THE ARTFU L MIND Berks Berk s h ir e A r t z i ne
MARCH 2010
THEODORE COLLATOS, FILM MAKER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIE MCCARTHY
103 Great Barrington Rd Rte 41 (2 m.south of downtown)
West Stockbridge, MA 01266
413-232-4646 EHoffmanPottery.com
From the series “Poem Without Words”
Photography for Memorable Occasions by
Julie McCarthy Photographer 2
Please call for an appointment 413. 298. 3370 jwmcarth@bcn.net •www.juliewmccarthy.com
MICHAEL FILMUS
413-528-5471
View Of The Housatonic River 12” x 32” oil
www.michaelfilmus.com
MYRON SCHIFFER, “EXISTENCIAL RUMINATIONS” ON BRICK WALL
MYRON SCHIFFER NEW DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
CASTLE STREET CAFE
10 Castle Street, next to the Mahaiwe Theatre, Gt Barrington, MA Come visit! The cafe is comfortable and the food is great!
THE RED LION INN GIFT SHOP Affordable Miniatures at~
30 Main Street, Stockbridge, MA (M-TH 10-5, SAT, 9-8, SUN, 9-5) This gift shop is one of Stockbridge’s jewels!
413-637-2659 myron@myronschiffer.com
For more information please contact the studio at:
www.myronschiffer.com
WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET
MARCH 2010 ~ THE ARTFUL MIND • 1
Small Works Winter Salon
Painted Cities
15 gallery artists’ work at it’s smallest
GROUP SHOW
March 4 - April 11, 2010 and on exhibit at CARRIE HADDAD PHOTOGRAPHS 318 Warren Street Ida Weygandt & Elliot Kaufman March 11 - April 18
Carrie Haddad Gallery
622 WARREN STREET HUDSON NEW YORK 518-828-1915 OPEN DAILY 11 - 5 PM CLOSED TUES & WED
CARRIEHADDADGALLERY.COM
February 12 - March 22, 2010
LAUREN CLARK FINE ART
402 Park Street, Housatonic, MA 413-274-1432 www.LaurenClarkFineArt.com
S C H A N TZ G A LLER I ES c o n t e m p o r a r y
g l a s s
Preston Singletary
Eagle Warrior 19 x 14 x 14”
3 Elm Street, Stockgridge, MA 01262 413-298-3044 www.schantzgalleries.com 2 • THE ARTFUL MIND
MARCH 2010
GEOFFREY MOSS
RICHARD BAUMAN, MULBERRY STREET
M UD
SEASON
MUSEUMS & GALLERIES
/ M ARCH .2010. / C ALENDAR
THE LENOX GALLERY OF FINE ART 69 Church St, Lenox, MA • 413-637-2276 Featuring artists such as Stephen Filmus along with many others including Paula Stern, Sculpture
ALBANY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Albany International Gallery, 3rd fl, 7am-11pm daily Material Witness, thru June 20.
MUSIC, THEATRE AND DANCE
A.P.E. GALLERY MAIN STREET SPACE 126 Main St, Northampton, MA • www.apearts.org John Gibson and Joe Smith: “30 Years”; reunion passage for wo artists/friends. Smith a sculptor and Gibson, a painter.
BERKSHIRE LYRIC CHORUS Lenox Town Hall, Lenox MA • 413-499-0258 / www.berkshirelyrictheatre.org An Afternoon with Gilbert & Sullivan, Sun, Mar 14, 3pm. The Berkshire Singers and the Blafield Children’s Chorus. This is Berkshire Lyric’s annual “Kick the Winter Blues” concert and fundraiser. Silent auction and refreshments follow the program. Tx $15 /child free
BERKSHIRE ART GALLERY 80 Railroad St, Gt Barrington, MA • 528-2690 www.berkshireartgallery.com 19th and early 20th Century American & European art and sculpture, contemporary artists
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center • 413-528-0100 / 800-843-0778 / www.cewm.org The Romantic Bach, Sat, Mar 20, 6pm; Chopin and His Circle, Sat, Apr 24, 6pm; Prague Spring - Czech Idyll, Sat, June 5, 6 @ 6pm
BERKSHIRE ART KITCHEN CREATIVITY / CONNECTION / CHANGE 400 Main St, Gt Barrington, MA • 413-717-0031 www.berkshireartkitchen.com Mon - Fri, 3:30-5:30, Sat 12-5, & by appt. Exhibition of mail art by Karen Arp Sandel and Suzi Banks Baum, Mar - April. Opening Mar 5, 5:30, 7:30pm
BERKSHIRE GOLD AND SILVERSMITH THE GALLERY 152 Main St, Gt Barrington, MA • 528-5227 John Lipkowitz, photography in Africa, through Maarch
CARRIE HADDAD GALLERY 622 Warren St, Hudson, NY • 518-828-1915 Painted Cities, group show, Mar 4 - April 11.
CARRIE HADDAD PHOTOGRAPHS 318 Warren St, Hudson, NY • 518-828-7655 Ida Weygandt & Eliot Kaufman. Reception Mar 13, 6 8pm. Mar 1 April 18
GOULD FARM A Benefit Evening for Gould Farm • 413-528-0100 / WWW.MAHAIWE.ORG “Living with It”, by Frank La Frazia Sat, Mar 13, 7:30pm at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle St, Gt Barrington, MA
LOUISE LAPLANTE HERE AND GONE: PRESENCE, ABSENCE, MEMORY, AND TIME AMY H. CARBERRY FINE ARTS GALLERY MARCH 5- APRIL 2, 2010 RECEPTION: WED, MARCH 10, 2010 12 - 1:30PM SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE BUILDING 28/LOWER LEVEL, SPRINGFIELD, MA WWW.STCC.EDU/ARTS 413-755-5258
CHURCH STREET ART GALLERY 34 Church St, Lenox, MA • 637-9600 Significant folk art pieces. Also works by David Eddy, Paul Graubard, Paul Jarvis and Larry Zingale. (Fri-Mon, 11am-4:30pm or by appointment)
CRIMI STUDIO Located 2 miles from the Ancram/Hudson exit of the Taconic State Parkway. • Viewing by appointment 518-851-7904 Paintings of rich color and form. Crimi studio in idyllic setting.
DON MULLER GALLERY 40 Main St, Northampton, MA • 586-1119 Beautiful American crafts, jewelry and glass, more FRONT STREET GALLERY Front St, Housatonic, MA • 413-274-6607 www.kateknappartist.com
FULTON STREET GALLERY 408 Fulton St, Troy, NY • 518-274-8464 Call for Entries: 32nd Photo Regional, Mar 26-May 22; Juror: Carrie Haddad; 150 mile radius of the capital region; up to 5 slide submissions. Details: photoregional@gmail.com
GEOFFREY YOUNG GALLERY 40 Railrd St, Gt Barrington, MA • beneathourtrain@hotmail.com John Clarke will be having a one-weekend shot, 15 Years, paintings, drawings, photographs and monotypes done over the past decade and half. The gallery will be open Fri Mar 19, 1-7pm, Sat Mar 20, 3-10pm...artist’s reception and live music, and Sun Mar 21, 1-7pm.
GLORIA MALCOLM ARNOLD FINE ART Upstairs at 69 Church St, Lenox, MA • 637-2400 Realistic art that never goes out of style, artwork that evokes the mood and memories of yesterday. Rotating exhibitions of scratchboard by Lois I. Ryder and oils and watercolors by Gloria Malcolm Arnold. Open year round.
HOFFMAN POTTERY 103 Route 41, W. Stockbridge, MA • 232-4646 www.EHoffmanPottery.com Pottery by by Elaine Hoffman, also Tom Lynn’s cast aluminum blue jays and ravens, Ted Keller’s mosaic mirrors, and more.
HUDSON VALLEY ARTS CENTER 337 Warren St, Hudson, NY • 800-456-0507 Regional and nationally-known artisans
JOHN DAVIS GALLERY 362 1/2 Warren St, Hudson, NY• 518-828-5907 www.johndavisgallery.com Claude Carone, solo exhibit thru Mar 28
LAUREN CLARK FINE ART GALLERY 402 Park St, Housatonic, MA • 274-1432 www.LaurenClarkFineArt.com Small Works Salon Show thru Mar 15 Fine art and contemporary crafts and framing service. (Open Wed-Mon 11-5:30, Sun Noon-4, year-round)
MARGUERITE BRIDE STUDIO www.margebride.com Custom House and Business Portraits, “Local Color”, watercolor scenes of the Berkshires, New England and Tuscany. Original watercolors and Fine Art Reproductions. Visit website for exhibit schedule NICOLE FIACCO GALLERY 336 Warren St, Hudson, NY • 518-828-5090 www.nicolefiaccogallery.com Jeanette Fintz: View Four, thru March 20
OXBOW GALLERY 275 Pleasant St, Northampton, MA Harriet Diamond’s exhibit of sculpture and drawing The Pit, opens April 1, reception April 9, 5-8pm. Concurrently, Gary Niswonger will show paintings in the backroom, closing April 28, 2-5pm
PASKO FRAME & GIFT CENTER 243 North St., Pittsfield, MA Variety of artists on display; also framing service
SCHANTZ GALLERIES 3 Elm St, Stockbridge, MA • 413-298-3044 Over 30 years of providing representation internationally recognized artists to exhibit their work and share their art with the world. THE ECLIPSE MILL GALLERY 243 Union St, North Adams, MA • www.eclipsemillgallery.com The Art of A.J. Schlesinger, thru March 20
SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY Lenox MA • 413-637-3353 Theater: Les Liaisons Dangereuses, thru March 21. Curtain times 7pm on Fri and Sat, plus 2pm matinees every Sat starting Feb 13, 2pm on Sun. 40% Berkshire Resident Discount THE EGG Albany, NY John Pinette, comedian, April 17
THE MUSEUM AT BETHEL WOODS Bethel, Rte 17, Exit 104, NY • bethelwoodscenter.org The Story of the ‘60s and Woodstock. Museum located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
WORKSHOPS & LECTURES
INKBERRY AND PAPYRI BOOKS 45 Eagle St, North Adams, MA • 413-664-0775 Wordplay, a monthly reading series
IS183 ART SCHOOL 13 Willard Hill rd, Stockbridge, MA • 298-5252 x105 Pre-school Art Playgroup, Thru Mar 12, 9:30-11am; Mon after school programs grades 1 - 9 thru Mar 22, 4-5pm
KATE KNAPP FRONT STREET GALLERY Housatonic, MA (next to the Corner Market) • 274-6607 www.kateknappartist.com Through April “ Portraits …All the people I loved to paint” 40 or more paintings ,oils and watercolors, of men women and children friends, family and members of the community, come see who’s here! through April; also ongoing painting classes Mon, Wed & Thurs 9:30am (gallery hrs: Sat & Sun 12-5, and by appt.
SABINE VOLLMER VON FALKEN PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP The Norman Rockwell Museum Rte. 183, Stockbridge, MA April 17 at 10 am: Workshop to help amateurs navigate their digital camera to achieve better results. A talk called "Get More Out of Your Digital Camera". A clinic will follow until 1 pm.
FILM
IMAGES CINEMA Williamstown, MA • 413-458-1039 www.imagescinema.org Documentary film series, Garbage Docs, Apr 12 - 26, 7:30pm. No Impact Man, Gargage Worrior, Marina of the Zabbaleen, discuss how garbage impacts the world around us.
WWW.ARFULMIND.NET THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2010 • 3
The Artful Mind TAM into March 2010
NEUMAN FINE ART STUDIO IN HILLSDALE, NY
Filmmaker / Photographer Theodore Collatos
Sam Crawford Guitar & Bass Musician and Teacher Harryet Candee 6 IS183 From the Inside Internships Kimberly Rawson 11 Planet Waves Astrology Eric Francis 12
Compassionate Communication Karen Andrews 15
Do you Know Someone Who Is “Living with It”? Playwright and Actor Frank LaFrazia Cindy Kelly 17 Greater Backfish Roundup Bob Balogh 18
Architecture & Arcadia Stephen Dietemann 19
Theodore Collatos Filmmaker & Photographer Nanci Race 21
THE ARTFUL MIND www.artfulmind.net
PUBLISHER Harryet Candee COPY EDITOR Marguerite Bride PROOFREADER: Rae A. Eastman & Debbie Davis ADVERTISING AND LAYOUT DESIGN Harryet Candee
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND MONTHLY COLUMNISTS Bob Balogh, Harryet Candee, Stephen Gerard Dietemann, Rae Eastman, Eric Francis, Nanci Race, Kimberly Rawson PHOTOGRAPHERS Julie McCarthy Sabine Vollmer von Falken DISTRIBUTION R. Dadook, John Cardillo
120 PIXLEY ROAD, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA 01230
HARRYET@ARTFULMIND.NET
WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET 413-528-5628
Deadline for the APRIL issue is March 15, 2010
FYI: ©Copyright laws in effect throughout The Artful Mind for logo & all graphics including text material. Copyright laws for photographers and writers throughout The Artful Mind. Permission to reprint is required in all instances
4
Our Art....Our way
THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2010
MARGUERITE BRIDE MARGUERITE BRIDE, PARIS OR PITTSFIELD, W/C
WATERCOLORS
These “quiet” months in the Berkshires are most often the busiest time for artists who are preparing for the show season, which always seems to arrive in a hurry. With plans to exhibit new and exciting material, painters view this creative period with great excitement and anticipation. At least that’s how watercolorist Marguerite Bride feels about it. A busy exhibit schedule is shaping up for 2010. Currently Bride has many of her winter scenes on display in a variety local venues in Pittsfield: the lobby of BMC, Gallery 25 and Pasko Frame and Gift Center, the public areas of the Crowne Plaza, and various law offices. The summer and fall show season will include Bride’s paintings in the following venues: the Becket Arts Center will host a solo show of her art June 19 – July 5. In July and August, she will be showing at art fairs in Lenox and Stonington, CT, followed by a solo exhibit at Gallery 25 in Pittsfield August 19 – September 12. In September Bride will be one third of a group show with Jeff Gardner and Scott Taylor that will feature automobiles in one way or another. During these “quiet” months, Bride also gives watercolor technique lessons in her studio on North Street, Pittsfield. Visit her website for more details about lessons and updated exhibit information or contact the artist directly.. And as always, commissions for house portraits are welcome at any time. Marguerite Bride, 311 North Street, Pittsfield, Studio #10, by appointment only. Call 413-442-7718, or 413-841-1659 (cell); website: www.margebride.com, email: margebride@aol.com.
ACCEPTING STUDENTS
Painter and art educator Jeffrey L. Neumann is now accepting students and announcing the opening of his new studio and gallery on the corner of Anthony and Coldwater Streets in the center of Hillsdale, NY. Courses will be offered in drawing, watercolor painting, and oil painting. Working in both oils and watercolors, Neumann has been painting for over 30 years, however making art and teaching art has only recently become his full-time occupation. Prior to making a purposeful career change, Neumann enjoyed a 25 year career in the art materials industry. He was U.S. Product Manager for Arches Papers and the developer of the brand’s first specialty paper for digital fine art printmaking. “I decided that the best way for me to make a direct positive difference in people’s lives is through teaching,” says Neumann, who is a MA Certified educator and holds a Masters Degree in Visual Arts Education. With five solo exhibitions, awards, commissions, and work represented in numerous private, corporate and public collections, Neumann draws upon his broad experience to offer private lessons to students of all levels. The artist is represented by Hanback Gallery, Millerton, NY, Art Exchange Gallery, Santa Fe, NM and JLI Prints, Taos, NM. The gallery at Neumann Fine Art will feature an eclectic collection of work from various periods in Neumann’s artistic career. Neuman Fine Art - To register for classes or for more information visit: www.neumannfineart.com or call 413-2465776.
THE PARK AVENUE DUO
82 ACADEMY AWARDS BERKSHIRE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL BIFF OSCAR NIGHT
ND
JOSEPH GALLO, VIOLINIST, APPEARING WITH HIS PIANIST, MARK DONALD AT THE WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL IN NYC
JOSEPH GALLO VIOLINIST
After visiting the Berkshires for many years, attracted by its extraordinary beauty and quality of life, Joseph Gallo, violinist, is now residing in Williamstown. Before recently moving (with his wife, also violinist) to Williamstown, he enjoyed a long, successful multi-field musical career in New York City. His early training was with Mischa Mischakoff, renowned concert violinist and concert master of the NBC Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini. He went on to earn his degree from the Juilliard School of Music, followed by further studies with concert violinist Harry Shub. He has had a broad range of performing experience, from recording for films and jingles, to Broadway theatre, to The American Symphony, to Radio City Music Hall. He has backed performers such as Frank Sinatra and John Denver, has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and has played for five presidents. He is founder and musical director of The Black Tie Strings and Orchestra, providing music for various public and social events at New York’s major hotels and venues. He is also founder and first violinist of The Black Tie String Quartet – playing unique original arrangements of music “from Broadway to Vienna.” Mr. Gallo is now accepting a limited number of serious violin students. His observation of young violinists today is that there is no shortage of technique. However, it is in the slow melodic passages where one should hear the poetic artistry, and it is there that he feels some violinists fall short. Therefore, his major focus is on beautiful, seamless sounds, encouraging expressiveness and increasing confidence in “delivery of music” to an audience. By demonstration and his unique combination of teaching methods, the student will soon hear the difference and appreciate the value of what Mr. Gallo calls “The Art of Left & Right Hand Legato.” You can reach Mr. Gallo at: 413-4581984. (Joseph Gallo is also listed in the Juilliard Private Teachers Directory.)
On Sunday, March 7th, the Academy Awards come to the Berkshires! Berkshire International Film Festival, Berkshire Bank, and the Beacon Cinema join together to present the 82nd Academy Awards Live via Satellite. The festivities kick-off at 7pm when the doors to the red carpet open on a night of glamour and fun. The event will take full advantage of the Beacon’s new high-tech, all-digital theater, broadcasting the awards live via satellite. At 8pm, the Oscars will begin with a special video address by Tom Sherak, President of the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences. BIFF takes a personal interest in several of the films currently in the running, including documentaries, “Burma VJ” and “Food, Inc.” as well as “In The Loop” up for Best Adapted Screenplay, all films showcased in last year’s festival. The night’s festivities will include a cocktail buffet, and all will be dressed to impress in red carpet worthy attire. Instead of simply watching from your living room, take advantage of this great chance to be part of the glitz and excitement of the biggest night in Hollywood. This incredible evening of friends, fashion, and film is not to be missed. For further information, please visit the website at www.biffma.com.
BOB CRIMI Good…
hunter green…naples yellow…purple madder…cadmium yellow…prussian blue…titanium zinc white…ultramarine green…terra rosa…quinacridone violet… yellow ochre…mars red…indigo blue…venetian red…alizarin crimson…cadmium yellow lemon…emerald green…cobalt blue…chromium oxide green… azo red…flake white…hansa yellow…burnt umber… vermillion…manganese violet…permanent red rubin…carbazole violet…mercadium red maroon…… raw sienna…cerulean blue…Indian red deep…
vibrations
Bob Crimi’s paintings can be viewed at his Studio/Gallery by appointment… 518-851-7904
All Things Musical
Music Store The
on Railroad Street
Unusual Instruments Fine Instruments Accessories
“The artist who uses the least of what is called imagination will be the greatest.” -Pierre-Auguste Renoir
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Orchestral & Band Instruments
More than 100 guitars in stock Classical, Folk, Electric, Handmade
Something for Everyone - All levels, All budgets! Open Daily Except Mondays
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THE ARTFUL MIND
MARCH 2010 • 5
the philosophy of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard. Of course, Mozart was of the Classical period, and not the Romantic period, but my point is simply that he has had an extraordinary influence in the centuries since his death on both musicians and philosophers. Philosophers have always had an affinity for music. Pythagoras is reputed to have discovered the mathematical ratios we use to divide the octave. My study of one field aids my study of the other and vice versa. Music is my chosen field and whether we’re talking about performance, history, or theory the study of philosophy has been a great help. When it comes to life and career, I think music and philosophy are very helpful things to study no matter what one chooses to do in life. They both require a lot of one’s mind and brain and thus prepare one for a great deal of life’s challenges. HC: I am sure that your deeper concentration of study in music and philosophy has had an effect on your students. How is this true? Sam: There is something very fulfilling about passing on what I’ve learned. The various musical traditions are renewed through the teacher/student relationship; it’s gratifying to be a part of that. Also, I get just as much out of a good lesson as the student does (assuming I’ve done the job right.) Philosophy helps in this area, too. Thomas Aquinas said that “. . . one reaches certitude only when one hears the truth speaking within him.” As a teacher, I can’t expect any results if I try to force knowledge, skills, or talent into a student. The best I can do is to guide someone through the process of discovery. No matter how much sense it makes in my own head, I have to demonstrate things in a way that resonates within the student. Plato: Learning is merely remembering. Practically speaking, Plato was describing the same kind of potential knowledge that Aquinas would eventually write about.
SAM CRAWFORD Guitar & Bass Musician & Teacher Interviewed by Harryet Candee
Harryet: Sam, tell me what why you chose the guitar and bass as your prime instruments? Sam: My cousin Joe played bass and guitar while he was at Mt. Everett High School. I would go to the concerts to see him play with the jazz band. It always made an impression on me. Joe was nice enough to lend me his bass for a about a when I was ten or eleven years old. Eventually I got my own bass and then took lessons at school. Not long after that I started saving for an electric guitar.
HC: How did your parents influence you in moving ahead with music as a main focus? Sam: Both of my parents play the piano. My mother got her BMus in music education from the Hartt School, piano as her principle instrument. She is a talented player, music teacher, and a great accompanist. My father has played the piano practically all his life. He listened intently to guys like Vince Guaraldi and Ramsey Lewis and developed his own voice as an improviser and a composer from there. So much of what is in my mind’s ear today is informed by my having listened to both of my parents play that baby grand in the living room. Everything from Beethoven to Chuck Berry came out of it at one time or another. I have to say, they have both been unwavering in their encouragement of my music and I truly can’t thank them enough for it!
HC: What is a typical day in your life like? Sam: These days I’m studying music at Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY. A typical day for me consists of classes, ensemble rehearsals, work, homework, practicing, 6
THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2010
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and, on Wednesdays, playing a regular gig across the river in Nyack.
HC: How do you spend your free time? Sam: When I have free time I sleep. If I don’t do it then it doesn’t happen. When I get a break from school or a free weekend, I’ll come home to the Berkshires to see my family, or go to Vermont to play a gig with Prana, my band in Burlington. I actually spent most of 2008 in Burlington playing with Prana and other Burlington acts. I took a year off from school and moved up north. The skills I developed and the personal growth I experienced up there have proven to be invaluable to me now. I keep in contact with the band and play with them when I can. We are actually releasing the first CD, “Moments” this coming month! HC: We’re all excited and supportive for you and your band’s success. Congrats! I wanted to know, how does studying philosophy relate to your music studies and playing? Sam: I’ve been interested in philosophy ever since I started studying western civilization in high school. I’m currently working on a minor in moral philosophy at Manhattanville. Whenever you study the history of one major cultural tradition you can’t help but run into several others with which it has coexisted both in time and in space. For instance, this semester I’m taking “19th century music” as part of my music history requirement while at the same time I’m taking “Nietzsche & Kierkegaard” to fulfill part of my minor. Many of the composers like Mozart from the Romantic period read
HC: What practical advice would you give to young and upcoming musicians? Sam: Learn to sight read well and early on. You can get gigs solely based on the fact that you are a good reader. It’s just one of those skills that gets overlooked too often, especially with guitarists. I’m not saying it’s the only thing to focus on, but it is a skill that I feel needs more advocates in the guitar world. I learned to read music on what has become my primary instrument pretty late in the game compared to the other instrumentalists at Manhattanville. Pianists learn right away, brass and woodwinds too. The orchestral strings: same thing. There are so many great resources that will be available to you if you can read standard notation well. It’s like learning a language without being able to read and write. You can certainly do it, but you’ll be severely limited in the long run if you ever want to explore certain avenues or traditions with it. Music is a language, and that analogy can go as deep as you want to go with it. It gets used a lot because it’s true! Aside from that, listen to music as much as you can. When you find a player whose stuff really resonates with you, study their technique, thought process, method . . . Jon Suters, another stellar guitarist/bassist here in the Berkshires, told me that once. I had already been doing it, but I felt almost a sense of urgency about it when he said it. Not dire urgency, but urgent inspiration – an immediate and vigorous desire to learn and expand my horizons as a musician.
HC: Sam, I was wondering, what direction do you think the music world is heading to these days? Sam: I think the music world, as a whole, is always expanding. I think parts of it are getting narrower and less interesting, but other worlds within the world are growing and changing in really attractive and remarkable ways. The business of music is changing as rapidly as the computer software developers can come up with new ways to market it and sell it, or steal it. Making a record has become a homebased operation and continues to head in that direction. The sound quality often suffers, but many projects being done in living rooms, simply would not have been done at all just a short time ago. Changes in the economy and changes in technology have always had real consequences, positive for some and negative for others. As long as there are great musicians making interesting music, you can count me in. As long as our society values music and money, it would be
nice to get paid for the work I do. There’s so much to talk about with all of these topics!
complain. I feel pretty lucky, though, to be where I am . . . right now. Life has had its ups and downs, but I’m happy to say that I’m still here and I’m learning something new every day! Sure things could be better, and it’s not as if I’d be content with the present stretched into an eternity. That would be a drag! Luckily time marches on and I’m trying to do the best I can with what I’ve got.
HC: Is it possible that there is a musical trend going on where all genres of music converge? Like, Jazz with rock; classical with modern. Sam: I actually think this has been happening since each of those genres arrived on the scene. It’s like the evolution of life forms; nothing happens in a vacuum and when you’re in the arts you’re in the business of sharing and expressing yourself to others. The music itself is all genetically related, so to speak. The differences between genre, I think, have more to do with differences between cultural traditions than with the music proper. If I play country chicken pickin’ licks with some distortion and a funky rhythm section, it can sound like jazz-fusion. If I play Bach with the same tone settings it might sound like heavy metal or neo-classical rock. Musicians have always borrowed copiously from various musical traditions. I hope we never lose that sense of curiosity and openness.
HC: What’s new and exciting in the music industry that most people may not be aware of? Sam: I heard that Pat Metheny was working on a robotic orchestra to use live on a tour. I guess the robots are actuating real instruments based on digital information he has programmed through an interface between his computer and his real guitar. I can’t even begin to imagine the technical demands of a project like that! I read it in the NY Times, so I guess anyone who read that issue knows about it already . . . For my own part, I’ve been using more traditional methods. Of course, compared to Metheny, I’m pretty green when it comes to jazz composition and music technology! I’ve been without my own working computer since mine bit the dust in October. I’ve been composing with pencil and paper and doing any internet and word processing work at the library. For what I do, the old-fashioned way is almost as fast. I’m usually just coming up with a melody and harmonizing or copying solos from records for ear training.
HC: If you can pick a time period to live in, which would you choose? Sam: I’m told that, in the 20th century, but before I was born, one could make a living as a jazz musician. Now, I know
HC: Off the top of your head, what are some memorable words from a song that resonate for you? Sam: I love the chorus from Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City.” Of course, the sentiment gets across best with the music backing it up. The music fills in nuances about the meaning of the text in a way that only music can. “Well now, ev’rything dies, baby, that’s a fact But maybe ev’rything that dies someday comes back Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty And meet me tonight in atlantic city”
HC: What’s cool for you these days? Sam: Check out Robben Ford’s “Life Song.” Also, if you haven’t been out to hear Steve Ide play, do it! Those guys say it better with their guitar playing than I can here with the written word. They have distinct personalities on the instrument, but there’s something they have in common that I think is just the coolest thing going!
Sam Crawford, Great Barrington
jazz musicians who are making a living, but I also know and run into so many who all say the same thing – the work just isn’t there like it used to be. That’s a nostalgic point of view that seems to be pretty widespread among session players in all genres. I don’t mean to avoid answering the question entirely, but, even having studied a bit of history, it’s hard to say. I love sustain – sometimes I get jealous of string players (bowed strings that is) because of the sustain they can achieve by bowing back and forth with a long, slow stroke and a quick, almost unnoticeable reverse of direction at either end. It’s beautiful. I guess that’s why I love the electric guitar. You can approximate that quality, especially with a volume pedal. If I could have been a decently paid string player in a time period before the electric guitar, I wouldn’t
HC: What is crucial for you at this time to focus on? Sam: Right now I’m focusing on school and working on my craft as a musician. I’m always learning about the world and how to live in it and how to live up to my own expectations. Generally speaking that’s what I’m up to. I’ve learned so much since I started and there’s so much to do up ahead. I’ve done some recordings that I like, played some gigs that I thought went really well. I’m proud of those, but there are always things I would change upon listening back (sometimes, I want to change just about everything!). It’s a process, and I suppose I’m proud to be a part of it. To contact Sam Crawford, please call The Music Store at: 413-528-2460.
“Music is an outburst of the soul.” -Frederick Delius
Violin Teacher
Leading multi-field violinist (NYC) is now accepting serious students in Williamstown. Special emphasis on seamless, beautiful sound and expressive performance techniques.
For information, please contact Joseph Gallo at: (413) 458-1984
(Juilliard graduate, listed in their Private Teachers Directory.)
MARCH 2010 WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET
THE ARTFUL MIND • 7
MICHAEL FILMUS
VIEW OF THE HOUSATONIC RIVER, 12” X 32”, OIL
The Housatonic River flows past small towns and farms as it finds it’s way through the rolling hills of the Berkshires. As it reaches the Sheffield flats the river begins to widen and slow down as it passes under a covered bridge. In Filmus’ painting, “View of the Housatonic River” we see a quiet stretch of this beautiful waterway. Michael Filmus has painted the Berkshire landscape for many years. He has exhibited his work in one-man shows at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield and at the Welles Gallery in Lenox. In New York he has been represented by Hirschl & Adler Galleries and David Findlay Jr., Fine Art. Filmus’ works are in numerous private and public collections including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Butler Institute of American Art. Michael Filmus may be contacted in the Berkshires at 413528-5471 or through his website www.michaelfilmus.com
MYRON SCHIFFER PHOTOGRAPHER
Prior to moving to the Berkshires in the late sixties, Schiffer was getting established in New York City as a piano teacher, accompanist for auditions, and hanging around the fringes of jazz. Also fascinated with photography since childhood, he finally took classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology to learn more about composition, lighting and fashion window display while continuing to pursue music as his vocation. Now that he’s entered his ninth decade he has chosen to fulfill his earlier hopes of doing something with photography. This year he’s been busy exhibiting his work at galleries, frame shops, a retirement community and in the North Adams Open Studios show. Starting Dec 19th he’s showing his new canvas prints on the dining room walls of one of the smartest restaurants in the Berkshires, Castle Street Cafe, next to the Mahaiwe Theater in Great Barrington. Schiffer continues to work on his new photography website, www.myronschiffer.com which is growing fast and seems to be attracting more attention each month. He never dreamed that turning 80 would be so exciting. Myron Schiffer, 413-637-2659, myronschiffer.com, myron@myronschiffer.com
E
Hlings!
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“...one of the finest and most charming private galleries in New England.”
THE LENOX GALLERY O F
F I N E
A R T
paintings • drawin g s • w a t e r c o l o r • s c u l p t u r e • m i x e d m e d i a w o r k s • p a s t e l s • p o r t r a i t c o m m i s s i o n s
69 Church Street, Lenox, MA 01201 • (413) 637-2276
over twenty-five artists • on two levels
8
THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2010
open year round - call for hours
CARRIE HADDAD PHOTOGRAPHS IDA WEYGANDT, HOUSEKEEPING
WALKING HOME
Carrie Haddad Photographs presents Walking Home, an exhibition of photographs by Ida Weygandt, which will be on view from March 11 through April 18. Also featured will be work by Elliot Kaufman and Kelly Shimoda. This is Kaufman and Shimoda’s first exhibit with the gallery. There will be an opening reception for the artists on Saturday, March 13, from 6 pm to 8 pm. In the large format photographs presented in this exhibit, Ida Weygandt uses the landscape to expand on her themes of interior world aligning with exterior, of the interconnection between nature and self and the concept of home. “My interaction with the landscape has always been very strong,” Weygandt says. “I am always absorbing the elements around me.” Elliot Kaufman’s photographs on the passage of time encompass many of the same aspects as his architectural photography. Specifically the observation of light and how the environment, whether built or natural, is altered by the movement of light. When photographing buildings, Kaufman has always been captivated by the drama of the sun’s effect on each shot. He anticipates exactly what the sun will do when it reaches a certain angle and how it will affect and inform his photograph. Kaufman estimates he has spent a great many hours of his professional life on these calculations and on capturing the certain effect or quality of light particular to that moment. Kelly Shimoda’s photographic series, I guess you don’t want to talk to me anymore, is a documentation of mobile phone text messages by and to people she has encountered – both those familiar to her and strangers. The 8 x 10 inch images provide the viewer an intimate look at this form of communication that is fleeting by design and rarely seen by anyone other than the original author or intended recipient. Carrie Haddad Photographs, 318 Warren Street, Hudson, NY. Gallery hours: 11 am to 5pm Thursday through Monday. For more information call the gallery at 518828-7655. More information about the gallery and exhibits can be found online at carriehaddadphotographs.com
BERKSHIRE ART KITCHEN MAIL ART BY KAREN ARP-SANDEL
The Berkshire Art Kitchen will kick off its spring season with a series of events organized by artists Karen Arp-Sandel and Suzi Banks Baum. In conjunction with Women’s History Month and aimed to celebrate women artists, the events focus on the daily-ness of art and the challenges of juggling mothering and creativity. The series will include an exhibition, artist talk, workshop and movie screening. Opening on March 5th 2010 will be Fe-Mail: An Exhibition of Mail Art by Karen Arp-Sandel and Suzi Banks Baum. The exhibition features the inspirational “Postal Discourse” between Baum and Arp-Sandel, consisting of over seventy-five mixed media postcards sent through the US Postal Service over a period of three years. The exhibition will run through April 30 and will be complimented with a series of events related to “The Daily-Ness of Art” mantra to which the two locally based artists subscribe. A public opening reception will be held on Friday, March 5th from 5:30- 7:30 pm. Meet the artists and read their mail! The event is free and open to the public. Join Karen Arp-Sandel and Suzi Banks Baum on Wednesday March 31 at 7:00 pm for an intimate gallery talk about the quiet radical act of collage “snail mail” communication in the face of a fast paced electronic-tech world. The FeMail artists will narrate a personal tour of the “front and back stories” encoded in 1,000 days of visual collaboration. With the Fe-Mail exhibition as a backdrop, Karen ArpSandel and Suzi Banks Baum will teach The Daily-ness of Art, a daylong experiential workshop to inspire participants with easy tips about making collage art on a daily basis using everyday ideas and materials. No muss no fuss! The Workshop runs from 9:30 - 4:30 on Saturday April 10th. The workshop is open to 16 participants. The cost is $ 80, which includes $5 materials fee and the evening program. The workshop culminates with an inspirational evening movie and discussion from 7:00 – 9:00 pm on Saturday April 10th of “Who Does She Think She Is?”, a moving documentary about women artists who navigate the balancing act between motherhood and artistic expression. The screening, which is open to the community for a donation of $10 to support BAK, premieres “Who Does She Think She Is?” by Pamela Tanner Boll and Nancy Kennedy. The movie chronicles the lives of 5 working artists who are mothers. It explores the barriers to the creative process and how art ultimately transforms women’s lives and those around them. The discussion will be facilitated by three exhibiting artist-mothers Karen Arp-Sandel, Suzi Banks Baum and BAK founder, Gabrielle Senza. Learn more about the movie at www.whodoesshethinksheis.net. All events will be held at the Berkshire Art Kitchen,. The Berkshire Art Kitchen was founded in 2009 by artist Gabrielle Senza as an alternative venue for creativity, connection and change. Part gallery and part art salon, the Berkshire Art Kitchen is known for its high-quality exhibitions and handcrafted gifts, intimate house-concerts and filmscreenings, as well as an exceptional collection of one-of-akind Artists’ Books. Berkshire Art Kitchen, 400 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA is open Friday - Sun 12:00 – 5:00 pm, and most weekdays by chance or appointment. For more information, visit www.BerkshireArtKitchen.com or call 413-717-0031. “All those mirrors keep pulling you back. You keep on seeing yourselfthousands of you.” -Deanne Bergsma
BERKSHIRE DIGITAL
SABINE PHOTO ART
Whether it’s a radiant bride, a playful dad, family gathering, or a tree house, Sabine Vollmer von Falken is in rapport with her subject. In the European photographic tradition, her true talent and interest lays in photographing real people and locations. The results are natural and direct, capturing the emotion of the moment or the mood of the environment. Sabine specializes in young children at play and creating a photographic record of their growth. A master of the subtleties of lighting and the nuance of background, her eye for detail provides photos to be treasured for a lifetime. It is to no surprise that she is a sought-after wedding photographer, as well. Sabine’s photo studio and gallery is located in Glendale, Massachusetts. She captures portraits there or on location. Each photo is tailored to meet her client’s needs—a black-and-white remembrance for a special occasion or a logo image to create an authentic online presence. Her photographs have been published in a variety of magazines and books. Her latest book Woodland Chic will be published by Storey Publishing in 2010, author Marlene H. Marshall. Other volumes include Full of Grace: A Journey through the History of Childhood, Making Bits & Pieces Mosaics and Shell Chic. She will appear at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA on April 17 at 10 am - 11am “Get More Out of Your Digital Camera”. A clinic will follow until 1 pm. Photo enthusiasts are welcome. Her photographic work can be seen at Lauren Clark Fine Arts, Housatonic, MA until March 22, in a group show called “Small Works Winter Salon”. A member of the American Society of Media Photographers, the International Center of Photography ICP and the Wedding Photojournalist Association WPJA, Sabine offers workshops at her studio for professionals and amateur photographers. Sabine Vollmer von Falken, 20 Glendale Road, Glendale, MA, 413-298-4933; www.sabinephotoart.com / info@sabinephotoart.com
As Berkshire Digital begins its fourth year of operation, it is celebrating the gallery openings of three local artists, two painters and one photographer, for whom it made all of the Giclée prints hanging in the shows. Capable of producing archival, museum quality prints on a variety of surfaces up to 42x96 inches, BD also offers complete photography services to capture artwork of any medium. To further help artists, BD offers graphic design capabilities, to create show announcements, posters and collateral materials. In addition to its printing services, Berkshire Digital also provides Photoshop™ tutoring and consulting for people who want to get a better understanding of the digital workflow from camera to computer to printer in their workspace as well as manage and manipulate their own images. The owner, Fred Collins, has been a photographer for 30 years with studios in Boston and the metro New York area. Fifteen years ago, he began working with Photoshop™ and gradually added extensive retouching capabilities to help with his clients needs. His commercial work for corporations has taken him around the world. His wife Alison owns The Iris Gallery, above Pearls, in Great Barrington. Berkshire Digital: 413-6449663, www.BerkshireDigital.com
Hidden Pond Bed & Breakfast 43 Deer Drive Claverack, New York 518-828-2939
www.hiddenpondbandb.com Located in mid-Columbia County, on a rise in a clearing surrounded by trees, Hidden Pond provides a serene environment in a beautiful rural setting just five short miles from Hudson, New York Mailing Address: PO Box 332
Hudson, New York 12534 MARCH 2010 THE ARTFUL MIND • 9
HOFFMAN POTTERY TEAPOT BY ELAINE HOFFMAN
Although there is still snow on the ground, it is springtime at Hoffman Pottery. The shelves of the working studio/gallery of potter-in- residence Elaine Hoffman are constantly filled with exciting pieces guaranteed to chase away the winter doldrums. Hoffman is always creating new, decorative, and functional pieces. She uses brightly colored glazes overlaid with delicate lines that accentuate the shape of her pots. She says. “It’s all about positive energy- the kind that individuals want to bring into their homes.” Hoffman has a vast array of functional ware; dinnerware, desk and kitchen ware, bathroom ware, and more, all of which is lead free, microwaveable, and dishwasher proof. Hoffman also features frogs and turtles (that love to live in the garden and to then come in by the fireplace in winter), mosaic mirror frames, and large vessels by Ted Keller of Maine. For further information call or to see examples of Hoffman’s work and to get on her mailing list for the scoop on future sales and special events, visit her website. Elaine Hoffman Pottery, 103 Great Barrington Rd/Rt. 41 (2 miles south of downtown), West Stockbridge, MA; 413232-4646, www.EHoffmanPottery.com.
EYE ON BOTSWANA PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN LIPKOWITZ
Artist’s Eye on Botswana: Intimate Encounters With Southern African Wildlife, a photo exhibit by John Lipkowitz, will be on display at the Gallery at The Berkshire Gold and Silversmith, in Great Barrington, MA during February and March. An artists opening reception will be held on Saturday, February 6 from 68 p.m. “In October 2009 my wife and I were privileged to participate in a safari to Botswana. After flying to Maun (gateway to the north) from Johannesburg in South Africa, it was bush planes and helicopters as we spent 15 days in and around the Okavango Delta, with a couple of days further south in the Kalahari Desert proper. Although almost all of Botswana is technically within the Kalahari, the Okavango Delta, fed from the rainforests of Angola during the otherwise dry season and the rains during the wet season, rivers, streams and wetlands course through the Delta area thereby creating many different habitats for the wildlife. We divided our time among five camps, from very simple at Camp Kalahari, to luxurious elegance at Mombo Camp. Our stays varied from two to four nights, with two game drives each day.” Botswana, is an actual working democracy in Africa, with a population of only 1.6 million and relative wealth from diamonds and tourism. Not long after independence (as a British Protectorate, not Colony), in 1966, the government made the decision to promote limited upscale eco-tourism, based on national reserves and private, limited lease, concessions. The result is vast landscapes with limited, small camps, no crowds, and real opportunities to get close to the wildlife. “The photographs in this exhibit are some of my favorites. “ The Gallery at The Berkshire Gold and Silversmith, 152 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA. Gallery hours: The gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10:30-6.
“Great Baby Gifts!”
Adorable 100% cotton outfits Soft Soled Leather Footwear
10 •
THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET
FRONT ST. GALLERY
Painting Classes are held Monday and Wednesday from 9:30 to 1 pm at the gallery/studio. Thursday class is planned, from 9:30 - 1 pm at different locations, and to be announced weekly. The cost is $30 per class and it is for beginners to advanced, all mediums are welcome. Remember during difficult times the best investment is something that uplifts the spirit. There is no greater gift than a wonderful painting. Please come pick one out and make every day of your life richer. Ongoing large selection of still life and Berkshire landscapes. All work sold at “recession concession” prices. Time payments accepted by appointment or chance. The Front St. Gallery was established fifteen years ago by seven local artists; Kate Knapp was one of the original founders. Designed as a cooperative showing many Berkshire artists’ work, today it is not only a gallery but primarily Kate Knapp’s studio. The space is obviously a working studio with many racks filled with canvases new and old, offering a great choice to anyone interested in looking. Kate has been studying art for 40 years. Her paintings are found in collections all over the country. Front St. Gallery is a beautiful and intriguing space located next to the Corner Market looking out at the mountains and passing trains. The paintings hanging on the walls are filled with color and light reflecting Kate’s training in the impressionist school. There are portraits, still life’s and landscapes done in oil and watercolor. Wonderful paintings of the rivers, farms and flowers found in the Berkshires are inspiring. There are also vibrant seascapes painted on Block Island, RI., where Kate has a home and loves to paint. The key word here is “loves”. These paintings are filled with an intense joy and passion for life. The wild rapids of the river, old farm trucks parked in a field with cows and waves breaking on rocks and shore are painted with great feeling. Prices are negotiable. Front St. Gallery, Housatonic, MA. 413-274 6607, www.kateknappartist.com and 413-528-9546 / 413-429-7141
IS
183
Art School of the Berkshires
From the Inside: Art School Interns Find Inspiration and Career Paths LUCIE CASTALDO, INTERN, CENTER TOP ROW
By Kimberly Rawson
At IS183 Art School (IS183) in Interlaken, a year-round community art school for people of all ages and levels of artistic ability, high-school and college-aged students interested in art education careers have gained invaluable practical experience as teaching assistant interns during the school’s summer Young Artist Program.
Lucie Castaldo, now a sophomore at Mount Holyoke College, was an IS183 student prior to her internship last year. This year she will return as IS183’s summer camps coordinator. “My IS183 internship was a wonderful experience for me and it has solidified my desire to be an art teacher,” she says.
Castaldo adds, “Working with IS183 students is the most energizing and rewarding experience one can have. Having worked in a number of art classrooms in different public schools, I know how hard it is sometimes for a student to explore their ideas freely and create unique projects. Too often students are given rigid assignments that result in nearly identical works of art. At IS183, students are able to take risks and experiment with the wide range of art materials available to them and they can make almost anything they can dream up. As a child, I was a student at IS183 in the 7- to 10- year-old art classes and I know that my experience there contributed to the creative, art-loving person I am today.”
Luke Shalan learned skills as an IS183 intern that helped him find a job. “I started my internship at IS183 at the beginning of my senior year of high school year. I worked with Ben Evans, the studio manager at IS183, and helped him with different aspects of studio maintenance, such as cleaning, mixing glazes and firings, in exchange for lessons in how to slip-cast. These skills enabled me to acquire a job with Michele O’Hana, a local artist who makes slipcast pottery. Without my experience as an intern at IS183, I would not have had the skills needed for this job. I’m now attending an art school and because of my internship I am considering a minor in ceramics or sculpture.”
According to ceramicist Michele O’Hana (who is also one of IS183’s board members), from an employer’s perspective, “Luke came to my studio and I didn’t have to teach him anything. IS183’s Ben Evans taught him so well that I can set Luke to any task here and he is excellent at every one of them. I would tell any young artist and those interested in art education to head straight to IS183 for an internship if you’re interested in learning!”
How to apply for an internship ....
Teaching assistant intern positions for IS183’s Summer Young Artist Program are still available for the 2010 season, which runs June 28 to August 20, on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Two- to eight-week-internships are available for students ages 15 and above. Preference is given to college students and those considering an art education career.
For more information or to apply for an internship, send a brief statement summarizing interest in being a part of IS183’s Young Artist program, along with a resume outlining academic focus, employment, and volunteer activities to Hope Sullivan, Executive Director, at hope@is183.org or by mail to IS183 Art School, PO Box 1400, Stockbridge, MA 01262.
Lucie Castaldo:
A Day in the Life of an Intern....
“I usually was the first to arrive at IS183 because I liked having time to set up for the teacher and not be rushed. I also did early drop off on some days. When the teacher arrived, we would go over the schedule for the day together and then I would gather the supplies needed. During class time with the teacher and in the ceramics studio, I would circulate the room and help students. The class of 11- to 14-year-olds I assisted was a collage class involving advanced collage techniques that some students needed one-on-one attention for.
“We would then break for ceramics where I would again assist students as needed during project time and organize clean-up time. During lunch I usually sat with my students and ate with them. When everyone finished eating, we played cards or another group game. Once a week, the students went to Chesterwood. I would get there early on those days and wait in the parking lot for all the students to arrive. We would then head as a group up to the building and start their projects. I would again supervise them during lunch. At the end of the day I was usually in charge of late pick- up and made sure all of the students were picked up.
“As a teaching assistant for the seven- to 10-year-old class, an average day was very similar to that of the older kids, but the younger students required more attention. For one class, I led activities for half the class, while the other half was working with the teacher. After any of the classes I would clean up and often prepare projects for the next day. Sometimes I made flyers to give out to the parents to remind them of events or materials that were needed. I also set up work for the student show at the end of each week and for the show at the end of the summer. I looked forward to coming in every day and didn’t want to leave when the day was over!” New this year, IS183@BCD! Week-long, half-day art camps for three and four year olds have been added to this summers’ curriculum. With faculty artists Kim Waterman and Senta Reis, our youngest artists will enjoy a sensational exploration of sight, sound, touch, and taste!
“Hollywood can’t contain a great talent, because even the best films aren’t
enough to nurture that kind of talent.” -Kim Stanley
MARCH 2010~ THE ARTFUL MIND • 11
March 2010
The mighty equinox is about to arrive, introducing what promises to be the springtime of our lives. Feel the vibrations. What we go through in the spring of 2010 will shake society, and open the minds of many — at least for a moment. Yet you have the ability to make this a threshold, not a temporary awakening. Whether you free your mind or free your ass does not matter: one will follow the other dependably. The important thing is to not cling to the past, cling to yourself or for that matter, cling to anyone.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
by Eric Francis
Aries (March 20-April 19)
You now know the truth about a health situation that has long troubled you, taxing your peace of mind in a way that you’ve let on to only a few people in your life. Though you prefer to be truthful, you were correct in not spreading your anxiety, mainly because you knew it would come back to you. Now that your worst fears have been proven unfounded, you can spread something else, which is your unmitigated vitality. And that will come back to you, just like anything else you broadcast. In the next six months, this echo effect is only going to intensify, and you’ll need to be clear what is yours and what is not.
Taurus (April 19-May 20)
This is not the time to seek stability in your relationships — it’s time for something better. This theme repeats over and over this spring, any way you shuffle, slice or dice the planets. You need to trust the stability within yourself. Most people seek structure on the outside, and give their relationships a too-difficult job. The difference, in the end, is about maturity; when your life moves as fast as it’s going to move, and becomes as unpredictable as it’s going to become, you need to know where your center is, and you need to know how to get there fast. Then you will be able to play fast and loose, something that is unusual for you, but which you’ve craved for a long time.
You’re not the goodie-goodie you like people to think you are; this, despite how you flaunt your wild side. Though you would probably never own up to that contradiction, it’s time to worry less about your image and more about how being authentic draws authentic people toward you. I suggest you admit to your chaos, your passion, your craving for freedom. I suggest you admit to the true fact that your attractions follow no special logic, no rules, and in the end, know no bounds. You could spend a lot of time worrying about why you have tried to pretend otherwise; you could wonder why you’re caught in the structure that you’re in. Or you can simply be free. You have an active imagination; it’s so active, you rarely give yourself a chance to step out. Yes, Taurus is the sign most often associated with physicality and grounding and all of that, but lately you seem more in your head than usual. You seem to be searching and dreaming and exploring in there. That’s fine, as long as you take some of what’s in your head, and put some of that pancake batter onto the griddle. True enough, you don’t have to. You can keep stirring it in your mixing bowl. You can keep adding sugar. But as long as you do that, you’re always going to have batter and you’re never going to have hotcakes.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Gemini (May 20-June 21)
It may be driving you half-mad that a partner can’t home in on their sense of identity. But then, you’ve been wavering on a commitment for many weeks, and this commitment has a lot to do with who you are; or rather, with acknowledging who you are. There is more to this commitment than meets the eye, because of the depth of the understanding involved. In a sense, you’re making an agreement with yourself about the role that you deserve in the world; which in turn is a reflection of how powerful you are willing to believe you are. True, over the past few months you’ve given yourself many reasons to doubt, but in truth you’ve discovered just as many to have confidence.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Few astrologers would advise someone born under your sign to take a little extra risk, fearing what you might do. However, I’m aware the extent to which you have put the restraints on yourself in recent months, and have retreated far from your usual swashbuckling self. Here is the key: respond to your feelings and not your mind. Start from where you feel safe. That is a feeling you can actually trust. From that space of safety, take a step; then when that works out, take another step. You may, along the way, feel the impulse to leap in feet first, and I wouldn’t want to stop you; just make sure you’re absolutely willing, with no hint of hesitancy.
Don’t expect your social experiences to follow a plan, or even your vaguest notions of what you thought you wanted. I would propose that you will figure out what you want in a series of experiments, at the end of which you will have given up on a few old friends and made some brilliant contacts with some new friends. This is the time to desire new people, places and experiences. In fact, it’s time for them to desire you right back. I would say if you don’t want attention, don’t leave the house, but not even that will work. Remember this attention parlays into your workplace or professional activities. You will be rewarded for good work, so keep your focus.
You cannot control the outcome of events, and you don’t want to. What you can do is pay attention to the flow and skate along with the game. And it looks like a fast game, for sure, where the rules change. Mars finally stationing direct is likely to improve your attitude about money, as long as you remember to invest it in what has lasting value, or in what fits a long-term plan. You feel like you have a lot of mojo, which remains true as long as you apply every molecule and photon of it consciously. There is a direct relationship between awareness and power, and at this opportune moment I suggest you add some ambition. Not a lot, just enough.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
You’re about to get a surge of energy — though I suggest you go for the slow burn. Keep your flame blue and clean and just the right temperature. In other words: plan for the long run. Mars is about to station direct in the first degree of your sign; then over the next 10 weeks it will work its way clear across Leo, touching the natal Sun of everyone born under your sign. Through the long Mars retrograde, you’ve done a fine job reinventing yourself. I suggest you stretch gently into this new concept of who you are, rather than inflating like an airbag. You’ll be tempted; yet the longterm outlook says that if you pace yourself, the very best is yet to come.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 200 It’s time to make some fast, bold professional moves; primarily this is the time to make sure you’re as visible as possible. If you stay where people can see you, you’ll increase the chances of success significantly: success as you define it. I have an idea what that is: the privilege of expressing the person you actually are in your professional life. Capricorn is often accused of being ambitious: I see the matter differently, as a quest for authenticity that brings you through many incarnations of your career and your role in the world. In actual fact, you must try again and again till you find the place not where you fit, but where you are free to exist. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
In astrology there are, occasionally, before and after moments. That is the easiest way to understand, or to even see, the meaning of how the planets move. You have now arrived at an ‘after’ moment: after a very long spell of the need for clarity, coexisting with yourself in a kind of misunderstanding. You have resolved something, or perhaps you’ve just observed something, but it goes so deep into who you are that it seems to reach across all your lifetimes. In any event, however you choose to think of it, you have turned one page of your life and embarked on a whole new volume of existence. The territory changes fast from here: take careful, conscious steps and always notice where you are, and whom you’re with.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Know good times when you’re in them — and you are. These are not the kind of good times that melt into the background of history, forgotten because of their comfort. Rather, this is a moment that stands out rather than stands back, and which you may consciously, willingly and lovingly use to enter a new phase of your life. I trust that you feel a certain energetic relief, the ability to relax and the growing sense not that you have enough, but that you are enough. Keep that feeling, and remember the idea, if you lose contact with the inner orientation. It is fair to say that everything is about to change — in ways you would have wished for, if you could have ever predicted what was possible. ~Read Eric Francis daily at PlanetWaves.net
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THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2010
HELPFUL GO-TO’S
Ancient Quantum Healing “THE LUMINOUS ENERGY FIELD CONTAINS A TEMPLATE OF HOW WE LIVE, AGE, HEAL AND MIGHT DIE.” -Dr. Alberto Viloldo
Masterʼs of Education, Certified by Healing the Light Body School of the Four Winds Society to practice Luminous Healing & Energy Medicine. Macrobiotic counseling is also available when appropriate.
For information or to schedule a session please call: 413-446-5712
Nixsa M. Mills 231 Hartsville NM Rd., New Marlborough, MA
Micro Theatre Auditions for 2010 repertory cast All ages, All Levels of expereince
To schedule an appointment: 413-442-2223 or microtheatre@hotmail.com Micro Theatre (dedicated to experimental theatre) 311 North Street, Pittsfield, MA
SHARON TRUE, M.A., C.M.A., R.M.T. Somatic Movement Therapist and Certified Pilates Instructor
WholePerson Movement Mat Classes Mondays 6:30 - 7:30 PM Kinesphere Studio • 66 Main St, Lee, MA Tuesdays 5:00 - 6:00 PM Kilpatrick Athletic Center, Simonʼs Rock College 84 Alford Rd, Gt. Barrington, MA
WholePerson Movement Private Sessions
Personal training in a quiet country setting featuring the Reformer and other Pilates-designed apparatus
All WholePerson Movement Classes:
• Increase strength and flexibility • Improve posture, balance, breathing, body awareness • Improve comfort, ease, grace in moving • Reduce lower back and other chronic pain • Reduce risk of re-injury from sports or occupation
Call for more information
413.528.2465
...Visit: www.artfulmind.net
WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET MARCH 2010 THE ARTFUL MIND •13
WHOLE PERSON MOVEMENT
ERIN BURCH, PT BODY WHISPERER
OLD INJURIES NEVER DIE Old Injuries never die. I have had this experience in my own body, as well as observing it in countless others. I used to work in an outpatient clinic and people would come to me with neck pain. As part of the history and intake process, I would inquire if there had been any neck trauma (car accident, fall, etc). It was evident by the visible distortion in their neck that something; some force had disrupted it. After much questioning, it finally dawned on them that in fact, they were in a car accident…. “but that was 20 years ago!” The assumption is that once the acute phase of pain of a trauma has passed, the problem has been resolved, and perhaps in a small percentage of cases, that may be true. However, in my experience and observation this has not been the case. When the small bones of the neck, for example are shifted out of their original position, by the forces from an accident or fall, this creates an unnatural “fit” between the joints therein. The body works amazingly hard to protect us from pain and so goes immediately into compensation. This compensation works subtly throughout the body, taking a little from here and a little from there, until it can no longer accommodate the distortion. In the meantime, inflammation continues at the original site. This process can take a couple of decades for the body to run out of the available “slack”, and pain may resurface at the original area or at some other location. This all may seem like bad news indeed. However, the good news is, that armed with this information, awareness, and connection to one’s body, as well as intelligent intervention, a great deal of pain can be understood, relieved and potentially avoided. Erin can be reached at 413-528-1623, cell: 201-7877293
Romancing theImage
Graphic Design for all your advertising needs
Creative design for advertising, logos, brochures, package design, posters and cards from start to press. M & A and SVA Graduate, BFA Portfolio avaiable upon request
Designing for Berkshire people for over 20 years
14 • THE ARTFUL MIND
413 . 528 . 5628
MARCH 2010
What Does It Take? What does it take to overcome your resistance and do what needs to be done to look and feel your best? Is it that awful photo of you someone took at a wedding? Or at a beach? Is it getting together with a friend to exercise so you really do it? Is it signing up for a yoga class, joining a gym, or meeting a personal trainer, so that you make a financial investment that you’d hate to waste? Perhaps it’s seeing an old friend who’s made a commitment to health, and you like the results your friend is getting and want some for yourself! Regular exercise gives you the most ‘bang for your buck’ for your health investment dollar. It can help you spend less time and money in the health care system because exercise improves your cardiovascular system, your strength and mobility, your mood, your brain function, and more. It can be as simple as walking your dog every day, or as ambitious as training for marathons. The key is to find what motivates you personally to exercise, and to set up a structure so that it can work in your life. Sharon True of WholePerson Movement is a certified Pilates trainer and a somatic movement therapist. She understands how challenging it can be to make exercise a regular part of life: “There have been times in my life when I’ve had to do a lot of computer work, or my family has needed me, or I’ve been working on some project or another, and exercise has taken a back seat for awhile without my even realizing it. Then I start noticing aches and pains and stiffness, and I’m irritable all the time. I start to worry about myself and think I need to call doctors. Then I remember. Aha! When was the last time I really worked out? As soon as I get back to exercise I feel better. It helps my body to be a home I like to live in.” True has two locations for her holistic approach to Pilates and therapeutic movement. Since 1998 she has had a Pilates studio for one-on-one personal training on her property in Great Barrington that overlooks a small stream and some woods. This tranquil setting promotes relaxation and inner focus, so that after a workout her clients feel refreshed and energized rather than spent. In 2009 she opened a practice at Kinesphere Studio, 66 Main Street in Lee. At that larger location she is able to offer Pilates mat classes and private or duet Reformer workouts. (Reformers are exercise machines invented by Joseph Pilates). At both locations, she creates customized programs for each of her clients, taking into consideration what their goals are, and what is truly motivating to them. And especially, she serves as a support for “doing what needs to be done.” For more information about WholePerson Movement classes, workshops, and personal training please call Sharon True at 413-528-2465, MonSat 9 AM to 9PM, or email: sharontrue@roadrunner.com
IS183 ART SCHOOL
SUMMER INTERNSHIPS
IS183 Art School is now accepting applications for teaching assistant intern positions for its Summer Young Artist Program, which runs June 28 to August 20, on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Two- to eight-week-internships are available for students ages 15 and above. An IS183 internship is a high quality, practical work experience for students interested in an art education career. According to IS183 Director Hope Sullivan, “Many of our interns attended 1S183 as children and return each summer to gain valuable work experience that helps them with their own educational careers and future professional opportunities.” Lucie Castaldo, now a sophomore at Mount Holyoke College, was an IS183 student, prior to her internship last year. This year she will return as IS183’s summer camps coordinator. “My IS183 internship was a wonderful experience for me and it has solidified my desire to be an art teacher,” she said. Luke Shalan learned skills as an intern that helped him to find a job. “I started my internship at IS183 at the beginning of my senior year of high school year. I worked with Ben Evans, the studio manager at IS183, and helped him with different aspects of studio maintenance, such as cleaning, mixing glazes and firings, in exchange for lessons in how to slip-cast. These skills enabled me to acquire a job with Michele O’Hana, a local potter who makes slip-cast pottery. Without my experience as an intern at IS183, I would not have had the skills needed for this job. I’m now attending an art school and because of my internship at IS183 I am considering a minor in ceramics or sculpture.” Preference is given to college students and those considering an art education career. Applicants should be pursuing art as a major or supplementary course of study and be able to demonstrate some experience working with children, as they will interact with students ages three through 15, parents, staff, faculty and fellow interns. Interns will receive a stipend of $100 per week for their work, as well as the opportunity to audit one evening or weekend adult class during the summer. In addition, interns currently enrolled in college may be eligible to receive academic credit. To apply, candidates should send a brief statement summarizing interest in being a part of IS183’s Young Artist program, along with a resume outlining academic focus, employment, and volunteer activities to Hope Sullivan, Executive Director, at hope@is183.org or by mail to IS183 Art School, PO Box 1400, Stockbridge, MA 01262. “I get asked to shows—women’s shows, black shows— but I won’t be bought until I’m asked to be in shows without race and gender adjectives in the title.” -Maren Hassinger
Compassionate Communication THE NEXT STEP
Although I don’t claim to know exactly where we are all headed, what seems to be developing has something to do with an emphasis on the more feminine energies — the relational, the heart centered, the village mentality, sharing, intimacy, and taking care of others. The shift from surviving to thriving may entail the dissolution of some of our conventions and societal structures, which have limited and separated us in the past. I envision the creation of a different relationship between work and money, which may help us unleash more of our personal and collective human resources. Processes like NVC and Focusing can become invaluable tools for helping us communicate with each other as we make these shifts and re-envision the world.
RECREATING OURSELVES “We are living ‘neath the great big dipper We are washed by the very same rain We are swimming in the stream together, Some in power and some in pain We can worship this ground we walk on, Cherishing the beings that we live beside Loving spirits will live forever We’re all swimming to the other side”
- Pat Humphries, “Swimming to the Other Side”
Expressing yourself through an art form can be a deeply gratifying, profoundly healing, transformative, and joyful experience. At this time in the world, it seems as if we are being called upon to perform the ultimate act of creativity: that of reinventing ourselves, both personally and collectively. In the midst of the great shifts that are happening worldwide, it appears as if a higher level of consciousness is required of us, an evolution of our capabilities. During the times I have had the experience of being fully alive as a creative being, I have come to realize that making art is just one small component of my creativity. As challenging as it can be, it is also exhilarating to experience my feelings; to feel completely connected to my inner source and to be aware of what nourishes me individually while maintaining an awareness of the needs of the larger community of which I am a part. I am beginning to feel more at home at the edge of the unknown, safe in the knowledge of having developed the tools which enable me to travel skillfully into uncharted territory.
Two sets of tools I have found that enhance this journey are Compassionate/Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and a technique called Focusing. NVC, which has been developed over the past 30 years by Marshall Rosenberg and his colleagues, is a synthesis of some of the best communication techniques, conflict resolution practices and spiritual principles ever devised. During the same time-period, Eugene Gendlin created Focusing, an inner dialoguing process, which helps one move forward organically while staying connected to the whole. In addition to providing invaluable techniques for navigating relationships, the enduring gifts of these two processes are the creation of new pathways between the heart and the mind. By following our hearts we allow ourselves to be guided in new directions that might better serve society. Both of these methods offer step-by-step processes that are enjoyable and simple to learn.
Few would argue that we are in a time of enormous and rapid upheaval — so many of our familiar structures, traditions, institutions, beliefs, and behaviors seem to be breaking down. Even the weather is behaving differently! It is possible that the only thing we can be sure of is more change. Thus, it is imperative that we find ways to not just navigate through the turmoil but to actively participate in the creation of what we want changed.
The philosophy underlying NVC focuses on the ways in which our culture of domination (power-over) has distorted our views of each other and ourselves. It has helped me understand where, why and how things have gone so awry. The practice of NVC does this by making us aware of the way we speak and listen to others and teaches us to replace evaluations and judgments with clear observations. The “violence” in Nonviolent Communication refers to the way in which our language, by disconnecting us from our hearts, has allowed us to objectify each other and ourselves. When I am in a violent, or heart-disconnected mode, I am essentially in a survival mode. I must fight or flee. I must make sure I get my share, even if it’s at your expense; and it’s not safe to feel too much. The institutions we have created out of this mentality are just a natural extension of this life-alienated viewpoint.
Sometimes at the beginning of a creative process, there is confusion, destruction and chaos. Eventually we may arrive at the point of rearrangement. However, it’s easy to get stuck at this point because we are unable to tolerate the chaos or the unknown. Using the skills of Focusing, we can follow the inner signals of our bodies and minds to see what this whole “mess” feels like, and see if there is something that we can do to move forward. Sometimes the old materials and structures are no longer “right,” – they don’t fit anymore. So, we remove them and wait and trust that new ideas will form in this newly created space.
Part of what I think we’re moving towards is connecting to a Collective Heart: not my need vs. your need, but what will serve all of our needs. With NVC I have learned what I need for my well-being and nurturance and have found ways of communicating that to others. Together we can find strategies for meeting the needs that we have in common. One of the amazing revelations of NVC is the realization that we are not that different from one another, and that there are certain things all human beings need for their sustenance. Without these things, we do not thrive. Because NVC was designed to help us navigate the tricky places of conflict and disagreement with more ease and awareness, it increases the possibility for creating functional and joyful workplaces, families and communities. NVC, which is in essence a new language, is typically learned in a community. The language shifts it teaches, as well as the empathy it invokes, demonstrate to people a new kind of “juice” that can feed and energize them. As our planet shifts from using fossil fuels to more natural sources of energy such as sun and wind, it seems as if our human energy source is also shifting from the adrenalin rush of fight-orflight to the heart-powered fuel we get from living authentically, in close community with others.
In viewing the immensity of the difficulties we are now facing, it may look like we are trying to change the unchangeable. One of the most insidious of our guiding principles is that of “rugged individualism,” one of the cornerstones of the American belief system. We have been brought up to believe that we have to do it alone, which pits people against each other. Whole institutions have been built upon that fallacy. It colors our current politics, and most importantly, it makes the concept of community and the common good suspect. I suspect that the real issue is our limited view of our selves, and the way our domination-oriented society has systematically taught us to be disconnected from our own bodies and feelings; our needs and hearts; nature and Spirit; and most importantly each other.
In changing any seemingly intractable situation, we will encounter all manner of internal and external opposing beliefs, stuck energies, habitual patterns and rigid institutions, all of which may be nothing more than the collective sum of this outdated paradigm. One of my most hopeful thoughts is that sometimes the tiniest quarter-turn of a screw can alter the motions of an entire machine. I truly believe that the practices of NVC, Focusing and other selfconnecting modalities offer some of the most accessible avenues of personal and global transformation. “On this journey through thoughts and feelings Binding intuition my head my heart I am gathering the tools together I’m preparing to do my part”
- Verse, “Swimming to the Other Side”
Karen Andrews offers her unique blend of Process Coaching for creative individuals using NVC, Focusing and other self-liberating modalities. She offers one-on-one sessions and organizes group trainings in NVC. Karen exhibits photography and watercolors at her home-based gallery, Inner Vision Studio in West Stockbridge, and online at www.InnerVision-Studio.com. She can be reached at: 413-232-4027 or karenjandrews@gmail.com
MARCH 2010 THE ARTFUL MIND • 15
DON MULLER GALLERY
For the third year in a row, the Don Muller Gallery has been named one of the Top Ten Retailers of American Craft in North America by Niche Magazine, one of the highest marks of distinction in the American craft industry. More than 18,000 craft artists from the United States and Canada are polled each year and nominate over 700 galleries, retail stores, and museum shops. Criteria for selection include: treating artists with courtesy and respect; paying on time; promoting and marketing American crafts; giving back time and energy to the craft community; mentoring emerging artists; and maintaining an inventory that is at least 85% American craft. Don Muller Gallery was honored to be named among the top galleries in the United States, and is particularly proud to achieve such an award for owning and operating a business in downtown, Northampton, Massachusetts, for over 25 years. Being one of the top 10 galleries in the nation is a real tribute to past and present employees and all of the artists that have been represented through the years. The gallery has also announced the launch of their new website. The site features the work of many artists in jewelry, glass, wood, fiber, and more; it includes a tour of the gallery, a description of their services, and an introduction to the gallery staff. The site was produced by Positronic, a web development company based in Northampton. Don Muller Gallery, 40 Main St, Northampton, MA, 413-586-1119, www.donmullergallery.com Open Mon–Wed, 10-5:30, Thurs–Sat, 10–9, Sunday 12-5pm.
SCHANTZ GALLERIES DAN DAILY, SURE, 23” X 12” X 9”, BLOWN GLASS
Schantz Galleries in Stockbridge is committed to the continuation of over 30 years of providing representation internationally recognized glass artists to exhibit their work and share their art with the world. This is a hidden gem of a gallery, a destination for glass collectors and enthusiasts near and far. Open seven days, visitors to the gallery will be delighted to find inspired sculptures and installations by Maestro Lino Tagliapietra of Murano Italy; and the recently installed spectacular Silvered Jade and Sapphire Chandelier by Dale Chihuly. Representing over 40 of the world’s foremost living artists exhibited on two floors, visitors are privy to experience the very pinnacle of contemporary art glass right here in New England. Throughout the years, the popularity of glass has grown immensely—nurtured by Schantz and several other dedicated gallerists and collectors—and the gallery has become an international destination for contemporary glass enthusiasts. You really owe it to yourself to stop by and experience this art form. Schantz Galleries, 3 Elm Street, Stockbridge, MA Winter hours are 11am – 5pm. 413-298-3044; www.schantzgalleries.com
“Now matter how old you get, if you can keep the desire to be creative, you’re keeping the man-child alive.” -John Cassavetes
16 MARCH 2010
WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET
HARRIET DIAMOND HARRIET DIAMOND, THE PIT
THE PIT
Harriet Diamond’s exhibition of sculpture and drawing, “The Pit”, opens on April 1 at the Oxbow Gallery in Northampton. The opening reception is on Friday, April 9 from 5-8pm. Concurrently, Gary Niswonger will show paintings in the backroom and will hold a closing on Sunday, April 28 from 2-5pm. The main piece in the show, “The Pit”, is an elaborate sculpture much like a very large, open diorama. About the piece Harriet Diamond says, “For the last year and a half I have been working on “The Pit” and, sadly, the subject is still war. In the sculpture soldiers are depicted endlessly spiraling downward. Warplanes drone overhead. It’s simple and to the point. We are always at war. Why? How can we get out of this? It is sobering to still be making this kind of work after 9 years, but it is uplifting to engage with this problem. We may not solve it in our lifetime, but certainly we need to focus our energies on stopping war.” Harriet Diamond’s depictions of the common soldiers caught up in the events of war animate and humanize her pieces. The contexts of her scenes juxtaposed to her gently comic figures emphasize the haplessness of the soldiers. By turns the soldiers appear proud, triumphant, startled, suffering, and even dead. A panoply of human emotions is displayed across their faces. With humor, caring and wit Harriet Diamond places all of us in her scenes. Harriet Diamond uses many types of materials in building her scenes such as paint, wood, styrofoam, clay, and tinfoil. She retains faith that her viewers will see what she sees in her materials. For example, a series of triangular tinfoil pieces resolve themselves simply into a group of airplanes. She reaches for whatever skills are at hand; sculpture, drawing and painting, to tell the story. And this urgency reverberates throughout her work. Harriet Diamond has shown throughout New England and in New York City. Gary Niswonger will show paintings in the backroom at the Oxbow from April 1-25. Niswonger is a Professor of Art at Smith College has painted from the landscape for 25 years. He has painted landscape in Western Massachusetts, Arizona, Northern California and the South of France. His work has been shown locally and regionally. The works in this exhibition are small, direct, immediate responses to being in the moment in a specific place. Of particular interest to the artist in this set of works is mirroring the changes of light and color of natural world as weather and time of day of day dictate. About his work he says, “Painting is choosing—all sorts of choices—some are subtle or elegant, others are flat-footed. My paintings are not afraid to be clumsy. They come from being in the making. Standing out in the air, trying to keep up with the moving elements, confronting color’s transiency—that’s it, that’s painting for me.” Oxbow Gallery, 275 Pleasant St, Northampton.
By Cindy Kelly
Before it was comfortable to speak out about mental illness and its devastating effects on families, FRANK LA FRAZIA was performing his one-man show, “Living with It”. The performance chronicles Frank’s life as a teenager caring for his mother, who suffered from bipolar disorder as well as type II diabetes. In this poignant and bittersweet one-hour performance, La Frazia revisits his life between the ages of 13 and 18 when he became his mother’s caregiver, negotiating an obstacle course of hospital admissions and medical problems, as well as his own coming of age. With limited contact from his father, and a sister who fled to another city, Frank was left shouldering the responsibility for both his mother’s well-being and his own. Frank laughingly describes himself as ‘the special kid’ at Holy Cross Catholic School, the one child to receive counseling in the early 80’s. What “Frankie” understood was that if Mom did not take her pills, something bad would happen; sadly, a frequent occurrence. Vacillating between a life of cooked meals and the natural role of a child, and a totally chaotic environment, he was forced to learn early to manage some of his mother’s very destructive behaviors. A turning point for Frank occured at the age of sixteen when he gave himself permission to take back his life, proclaiming to his mother that he “will not always be here.” He credits his survival to maintaining close friendships, immersing himself in the creative arts, and allowing himself to engage in his own life.
Do you know someone who is “Living with It?” ”
A PROFILE OF PLAYWRIGHT AND ACTOR FRANK LA FRAZIA
La Frazia can be considered a forerunner to the national anti-stigma campaign recently launched by celebrities such as Glen Close and Ron Howard. He created “Living with It” to help raise awareness and to open public dialogue, particularly for teens and family members facing the mental health crisis of a family member (as he had been forced to do on his own). In the style of Spalding Grey, John Leguizamo and Eric Bogosian, this both stirring and humorous piece features La Frazia portraying multiple characters from his Italian Catholic background, as well as the cool, distant doctors that the family encounters. La Frazia skillfully brings his characters to life, dancing between his mother, Suzie, who entertains imaginary guests on the sofa; Terry, his lesbian sister who takes him to his first rock concert; and their endearing Uncle Tony who sells televisions and comes to the rescue on many occasions.
“Mental illness” was not part of this family’s vocabulary. His mother’s illness was never named in any way; La Frazia was shamed into silence. Yet somehow, he made it through to become the resilient, compassionate adult who today readily gives back to the community of individuals touched by challenging childhoods. Today, La Frazia sits on the board of directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Berkshire County. He urges families to contact their local NAMI organization for help and support. It is just one more way that Frank feels he can be of service and help to others; he hopes that people will begin to share stories about mental illness, just as they share stories about cancer or asthma. He hopes to help dispel some of the myths that were so painful to him as a child. Frank wants his audience to know that people with mental illness are capable of living without the disease consuming them. His story is clearly about a son who loves his mother; even as a child, he understood that she was not the illness.
In the summer of 1990, Suzie was hospitalized three times and the family was finally forced to deal with the seriousness of her situation. Faced with the prospect of long-term treatment, the fear of being away from her son scared her into taking more responsibility, and the family rallied. They began to spend more time with her, realizing that social isolation as well as a lack of goals and structure were contributing to her illness. The family’s combined efforts
did succeed in keeping Suzie out of the hospital, and eventually helped her to reintegrate into society. They took her shopping and rewarded her progress as she built up years of successfully remaining on her medications.
By day, La Frazia is the Director of the Playwright Mentoring Project (PMP) at Barrington Stage Company. The PMP is a theater project in which at-risk youths use acting and playwriting as a catalyst to address a staggering array of issues and challenges that these young people face during the difficult transition from adolescence to adulthood. Many live in foster homes, in single parent families or in families struggling to support themselves financially. Teens meet once a week after school for a two-hour session with a team of artists who guide them through playwriting, storytelling and conflict resolution exercises. The workshop culminates in performances at Barrington Stage Company and in other regional schools.
Frank is also a member of The Royal Berkshire Improvisational Troupe (RBIT), an improvisational comedy group that was founded in 2001 by actress Alexia Trainor. The group has delighted audiences throughout Western Massachusetts with their own brand of comedic mayhem. Their venues have included Barrington Stage Company, The Triplex Theater in Great Barrington and the ever so popular Dotties in Pittsfield.
“Living with It” will be presented at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 13th at 7:30 p.m. All proceeds from the performance will benefit Gould Farm and its programs. Founded in 1913, Gould Farm is the first residential therapeutic treatment community of its kind in the nation dedicated to helping adults with mental illness begin to regain and rebuild their lives through community participation, meaningful work and clinical supervision. Located on 650-acre working farm in Monterey, MA. the Farm offers guests the opportunity to become working members of a self-sustaining community. Frank’s decision to collaborate with Gould Farm was sealed after a visit to the Farm: “If we’d known about a place like Gould Farm, my mother might still be alive today. People need to know that there is support and hope out there for the individuals and their families facing mental illness.” “Living with It” will be performed at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 13th at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and more information, please call the Mahaiwe at 413528-0100, or visit www.mahaiwe.org. Tickets start at $20. WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET
THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2010 • 17
Greater Backfish Roundup
Date In History by Bob Balogh
On this date in history, Slapdash, Massachusetts, population 888, had exactly two selectmen on the Board of Selectmen. Which spelled trouble because Slapdash was built to be a threeselectmen town. The selectmen were Mr. Lutz, Ms. Mungle and an empty chair. The chair was a hard-backed, mahogany chair, right there in the meeting room on the second floor of the Slapdash town hall. The chair was officially occupied for years by Jericho Thorne, a downright upright public servant. People actually cast their votes for Jericho Thorne. When election day came around, the results showed 297 votes for Jericho Thorne and one vote each for the other candidates. No mystery that those two votes came from Lutz and Mungle, who pulled their own levers in the voting booth. And, okay, there was something a little peculiar about the popular selectman, Jericho Thorne. He was the byproduct of a mixed marriage. His mom was a nice, old-fashioned Slapdash beauty and his daddy was a Monument Mountain porcupine. Which meant Jericho Thorne stood out in a crowd. His pudgy body was subject to the heavy growth of bristly hair that he kept trimmed and plucked in all the right places. So, with proper grooming, he looked vaguely like Jerry Garcia. Jericho Thorne had incredible self-discipline that kept him from instinctively climbing trees and eating grass and clovers and scurrying down to the river to snack on yellow water lilies. But he had difficulty controlling his craving for salt. It’s a porcupine thing, you might not understand. So, once he was installed on the Slapdash Board of Selectmen, Jericho Thorne was permitted to have salt licks hooked up at strategic spots in the town hall and around the community. Big deal. Salt licks for a genuinely good guy, who happened to be half man, half porcupine. He even had one in his office over at the Slapdash Pain Center, where Jericho Thorne ran a successful acupuncture business. Low overhead. Never ran short of homegrown, organic needles. Well, selectmen Lutz and Mungle conducted an executive session and conveniently forgot to invite Jericho Thorne. In a backroom on the second floor of the Slapdash town hall, Mr. Lutz and Ms. Mungle conspired to eliminate their colleague.
They were uncomfortable with his porcupine bloodline and they hated how much he was admired by the townspeople. So they decided to confiscate all of the salt licks and as many salt products as they could grab up and down the streets of Slapdash, Massachusetts. Door to door these selectmen went, flashing their selectmen’s credentials in the faces of gullible citizens and demanding any and all household salt products. When Jericho Thorne left his acupuncture office for lunch, Lutz and Mungle slipped in to seize Jericho’s personal block of sodium chloride. Then the selectmen issued a hastily scribbled resolution banning incoming shipments of salt licks or anything salty. Now Jericho Thorne’s routine fell out of phase. He needed regular fixes of salt, in keeping with the tastes of his prickly rodent relatives who came before him. But his little salt lick stations around town were missing. He searched and scrambled and could not find what he was looking for, which tangled up his thoughts and put a hurly burly in his head and sent him spiraling into delirium. Jericho Thorne, half man, half porcupine, spasmodic without the salt, reverted to a four-legged posture and ran wild across Route 183, down the bank of the Housatonic River and he vanished in the timberland of Monument Mountain. The unbridled glee shared by selectmen Lutz and Mungle over dumping Jericho Thorne lasted only until the next Board of Selectmen meeting. Five hundred Slapdash townsfolk showed up, each one holding high a salt lick and demanding the return of their beloved quilled neighbor, wherever he might be, to the empty chair at the selectmen’s table. The protest was loud. It was loud and angry and it coagulated and oozed. Lutz and Mungle, hearts in their mouths, blood running cold, could not breathe. “I’m calling the cops,” yelled Lutz at the mob. “We’re already here,” shouted a Slapdash police officer in the middle of the crowd, proudly holding a protest salt lick. Now the demonstrators started a chant. “Jericho, Jericho, Jericho…” The gathering had morphed into something far beyond the limits of anything Lutz and Mungle were willing to weasel their way through. So, they left their Board of Selectmen seats and disappeared through the back door of the meeting room. Together they dashed for the staircase. But in their haste, Lutz and Mungle lost their footing and went tumbling, tumbling,
The Gallery at
The Berkshire Gold and Silversmith
EYE on Botswana: Intimate Encounter with Southern African Wildlife
Photographs by
John Lipkowitz THROUGH MARCH
tumbling down. The angry mob spilled out into hallway and stood at the top of the stairs looking down at the fallen reprobates. They held their salt licks high and continued chanting on behalf of the missing selectman, half man, half porcupine. “Jericho, Jericho, Jericho…” The salt was heavy in the Slapdash evening air and it wafted out of the municipal building and into the dark. A swirling, salty aroma was picked up by a cool breeze through the streets and out of town, along the river and up into the forest. A smell of salt calling to all porcupines and half porcupines. A thrill to the olfactory senses of Jericho Thorne, who before the night was over, could no longer contain himself. He leaped out of the Monument Mountain underbrush and rushed back to Slapdash. Back to a hero’s welcome. And to a new leadership position created just for him. Civil Administrator. No more Lutz and Mungle or any kind of selectman configuration. Oh sure, there were a few eyebrows raised at Jericho Thorne’s homecoming. Yes, the Slapdash citizenry were introduced to Jericho’s newfound love interest, whom he met in the wilds, who happened to be a shy little female hedgehog. But everyone agreed there have been worse consequences after getting lost in the woods. TRAFFIC REPORT
There is a traffic quarantine in effect for vehicles going in or out of the village of Backfish, Massachusetts. Construction crews have begun a year-long project that involves tearing up the three-mile stretch of Backfish Boulevard that connects Route 7 to the village. After the road demolition is completed, work will begin on a huge conveyor belt to take the place of the road. The plan, approved unanimously by the Backfish town fathers, is to totally eliminate vehicular traffic in Backfish, Massachusetts. The plan came about through the diligent research of a committee of select townspeople who discovered that so many cars either parked or moving around the village all the time is causing the village to sink below the level of the Housatonic River, which gently runs though Backfish, Massachusetts. The committee, Select Mortals Understanding Greatness (SMUG), is made up of five of the most influential townspeople who have demonstrated in the past that they know what is best for Backfish, Massachusetts. When the three-mile long conveyor belt is fully operational, village residents will be allowed to park their cars for a small annual fee on the grounds of Joey Flabbergast’s Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms Store, right there at the junction of Route 7 and Backfish Boulevard. Then they will simply hop on the conveyor belt and leave the driving to smart technology. ON THE REBOUND
On the rebound thinking long-range, crackling with persistence and resolve, sharpening up with spit and polish, reaching for the sky with old-time New York arrogance. Smiles for smiles, talk of love, tasting recovery: ten thousand more days of cultural phenomenon, one blistering kick in the ass after another.
THE GALLERY AT THE GOLD AND SILVERSMITH 152 Main St, Great Barrington (next to Eagle Shoe and Boot) 18
THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2010
413 • 528 • 0013
(Tues - Sat 10:30-6 pm)
Architecture & Arcadia
The Architecture of War Stephen Dietemann
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue with no end in sight. President Obama’s approach to foreign policy, and especially war, seems eerily and disturbingly similar to that of our last ‘war president’ George W. Bush. So much for the Nobel Peace Prize.. I recently read Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. I had been strongly encouraged to read this book – it was published in 1992 – by my family for many years. I should have listened to them; it is a remarkable book. Quinn provides a critique of how we – he calls us the ‘Takers’ – have lived since the dawn of the agricultural revolution about ten thousand years ago. He compares our approach – and war plays no small part in the way we live – with that of those increasingly rare groups he call the “Leavers’. The Leavers do just that: they leave the earth as they found it, ‘unconquered’ and none the worse for wear. It is with this book in mind that I reprint a column I wrote in 2002. The best I can say about the fact that little has changed except for the worse, since then is that Daniel Quinn’s book offers a glimmer of hope that if we can understand the fallacies that fuel the way we – the Takers – live and the destruction intrinsic to our way of life, we can change – and perhaps even survive. Looking honestly at why we are fighting these two wars right now is a good start.
We are a nation at war but here the signs of this war are eerily absent. In fact it is an emptiness - the now almost fully excavated pit at the base of what was the site of the World Trade towers - that remains the most poignant sign of this war. The absence of war’s effects and consequences appears to be an increasing trend, at least in my lifetime. While my grandparents described the presence of World War II in the United States shielded lights, ration coupons, posters warning of the dangers of casual comments to strangers, the bunkers along the coasts and the diversion of civilian materials to the requirements of war - I remember the signs of Vietnam most vividly as a continuous series of images - burning jungle, angry students, confused /sad/terrified/resigned soldiers and peasants - on the television. The many other wars we have involved ourselves in since my birth in 1953, including Panama, Chile, Nicaragua, Haiti, the Balkans - the list is long - were virtually invisible here. War in the United States has for some time been most conspicuous by its absence. Much of the rest of the world, however, is replete with tangible signs of war. In their intriguing book, The Architecture of War,
Keith Mallory and Arvid Ottar, present such evidence. They start the book with the following fact: “In the first half of (the twentieth) century almost astronomical sums were spent on war or the preparation for war. A large portion of this money was expended on military construction - on programmes which covered every conceivable aspect of building.” The Maginot Line, the West Wall, submarine pens at Bruges, the ‘Moir’ pill-box all remain as reminders of war. Less obvious, but no less horrific are the POW camps and the concentration camps where in addition to the murder of so many people, the slave labor necessary for the smooth running of the Germany and Japan war machines were kept.
tremely uncomfortable. This is especially true when, as is increasingly the case, the ‘official’ definition of patriotism trumps all further discussion of ‘empire’ as well as causes, ends, or methods. Perhaps Aristotle was right when he noted that only the dead shall know the absence of war, but the price of war must never be minimized, or worse, ignored. The architecture of war makes that clear.
~ Stephen Dietemann TAM / March, 2010
I have seen some of these places discussed by Mallory and Ottar and visited others like them. It is difficult for me to imagine that anyone could walk through such places and even though most are long abandoned, not feel a chill. Each is a repository of loss and fear, of death and illusion, of terror and hopelessness, the intangible architecture of war contained within the actual architecture of war. History records the ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ and provides a summary of events but this information remains an abstraction. The power of the architectural remnants of war is their ability to convey the actual experience of war. These places vibrate at a frequency human beings cannot ignore or make abstract. I suspect the same is true of a visit to the remains of a B-52 in a jungle in southeast Asia, a scuttled submarine in Russia or a sniper’s perch in Serbia. Perhaps the great sin of the twentieth century was the abstraction of individual suffering. Statisticians and politicians have been permitted to seize and pervert the moral ground, to create terms like ‘collateral damage’ and ‘friendly fire’. I have written in the past of the horrible abstraction of effort and intent required by the Nazis and their sympathizers to construct a place like Aushwitz and it is difficult to imagine anyone using an antiseptic term like ‘collateral damage’ in a place like that; it is equally difficult to imagine such euphemistic terminology inside a trench at Verdun, a bunker at Normandy, or a bomb shelter below Strasbourg. Those who experienced the most horrible aspects of war seldom advance abstract notions of war. The excavated pit in lower Manhattan will soon be an office tower again and we are once again embarked upon a war that is designed to leave as few traces of itself as possible upon each of us here. Of course minimizing damage to yourself while maximizing damage to your enemy has always been the intent of war, but this new, invisible architecture of war leaves me ex-
Regional Italian Dinner Series $30 Prix Fixe Monday, Tuesday and Thursday Nights
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THE ARTFUL MIND FEBRUARY 2010 • 19
THE MUSIC STORE
MICRO THEATRE PRESENTS LOST AND FOUND
Micro Theatre presents “Lost and Found”, a theatrical event of satire, farce and absurdity. Written and produced by Bob Balogh, “Lost and Found” features Bob Balogh, Michael Hitchcock, and Becky Sterpka and takes place Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. on March 21, 28 and April 11 and 18 at the Micro Theatre in Pittsfield. Suggested donation is $10. Micro Theatre serves the community as a performance venue for experimental theatre productions, acoustic music shows, standup comedy and poetry readings. The space is also available for rehearsals and auditions. The 30-seat, black box theatre is conveniently located in downtown Pittsfield at 311 North Street and is affiliated with the ArtOnNo collaborative. Artistic Director Bob Balogh managed Sidney Armus’ Theatre 22 in NYC from 1996-2002. Bob is a member of the board of directors at CTSB-TV in Lee; his radio program is broadcast on WBCR-LP in Great Barrington and on WPKN in Bridgeport, CT. Among the original, experimental presentations scheduled for 2010 at Micro Theatre are “Lost and Found” and “Nixon in Love.” Auditions for the repertory cast are ongoing. All ages and all levels of experience are welcome to make an appointment.
Micro Theatre, 311 North Street, Pittsfield, MA; 413442-2223, 413-212-7180; microtheatre@hotmail. “It is difficult to stop in time because one gets carried away. But I have that strength; it is the only strength I have.” -Claude Monet
LAUREN CLARK FINE ART SMALL WORKS WINTER SALON The list is long: the short story haiku a curio cabinet wallet photos jewels a glass menagerie puppies & kittens baby vegetables
“Small Works Winter Salon”, a group show featuring gallery artists’ work at its smallest, will be on display at Lauren Clark fine Art February 12-March 22, 2010. There has always been a fascination and interest in small things, whether on their own or in relation to their larger counterparts. They can be precious, delicate and dear and perhaps even vulnerable. In small works of art there is a satisfying completeness to their essence without being a grand masterpiece, magnum opus or towering monument. The works in this show bring the viewer in to relate and interpret. Or maybe just to gaze at and appreciate. “This show is such a pleasure for me to present! I was so inspired by the work”, from the colorful new barn series by Geoffrey Moss and the playful little still lifes and “animal” portraits by Ann Getsinger to the tiny black, white and color photographs by Sabine Vollmer von Falken and the amazing grid of watercolor cutouts by Stephanie Andersen. Also on view are Irmari Nacht’s unusual photo collage assemblages, Peter Dellert’s mixed media works which include tiny squares of leaves, musical notation, onion skins and wasps nests, etchings by Jo Barry, mylar transfer monotype/paintings by Carolyn Letvin, paintings on metal by Carol Gingles and Richard Britell (“but oh so different from each others’”), abstract and figurative paintings by Franco Pelligrino, and about a dozen other artists from the Berkshires and beyond. “Oh, and about that inspired part...you should see how I have painted the gallery this time to display all this wonderful art!” And in this time of corporate downsizing and shrinking budgets what better time to celebrate the small, the economical, and maybe the hand-held. Lauren Clark Fine Art, 402 Park Street (Rte. 183), in the heart of Housatonic. For directions to the gallery or for more information call 413-274-1432 or visit the website at www.LaurenClarkFineArt.com
NOTE about February Cover artist: John Lipkowitz:
20 • THE ARTFUL MIND
MARCH 2010
Credit for cover shot goes to Nina Lipkowitz. She also did the one inside of John in front of the building in India. The photograph of John with the lens in hand was shot by Matt Ross
As we await the start of the Berkshires’ Spring Symphony, we at the Music Store are enjoying the last of our second Winter in our new location, at the end of the Railroad Street extension in Great Barrington. Acclaimed as one of the area’s best music stores, The Music Store specializes in fine, folk and unusual musical instruments, accessories, supplies and music motif gifts. The Music Store offers music lovers and musicians of all ages and abilities a myriad of musical merchandise that will help them illuminate the longest winter night and enliven the shortest day. Music lovers and professional and amateur musicians alike will find an exciting array of both new and used name-brand and hand-made instruments, extraordinary folk instruments and one of the Northeast’s finest selections of strings and reeds. Music Store customers enjoy fine luthier handmade classical guitars, the peerless Irish Avalon steel string guitars, the brand new Baden Pantheon USA guitars as well as the handmade Badens including the USA Handmade Bourgeois/Pantheon Baden and guitars from other fine lines including Avalon, Rainsong and Takamine, as well as Alvarez, and Luna and from designers including Greg Bennett. Acoustic and electric guitars from entry to professional level instruments are available. Famous names including consignment Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch and Fender guitars and basses join less-well known brands which appeal to those seeking high quality but are on tight budgets, providing any guitarist a tempting cornucopia of playing possibilities. A wide variety of Ukuleles (including the Connecticut made Flues and Fleas) join banjos, mandolins and dulcimers as well. Unusual instruments are also available, including the Connecticut-made Fluke and Flea Ukeleles and the peerless and lovely Stockbridge-made Serenity bamboo and walking stick flutes. New and used student orchestral and band instruments are available, including violins from $159 to $3000. An extensive array of international strings and reeds provides choices for the newest student to the symphony performer. Children’s instruments, as well as a fine line of international percussion including middle eastern and hand made African instruments along with many choices of industry standard drums, stands, heads and sticks, as well as tuners, forks and metronomes can be found as well. All new instruments are backed by The Music Store’s lifetime warranty which provides free set-up and adjustments on any new instrument sold. For repair and restoration and maintenance of fine stringed instruments guitars, banjos, mandolins and the like - The Music Store’s repair shop offers expert luthiery at reasonable prices on instruments of all levels, as well as authorized repairs on Warwick Basses, and Lowden and Takamine guitars. Those in search of the perfect present for music lovers will find a treasure trove of gift favorites such as bumper stickers (“Driver Singing,” “Go Home and Practice,” Tune it or Die” and more), tee shirts, caps, scarves, miniature musical instruments and instrument magnets, nightshirts, music motif mugs, socks, totes and ties. Small bronze and metal musician statues and cuddly ‘Music Lover’ stuffed animals, whistle pops and earrings add additional possibilities to gift giving customers. The Music Store is the place to be. For a magical, musical experience, visit The Music Store at 87 Railroad Street in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 to 6, and on Sundays from 12 to 5. Call 413-528-2460 or email us at musicstr@bcn.net. And look for us on Facebook at The Music Store Plus for special tips and events! We at The Music Store wish you peace and harmony throughout 2010.
Photograph of Andrea by T. Collatos
Theodore Collatos, Thomas Lowe, Rick Roucoulet & Matt Shaw
FILMMAKER & PHOTOGRAPHER
THEODORE COLLATOS Interviewed & written by Nanci Race Cover shot by Julie McCarthy
I met Theodore Collatos in Richmond, Massachusetts. Making a film in Pittsfield was a natural choice for Ted. He spent many happy summers in Richmond in the 18th century house that was owned by his mother and step-father. While listening to him I watched him transform from a somewhat hesitant young person into someone who is passionate about his work. I became curious about Ted’s reason for becoming a filmmaker after attending various photography schools in Chicago, Boston, and Germany. He tells me that photography was limiting but that making films was something he felt it would be too overwhelming. Unlike photography, film has several elements beyond the pictures such as sound, acting, editing, and the business itself. But it’s easy to see that the fun Ted has making his films outweighs his fear. We spoke about his documentaries and narratives including his newest film. “Tom Collins” (working title) is a narrative about a local man named Sean (Matt Shaw) who gets released from prison and reunites with his brothers. Ant (Tony Shaw) is a petty thief with a heart of gold. John (Sean Van Duesen) is an Iraq war vet who has post-traumatic stress disorder. The story is an intimate look at today’s youth living in Pittsfield and their relationship with the past glory days of the General Electric factory. Because Ted collaborated with Solar System Studios the film was shot on the RED ONE camera technologies. The RED ONE is the pinnacle of top of the line high performance digital cinema and has unmatched image quality.
This technology has been used in many TV shows including “Night at the Museum” and “ER.” The cinematographer is two-time Emmy winner Thomas Lowe. Although Ted is an award-winning, international filmmaker at first I thought he was somewhat idealistic because of his ideas about society and what it should be. After talking to him for a few minutes I realized that he’s realistic. When he finished explaining his views I understood that he has no illusions about what it takes to make and produce his films, which have garnered worldwide acclaim by winning numerous awards in the United States and in Europe. Ted’s work is thought-provoking; initiating dialogue that questions the status quo. At the conclusion of the interview he gave me a copy of his documentary, “Move.” a film about Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, an African American dance group. It reinforced my view that Ted is someone whose empathy helps uncover the profound feelings of people who have real lives, loves, and losses. His meticulous filming and editing of the show impacted the way I looked at and thought about the personal struggles the members of the dance troupe might have. He was able to elicit details about the tragedy that almost destroyed the dance company when several members died from the ravages of AIDs, overcoming Kevin Iega Jeff’s reluctance to be interviewed. Nanci Race: Tell me how you developed your interest in filming people despite beginning your career as a photographer. How did you push past the fear of becoming a filmmaker? Theodore Collatos: I discovered that people are interesting when
Photograph “Man Sleeps”, by T. Collatos
you film them. You grab a moment and it's a subjective view so it has a certain type of surrealism but it’s about a real person having real emotions. A documentary is about life. I meet people and if they interest me I shoot some footage and it always turns out great. Although I’ve had several exhibits and my photos have been in various publications I grew frustrated with photography so I went into film. In the beginning my films were more experimental. They slowly progressed to “Tom Collins,” which has some experimental elements but it's really a drama, a story about people and character as opposed to experimental, which is more about images, emotion, and ideas and is more oriented toward visual arts. When I finish a documentary I immediately want to do a narrative and vice versa. Since childhood I've had a sensibility where I can draw, I can paint but I feel that I can do anything within the medium of film; a cheesy commercial or a horror film, a drama, or a documentary. NR: You primarily film documentaries and narratives. Why do both? Does it get confusing switching from one to the other? TC: No. Those two processes inform each other; dealing with actors as opposed to shooting and not speaking, because they're an inverted process. In a documentary you find the story in the editing process. With a narrative it's the opposite. You're making the story. As time goes by they both become better. In a documentary it's all about respecting the subject; like in an interview letting the person talk and getting him or her comfortable to talk and letting it go and there it is. It's the same with directing actors or non-actors. It's almost therapeutic. You create a level where they are safe
Continued on next page....
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THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2010 • 21
THEODORE COLLATOS
Members of MOVE, dance group still
Theodore Collatos shot by Julie McCarthy
and comfortable. It's satisfying emotionally and physically. The more films you do the more options you give people to watch. It's a different experience, like shooting "Move" for five years and trying to reconcile all these different ideas, making it visually interesting and making it flow and have a point by editing for more hours than I shot. However, “Tom Collins” is more like the classic 70s movies that are more socially dynamic presenting people as they are, rough around the edges or not. It’s more culturally relevant than a genre picture would be right now. Everything now is genre pictures, a spectacle; distracting culture. With “Tom Collins” I wanted it to resonate with those genre movies like "Fat City," "The Last Picture Show," or even a Herzog aesthetic.
NR: Tell me more about Deeply Rooted Theater’s documentary, “Move.” TC: That documentary took five years to make. Oftentimes documentaries take longer to make because they are harder to edit. With a narrative a lot of the time it involves telling the story. You tell it three times, you write it, you shoot it, you edit it. With a documentary it's about finding the story so it's an inverted process. Their head choreographer is Kevin Iega Jeff, who is a major figure in African American dance. Gary Abbott is his associate artistic director. I formed a relationship with the whole company. I thought this was a great opportunity to tell their story, which is uplifting, inspirational, and is a hard story too. Kevin Iega Jeff started his company when he was 18. It was
Pigeon Hug, photograph, Theodore Collatos
22 • THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2010
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called Jubilation and they were a phenomenon. In that time period, the 80s, there was a real interest in them. They went out into the world and became an internationally recognized company. But by the end of the 80s all the key men had died, which obviously impacted him. So Jeff took a little break for a period of time. Jubilation was all about African American ideas and dance and identity and establishing a foundation for African Americans. By then it was the 90s and things had changed. He created a mixed dance company in the tradition of African American dance. The media and the African American community in Chicago was upset that there were white people in the company. But that was part of his conflict at that time. So he walked away from that job and created Deeply Rooted. I feel that this documentary is a lot about what's in politics now; the progression in race relations and topics. Jeff obviously respects history but his ideas are about how we are here now and as a culture, as America, where are we going? It also touches on gay issues but not the generic drumbeat either. It's about the characters living real lives with their feet on the ground that you don't see in documentaries. Documentaries are often gender based; whoever is making it already knows what it is and is just making that happen. This is more organic; asking people questions about their lives. The people are different ages and it's a broad perspective on all those issues that surfaced in the 90s. It's a totally different take on African American issues, gay issues, multiculturalism, and that's what turned me on about it. NR: How do you decide who or what you want to do a documentary about? For example why did you decide to talk to Kevin Iega Jeff and his dance company? TC: They're chosen because they spark something. For instance I know and really respect Kevin Iega Jeff. He's a character, he's charismatic, and he’s where I want ideas to be so he's going to be a great subject. You have to be instinctual with art. Trust your film and go at it full force like a linebacker or something. Just do it. I have a timeline and my timeline is my life; what am I going to get
done in my life? I feel like I'm already behind because of opportunity, the venue, financial concerns and so forth. Looking back at the 90s, people were making films for a hundred thousand dollars and that was the lowest budget. They had clear vision and the movies had character but they cost about a hundred thousand dollars. How did that happen? Now it's streamlined almost back to where we were in the 50s. You're either born into it or you're part of the machine. The irony is that we have all these tools like this video camera but who's going to see it, someone clicking around on the Internet at 12 o'clock at night? That's not a cultural dialogue.
NR: Earlier when you refer to experimental do you mean like your film "The Chosen One?" I understand that was very controversial. What was the concept of the film and was it controversial because of the religious connotations? TC: "The Chosen One” was a lot about what was going on at the time and is still going on today; religion versus government versus science. It's in the style of an underground horror film. I held a free screening at the Cove Bowling Lanes in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It was kind of like a midnight movie. In the 70s they had a lot of alternative spaces where people could show films; bowling alleys, even art houses, which barely exist now. So, I thought it would be really cool to put on a free show for the community and have a good time. We expected a huge turnout so we needed chairs. We went to many local places to get folding chairs and eventually we went to a church. They agreed to give us some, but when they found out the name of the movie someone called the Cove to ask that the screening be shut down. Luckily the Cove management decided to have the show anyway.
NR: Other than the name which could signify religious entities did anyone give you any specific objections they had to the film? TC: The point of the name of the movie was a satire because of the idea of one person being "the chosen one" or the leader of everyone and not just in the religious sense. The leader in the movie is
Todd and Stephanie, photograph, Theodore Collatos
THEODORE COLLATOS
William Victor, film still, Pittsfield, MA
Matt Shaw- jail, film still, Pittsfield, MA
Theodore and Thomas Lowe
ing life and getting a character, which develops into an idea, then potentially meeting a person who can play that character and then making a movie.
Theodore Collatos calls this Metallica, still, Pittsfield, MA
a crazed doctor. His heart is in the right place, trying to forward science, but his methods are barbaric because it was in the 1900s. I was interested in early surgery and early surgical drawings. People would actually donate their pain for science. Now we have operations like heart surgery but the early heart surgery operations weren't very sophisticated or accomplished. The film was about myth and images, and archetypes. It wasn't supposed to be viewed in the literal sense.
NR: What was your initial feeling when you heard there was a group of people trying to shut down your film? TC: It just reiterated the tone of the country at the time where you can't say anything. I made this little movie for nothing. I didn't have a place to screen it, I threw a free screening and some people had a problem with that. It was just a little bit ridiculous. So I didn't really take it seriously.
NR: Do you think it was the tone of the country or the tone of the town? Great Barrington is a very small town that even though it's very progressive in many ways and very cultural, it still has a lot of fairly strict ideas of what most people deem acceptable. TC: I think most of this area is kind of provincial and that can be interesting. There are a lot of dynamics at work in the Berkshires that are culturally. . .You can't even really nail it down there are so many strands of people. But after that whole controversy I realized there were about four or five churches within a block. NR: Were you influenced by anyone in particular when you began filmmaking? TC: I can rattle off dozens of directors I studied really hard but at this point I have the tools to make the films and it's more about liv-
NR: Do you act in your own movies? TC: On occasion. I did in "The Chosen One." I'm not that kind of director where I have to be in the movies. I'm more visual and about cinematography and visual dynamics then potentially acting in the film. But I did in "The Chosen One" because it was a fun movie. It's not supposed to be a high drama.
NR: I understand that you and Carolina Monnerat, your wife, work together quite often. TC: Yes, she helps me produce the films and she has acted in several of them. She produced our documentary “Move.” She deals better with putting pieces together and fund raising, which is vital to this business. It's hard to do everything alone. I'm more the artistic director of our company and she manages the promotional aspect getting us known in the world. She takes care of all the public relations, which is probably more important than the film in this day and age.
NR: What is the biggest issue you face in getting a film made? TC: It's all very hard. There's no venue. People say the Internet; it's great. So now people are expecting filmmakers to make a film for free. Even at this level it takes hundreds of thousands of dollars and people want us to put it on the Internet for free for people to watch. There's a cultural shift that's not resolved yet. A lot of it is corporate controlled. I can barely get a film made and directors in the 70s just walked out of film school and made million dollar movies. The whole culture is slowing down. We need to jump forward and I don't see that happening in the next 20 years.
NR: Do you think that your films help open viewer’s eyes because the documentaries or narratives are all about people, their intelligence, and because they are very emotional, which makes everything else a non-issue? TC: I'm not trying to make a politically correct film all the time. "Move" just happens to be a very inspiring subject. But I've picked other subjects that are chaotic and almost frightening to watch. At the same time film needs to do that. It needs to have a point of view. It can't be for everyone. Everyone needs to come to "it" and understand why it exists in the culture, art, politics, all of that can't be streamlined like Coca Cola. It has to engage a dialogue to make
MOVE, Winston, film still
people think, to move people forward. Otherwise it's just a slick little book. I have my thoughts and opinions but my movies represent aesthetic ideas and characters that exist. Through the 90s, it was all about agenda documentaries. In the 60s and 70s there was a movement called direct cinema. That's when you take an image and let the character speak for himself and it's subjective. It is what it is and that's more powerful than interviewing someone about something that they are ready to talk about.
NR: How do you get people to care? What are you doing to get “Move” out there to the public? TC: You have to pay someone. So you have to raise money from people that do care. In March we're having a benefit at the Beacon Cinema in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. We'll show "Move" and hopefully raise money to get a sound mix. From there hopefully we can get a publicist. You have to engage in the machine or no one is going to see it. You don't just send a tape in the mail to South by Southwest or Cannes Film Festival or Sundance and expect someone to watch it. You have to get a publicist who says, "Hey, watch this film." Then the programmer watches it. It's all political. It's hard to get out there. NR: If it’s so difficult for you why keep doing it? Why make the films and push yourself to get money to make them and get noticed? TC: My main concern is doing it. As I said I have a life timeline so if I don't make films now I never will and then where am I? Even if I make one that's bad that's more valid then not doing it. You can spend your whole life looking for money or you can just scratch it together and make a film.
Theodore Collatos photography is available for purchase at the Great Exchange, 18 Main Street, West Stockbridge, MA 413232-9828. There will be a benefit screening of Move on April 12th at 7:30pm at The Beacon Cinema with Mayor Ruberto attending. The Beacon is located at 57 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201, 413- 358-4780. The Chosen One can be purchased at Best Buy, Target, Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. Trailers can be viewed at www.myspace.com/movemovie and www.myspace.com/filmthechosenone Other films including Dog Show can be viewed at www.myspace.com/theodorecollatos and will be screened at the Boston Cinema Census film festival in Harvard Square at the Brattle Theater in Boston, MA on March 6th, 2010.
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THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2010 • 23
Eye on Botswana:
Intimate Encounters with Southern African Wildlife
Photographs by John Lipkowitz February and March, 2010
Gallery at The Berkshire Gold and Silversmith 152 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA
FRONT ST. GALLERY Housatonic Mass.
Tuesday-Saturday 10:30 - 6:00 pm 413-528-0013
Lewis Scheffey
KATE KNAPP
Jaz in Kimono, 24x20
Martin
“ Portraits …All the people I loved to paint” 40 or more paintings, oils and watercolors, of men, women and children, friends, family and members of the community. Come see who’s here! Through April… Winter hours: By appointment or chance Monday, Wednesday and Thursday studio open for classes 9:30 am -1pm New students welcome
413-274-6607 • 413-429-7141 • 413-528-9546
WWW.KATEKNAPPARTIST.COM
24 • THE ARTFUL MIND
MARCH 2010 WWW.ARTFULMIND.NET
Lewis Scheffey, Blue Trees (cropped version)
Please visit Lew at his studio / house in Monterey, MA.
See his many oils, watercolors and drawings done over 40 years For appointment
413-528-6785