand I passed. At 16 I moved to the United States to dancewith the company in Chicago. It was fantastic but it wasreally hard because even in that world some of the dancerswere prejudiced against me. They’d say, “Oh, she’s just aballerina. Of course she can do that, she’s a ballerina butshe can’t dance like we do, down to earth and move herbody.” But I took it seriously. I told my mom that I knew Iwas going to suffer and I’m not afraid of suffering. I knewI was going to come from a place where I was a soloist,recognized and people loved me to a place where I proba-bly wouldn’t be cast because I didn’t know how to dancethat, but I learned it. And with that came some of the mostamazing choreographers in the United States today.A year ago I decided to do ballet again so I did the Al-

bany Berkshire Ballet’s Nutcracker and I thought it wasgoing to be crazy but I loved it. It makes me feel good that Ican step into both worlds. Of course I have no aspirations to bedancing with the New York City Ballet or any of those places.I think that is what my mentor was trying to teach me; you haveto be open. You can’t be ignorant and there is such ignorance inboth modern dance and ballet. I teach a lot of modern danceclasses and I teach them passages from Swan Lake where theyhave to do it; not on point shoes but flat just to give them thatpower and some of them wake up and say, “Oh I just did partof Swan Lake.” That’s something they had never dreamed of. Ilike to tell the story of my mentor to my students because someof them don’t take class seriously. They say, “Oh it’s too hard,I can’t do it.” But Eugenia was taking class after her entire fam-ily was killed before her eyes. It’s not that we all have to be likethat but it’s a wakeup call because sometimes we just have to dosomething. If it’s too hard then go to school to do somethingelse. My mentor gave me the courage to fail.

For a preview of Carolina’s dancing go to http://vids.my-space.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individuals&videoid=102847991

i

CAROLINA CENTER FRONT, “JAGGED EDGES”, PHOTO BY KEN CARL

Page 16: The Artful Mind - April 2010

12 THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010

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Mars is now direct in Leo. All through the winter, we expe-rienced Mars retrograde, which is a complex, frustrating (andfortunately rare) transit that feels like the big chill. Mars is nowin the process of covering the whole sign Leo, and will stir up alot of passionate energy. Looked at another way, Mars direct ishere to clear stuck energy in time for some truly stellar eventslater in the spring. In April, planets have gathered in Aries andthe fiery energy is rising. This is just the beginning. By June,two of the most influential planets, Jupiter and Uranus, make aconjunction in Aries, and this conjunction is going to rock theworld. Stay tuned to PlanetWaves.net for daily news as thisevent develops.

Aries (March 20-April 19)Do you know those situations where someone holds in all theirpassion and energy for months on end, wanting to be well-be-haved and spiritually pure and in control, and then one moment,under the influence of perhaps a little alcohol, decides to let itgo all at once and do all kinds of crazy things and then wakes upand regrets it? I thought you might have heard of this. Whetheryou are the party type or not, this metaphor applies to your life,and I suggest that as the next few weeks go on, you unfold your-self gradually, gently and intentionally rather than explode withall your plans at once. In other words, for maximum fun andcreativity, easy does it — for now.

Taurus (April 19-May 20)Are these big fears you are confronting, or small ones? Is therereally a difference? I would say not. Fear, insecurity, uncertainty,jealousy — it’s all the same thing, as far as your current situationis concerned. Dance with that for a moment; notice the specificelements that they all have in common, which elements may in-volve one of your parents. That is where we get most of ourfears. You could say that it’s where we get most of our talents,except for one thing: talents are usually more difficult to acquirebecause they require the development of potential. Fears aregenerally easier to acquire because they have effects whether‘true’ or not. I suggest you decide which you really want, andwhich you really don’t.

Gemini (May 20-June 21)Be grateful that you’re having an issue seeing both sides of thestory. I think one side of whatever it is you’re experiencing isenough to reveal the many facets of what you’re confronting inyour life, mostly the truth that the world as you know it is theproduct of your ideas about yourself and about life. It’s reallytrue that you seek completion and the full expression of yourbeing through your ideas, whether you do this professionally ornot. I suggest you keep your current search on the deeper levelof a search for yourself rather than a search for ‘what is trueabout life’. See if you can eliminate any abstractions; go directlyto your inner source; be yourself and describe your inner realitydirectly, persistently and most of all gently.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)These have been weeks of contrast, and if my reading of yourcharts is vaguely accurate, you’ve made a good few choicesabout what you want and what you don’t want. You’re not donemaking these decisions — not only do I suggest you get used to

the process, I suggest you embrace the necessity and beauty ofa total reevaluation of your life. Everything you discover thatyou don’t like is coming up specifically so you can move onfrom that very thing and create room for what you desire. Fur-ther, you can subject to a conscious decision everything you dis-cover that you don’t want to be true about yourself. Don’t justtrust my word: try it and see.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)Draw your energy close to your center, physically and spiritu-ally. Be cautious what you reveal about yourself and your be-liefs. Keep your body warm, including your extremities, butparticularly your core temperature. Watch where your moneygoes, your effort, your energy, your thoughts. Be careful whenothers try to define you, and know this when you see it: specif-ically, beware of when others try to dictate what you want. Byconserving your energy, you will be able to focus enoughstrength to tune into your long-term vision, and to shift yoursense of identity in that direction. Over the next 10 days or so,you can tune in and feel the person you are becoming, and iden-tify with that fully.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)Who exactly is keeping secrets from you? Accuse who you will,but it would seem like you’re hiding hostility from yourself.Perhaps it’s about whether you feel fairly treated in a close re-lationship, which you are blaming yourself for. Alternately, itcould be your deepening desire, indeed, your need, to transformyourself creatively or sexually, yet at the same time feeling likeyou’re obstructed from doing so. In either event, the main partof the blockage is your struggle to tell the truth to yourself. Thistruth may involve something you have long denied: a desire, afact, an understanding with yourself that you came to previ-ously, perhaps more than once. Be real with you, and grant your-self some relief.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)Finally, you’re seeing that it’s healthy to invest some of yourself-esteem in the service you offer to others; and that far fromtaking anything away from you, your ability to offer yourself isa gift you give to yourself. If you’re not quite seeing that, Iwould offer this as a proposal. The more you offer to the peopleyou care about, and by more, I mean in terms of quality and in-novation as much as in labor and effort, the more you will dis-cover that you have, and that indeed, you are. We see theopposite equation play out too often, reinforcing a belief that togive is to lose. Yes, it’s important to give consciously and care-fully, following an ethos of love.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)Make your moves one at a time. Yes, work with a vision; workwith a clear idea of what you want; but make one move at atime. Live one day at a time. Respond to something present inyour environment that is actually present, rather than what youthink might happen or are afraid will happen. Mars coming to ahalt and changing directions on such a sensitive, personal angleof your chart (as Leo is for you) is going to have some strangeeffects, and one way to handle any potential distortion is tomake deliberate moves close to where you are now. You will

very likely feel the need to be impetuous; I strongly suggest youlet your mind rule over your emotions.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)While the ‘home’ angle of your chart — Pisces — is getting thereally hot transits (Mercury, Jupiter, the Sun, Venus and Uranus,all at once) I would say that you feel the world is your homeand your oyster and you are raring to go. I suggest you makecontact with why: it’s the feeling of resonance with your envi-ronment, and of comfort with yourself, that’s drawing you intonew experiences. This is a rare-enough experience for a humanon the planet, particularly in a time when we are taught to per-ceive everything as a threat. Those who preach the doctrine ofthreat and danger are the ones who would do better to stayhome. You are not playing this game, and if you’re sitting onthe fence, I am here to tell you that a many-layered adventure iscalling you.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)Your friends love you, and they want to help make your life notjust easier, but a celebration. Some of them have precisely thequalities you lack, or that you struggle with expressing, and thatyour current transits are doing their best to cultivate: unfetteredpassion, spontaneity and the ability to express yourself from thedepth of your soul. You will benefit from the examples of thosewho have set aside or gone beyond their own struggle with free-dom, recognizing it’s as much of a necessity as structures andboundaries. You have gone far enough in the direction of in-tegrity, safety and purity. Naughtier times are calling your name.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)If you are thinking about how to make money, take a day or twoor better yet, three, and do what you want to do the most. Trythis as an experiment. See how you feel. By ‘want to do themost’ I mean what gives you the most pleasure for the doing;what you yearn for; what you care about, regardless of its mon-etary value. I say this knowing that money is on your mind. I saythis knowing, as well, that far more important things are on yourmind — such as fulfilling your life purpose. I know that manywho reach for their purpose seem to sacrifice financial wealth,but I am not here to speak for them, or to them. I am here tospeak to you.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)Drop your resistance and stay open to all the possibilities. Getused to this — a process of opening and allowing rather thantrying to be pure or even positive. It is easy to allow the energyto flow through you and around you, and you may find it easieryet if I remind you that you are protected, and that your deepestdesires are resonating with the world around you. All you needto do is get out of your own way. Is this easier said than done?In theory, no; in reality they are closely related. Make a commit-ment to yourself. Recognize the incredible good that is aroundyou; embrace the people who love you, and observe your lifewith the trust of a child.

~ Read Eric Francis daily at PlanetWaves.net

FUNDS RAISED DONATED TO NARSAD THE WORLD LEADING CHARITY DEDICATED TO BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR RESEARCH.

Please join us for the Third Annual Taking Strides Against Mental Illness Walk at Saddle River County Park in Ridgewood, New Jersey on May 16, 2010.

Open to all ages and abilities. Enjoy refreshments, DJ entertainment and a Taking Strides T-Shirt. The scenic park walk is 1, 3 or 5 miles on flat,

paved trails in beautiful Saddle River County Park.

To register or make a donation, and for more information:Visit: www.againstmentalillness.org Email: [email protected]

Page 17: The Artful Mind - April 2010

SHARON TRUE, M.A., C.M.A., R.M.T.Somatic Movement Therapist and

Certified Pilates Instructor WholePerson Movement Mat Classes

Mondays 6:30 - 7:30 PMKinesphere Studio • 66 Main St, Lee, MA

Tuesdays 5:00 - 6:00 PMKilpatrick Athletic Center, Simonʼs Rock College

84 Alford Rd, Gt. Barrington, MAWholePerson Movement Private Sessions

Personal training in a quiet country setting featuring theReformer and other Pilates-designed apparatus

All WholePerson Movement Classes:• Increase strength and flexibility• Improve posture, balance, breathing, body awareness• Improve comfort, ease, grace in moving• Reduce lower back and other chronic pain• Reduce risk of re-injury from sports or occupation

Call for more information 413.528.2465

HELPFUL GO-TO’S

WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET APRIL 2010 THE ARTFUL MIND •13

......VViissiitt:: www.artfulmind.net

KARI J. AMDAHL, MAPychotherapist

• Traditional Talk Therapy• Cognitive & Dialectical Behavioral Therapies• Mindfulness Approach• Art and Dream Work• Body-centered Approaches

413-528-6121 Great Barrington, MASliding Scale Fee • See press release in this issue

Page 18: The Artful Mind - April 2010

14 • THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010

RomancingtheImage

Graphic Design for all your

advertising needs

Designing for Berkshire people for over 20 years

413 . 528 . 5628

Creative design for advertising, logos, brochures, package design, posters and cards from start to press.

M & A and SVA Graduate, BFA Portfolio avaiable upon request

ERIN BURCH, PTBODYWHISPEREROLD INJURIES NEVER DIE

Old Injuries never die. I have had this experience in myown body, as well as observing it in countless others. I usedto work in an outpatient clinic and people would come to mewith neck pain. As part of the history and intake process, Iwould inquire if there had been any neck trauma (car acci-dent, fall, etc). It was evident by the visible distortion intheir neck that something; some force had disrupted it. Aftermuch questioning, it finally dawned on them that in fact,they were in a car accident…. “but that was 20 years ago!” The assumption is that once the acute phase of pain of a

trauma has passed, the problem has been resolved, and per-haps in a small percentage of cases, that may be true. How-ever, in my experience and observation this has not been thecase. When the small bones of the neck, for example areshifted out of their original position, by the forces from anaccident or fall, this creates an unnatural “fit” between thejoints therein. The body works amazingly hard to protect usfrom pain and so goes immediately into compensation. Thiscompensation works subtly throughout the body, taking a lit-tle from here and a little from there, until it can no longeraccommodate the distortion. In the meantime, inflammationcontinues at the original site. This process can take a coupleof decades for the body to run out of the available “slack”,and pain may resurface at the original area or at some otherlocation. This all may seem like bad news indeed. However, the

good news is, that armed with this information, awareness,and connection to one’s body, as well as intelligent interven-tion, a great deal of pain can be understood, relieved and po-tentially avoided. Erin can be reached at 413-528-1623, cell: 201-787-

7293

WHOLE PERSON MOVEMENT

WHAT DOES IT TAKE?What does it take to overcome your resistance and do

what needs to be done to look and feel your best?Is it that awful photo of you someone took at a wedding?

Or at a beach? Is it getting together with a friend to exerciseso you really do it? Is it signing up for a yoga class, joininga gym, or meeting a personal trainer, so that you make a fi-nancial investment that you’d hate to waste? Perhaps it’s see-ing an old friend who’s made a commitment to health, andyou like the results your friend is getting and want some foryourself!Regular exercise gives you the most ‘bang for your buck’

for your health investment dollar. It can help you spend lesstime and money in the health care system because exerciseimproves your cardiovascular system, your strength and mo-bility, your mood, your brain function, and more. It can be assimple as walking your dog every day, or as ambitious astraining for marathons. The key is to find what motivatesyou personally to exercise, and to set up a structure so thatit can work in your life.Sharon True of WholePerson Movement is a certified Pi-

lates trainer and a somatic movement therapist. She under-stands how challenging it can be to make exercise a regularpart of life: “There have been times in my life when I’ve hadto do a lot of computer work, or my family has needed me,or I’ve been working on some project or another, and exer-cise has taken a back seat for awhile without my even real-izing it. Then I start noticing aches and pains and stiffness,and I’m irritable all the time. I start to worry about myselfand think I need to call doctors. Then I remember. Aha!When was the last time I really worked out? As soon as I getback to exercise I feel better. It helps my body to be a homeI like to live in.”True has two locations for her holistic approach to Pilates

and therapeutic movement. Since 1998 she has had a Pilatesstudio for one-on-one personal training on her property inGreat Barrington that overlooks a small stream and somewoods. This tranquil setting promotes relaxation and innerfocus, so that after a workout her clients feel refreshed andenergized rather than spent. In 2009 she opened a practice atKinesphere Studio, 66 Main Street in Lee. At that larger lo-cation she is able to offer Pilates mat classes and private orduet Reformer workouts. (Reformers are exercise machinesinvented by Joseph Pilates). At both locations, she createscustomized programs for each of her clients, taking into con-sideration what their goals are, and what is truly motivatingto them. And especially, she serves as a support for “doingwhat needs to be done.”For more information about WholePerson Movement

classes, workshops, and personal training please call Sharon True at 413-528-2465, Mon-Sat 9 AM to 9PM, or email: [email protected]

KARI AMDAHLEmotionally overwhelmed? Stressed? Feel down on your-

self? Stuck? These are just a few symptoms of how one mayrespond to life’s challenges. But one doesn’t have to get trappedin these uncomfortable places.

Kari Amdahl utilizes a number of modalities in her psy-chotherapeutic work with clients to address such feelings, so asto allow for smoother transitions and resolutions to the issuespresented.“Mindfulness” and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) are

two approaches that can be applied at any given time with veryfavorable results.Though “mindfulness” originated as a form of Zen Buddhist

meditation over two and a half thousand years ago, its essenceneed not be experienced in meditation solely. Rather, “mind-fulness” can be practiced within the therapeutic process, andeventually as a way of experiencing life in general, whether oneis driving on the freeway, working, taking a shower, or talkingto a friend.

In brief, exercising “mindfulness” allows for a moregrounded, in-the-moment experience of what is at hand. So,rather than fighting a problem, forcing solutions, or continuingto be gripped by uncomfortable feelings, becoming “mindful”nurtures a more neutral state of being, so acceptance of “whatis” becomes possible. Calmly accepting a circumstance thenfosters new insights, wisdom and compassion for one’s self andthe situation. As a result, unexpected resolutions arise, as wellas a more positive and open outlook.CBT is also very helpful in discovering and changing one’s

negative perspectives. Often we are not aware of our pessimisticconscious/unconscious thoughts that create our view of theworld and ourselves. With help one can bring these out into theopen, discovering if they are true or not. Often by catching theseself-defeating thoughts, one can not only prove them untrue but,one can also alter one’s whole outlook: more choices becomeavailable and positive life changes occur.

The thought manifests as the word;The word manifests as the deed;The deed develops into habit;And habit hardens into character.So watch the thought and its ways withcare,And let it spring from love,Born out of compassion for all human be-ings.As the shadow follows the body,As we think, so we become

—Das, L.S. 1997.

For more information and to make an appointment, contactKari Amdahl at 413-528-6121. Great Barrington area. Slidingscale available.

Page 19: The Artful Mind - April 2010

MICRO THEATRE PRESENTS

LOST AND FOUNDMicro Theatre presents “Lost and Found”, a theatrical

event of satire, farce and absurdity. Written and producedby Bob Balogh, “Lost and Found” features Bob Balogh,Michael Hitchcock, and Becky Sterpka and takes place Sun-day afternoons at 3 p.m. on March 21, 28 and April 11 and18 at the Micro Theatre in Pittsfield. Suggested donation is$10.

Micro Theatre serves the community as a performancevenue for experimental theatre productions, acoustic musicshows, standup comedy and poetry readings. The space is alsoavailable for rehearsals and auditions. The 30-seat, black boxtheatre is conveniently located in downtown Pittsfield at 311North Street and is affiliated with the ArtOnNo collaborative. Artistic Director Bob Balogh managed Sidney Armus’ The-

atre 22 in NYC from 1996-2002. Bob is a member of the boardof directors at CTSB-TV in Lee; his radio program is broadcaston WBCR-LP in Great Barrington and on WPKN in Bridge-port, CT.Among the original, experimental presentations scheduled

for 2010 at Micro Theatre are “Lost and Found” and “Nixon inLove.”Auditions for the repertory cast are ongoing. All ages and all

levels of experience are welcome to make an appointment.Micro Theatre, 311 North Street, Pittsfield, MA; 413-

442-2223, 413-212-7180; microtheatre@hotmail.

FRONT ST. GALLERY Painting Classes are held Monday and Wednesday from

9:30 to 1 pm at the gallery/studio. Thursday class is planned,from 9:30 - 1 pm at different locations, and to be announcedweekly. The cost is $30 per class and it is for beginners to ad-vanced, all mediums are welcome.

Remember during difficult times the best investment issomething that uplifts the spirit. There is no greater gift than awonderful painting. Please come pick one out and make everyday of your life richer. Ongoing large selection of still life andBerkshire landscapes. All work sold at “recession concession”prices. Time payments accepted by appointment or chance.

The Front St. Gallery was established fifteen years ago byseven local artists; Kate Knapp was one of the original founders.Designed as a cooperative showing many Berkshire artists’work, today it is not only a gallery but primarily Kate Knapp’sstudio. The space is obviously a working studio with many racksfilled with canvases new and old, offering a great choice to any-one interested in looking. Kate has been studying art for 40years. Her paintings are found in collections all over the country. Front St. Gallery is a beautiful and intriguing space located

next to the Corner Market looking out at the mountains andpassing trains. The paintings hanging on the walls are filled withcolor and light reflecting Kate’s training in the impressionistschool. There are portraits, still life’s and landscapes done in oiland watercolor. Wonderful paintings of the rivers, farms andflowers found in the Berkshires are inspiring. There are also vi-brant seascapes painted on Block Island, RI., where Kate has ahome and loves to paint. The key word here is “loves”. Thesepaintings are filled with an intense joy and passion for life. Thewild rapids of the river, old farm trucks parked in a field withcows and waves breaking on rocks and shore are painted withgreat feeling. Prices are negotiable.

Front St. Gallery, Housatonic, MA. 413-274 6607,www.kateknappartist.com and 413-528-9546 / 413-429-7141

Too Much of aGood Thing is Good!

68 Main St. Lee, MA 413-243-0242

Always great selection of rugged work

clothes.

SCHANTZ GALLERIESSchantz Galleries in Stockbridge is committed to the con-

tinuation of over 30 years of providing representation inter-nationally recognized glass artists to exhibit their work andshare their art with the world. This is a hidden gem of a gallery, a destination for glass

collectors and enthusiasts near and far. Open seven days,visitors to the gallery will be delighted to find inspired sculp-tures and installations by Maestro Lino Tagliapietra of Mu-rano Italy; and the recently installed spectacular SilveredJade and Sapphire Chandelier by Dale Chihuly. Represent-ing over 40 of the world’s foremost living artists exhibitedon two floors, visitors are privy to experience the very pin-nacle of contemporary art glass right here in New England. Throughout the years, the popularity of glass has grown

immensely—nurtured by Schantz and several other dedi-cated gallerists and collectors—and the gallery has becomean international destination for contemporary glass enthusi-asts. You really owe it to yourself to stop by and experiencethis art form. Schantz Galleries, 3 Elm Street, Stockbridge, MA Winter

hours are 11am – 5pm. 413-298-3044;www.schantzgalleries.com

DAN DAILY, SURE, 23” X 12” X 9”, BLOWN GLASS

APRIL 2010 THE ARTFUL MIND • 15

“The creative person finds himself in a state of turmoil, restlessness, emptiness, and unbearable frustrationunless he expresses his inner life in some creative way.”

-Silvano Arieti

Page 20: The Artful Mind - April 2010

16 APRIL 2010 WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET

DON MULLER GALLERYFor the third year in a row, the Don Muller Gallery has been

named one of the Top Ten Retailers of American Craft in NorthAmerica by Niche Magazine, one of the highest marks of dis-tinction in the American craft industry.

More than 18,000 craft artists from the United States andCanada are polled each year and nominate over 700 galleries,retail stores, and museum shops. Criteria for selection include: treating artists with courtesy and respect; paying ontime; promoting and marketing American crafts; giving backtime and energy to the craft community; mentoring emergingartists; and maintaining an inventory that is at least 85% Amer-ican craft.Don Muller Gallery was honored to be named among the top

galleries in the United States, and is particularly proud toachieve such an award for owning and operating a business indowntown, Northampton, Massachusetts, for over 25 years.Being one of the top 10 galleries in the nation is a real tributeto past and present employees and all of the artists that havebeen represented through the years. The gallery has also announced the launch of their new

website. The site features the work of many artists in jewelry,glass, wood, fiber, and more; it includes a tour of the gallery, adescription of their services, and an introduction to the gallerystaff. The site was produced by Positronic, a web development company based in Northampton.Don Muller Gallery, 40 Main St, Northampton, MA,

413-586-1119, www.donmullergallery.com Open Mon–Wed, 10-5:30, Thurs–Sat, 10–9, Sunday 12-5pm.

“Let us proclaim that the sidewalk can climb up your table, that your head can cross the street, and that at the same time your household lamp can suspend between one house and another

the immense spiderweb of its dusty rays.”-Umberto Boccioni

HARRIET DIAMONDTHE PIT

Harriet Diamond’s exhibition of sculpture and draw-ing, “The Pit”, opens on April 1 at the Oxbow Gallery inNorthampton. The opening reception is on Friday, April 9from 5-8pm. Concurrently, Gary Niswonger will showpaintings in the backroom and will hold a closing on Sun-day, April 28 from 2-5pm. The main piece in the show, “The Pit”, is an elaborate

sculpture much like a very large, open diorama. About thepiece Harriet Diamond says, “For the last year and a half Ihave been working on “The Pit” and, sadly, the subject isstill war. In the sculpture soldiers are depicted endlesslyspiraling downward. Warplanes drone overhead. It’s sim-ple and to the point. We are always at war. Why? How canwe get out of this? It is sobering to still be making thiskind of work after 9 years, but it is uplifting to engagewith this problem. We may not solve it in our lifetime, butcertainly we need to focus our energies on stopping war.”

Harriet Diamond’s depictions of the common soldierscaught up in the events of war animate and humanize herpieces. The contexts of her scenes juxtaposed to her gentlycomic figures emphasize the haplessness of the soldiers.By turns the soldiers appear proud, triumphant, startled,suffering, and even dead. A panoply of human emotions isdisplayed across their faces. With humor, caring and witHarriet Diamond places all of us in her scenes.

Harriet Diamond uses many types of materials inbuilding her scenes such as paint, wood, styrofoam, clay,and tinfoil. She retains faith that her viewers will see whatshe sees in her materials. For example, a series of triangu-lar tinfoil pieces resolve themselves simply into a group ofairplanes. She reaches for whatever skills are at hand;sculpture, drawing and painting, to tell the story. And thisurgency reverberates throughout her work. Harriet Dia-mond has shown throughout New England and in NewYork City.

Gary Niswonger will show paintings in the backroomat the Oxbow from April 1-25. Niswonger is a Professor of

Art at Smith College has painted from thelandscape for 25 years. He has paintedlandscape in Western Massachusetts, Ari-zona, Northern California and the South ofFrance. His work has been shown locallyand regionally. The works in this exhibi-tion are small, direct, immediate responsesto being in the moment in a specific place.Of particular interest to the artist in thisset of works is mirroring the changes oflight and color of natural world as weatherand time of day of day dictate.

About his work he says, “Painting ischoosing—all sorts of choices—some aresubtle or elegant, others are flat-footed.My paintings are not afraid to be clumsy.They come from being in the making.Standing out in the air, trying to keep upwith the moving elements, confrontingcolor’s transiency—that’s it, that’s paint-ing for me.”Oxbow Gallery, 275 Pleasant St,

Northampton.

HARRIET DIAMOND, THE PIT

PHYSICAL POETRY ENSEMBLE

NEW PERFORMANCE WORK INPITTSFIELD

A new performance work by dance artist Stefanie Weber’sCOH eNsemble entitled habitat (de)fragmentation will premiereon April 17 in the ballroom at Jae’s Spice on North St in Pitts-field at 7 and 9p. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $15or reserved ahead of time for $10.

Weber’s medium is physical poetry, which is a fusion ofmetaphoric movement, collaborative ritual and creative processmeant to spark a revelation in the viewer. The COH eNsembleotherwise known as the Creatures of Habitat Physical PoetryPerformance Group began in 2001 as The Creatures of Habitat.Debuting in 2003 with the 80 minute performance and installa-tion piece entitled “indicator species: works inspired by thehabitats of nest, womb and Earth” which brought the viewer lit-erally into the woods to follow the main character Journeythrough a dream-like chapbook of physical poems based on thethemes of the female experience, addiction, abuse and ecolog-ical associations to the female form. Weber continued her artfulexamination in the eco-feminist tradition with the making of theperformance sculpture Oschun Exuvia in 2004 (revisited in2009). This shedding of a socio-exo-skeleton represented thepolluted ideals of love and divine feminine in relationship tothe poisoning of rivers such as the Housatonic. Weber’s newest work habitat (de)fragmentation has been in

progress in Berkshire County since June of 2008. Works-in-progress have been shown throughout in Manhattan and Pitts-field. A pinnacle in the process was reached during a six-weeklong residency with the Storefront Artist Project in Pittsfield inJanuary, which commenced with a successful campaign via theonline funding vehicle for visionaries, Kickstarter.

The 50minute performance includes original music fromlong-time collaborator Frederique Trunk in Barcelona and re-cent alliance Lance Monotone of Brooklyn. Costumes arecrafted in part by Catherine Diebold of Ruckus Muckus Origi-nals in Oakland, CA. Original video made by Ben Pender-Cud-lip of Unrendered Films in CT.Visit www.fertileuniverse.com/events, call 413-281-6734 or

email [email protected] to reserve tickets or formore information on Stefanie's work.

Page 21: The Artful Mind - April 2010

WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010 • 17

BOB CRIMI STUDIOVISIT AN OIL PAINTING TODAY

Drawings, prints, water colors lose far less of the originalmeaning and quality in reproduction than do oil paintings. Thecamera, first stage in producing a reproduction, can photographonly what it sees on the surface. The power of a splendid oilpainting is dependent to a large degree on what is known asunder-painting, the pigments applied as initial steps in buildinga final image. This dimension is overlooked entirely by the lens.––from How To Start And Build An Art Collection by IrwinSolomon.If a pigment, which appears transparent or translucent in a

thinly applied layer, is piled up or applied to a surface in a thicklayer, it appears more opaque because the light then travelsthrough a greater number of separate particles. Each pigmentparticle impedes the light ray’s progress by refracting it. Also,it appears opaque because there is more refraction of light fromthe points where the pigment particles and their surroundingmedium meet. The increased absorption of light, due to the thenincreased number of particles, contributes to the illusion ofopacity. Pigments vary in transparency in indirect ratio to their-refractive indices, but all of them are transparent to some extent.––from The Artist’s Handbook by Ralph Meyer. Bob Crimi’s paintings can be viewed at his

Studio/Gallery by appointment. – 518-851-7904.

PARK ROW GALLERYJOHN SIDELI OPENS 2010 SEASON

Altered States, a captivating solo exhibition of mixed-mediaconstructions by the American artist John Sideli will be on viewat Park Row Gallery in Chatham, NY, April 1 – May 31. Therewill be a cocktail reception with the artist on Saturday, April 10from 4pm - 6pm, and the public is cordially invited to attend.Altered States will feature approximately 25 mixed media

constructions made from old objects and antique artifacts thatthe artist collects on his travels. Primarily self-taught as anartist, Mr. Sideli studied painting and architecture in his form-ative years, and then developed an absorbing interest in antiquesand history. He was deeply influenced by the playfulness andcreative energy of the sculptor Alexander Calder during a two-year period when he lived on the artist’s estate in Roxbury, CT,and it was during this time that the young John Sideli becamefascinated with the beauty and mystery of ‘found objects.’ Mr. Sideli gradually combined his interests in art, antiques

and history into a very successful career as a dealer and expertin American Folk Art. But for the past forty years he’s also re-mained passionately engaged in the process of creating mixedmedia constructions from fragments of long forgottenobjects. After living with these disparate artifacts and contem-plating their beguiling forms for days, weeks or years, he rein-terprets, recombines and magically transforms them intoplayful, poetic and transcendent works of art.

John Sideli lived and worked in Malden’s Bridge, NY forover thirty years before moving to Wiscasset, Maine. He wasgreatly inspired during his years living in Columbia County,and is delighted to be returning to the area to show his work ina community that he still calls home. Sideli shows his work na-tionally and internationally, including exhibitions with theAlexander Gallery and Giampietro in New York City, NY;Robert Young Antiques, London, England; Jenkins & Ingram,Wiscasset, ME; Tom Veilleux Gallery, Mount Vernon, ME; RedMills Gallery, Claverack, NY; and Jeffrey Tillou Gallery, Litch-field, CT.Park Row Gallery exhibits some of the finest artists in the

region. Offering a full range of services to their clients, thegallery can assist with private consultations, installing works ofart, or arranging special commissions.Park Row Gallery is located at 2 Park Row, in the charming

town of Chatham, NY. Gallery hours are Monday, and Wednes-day through Saturday, from 11am – 5pm. For further informa-tion, please contact Park Row Gallery at 518-392-4800, or visitour website: www.parkrowgallery.com

SPRING CLASSES ANDWORKSHOPS

IS183 Art School announces its spring class and workshopschedule for adult students. Offering a range of programs fornovice and working artists, classes are taught by professionalartists in a creative, nurturing and inspirational environment atthe Berkshires only year-round community art school. Classesfor adults at IS183 include weekend workshops, three-sessionlabs, weekly courses and weeklong intensives in the visual arts.Courses of study include ceramics, painting, drawing, collage,printmaking, metals, glass, jewelry, photography, fiber, paper,sculpture and mosaics. A complete list of course offerings andregistration information is available online.A weekend workshop “Making Colors Sing,” with instructor

Wednesday Sorokin, will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April10 and 11, from 12 to 4 p.m.

A weekend workshop “Exploring the World of ColoredClay,” with instructor Naomi Lindenfeld, will be held on Sat-urday and Sunday, April 17 and 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A weekend workshop “Venetian Lampwork Beads,” withinstructor Stephanie Maddalena, will be held on Saturday andSunday, May 1 and 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Intro to Digital Fine Art Printmaking,” a three-session Wed.

night photography lab with instructor Mark McCormick-Good-hart, will be held on March 31, April 7 and 14, from 6 to 9 p.m.

“Basket Making,” with instructor Wendy Jensen, will beheld on Thursdays, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., from April 8to June 3 (No class will be held on April 22.)

“Contemporary Realism: The Painted Portrait,” with YuraAdams, will be held on Fridays, April 9 through June 11, from1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

“Collage and Journaling with Handmade, Painted, Printedand Paste Papers,” with instructor Karen Arp-Sandel, will beheld on Fridays, April 9 to June 11 (no class April 23 and May14), from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

“Figure Sculpture,” with instructor Philip Howie, will beheld on Mondays, from 1:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., from April 5 toJune 7.

“Tile Making,” with instructor Ben Evans, will be held onMondays, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., from May 10 toJune 14 (No class will be held on May 31.)

Located half-way between Great Barrington andPittsfield in Interlaken (a village of Stockbridge) IS183Art School encourages people of all ages, means, andskill levels to enrich their lives through hands-on expe-rience in the visual arts, with year-round programs inceramics, painting, drawing, photography, fiber arts,sculpture, mixed media. For more information, a complete program schedule,

enrollment fees, scholarship opportunities, faculty bios,or to register for classes, please call 413-298-5252, e-mail [email protected] or visit us online at www.is183.org

SECRET GARDEN, JOHN SIDELI

“The artist who usesthe least of what iscalled imagination will

be the greatest.”_Pierre-Auguste

Renoir

Page 22: The Artful Mind - April 2010

SPORTSby Bob Balogh

The Sheffield Bloodthirsty Coyotes have signed Japanesebaseball player Bucky Toshiba to a one-year contract for the2010 season. Financial details of Bucky Toshiba’s contract werenot disclosed, probably because there are no financial details.Ballplayers in the Berkshire County Saloon League receive nopay. They sign up purely for the love of the game.

Oh, sure. They are handsomely compensated sometimes.Like Scooter Musnicki, the popular shortstop for the PittsfieldRabid Coyotes. He gets free haircuts over at Angie and Tina’sHair Salon on Tyler Street. And the word around Pittsfield isthat Scooter Musnicki enjoys more than just free haircuts. I’msaying, maybe a nice shampoo, too, once in a while. Or a man-icure. And Angie or Tina might even make a house call for thatextra stuff.Hey, I don’t know what goes on exactly. But there’s word on

the street that baseball players in the Berkshire County SaloonLeague occasionally get additional perks on top of their regularperks.So despite the fact that the newest member of the Sheffield

Bloodthirsty Coyotes, namely Bucky Toshiba from Japan, won’tbe paid for his talent according to league policy, he will be livingrent-free in the Sheffield home of Arnold and Roxanne Shook.Bucky Toshiba will sleep on the Shook’s living room couchfrom spring training through the playoffs. As for food, Buckywill be allowed to eat for free at the Heaping Helping Diner indowntown Sheffield, as long as he remembers to tip the wait-resses. And that should not be a problem because Bucky Toshibawill be earning a modest salary as a member of the town’s Road-kill Committee. That may sound like a fancy position, but it’sactually a lousy piecework job.

By the way, Bucky Toshiba is not an extraordinary athlete.He played center field in Japan with the Hirohito Sand Pebblesfor the last five years and he was mediocre at best. But that’sokay with the Berkshire County Saloon League. They expectand encourage mediocrity. The league wants their baseballteams to be staffed by mostly average or sub-par players. Em-pirical data shows that maintaining mediocrity as a standard insports eliminates egocentric hissy fits among teammates.Consequently, the Berkshire County Saloon League’s base-

ball squads are regularly composed of unspectacular lunkheads

with just enough motivation to show up on time and go throughthe motions and keep achievement as a relativistic concept.Nevertheless, the fans, those loyal, unswerving baseball fans,

who game after game cheer on their favorite middle-of-the-roadteams, wouldn’t have it any other way.

OBITUARY

Voluptuous Verna Vox, 54, slid into oblivion and came tonothing after an embarrassing ordeal with the affliction knownas Leamy Eye. The popular Voluptuous Verna Vox enjoyed amodest career in show business as an underwater singer, sub-merging herself in ponds and lakes throughout BerkshireCounty, where she would burst into song for as long as shecould hold her breath.

Because of her unusual capacity to control her breathing,Voluptuous Verna Vox was able to sing underwater for two min-utes and 45 seconds before coming up for air. And in her threedecades of underwater singing, she never had a close call.But the climate changes that have refashioned our planet thesedays seemed to have reorganized the physiology of VoluptuousVerna Vox and ultimately liquidated her.

From pollution to polyunsaturates, from fluorocarbons toflatulence, something in this lousy, mutating world causedVoluptuous Verna Vox to fall victim to the malady that took herlife, namely Leamy Eye. Yes, Leamy Eye. Excessive watering of one eye in response

to environmental stimuli. And in the case of Voluptuous VernaVox, it drained the life out of her.What a damned shame. She was an original. Peerless. The

only underwater singer anybody in Greater Backfish, Massa-chusetts ever saw.Of course, no one can claim to have actually heard her croon

a tune. She was always submersed. But her audiences came towatch, not listen.Who could listen? She belted out her vocals way below the

water’s surface. Down under Lake Mansfield, Long Pond Reser-voir, Rising Pond, Stockbridge Bowl, Lake Pontoosuc. Inaudi-ble melodies. Nothing to appreciate except air bubbles atop thewater.

People stood on the shorelines during her sunken concerts,

waiting for her to finish for no other reason than to gaze at thevoluptuous element of Voluptuous Verna Vox. Men and womenalike waited for the buxom blonde goddess to step out of thewater and towel off, showcasing her bikini-clad, perfectly pro-portioned womanly credentials.Now she is washed up and grounded for good. Because of

uncontrollable leakage. Leamy Eye. Non-stop tearing from herleft eye. Begun as a few drops, then a trickle and soon, an openfaucet draining all body fluids until she was nothing more thana broken water balloon.

Leamy Eye. A dirty trick of nature. A trick of dirty nature.Collateral damage in the ecological gloom and doom.The good news is that there are bootleg recordings available ofVoluptuous Verna Vox’s last three underwater concerts. Hiddenmicrophones were able to capture most of her repertoire, covertunes of Wendy O. Williams, Nina Hagen and Lydia Lunch.Rolling Stone calls her sound “cutting edge experimental gar-gle.”

For more information, visit VoluptuousVernaVoxUnderwa-terMusic.biz.Voluptuous Verna Vox, dead at 54. She was a Red Sox fan.

SOMETHING ELSE IS MISSING

Lost my wallet this morningThis afternoon I lost my keysLost my appetite at suppertimeLost my wife last weekSomething else is missing, there’s more that I can’t findSomething else is missing from my daily grind

I go over to the YI need to take a swimBut the water’s gone, the pool is dryI can’t jump inSomething else is missing, there’s more that I can’t findSomething else is missing from my daily grind

Sitting in the bar having some laughsAll or bad luck we compare and contrastJust us losers going down fastGoing down fast, going down fast

I’m a victim of identity theftNow somebody stole my catCan’t lose much more, there ain’t much leftAnybody seen my hat?Something else is missingThere’s more that I can’t findSomething else is missing from my daily grind

18 THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010

THE GALLERY AT THE GOLD AND SILVERSMITH152 Main St, Great Barrington (next to Eagle Shoe and Boot)

413 • 528 • 0013 (Tues - Sat 10:30-6 pm)

The Gallery at

The Berkshire Gold and Silversmith

Greater Backfish Roundup

Beverly BourassaWatercolorist

In the Gallery throughthe month of April

Please come and visit “Raising marble is evidence that a number of men have reached the point

where the one they would now honor formerly stood alone.”-Wassily Kandinsky

Page 23: The Artful Mind - April 2010

Potemkin Villageby Stephen Gerard Dietemann

Potemkin Village is a term - and a concept - with which weshould all be familiar. The term’s etymology, according to asummary provided by the University of Phoenix on-line:“After Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin, who had elaboratefake villages constructed for Catherine the Great’s tours of theUkraine and the Crimea”. His intent was, of course, to con-ceal the horror of actual life in the nether regions of the empireand to permit a blissful ignorance of the grim reality there tocontinue uninterrupted. As such, ‘Potemkin village’ has cometo mean, according to the ‘A-Z’ dictionary, “a pretentiouslyshowy or imposing façade intended to mask or divert attentionfrom an embarrassing or shabby fact or condition.” While theoriginal Potemkin villages may have deluded the elites in Rus-sia at the time, history notes that reality would not be denied,rectifying the situation of extreme economic and power imbal-ance with the very real Bolshevik revolution and the bloodyend to the Czars rule. Facades, it turns out, do not a city make.

Sadly, the lesson has not been learned. A more recent effortby our government is both amusing and frightening. Accord-ing to Jim Brittain / [email protected] (and others), “Inthe early 1980’s, U.S. President Ronald Reagan was expectinga visit from a number of (I believe) middle-eastern dignitaries.They were to land at one of the New York airports, and travelthrough the South Bronx, a neighborhood full of abandonedhigh-rise buildings. Reagan had many of the windows of thesebuildings (the ones facing the major roads) covered withshades on which were printed designs of windows, with cur-tains, shades, lamps — I even seem to remember some with acat sleeping on the sill (many were still in the windows yearslater). It is pleasant to think of Reagan making the entire SouthBronx into a Potemkin Village.”

Of course, we now know this was an early example of‘compassionate conservatism’, but at the time it was probablyviewed by the impoverished residents of the area in less sym-pathetic terms. Closer to home and today, many upstate NewYork cities — and many cities throughout the country in gen-eral – are veritable Potemkin Villages. Hudson, New York —the town where I lived until I before I moved to Great Barring-ton — is an excellent example. Its main street, Warren Street,is a collection of antique shops, ‘New York-style’ restaurants,galleries and upscale boutiques. ‘Luxury’ apartments and res-idences are visible up and down the street; dilapidated build-ings have been renovated at considerable effort and cost to dothis. On weekends the streets are clogged with BMWs, Lexus,Mummers and other luxury automobiles. Elegantly dressedwoman and men stroll up and down Warren, shopping bags inhand.

But if you wander off Warren just a block in most direc-tions, there exists another city. This one is much less affluentand a good deal less white. Housing is often marginal, carsfar less shiny or new than those motoring up and down WarrenStreet. In short a perfect example of the increasing division ofthe United States along the lines of income and, despite theelection of Obama, race. Poverty is increasingly hidden fromview in Hudson (and in many other cities in the United States,I hasten to add) and obscured by glittering shop facades and thealmost obsessive media focus on wealth. Most distressing,those with power and money, those for whom Warren Street isthe only possible destination in Hudson , can, like Catherinethe Great herself, be blissfully unaware of what lies beyond.

This, then, is the great danger: the Potemkin Village of themind. In the final analysis, the Potemkin village in all its manyforms can be reduced to a simple concept: the subjugation, ma-nipulation, or ignoring of the ‘have-nots’ for the benefit andcomfort of the ‘haves’. The majority of our leaders have neverhad to experience life outside ‘Warren Street’; how could they,with considerable private wealth, a comprehensive health care

plan and generous pension benefits imagine the grim realitymany of their own constituents face in these areas? Publicpolicy has long been focused on maintaining privilege, pro-tecting the wealthy and demanding the bill be paid by thosewith less.

This is a real problem for us and Hudson is hardly the onlyexample. Other varieties of our own Potemkin Villagesabound. The gated community, the corporate office park,even the second home tax breaks are all examples of our ownPotemkin Villages; they keep a nice clean and orderly façadeon a festering cauldron. I believe that it is no stretch to arguethat our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are an attempt to keep thefaçade of empire – the ultimate Potemkin Village — in placeto conceal the economic and social decay behind.

In the end, our own Potemkin Villages will surely serve usno better than Catherine the Great’s descendants were servedby the original.

[email protected] THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010 • 19

Architecture & Arcadia

Regional Italian Dinner Series $30 Prix Fixe

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday Nights

Micro TheatreAuditions for 2010 repertory castAll ages, All Levels of experience

To schedule an appointment:413-442-2223 or [email protected]

Micro Theatre(dedicated to experimental theatre)311 North Street, Pittsfield, MA

Page 24: The Artful Mind - April 2010

HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE

BABYANIMALS ON THE SHAKER FARMEighth annual spring celebration will run April 3 through

April 25 in Pittsfield, Mass. Hancock Shaker Village (HSV)kicks off its 50th anniversary as a living history museum with“Baby Animals on the Shaker Farm,” running April 3 throughApril 25, 2010. This annual spring celebration is one of themost exciting times of the year at the Village, when scores ofbaby lambs, piglets, calves, goats, ducklings, and chicks arriveat the historic Round Stone Barn. New this year: “More Crea-tures Gathered Here,” an exhibition of paintings of baby ani-mals by Stockbridge-based artist Susan Merrill, which will beon display April 3 through April 25 (with preview opening re-ception on March 27th at 5pm) and “Green at Hancock ShakerVillage, the City of Peace,” a family-friendly Earth Day cele-bration on April 22 at 2:00pm that will include a tour of the Vil-lage’s historic-to-modern green and environmentally-friendlyfeatures.The animals represent livestock once kept by the Shakers,

beginning in the 1700s and continuing into the 1960s. In addi-tion to the heritage breed animals raised by HSV year round,this event includes “guest” livestock raised by local farms and4-H clubs. Visitors get to meet and greet the baby animals andparticipate in farm chores, such as helping to feed the animalsand to save seeds. They may also participate in fun Shaker-themed craft activities, such as basket weaving, making anddecorating seed packets, and weaving on a small loom.The Round Stone Barn is the only circular barn ever built by

the Shakers. Widely recognized as an architectural icon andagricultural wonder, this unique dairy barn originally stabled52 milk cows. It has attracted visitors—most notably NathanielHawthorne and Herman Melville, who staged a footrace in thestructure—since its construction in 1826.Behind-the-Scenes Farm Tours are available daily at 2 pm.

Families can get up close and personal with the animals onthese private guided tours, which include special access to thenewborns, helping at feeding time, gift bags with a variety oftoys and games from the Village Store, and a group photo tocommemorate the visit. Behind-the-Scenes Farm Tour ticketsare $25 per person (including general admission). Reservationsmay be made for this tour by calling 413.443.0188 x213.

“Baby Animals on the Shaker Farm” hours are 10am to4pm daily. General admission tickets are $17 for adults and $8

for youth ages 13 to 17. Gen-eral admission is free for chil-dren ages 12 and under andfor Hancock Shaker Villagemembers.ocated on Route 20 in Pitts-field, Mass., just west of thejunction of Routes 20 and 41.For GPS purposes, the Villageis located at 34 LebanonMountain Rd., Hancock,Mass. 01237. Or, enter 1843W. Housatonic St., Pittsfield,Mass. 01201 then proceed 1/2mile further West on Rt. 20 tothe parking lot.www.hancock-shakervillage.org.

JANIS IANJanis Ian was born April 7, 1951 onto a farm in Southern

New Jersey. She began playing the piano at the age of two, butfar from being a child prodigy on that instrument, she hatedscales and studying. She switched to guitar at age ten and pub-lished her first song, “Hair of Spun Gold,” at the age of twelve.Her first album, featuring the breakout hit “Society’s Child,”was recorded in 1965. A haunting melody about a forbidden in-terracial relationship, “Society’s Child” ignited controversyfrom coast to coast, resulting in the burning of a radio station,the firing of disc jockeys who played it, and a generation ofsearchers finally having a female songwriter to stand beside BobDylan.After four years of touring non-stop recording and touring,

with four entirely self-written albums under her belt, Ian took abreak from the music industry, retiring to Philadelphia at theage of eighteen “to find out if I had it in me to be a good song-writer, or if I should just go to school and become a veterinarianlike I originally planned.” She returned with the stunning Starsalbum in 1973, and went on to cover the decade with numberone records worldwide. The seminal “At Seventeen” from hersecond CBS album, Between the Lines, garnered five Grammy

nominations (the most any solo female artist had gotten to thatdate) in 1975, and she opened the first-ever episode of SaturdayNight Live in the fall of that year. Her follow-up album, After-tones, was #1 in Japan for an astonishing six months, and thesingle, “Love Is Blind,” remained in the top five for a full year- a record that has yet to be broken. At the close of the decade,her Night Rains album, featuring the Giorgio Moroder collab-oration “Fly Too High”, went platinum throughout Europe,Africa, and Australia, making Ian a truly international star. In 1983, after ten unbroken years of “make a record for three

months, tour for eight months, then somehow write anotherrecord with brilliant hits on it in the remaining month…”, Iantook an unprecedented hiatus from the music world. She spentthe next nine years studying acting with the legendary StellaAdler and “in general, learning how to be a person”. Duringthat period, she married and divorced, suffered two emergencysurgeries, lost all her savings and home to an unscrupulous busi-ness manager, and moved to Nashville, TN in 1988 “penniless,in debt, and hungry to write”. She returned to the music busi-ness with 1993’s Breaking Silence, which immediately garneredher ninth Grammy nomination.

In 2002, “Society’s Child” was inducted into the GrammyHall of Fame, with “At 17” following in 2008. In the same year,Janis Ian is releasing her long-awaited autobiography, Society’sChild: My Autobiography on Tarcher/Penguin, as well as a two-CD set titled Best of Janis Ian: The Autobiography Songs. TheCD release is the only “greatest hits” of Janis’ recordings everreleased in N. America! Containing 31 cuts total, there are re-mastered versions of “At 17,” “Society’s Child,” “Jesse,” andevery other song mentioned in the book, as well as severalnever-before-heard bonus cuts.

“It was good. Instead, I got to deal with everything fromdoing coke with Jimi Hendrix to death threats. I lived an entirelife in my teen years, and I don’t regret a second of it.”2008 saw the release of Ian’s autobiography, Society’s Child,

called “Immensely readable” and summer must-read by OMagazine. 2009 sees the release of Society’s Child in paper-back, also by Tarcher/Penguin. 2009 also sees a return to herroots, when Janis and Sony jointly release The Essential JanisIan, timed to coincide with the release of the paperback in Sep-tember.All in all, a life worth living.Janis Ian will be appearing (with Karla Bonoff) on April

18th at the Swyer Theatre in Albany, NY

“A good technician may lack passion. A passionate person may lack technique. Both may lack originality,

judgement, or proportion. There are infinite ways to fail.”

-Karen Laub-Novak

20 • THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010

Painted CitiesGROUP SHOW

March 4 - April 11, 2010

� Carrie Haddad Gallery �

622 WARREN STREET HUDSON NEW YORK

518-828-1915

OPEN DAILY 11 - 5 PM

CLOSED TUES & WED

CARRIEHADDADGALLERY.COM

and on exhibit atCARRIE HADDAD PHOTOGRAPHS

318 Warren Street

Ida Weygandt & Elliot KaufmanMarch 11 - April 18

RICHARD BAUMAN, MULBERRY STREET

Page 25: The Artful Mind - April 2010

WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010 • 21

Altered States : An Interview with John Sideliby Terri E. Sisson

T.S. - John, I know you’re primarily self-taught as an artist, having studied painting andarchitecture for only a short time before developing a compelling interest in antiques andhistory. But you’ve said that you were deeply influenced by the sculptor Alexander Calderduring a two-year period when you lived on the artist’s estate in Roxbury, CT, and it wasduring this time that you became fascinated with the beauty and mystery of “found ob-jects.” In what ways were you influenced by Calder?J. S. - I actually made very little art while living on Calder’s property. I was only 22,newly married, and had just become a father. I was also fascinated with the world of an-tiques, and learning how to support a family by buying and selling antiques on a shoe-string. However, the impact of living in that environment was evidently quite profound. I think it was Calder’s playfulness, and his ability to make something out of nothing

that influenced me the most. Everywhere you looked around their house, you could seeevidence of his hand at work. I remember an old wooden spoon that was in their kitchen,which had nearly broken in half. But Sandy had repaired it with twisted brass wire, and itwas absolutely beautiful. I also recall this fantastic collection of little tin birds made outof Medalia D’Oro coffee cans strung on a wirehoop, which he allowed us to bring into our house tolive with. We put the tin birds next to my daughterscrib when she was only a couple of months old, andwhen Elise finally spoke, her first word was “bird.”Being witness to that kind of playfulness and

broad application of creative vision, coupled withmy burgeoning interest in antiques and ancient arti-facts was a natural kind of pressure cooker that stim-ulated my creative energies. Of course, I wasn’taware of it at the time, but I was taking it all in, andthe concept that art could be anything, and every-where, was clearly taking hold.

T.S. - While your work is historically linked to thedensely adorned “cabinets of curiosities” of the 16th - 18th century, and the surreal box assem-blages of Joseph Cornell, your mixed-media con-structions are much more sculptural in nature, andsparingly composed. How do you choose the vari-ous components of your constructions, and howwould you describe the process?J.S. – Well, first I should say that I’ve been collect-ing material for over forty years, and what I don’tuse continues to accumulate in my studio, as if wait-

ing for its turn. That search for the raw material is certainly part of my process, and a lotof time (not to mention the cost) is invested in finding and gathering these old fragmentsand artifacts. For instance, there was a time when I was fascinated by the colors and tex-tures of old rusted trucks and farm equipment that were left out in the fields of ColumbiaCounty, and I have used parts of old tractors in my work, as in the large piece, “SteeringCommittee.” And just last month, on a trip to Costa Rica, I visited a huge metal scrapyard in search of these textured metal plates that I’ve seen on the sidewalks all over SanJosé, covering water meters and other municipal valves. Most of them were painted origi-nally, and now they have these beautifully worn surfaces and diamond patterns on them. Ilearned at the scrap yard that the name for them is “punta diamante” - diamond point. Ilike that. In addition to gathering the materials, it’s a question of spending time in my studio and

selecting objects that evoke the same mood, or that relate in some way. Essentially, I tryto liberate the spirit in matter by carefully combining objects in a way that allows them totranscend their original form or meaning, so that they evoke a feeling or tell a story. I

combine objects in the same way that a poet combineswords. And as with words in a poem, there’s an elo-quence or clarity to a perfect arrangement of objects.It’s really all about relationships.T.S. It’s interesting that you speak of poetry as a liter-ary correlation to your constructions. When I firstsaw your work titled, “Rare Bird,” it reminded me ofthe first stanza of a poem by Emily Dickinson thatreads:

‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers —That perches in the soul —And sings the tune without the words —And never stops — at all —

Indeed, for me, “Rare Bird” illuminates the poeticand transformative nature of your work. It seems tobe constructed from an eccentric wooden pulley or ar-mature mounted to a wooden base and adorned with alarge, exquisite feather. And that’s it; so this ‘rarebird’ is really quite abstract. Yet, there’s somethinghopeful in its simple but stately grace, and in the aes-thetic relationship between the forms that, like a secretcombination, sets the imagination in flight.

JOHN SIDELI, LETTER BOX Continued on next page...

Page 26: The Artful Mind - April 2010

22 • THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010 WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET

J. S. I’m not familiar with that poem, but I’m touched by it, as well as your perceptive ob-servations

T.S. - You once said you were, “an artist that had become trapped in the antiques business,and that the material of my profession had become the medium of my obsession.” Withthis in mind, do you think that if you’d become a geologist, you would have made sculptureout of rocks ... or is there something about the historical and cultural context of found ob-jects that is intrinsic to your art? J. S. - It’s funny that you should ask that. One of the earliest pieces I created was madeof rocks. Our property in Malden Bridge bordered the Kinderhook creek, and it was im-possible to take a walk down there without returning with armloads of stones. So I guesswhat you proposed might very well have happened. Indeed, I’m a great fan of AndyGoldsworthy’s work, and am in awe of his vision and energy.To answer your question about the historical artifacts more specifically, yes, I was verydrawn to the soulfulness of used and worn everyday objects, and their evocative quality, aspoints of departure in telling a story. Bestowing importance and relevance on otherwiseforgotten fragments is a fascinating part of the process for me. Through the act of focus-ing intently, and establishing a kind of dialogue with these things, they become infusedwith a new kind of energy that serves to redefine them. Having said that, I would quickly add that I don’t think there is a more soulful category

of inanimate objects on the planet than rocks and crystals, which brings me back to yourquestion. In fact, the title of that first piece I had made from stones was, “The Rocks Holdthe Answers; But First We Must Learn the Questions.”

T.S. - How do you come up with your titles? They’re often quite philosophical, poetic orhumorous, and seem to reinforce a narrative element to the work. J. S. - I would say that more often than not, the titles flow from the objects themselves.Occasionally, there will be a topic that I really want to comment on or work out throughmy creative process. “Distorted Vision” was one of those pieces, related to the Holocaust.Of all the holocaust images I’ve seen in photographs and films, the one that made thestrongest impression on me was that of mountains of eyeglasses being moved by bulldoz-ers. So I’ve been accumulating old wire eyeglasses for years, whenever I see them. Theyare my point of entry into the deep feelings I have on this subject, and a vehicle of expres-sion for those feelings.

T.S. - I notice that you have one piece with two titles – “Death’s Door” /”Secret Gar-den.” How did that come about? J. S. - Originally, I had titled the work “Death’s Door,” but when I did a show in London,the gallery didn’t think it was a good title from a commercial standpoint. They came upwith “Secret Garden,” which I actually liked a lot. So now I use them both.

JOHN SIDELI

JOHN SIDELI, ARTIST’S WORLD

JOHN SIDELI, SUN MOON HARMONY

Page 27: The Artful Mind - April 2010

WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010 • 23

T.S. - On the surface, ‘Deaths Door’/‘Secret Garden’ is a simple construction comprised ofa small wooden door set into a larger wooden door. And yet the perfect composition ofthose two elements creates a powerful symbolic dialectic and seems to evoke the metaphys-ical tension between the desire to know, and the limits of what can be known. J. S. - Beautifully put. Your description reminds me that it’s important not to be too literalor give too much away in titling a work. I do like to give some clue or reference that is in-tegral to the work, but also leave room for the viewer to imagine his or her own interpreta-tion.

T.S. - How much of your process is conceptually driven, and how much is a matter of con-necting objects in a purely aesthetic relationship? J. S. - Sometimes I do start with an idea I want to convey, and then look for elements thatmight express that thought. But more often than not, I’m visually intrigued or stimulatedby an object - a color, simple shape, or even a word integrated into the artifact that capturesmy attention. In fact, one of my favorite ways to work is to sit in my studio amidst thislarge array of curious objects and just allow my imagination to roam - free associating -without any conditions or constraints on where it might take me. There is something about creating order out of chaos that’s appealing to me, and that’s

central, really, to my process. I love the idea of creating something unified out of seem-ingly random and unrelated elements. I love the challenge of it. And I feel that there existsan ideal relationship between any group of things, or pieces of matter, no matter how hum-ble they might be. Working to find that ideal aesthetic relationship is largely what my work is about.

Through this process, things take on new meaning and significance, often in ways that are

surprising and even startling. I try to follow the objects and let them tell me their collectivestory, often exclaiming to myself as I move through the process, ‘So that’s what this isabout!’ At times it can be almost a mystical experience, depending, of course, on the na-ture of the objects and the story that unfolds. I don’t say that it’s always like that, but it isoften enough.

John Sideli lived and worked in Malden’s Bridge, NY for over thirty years before mov-ing to Wiscasset, Maine. He was greatly inspired during his years living in ColumbiaCounty, and is delighted to be returning to the area to show his work with Jeff Risley atPark Row Gallery. John shows his work nationally and internationally, including exhibi-tions with the Alexander Gallery and Giampietro in New York City, NY; Robert Young An-tiques, London, England; Jenkins & Ingram, Wiscasset, ME; Tom Veilleux Gallery, MountVernon, ME; Red Mills Gallery, Claverack, NY; and Jeffrey Tillou Gallery, Litchfield, CT.“Altered States,” a solo exhibition of mixed-media constructions by John Sideli will be on

view at Park Row Gallery in Chatham, NY, from April 1st – May 31,st 2010. There will be areception with the artist on Saturday, April 10th from 4pm - 6pm. For further information,please call Park Row Gallery at (518) 392-4800, or visit: www.parkrowgallery.com

JOHN SIDELI

JOHN SIDELI, PLANE GEOMETRY

JOHN SIDELI, RARE BIRD

JOHN SIDELI, PROUD PARENTS

Page 28: The Artful Mind - April 2010

NEW DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY MYRON SCHIFFER

CASTLE STREET CAFE10 Castle Street, next to the Mahaiwe Theatre, Gt Barrington, MA

Come visit! The cafe is comfortable and the food is great!

Affordable Miniatures at~THE RED LION INN GIFT SHOP

30 Main Street, Stockbridge, MA (M-TH 10-5, SAT, 9-8, SUN, 9-5)This gift shop is one of Stockbridge’s jewels!

For more information please contact the studio at: 413-637-2659www.myronschiffer.com [email protected]

LEFT TO RIGHT: AUTUMN SONG, SERENADE IS BROWNS AND BROWN, BEIGE, BLACK

Please visit Lew at his studio / house in Monterey, MA. See his many oils, watercolors and

drawings done over 40 years

For appointment 413-528-6785

Lewis Scheffey

Lewis Scheffey, Looking North - Early Winter, 1983 (cropped version)

KATE KNAPP

FRONT ST. GALLERYHousatonic Mass.

“ Portraits …All the people I loved to paint” 40 or more paintings, oils and watercolors, of men, women and children, friends, family and members of the community.

Come see who’s here! Through April… Winter hours: By appointment or chance

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday studio open for classes 9:30 am -1pm New students welcome

413-274-6607 • 413-429-7141 • 413-528-9546

WWW.KATEKNAPPARTIST.COM

Jaz in Kimono, 24x20 Martin

24 • THE ARTFUL MIND APRIL 2010 WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET