Issue 16 • June 2019 • Facebook.com/TalkArts
IT’S ALL ABOUT
ARTS
Supporting Local Arts and Culture
Color of India - Sunanda Sahay
The Art of Radio or Art by Radio? BY EDITOR/PUBLISHER JANICE WILLIAMS
The first commercial radio station was KDKA in Pittsburgh, which went on the air in the evening of Nov. 2, 1920, with a broadcast of the returns of the Harding-Cox presidential election. 92% of Americans age 12-plus listen to radio each week.That’s an audience of more than 240 million people! Eighty percent listen in their cars; another 25% listen while at work. (JKR Advertising). I myself am not much of a talker. I hate to be on the phone. I enjoy quiet time alone. I put my thoughts mostly into written words and art. I love to hear other people’s thoughts in my own way. I like to read their thoughts in books or hear them on TV or video and lately radio and podcasts has become a way of hearing what people are thinking. I am quite surprised at the resurgence of radio and it’s on-demand cousin, podcasts. And while the majority of content on radio is news and music, there is much to learn about a host of topics and to my delight about art. A great way to start your art podcast journey is at Art Matters. According to its website “Art Matters explores the interesting ways art meets popular culture and non-traditional art topics. We look at what art and visual culture can tell us about the world around us, and how our everyday interests make us excellent art critics. Hosted by Ferren Gipson”. https://artuk.org/about/art-matters. There are too many to list but just Google “Art Podcasts”. Be prepared it is a time killer. I also advocate that my readers consider, using this media as an art form. We are lucky here in Boston* to have the BNN Charles J. Beard II Media Center in Egleston Square, home of Boston Neighborhood Network that offers access to training for radio and air time. According to WBCA 102.9 FM community radio Station Manager Glenn Williams, “Programming currently features a mix of local news and talk programming with a range of topics, from education and technology to multi-language programming and sports”. All this programming comes from Boston residents and you too can get involved. It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
A new class will be starting in July (see the advertisement in this issue) or visit https://bnnmedia.org/programming/radio
*Not in Boston, check out your local community access organizaiion as many offer similar training. Visit here to get a list for Massachusetts: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/massachusetts-community-access-television-websites
IT’S ALL ABOUT ARTS watch on www.bnntv.org www.itsallaboutarts.com facebook.com/TalkArts Twitter - @itsallaboutarts Instagram #itsallaboutarts ROSLINDALE ARTS ALLIANCE www.roslindalearts.org facebook.com/Roslindale-Arts-Alliance-129685993761701 ART STUDIO 99 www.artstudio99.com facebook.com/Art-Studio-99-145566388819141 Twitter @artstudio99 Instagram - janice_art_studio_99 Cover Image Mayor Martin Walsh, City of Boston Artist Sunanda Sahay Suzanne Schultz, CEO Canvas Fine Arts Published by It’s All About Arts Copyright 2019 - All Rights Reserved Glenn Williams - 617-543-7443 glennsmusic.williams@gmail.com Janice Williams - 617-710-3811 janice@artfulgift.com TO ADVERTISE - REQUEST OUR MEDIA KIT
https://bnnmedia.org/programming/radio
Sunanda Sahay
Telling Indian Folk Stories Through Her Art by Janice Williams
According to artist Sunanda Sahay, “Art is not just a profession but a creative vehicle for social bonding and expression and has played an especially valuable role in liberating and empowering women”. This quote embodies what has been a long and successful journey of painting, educating, sharing and learning for Sahay who is a native of a part of Northern India called Mithila. This region lies close to the border with Nepal. Her art not only preserves folk art, but she teaches us to appreciate social art that tells the stories of common folk, going back thousands of years. When I first saw Sahay’s art, I was in awe of the complexity and talent of the work. It was not until I got to know her and listen to the back story, that I came to appreciate the real treasure her art brings to our world. Mithila Art is a form of traditional folk art. It has been practiced there for the last 2,500 years. The Mithila folk art is a social art that tells the stories that were most treasured by the common people and were painted mainly by women. It is a folk art because it is created by common folks who may not be as eloquent or expressive as others and may not have been to art schools. Sahay herself earned a master’s degree in English literature and taught at a college in India for a short time. Before moving to the US, she had the opportunity to work with the United Nations as an election observer at Mozambique. Since arriving in the US twenty years ago, she has done substitute teaching and taught art and craft at an extended day program. She also helps recent immigrants become more conversant with the English language. It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
Sahay is as active as anyone can get. She readily shares her talent and enthusiasm. She was a member of her town’s Cultural Council (Acton) for 6 years, four of them as the Chair person. Other activities include Acton PIP, Acton Diwali, Learnquest Indian classical music festival, Hindi (language) Manch and such. She co-founded “Essence of India” seven years ago that has become a global cultural platform, inviting classical and folk dancers, musicians and artists not only from India but also from several Asian, African, European and Latin American countries.
Gandhi - acrylic on handmade paper - 25 x 22
In recent years, she has been expanding her painting and teaching palette to explore several other folk and tribal art forms from various regions of India. These include Warli and Gond from Central India, Kalamkari and Tanjaur from the South, Phad from the West, and Patchitra from the East. These art forms are quite different and distinct from one another with ancient histories and unique traditions. Sunanda has been painting for over a decade and has held many inspiring exhibitions and workshops such as: the Peabody Essex Museum (2007, 2009, 2010); Museum of Fine Arts (MFA); the National Heritage Museum (with Vision-Aid); Boston Childrens’ Museum; Danforth Museum and the Massachusetts College of Art. She has also held exhibitions and interactive workshops at public schools and libraries in
Sunanda Sahay Telling Indian Folk Stories Through Her Art by Janice Williams (continued) several towns, including Acton, Lexington, Newton, Lincoln, Weston, Wellesley, and Cambridge. She has designed covers for children’s magazines. She has addressed students at Pine Manor College, Wellesley College and other community places. Sahay has been awarded the MA Cultural Council Apprenticeship Award (twice) and was the Traditional Art finalist for Fay Chandler Award from Boston Mayor’s Gallery. She was
recognized as the Woman of the Year for Art by local Indian media organization. She has received several awards for Essence of India as well. Sahay recently had an exhibit of her work in the City of Boston Mayor’s Gallery as well as the Canvas Fine Arts Gallery at SoWa and is currently on exhibit at the BNN Media Center in Boston. More about Sahay at http://www.colorofindia.com/
The Bride - acrylic on silk - 44 x 28
Sunanda Sahay will be giving an artist talk on Monday June 10 at the BNN Media Center from 6:30-8pm. This event is free and open to the public. For details https://www.facebook.com/events/440207046766668/ Festival of Hope and Color acrylic on fabric 28 x 40
It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
! MAKE PERMANENT THE SACREDNESS HERE!
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I have a voice inside, telling me to draw the landscape that unfolds in front of me.! As if sketching these mountain ridges onto the pages of my falling-apart, leather-bound! ! notebook will help to etch the memory of this place into my mind.! The same desire grips my heart and demands that I take a photograph of the sun! ! setting over the curving fjord.! As though my hand-me-down Lumix camera will be able to capture some meaning! ! from this experience that my spirit alone can not.! And further still, that intangible force pushed me towards this rocky outcrop, lined paper! ! in hand, ready to describe the ancient ice field before me.! As if it were possible to put words to something so fantastically large - so grand.!
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All of these urges are rooted in fear.! Feat that I have not experienced enough of this holy place to cement it in my mind,! ! my heart, my soul.! Fear that the lessons imparted unto me from my time here will blow away like snow! ! in the wind.! A deep fear, that there is nothing I can do to make permanent the sacredness here -! ! that the glacier will recede from me, like it is receding from this world.!
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That fear may be real, but it is misguided.! For nothing in the universe lasts forever in a single state.! One day, this glacier will be gone from this earth, as with every other glacier! ! that ever was - is - will be.! When its time comes to melt into the fjord, its atoms will be found in another part! ! of this world.! And, in that sense, it, and everything else, is permanent.!
! ! - Baillie Stein! ! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ! It’s All About Arts Magazine
June 2019
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! KEEP LIFE ALIVE !
People, animals, plants and I make up the living world
How hard is it to advocate for these living things
All-important, viable and in need of constant care
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Self-destruction seems to be the world’s way
How reckless to be so neglectful and destructive
Soon or even now it will be too late to turn it around
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What may seem like small mindful steps to us now
Can affect the future of the living world
It takes the living world to keep a world living
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- Janice Williams
! ***************************** ! FLUIDITY ! - Tommey ! !
(free-form artistic poetry, using many cans of paint and even more brushes from a live painting / jazz performance at the Hyde Park Library, inspired and accompanied by master trumpeter, Forbes Graham)
photo: Ms. Donna
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It’s All About Arts Magazine
June 2019
Artists of Note
Artist Sunanda Sahay at her exhibit in the BNN Neighborhood Art Gallery in the BNN Media Center in Egleston Square - available through June. @bnnmedia.org @colorofindia.com
Artist Ruth LaGue has an exhibit at Jamaica Plain Library through June @laguewax.com
Tee Max New Album
@facebook.com/tee. max.3
Artist Jason Getz recently installed his original designed and built “Little Art Lending Lbrary” outside of Art Studio 99 in Roslindale
Boston City Council President, Andrea Campbell and Elizabeth J. Pimentel, Chief of Staff display artist Stephen Levin’s Boston Public Garden image in their office. @stephenjlevin.com
@artstudio99.com
Justin Petty Steel Drums
@justinpettysteeldrums It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
Canvas Fine Arts Gallery & M Fine Arts Galerie Present Domenic Esposito The Opioid Spoon Project June 13-16th 2019
• Join Notable Community Art Leaders • Meet Domenic Esposito • Learn more about the art that is shedding light on this crisis • The spoon will be displayed in Sowa through June 16 • Listen to Panel Discussion Panel Discussion
The Opioid Epidemic Panel - June 13 at 6-8-pm Discussion starts 6:30pm The panel discussion will center on the Opioid crisis and how this man-made epidemic was created and what society can do to help end it. Domenic Esposito is an artist and social activist, the purpose of his work is to create haunting, sometimes dark but always memorable sculptures symbolic of injustices to humanity within our society. His goal is to create a deeply visceral disturbance in the soul that calls out for help. Recently he embarked on his most ambitious, personal and controversial project with the creation of the Opioid Spoon, an eight hundred pound, ten foot metal replication of a simple household utensil modified for use as a tool to snort and inhale opioids. He crafted the Spoon in honor of the struggles of both his family and the thousands of families who have lost loved ones to this horrific crisis. Maureen Cavanagh is the founder and President of Magnolia New Beginnings, Inc., as well as the President of Magnolia Consulting Services. Maureen Cavanagh is an educator, recovery coach, public speaker and the author of “If you love me: A Mother’s Journey through Her Daughter’s Opioid Addiction” Published by Macmillan/ Henry J. Holt. In 2012 she founded the national nonprofit organization, Magnolia New Beginnings, and the online peer support groups, Magnolia Addiction Support. She is also President of Magnolia Consulting Services, which is primarily involved with management consulting for small and large nonprofit organizations and parent peer recovery coaching. Jon Cohan - Jon Cohan has over 11 years’ experience in the substance use disorder and mental health fields. He practices addiction therapy and family addiction counseling at his office in Concord. He is in long-term recovery .Jon sits on the Advisory Board of Middlesex Community College’s Addiction Counseling Program and is also on the board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Central Middlesex. As co-host
for The Right Mind Media Podcast, Jon has interviewed Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, and many other notable guests on the subject of addiction, recovery, and mental health issues. The show has won two National Media Awards in 2014 and 2015 from the National Association of Social Workers. Jon has appeared as a guest on Fox 25 news and WGBH’s “Greater Boston” to speak about the opiate crisis in New England. Brendan Little is Policy Director of Recovery Services (ORS), the City of Boston’s newly created office coordinating all addiction recovery efforts across the city. ORS is the first and only municipal recovery office in the United States. Brendan formerly worked at the City of Boston’s Office of Workforce Development, where he helped create policies that supported high-risk, court-involved youth with educational and employment opportunities. In 2014, he traveled to Pakistan with a US State Department delegation on behalf of the City of Boston to present on Boston’s work with high-risk youth.
Art Exhibit - Display on view through June 16 “FDA Spoon” - The third and latest Opioid Spoon created and dropped by artist Domenic Esposito. The Spoon was placed in front of the Health and Human Services Building in Washington DC on April 5th, 2019 to protest the FDA’s role in fueling the opioid epidemic. The sculpture is made of solid cast aluminum weighing over 700 pounds and measuring 10 feet in length. 18 inch Opioid Spoon Series - On exhibit at the show will be two limited series 18 inch spoons. Solid cast bronze spoons 18x6x5.75 inches, 12.7 lbs, Edition of 30 with one artist proof. Solid cast aluminum, nickel plated 18x6x5.75 inches, 5 lbs., Edition of 100 with one artist proof. More about Domenic Esposito and the Opioid Spoon Project at domenicesposito.com
460 Harrison Ave. Ste.21C, Boston, MA 02114 - suzanne@canvasfinearts.com - canvasfinearts.com - 617-470-1889
Miriam’s Earthen Cookware is one woman’s labor of love By Mary Ellen Gambon
Driving up Bussey Street in Dedham, one might easily miss Miriam’s Earthen Cookware at number 233. It is across from the CVS at Dela Plaza, with the entrance set back from the driveway. There is no big sign to announce the business, nor the mystery inside the building. The one word to describe the setting, as well as its founder, Miriam Kattumuri, is humble. The mother of four is charming yet soft-spoken as she takes me on a tour of what is an international and revolutionary clay cookware business that she first started from her home in Roslindale. “I was inspired to create the clay cookware in a dream,” said the native of India as she led a tour through her workspace, displaying dozens of pieces of cookware in various stages of formation. “I had been diagnosed with diabetes in 2008 when I was pregnant with my first child. I had eaten healthy, home-cooked meals, so wondered how it could be.” Kattumuri was inspired to create cookware straight from nature itself thorough this dream by using pure clay, which is rich in minerals and free of toxins. “I was also inspired by my ancestors,” she explained. “When you look back at history, we didn’t have computers to tell our stories. We have works of art, including pottery. It shows how people cooked their food and survived.” She traveled around the world and back It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
to India to learn the craft from people who made their cookware from clay. Yet she was determined to create her line back in the United States, back in her new home where there was a strong medical research community. Cast iron and aluminum cookware contain toxins, which can leach into foods and into the body, Kattumuri explained. Even ceramics coated with a glaze contain chemicals. “However, our clay is harvested 20 to 30 feet below the earth in areas of Massachusetts and in New England where there has been no farming and no industrial use,” she explained. “It is completely pure.” To back up her claim, she noted that her clay is periodically tested at a laboratory at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to make sure there are no chemicals. “In fact, it actually allows minerals to go back into the food, enriching it,” Kattumuri said. Kattumuri even designed a unique spinning wheel to make the base of her cookware flat, where traditional ceramics have curved bottoms. She led me into the airy back room, surrounded with wooden shelves to allow the air to circulate around the clay. Mr. Leo, a native of Haiti who speaks French, stirred a large container of clay about one-third his size, ensuring there were no lumps.
Miriam’s Earthen Cookware is one woman’s labor of love By Mary Ellen Gambon (continued) Kattumuri took out a mass of gray clay. “I can pretty much judge what I need by hand now,” she said with an ever-present smile. She placed it on a scale, however, and found it was correct for a 22-inch pot. Next, Kattumuri moistened her hands with rainwater that she collects and approached the wheel. She lovingly touched and eased the clay, transforming it upward and around into a bowl. “I just use ordinary tools to take away any imperfections,” she said, etching away at a small bump and making lines in the pottery. “I have to check that everything is uniform.” Before my eyes, it was transforming into a work of art, a vessel for cooking and a resource for nutrients simultaneously. “I have truly experienced its health-giving properties,” Kattumuri said. “I no longer have diabetes, and I have had three healthy children after my first one. They have never had colds.” After forming the pot, Kattumuri placed it
in the kiln to be fired. It would then need to air dry for about a week to harden. “The whole process from clay to kiln to air drying takes about 25 to 30 days, with about 20 to 22 days in the summer,” Kattumuri said. Kattumuri is passionate about bringing the natural benefits of clay cookware to a wider audience. From the fire in her heart to the fire of the kiln, she has developed a world-wide client base, stretching from California to Australia. “I hope that it will last a long time, so I give it a lot of love,” Kattumuri said. Miriam’s Earthen Cookware is located at 233 Bussey St., Dedham, MA 02026. Her website is https://miriamsearthencookware.com/.
The Little Lending Art Library at Art Studio 99 in Roslindale Looking for donations of art books (especially for kids), art magazines, poetry, etc. Drop by at 99 Belgrade Avenue, or email” decoupagejan@gmail.com for pickup. THANKS for Sharing! It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
ARTof Local Food SUMMER Here We Come!
By Kelly McKeeney After a long, cold Winter and super rainy Spring, we are more than ready to get outside. My garden is starting to bloom mint and rhubarb. Must get over to the greenhouse to pick up our summer crop. The month of May flew by and we’re a bit late to the party on planting our #garden2019. This year like many before, the focus will be on tomatoes, cucumbers, various peppers, and green beans. Those veggies seem to grow in plenty in our urban garden. That is if the groundhog or turkey or whatever other wild animal that may roam into my backyard, doesn’t gobble up our plantlings before we can get them into our bellies. Summer is right around the corner. Finally!! It’s time to hang with family and friends at cookouts. Chill in the sun at the beach down the Cape or at a lake up North. Get some Vitamin D but of course not too much. Always wear your sunscreen. Chow down on some burgers, dogs, chicken, sausages, steak tips, corn on the cob and more. One of my favorite sides to put together for BBQ’s is pasta salad. Like many of you, I’ve developed mine over the years and it is delicious. It’s a simple recipe to throw together and always a crowd pleaser. Fresh ingredients are the key to success. Also, Ken’s Italian dressing. That’s my secret, not so secret weapon. It’s tangy, zingy, and adds great flavor to the dish. Ken’s dressing, lite or regular, works in many recipes. It’s a fantastic additive and marinade. I suppose you can use any type of Italian dressing but Ken’s really does make this pasta salad scrumptious. Make sure to use Rotini shaped pasta. The dressing coats the spirals perfectly. Extra Feta cheese is always the answer. Chop all the veggies into small bite sized pieces. You can add or subtract any of the following ingredients to your liking. Many people enjoy sliced black olives It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
or perhaps some slivers of purple onion. Maybe even some zucchini or summer squash? Do you and make it your own. This recipe I keep pretty basic because sometimes that’s all it takes. A few well put together items and BOOM!
Pasta Salad by Rozziefoodie
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(serves 6ish) Half a box of spiral shaped pasta-cooked and drained Good sized head of fresh broccoli-chopped small Half an English cuke or two small cukes-chopped small Grape or cherry tomatoes-a handful -chopped small Lots of crumbled Feta cheese Ken’s Italian Dressing-half a bottle Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste Mix all of the above together in a large tupperware container. You can add a bit of shredded cheese to the top. Serve and enjoy!
Contact Me Kelly McKeeney: Email: rozziefoodie@gmail.com. Blog: http://rozziefoodie.blogspot.com Website: https://rozziefoodie.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rozziefoodie
Angels with a broken wing By Dr. Hagitte Gal-Ed One day during a group session at an adult day care center in Boston the participants in my ARTiculation expressive therapy wrote their own version to the lyrics of “We Are The World.” They loved the famous 1985 charity song by United Support of Artists (U.S.A.) for Africa, and they asked “How come they can do it for the people in Africa but not for us, here at home?… Don’t they see, one day in the end they all will be like us?…” In ARTiculation we always encourage the participants to take matters into their own hands, to discover the meaning that is hiding in the challenge, and to feel what does it take to be an artist and a leader. They did. Here are their blatant opening verses: “We are the voice of the people in the cold When the world is clearly loosing its mind Our voice is singing of human dignity And of the right that no one can deny We may have lost what you still have today The legs to stand, the power of your speech, But it’s just so happened that we arrived before Where all of you will too arrive one day. We are the angels with a broken wing We are the people with a broken heart, but who will always win We can turn around our pain and suffering When all the rest of you have lost the force to hope and dream…” Well said. But what is this “right” that “no one can deny”?… What can this “right” do for their integrity and self esteem?… Can people with “broken wings” experience again the power of human dignity?… These were some of the core questions that guide our ARTiculation work. Months later the same questions have guided us again in what had turned to be one of our most powerful ARTiculation projects, the life size self portrait. Our participants never had any previous experience in visual art making, some did not have it even at elementary school. Visually It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
speaking, they were totally illiterate. The only one who had some drawing experience early in her life was kicked out from school in third grade because she could not read and write like the other children and was diagnosed retarded. The teachers concluded they could do nothing to help her catch up. She had no other choice but to teach herself reading and writing, and does it well. She also never stopped drawing. Here is her life size self portrait as an angel. A man who never made a single drawing before in his life was happy when I offered to take his photo and print it out in black and white, so he can simply draw his image by trusting his eyes and hands. He just did it and surprised himself. The results went beyond any expectation, and he asked to add in the background his favorite activity, football. He was so proud of this accomplishment that he wanted to show it to his children when they come to visit with him, so they can finally see that their father can do something of real value.
Angels with a broken wing By Dr. Hagitte Gal-Ed Continued A woman had endured the most extreme psychiatric treatments, including series of ECT shocks in order to erase her memories of the horrific abuses she had suffered. It failed. Miraculously she survived all her traumas and maintained her coherent intelligence by holding on to her unshakable faith. Along our work together, as she started to love and respect herself, she asked me to take photos of her smiling. I printed a few photos in black and white and she chose one in profile for her life size self portrait project. But she was scared. It was the first time in her life that she made a drawing from observation and she did not believe she could do any of it. To her astonishment, however, her visual accuracy was stunning, and she took long moments of quiet to just look at her self portrait and reflect. Suddenly she screamed: “I see grandma!… This is grandma!… I look just like grandma!…” excited she explained “Grandma was the only one who ever loved me… She is the one who saved my life and raised me from birth till I was 6 years old when she died…” After that she was not afraid to add colors in her figure and the background. Her work is still in progress. ARTiculation is about helping the participants to be the artist and leader of their personal transformation so that self discoveries such as these can come to life and be concretely realized.
Do you have an ART story to tell? It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
Dr. Hagitte Gal-Ed is a therapist and giftedness coach. For more information about the ARTiculation approach contact her at dr.hagitte.galed@gmail.com
Share it here in It’s All About Arts E Magazine Contact: Janice Williams 617-710-3811 janice@artfulgift.com
“When artists give form to revelation, their art can advance, deepen and potentially transform the consciousness of their community.” ~ Alex Grey
The Local Music Corner
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by Perry Persoff
Maybe it’s just (another) tease, but another “w” word seems to be re-introducing itself in our world: “Warmth.” I can hear you all saying another word as a result: “Ahhh.” Warmer weather brings thoughts of rebirth…of newness. And there is lots of new music to get absorbed in.
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****************** Last May 3rd, Love Love officially released their new EP, The Rhode Island Eepee. Yeah, I like the spelling, too. Five of the seven songs are new as far as I can tell. If you are looking for a new example of an irresistible, deliciously bouncy pop song that has a lot to say about being yourself and not getting stuck in the glory of your past, look no further than the opening song “We Can’t Get Enough of the Was”. And if you need more inspiration to visit Rhode Island, don’t wait until October to listen to “Rhode Island Ghosts”. The CD finishes with the song “Rhode Island”, which was on the last release - the excellent Picture and probably began this Ocean State madness (plus there is a truly groovy alternate instrumental mix of “Blind In The Sunshine” which was on Picture).
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****************** Love Love’s Jefferson Riordan also plays drums with Russell Chudnofsky. Russell is a great string-bender of a guitar player. You will usually see him playing in Tim Gearan’s band. Years ago he played behind New Hampshire’s Amelia White (Amelia’s been based out of Nashville for at least ten years now). Russell’s just released a solo EP. He had a record release show…on the same date and at the same place as Love Love (see above).
This time he opened for them. The new EP is called Goodbye Again, which Russell produced with the very busy Dave Westner. The songs are sequenced very well in varying their pace. This makes for a good listening experience. It’s a record with a very passionate club rock spirit. He really comes off as an honest, truthful guy you can hang out and vent with…while having fun. I can absolutely imagine Russell opening for the Beat Farmers in the mid 1990’s. But since the Beat Farmers are gone, I think Peter Wolf should take Russell and Dennis Brennan on tour with him.
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****************** Speaking of Dave Westner - which we will again - he was part of Jimmy Ryan’s band Hayride at a recent show at the back room of The Burren. I have seen Jimmy at Atwood’s Tavern. That’s usually the more bluegrass side of him. Jimmy’s Hayride incarnation is a little more…boisterous, shall we say. He’s had the great Dana Colley on sax, the stalwart and ever present Mike Piehl on drums, the aforementioned and very versatile Dave Westner on the bass, and the great Stu Kimball (just coming off of 13 years in Bob Dylan’s band) on guitar. What a show they put on, the best of Jimmy’s bluegrass side with a blast of rock & roll “hey, let’s jam in the garage all night long” juice. Put the Energy Booster drink down and get thee to a Jimmy Ryan & Hayride show. >> But if you can’t find one soon, get your ears on a copy of the new Jimmy Ryan & Wooden Leg album, Turn Back The World. Add to the mix the fiery fiddle playing of Joe Kessler, and this album will also have you saving money on caffeine products because you won’t need them. Recorded live in Boston, the Wooden Leg band here also includes Duke Levine on guitar,
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Mickey Bones on drums, and Brian Dunton playing bass. Wooden Leg is the more musically volatile side of Jimmy Ryan. If you are tired on your drives home from work, pop this CD in and crank it up. You’ll be e-mailing “thank you for saving my sanity” notes to Jimmy.
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Of course, Turn Back The World was then. As Love Love says, we can’t get enough of the was. So what is Jimmy Ryan up to now? Funny you should ask. Jimmy’s also just put out a new solo EP, called Brave Brave Gun. Most of it is more stripped down, especially the title track. My guess is that this song was somewhat ripped from the headlines, perhaps imagining the inside of the head of our many mass shooters of the past few years. The song actually helped me process the most recent one. A couple of the songs have some electric juice as well. “Hokum and Twaddle” is a good old careening train ride. “Map of You” engages you more as part of a personal conversation. Five of the six songs were co-written by Jimmy and his wife Donna Sartanowicz. >> Now as for Donna Sartanowicz, here’s more new music for you. She is also part of a trio called The Very, who have recently released an 11track disc called Velvet. It strikes me as having a very 90’s indie-rock/power pop edgy vibe, a la Belly, Jenny Lewis, Veruca Salt. >> And later this year, possibly the fall, Jimmy Ryan & Donna Sartanowicz’s project The Nocturnal Adoration Society will have a new release.
caverns of my mind (i.e. - I can’t remember the other ones Dave told me).
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Now if this warming trend continues, before you know it we will be thinking about outdoor concerts. Maybe a nice warm late June evening…a little live bluegrass…a picnic supper that Yogi Bear would salivate after. The Linden Tree Coffeehouse is way ahead of you. They have already started planning their annual free outdoor concert. This year it will be Saturday June 25th on t h e Wa k e f i e l d C o m m o n w i t h l o c a l bluegrass band Local Freight. The show begins at 6:30 and you are welcome to bring a picnic supper, chairs, and blankets. If you are really taken with the music, the band has recently released it’s debut selftitled full length album. Perhaps they will have some available to take home with you. Wakefield Common is on Church Street. Hopefully the weather will not pull a humbug. But if it does (rain, etc)…the show will go on - at the Linden Tree’s usual home downstairs in the social hall of the UU Church at 326 Main Street in Wakefield.
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Until next time, Good Music and Good Times to you.
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****************** Which brings us back to the very busy Dave Westner. He is working on bringing us new releases from The Blue Ribbons, The Tim Gearan Band, and perhaps another project or two he mentioned to me that are lounging around in the dusty
photo: Ms. Donna
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I AM A MAN / AIN’T I A WOMAN! by Curt Naihersey Two connected talents are preparing a major symposium of social events at various locations, including the Dewitt Center and the historic Hibernian Hall in Roxbury, from June 2nd - 8th. “I AM A MAN 2019” is part of Madison Park Development Corporation’s inaugural Sol*Arts in Residence Program, which delivers a range of arts & culture to support economic development for artists, community stakeholders, and members in Roxbury. It will feature eight components focusing on community events, youth activities, composition, musical performances, spoken word programs, conversation, civil rights, and protest singa-longs. The arts provide a multitude of economic and cultural benefits to a healthy neighborhood. Hibernian Hall is a vital cultural asset for Roxbury and Greater Boston, and is a leading venue for professional theatre in the neighborhood.
project is an educational and artistic examination of the famous Civil Rights declaration. As human dignity continues to be challenged throughout the world, “I AM A MAN 2019” serves as a reminder that such challenges have been overcome in the past, and will be overcome in the future, encouraging people to have strength to stand up to injustice, and discuss contemporary concerns of Black masculinity and human dignity, while celebrating past and present contributions of men fighting for equality.
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Castle of our Skins is a Boston-based concert and education series dedicated to celebrating Black artistry through music. Born out of the desire to foster cultural curiosity from classrooms to concert halls, Castle of our Skins spotlights both unsung and celebrated figures of the past and present. “This residency marks our fourth appearance over the years at Hibernian Hall and our first as an ensemble-inresidence,” notes Castle of our Skins Artistic Director and violist, Ashleigh Gordon. “We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have such an amazing team supporting our work at Hibernian Hall.” As a companion to their 2018 “AIN’T I A WOMAN” project, which celebrated Black feminism, the current “I AM A MAN 2019”
The series will comprise of a free screening of Raoul Peck’s seminal James Baldwin documentary “I Am Not Your Negro”, with an introductory vocal performance by Julian Otis, community poetry workshops and conversations about contemporary masculinity and
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h u m a n i t y, h i s t o r i c a l a n d a r t i s t i c discussions, community sing events, family-friendly workshops, a concert featuring internationally acclaimed cellist Seth Parker Woods, and an interactive concert production with dance, spoken word, multimedia, and music. The Finale Concert, to be held Saturday, June 8th at 7:00pm at Hibernian Hall, will include spoken word by Regie Gibson and music spanning over 150 years, by such composers as: Blind Tom – an autistic piano genius who was enslaved his whole life; Julius Eastman – a GRAMMY nominated vocalist and minimalist composer, who was not afraid of his queer identity; and Brian Raphael Nabors – a recent recipient of a Fulbright award and Castle of Our Skins’s 2018-2019 guest composer-in-residence - who will premier a new chamber ensemble piece. >> For a detailed list of events, dates, times, and locations, please visit the event website at www.castleskins.org/iaam2019
Music Ensemble, and Alarm Will Sound to name a few. As a performer (piano, improvisation), he has appeared at venues across the US, Cyprus, France, the Netherlands, the UK, and South Korea, interpreting solo, chamber, and large ensemble works. For such performances, he has worked with numerous student and e m e rg i n g c o m p o s e r s , a s w e l l a s established composers such as David Liptak, Renee' C. Baker, Steve Reich, and George Crumb.
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Born in Virginia, raised in Rhode Island, educated at Boston University and New England Conservatory of Music, the creative output of Anthony R. Green (composer, performer, social justice lecturer) includes musical and visual creations, interpretations of original works or works in the repertoire, collaborations, educational outreach, and more. Behind all of his artistic endeavors are the ideals of equality and freedom, which manifest themselves in diverse ways. As a composer, his work has been presented in over twenty countries by such notable soloists and ensembles as Gabriela Díaz, Wendy Richman, Dame Evelyn Glennie, ALEA III, Sound Energy, The Fidelio Trio, The Playground Ensemble, Ossia New
Green’s most important social justice work has been with Castle of our Skins. As cofounder, associate artistic director, and composer-in-residence, his efforts have included concert and workshop curation, development and community outreach, and lectures about the history and politics concerning Black composers of classical music. Both he and the group’s cofounder, Ashleigh Gordon, trained at the
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New England Conservatory of Music. He describes her as a “charismatic and captivating talent and performer,” who has recorded with Switzerland's Ensemble Proton and Germany's Ensemble Modern; performed with Grammy-nominated A Far Cry string ensemble; and appeared at prestigious festivals internationally. In recognition for her work, she was awarded the Charles Walton Diversity Advocate award from the American Federation of Musicians.
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Currently splitting his time between Berlin, Leiden (the Netherlands), and the United States, Anthony recently returned to Boston in advance of the upcoming program, and we shared a brief, wonderful chat. His sparkle, enthusiasm, and intelligence are integral to his talents, whether writing music or grants, articles or lectures. In his renowned article, "What the Optics of New Music Say to Black Composers”, he offers his credo rearrange, adapt, and respect!
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“As a frequent attendee of new music events around the world, I often feel as though the presence of people who look like me is not wanted or is merely tolerated, but for me this feeling arises mainly from observations of concert programming. After I attend concerts of music solely by composers who fit that expected image, the message “black composers have not composed music good enough for us to play or for this stage” is inevitably evoked within me. Every time. Classical music did not escape the greater social construct of racism and patriarchy, which is why composers such as Ignatius Sancho, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Blind Tom, Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, William Grant Still, and plenty more are usually only studied in non-required specialized
classes. Black composers’ non-existence in academic institutions tells black composers that we are not wanted, no matter how much success we gain. On the one hand, if the optics of new music are sending unwelcoming messages, then the next generation of would-be black composers will most likely not pursue composition. Professional recommendations for opportunities do not happen nearly to the extent that they could for all composers, and all of these injustices disproportionately affect black composers. Additionally, the number of ensembles directly reaching out to black composers is not significant enough to noticeably bring these composers parity. There is also a trend that places the music of black composers mostly in themed concerts, more often than not related to social justice or for Black History Month. While this is not necessarily negative, the injustice arises when absolute music or music with nonsocial themes by black composers is overlooked. In sum, we are not one-trick ponies. There are certainly localities and communities which are more welcoming, open, and inclusive than others, and I would love to learn more about this work that is being accomplished.”
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He offers six EXTREMELY simple steps of recognition: 1) If you are an active soloist or are in or run an ensemble of any size, program music by black composers. After performing these works once, perform them again, and again, and again, for many years. Make them regular works on concerts. Give them to your students to study. 2) If you do not know any music by a black composer, create a playlist and have weekly listening sessions. Listen often.
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Listen to music that you do not like. Find music that you like and love. 3) Share what you know and what you have learned about black composers. Spread the word about helpful resources, ensembles, organizations, and other entities doing such work in a powerful, significant way. Encourage people in your community to engage with this work, and be curious. 4) Demand more from your musical sources. Ask your teachers to include more music by black composers in the theory classroom, in the history classroom, in your private lessons. If there is really a demand, then make it known. 5) Support black composers and the soloists, organizations, and ensembles that program their music. Castle of Our Skins (of which I am a co-founder) is one of a handful of organizations whose seasonal programming regularly consists of at least 90% music by black composers (as attested by its repertoire list), and it is, contrary to popular business-model or donor-related expectations in music, a successful organization. 6) When a black composer is expressing a grievance, listen with all you have. Trust these voices. Be critical, but respectful. Engage in exchange. Be patient. But when
our work is blatantly ignored, disrespected, not studied, and not programmed, our voice is all we have.
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Over the next two years, Anthony has already received twelve commissions for new music - mostly centering on piano, solo voice, and a few “art-pieces”. Entitled, “ZOOM IN”, he is planning a world tour encompassing England, Switzerland, Berlin, Istanbul, and the USA. In the future, he hopes to have the chance to explore sexuality and gender identity much more in his compositions and performances. He is definitely excited by the possibilities! Bravo!
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www.castleskins.org
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www.anthonyrgreen.com
photos: Monika Bach Schroeder
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T
ess’s June To-Do List Do Something Artful Today
Do Something Artful Today
Roslindale (RVMS) Farmers Market Opening Day Saturday, June 1st, 9:30am-1:30pm Adams Park, Roslindale, MA 02131
Join Roslindale Village Main Street in celebrating the start of the 34th year of the Roslindale Farmers Market (Boston’s oldest neighborhood market)! Adams Park will once again be alive with vendors, community, and activities each Saturday from 9:30am1:30pm through mid-November. Opening day will include many fantastic vendors, a ribbon cutting, music by Opposite People, a performance by Davey the Clown, YMAA Boston Demonstration, and Greater Roslindale Medical & Dental Center in our community stall space! Visit the event page to RSVP: www.facebook.com/events/885051665167696/
Do Something Artful Today
Spring Concert Series at the Menino Arts Center Menino Arts Center, 26 Central Ave. Hyde Park, MA 02136 Learn more about the Spring Concert Series and other events at the Menino Arts Center on their website: https://www.hpaa-mac.org/events/
Bird Mancini Band Saturday, June 8th at 8:00pm
The BIRD MANCINI Band, founded by Ruby Bird and Billy Carl Mancini, is Boston’s acclaimed accordion/guitar band featuring eclectic rock and Latin pop fusion, with lush vocals, blues-tinged guitar, accordion, harmonica, and percussion. Rounding out the quartet are Joel White on bass and Joe Jaworski on cajón and percussion. www. birdmancini.com
Do Something Artful Today
Louder Than Milk Friday, June 21st at 8:00pm
Louder Than Milk is a roots-based band that plays a mix of alt-country, rock, and blues. The music weaves its way across the backroads of American traditions and finds its way into a contemporary setting with ease. With three songwriters that love to harmonize, the music’s rhythms can jump boldly as well as slow down with their ballads of lament and hope. www.louderthanmilk.com
The Great Grilled Cheese Festival in Roslindale Sunday, June 9th 11:30am-2:00pm Adams Park, Roslindale, MA 02131
Head to Adams Park in Rossie for “all you can eat” classic grilled cheese sandwiches, chips, dessert, face painting, Davey the Clown, raffles, live music by Luis Avila and Natalia Popovska, leader of song at St. Anne’s Church. This foodie-family fundraiser benefits the Chefs Table Foundation, a 501(C) 3 non-profit organization that provides scholarships to veterans and youths in need who have a passion for the culinary arts. Contact Carol O’Connor with questions: caroloconnorctf@gmail.com or 617-323-0670 RSVP to the event here: www.facebook.com/events/701939980223423/ It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
Tess’s June To-Do List (continued) Artist Talk with Sunanda Sahay BNN Media Center Do Something Artful Today Monday, June 10th 6:30-7:30pm Boston Neighborhood Network 3025 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02119 Come meet Sunanda and hear about her Indian Folk Art (currently in exhibit at BNN Neighborhood Art Gallery through June). Free and open to the public https://www.facebook.com/events/440207046766668/
Beverly Arts Fest Saturday, June 15th 10:00am-4:00pm Downtown Beverly, MA 01915
This outdoor arts festival held in downtown Beverly is in its 17th year and includes over 150+ juried fine artists and crafters, music and entertainment, kids’ activities, art-on-thespot creations, artist demonstrations and an outdoor food court with food trucks. Artists will be selling bags, candles, ceramics, pottery, children’s items, clothing, furniture, glass, home decor, housewares, jewelry, paintings, pet gear, photographs, prints, sculpture, soap, vintage items and more. Learn more on their website: www.beverlymainstreets.org/arts-fest-beverly/
Do Something Artful Today
BAMSFEST (Boston Art & Music Soul Festival) Saturday, June 22nd 12:00-8:00pm Franklin Park Playstead Field, Boston, MA 02119
Boston Art & Music Soul (BAMS) Fest is a 501 c3 nonprofit organization that strives to break down racial and social barriers to arts, music, and culture for marginalized communities of color across Greater Boston. Their annual festival includes music & entertainment, dancing, games and vendors. Learn more on their website: www.bamsfest.org/
Tess McColgan comes from a big family full of artists and has always enjoyed embracing local talent.She’s lived in many places throughout New England including York, ME and Dover, NH, and moved to Boston at age 14. In 2015 she moved to Roslindale where she found a sense of community that resonated with her. She started as the Program Manager for Roslindale Village Main Street in April 2018 and loves being a part of the volunteer-driven organization that works so hard to support local businesses and to make Roslindale Village a destination where everyone wants to eat, shop, play and collaborate. Tess’s background includes customer service, clinical research, volunteer management & recruitment and Human Resources. In her free time, she doodles and plays with acrylic paints on canvases, writes in her journal, attends yoga classes, and gets out in nature as often as possible. Tess is the co-host for It’s All About Arts TV Show. Photo: Bruce Spero Photography at brucespero.smugmug.com
Roslindale Village Main Street www.roslindale.net
RVMS was established in 1985 as one of the first urban Main Street Programs in the nation, with the help of then City Councilor Thomas M. Menino and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Today, Roslindale Village is a thriving commercial hub, with free public wifi in Adams Park, and a fabulous Farmers Market. And, there are now 20 Main Street Districts in the City of Boston. We are proud to have been the first one! It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
New Art
My Garden by Janice Williams Mixed Media on Canvas 40 x 30 x 2 http://www.artstudio99.com It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
Nature moves people in different ways, stimulating senses and awakening the soul. Come see Ruth LaGue, Joni Lohr and Erik Gehring using different mediums to inspire creativity and reflection. Gallery at Grosvenor Park, 7 Loring Hills Ave. Salem, MA
Ruth LaGue explores the theme of spirit within her abstract landscape paintings; the limitless interior universe that
lives within us and the outer vastness of our physical environment. Working with palette knives on canvas, she strives for visual economy in her work; combining textures, colors and patterns. Ruth’s work can be found in numerous private collections; the corporate collection of BioMed Realty, Inc. and on permanent exhibit at the Encaustic Art Institute in Sante Fe, NM. www.laguewax.com, 617-688-7688, Facebook: @laguewax, Instagram: @ruthlague, Twitter: @ruthlague
Erik Gehring is a freelance photographer who specializes in trees and natural landscapes. He is the current Pro-
gramming Coordinator at the Hyde Park Art Association, and he is a past President of the Boston Camera Club. He lives in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston with his wife Julie and sons Carl and William. Although Erik enjoys photographing natural environments all over New England, his favorite destination is Boston’s Arnold Arboretum. Erik’s work has appeared in Yankee Magazine, AMC’s Outdoors, Northern Woodlands, the Boston Globe, the Boston Metro, the Cape Cod Times, E the Environmental Magazine, and other publications. He has shown his fine art prints at galleries throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Erik also has lectured and taught classes and workshops at the Arboretum, the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, the Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, the Concord Art Association, the Hyde Park Art Association, and at locations all over New England for BlueHour Photo Ventures. www.erikgehring.com, 617-594-6660, erik@erikgehring.com, Facebook: @erik.gehring, Instagram: @erikgehring, Twitter: @ErikGehring
Joni Lohr is a documentary photographer whose images give permanence to fleeting moments within a range of
subjects including live street photography, performance, portraits, and abandoned buildings. She is a storyteller. Lohr has exhibited in juried shows throughout Massachusetts, including the Griffin Museum of Photography, the University Place Gallery of the Cambridge Art Association, the Morini Gallery, the Charles Fine Arts Gallery, the new England School of Photography, and the South Shore Art Center where she was awarded second prize in their Black and White exhibition. Lohr has worked with numerous bands, dance, and theatre groups throughout the Boston area, including the Harvard Dance Theater, Impulse Dance Company and Beantown Tap. She has also photographed for local charitable organizations, including the Loring-Greenough House, Jamaica Plain Porchfest, Wee the People, Friendship Works for Elders, and the South Street Youth Center. Her photographs for these organizations, dancers, and musicians have been featured on CD covers, in promotional materials, on web sites, and in magazine and newspaper articles. Born in Detroit, she spent her formative photographic years in Ann Arbor where she completed a degree in education at the University of Michigan. She now lives in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Lohr is a self-educated photographer, taking informal classes and workshops in Ann Abor and throughout the Boston area. www.jonilohr.com, 617 942-8712, jonilohr@gmail.com, Facebook: joni lohr photography
It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019
More Info https://bnnmedia.org/programming/radio 617-708-3241 It’s All About Arts Magazine June 2019