MILENE FERNANDEZ/EPOCH TIMES
A Little Glimpse Into the Atelier Art Movement
‘Don Pasquale’ Returns With Style
Making waves, Edward Minoff dares to paint beautiful seascapes.
Gaetano Donizetti’s last comic opera.
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MARTY SOHL/METROPOLITAN OPERA
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C1 March 11–17, 2016
Dozens of museums
and cultural institutions host lectures and events in addition to Asia Week’s exhibitions throughout the city.
A N T I C I PAT I O N BUILDING UP TO
ASIA WEEK By Kati Vereshaka | Epoch Times Staff
s Asia Week New York 2016 (AWNY) begins, dealers, buyers, and Asian art lovers have started converging on New York where Asian works of art spanning millennia will be shown and bought. Last year, during the seventh AWNY, sales reached an unprecedented total of $360 million. This year, from March 10 to 19, four auction houses are holding numerous sales that continue to attract an international audience in terms of both consignment and buyers. Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams, and Doyle are holding their sales during Asia Week, while iGavel is holding a viewing of its exhibition Asian, Ancient, and Ethnographic Works of Art with the online auction to follow—March 29–April 19.
Rare monumental bronze figure of Mahakasyapa, Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).
Christie’s Over 700 works are coming on the market via Christie’s like imperial Ming and Qing Dynasty porcelain, gilt-bronze Buddhist sculpture, Chinese furniture and scholar’s objects, and Chinese and Bengal School paintings. The pieces include archaic ritual bronze vessels, jade and hardstone carvings, lacquerware, thangkas, snuff bottles, and more. The lineup from Christie’s during Asia Week comprises eight sales, and features the Dongxi Studio, the Collection of Guy and MarieHélène Weill, the Ian and Susan Wilson Collection, the Lahiri Collection, and Part II of the Ruth and Carl Barron Collection.
See Asia Week on C6
Photograph by David De Armas
Asia Week Celebration Thursday, March 17
150 WEST 17TH STREET NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10011 RUBINMUSEUM.ORG
EXHIBITIONS TALKS FILMS CONCERTS SHOP CAFE
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March 11–17, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS
NTD TELEVISION
NTD TELEVISION
The singing ... went really deep in my heart. It was something that really shook you to your core but in a very positive way. Anddy Matos, associate producer, A+E Networks
High school student Elena Garcia was captivated by the dancers. She saw them perform at Lincoln Center on her birthday.
Broadway choreographer Josh Prince saw Shen Yun on March 5. WEIYONG ZHU/EPOCH TIMES NTD TELEVISION
Clarinet virtuoso Alexey Gorokholinsky praised the balance and arrangement of music and dance.
John Su and Amy Liu felt they had seen the genuine Chinese culture through Shen Yun Performing Arts.
New York Immersed in Shen Yun Audience loves, deeply connects with a divine culture By Larry Ong | Epoch Times Staff
W
itnessing a divine culture is, for many, a profound experience: entertainment that sparks self reflection, and a simultaneously stimulating and relaxing immersion in the arts. After several sold-out performances at New York’s Lincoln Center in January, Shen Yun Performing Arts is back by popular demand this March. Audience members of all ages and walks of life continue to be enthralled and wowed by Shen Yun’s classical Chinese dance numbers, dancers’ costumes, vocal soloists, and the Shen Yun Orchestra. They left the David H. Koch Theater relaxed,
Shen Yun Performing Arts
hopeful, and feeling a deeper connection with China’s divinely inspired culture.
Lincoln Center David H. Koch Theater
‘Gravity Doesn’t Apply to Them’ For high school student Elena Garcia, watching New York-based Shen Yun on her 18th birthday was the realization of a long-awaited wish. “It’s such a beautiful and colorful, inspiring, and spiritual thing to see,” she told a reporter after the performance. “Any teenager would love to see this experience.” Being a student of contemporary dance, ballet, and jazz, Ms. Garcia was struck by Shen Yun performers’ intense professionalism and high-level dancing techniques. “With that professionalism, they have so much feeling and emotion with every move and every step. It’s captivating every time they move or dance,” she said. “When they dance, they have a very weightless feeling. Whenever they jump or they do any of those tricks that they do, it’s like they’re flying,” Ms. Garcia added, referring to the flips, tumbles, and other aerial feats that are an intrinsic element of Chinese classical dance, an art form that has been passed down and refined over thousands of years. “It’s like gravity doesn’t apply to them,” Ms. Garcia said. “They can do what they want—it’s just beautiful and elegant.”
Tickets Online: ShenYun.com/NYC Hotline: 800-818-2393 Running Time 2 hours, 15 minutes (one intermission) Date & Time March 11 at 7:30 p.m. March 12 at 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. March 13 at 1:30 p.m.
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especially when there were a number of spots where the clarinet [was] on its own, soloing with the instruments accompanying. So the balance was perfect. It was very good,” he said. ‘You Need Something to Believe In’ Yvonne Hendricks and her friend Heda Silverstein watched Shen Yun on Ms. Silverstein’s birthday, and both were the first ones to rise to their feet to applaud the performers. “Every single person in that show deserved a standing ovation,” Ms. Hendricks said, praising the dancers’ superb athleticism and skill. “It was just incredible. It took my breath away. I was in tears,” said Ms. Silverstein, who yelled “Bravo!” after the dance vignettes, about 20 in all. “The choreography! The costuming! The music! I mean, the music is all original.” Shen Yun’s deep spirituality spoke directly to Ms. Hendricks’s soul “to continue to be as kind as you can, to appreciate the beauty in yourself and in others.” The well-traveled Ms. Hendricks also felt that Shen Yun’s mission of reviving China’s 5,000-year-old civilization is important in today’s increasingly integrated world. “I think the unifier is important, but culture is the very necessity that makes the world so beautiful, just like religion once did,” she said. “You need something to believe in so deeply, and this show helps you do that. It helps you believe in humanity. It helps you believe in the divineness.” “In today’s world, it’s missing,” she said, and Shen Yun showed the “value of restoration.”
‘Much More Than Just a Dance Concert’ Media professionals Anddy Matos and Hector Bardeguez thought they were in for an evening of dance when they went to watch Shen Yun Cultural Reawakening but said they discovered so much more after the curtain lifted, and the resounding gong Being born and raised in China, college stuannounced the first dance vignette. dents Amy Liu and John Su have been taught “It was amazing,” declared Mr. Bardeguez, in communist-controlled schools to embrace an associate media manager at CBS News. “It atheism and reject traditional Chinese culwas absolutely out of this world. And I got so ture and history. much more than just a dance concert. Watching Shen Yun was like a cul“I was blown away by the music, tural reawakening for the pair as the colors, the dancing, the spirit— it also was for at least some of Shen Yun has the mainland Chinese audience just wow!” about 400 Ms. Matos, an associate promembers. performances ducer at A+E Networks and for“There is a reason why China was this season. merly at CBS and CNN, was just as called the Divine Land,” Mr. Su said. effusive in her praise of the show. “I don’t think that what our ancestors “I was really captivated by evebelieved in for thousands of years can be rejected by the people of today.” rything that I saw. The dancing was incredible, so precise, so uniform. The fash“Today, I’ve seen it. I’m very touched,” he said. ion was spectacular. I’m very into fashion, so Ms. Liu agreed and told a reporter that she [it] was ... jaw-dropping. It was incredible! I felt that it was a loss for those who missed loved it,” she said. out on the Shen Yun. “I think that if one really calms down and watches the show, “The singing was … I don’t even know how to describe it. It was so indescribable. It went really you can really experience the genuine mandeep in my heart. It was something that really ifestation of your tradition and your ancesshook you to your core but in a very positive way.” tors’ 5,000-year-old culture,” she said. She added that she had observed some mainland Music From East and West Chinese theatergoers give a standing ovation at the end of the show. Shen Yun performances feature a full orchestra, which is composed of a complete West“I believe that this show will definitely play ern ensemble and ancient Chinese instruin China one day—for sure,” Ms. Liu said. ments like the two-string, bowed erhu and In 10 short years, Shen Yun has grown to have the four-string, plucked pipa. Theatergoers are four companies of equal size that tour the world to often struck by Shen Yun Orchestra’s vibrant, some 100 cities every year. It’s a feat near imposunique, and completely original melodies. sible in the performing-arts industry, which indicates its popularity, according to Broadway per“Really love the music,” said clarinet virtuoso Alexey Gorokholinsky, who was in attendformer and choreographer Josh Prince. ance at the opening night on March 2. “The Mr. Prince did the choreography for producentire string section sounds very mellow and tions such as “Shrek: The Musical” and “Beauwarm, like warmer than traditional symphony tiful: The Carole King Musical” and is also the orchestras, and the brass section is excellent artistic director for the Broadway Dance Lab. too, so [I] really love the sound.” “To have this many incredible dancers on Paying close attention to the use of the clarithe stage and touring the world as part of the net, Mr. Gorokholinsky found that it was used Shen Yun company, ... shows that there’s a to create interesting characterizations, pargreat amount of support for the company and ticularly during the story-based dance “Monlove for the dance,” Mr. Prince said on March key King and the Dragon Palace.” 5. He called Shen Yun “a sensational, beauti“The actual arrangement fit the clarinet so well, ful explanation of Chinese culture.”
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March 11–17, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts S I BY L L E ’ S S T Y L E D I A RY
HEATHER WON CHOI
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF HEATHER WON CHOI
on Being an
ASIAN AUDREY HEPBURN in the Service of Her Community By Sibylle Eschapasse This week’s style diary guest is the beautiful and very sweet Heather Won Choi. This Korean-born, naturalized American, who came to New York as a young student to study at the Manhattan School of Music, is an accomplished violinist. She is happily married to a husband she adores and lives what appears to so many like the perfect life. But things have not always been as easy as it seems. She and her husband went through the struggle of losing a child. With grace, resilience, and strength, she is dedicating her life to helping others in the tri-state area and mostly in New Jersey where she lives. A guardian angel and an inspiration to so many that strives to always look chic and be kind to people.
You must know your body and personality. Heather Won Choi
Sibylle Eschapasse: Describe your style? If a close friend were to describe your personality in three words, what would they be? Heather Won Choi: I like to describe my style as an Asian Audrey Hepburn. My friend would say in three words: Unabashedly stylish! Trendsetter! Ms. Eschapasse: How did your style evolve since you were a teenager? What is the wildest thing you ever wore? Ms. Choi: I have had a true fashion revolution. One may consider me a trendsetter. Classic, yet fashion forward. As a teenager, my life revolved around being a classical violinist. I was a disciplined student, with an enormous amount of pressure to be flawless. This discipline has greatly influenced the woman I am today, it made me “Heather Choi.” After attending a “ritzy” event in the city, I was invited to a barbecue. I showed up, and was so over dressed, it was a “pig roast.” I was so embarrassed, I sat and tried to remove my makeup and jewelry. This event taught me to always confirm the dress code for all events. Always ask the hostess for the dress code! Ms. Eschapasse: How do you dress on workdays versus weekends? Ms. Choi: I don’t limit myself to the day of the week. I dress actually for the occasion, as my days are dynamic. Ms. Eschapasse: What are three accessories you can’t live without, and what’s one item that makes you instantly more confident? Ms. Choi: I need “proper” watches, earrings, and a pocket book; of course, I also need the perfect shoes. My rings give me confidence. Ms. Eschapasse: Who have been your greatest fashion influences? Who is your style icon? Ms. Choi: Audrey Hepburn! I love and respect her. Surely, I love her look and fashion sense, but I respect her commitment to give back to humanity. I love that she wore her wrinkles, she was authentic. I want to be like that, true to myself. Ms. Eschapasse: What does having style mean to you? In other words, please define style. Ms. Choi: To me, true style means being con-
She is a philanthropist in the art world and actively involved in outreach in the Asian community. fident enough to stand out and being able to enjoy being noticed. Ms. Eschapasse: What is one purchase you’re most proud of? What would you pay a lot of money for, and what would you never pay much money for? Ms. Choi: When my husband was a medical student, he didn’t have enough money to buy me a ring. He got a loan from the bank to buy me a ruby ring—one needs glasses to see the tiny stone—and yet, it is my most cherished piece of jewelry. Fortunately, I feel very blessed to be able to buy whatever I want so I would say it’s more about the moment and how I am feeling. Ms. Eschapasse: When you go on the red carpet, how do you want your outfit to make you feel? Which designers can achieve that? Ms. Choi: Just thinking about the red carpet makes my heart beat like crazy. I want my outfit to make me feel tall and stylish, make me look super fashionable. Definitely Oscar, Oscar de la Renta. Ms. Eschapasse: What do you think of how others dress and what’s your advice to people who would like to develop their personal style? Ms. Choi: I think, for one to look better, you must know your body and personality. It’s less about what you like and more about what likes you. Seek out your fashionable friends, use your mirror, and when necessary get professional advice.
Heather’s Favorites Favorite color: Black and white. But, I have a special appreciation for purple; it’s my husband’s and son’s favorite. Favorite perfume: I don’t have a favorite designer, but I have a preferred scent—flowery. Favorite restaurant in NY: The Mark at The Mark Hotel Favorite drink: Greyhound–Grey Goose and fresh grapefruit juice–low calorie drink Favorite movie: “Holiday in Rome” (Audrey Hepburn) Favorite book: I enjoy books on psychology Favorite quote: “We are not given a good life or a bad life. We are given a life. It’s up to us to make it good or bad.” —Ward Foley Sibylle’s “Style Diary” is a column that explores style from the perspective of choices, and what that means for different people, with personal advice from some of the most stylish people in New York. Sibylle Eschapasse is from Paris and now lives in Manhattan. She is a journalist and a contributing writer to various publications. Sibylle is also the author of a children’s book, “Argy Boy!: A New York Dog Tale.” She may be reached at Sibylle.Eschapasse@gmail.com
Style is less about what you like, and more about what likes you, Ms. Choi says.
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March 11–17, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY MARTY SOHL/METROPOLITAN OPERA
The title role is being performed by the baritone Ambrogio Maestri, who is as funny here as he was as Verdi’s ‘Falsta.’
Ambrogio Maestri in the comic role of Don Pasquale.
Eleonora Buratto as Norina and Javier Camarena as Ernesto.
‘Don Pasquale’ Returns With Style By Barry Bassis
‘Don Pasquale’
N
Metropolitan Opera 30 Lincoln Center Plaza Tickets 212-362-6000, or MetOpera.org Running Time 2 hours, 53 minutes (one intermission) Closes March 18
Opera Review
EW YORK—The Otto Schenk production of Gaetano Donizetti’s comic opera “Don Pasquale� is back at the Metropolitan Opera with a winning new cast. Perhaps the most significant aspect is that it marks the Met debut of rising star Eleonora Buratto. “Don Pasquale� premiered in 1843, five years before the prolific composer’s death. It was his last comic opera. The title character is a wealthy old bachelor, who is annoyed at his nephew Ernesto for not going along with an arranged marriage. The young man has his sights on a pretty widow named Norina. The devious Dr. Malatesta talks Don Pasquale into marrying an innocent young girl, his own sister “Sofronia,� who turns out to be Norina in disguise. After the ceremony, the supposedly shy convent girl turns into a showy spend-
thrift, who defies and even slaps her befuddled husband. At the end, Don Pasquale is happily single again and Ernesto wins the hand of the widow. The title role is being performed by the baritone Ambrogio Maestri, who is as funny here as he was as Verdi’s “Falstaâ€? several seasons ago. He sang well and used his bulk for comic eect. Baritone Levente MolnĂĄr was adept as the conniving Dr. Malatesta. Their patter duet, “Cheti, cheti, immantimente,â€? was one of the highlights of the evening. Eleonora Buratto had the showiest role, and she captured all the facets of the part, starting with the appearance on her terrace, where she sang the aria “Quel guardo il cavaliere ‌ So anch’io la virtĂš magicaâ€? about her power over men, while putting on her stockings. She later gets to act like a shy convent student, when she wears a veil and is introduced to Don Pasquale. Then, after she enters into a sham mar-
riage with the old man, she becomes a shrew. Buratto sang with style, and her voice filled the vast theater. The fact that the soprano is goodlooking is another asset. As Ernesto, Mexican tenor Javier Camarena confirmed that he is one of the finest bel canto tenors in the world. He knocked out a high note at the end of his Act 2 aria “Cercherò lontana terraâ€? that led to the longest ovation of the performance. He also gave a graceful rendition of the serenade “Com’e gentil,â€? and his love duet with Buratto was rapturous. Conductor Maurizio Benini led a sprightly performance, and the chorus and orchestra were up to their high standards. Otto Schenk’s 2006 production is helped by director J. Knighten Smit’s witty touches. Barry Bassis has been a music, theater, and travel writer for over a decade for various publications.
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March 11–17, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY TEDDY WOLFF
Theater Review
‘Nice Fish’ Top-notch cast creates unique theater piece By Diana Barth NEW YORK—Is “Nice Fish” mere whimsy or something deeper? That depends on one’s view of life, possibly. Two middle-aged men, Ron (Mark Rylance) and his friend Erik (Jim Lichtscheidl), go ice fishing on a frozen lake in Minnesota. Their talk meanders around many things—mostly unimportant things. Perhaps unimportant to some, important to others. Ron is kind of a doofus, a clumsy but sweettempered guy, bundled up against the cold in an orange jumpsuit and parka (costumes by Ilona Somogyi). He knows nothing about ice fishing and soon manages to drop his cell phone and dark glasses into a hole in the ice. He's just there to keep his buddy company. Erik, on the other hand, is dead serious about ice fishing. He will sit through anything, possibly even a blizzard, waiting, waiting for that telltale twitch on the end of his fishing line, now deeply planted into the icy depths. Erik finds time, however, to regale Ron with an incident of how he once couldn't find his watch and thought that his own son or wife had stolen it. Of course, it had been mislaid.
(L–R) New to ice fishing, Ron (Mark Rylance) learns he needs a license from a Department of Natural Resources official (Bob Davis) in the whimsical new play “Nice Fish.”
'Nice Fish' St. Ann's Warehouse 45 Water St., Brooklyn Tickets 718-254-8779, 866-811-4111, or StAnnsWarehouse.org Running Time 1 hour, 35 minutes (no intermission) Closes March 27
Wayne (Raye Birk) and his granddaughter Flo (Kayli Carter) are on the ice, too.
A DNR (Department of Natural Resources) official, played by Bob Davis, drops by. The very soul of bureaucracy, he authoritatively informs the two men that they must have licenses in order to fish there, and he's ready to accept their money. Although Ron and Erik insist that Ron doesn't fish and shouldn't require a license, a fiercely funny debate follows. Of course, the bureaucrat wins. A lovely young woman, Flo (Kayli Carter), shows up. She is quite a source of knowledge and proceeds to provide (unrequested) information on mosquitoes' habits, saunas, and other ephemera. Finally, Flo's grandfather, Wayne (Raye Birk), joins the group. He's a bit blustery, but does somewhat liven up the proceedings. Scenes are tart and short, divided by blackouts. Almost before one can digest one brief episode, the next is upon us. The play, co-written by Mark Rylance and poet Louis Jenkins, has been adapted from Jenkins's book about ice fishing in Minnesota. But it is the theatrical entity that has been created that lifts this production off the page and makes it a joy for audiences to view. The current production, at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, is a sellout. Mark Rylance, a past winner of Tony and Olivier awards and who has recently won his
first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in the film "Bridge of Spies," is always exciting to watch. As Ron, he alternates subtlety of intellect with the obviousness of a clown. Jim Lichtscheidl's Erik alternates fierce attentiveness with an offhand countrified manner. The other players are likewise skilled, altogether creating a unified whole. Director Claire van Kampen has come up with highly imaginative staging, no doubt with the input of a creative cast, to result in a unique theater piece. Scenic designer Todd Rosenthal’s set, displaying a large expanse of snow with distant (thus minuscule) houses and cars in the background, some of which move, completes the picture of a world that is both real and unreal, enhanced by Japhy Weideman’s lighting and Scott Edwards’s sound design. "Nice Fish," which was originally commissioned and produced by The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, has come directly to St. Ann's Warehouse from the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Diana Barth writes for several publications, including her own New Millennium, an arts publication. She may be contacted at DiaBarth@juno.com
ALL PHOTOS BY MARC BRENNER
Theater Review
(Left) (L–R) Night Clerk (Frank Wood) and Erie Smith (Forest Whitaker) connect in a play about loneliness.
Eugene O’Neill’s Character Study of Emptiness By Judd Hollander NEW YORK—Some people need an audience to be happy, even if it is an audience of one. That one person can become a combination support system, sounding board, and rapt listener, who is someone to regale with tales about the money you’ve won, the places you’ve been, and the companions you’ve enjoyed. So it is in Eugene O’Neill ‘s dramatic one-act work “Hughie,” first performed on Broadway in 1964. Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker stars in the current revival, making his Broadway debut. The story takes place in the lobby of a thirdrate New York City hotel in the summer of 1928. It is a place with faded carpets and paint peeling off the walls. As the early morning hours drag on, the Night Clerk (Frank Wood) sits behind the front desk with basically nothing do to and very much liking that state of affairs. In walks longtime hotel guest Erie Smith (Whitaker). Erie, who hails from Erie, Pennsylvania— hence the moniker—is a gambler, a racetrack tout, hustler, and occasional petty criminal. He stays here when he’s not following the action around the country or moving in higher circles when he’s flush. At least that’s how he tells it. Erie is just coming off a five-day drunk, set off by the recent death of the title character, the former night clerk and aforementioned audience for Erie. Hughie, an apparent milquetoast of a man, had a shrew of a wife who kept him on a very short leash. He had been completely fascinated by everything Erie had to say. The two sometimes shot dice on the hotel desk. Hughie may have just been doing his part to keep Erie happy, which is exactly what hotel employees are supposed to do for paying guests.
Now, not only is Erie mourning Hughie’s passing, he’s also been unable to win at dice, cards, or horses since the death. Erie believes Hughie to have been his personal good luck charm. Basically a one-person monologue, “Hughie” offers a devastating look at loneliness and our need for someone to look up to us in order to make ourselves appear more important than we actually are. While we have no way of knowing how many of Erie’s stories are true—probably less than half—he is clearly a very sad, very lonely, and very insignificant man. Someone no one would miss if he were gone. Any glory days Erie might of actually had are like the glory days of the hotel, far in the past. Some of the most poignant moments of the play occur when Erie is sitting in the hotel lobby and looking up at the long staircase that leads to his room. The hotel elevator is broken and probably hasn’t worked in years, and he regards the prospect of walking up those stairs as akin to climbing the gallows to his execution. The thought of spending the next few hours alone with only his thoughts to keep him company terrify him. At the same time, O’Neill also shows that the human spirit ultimately survives and remarkably adapts to changing situations. For when two complete strangers stumble over a common interest or shared enjoyment, a connection that both need may very well result. In this way, the playwright returns to the subject of “pipe dreams,” a phrase that took center stage in his work “The Iceman Cometh,” a play that shows how important it is for people to have something to believe in, even if it is a lie. Whitaker, who reportedly had problems with his lines during the early previews, seemed relatively comfortable as Erie the night I attended. He showed Erie to be a loser,
A major problem in the play, ironically enough, is with the role of the Night Clerk.
‘Hughie’ Booth Theatre 222 W. 45th St. Tickets 212-239-6200, or Telecharge.com Running Time 1 hour, 5 minutes (no intermission) Closes March 27
who would do anything rather than face the truth of who he is. Whitaker does take a few minutes to really get going in the role, as the actor’s interactions with Wood, especially early on, are rather flat. It’s not until Erie starts taking about Hughie and their times together that Whitaker begins to make Erie really come alive. A major problem in the play, ironically enough, is with the role of the Night Clerk. The role is seemingly small, but ultimately very vital to the story. The clerk’s actual name is “Charlie Hughes,” one of several connections linking him to Hughie—at least in Erie’s mind. Unfortunately, Charlie is presented as so much of a cipher that we’re never allowed to get inside his head. When eventually he does begin to interact with Erie, we can’t help but wonder what Charlie’s motive is or what it all means. The fault is not so much in Wood’s performance as in Michael Grandage’s direction. Grandage is unable to make the almost different planes of existence Erie and Charlie inhabit effectively merge. Despite the problems in its execution, O’Neill’s messages still shine through powerfully. The immense set by Christopher Oram helps to show just how small both Erie and Charlie are in the scheme of things. Subdued lighting by Neil Austin and excellent sound design by Adam Cork are also a big plus. It was recently announced that the show will be closing at the end of March, instead of its originally scheduled run through June. This is really a shame, for while by no means perfect, this production of “Hughie” is still very much worth a look. Judd Hollander is a member of the Drama Desk and a reviewer for StageBuzz.com
(L–R) Night Clerk (Frank Wood) and Erie Smith (Forest Whitaker) in Eugene O’Neill’s “Hughie.”
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March 11–17, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts COURTESY OF BONHAMS
COURTESY OF BONHAMS
COURTESY OF IGAVEL AUCTIONS
A gilt bronze figure of an 11-headed Avalokitesvara from Tibet, 15th–16th century.
COURTESY OF IGAVEL AUCTIONS
COURTESY OF CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2016
A N T I C I PAT I O N
(Middle left) A carved jadeite landscape snuff bottle.
BUILDING UP TO
ASIA WEEK A 33-deity Ushnishavijaya mandala from Tibet, circa 1500–1550. Distemper on cloth.
Asia Week continued from C1 The Dongxi Studio collection is a highlight if you are interested in Chinese works. It is a private collection of approximately 69 jade and hardstone carvings, ranging from the Neolithic period to the late Qing Dynasty. According to Sandhya Jain Patel, Christie’s VP/head of department, Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian art, AWNY attracts a truly international audience in terms of both consignment as well as buyers, both in March and Septmenber. A good percentage of buyers come from Europe and there are some significant buy-
One of the highlights is a monumental cast bronze figure of Mahakasyapa, one of the disciples of the Buddha.
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ers in America. She added, “We are especially starting to see more activity from people who want to eventually bequeath their collections to institutions.” Buddhist Art Patel also noticed that in recent years Chinese buyers have expanded their scope beyond Chinese art to buy Buddhist works. “We do find them buying art from the Himalayas and even from India that pertains to Buddhism,” she said. In the Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian art markets, Patel has seen a greater emphasis on Buddhist art masterpieces in the last five years. Buddhist religious art far outweighs other types of religious art in its global appeal. Patel explained some of the reasons for this, “Buddhism, more than a religion, is a philosophy— this idea of doing no harm to others and living your life as best you can, all of these tenets are pan-religious. At the very heart of the matter, the message of Buddhism is a constant throughout the world.” “Buddhism spread so quickly throughout Asia along the Silk Route, and it has that connection especially in Gandara—it’s the Buddhist philosophy in a Greco-Roman form. And so the propagation of those simple messages is timeless and easy to translate.” The narratives in Buddhist art are easy to read even if the one is not familiar with the exact religious story behind a work, she added. Bonhams Dessa Goddard, head of Asian art, Bonhams North America, points out in the press release that Asia Week serves as the pivotal North American hub for the global collecting community in the field of Asian art. As a partner in the eighth annual AWNY, the Bonhams lineup is comprised of four sales at its Asian art auctions: Chinese Snuff Bottles from Two Private American Collections, Chinese Works of Art and Indian, and Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art on March 14; and Fine Japanese Works of Art on March 16. The sales of Chinese snuff bottles will feature more than 100 significant bottles from the collections of Joanna Lau Sullivan and Marcia Howard. The second sale, Chinese Works of Art, offers more than 150 lots drawing on old private collections. It is a thematically focused sale, concentrated on bronzes, Buddhist art, porcelain, scholar’s rocks and jade, boasting outstanding examples in each category. One of the highlights is a monumental cast bronze figure of Mahakasyapa, one of the disciples of the Buddha (estimated at $300,000– $600,000). Standing at 5 feet 6 inches tall on a double lotus-form base, the imposing size is a testament to the skill of Ming Dynasty (1368– 1644) craftsmen who fashioned the sculpture. Another highlight in the Chinese Works of Art sale is an imperial spinach-jade chime (estimated at $50,000–$70,000), dated to the middle of the 18th century and likely used in musical accompaniment for official state rituals of the Qing Dynasty. Jade chimes were used in important court and ritual contexts as early as the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770–221 B.C.). For thousands of years, subsequent regimes used stone chimes as symbolic references to virtuous rulers of the ancient past.
(Top right) Pair of Japanese komai vases, Meiji period, 19th century. (Bottom right) Two Chinese porcelain wucai dragon and phoenix dishes, Kangxi mark and period (1661–1722).
In the imperial Chinese context, stone chimes were not simply musical instruments but also contained important political symbolism, alluding to the legitimacy of the dynasty. Jade chimes were thought to possess a powerful moral essence that was transmitted through their music, and was considered vital to the health of the state. Sotheby’s Sotheby’s will be holding seven auctions and two selling exhibitions during AWNY bringing together 1,200 works of art that span over three milleniums of history and across a handful of collecting categories. Among the highlights is the Property from Rosen House at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts: Important Chinese Works of Art auction that features a rare, large yellow-ground “auspicious emblems” dish (Yongzheng mark and period) with a price estimate of $600,000– $800,000. The Classical Chinese Furniture from the Collection of Richard Fabian auction features furniture made from huanghuali—a fragrant hardwood that was popular during the midMing Dynasty (16th century). One such piece is a rare huanghuali bamboo-style horse-shoe armchair (“quanyi”) dated 17th/18th century and estimated at $120,000–$150,000. The Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Works of Art Including Property from the Estate of Dr. Claus Virch auction includes a rare Qianlong period bronze representing Avalokiteshvara seated in the posture of royal ease. The statue follows Indo-Tibetan stylistic conventions, rather than Chinese, and is estimated at $250,000–$350,000. Doyle Doyle will be holding one auction of Asian Works of Art on March 14 showcasing the Arts of China, Japan, and Southeast Asia from the Neolithic period through the 20th century. Among the highlights is a pair of Chinese inlaid black lacquer cabinets elaborately decorated in gilt and finely inlaid with hardstones, Peking glass, mother-of-pearl, and bone (estimated at $150,000–$250,000). There is also a selection of Chinese snuff bottles in the auction that features an 18th century ruby red glass example, carved on both sides within rectangular panels depicting stylized chilong, (estimated at $8,000-$10,000). Another noteworthy piece is a Chinese bamboo brushpot from the Qing Dynasty that is intricately carved with scholars and attendants engaged in various pursuits amid a rural landscape, inscribed Gu Jue (estimated at $30,000–$40,000). The Asia Art Fair In addition to the many sales and auctions during Asia Week, the National Bohemia Hall will be hosting The Asia Art Fair held March 11–15. The fair will host 23 exhibitors this year, including several dealers specializing in Chinese art, for example, Lynda Willauer Antiques, which specializes in Chinese porcelain, or Dennis George Crow, a specialist in historic Chinese photography, and others. The fair will also include works of art from Japan, including the Alexander Gallery presenting Japanese works from the Edo and Meiji periods; and Islamic works by the Anavian Gallery with ancient Near Eastern and Islamic works.
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March 11–17, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts KEN HOWARD/ METROPOLITAN OPERA
ERIK THOMSEN GALLERY
‘Manon Lescaut’ Through March 11 Metropolitan Opera Director Richard Eyre places the action in occupied France in a film noir setting. “Desperate passion” is the phrase Puccini himself used to describe the opera that confirmed his position as the preeminent Italian opera composer of his day. Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi leads the stirring score. From $32. MetOpera.org
"Moving Clouds and the Moon Spirit," 2009, by Yoshio Okada. Dry-lacquer box with maki-e decor and inlays of gold foil and abalone shell.
Asia Week New York 2016
THINGS TO DO COMMUNITY EVENTS NEW IN MANHATTAN The Somewhere Project Exhibit March 17–April 23 Hudson Guild 441 W. 26th St. This exhibit showcases artwork and poetry inspired by and responding to the utopian vision of a city that’s a better place, as described in the classic lyrics of “Somewhere.” Works by participants of all ages from community centers that are part of United Neighborhood Houses—an umbrella organization of 38 New York City social service agencies—will be included. HudsonGuild.org
VISUAL ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Northern Dynasties, Early Chinese Buddhist Sculpture March 12 at 3 p.m. Throckmorton Fine Art, 145 E. 57th St., Third Floor Lecture by Dr. Qing Chang. Exhibition runs March 3–April 23. ThrockMorton-NYC.com Select Paintings of Zhu Qizhan Through March 17 China 2000 Fine Art 177 E. 87th St. The exhibition consists of 10 paintings spanning the years from 1956 to 1992 painted by Zhu Qizhan from the age of 65 to the age of 101. China2000FineArt.com Paintings, Prints, and Illustrated Books of the Floating World Through March 18 Sebastian Izzard LLC Asian Art 17 E. 76th St. A selection of high quality 17th century ceramics and 18th and 19th century “floating world” paintings, woodblock prints, and illustrated books depicting beauties, actors, and genre scenes. IzzardAsianArt.com A Palette for Genius Through March 19 Joan B Mirviss Gallery 39 E. 78th St., Suite 401 With origins dating back to the 9th century, nothing is
quite as inextricably linked within the realm of Japanese ceramics as chanoyu, the tea ceremony. Each ceramic utensil employed is selected with great care and thus, a culture of art has always surrounded this tradition. Mirviss.com Kogei: Contemporary Japanese Art Through March 19 Onishi Gallery 521 W. 26th St. “Kogei” refers to a class of artistic creations produced with advanced technical skill and refined design aesthetics. Japanese artists develop Kogei in close association with the needs and conditions of everyday life in cities and prefectures throughout Japan, drawing upon local aesthetics and regional materials to reflect diverse social, cultural, and physical environments. OnishiGallery.com Masterworks From the Chinese Past Through March 19 Gagosian Gallery 976 Madison Ave. For this exhibition Gisele Croës has carefully selected a number of rare and highly representative works of art ranging in date from the Neolithic period to the Qing dynasty, all of them illustrating the supreme artistic achievement of the period. GiseleCroes.com Asia Week: Zetterquist Galleries Through March 19 3 E. 66th St. While most Asian antiquities galleries choose one country and show several different media from that country, Zetterquist chose to show one medium, ceramics, but cover all of the Near and Far East. Our March 2016 Asia Week exhibition will highlight Chinese ceramics from the 6th–14th centuries, the gallery's main specialty. Zetterquist.com Exhibition of Jewellery Across Asia Through March 20 Les Enluminures 23 E. 73rd St. Sue Ollemans stared trading in 1979 and has worked with private collections and museums around the world. hee specialises in Mughal and antique Gold Indian jewellery and antique gold articles from China and South East
India. Ollemans.com Viewing The Past Thru Modern Eyes Through March 31 Kang Collection Korean Art 9 E. 82nd St. Exhibited together, works by Contemporary artists Ran Hwang, Ik-Joong Kang, Minjung Kim, and Wonsook Kim explore the iconography, philosophical and spiritual experiences emanating from Korea’s rich cultural visual traditions while utilizing both traditional and modern art making mediums. KangCollection.com Taisho Era Screens and Contemporary Lacquers Through April 15 Erik Thomsen Gallery 23 E. 67th St. A pair of circa 1700 sixpanel screens, Stations along the Tokaido Road. An early example of the subject, the screens show a series of sites along the road between Kyoto, long the Imperial capital of Japan, and Edo, present day Tokyo. ErikThomsen.com
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Vigée Le Brun: Woman Artist in Revolutionary France Through May 15 Metropolitan Museum of Art Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (French, 1755–1842) is one of the finest eighteenthcentury French painters and among the most important of all women artists. An autodidact with exceptional skills as a portraitist, she achieved success in France and Europe during one of the most eventful, turbulent periods in European history. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org Korean Art: 100 Years of Collecting at the Met Through March 27 Dubbed the “hermit kingdom,” Korea was then little known to the Western world. Today, its traditional arts, as well as pop music, film, and drama, are celebrated markers of global culture. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org The Luxury of Time: European Clocks and Watches Through March 27 Metropolitan Museum of Art Time is all around us,
displayed on our phones and computers. Today, almost nobody needs to own a watch or a clock to tell the time. Access to the right time is not the luxury it once was. Yet the fascination with clocks and watches persists, and the thriving market for mechanical timekeepers is deeply aware of their history. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org Wordplay: Matthias Buchinger’s Drawings From the Collection of Ricky Jay Through April 11 Metropolitan Museum of Art This installation of drawings, prints, and related ephemera by the German artist and performer Matthias Buchinger (1674–1739) explores for the first time the oeuvre of the so-called “Little Man of Nuremberg.” $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org The World in Play: Luxury Cards, 1430–1540 Through April 17 Metropolitan Museum of Art Only three decks of European hand-painted playing cards are known to have survived from the late Middle Ages. Examples of cards from the earliest hand-painted woodblock deck as well as fifteenth-century German engraved cards, north Italian tarot cards of the same period, and the finest deck from the early sixteenth century will complete the display. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org Artistic Furniture of the Gilded Age Through May 1 Metropolitan Museum of Art This exhibition reveals the most sumptuous moment in late nineteenth-century America—a period known as the Gilded Age—through the work of some of the most noted design firms at the time. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
PERFORMING ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN 42nd on 57th: Broadway Today March 11 at 8 p.m. Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall In an evening of theater showstoppers, The New
York Pops brings the best of Broadway uptown. $20–$122. CarnegieHall.org
NEW ELSEWHERE Cinderella March 12–13 BAM Fisher, Fishman Space, 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn Captivating solo performer Shona Reppe presents a witty reinterpretation of the classic fable. Set on an inventive tabletop stage, this production uses puppetry, secret hatches, hidden doors and a handbag full of magic to tell Cinderella’s story. At once lush and minimal, Reppe's Cinderella engages young audiences' imagination, inviting them to complete the story for a truly dynamic theatrical experience. $15. BAM.org
MUSIC NEW IN MANHATTAN Quatuor Ebène March 11 at 7:30 p.m. Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall Quatuor Ebène brings its one-of-a-kind energy, versatility, and virtuosity to a program of revelatory quartets. $55–$65. CarnegieHall.org Ryu Goto on Violin March 12 at 7:30 p.m. Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall Japanese-American violinist Ryu Goto is a classical musician with a large and growing public in Asia, North America, and Europe. Following his sold-out Zankel Hall recitals in March 2012 and 2014, Goto returns to Carnegie Hall with a program of works by Schumann, Ravel, and Saariaho, among others. $50–$85. CarnegieHall.org Duo Scordatura March 12 at 8 p.m. Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall Duo Scordatura’s Commissioned Project was uniquely created for the duo’s Carnegie Hall debut as a celebration of their 10th anniversary. The highlighted premiere is an original theme and variations collaboratively created by six composers. $30–$35. CarnegieHall.org National Festival Chorus March 12 at 8 p.m. Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall Manhattan Concert Productions presents an array of choral works performed by the National Festival Chorus under the direction of guest
conductors Beth and Brad Holmes. $20–$110. CarnegieHall.org The English Concert: Handel’s Orlando March 13 at 2 p.m. Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall Handel’s "Orlando" employs a freer style with less adherence to the formal conventions of his earlier works, featuring expressive, richly orchestrated recitatives, powerful ariosos, and dramatic ensembles. $15–$90. CarnegieHall.org National Council Grand Finals Concert March 13 at 3 p.m. Metropolitan Opera Some of today’s greatest singers got their start in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions including Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson, Stephanie Blythe, Eric Owens, Patricia Racette, Deborah Voigt, Angela Meade, and Frederica von Stade. From $25. MetOpera.org Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal March 15 at 8 p.m. Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall Orchestral spectaculars by two 20th-century masters frame Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, a work that bridges the Classical and Romantic eras. $19–$95. CarnegieHall.org Giant in the Shadows March 17 at 8 p.m. Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall The reputation of composer Max Reger today belies his dominant presence in music during his lifetime and the legacy he left. Here, the American Symphony Orchestra celebrates two of his works, and one by his friend and contemporary, Adolf Busch. $14–$54. CarnegieHall.org Bartók and Frank March 18 at 7 p.m. Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium Composer Gabriela Lena Frank draws on her Peruvian roots for “Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout,” written for Chiara String Quartet Series. $50, museum admission included. MetMuseum.org/events
Dear Readers If you have an event to suggest, please send details to NYC_Arts@ EpochTimes.com in the format you see here.
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March 11–17, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES
MILENE FERNANDEZ/EPOCH TIMES
Edward Minoff paints a seascape on Feb. 25. BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES
Artist Edward Minoff describes how he paints ocean waves breaking in a studio in downtown New York on Feb. 18.
Edward Minoff’s portable palette. BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES
Making Waves
Edward Minoff Dares to Paint Beautiful Seascapes ! A L I T T L E G L I M P S E I N T O T H E AT E L I E R A R T M OV E M E N T ! Edward Minoff at his friends’ studio on Feb. 18.
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By Milene Fernandez | Epoch Times Staff
When you passionately want to do something with your life and you find it, it’s an incredible feeling. Edward Minoff MILENE FERNANDEZ/EPOCH TIMES
A page from one of Minoff’s notebooks with his sketches and notes on ocean waves.
BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES
EW YORK—Waves permeate the universe—light waves, sonic waves, gravitational waves, electromagnetic waves, brain waves … ad infinitum, and water supports life. Edward Minoff can’t think of a more important thing to paint than ocean waves—truthfully. His passion was palpable in every tiny brushstroke he made while painting a seascape that he started about four months ago. “I can’t stop painting the ocean,” he said in the downtown studio of his artist friends, Kate Lehman and Travis Schlaht. He’s been living there temporarily with his wife and two children while waiting for his home in Brooklyn to be renovated. A portrait of him that Lehman painted about 20 years ago hung on the wall—reminiscent of the days when they were starting to seriously hone their skills and eke out a space for their survival as traditional artists. They would take turns posing for each other, along with a dozen other artists galvanized by Jacob Collins, the painter who would later found the Grand Central Atelier. Minoff composed the horizon line of the seascape he was painting to go straight across the canvas. The height of where the sea meets the sky at either end of the painting matches perfectly. If joined up, it would form a ring, signifying infinity, he explained. A couple commissioned the painting in celebration of their wedding anniversary. Each Minoff seascape has it’s own backstory and mood—ranging from powerfully dramatic and menacing, to delightfully amiable and peaceful. One can almost see the waves building up, drawing you in to hear them crashing onto the sand. He hopes the viewer will feel enveloped, and be able to even smell the salty sea air. After finishing each painting, he comes up with at least 10 new ideas that he wants to put into the next one—perhaps a different way to apply the paint or a different way to think about water. “As the wave starts to lift up and curl and get a little bit glassier you get these reflections of the sky … that reflection has fascinated me for years,” he said. Just painting water is challenging enough, let alone waves in perpetual motion. Minoff said he’s driven by the idea that if every color, value, tone, and brush stroke is exactly right and in the right place, it will create something perfect that will make the world better. “The idea that you will never get there is kind of defeating, but also inspiring,” he added. While his paintings are remarkably realistic, he never uses photographs because that would freeze the motion and the experience he wants to convey. He does not paint from life either. Instead he relies on his notebooks. “That scene never existed anywhere ever. It’s not necessarily a particular place,” Minoff
said pointing at his painting. Created from his memory and imagination, his seascapes have a dreamy quality about them. For about four years he just spent countless hours on the beach taking notes and sketching waves, foam, and sand, meticulously studying and dissecting the anatomy of the ocean. He would repeatedly look at just one part of the waves until he understood it and then move on to the next part—frame by frame like an animation filmmaker. The paper of his notebooks was softened by the humidity of the ocean, leaving his penciled sketches and notes ever so lightly marked. Yet they are a treasure trove of his detailed studies and analyses of how light reflects on and transmits through water, on hydrodynamics, and on the physics of waves. Exalting Beauty Artists infuse who they are, their beings, and life experiences into whatever works they create, which often show hints of their own characters or physiques and the general emotional state that they were in during the creative process. While that is more readily obvious in portraits, the waves in many of Minoff’s seascapes match the rhythm of his wavy hair, the color of the water echoes the color of his eyes, and the simplicity in his compositions reflect his easygoing, openhearted demeanor. Currently Minoff is working on three commissions, including a portrait of the former director of the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford, Sarah Thomas. She was the first American and first woman to direct the Bodleian in the library’s 400-year history, and Minoff is the first American painter to be commissioned to create a portrait for Oxford. Although Minoff receives plenty of commissions and there is a high demand for art created by highly skilled contemporary artists of the atelier art movement who’ve been trained like the old masters, the extent of such reverence to beauty is not readily acknowledged in the mainstream art world. “There are not many outlets that are interested in this kind of art; it’s a little bit weird,” he said. As mainstream art is more about the cult of the personality or of concepts that require convoluted justifications and spin doctors to explain why it should be considered important, Minoff’s sentiment is more akin to anonymous graffiti artists who paint for the love of doing it rather than for hyped up fame. Minoff wishes incredibly gifted artists creating realist art would be more present in the mainstream art world along with other contemporary artists. “You can do anything you want, you can throw eggs up and let them fall on the floor and that is ‘art,’ or you can paint a canvas and poke a hole in it. You can do whatever you want as long as its not a beautiful painting of a sunset. You are never going to see that at Art Basel or at the Venice Biennale. The big mainstream art shows are never going to show that,” he said.
Invigorating a Timeless Tradition In his 20s Minoff was actually a graffiti artist, painting large pieces in the train tunnels of Manhattan. That’s where he met his friend and fellow artist, Tony Curanaj. Instead of talking about the risks of lingering in train tunnel territory, they talked about how they would love to paint like Rubens and Michelangelo. Having been discouraged by some art teachers in school, just the idea of drawing like the old masters seemed ironically subversive. A few years later they both worked on animation at MTV for some time. Minoff then started his own animation company, AMPnyc, yet at the peak of his success in 1999 he decided to give it up for painting. At that time they were learning from Jacob Collins at the Water Street Atelier in DUMBO, Brooklyn, which later would become the Grand Central Atelier of today in Long Island City, Queens. That was a milestone for him, just to see Collins’s work and lifestyle, and to see that it was possible to continue creating in the art tradition that he loved. The drive for excellence, the romance, and idealism of it all resonated deeply with him. “When you passionately want to do something with your life and you find it, it’s an incredible feeling. Then you want nothing but just to do that and never be interrupted,” he said. Besides painting, Minoff now teaches at the Grand Central Atelier and at Columbia University. When he used to interview prospective students at the atelier he would actually try to talk them out of it—as a favor. Artists live with the uncertainty of whether their works will sell enough to sustain them, and it’s even more uncertain for marginalized artists of Minoff’s ilk. “You have to do it only because you love doing it. It’s too hard. … You feel like Sisyphus. You just keep pushing the boulder up and it just rolls down,” he said. Yet Minoff is fascinated by anyone else who would do it too. Out of that fascination, together with Curanaj, he started a podcast in February 2014 titled, “Suggested Donation.” It grew from wanting to expand their phone conversations, while they were painting in their respective studios, to a broader milieu. So far they have recorded 23 episodes, each one is a lively concoction of conversation and banter about the creative process, recent and ancient history, and hopes for a brighter future that exalts skillful art, nature, and above all beauty. Edward Minoff will be giving a lecture, free and open to the public, on March 11 at 5 p.m. at The Florence Academy of Art at Mana Contemporary, 888 Newark Ave., Jersey City, N.J. “This Is New York” is a feature series that delves into the lives of inspiring individuals in New York City. See all our TINYs here: epochtim.es/TINY or follow @milenefernandez on Twitter.