CityScene April 2011

insidescene

6

regular stuff

18

A Private Museum

Perfectly ‘Poppins’

Mary Poppins star finds her new role fits her well

08 healthscene Gluten-Free: Fad or Fact?

What impact does a gluten-free diet have on day-to-day health?

10 cuisinescene Two Scoops

Respect for tradition and new ideas drive Velvet Ice Cream

21 travelscene Fantastic Voyages

Turning lifelong travel dreams into reality

26 galleryscene Upcoming Exhibits

The latest gallery shows around the city

28 eventscene Picks & Previews

CityScene spotlights what to watch, what to watch for and what not to miss!

32 lastscene The Painter's Eye

Featuring George Villiers, First Duke of Buckingham by Sir Peter Paul Rubens

Art gallery owner makes her home a gallery in its own right

Earth

The 2011 Decorators’ Show House, presented by the Women’s Board of the Columbus Museum of Art, is steeped in history and features 22 redecorated design spaces and four landscape areas.

• Grab a bite at the Café

• Browse the Gift and

Garden Shop

• Explore the Trifles and

Treasures Shop

Designer Wednesday Nights—starting at 5:30 p.m. meet some of Central Ohio’s top designers and hear the inside scoop on their room designs!

April 30 to May 22

4125 Oxford Drive in Upper Arlington Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door or at www.columbusdecoratorsshowhouse.com

All proceeds benefit programs at the Columbus Museum of Art

781 Northwest Blvd., Suite 202 Columbus, Ohio 43212 614-572-1240 • Fax 614-572-1241 www.cityscenecolumbus.com

Charles L. Stein

Chief Executive Officer

Kathleen K. Gill President

Dave Prosser

Chief Creative Officer

Christa Smothers Creative Director

Garth Bishop Editor

Gail Martineau Assistant Editor

Duane St. Clair

Contributing Editor

Ashley Brook, Colleen D’Angelo, Phil Heit, Timothy Keny, Michael McEwan, Rick Schanz Contributing Writers

Gianna Barrett, Mary Hottenrott, Molly Pensyl Advertising Sales

Lynn Leitch Controller

Circulation 614-572-1240 CityScene is published in January, March, April, May, July, August, September, November and December. For advertising information, call 614572-1240.

behindthescene

By Gail Martineau

Being practically perfect in every way is a difficult job, but 23-year-old Steffanie Leigh is up to the task. Leigh, a native of Talent, Ore., will blow into Columbus April 20 for a three-week run of Mary Poppins at the Ohio Theatre. Leigh has taken on the role of the stern but kindhearted nanny who rocketed into history with the 1964 musical film staring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.

Leigh has big shoes to fill playing the magical Poppins, she says, but is learning a great deal from her new role.

The 2009 Carnegie Mellon University graduate grew up near Ashland, Ore., which is the home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of the largest professional repertory theater companies in the United States. She always wanted to be a performer, she says.

“Growing up, I did a lot of sports,” Leigh says. “One of my coaches said I was going to burn out and that I should do something different one day a week that wasn’t swimming. My mom put me in dance class, and I fell in love. I decided to try it and that was it.”

Disney’s traveling performance of Mary Poppins is Leigh’s first large-scale show since graduating college.

“I am learning a lot; it is what I have wanted to do for forever,” she says. “When it’s right in front of you, doing it is very unbelievable. I’m still digesting it that I am getting to do this.”

Leigh joined the cast of Mary Poppins last June as a member of the ensemble and soon became an understudy for the part of Mary. A few months ago, she was asked to audition to be Mary Poppins and landed the role.

Her first show as the official Mary Poppins was on the stage of the Boston Opera House. She then performed at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music and is on to Columbus – for her first time – from April 20 to May 8.

She is excited to visit the capital city, she says, especially because one of her fellow cast members is a native.

Camille Mancuso, 11, is one of two young actresses who alternate in the role of Jane Banks. Mancuso is from the Blacklick area.

The production of Mary Poppins has something to offer everyone, Leigh says.

“It’s a little different story that we are telling,” Leigh says, noting that Mary Poppins is based on a book series by P.L. Travers. “She wrote about (eight) books or so, so they are basically a bunch of vignettes about Mary Poppins. The movie takes some of those, and we take some of those that the movie took and also some new ones and combine the best parts of the book and the best parts of the movie and put it on stage.”

Leigh says fans of the movie won’t be disappointed.

“A Spoonful of Sugar and all the other wonderful songs are still there,” she says. “There is something very exciting about singing the songs that I heard Julie Andrews singing. At the same time, there are amazing, really great songs that have been written (for the musical).”

One of Leigh’s favorite songs is Anything Can Happen, which comes toward the end of the show

“Mary takes the children up in the sky into this adventure … and it’s an amazing, huge, beautiful spectacle,” Leigh says. “The sentiment of the number is absolutely beautiful.”

Leigh has learned a lot as Mary Poppins and can see parts of the character in herself, she says.

“She comes off as a little bit of a whippersnapper, and she has an amazing sense of humor. You never can quite put your finger on who Mary Poppins is,” Leigh says. “She is an interesting character to play because of the magical elements to her. I get to fly and pull things out of my bag. It’s a lot of hard work, but I get to be practically perfect for three hours every night.” cs

Gail Martineau is assistant editor for CityScene Magazine.

Mary Poppins star finds her new role fits her well

CAPA presents Mary Poppins April 20-May 8, 2011 Ohio Theatre Tickets at www.capa.com

movie eventscene

with Dr. Phil Heit

Gluten-Free: Fad or

What

impact does a gluten-free diet have on day-to-day health?

On a recent visit to spend time with family in San Francisco, my wife and I were asked by our daughter if we could shop for groceries while she was at work.

Having free time, we decided to visit a nearby grocery store to stock up on the many organic items that are staples in my daughter’s home. Since I am not the one

who shops for groceries at home in Ohio, I was oblivious to the many different versions of the same products that were available.

Almost instantly, it became apparent that for every grocery item, two different versions stood side-by-side. On one part of the shelf, boxes of gluten-free corn flakes stood adjacent to corn flakes that were not gluten-free. As my eyes traversed adjoining shelves of different products, I noticed a similar pattern. One product after another had gluten-free and non-gluten-free versions. I turned to my wife and asked if this glutenfree stuff is a “California thing,” upon which I was politely informed that the grocery stores in Ohio had similarly lined shelves and that my lack of willingness to spend time shopping for groceries was a contributing factor to my naiveté regarding the latest food trends.

Gluten-Free and Celiac Disease

It appears that the emphasis on gluten-free foods began in 2003 when a study at the University of Mary-

land found that one in 133 Americans was affected with celiac disease. Celiac disease is a condition in which the lining of the intestine can become inflamed or destroyed when a person consumes products that contain gluten. This leaves the small intestine unable to absorb nutrients.

Gluten is a protein that is found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye. People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, and consuming it causes them symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss and fatigue. Thus, the dietary therapy for these individuals is to eliminate gluten from their diets for a lifetime and focus on foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish and eggs.

The Gluten-Free Trend

So strong is the gluten-free trend that sales of gluten-free products have grown from $939 million in 2006 to $2.6 billion in 2010. What was once a miniscule number of gluten-free products on the market has grown significantly to the point where it is now mainstream. General Mills, for example, claims to offer 250 gluten-free products.

Only about 1 percent of the population has celiac disease, but it has become clear that these individuals are not propelling the growth of gluten-free sales. For a large number of individuals, going gluten-free is perceived to bring with it a host of healthrelated benefits. Research is clear that people who have celiac disease and who lead a gluten-free lifestyle will experience significant health benefits. But what about the benefits of going gluten-free for those who do not have celiac disease?

A Healthier You?

There are those who believe that a glutenfree diet will successfully treat autism in children or rheumatoid arthritis in adults.

Gluten-free treats from Cherbourg Bakery in Bexley.

Photo by Brittany Reed.

Fact?

However, there is no proof to substantiate this claim.

There are many who have taken to a gluten-free lifestyle with the claim that it promotes weight loss. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey have been thought to lose weight due to the elimination of gluten from the diet. However, according to the American Dietetic Association, weight loss may be the result of reducing calories and fat intake from products that contain gluten.

Thus, if a person decides to eliminate muffins because they contain gluten, the resulting weight loss is the result of the elimination of calories contained in muffins. There is no research that shows that weight loss will occur if a food containing gluten is replaced with a gluten-free version of that food but the calories remain the same.

Another claim made by those on glutenfree diets is the development of a sense of having increased energy. This, too, is not necessarily due to the lack of gluten consumption, but rather to a reduction in the amount and type of food consumed.

The bottom line: New diets come and go. Will a gluten-free diet become fad or fact? In time, the answer will be forthcoming. cs Log onto www.cityscenecolumbus.com for information on local gluten-free products.

Dr. Philip Heit is Professor Emeritus of Physical Activity and Educational Services at The Ohio State University.

Two Sc ps

Respect for tradition and new ideas drive Velvet Ice Cream

By Rick Schanz

Three sisters went separate ways, only to end up together again enjoying what they love: ice cream.

“Vanilla goes with everything,” says Luconda Dager, 41, the fourth-generation president of the Velvet Ice Cream Company. “It caters to multiple personalities.”

Joseph Dager, a Lebanese immigrant, founded the family-owned ice cream company in the basement of a Utica confectionary in 1914 when he first concocted Olde Tyme Vanilla.

The recipe is now almost 100 years old. Velvet still uses it to this day, and it remains a best-seller – an impressive feat, considering Velvet now has a recipe vault of more

than 500 flavors of ice cream. These include Buck eye Classic, a peanut butter and chocolate mix; 38-year-old Joanne Dager’s all-time favorite, Mint Chocolate Chip; and 37-year-old Andre Dager’s favorite, Black Raspberry Fudge Cordial.

Velvet is always looking for new flavors, Luconda says. After all, she says, testing the flavors is the “fun part of the job.”

In April, a new flavor called Honey Caramel Ice Cream is being rolled into stores.

The flavor comes courtesy of 13-year-old Alex Grooms from Williamsburg, Ohio, who won the 2010 Velvet Ice Cream Create-A-Flavor contest. Almost as good as finding Willy Wonka’s golden ticket, Alex will sit on Velvet Ice Cream’s tasting panel for a year, have his photograph on the cartons of Honey Caramel and get free ice cream for a year.

Velvet is working with Ohio beekeepers to create the ice cream, staying true to its goal to keep production and suppliers local, Luconda says. The cream the factory uses comes from Superior Dairy in Canton.

The Dager sisters sifted through more than 800 flavor entries – many from adults – ranging from the conservative to the

radical, such as ice cream with honeydew chunks.

“We get some out-there ideas,” Luconda says. One of the strangest flavor requests, she says, came from the 2010 Ohio State Fair: a hot dog-flavored ice cream.

Andre, vice president of guest relations, oversees the tourist aspect of Ye Olde Mill, which houses an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, restaurant, gift shop and Ohio’s only ice cream museum. She says the hot dog idea made the sisters cringe.

“Luckily, we were able to work with them and create a kettle corn ice cream that

Employees are hard at work at Ye Olde Mill, Velvet Ice Cream’s base of operations in Utica.

had actual kettle corn,” Andre says. “It was a hit.”

Velvet’s market share in Ohio is growing, Luconda says. The company now has a handle on 5 percent of the market, a share that has been helped by Velvet being true to customers. In return, costumers are very loyal to Velvet, says Robin Yocum, a Velvet spokesman.

The difference between Velvet’s ice cream and that of competing brands is the essence of ice cream, Luconda says. Other companies’ cartons may refer to the product as “frozen dairy dessert,” she says, because the first ingredient listed on the back of its carton is milk or whey.

Velvet has also been looking for new ways to distribute its dessert.

Joanne, vice president of food service, says that besides filling up grocery stores, Velvet distributes ice cream to Bob Evans, Max & Erma’s and Frisch’s Big Boy restaurants, as well as nursing homes and schools.

A little more than a year ago, Velvet Ice Cream became available at the Mirror Lake Creamery & Grill on The Ohio State University’s campus. Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk offers a pound of Velvet Ice Cream for $1.

“We went there and the line was stretched down the racetrack,” Luconda says. “Ice cream is a great hook to encourage people to show up at events.”

To meet distribution quotas, Velvet’s 125 employees produce more than 6 million gallons of ice cream each year. That’s enough ice cream to fill about nine Olympic-size swimming pools.

Most of the employees have worked at the factory for decades, Andre says, so it is no surprise to learn the Dager sisters enjoy working at the family business together. But all three sisters, after going to college, held other jobs before returning to Velvet.

Luconda worked as a clothing buyer for a retail department store in Cincinnati for three years before joining Velvet in 1994 and taking over the reins as president in 2009. Joanne held a few jobs, including general manager of the Plaza 600 restaurant in Cincinnati for four years, before coming back to Velvet in 2004. Andre worked at the Knox County Chamber of Commerce for a year before joining the family business.

Keeping the business family-owned should not be a problem, as each sister is married and has children.

“We like working together,” says Joanne. “Of course, we have our arguments sometimes, but it’s nice.” cs

Peter Stafford Wilson, conductor

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Come find us in Uptown Westerville! European Chocolate, Gelato, Gifts

Spotlighting six diverse central Ohio artists

6on the Scene

By Timothy Keny

These six central Ohio artists are doing outstanding work in a variety of media, including graphite, monotype, pastel and oil. Their work covers a diverse set of subjects, from “carscapes” to landscapes to figures to abstract images.

I believe all of these artists are creating work that merits greater attention from private collectors and museums in this region and beyond.

Eric Barth

The Ohio State University, 1992 – B.F.A., Painting and Drawing

Kent State University, 1986-87

“I want (the paintings) to look representative, but I’m partial to abstraction. ... I use a combination of soft pastels and oil pastels – generally starting with the soft pastels, and then working back and forth between the two – in addition to chalks and, as of late, a few colored pencils. Often, I will scrape the soft pastels into powder to work them into the oil easier. I work the colors mostly with my hands, often wrapping my fingers with masking tape. Lately, I’ve taken to using blending stumps for more detailed areas.”

A Silent Night Shattered

Eric Barth’s sensitive landscapes have a meditative, abstracted quality that belies his outstanding draftsmanship and command of pictorial design. He has the rare ability to capture the essence of a particular locale and yet transcend that specificity to make a broader, more spiritual statement about nature and life. His work has a palpable physicality and delight in rich gestural passages of soft pastel melded with oil pastel. His works are as much about the poetry of the artistic process itself as the subjects and the moods he evokes. Such works as Growing Back and A Silent Night Shattered capture his work in its most expressive form.

Sophie Knee

The Ohio State University, 1999 – B.F.A., Printmaking (summa cum laude)

Texas Tech University, 1995 – M.F.A., Printmaking major, Drawing minor

“ So these are prints [monotypes], in that they are made by applying ink to a surface, then transferring it to paper by using pressure. What they are not is reproductions. Each one exists as a unique object; none is reproducible.

“Printing always begins with drawing. I draw whatever is on my mind, and that depends on where I have been and who I have been with. … I don’t see drawing as an exercise in imitating reality in two-dimensional space. I am interested in how the world is, but not in such a literal sense. Drawings always begin with ideas, and what I want in a drawing or print is to transmit an idea from my mind to the viewer’s – to evoke a feeling, to describe something that exists, to incite a spark of recognition.”

Sophie Knee’s deft fluid draftsmanship, exceptional command of the nuances of light and mastery of the “telling” gesture or line capture the tenor of her subjects. Her works are pictorially edited with finesse. She does not impart to the viewer more information than one needs to distill the essence of her subject. Her technical excellence and disciplined design ironically lend a spontaneous, snapshot-like immediacy and intimacy to her work that is unique. Such monotypes as Double Koi and Michael’s Heron are emblematic of her art.

Double Koi

Michael’s Heron

Tom Ward

Tyler

School

of Art, 1991 – M.F.A., Printmaking

Dartmouth College, 1988 – B.A., Art History and Visual Studies

“My work is grounded in formal concepts: balance of composition, light/ dark, foreground/ background and gestural brushwork. The intention is to build a history of mark-making that represents a snapshot of a process in flux. I like to ’lock’ the composition by building up the tension between opposing concepts: accidental/intentional, pattern/non-pattern, bright/dull, matte/shine, wet/dry, goopy/ watery, opaque/transparent, serious/humorous, etc. I use color to heighten the intensity of the layers and sometimes to jar the viewer. The urgency of the brushwork is intended to reveal an immediacy that is very personal and intimate, however detached the subject matter may seem – sort of like the state of the world right now.“

Tom Ward’s paintings are a synthesis of the formal structure and cadence of such elemental Abstract Expressionists as Ad Reinhardt and Hans Hofmann, who orchestrated geometric shapes within a rigorous grid that emphasizes spatial tensions with the exuberant energy of other Abstract Expressionists like Sam Francis and Joan Mitchell, who reveled in painterly, color-saturated organic forms that “dance” on the picture plane. There is a sensuous vitality in paintings such as Ebb, which evokes change, evolution and growth in juxtaposition with an underlying geometry, as in Bloom, which is perhaps a metaphor for the universal structure of nature.

Marc Lincewicz

Columbus College of Art and Design, 1992 – B.F.A., Illustration and Advertising Design, special interest in Fine Arts

“I studied at the Columbus Col lege of Art and Design and was strongly influenced by two people: Lowell Tolstedt and Walter King. Tolstedt was particularly detail-oriented and King very expressive. You can find both of those styles informing my work. Probably more importantly, both taught me to strive to find a unique, personal visual voice.

“ Regarding the work, the images I enjoy creating tend to focus on small moments, personal memories, forgotten or not-often-thought-of places. … I have a love for texture, line and figure. … Texture and line are appealing on a purely visual level. A simple walk in the woods is a good example of experiencing or being in texture. Objects obscured at a distance slowly reveal themselves.“

Marc’s fusion of technical excellence in his rendering of forms in nature, such as trees and grasses, is exemplary. Also, his nuanced command of tone to evoke atmosphere and space lends a meditative mood to his drawings, such as Out and Away, which move beyond draftsmanship to capture the poetry and mystery of nature, much like the fine British 19th century Romantic landscape artist Samuel Palmer (1805-1881). The artist occasionally includes figures in his drawings, which have attenuated, abstracted qualities, lending a modern surreal sensibility to his works that have affinities with Alberto Giacometti and Henry Moore’s drawings and sculpture of the mid-20th century. His broad mark-making repertoire with graphite media is extraordinary. His utilization of graphite ranges from 19th century Ruskinian delight in nature’s delicate details to the enigmatic aura and spatial nuances akin to the painterly soot drawings of James Castle, the acclaimed mid-20th century Outsider artist. Marc’s work Columbiana County Barn has this quality.

Ebb

Bloom

Out and Away

Columbiana County Barn

Jean Koeller

Parsons School of Art and Design, 1997 – M.F.A., Painting Wright State University, 1982 – B.F.A., Painting (cum laude) Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, 1981

“My current body of work engages landscape. Working both from life and memory, these ordinary, dense views redefine the boundaries of landscape and beauty. I move between experience and thought, representation and abstraction, distilling information by observation and recall. I explore, physically and psychologically, the essence of life of the interior – the “interior” of the landscape, and the interior self.“

Jean’s paintings yield a palpable sense of place with their subtle nuances of light and atmosphere. Concurrently, one admires the gestural fluidity of her vital paint handling, the emotionally resonant orchestration of colors, inventively unified compositions and, often, dynamic vantage points. Her paintings are as much about the creative and spiritual process of painting as they are the accurate representation of nature. Creek Trees is such a work. Jean’s landscapes are filtered by her experience. Nature’s seasonal changes and evolving essence as a metaphor for personal growth and regeneration are integral elements of her art. Tree Watching I epitomizes this statement.

Joe Lombardo

Bowling Green State University, 2008 – M.F.A., Painting and Drawing

Columbus College of Art and Design, 2006 – B.F.A., Painting and Drawing

“I thrive on the forced immediacy of plein air painting – working under pressure leads to unprecedented solutions. The act of painting is visible in the fresh, energetic and, at times, charmingly quick brushwork. … Parking lots have become emblematic of the contemporary American landscape. … A contemporary exploration of the American landscape suggests the termination of the artist as spiritual explorer. My paintings uphold tradition, yet negate it with gentle irony. The expedition has been reduced, beginning and ending within the scope of a parking lot.“

Joe Lombardo’s spontaneous orchestration of vibrant color harmonies, rich painterly brushwork and keen understanding of light lend an airy and animated, yet visceral, quality to his landscapes, such as Darby Creek. These paintings have affinities with the

powerful painterly Impressionist landscapes of Edward Redfield (1869-1965) and George Bellows’ (1882-1925) vigorous early landscapes painted along the East and Hudson rivers in New York and Monhegan Island, Maine.

His “carscapes” have the density of forms and the compact pictorial space with no horizon that captures the technology-driven “mass consumer” society in which we live. Yet the cars have quirky, almost playful, personalities that reflect their unique owners’ psyches. Some of these paintings, such as Hot Lot, have abstracted massed forms of cars, which meld into one another to create a cacophonous field of color, brushwork and light that is as much about the act of painting as the description of cars in a sun-baked parking lot.

Hot Lot

Timothy Keny is a contributing writer for CityScene Magazine and co-owner of Keny Galleries in German Village.

Darby Creek

Creek Trees

Tree Watching I

A Private Museum

Art gallery owner makes her home a gallery in its own right

By Garth Bishop Photography by Christa Smothers

Ever glance at the walls of an art gallery and wonder what the owner puts up on the walls of his or her home?

If that owner is anything like Hayley Savage, owner of Hayley Gallery in New Albany, the walls of the house look a lot like the walls of the gallery.

Savage’s house in the New Albany neighborhood The Reserve is stocked with enough original artwork to make a museum jealous. In fact, when she bought the house seven years ago, one of the biggest factors working in its favor was that it had enough wall space to accommodate The Spring by William DeBilzan, a colossal painting that

is one of Savage’s favorites. It’s not easy to find a recently built house with so much wall space, and it took Savage some time to find one that would accommodate her, her two children and her 30-year collection of art.

“(My broker) previewed probably 100 houses, and I looked at about 80 in many different towns,” Savage says.

The Spring now hangs above the mantle in Savage’s two-story great room, the centerpiece to a house filled with all manner of artistic styles and media. The room’s sizable walls and massive windows also highlight a surrealist painting by South American artist Fernando de Jesus Oliveira, a.k.a.

Savage bought from a New York City warehouse in 2000. It depicts several of Ferjo’s own favorite works of art laid

out in a museum of his own creation – fitting, Savage says, because her house is something of a museum of her creation, filled with the work of her favorite artists.

The great room also houses Three on a Slow Road by Karen Rumora, which shows what Savage describes as a symbolic road

Ferjo, that

Hayley Savage

Above left: A reconstructed glass piece by Bill Meek sits atop the dining room table.

Above: Peace, Hope and Prosperity, a bronze piece by Renate Burgyan Fackler, is in the sitting room.

Left: A portrait of Hayley Savage’s dog, Rory, is at the top of the secondfloor staircase.

Gahanna artist Samantha Bennett’s painting of the Columbus skyline overlooks the great room from the second floor.

I Will Not Bite My Sister by Kim Thanasiu hangs in the great room.

Museum

leading into the rest of the house; a reconstructed, recolored glass piece by Bill Meek that was once a standard glass table; two signed lithographs of works by well-known Russian French artist Marc Chagall; and a super-sized piece of notebook paper by Kim Thanasiu, complete with oversized pencil, upon which the words “I Will Not Bite My Sister” have been written over and over as though in punishment. Even the fireplace is a work of art – Savage commissioned Carol Phillips Whitt of Granville for the piece.

Like the exhibitions at the average museum, Savage’s displays are ever-changing – she will move pieces from room to room as inspiration strikes her, stopping only when she is confident a work has truly found its “home.”

“It takes a long time for a painting to find its final resting place,” she says.

Though The Spring anchors the house, the first thing most visitors see is Melinda

The Spring by William DeBilzan, displayed prominently in the great room, anchors the house.

A painting by Fernando de Jesus Oliveira that overlooks the great room shows how he envisions his own personal museum – just as Savage has worked to turn her home into a museum of her own.

A happy-looking painting by Carolyn Beavers hangs in Savage’s bedroom.

Pink is a central theme of the paintings in Savage’s daughter’s bedroom.

WESLEY

Hall’s Two Dogs Sharing the Loot, a large painting in the sitting room that is a favorite of many guests. “When you first walk into someone’s home, what you first see makes a big impact,” Savage says.

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5155 North High St, Columbus (614) 888-7492

Wesley Ridge Retirement Community 2225 Taylor Park Dr., Reynoldsburg (614) 759-0023

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1422 Epworth Forest Dr., Lancaster (740) 681-2686

Savage describes much of the artwork in the sitting room as “quirky” and “irreverent,” including Peace, Hope and Prosperity , a bronze piece depicting fish swimming among reeds. The artist, Renate Burgyan Fackler, has gained some renown in Columbus for her life-size bronze statue of Brutus Buckeye in The Ohio State University student union. Peace, Hope and Prosperity was a gift from Fackler specifically for Savage, who is a scuba diving enthusiast.

DeBilzan’s work also appears in the upstairs hallway – a piece titled On the Fruited Plain is just to the left of the stairs. The area immediately at the top of the stairs displays a variety of pieces with similar colors and themes – a structure of multicolored, painted metal enamel; a wrought-iron piece by local artist Steven Bush; a work that Savage initially spotted as a floor cloth at a gallery in Puerto Rico; even a jeweled, brightly colored lamp hanging over the stairs that is a replica of a Tiffany lamp. Also at the top of the stairs is a piece by internationally collected painter

Romero Britto that depicts him dancing with his wife at their wedding – a painting that “gets more smiles than anything else in the house,” Savage says.

While much of the artwork in Savage’s house speaks to her on purely an artistic level, some pieces have significance beyond just their artistic merits – like a secondfloor painting of the Columbus skyline by Samantha Bennett, a local artist who does not allow amputations and scarring she suffered from meningitis when she was young to impede her work.

“This is kind of an homage to the place that she cares about most,” Savage says.

But some of the most personal art in the house is in the basement. That’s where Savage keeps most of her children’s creations. Some are inspired by other pieces in the house, and some are just the products of their imaginations. Though Savage’s son and daughter are both in high school, some of the pieces in the basement were made when they were young – one by her daughter was made when she was 5, and one by her son was made when he was 2.

“I love that artistic inspiration,” Savage says. “I love that they have this to fall back on.”

The basement is also where Savage keeps one of the paintings that reminds her why she continues to hold an interest in art: a huge painting by Liz Bulkley-Testa. Savage spotted it at a diner in the Short North during Gallery Hop and soon learned that it was painted by one of the waitresses there. Savage bought the painting, and when she opened her gallery, she made Bulkley-Testa one of the first artists she showed there – a move that helped renew Bulkley-Testa’s interest in art. The painting reminds Savage of how she can make a difference, she says.

“When I first walk out of my exercise room, the first thing I see is this painting,” she says. cs

Garth Bishop is editor of CityScene Magazine

Two Dogs Sharing the Loot by Melinda Hall greets guests as they enter.

Savage’s children’s artwork is on display in the basement.

A painting in the basement by Liz BulkleyTesta reminds Savage of the difference she can make in local artists’ lives.

Whatever your tempo . . . you can choose the lifestyle that is right for you.

So well respected~ Everyone in Central Ohio knows us by our first name . . .

Glen WESLEY Ridge WESLEY Hills

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Fantastic Voyages

Turning lifelong travel dreams into reality

By Colleen D’Angelo

Miles and miles of white sand, tropical fauna and clear water tinged in shades of turquoise. Is this the spot for your next vacation?

It’s enticing to some people, while others prefer vibrant cities, ancient marvels and cultural discoveries. Paradise is defined as a place of extreme beauty, delight or happiness, but everyone’s personal definition is unique. What will exhilarate you? What will inspire you?

Start with the activities or subjects that you find appealing. Are you more into watersports or watching sports, a starry night sky or a wild night life? Consult professionals to share their knowledge and help with cost-effective travel arrangements and time management. Consider hiring guides who speak your language, yet know and love their country and are passionate about its study. Smart planning can make an ordinary journey extraordinary.

Choosing how to travel

Ask yourself how active you want to be on your vacation. Jodie Shriver, a travel agent for

Dublin-based Creative Vacations, says she has a client who recently hiked for 15 days in the Himalayas. The woman was in great shape, but still struggled with the altitude for a few days, so this wouldn’t be a trip for everyone.

Laura Damas and her husband, Jan Czekajewski, have experienced the transatlantic voyage on the Queen Mary seven times. They love meeting other interesting travelers from all over the world.

Laura says the trip is awe-inspiring and a bit scary when you can’t see land or know how deep the ocean is. “It gets so foggy at night, and by 9 p.m., you can’t see your hand in front of your face,” she says. “It’s eerie because the ship sounds the foghorn every 15 minutes until they are in the clear.”

Laura and Jan decided to try the cruise because of their trouble adjusting to time changes when traveling east. Aboard ship, the clock is pushed forward one hour every night, so by the time you get to Southampton, England, you are rested and ready to go.

The Queen Mary is solidly made, built specifically for transatlantic crossings. There are three levels of accommodations

Harbor, Copenhagen, Denmark

The Queen Mary 2

on board: Brittania, Princess Grille and Queen’s Grille Suites. Laura and Jan usually travel on the Queen’s level, but they were once upgraded to a 2,000-squarefoot, two-level suite with three bathrooms. “We even had our own butler,” says Laura. “Now that spoiled us!”

Think about why you are traveling

Are you celebrating a birthday or anniversary, enjoying a family reunion, looking for adventure or seeking an education?

Jan is from Poland, so many of his trips involve going to Europe to visit friends and then fitting in new places they haven’t seen yet.

Dublin residents Cap and Janet Whitney have traveled halfway around the world.

One of their most memorable journeys began when they were planning their 50th wedding anniversary trip.

As a history buff, Cap knew he wanted to start in the Netherlands because his uncle, Lt. Robert Graef, was killed there during World War II, and was buried in the World War II Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial along with 8,300 other soldiers. Each grave there is adopted by a local Dutch family, and Frieda Van Laar and her relatives tend Graef’s grave. They display the 101st Air-

borne Unit flag, American flag and Ohio flag by Graef’s headstone, and leave flowers there on their visits. “It gives us a human connection to the sacred space of my uncle and the other fallen soldiers,” Cap says.

Cap decided that he wanted to make a pilgrimage to the cemetery in southern Holland and combine it with the celebration of his and his wife’s anniversary milestone. He and Janet started in Amsterdam, took a two-and-a-half hour train ride to Maastricht and spent the day with Van Laar

Bicycle Parking Garage, Amsterdam

Summer Palace of Catherine the Great St. Petersburg, Russia

Dining Room, Summer Palace of Catherine the Great, St. Petersburg, Russia

and her family. “It was so meaningful to hear the Dutch people talk about remembering the U.S. soldiers, because it was the Americans who liberated them from the war,” Cap says

Cap and Janet then boarded the Celebrity Constellation cruise ship in Amsterdam and took a two-week tour of European capitals. They explored Berlin, Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen, St. Petersburg and Tallinn. They used a travel agency to aid in the planning because they like feeling protected even in foreign countries. cs

Tallinn, Estonia

Church on the Spilled Blood St Petersburg, Russia (top and above)

Colleen D’Angelo is a contributing writer for CityScene Magazine

Earth from Earth

Sculptor uses clay to explore the wonders of nature

By Ashley Brook

Ceramicist Denise Romecki is drawn to the beauty and process of nature, and she lovingly translates that into her clay sculptures.

“Watching things changing or growing” holds a unique fascination for her, Romecki says.“How the shapes and images change … open up, emerge. Also, you know the decline of things, when it goes to seed. It’s interesting.”

Her work is always in demand, says Teda Theis, member artist and board member at Studios on High, where Romecki shows her work.

Romecki’s work is unusual because the technical demands of ceramics rarely translate to successful sculpture, Theis says.

The use of clay, the very earth, is important to Romecki. It’s a natural gift from the earth, and she aims to reflect the spirit of the earth into her various series – bucking horses, forests, the female figure and animals.

“I would easily call her work spiritual,” says Theis. “That’s a lot of the attraction – when people come in, many are drawn to the spiritual elements that her ceramics reflect.”

“Everything living on this planet is here for balance,” says Romecki.

Inspired by her own garden, natural forms and a deep respect for animals, she also finds inspiration from Native American cultures that have found ways to live in balance with the natural world.

“I think about shamans,” Romecki says, “medicine women in the Native American culture.” When she sculpts, she tries to represent that mystical power shamans have “rather than being a complete realistic, human figure,” so that the true essence of their being shines through.

High or the Ohio Craft Museum. She also enjoys teaching part-time at the Cultural Arts Center.

Romecki has been an artist since childhood, sculpting first in Play-Doh until finding her love of clay when she began her studies at the Columbus College of Art and Design. Originally planning on being an illustrator or a painter, she found her true calling after taking a ceramics class.

“It’s still exciting to open a kiln, even after all of these years of doing it,” says Romecki. “It’s just so earthy, the fact that you could take this material and build, create an actual existing thing that is threedimensional.”

Working with clay has had its ups and downs, Romecki says. “You have to respect clay as a natural material. You can do everything right and still end up with cracks or something exploding, or … a glaze not behaving the way that you expected it to,” she says.

It is hard not to be drawn to the delicate and sometimes intricate faculty she possesses in her work.

Theis agrees. “When she brings in a new series, I just have to have one.”

Many are drawn to Romecki’s waves, Theis says; they are hard to keep in stock.

Though Romecki does not classify her work as political, some of her pieces respond Tempest

Romecki has been exhibiting since 1978, and her work can be found at Studios on

Spotted Venus

to issues of nature being directly affected by man. She feels an emotional response to deforestation, shrinking habitats and, most recently, digging and the oil spill in the Gulf. Currently, she is working on Monument to the Gulf, which will be exhibited at the Cultural Arts Center as part of Studios on High’s 35th anniversary show. She hopes to honor the animals affected by the gulf spill in her multitiered work.

Whatever she does, it will more than likely prove popular to the people who frequent Studios on High. “It’s beautiful, it’s stunning,” Theis says of Romecki’s work. “It’s a joy to own.” cs

Ashley Brook is the Associate Producer of WOSU Public Media’s Emmy Award-winning ArtZine. Find new episodes on Facebook.

The Aviator

Upcoming Exhibits

A Muse Gallery: The Best of A Muse Gallery, featuring artists of A Muse Gallery, through April 15 at the gallery’s new location in German Village. Ohio Artists featuring David Hostetler, Sue Cavanaugh and Julie Byrne from April 15-May 15. www.amuse gallery.com

Art Access Gallery: New Work by Joe Lombardo and Michael Sherman through April 7. www.artaccessgallery.com

Brandt-Roberts Galleries: Scenes of Europe by Mark Gingerich from April 1-

May 3. www.brandtroberts galleries.com

Columbus Museum of Art: Shared Intelligence: American Painting and the Photograph through April 24. Fur, Fins & Feathers through June 5. www.columbus museum.org

Decorative Arts Center: Equal in Goodness: Ohio Decorative Arts 1788-1860 through June 5. www.decarts ohio.org

Dublin Arts Council Gallery: All about

Lowell Tolstedt: Selected

April 8 - May 6

Evenatom by Gene Friley through April 22. www.dublinarts.org

Hayley Gallery: Childhood as it was explained to me by Derrick Hickman through

Keny Galleries

Derrick Hickman

Karen Rumora

Shannon Godby

Brandt-Roberts Galleries

Rebecca Ibel Gallery

April 15. New Paintings by Karen Rumora April 17-May 11. www.hayleygallery. com

Keny Galleries: Works by Lowell Tolstedt from April 8-May 6. www.kenygalleries. com

Ohio Art Council’s Riffe Gallery: Here’s Looking at You: Portraits in Ohio through April 17. www.riffegallery.org

Ohio Art League: Rural Routes (not your traditional landscape) by Claire E. Smith

and Catherine Bell Smith from April 7-30. www.oal.org

Rebecca Ibel Gallery: Works by Kurt Lightner through April 30. www.rebecca ibel.com

ROY G BIV Gallery: Works by Matthew Johns, Kate Rhoades and Cameron Sharp from April 2-30. www.roygbivgallery.org

Schumacher Gallery: Capital University’s Student Art Exhibition from April 8-16. www.schumachergallery.org

Studios on High: Face2Face: 25 Years of Art and Community at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center from April 15-May 11. www. studiosonhigh.com

Wexner Center for the Arts: Works by Nathalie Djurberg, works by Pipilotti Rist and Double Sexus by Bellmer and Louise Bourgeois through July 31. FETCH , an outdoor light piece by Erwin Redl, through May 31. www.wexarts.org

For more gallery events, visit www.cityscenecolumbus.com.

School of Music and Communication

The Arts at Capital

April 2011 Events

Featuring the Conservatory of Music and University Theatre

April 2 Friscoe Composition Competition Concert – 7 p.m.

April 4-10 17th Annual Jazz & World Music Festival

Air Force Band of Flight Ensemble* featured on April 8 – 8 p.m.

April 7-10 University Theatre’s “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”* – times vary

April 17 Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana”* – 7:30 p.m.

Chapel Choir, Choral Union, Women’s Chorus, soloist Mark Baker and the New World Singers from the Columbus Children’s Choir

April 28 University Bands – 7:30 p.m.

April 29

April 30

Wind Symphony and Symphonic Winds

Alumni Weekend Choral Concert – 8 p.m.

Chapel Choir

Celebrating 53 years: Nicholas J. Perrini – 3:30 p.m. Capital University/Bexley Community Orchestra concert with guest soloists and speakers

* All events are open to the public and held on Capital University’s Bexley campus (with the exception of some Jazz & World Music Festival concerts). The performances marked with an asterisk are ticketed events. For information, or to receive a monthly calendar of arts events, call 614-236-6411.

Hayley Gallery

ROY G BIV Gallery

For a comprehensive list of all other happenings around Columbus, check out www.cityscenecolumbus.com.

Picks & Previews

CityScene spotlights what to watch, what to watch for and what not to miss!

Kid-friendly performers sing about the likes of messy rooms and healthy snacks during high-energy shows that include a trash can drum set. www. capa.com

My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish and I’m in Therapy!

Apr. 1-2

Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St.

CATCO presents What the Butler Saw Mar. 30-Apr. 17

Studio One Theatre, Riffe Center, 77 S. High St.

In this classic farce, a psychiatric clinic erupts in chaos involving the likes of mistaken identities, attempted seduction and political intrigue. www.catcoistheatre.org

CAPA presents The Imagination Movers

Apr. 1, 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Palace Theatre, 34 W. Broad St.

CAPA presents this one-man, award-winning, off-Broadway show that revolves around the hilarious family stories of Steve Solomon. www. capa.com

Columbus Symphony Orchestra presents Cirque De La Symphonie

Apr. 2, 8 p.m.

Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St.

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra partners with acrobats, jugglers and aerialists from Cirque du Soleil for a magical night. www.columbussymphony.com

Celtic Woman

Apr. 3, 2 p.m.

Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St.

Global phenomenon Celtic Woman returns to Columbus with its most recent live show, Songs from the Heart . www. celticwoman.com

Roger Guenveur Smith’s Juan and John

Apr. 7-9

Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. High St.

This one-man show portrays the most notorious on-field fight in baseball and the unlikely friendship that ensued thereafter between Juan Marichal and John Roseboro. www.wexarts.org

Jerry Seinfeld

Apr. 8, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St.

Jerry Seinfeld brings his stand-up com edy to Columbus. www.capa.com

Columbus Jazz Orchestra presents Night at the Apollo

Apr. 13-17

Southern Theatre, 21 E. Main St.

Celebrate careers that were launched by the Apollo Theatre, including those of Dinah Washington, Gladys Knight, James Brown and Sam Cooke. Features guest artist Marva Hicks. www.jazzarts group.org

Columbus Children’s Theatre presents Cinderella

Apr. 14-24

Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St.

The children’s theater troupe per forms the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic. www.colschildrenstheatre.org

Cirque De La Symphonie

Celtic Women

Buckeye Model Train and Railroad Show

Apr. 16, 9 a.m.

Lausche Building, Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Ave.

Golden Spike Entertainment presents Ohio’s largest combination model train and railroad memorabilia show. www. ohioexpocenter.com

CCAD Student Art Sale

Apr. 16, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Loann Crane Center for Design, 112 Cleveland Ave.

CCAD presents its spring student art sale. First choice admission at 9 a.m. is $50. Admission is $5 after 10:30 a.m. www.ccad.edu

ProMusica presents An Evening of Brass and Organ

Apr. 16, 5:30 p.m.

Pontifical College Josephinum, 7625 N. High St.

Join ProMusica for performances on brass and organ. www.promusicacolumbus.org

The Imagination Movers

MEMORIES Creating lasting

The Forum at Knightsbridge is honored to be a longstanding and respected member of the Columbus community. We offer an uncompromising, high standard of living with all the warmth and hospitality of home, right here on our beautifully landscaped campus.

Experience the lifestyle you deserve…don’t wait a moment longer! Call for lunch and a tour to see why life at The Forum is better than ever!

CAPA and Broadway Across America present Mary Poppins

Apr. 20-May 8

Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St.

Broadway Across America brings the world’s most famous nanny to Columbus. www.broadwayacrossamerica.com

Earth, Paws and Claws

Apr. 22-23

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 4850 Powell Rd., Powell

This party for the planet begins on Earth Day and features local conservation and wildlife organizations as well as fun for the whole family. www.colszoo.org

COSI’s Earth Day: Exploring Energy

Apr. 23, 11 a.m.

COSI, 333 W. Broad St.

Meet scientists and engineers who are working to meet the energy needs of our future and learn how you can help. www.cosi.org

Orla Fallon

Apr. 28, 6:30 p.m.

Southern Theatre, 21 E. Main St. Singer and harpist Orla Fallon, formerly of Celtic Woman, performs songs inspired by her homeland, Ireland. www. orlafallon.com

BalletMet and Shadowbox Live present 7 Deadly Sins

Apr. 29-May 7

Capitol Theatre, Riffe Center, 77 S. High St.

BalletMet and Shadowbox collaborate to bring the world premiere of the ultimate rock ‘n roll ballet. www.balletmet.org

The Birth of the Cool

Apr. 29-30

Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St. Jazz Arts Group recreates recording sessions of The Birth of the Cool, the

Mary Poppins

revolutionary album by Miles Davis and his nonet, on stage. Features mid-century art, design and music. www.jazzarts group.org

2011 Decorators’ Show House

Apr. 30-May 22

4125 Oxford Dr., Upper Arlington

The show house, featuring a total of 22 design spaces transformed by designers and landscapers, will be available for tours. The biannual fundraiser benefits the Women’s Board of the Columbus Museum of Art. www.columbusmuseum.org

Arthritis Walk

May 1

Westerville Sports Complex, 350 N. Cleveland Ave.

The Central Ohio Arthritis Walk benefits the Arthritis Foundation. A 5K course and a 1-mile course are available. www.letsmovetogethercentralohio. kintera.org

For a complete list of events, visit www.cityscenecolumbus.com.

The Painter’s Eye Featuring

George Villiers, First Duke of Buckingham by Sir Peter Paul Rubens

By Michael McEwan

When we speak of the “Old Masters,” Sir Peter Paul Rubens is often near the top of the list.

Rubens was a man of enormous energy and was tremendously gifted. He was internationally known, well-traveled and fluent in several languages. Thus, it is not surprising that he was also a diplomat who moved with ease between the courts of Europe.

Such was the demand for his work that he had a workshop with several dozen artists working on his many large-scale commissions. These artists had drawings and other studies to work from, as well as smaller-scale painted sketches. These smaller paintings are highly prized because we know that they are from the master’s hand alone.

That brings us to this wonderful piece from the Zanesville Museum of Art: George Villiers, First Duke of Buckingham. It is approximately 24 inches by 24 inches, oil on wood, circa 1628.

Over a streaky, grey-toned ground – which often served as a middle tone – Rubens used fairly thin paint to rapidly draw with the brush. Typically, the range of color is not great, as in a finished painting. This stage of the process was more or less devoted to working out forms in light and dark.

Not that the painting is devoid of color. The star of the painting is not the Duke, but his mighty steed. Rubens is one of the great painters of the horse, and the rich chestnut tones and the deep knowledge of the horse’s structure and movement present a virtuoso performance. The vitality

Rubens could imply in anything from a horse to a piece of drapery makes him a perfect symbol of the Baroque era.

As wonderful as this piece is, Rubens would be rather puzzled by the idea of exhibiting such a work. To him, this was a working study, an idea in the making – and only for him and the workshop to see. I shudder to think how many of these studies might have lit the workshop stove!

The Zanesville Museum of Art has a fine collection of paintings and sculpture,

regularly featuring regional artists. It also has an excellent glass and ceramic collection, in honor of Zanesville’s long history as a center for manufacture of both products. CS

Artist Michael McEwan serves as Artist-inResidence at Capital University where he also teaches painting and drawing classes.

Zanesville Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. & Mrs. E. M. Ayers, 1940

P URE C OMPETITION .

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