VENU #31 Summer 2016 by VENÜ MAGAZINE

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE

29 31

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CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE

Summer Issue_31

SPOTLIGHT

CMC Set To Occupy Historic Fort Hamilton

The Brown House by Eliot Noyes

New York Artist Turns Lens on Twisted Adventurers

The New Paintings of J. Steven Manolis

Katy Ferrarone and Her Exhibition, Mind Maps

STYLE

The Art of the Entrepreneur

EVENTS + GATHERINGS

ARCHITECTURAL INTERIORS: Reclaiming Antique Wood

26Â

ARCHITECTURE: The Morgan Library

Parties, Art Exhibitions & Activities

APPETITE

The Golden Palate: Donatello Restaurant Named Inaugural U.S. Platinum Member

FEARLESS CHEF: David Burke Unplugged

COCKTAIL CULTURE: Rudy Aguas

FEATURE

Greece: Part Two of a Modern Day Travel Odyssey

46 6

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Alejandro Vigilante, the I-ART Movement

The Floating Hospital is Celebrating 150 years

D E N A LY O N S CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

denalyonscouture.com

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE

Summer Issue_31

MOTORING

Lime Rock Park Historic Festival

PULSE

ART: Carole A. Feurerman, Sculptor, Artist

STAGE: Broadway: Up Close and Personal with Actor Tim Dolan

FILM + ENTERTAINMENT

70 “Miles Ahead” - Don Cheadle’s hotly anticipated biopic on the life and times of legendary jazz great Miles Davis.

DECORATIVE ARTS

ON THE BLOCK: Auction Highlights

ART + OBJECTS

Venü Magazine’s Marketplace for Fashion, Furniture, Lighting, Textiles, Jewelry, Art, Antiques and Accessories

GALLERY + MUSEUM GUIDE

Gallery and Museum Directory

64 8

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

SOCIETY

THE DAISY COLUMN: Miami Society, The Powerful, The Chic, The Unique

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

What happened to Spring? No sooner did we put the finishing touches on our last issue

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

than Summer came knocking with a rush of

If you’ve been a fan of ours for awhile, you know that we take pride in presenting original content and conversations about

talent that’s not only hotter than ever but that’s

pleasurable by doing what they do so well.

both emerging and established personalities,

incredibly collaborative as well. I’m talking the

It’s at the heart of their art.

stars who are in the spotlight and rising stars

likes of Chef David Burke, our cover story on

In the same spirit of sharing, we are

who deserve to have their names in lights,

page 40, who is cooking up an art-infused

excited to introduce a tasty new addition to

and humanitarians and heroes who make

culinary cache that is breaking all the molds

our Appetite section with a regular column by

selfless contributions to make the world a

on the foodie scene and pop artist Alejandro

David Burke on the art of food preparation

better place. We lost one of our heroes this

Vigilante who is brilliant at taking iconic

on page 40. Expect timely tips on making

past April, a World War II veteran whose

newsmakers and turning them into au courant

mouth-watering meals eye-candy perfect

story we proudly profiled in our Fall issue

Internet stars through a new art form he calls

and artfully creative. Then learn how to be

#25 when he was honored for his valor at the

I-Art. In fact, Alejandro used an illustration

the toast of the town with our new Cocktail

D-Day ceremonies in Normandy for the 70th

done by artist Charita Patamikakorn, titled

Culture column by master mixologist Rudy

Anniversary, June 2014. He was invited to

Albert “Whitey” Bumen, to create this issue’s

Aguas, stirring up some great cocktail conver-

return to France again this Memorial Day, to

custom cover, as well as the I-portrait of David

sations with his magazine debut on page 44.

be part of the June D-Day celebrations, so the

Burke seen here on this page. Read more

There’s more.

people whose lives he changed so long ago

about Alejandro’s work on page 52.

Look for surprisingly inventive, show

could thank him for his bravery on their behalf

This collaboration of artists embodies

stopping Venü events to pop up in a hot

once again. He didn’t make it back to those

what Venü is all about and is a theme you’ll

venue near you this year as we roll out our new

infamous beaches, but instead stands with the

find throughout our summer issue as our

POP-UP VENÜ events. We plan to showcase

spirits of the men who gave their lives for the

talented contributors share secrets of their

our featured™ artists in places where you can

freedom that we now enjoy.

success with our readers. Like all the stories

meet them, see their work and mingle with

That hero was my father, Robert E. Thomas.

we profile, their commitment to their craft

like-minded life enthusiasts. To stay in the

As someone who wholeheartedly believed in

underscores something else that is equally

know about our spontaneous soirees, sign up

helping others to make their lives better, he

impressive: a desire to make the world a

on our Ü-list at www.venumagazine.com or

embodies the theme of this issue of Venü. This

little more palatable, a bit more fun and

visit our Facebook page.

issue is dedicated to him.

Tracey Thomas Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Pop artist Alejandro Vigilante shares his colorful I-art palette with palatepleasing culinary artist David Burke in a custom portrait created exclusively for Venü Magazine.

p Publisher Tracey Thomas shared a lifetime of proud moments with her hero, Robert E. Thomas, affectionately known as “Dad.”

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHEIF Tracey Thomas CREATIVE DIRECTOR Nichole D’Auria FEATURES EDITOR Cindy Clarke

YOUR V.I.P. SOURCE TO...

...CONTEMPORARY CULTURE: art, travel, food & drink, music, film, stage, motoring, boating, architecture & design, style, and more

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FILM & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Peter J. Fox DECORATIVE ARTS EDITOR Matthew Sturtevant MARKET EDITOR Tiffany Dahlen FLORIDA CONTENT EDITOR Daisy Olivera COPY EDITORS Susan Sullivan, Marc J. Miller CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Susana Baker, Jennifer Bangser, Fred Bollaci, Jeff Blumenfeld, Devika Boodhoo, Jennifer Butler, Cindy Clarke, Tiffany Dahlen, Phillip James Dodd, Peter Fox, Marianne Brunson Frisch, Bruce Helander, Janet Langsem, Daisy Olivera, Deb Karazin Owens, Kathleen Reckling, William Squier, Matthew Sturtevant, Linda Wolk-Simon PUBLISHING PARTNER Circle TPR NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Susie Earls VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Lauren Stever INTERN Gabriella Gonzalez Tiffany Visconti (Photography) LEGAL COUNSEL Alan Neigher, Sheryle Levine (Byelas & Neigher, Westport, CT) DISTRIBUTION Thomas Cossuto, Man In Motion, LLC OFFICE 840 Reef Road, 2nd Floor, Fairfield, CT 06824 ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@venumagazine.com EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTION editorial@venumagazine.com SUBSCRIPTIONS subscribe@venumagazine.com

At its core, VENÜ is about giving Ü insight to all that’s original and inspirational. venumagazine.com 12

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THE SMALL PRINT: No responsibility can be taken for the quality and accuracy of the reproductions, as this is dependent upon the artwork and material supplied. No responsibility can be taken for typographical errors. The publishers reserve the right to refuse and edit material as presented. All prices and specifications to advertise are subject to change without notice. The opinions in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Copyright VENÜ Magazine. All rights reserved. The name VENÜ Magazine is copyright protected. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted without written consent from the publisher. VENÜ Magazine does not accept responsibility for unsolicited material. This is a quarterly publication and we encourage the public, galleries, artists, designers, photographers, writers (calling all creative’s) to submit photos, features, drawings, etc., but we assume no responsibility for failure to publish submissions.

SPOTLIGHT

CMC Set To Occupy Historic Fort Hamilton An Authentic, Military Inspired Obstacle Course Race Unlike Any Other. Written by ELENI ROSELLI

Promoting a lifestyle of athleticism, community and patriotism since

Its 2016 race series begins September 9th and 10th at the historic

2011, Civilian Military Combine is an authentic hybrid obstacle course

Fort Hamilton base in Brooklyn, New York. A two-day event, CMC Fort

event and home of The PIT™. What makes it unique is its combination

Hamilton will include a private corporate team-building day on September

of obstacle course race plus a WOD (Work Out of the Day) style strength

9th, with the official general public launch on September 10th.

element, that occurs prior to the beginning of the race inside The PIT™.

Located in the heart of Brooklyn overlooking NY Harbor and the

The exercises are simple universal movements that all athletes

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Fort Hamilton is the only active military base

can relate to. Participants can choose which division they want to

in the city of NY. It was from this location that an American battery fired

compete in based on their fitness level, Alpha (body weight), Bravo

cannons at an approaching British naval convoy on July 4, 1776, at the

(kettle bell) or Charlie (bar bell). They must do as many repetitions as

start of the American Revolution. The area also took part in sea defenses

possible of each of the three exercises in their chosen division within

during the War of 1812 and Fort Hamilton became the first National

five minutes. From there, they go on to an exhilarating five mile, 25+

Guard training camp in 1839. Today, it is a Base Support Installation

military grade obstacle course race that’s been carefully created, refined

for the greater New York City area, playing a major role in coordinating

and reviewed by the top strength and conditioning coaches from the

disaster relief efforts, and was a base camp for first responders during

CrossFit community, the United States Armed Forces and the Obstacle

9/11. It also serves members of the military, their family, and over 70,000

Course World Championship Race Director.

veterans in the New York City Metropolitan Area.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

CMC’s private corporate event on Friday, September 9th, is

area who will get to run the event alongside those men and women in

designed as a way for corporations to say THANK YOU to our military

uniform whose service we honor and to whom our Corporate Partners

and first responders and build camaraderie among their associates.

support with their donations.”

15 corporate teams will have the opportunity to sign up. Each team

Topping off the event will be an exciting after-race pool party

will consist of 25 corporate associates that will “sponsor” and be

planned at Fort Hamilton for both dates. The pool party festivities

paired with 25 military/first responders at no cost to the military/

will include music/DJ & entertainment, food and beverages, a cash

first responders. It’s a chance for corporations to give back while

bar at the Officers Club, hot showers and a swag bag with great

having fun, providing a “free” race worth up to $75,000 for our service

giveaways. The September 9th party is open to all private corporate

member participants. A charity contribution will also be made by CMC

event participants, while the September 10th party is an exclusive $75

to MWR (Fort Hamilton Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation)

add-on to a race or spectator ticket purchase.

to support their network of quality services that enhance the lives of soldiers, civilians, families and military retirees.

CMC will be announcing other special venue events as part of its 2016

Richard Rosa, CMC’s Managing Partner said, “CMC is proud of the

program, including Flagstaff, Arizona, on October 1, 2016, with many

fact that our event is military inspired. Our Corporate Day gives us an

more planned in 2017 as it grows its nationwide footprint. Visit www.

opportunity to share our inspiration with teams from the NYC-Metro

CMCrace.com for tickets, updates and additional information. CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

The Brown House by Eliot Noyes Authentic Mid-Century Vision Embracing Today’s Technology and Materials. Written by MICAELA PORTA Photography by MICHAEL BIONDO Drawn by New Canaan’s bucolic setting and proximity to New

residence. In 2003, Prutting and architect Joeb Moore maintained

York, a group of iconoclastic architects gathered here in the 1940s

the original 1950 footprint while adding a second story.

and 1950s to build a series of residential structures that promoted

Acknowledging Noyes’s vision, Moore’s design was directed by the

simplicity, openness, and a reverence for nature. Among them were

Bauhaus principle of form following function. Bedrooms were moved

the distinguished modernists who later became known as the Harvard

to the second floor and the house’s public spaces—formal living and

Five: Philip Johnson, Landis Gores, John Johansen, Marcel Breuer,

dining rooms and kitchen—gracefully flow from one to the other on

and Eliot Noyes.

the first floor. The lower level, in a pure Noyes spirit of nature and

Noyes was considered the pioneer of corporate design, and his

home being one, still opens to the landscape through glass doors and

position working for such titans as IBM and Mobil Oil provided a

glass walls, inviting the outside in. It accommodates a family room,

platform for promoting his vision of good design. His work, together

guest room, playroom, and storage area. Floating stairs connect all

with the Harvard Five, has left an enduring legacy of Modern archi-

three levels. Natural materials such as wood and stone add warmth,

tecture that lives on today.

and expansive use of glass defines the proportions of the spaces.

Echoing that important legacy is the Brown House by Eliot Noyes,

Current owners Johan and Kristen Eveland bought the house in

inspired by Noyes’s original design but thoughtfully updated to

2004. Noyes had added a pool and cabana in 1962, since restored

accommodate current lifestyles. Commissioned by Tracy W. Brown in

with maximum authenticity. Alan Goldberg, an associate of Eliot Noyes,

1950, Noyes designed a structure that played with efficiency, simplicity,

was commissioned in the early 1980s to add a two-bedroom pool/

and transparency. Today, built in the footprint of the Brown House

guest house, which was renovated in 2005 under Amanda Martocchio’s

with elements true to Noyes’s original design, the Brown House fluidly

supervision. The fully renovated guest house includes 2 bedrooms, a

combines past and present, public and private, interior and exterior.

kitchen, and living room. “Friends who visit . . . see the beauty and

In 1998, builder David Prutting bought the Brown House for his

reflect on the light and brightness and find it inspiring. It is a space that feels elegant and natural,” says Kristen. Reed Hilderbrand and Associates was hired to extensively landscape the 2.8-acre property, resulting in a breathtaking, peaceful, retreat-like site enveloping this luxurious midcentury house and its outer buildings. 81 Cross Ridge Road, New Canaan, CT. Offered at $7,995,000 with Fatou Niang 212.961.7428 and Inger Stringfellow 203.321.9361 of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty. ( www.81CrossRidge.com )

SPOTLIGHT

“Misfit Explorers” Never Discovered Anything New York Artist Turns Lens on Twisted Adventurers Written by JEFF BLUMENFELD

They are the sorriest looking adventurers you can imagine. One, a bi-polar explorer, has a sunburned nose and cockeyed look of disbelief. Lyle of Arabia looks like he survived the desert on a diet of Krispy Kreme donuts. They’re both part of an art project by New Yorker Allison Leach called, “Misfit Explorers,” a series of photographs depicting fictitious

Clockwise: Shy Savage, Lyle of Arabia, Lord Chester Greed, Bi-Polar Explorer, Hardscabble Hattie

explorers who never got anywhere nor found anything. The images are based on reenactments of a mixture of actual failed explorers (Scott, Livingstone), amalgamations of incompetent historical expeditions (Franklin Expedition, Donner Party), and fantastical disasters of Leach’s own whimsy. “My constructed photographs examine both the hubris of Western

These days, Leach, a former People Magazine contributing photog-

exploration and, reflexively, the power of photography itself,” she says.

rapher, has traded her life of shooting celebrities for the far more

Her project dates back to 1999, when Leach, now 53, visited the

rewarding one of photographing apes in the wild and advocating

Shackleton exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. Expe-

for their conservation.

dition photographer Frank Hurley’s pictures of Antarctic adventurers

Not to be outdone by Victorian dilettantes, in 2013 she volunteered

filled the walls. Hurley’s glass plate negatives inspired Leach to ask:

at a chimpanzee sanctuary deep in the African bush for three months

“What happened to all the explorers that never got anywhere nor

to minister to a paralyzed chimpanzee named Arvid. That began her

found anything?” She tells Venu, “During the Heroic Age of Exploration, around the turn of the twentieth century, photography was used by Western explorers as an ethnographic tool to document what they viewed as the exotic and ‘primitive’ natives they encountered on their travels.” Leach continues, “These photographs were seen as evidence of

new career in primate rehabilitation. In 2014, she volunteered for four months in Borneo providing enrichment to an orangutan stroke victim named Hocky. This summer she plans to volunteer for three months in the Congo (DRC) with a bonobo project. “By exploring the limits of my comfortable middle-class ‘comfort

the superiority of the West, and thus paved the way for the ultimate

zone,’ learning new cultures and livelihoods, and most importantly,

exploitation of indigenous natural resources and subjugation of what

empathizing with our closest living relatives, I have discovered a

were thought of as ‘inferior’ peoples.” Conversely, the explorers must have seemed completely absurd

new passion and mission, which is far bigger than myself and any celebrity ego.”

and bizarre to the indigenous peoples they were “discovering.” Leach believes her photographs create the fantasy of explorers being “discovered” themselves, offering evidence of the illegitimacy

For more information: www.allisonleachprojects.com

of foreign conquest and the nonsensical notion of cultural hegemony.

About the Author: Jeff Blumenfeld, a frequent contributor to

“By turning the lens around onto my incompetent, invading

Venu Magazine, is editor of ExpeditionNews.com, and author of an

explorers, and using their same cold, analytical ethnographic-style

adventure sponsorship book titled, Get Sponsored: A Funding Guide

of photography, I expose our Western imperialistic ambitions to

for Explorers, Adventurers, and Would-Be World Travelers (Skyhorse

scrutiny and ridicule.”

Publishing, 2014). CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT

Following In Masterful Footsteps: The New Paintings of J. Steven Manolis Written by BRUCE HELANDER

2 1. Exterior of at the artist’s studio with custom made neon sign above the front door 2. Blue Land Splash, 2015, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 96 in., 2 panels 60 x 48 in. each (framed 62.5 x 98.5 in.) 3. Main interior gallery space at the artist’s studio in the Lemon City neighborhood of Miami 4. Bruce Helander with J. Steven Manolis, in front of the artist’s painting Redworld Glaze, 2015, acrylic on canvas, quadriptych, 96 x 120 in.

Photograph by Alex Vignoli

Since the evolution of humankind there always has been a natural

Colorfield Painting, ( a.k.a. The New York School) exploded onto

impulse to express oneself, whether it was dancing around a camp

the art scene after World War II with its characteristic non-narrative

fire, weaving blankets, beating a drum, or scratching narrative scenes

gestures and an energetic application of paint. The seed was sown

on cave walls. As the tools of the pre-fine art trade became more

for Abstract Expressionism to germinate long enough with intensive

sophisticated and horsehair brushes replaced sticks dipped in mud,

exploration, bursting through an imaginary boundary of tradition into

artists expanded their dimension of creativity by articulating their

a completely fresh visual experience, and followed an innovative way

surroundings into visual compositions that were limited to still-lifes,

of manipulating paint. This new form of Gestural Abstraction, which

landscapes and portraiture. For hundreds of years, painters of all

inherited its name because its brushstrokes revealed the artist’s process,

persuasions followed the same traditional formula of painting, often

a development that became the subject of the art itself.

practicing their craft by assisting a prominent painter (hence “the

Early on, most of the pioneering Abstract Expressionists lived in

school of Rembrandt”) and polishing their skills at the same time.

New York and met to discuss art at the Cedar Tavern in Greenwich

Other than producing a variety of hand-painted narrative pictures

Village, which gave the movement its geographical designation of

that depicted actual interior or external scenes from their rural or

The New York School. Some of these struggling artists met through

urban environments, there simply were no options to depart from a

the Depression era WPA (Works Progress Administration), and others

set of standard acceptable rules. Then along came Pablo Picasso and

met through Hans Hofmann, the master of the “push-pull” school of

Georges Braque, who began to test the limits of painting by abstracting

Cubism and who taught many artists to paint with an emphasis on

recognizable imagery into geometric components called Cubism, and

color, including the great American painter Wolf Kahn.

for the first time, painting started to change from formal principles

But rather than follow the tame, brush-applied methods from the Old

into an energetic risk-taking recipe that often was controversial and

School, these young bohemians invented new ways to utilize paint in

misunderstood. Next were the Impressionists, who manipulated line

a dramatic and experimental manner. Jackson Pollock became known

and color into a novel, visual vocabulary that opened up many doors

as “Jack the Dripper” because of his drip-and splash technique that

of experimentation and creativity, which continued to preoccupy artists

landed upon a canvas laid out on the floor. This was the first time in

with ambitions to make something new.

history that a painting was constructed without using a brush resting on

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Photograph by Alex Vignoli

Photograph by Luiz Olazabal

and drive that were a common denominator among the early pioneers of this gestural style. His work certainly follows the basic concept of this completely American painterly invention, but he has developed Photograph by Alex Vignoli

a confident twist to his compositions that successfully push a sacred envelope long dormant from the first and second generation of abstract expressionists.

the surface of a canvas, dependent on convenient surprises, a bouquet

At the recent inaugural opening of “Manolis Projects” in Miami

of accidents and a new abstract language that seemed to collide in a

there was an unusual electricity in the air that may have come from

symphony of gestures and inventive colors.

the fashionable crowd of collectors and fellow artists present and from

J. Steven Manolis, the Miami-based painter whose star seems

the huge custom made neon sign installed over the entrance to his

to be rising faster than any other living abstract artist, is following

massive studio that couldn’t be missed. After this memorable event

this great honored tradition by creating huge ambitious canvases

came to a close, the 200 guests began somewhat reluctantly to exit the

that, like Pollock’s, employ an unconventional treatment of paint

studio but the real not-so-secret visual energy continued to crisscross

without a recognizable subject that tends toward brilliantly colored,

back and forth between the walls like an oversized bass thumping out

amorphous shapes. In his remarkable 5,000 square foot studio in

a magical rhythm. The painterly concert was over but the extraordinary

Lemon City, a new artists’ neighborhood in Miami, Manolis has the

vibes enjoyed by the guests continued into the night, while painter J.

working space, the burning ambition, singular voice, art education

Steven Manolis continues to march to the beat of his own drummer.

(he studied color with Wolf Kahn for decades) and inherent talent to develop memorable artworks that are completely unique in their distinctive fashion of combining dripping, smearing, slathering, staining and splashing into a provocative professional formula that is completely fresh and simply unforgettable. Manolis has somehow inherited and assimilated the unique qualities

About the author: Bruce Helander is an artist who writes on art. He is a frequent contributor to national publications such as The Huffington Post. He is the former Provost of the Rhode Island School of Design and a former White House Fellow of the National Endowment for the Arts. He recently was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT

Local Roots, Global Practice: Katy Ferrarone and Her Exhibition, Mind Maps at Southport Galleries Written by DANIELLE OGDEN

Katy Ferrarone’s paintings are meditations. Each form on the canvas is a reflection of fleeting thoughts, a map of where her mind travels in the moment. For her first solo gallery exhibition in the United States, Singapore based artist, Ferrarone returns to her childhood environs of Fairfield County, Connecticut to debut a new series of work entitled, Mind Maps. While working at the newly opened National Gallery, Singapore I met Katy and her expat family and immediately recognized the influence of her eclectic Joo Chiat neighborhood in her color, texture and process. The district’s Chinese and Malay traditions offer a charming mix of the old and new and a palette of rich designs and color. Ferrarone finds inspiration in the myriad of local undertones from the street graffiti or a vendor’s patterned batik fabric to a building’s vibrant tiles or peeling paint. With all the color and cacophony of this stimuli, her approach

DO: What is your working process like?

always returns to the traditional practices and theories of Mindfulness.

KF: I begin with meditation and introspection, which is where I draw

The artist’s focus begins with a clearing of the mind--while simultaneously

inspiration for colors and form. From there, I build mood boards of

surveying her inner psyche--which is expressed on canvas in sweeps

color, shape, and design--a practice I relied on when I was working as

of color and interconnected forms.

a fashion designer -- literally, pulling together real-world examples of

I am flattered and delighted by the opportunity to work with Katy

my inspiration (of which there are countless in Singapore!) I typically

in curating her show at Southport Galleries, Southport, Connecticut. In

immerse myself in the work for extended periods – often working for

preparation for the installation, Ferrarone spoke to me about her early

six to eight hours straight. This form of meditation and inspiration

passion for art, her process and the unique inspiration found from living

typically begins with one color. I iterate from there, mixing more color

as an ex-pat in Hong Kong and Singapore. Here is what this beautiful

and form to achieve the affect I’m after. I go through a lot of paint and

emerging artist had to say:

canvas, but when I stay with this process, the work becomes stronger.

Danielle Ogden: Why do you do what you do?

DO: How has your practice changed over time?

Katy Ferrarone: I cannot imagine my life without making art. The times

KF: As a teenager, I thrived on how realistic I could draw an image.

when I haven’t been able to create work have been a true struggle

As an undergraduate at Syracuse University, I began to develop my

for me. Art is my way of not only expressing myself but it is key to

own point of view when I studied theory and American painters from

quieting my mind.

Robert Ryman to Mark Rothko. I realized then while working, I went into a trance (what I later realized was a meditation of sorts). I began to

DO: What is one of your earliest memories as an artist?

study the artist Agnes Martin who served as my “voice” before I found

KF: I can remember finding a book on the Artist, Helen Frankenthaler

my own. When yoga and meditation came into my life I deepened

in my public school library. As any kid would do in the eighties, when I

my practice and understanding of mindfulness and my work became

found out that she lived in my hometown I looked her up in the phone

a direct reflection of that. I struggled for a few years to marry the two,

book and called her. The phone rang and rang and she never picked

ultimately producing the body of work for the exhibition at Southport

up. I think I tried calling for a few years straight. Her color palettes still

Galleries, Mind Maps. The title of the show is a direct reflection of what

inspire me today.

the work represents –a map of my mindfulness practice.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Photographs courtesy of Casandra Harding-Whatman DO: And what is your state of mind when painting? KF: No matter what is going on in my everyday life, my state of mind when I’m painting is calm, content, absent of fears, grateful and--simply put--blissful. Sometimes, when I finish a painting, I can barely remember where I started. DO: Prior to moving to Singapore, where you have lived for over two years, you lived Hong Kong; how has this period of living in Asia as an expat influenced your work over the past six years? KF: Moving to Hong Kong was one of the most wonderful things to ever happen to our family for the happiness we have experienced living and traveling in Southeast Asia. Most of all, moving here has made me a more confident, honest and experimental artist. Whenever one is exposed to new sights, sounds, smells, landscapes and people, you

bright orange duct tape I found at the hardware store or from a pair

can’t help but change for the better and be more open to change in

of suede yellow shoes.

yourself. My eyes are more open, my heart has grown exponentially and my tastes have changed entirely. I never understood the love of spicy

DO: What is the most indispensable item in your studio?

food for instance, until I had my first true Indian Curry and Szechuan

KF: My sons love letter, my husband’s love letter, my turquoise mala

Chinese food. What a rare opportunity to learn the true beauty of the

beads given to me by a former yoga student and client of mine from

Buddhist culture living next to a devout Buddhist here in Singapore.

CT. Iridescent paint from Golden Paints, new paintbrushes (because

I’ve learned so much from the people from all over the world that I’ve

I’m horrible at keeping them clean), paper palettes (because I make

come to know and love. We all feel lucky to have been exposed to

big messes), podcasts and music.

this colorful part of the world. DO: What can you tell me about your new series of work at DO: What themes and inspiration do you find yourself constantly

Southport Galleries? What does this exhibition mean to you?

coming back to?

KF: Two years in the making, Mind Maps is a true labor of love and my

KF: I come back to trying to create beauty-- to create a work that

most intimate work to date. It began with one large painting, with just

speaks to making someone feel at peace or simply happy. I find

three colors. I couldn’t believe something with such a simple palette

inspiration from my full life: from a baby boy’s hair color, to a new

could be a finished product for me. I began on a journey of digging deeper emotionally and with my meditation practice and my daily goal to live mindfully, the work began to appear authentically. My medium is acrylic with the occasional use of inks for drawing. I use Golden Brand paint, which provides me beautiful pigments and iridescent, as well as amazing glazes. The titles of the works are an expression of where my mind may have been throughout the making of the work. The opportunity to show at Southport Galleries is a coming home of sorts. I was born near-by in Westport and was raised in Darien, Connecticut. After University, I loved teaching art at Greens Farms Academy in Westport until marriage and life led me away from the area. I returned to have my first two sons in Fairfield and to teach Yoga at Kaia Yoga in Westport. We are so happy to be spending the summer here and enjoying all things “local” while reconnecting with all of our family and friends. Mind Maps will feature a selection of works by Katy Ferrarone from over the past two years. The opening exhibition of Mind Maps will be held on Friday, June 24 from 5:00 – 8:00PM at Southport Galleries, 330 Pequot Ave Southport, CT, and will be on view from June 24 through August 20.

About the author: Danielle Ogden recently served as Senior Manager of Adult Learning at National Gallery Singapore and is currently Associate Director, Academic Programs at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield CT. She holds an MA in Art History from Boston University and an Ed.M from Harvard University.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT

The Art of the Entrepreneur Are They Born That Way, or are They Made? Written by CINDY CLARKE

Twins Sharon Whiteley (on right in above photo and on left in photo at right) and Sheila Shechtman (on left in above photo and on right in photo at right) share more than their identical looks. They both grew up to be prolific entrepreneurs with a legacy of successful business ventures to their credit.

Photograph courtesy of echostramaker.com

As a contemporary culture magazine that celebrates dreamers who

A business builder, author, speaker, and founding CEO of Listen Brands,

become doers, we’re passionate about passion. We thrive on the

her 6th company launch in half as many decades, Sharon has made it

excitement of discovering a new talent or rediscovering an iconic one,

her business to introduce the next best market-worthy product before

giving equal time to the stars who have made it to the top and those

anyone else has a clue they need it. With several high profile notches

whose stars are rising. Our conversations with them are ultimately

on her belt – think Boston and Faneuil Hall’s specialty pushcarts, retail

personal, uniquely unscripted, and always motivated by the desire to

boutiques on wheels she rolled out back in the 70s and still moving

have what they’re having and take a peek at the world through their

into the spotlight today… get your mind around the first ever printed

eyes. What drives them has made cars fly, bodies knot, art speak and

motivational sayings that made pillows talk and cards write their own

endless other entrepreneurial feats of heart and mind that we’ve profiled

thought-provoking, positive messages… imagine shoes that heal as

in Venü that truly change the way people live. Which begs the question:

people heel… and pure silver cloths that kill germs, smiting countless

are entrepreneurs born that way or are they made?

microbes with every reusable swipe. Sharon is one of those can-do

We took our query to Sharon Whiteley and her identical twin sister, Sheila, and her family of entrepreneurs, Rachel and Jenny Shechtman. 22

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

people who actually does what she envisions by putting her groundbreaking ideas to work.

Sharon Whiteley literally walks her talk with feel good products like her proprietary grounding shoes, pluggz™, that are good for people body, mind and “sole.”

Photographs courtesy of echostarmaker.com

By definition, Sharon is, on all counts, a serial entrepreneur. And so is her twin, Sheila Shechtman whose two daughters, Rachel and Jenny, have followed suit and already taken the streets and media of Manhattan by storm with their breakout business, STORY. Having that entrepreneurial gene is unequivocally a family affair. When asked to elaborate on the question, Sharon says she sees it as a bell curve. “On one end of the spectrum are those that no

“We never set out to create an enterprise but we’d get tapped on the shoulder, stirred in the gut, and our hearts would go to our brains.”

matter how many business degrees or mentoring, they will never look at entrepreneurial life through the finely calibrated lenses needed or have the iron clad stomachs to persevere in the face of adversity,” she adds. “Then there are those in the middle, who, if they have a credible

“From there on out life was serendipity,” Sheila recalls. “We never

business plan, develop the needed skill sets, and have resources, they

set out to create an enterprise but we’d get tapped on the shoulder,

will flourish. At the other end of the spectrum are those that just can’t

stirred in the gut, and our hearts would go to our brains. The lure was

live their lives any other way.” It’s in this family’s DNA, answering the

irresistible, irrefutable and as seductive as sirens luring sailors.”

question I posed regarding nature versus nurture.

For Sharon it manifested in a number of never-seen-before home

Sheila, whose business legacy played out in irresistibly packaged

runs that were immediate hits out of the gate. In addition to those now

gourmet gift baskets and artisan chocolate, concurs. “We grew up in

iconic specialty push carts and the motivational message cards and

an entrepreneurial family,” she told me. “Our dad worked long hours

“positive aging” gift category created in her first company, Peacock

so we didn’t see him at home much,” she remembers, adding that

Papers, some of those included being the first to merchandise bulk

she and Sharon first worked in the family department store at age

candy in Plexiglas cylinders in retail stores, creating the multi-million

13 filing dressmaking patterns and also getting a firsthand view of

dollar metalized confetti category for the party industry and colorful

the transactional side of business. “But Thursday nights were strictly

accordion-like recycleable paper stuffings, now a packaging staple.

reserved for family and dinners were never missed by any of us.” It was

Others included the first online Ivy League job fair and Personals site for

during one of these roundtables that the twins witnessed something in

Baby Boomers during earlier online venture days. Those and a number

their father that resonates with all true entrepreneurs: the absolute joy

more firsts followed – along with co-authoring a book targeted to

of coming up with a great idea, building it and making it a success. One

helping woman turn their passions into businesses and co-creating the

of their father’s pioneering Eureka moments came with his discovery

first angel funding network for women, 8 Wings Ventures. Most recently,

and subsequent import of a then unknown fabric from Finland, called

she’s stepped out, literally, with her revolutionary new “grounding”

Marimekko, that would not only burst into the textile scene with a

shoes called pluggz™, along with reinventing a modern day pushcart

brilliance not seen before, but one that today retains strong brand

in the form of a pluggzmobile to transport her comfortable footwear to

recognition around the world.

a reinvigorated version of a home party which she calls “social selling.”

While Sharon and Sheila never had any big plans or conscious desire to go into business on their own growing up, they both created

And she’s co-authored another soon-to-be published book to help everyone, entrepreneurs included, get and stay grounded.

opportunities right after college where their inherent entrepreneurial

Sheila is similarly gifted. Her first on the job experiences focused

genes kicked in. They not only formed businesses of their own, they

on advertising and photography, along with the gourmet food

created the innovative concepts and products behind them. Passion

merchandising techniques she mastered during an apprenticeship at

was a key driver.

the flagship of fine food boutiques, Dean & DeLuca, in the late 1970s CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT

This Page: To say that Sheila Shechtman is gifted is just part of the story. She has spent her professional career innovatively packaging branded marketing visions that speak volumes about her clients’ brands. Opposite Page: Fourth generation entrepreneurs sisters Jenny (left) and Rachel (right) Shechtman are writing their own entrepreneurial tale with their breakout retail phenomena called STORY, changing the way today’s consumers shop.

They not only formed businesses of their own, they created the innovative concepts and products behind them. Passion was a key driver.

While fun and fulfilling, being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. It takes persistence, determination, dedication and a doggedness that separates the risk takers from the safety seekers. Belief in an idea and a vision sustains them. Fear is not a factor. And a lack of money? Sharon chimes in, “you’ll hear many an entrepreneur say there have been days they’ve ‘hung over the edge by a fish line with passion and tenacity their only capital and fuel.” Defying the laws of gravity is par for the course. There’s a particularly distinct difference for entrepreneurs in this family that suggests genetic mapping is at hand. They are not followers, or

during their early hey-day years in New York’s SoHo district when they

just motivated to create their own businesses. That gene they were

first introduced their high-end edibles with a panache not before seen

born with enables them to give birth to brand new ways of doing things,

in the food world. Her eye-candy vision and penchant for experiential

new products, and new concepts that all have become game-changers.

marketing led her to open and successfully run a suburban gourmet

Take Rachel Shechtman’s retail phenomena she calls “STORY,” a

emporium Nanshe’s, for more than a decade, before being further

2,000 sq. ft. brick and mortar space in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood

inspired to launch her own corporate branding and specialty custom

that has the point of view of a magazine, merchandised content that is

gift basket business that later turned into a large wholesale operation.

displayed like a gallery, changed every four to eight weeks, and sold like

While coming up with the idea for a business came to her easily, the

a store. The idea behind her breakout concept was further ignited by her

financing did not. She was turned down for a loan by 10 banks that

role as a natural-born matchmaker. This fourth generation self-starter is

called her a “housewife from the suburbs” whose business would fail.

the consummate networker, building a career out of matching brands

The 11th bank she went to came through. This initial venture fueled

to consumers and integrating marketing, merchandising and business

her passion and the profits enabled her to launch two more integrated

development strategies in one cohesive enterprise. Her vision for

promotional branding businesses Giftcorp and Gifted Expressions. Like

cultivating new ideas and brands is what also makes STORY unique.

many entrepreneurial pursuits, what started as a basement business

After wrapping up a partnership with her mother in Giftcorp, Jenny

evolved into a multi-million dollar corporation whose elite and long-

Shechtman was recruited to work in tandem with her sister, keeping

standing clients read like a who’s who of the Fortune 50, among them

the stories going and seamlessly handling the operational side of the

premiere car makers Mercedes Benz, Jaguar, Audi and BMW followed

business with the grace under fire calm that’s inherent in successful

by retail giants like 1-800-Flowers, Costco, Saks 5th Avenue, FTD,

entrepreneurial ventures. Without this operating glue, no ever-changing

Neiman Marcus and others who outsourced many of their distinct

venture can sustain itself, let alone soar. It takes an entrepreneurial

gourmet gifting SKUS to her company. In addition to being the first

mind along with the self-same fortitude to operate at STORY. It is

to package customized marketing solutions in creative “keepsake-

not a traditional business model nor business structure, and not for

oriented” containers, Sheila’s insistence on top quality – from product

the faint at heart.

to execution – kept her top of mind for discriminating businesses. Most

Rachel thrives on connecting things with people and always has.

recently she was tapped to be CEO and to transform and turn-around a

“Always full of new ideas, it’s not in her to let a missed opportunity go

heritage chocolate company, while continuing to run her own business,

by,” her mom adds. Her intuition for new and timely products has

a double duty role that die-hard entrepreneurs assume as second nature.

grown business for everyone she connects, especially through STORY.

Not surprisingly, she exceeded expectations in spades.

Coveted corporate sponsorships for new in-store content launches,

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

That gene they were born with enables them to give birth to brand new ways of doing things, new products, and new concepts that all have become game-changers.

Photograph courtesy of STORY

including American Express, Target, and Pepsi, numbering 28 at press

delight, while promoting her clients’ company brands and satisfying

time, have more than tripled since the concept store first opened in

a consumer need. Sharon’s products are all irresistible conversation

2011 and attract an ever-growing impressive flow of real-time consumers

starters with a promise and delivery on making consumers get and

through their doors. Eschewing the online sales today’s retailers shoot

feel better. Rachel and Jenny are all about showcasing products,

for, STORY goes for the person-to-person marketing experience that

content and people that deserve their shot at fame and bringing

has fallen by the wayside in our virtual world, building community

joy to their always-delighted visitors. Dream makers, they take the

along the way.

risks and consumers relish the rewards.

Which is another key character trait of these entrepreneurial women:

Whether through the hard-earned, hands-on advice Sharon shared

delivering goods that are not only good for consumers, but are good

in her book, The Old Girls Network or the delectable team-bonding

for building and nourishing consumers as a whole. The gourmet gift baskets Sheila created through Gifted Expressions and Giftcorp were designed to foster group interaction and shared

brands Sheila built for clients or the possibilities and in-store debuts storytellers Rachel and Jenny offer budding entrepreneurs with new ideas, they believe in believing in others. It’s in their blood.

Ever-changing themed merchandising vignettes at STORY in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood celebrate new ideas and noteworthy brands to connect consumers with content in extraordinarily engaging debuts.

Photograph courtesy of STORY

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

EVENTS + GATHERINGS

FCBUZZ

Jennifer Bangser Director of Marketing & Public Relations Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum Celebrates its 50th Anniversary The historical significance of the LockwoodMathews Mansion is well known throughout the world. Featured in A&E’s documentary, America’s Castles, this magnificent example of Victorian era architecture and décor is both a National Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. Built from 1864-1868, the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion is regarded as one of the earliest and most significant Second Empire Style country houses ever built in the United States. This landmark’s imposing presence has also deeply penetrated Pop culture: from appearing in Partridge Family’s comic books, to the 1970s House of Dark Shadows movie, to both of Hollywood’s sci-fi, Stepford Wives, the Mansion and its celebrated architecture are truly known to millions.

Photo by Sarah Grote Mansion featured in Partridge Family comic

LeGrand Lockwood was one of America’s first millionaire financiers, a railroad baron and chairman of the NY Stock Exchange. An avid art collector and the personification of a new American aristocracy, LeGrand made sure that his mansion would stand out from all other grand summer residences built during or shortly after the Civil War era. It was the first “chateuesque-style” house ever erected in the United States and a technological marvel of its time: it had indoor hot and cold plumbing, gas lighting, ventilation, and a central heating system that burned one ton of coal a day. Not even President Lincoln’s White House was as advanced.

Photo by David Scott Parker Above: Birds Eye view of the Lockwood Mathews Mansion, Left: Lockwood Mathews Mansion Library and Conservatory

After skyrocketing into über-wealth stratosphere, LeGrand Lockwood lost his fortune in the stock market crash of 1869. Following his untimely death, Mrs. Lockwood lost the house to foreclosure, which was purchased by Charles D. Mathews in 1876, remaining in the Mathews family until 1941. The Mansion was acquired by the City of Norwalk for use as a park but by the early 1960s, it was in danger of being torn down for urban renewal, as had many other 19th century structures that were ravaged by time or deemed passé by a new “world order.” Fortunately, the Junior League of Norwalk and Stamford and the Common Interest Group fought a hard legal battle and saved the Mansion from demolition. Today, the mission of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is to preserve and restore this unique architectural treasure, while enriching the community and the region through public programs that illustrate our nation’s late 19th-century heritage and its significance to our own and future times. To continue to energize this magnificent National Historic Landmark, the Museum envisions programs where the past converges with present-day interests and aspirations, reaching out to local residents as well as people from all across the region and connecting today’s audiences with the history and the humanities of the Victorian era.

Looking for something different to do? FCBuzz.org is the place to find out what’s happening in Fairfield County any day of the week—featuring theater, exhibits, music, history, science, family fun, classes and local artists. Click on FCBuzz.org. Pick a great event to attend. Then Go—bring your family, meet your friends or fly solo. FCBuzz.org™ is presented by the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County. For more information contact the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County by emailing info@CulturalAllianceFC.org, calling 203-256-2329, or visiting the Web site at www.CulturalAllianceFC.org. 26

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

2016 marks the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum’s 50th anniversary and the Museum is celebrating this milestone with programs that engage our communities and reimagine visitors’ experience of the Mansion. A series of collaborative programs on history, preservation and the tumultuous and revolutionary 1960s will come to life for people of all ages. The ongoing exhibition, The Stairs Below: The Mansion’s Domestic Servants 1868-1938 brings to life the ‘invisible’ staff whose hard work and long hours kept the household running smoothly, while the exhibit, Demolish or Preserve: The 1960s at the LockwoodMathews Mansion, will explore the Mansion’s preservation battle in the context of this revolutionary decade. The charming outdoor Ice Cream Social will kick-off the summer on June 12 with a stylish 1960s blue and white mustang, magic, music, and of course, plenty of ice cream. Visitors may shop at booths

Above: Ice Cream Social. Left: Antique & Vintage Clothing Collectors and LMMM Volunteers Hadley and Paul Veeder

hosted by local crafters and take part in a wide range of educational and family-friendly activities. Entertainment will feature profesPhoto by Sarah Grote sional musicians and youth organizations, while 1960s costumed interpreters will revisit the Museum’s more recent past. For more information on the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum and its summer and fall programs including the Oldfashioned Flea Market, the 50th Anniversary Gala and the Victorian Tea please visit www. lockwoodmathewsmansion.com.

EVENTS + GATHERINGS

By Janet Langsam CEO, ArtsWestchester

Live Music Abounds this Summer & Fall in Westchester Photograph by Gabe Palacio

Photograph by Mariamma Kambon 2016 Jazz Fest headliner Awa Sangho will perform on Sun., September 25th on Mamaroneck Ave. in White Plains, NY.

ummer kicks off a four-month season of outdoor music concerts throughout Westchester County. It’s the perfect way for families to enjoy the arts in historic settings, parks and dowtowns from Yonkers to Peekskill. One such mecca for outstanding live music is the historic Caramoor estate, 90 acres of Italianate architecture and picnicfriendly gardens in Katonah, NY. The eightweek season of music (June 19 - Aug 7) offers a lineup ranging from two operas anchored by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s – Beethoven’s Fidelio (July 31) and Rossini’s long-lost opera, Aureliano in Palmira (July 16) – to the annual American Roots Festival featuring indie folk band Hurray for the Riff Raff and singer-songwriter John Fullbright (June 25). And that’s not all. As part of its 71st summer season, there’s the new Caramoor Jazz Festival in partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center (July 23), featuring Ladies Sing the Blues, Etienne Charles, Jazzmeia Horn, Gotham Kings with an evening set by the Chick Corea Trio. For tickets and the full

Photograph by Gabe Palacio Above: The Spanish Courtyard At Caramoor’s Rosen House Below: The Orchestra of St.Lukes Performs in Caramoor’s Venetian Theater

calendar of Caramoor’s summer music series, visit www.caramoor.org. Jazz Fest 2016, one of Westchester County’s premier music festivals presented by Macy’s will fill the streets of White Plains with live jazz and blues music from Tuesday, September 20th through Sunday, September 25th. Celebrating its fifth season, the collaboration between ArtsWestchester, The City of White Plains and the White Plains BID, will present top jazz musicians during the six-day annual festival which has a roster of both emerging and established jazz and blues artists. This year’s featured groups include: the Gary Smulyan Organ Quartet (Sept.

23), SOURCE International African Jazz Band (Sept. 24), Baby Soda, Bob Baldwin, Myra Casales, Joe Boykin & Friends with headliner Awa Sangho (Sept. 25). Awa Sangho “the Golden Voice of Mali” brings the sound of the Sahara to this year’s Jazz Fest. Raised near Timbuktu, she is a veteran of the acclaimed Ensemble Koteba of the Ivory Coast and now brings her powerful vocal tradition of a blend of African, Brazilian and jazz influences to enthusiastic fans throughout the world. White Plains restaurants join in the fun at the culminating outdoor free Sunday concert by offering food and refreshments for sale for concert attendees. Delighting jazz and blues enthusiasts of all ages, Jazz Fest 2016 offers something for everyone. Visit artsw.org to get the 2016 Jazz Fest schedule and a complete calendar of summer music events. And, while you’re there, be sure to sign up for ArtsWestchester’s e-newsletter in order to get the latest news about cultural happenings in Westchester.

For more arts, visit artsw.org The complete guide to the arts in Westchester /ArtsWestchester | @ArtsWestchester For more of Janet Langsam’s cultural musings, be sure to visit her blog at www.ThisandThatbyJL.com. For a full calendar of arts events visit: www.artsw.org. 28

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

EVENTS + GATHERINGS

Museum Director and Exhibition Curator Linda Wolk-Simon, Assistant Director Carey Mack Weber, Museum Advisory Committee Members Mark Brady, Robert Dance Don Gummer in conversation with guests at the opening

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER... A large and enthusiastic crowd from Connecticut and New York was on hand at the March 3 opening reception of Don Gummer, The Armature of Emotion: Drawings and Sculpture—a sweeping survey exhibition of over 60 drawings, sculptures, collages and watercolors by this internationally renowned contemporary artist at Fairfield University Art Museum’s Walsh Art Gallery. Guests had the opportunity to meet Gummer and chat with him about his extraordinary body of work produced over four decades. The exhibition is free of charge and is on view through June 11.

Artist Don Gummer before “Moscow Maquette”

Photography by Cassidy Kristiansen Media Sponsor Venü Magazine

A crowd gathers in the Quick Center for the Arts beneath the “Wallflower” series

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Museum Assistant Tiffany Davidson, Political Cartoonist Sean Kelly, Museum Advisory Committee Member Megan Fox Kelly

EVENTS + GATHERINGS

66 Summer Street Residents, Borbala Toth and Zoltan

Susie Earls and Guest Courtney Cox, Digital Artist Raheem Nelson (Ra!)

Miggs Burroughs, Tara Kelly Shelly Marr, Kathryn Hebert, Eleni Sotir, Stephanie Pelletier

Otto Dutra, Quinn Carroll

DIGITAL ART DEBUTS IN STAMFORD 66 Summer Street, Stamford, was abuzz on March 24th when VENU Magazine partnered with the residential apartment building for a Digital Art Show featuring 30+ digital art works created by numerous Connecticut artists. IPad Digital Artist, Raheem Nelson (Ra!) was featured. Ra! paints masterpieces with his fingertips and a stylus. The crowd of 115 guests’ perused digital art, socialized and sampled Mediterranean fare from The Fez. 66 Summer Street is 15-stories, conveniently located on Restaurant Row, featuring 209 studios, 1 + 2 bedroom apartments, townhouses, community rooms, library, and gym topped by a rooftop alfresco patio overlooking Stamford’s Columbus Park. www.liveat66.com Photography by Mike Lauterborne Media Sponsor Venü Magazine

Digital Artist Raheem Nelson (Ra!)

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Karina Santana

STYLE:

Architectural Interiors

Reclaiming Antique Wood At RD Weis, it’s all about sustainability and partnering with like minded people. By Cindy Clarke

This Page Above: Founding President Randy Weis and VP Sheri Gorman partnered with Surface Architectural Supply to provide residential clients with vintage wood, meticulously prepared and custom crafted, for their design needs. This Page Left: Reclaimed oak sliding barndoors in the Surface Architectural Supply showroom Opposite Page Top to Bottom: Reclaimed brownboard clad bar in Southbound Bar and Grill; Reclaimed Hit & Miss Oak with Manchester Finish in the Boathouse Restaurant

interests, they go one step further, advising them on the maintenance, preservation and reclamation programs available to them. “We try to promote awareness in our roles as flooring specialists,” says Sheri Gorman, who serves as Vice President of marketing and A & D (architecture and design) for the company. “We talk about recycling and environmental responsibility, best practices sanitation protocols and sustainability.” “Our company philosophy has always been aligned with green For entrepreneurs like Randy Weis, founding president of RD Weis

initiatives,” said Randy, who added, “Over the past decade, we’ve

Companies, building business on a solid foundation comes with the

seen a growing interest in progressive, sustainable, innovative, high-

territory. As a premier player in the commercial flooring industry, RD

performance floors—a trend in keeping with many clients’ greater

Weis has earned a reputation for delivering value from the ground up,

awareness of environmental responsibility.”

not just in the materials and products the company represents and the

“Our proactive stance on environmental responsibility is front and

flooring services it provides, but also in the relationships and solutions,

center in everything we do and stand for and is, in fact, a big differen-

sustainable all, the company’s team of experts have developed over

tiator between us and out competitors,” says Randy Weis. “It’s really

the course of its 25 year history.

what we are all about.”

Says Randy Weis, who embarked on his new venture in 1990 after

While the company has been primarily focused on serving the

a noteworthy career as a commercial real estate executive, “If you get

flooring needs of the commercial sector, their cross-over capabilities in

the people part right, the business will thrive. Nothing happens if you

architectural and design floor covering solutions have paved the way

don’t have good people.”

for an increasing number of residential projects that call for the same

What happened right out of the gate was a commingling of expertise, passion, perseverance and a determination to partner with

green thinking they are known for. “We are proud to have partnered with an artisan-oriented reclaimed

like-minded professionals eager to pair product with commercial

wood supplier whose business and environmental philosophy mirrors

flooring solutions that work for the long term. The team at RD Weis

ours and whose commitment to quality is equally uncompromising,” he

is hands on and knowledgeable about what works, where and when.

told Venü during our interview. That partner is Richmond, Virginia-based

The company’s product line includes an array of floor coverings and

Surface Architectural Supply, founded by furniture maker and artist

coatings ideally suited for the corporate, healthcare, hospitality, retail,

Hunter Webb and his wife Kirsten as a resource for reclaimed wood for

government and educational markets. To ensure their clients’ best

flooring, furniture, wall paneling and other architectural components.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

The trend for incorporating old with new has given reimagined life to reclaimed wood in today’s housing market, with architects and interior designers opting to incorporate it into cabinetry, wall coverings and flooring for their clients. Their clients include consumer and commercial accounts who relish the natural look and ambiance that vintage wood engenders. What appeals to them as well is the history that lives on in the planks and paneling they put on the floors, walls and doors. “Each piece has it own unique history to tell,” offers Hunter. “People like to know that history.” Recent projects that incorporate their wood work include interiors and flooring for Tazza Kitchen in Midlothian and Arlington,Virginia, as well as private homes throughout the northeast. The reclaimed and sustainable wood the company supplies to RD Weis includes oak, chestnut, walnut, cherry and heart pine, and boasts both the strength and distinctive character that comes with age. Planks are de-nailed and re-sawn, sterilized and kiln dried to bring the moisture down to the correct level, before being milled to a standard thickness. Surfaces retain their original patina and are resurfaced and repurposed as the project dictates. Flooring and paneling represent the greatest majority of their sales. “The team at Surface Architectural Supply hails from artistic backgrounds,” Randy told Venü, explaining that is a key advantage of their partnership. “They are truly a valuable resource for designers who want something hand-crafted and specially designed for their clients.” On staff they have a talented sculptor, craftsmen and cabinetmakers who are uniquely qualified to work closely with architects, builders and designers on their custom design projects. Hunter adds that they strive to bring their expertise to the project and help residential design professionals seamlessly incorporate the reclaimed wood into their interior décor plans. “Randy Weis understands what we do as a company and shares our passion for reclaimed wood,” said Hunter. Randy admires the personalized attention and quality Hunter’s team gives to every project, saying that their company is a good fit with what RD Weis delivers to its customers. “Surface Architectural Supply approaches their work with an artist’s eye and a designer’s sensibility. They preserve the Randy met Hunter when he commissioned him to take down a few

environment along with the history of the wood they source and they

aging barns on his Ohio farm and craft custom furniture pieces for his

build relationships as they build floors and more for clients like ours.”

daughters. The desk and coffee tables Hunter produced embodied the

As RD Weis brings their flooring expertise into the residential market,

essence of what Randy strives for at RD Weis: integrity in workmanship

homeowners can expect customized solutions that are not only tailored

and quality; use of sustainable and reclaimed materials, and an artist’s

to meet their specific needs, but ones that are responsibly sourced,

sensibility in design, execution and finish, not to mention the inherent

sustainable and rewarding for generations of use and enjoyment.

advantage of producing a heritage product that “preserves the ancestry of human craftsmanship.”

“We look forward to offering the residential design community an unrivaled custom-quality resource for reclaimed antique wood that is

By reusing antique woods from barns, old houses and even fencing

exclusive to RD Weis,” says Randy Weis, who added that each project

mostly from Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas,

stands to benefit from a legacy of responsible stewardship of nature’s

Hunter told Venü, you are reaping the intangible benefits of centuries-

priceless resources.

old trees that were allowed to grow slowly in a naturally competitive environment before being cut down. “The old growth trees from virgin

RD Weis, “The Flooring Solutionists,” is headquartered in Elmsford,

forests have a denser ring count and yield stronger wood.”

New York, with branch offices in Central Jersey, New Jersey; New

Surface Architectural Supply sources their material as meticulously

York City, Albany and Rochester, New York; Hartford, Connecticut; and

as RD Weis does, selecting wood and lumber that has stood the test of

Boston, Massachusetts. For more information and samples, contact

time and stands to last even longer in its new more modern incarnation.

Sheri Gorman at sgorman@rdweis.com CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

STYLE:

Architecture

The Morgan Library Part II: Perfection Unsurpassed – An Architectural Treasure and the Genius of Charles Follen McKim By Phillip James Dodd

DURING THE GILDED AGE the eastern United States had an abundance

collective dream was to create a new metropolis - one that would also

of talented architects. There were the firms of Carrere & Hastings and

become the nation’s cultural capital, and one that would rival any city

Warren & Wetmore, as well as individual architects such as Richard

in the world. To do this they needed architecture rich in grandeur, full

Morris Hunt and Horace Trumbauer. But inarguably the greatest, and

of historical reference, and dripping in embellishment to flaunt their

most famous of them all, was the firm of McKim Mead & White – whom

newly acquired wealth and power. To do this they needed architects

by 1900, had become the largest architectural practice in the world,

well versed in classical design, and more often than not they would

averaging almost two hundred commissions each year.

turn to the lauded design firm of McKim Mead & White.

It is no coincidence that the career of McKim Mead & White would

This architectural partnership was one of opposites, yet one where

flourish at a time parallel to the rise of J.P. Morgan. To the likes of

each was perfectly suited for the other. Stanford White, the best

Morgan, Astor, Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Vanderbilt, it was not

known and most remembered of the three, was a risk taker - erratic,

enough that New York merely be the nation’s financial capital. Their

flamboyant and vagarious. Charles Follen McKim on the other hand

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Photographs by Jonathan Wallen

was quiet, shy and reflective. He painstakingly studied historical precedent and would agonize over the smallest of details – rather than handing them over to others, as White was known to do. And William Rutherford Mead was the steady, practical hand that allowed the two other gifted partners to shine. In 1902 McKim, the senior partner of the firm, would land perhaps his two most important commissions – the giant Pennsylvania Station, finished in 1910 a year after his death, and Morgan’s exquisite little Library, completed in 1906. One would cover 8 acres, occupying two entire city blocks from Seventh Avenue to Eighth Avenue and from 31st to 33rd Streets. The other would cover a mere 14,700 square feet, and comprise of just four rooms. And yet it would be the latter that would cause McKim to have a nervous breakdown, and as he would himself later admit “take some years off his life.” John Pierpont Morgan had previously worked with Stanford White as an investor on the original and now demolished Madison Square Garden (which, unlike now, was then actually located in Madison Square), and on the Metropolitan Club (see issue 28 of Venü), and so one would assume that he would again turn to the same architect for the design of his own Library. But by this time White had descended into a pattern of bizarre behavior, with incessant

Opposite Page: The East Library is unquestionably one of the grandest rooms in New York. A mammoth 16th-century tapestry hangs over the fireplace, and depicts The Triumph of Avarice with a moralizing Latin inscription that translates, “As Tantalus is ever thirsty in the midst of water, so is the miser always desirous of riches.” This Page: Decorative at a small scale as well as at a grand scale, the Entrance Rotunda includes highly intricate marble mosaic wall panels.

sexual liaisons and wild overspending (he was in debt for $1million by the time of his murder in 1905), and Morgan had already

be carved from a single mammoth piece of Tennessee marble. To

famously declared that “White is always crazy”. In truth, in an era of

achieve this McKim ventured the idea of using the ancient Greek

enormous personalities the giant-sized egos of Morgan and White

technique of building with a fitted rather than a mortared stone, a

made them quite ill-suited to work together. And yet Morgan also

madly expensive proposition in turn-of-the-century New York. This

recognized the creativity that White had brought to those projects.

construction technique necessitated that the marble blocks rest

He instinctively knew that the only choice to design his own library

upon each other so perfectly and precisely that not even a knife

was White’s equally talented partner Charles Follen McKim. However,

blade could slip in between. With New York’s climate just a little

by this time Morgan’s business dealings had already been called into

different from that of Athens, it was decided to add a film of lead,

scrutiny by the new President - Theodore D. Roosevelt - and as such,

one sixty-fourth of an inch thick, in between each block to mediate

the two great New York families where no longer on speaking terms.

the greater extremes of weather.

In itself this was not a problem, however the always proper McKim

The model for the composition unsurprisingly came from Rome -

was already working with the Roosevelt family, and not wanting to

Baldassare Peruzzi’s Palazzo Pietro Massimi (1536) – although McKim

offend his current patron he would surely decline to work with Morgan.

did add an arched Palladian entrance porch with two pairs of Ionic

And so, how to entice the great architect?

columns, and Tuscan pilasters dividing the bays on either side. To

It was well known that both Morgan and McKim shared a love of the

mitigate the severity of the façade, the sculptor Andrew O’Connor

eternal city, and so, on an evening in March 1902, J.P. Morgan would

was called upon to provide two relief panels, Tragic Poetry and Lyric

telephone and request a meeting with the architect on the pretense

Poetry. The lions on the steps are the work of Edward Clark Potter,

of becoming the benefactor of McKim’s newly created American

who also designed the lions (patience and fortitude) in front of New

Academy in Rome. The next morning a deal was struck - McKim would

York Public Library.

design an architectural masterpiece to house the Wall Street Titan’s

The entrance rotunda at the center of the symmetrical plan is

imperious collection, and in return Morgan would guarantee a lifetime

the hub that links the distinct but aesthetically related rooms in the

of funding for the architects very own academic obsession in Rome.

composition - Morgan’s Study to the left, the great East Library to

The Library, a majestic repository for Morgan’s collection, is a typical

the right, and a Librarian’s Office straight ahead (now a gallery that

McKim design – studied, deliberate, balanced, reserved - yet robust.

displays Morgan’s collection of ancient engraved seals and tablets).

It is also a design of great, albeit intentional, contradiction – much

The rotunda is an opulent vaulted space, filled with freestanding lapis

like his client. The concept was to create a design that appeared to

lazuli columns, mosaic panels, and a marble floor pattern based on CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

STYLE:

Architecture and repainted by American decorator James Wall Finn with various Renaissance coats of arms. The red rich damask wall covering is copied from the 15th-century villa of Agostino Chigi, a Renaissance banker and art patron with whom Morgan identified. And the carved marble fireplace came from the studio of Desiderio da Settignano – a famous Italian Renaissance sculptor. The room is completed with a portrait of Morgan that hangs over the fireplace. By 1905, McKim had suffered a mental breakdown and wrote to Morgan begging that Stanford White be allowed to finish the project. Unflinching as usual, Morgan instead ordered that McKim take a little time off to recharge. “When you go, work on the library will stop until your return. In the meantime, no one will touch it.” The Library was eventually finished in November 1906, and included an underground tunnel that connected to Morgan’s brownstone next door. McKim’s creation is said to have given Morgan so much pleasure that he transferred the base of his operations from Wall Street to his new Library - which his partners at the bank would refer to as “The Up-Town Branch.” McKim would die a mere three years later – before the completion of the great Pennsylvania Station, aged 63, broken by the murder of Stanford White, decades of overwork, and sapped by the demands of his exacting clients. The most exacting of which, J.P. Morgan, was one of the pallbearers

From his private study, Morgan famously devised a plan to bailout the major banks during the financial panic of 1907. With an insolvent Treasury, and no Federal Reserve at that time, Morgan collected funds from the other leading industrialist of the day, which halted the run on the banks, and cemented his position as the dominant figure in American finance.

at his funeral. In 1924, eleven years after the death of Morgan, his son Jack, in accordance with his father’s will, made the Library and its treasures available to the public. Four years later Morgan’s

one in the Villa Pia in the Vatican gardens, and executed by sculptor

brownstone (on the corner of 36th Street and Madison Avenue) was

Thomas Waldo Story. American muralist H. Siddons Mowbray, who

torn down and replaced with an annex intended to harmonize with

worked extensively with McKim, painted the lunettes and the domed

McKim’s design. It was connected to the original Library with a gallery

ceiling in a style inspired by Raphael’s ceiling in the Stanza della

– this time above ground. On Jack’s death in 1943, his brownstone

Segnatura in the Vatican.

(on the corner of 37th Street and Madison Avenue) would become

The East Library, is one of the most opulent rooms ever designed,

the headquarters of the Lutheran Church in America, until it was

and is lined with three tiers of bookcases, fronted with brass-grilled

purchased by the Library in 1987. An undistinguished glass atrium

doors and densely packed with richly bound volumes. The room is

was then added in 1991 (and later torn down) with the intent to link

dominated by the lavishly decorated vaulted ceiling and upper wall

the annex with Jack’s brownstone – but in truth only highlighted the

panels, which are painted with images of philosophers, Roman deities,

disorganized layout of the complex. Enter Italian architect Renzo Piano.

artists, and scientists. Morgan’s stature is also personified in this room

Completed in 2006, and adding 75,000 square feet to the complex,

as the ceiling includes all of the signs of the zodiac (Morgan was a

his gleaming steel-and-glass design gracefully links the Morgan’s three

member of the enigmatic Zodiac Club, an elite 12 member dining club,

disparate buildings, organizes the spaces between them, and creates

founded in 1868 and still in existence). The paintings were all completed

an interlocking complex of buildings - each with their own distinctive

in H. Siddons Mowbry’s Greenwich Village studio, on canvas. In total

architectural character. McKim’s original Library remains the crown

they took three years to complete and were installed just days before

jewel in this extended complex, rightfully regarded as one of New

Morgan took procession of the building. While also nearing completion,

York’s most sparkling architectural treasures – an exquisite jewelry box

Morgan ordered that a set of high windows above the fireplace be

on the inside, and a vault-like fortress on the outside. A magnificent

blocked up - leaving the room in a constant state of twilight. In their

contradiction – just like J.P. Morgan.

place he displayed a mammoth 16th- century Brussels tapestry above the mantelpiece, depicting one of the Seven Deadly Sins – Avarice (an insatiable greed for riches). It could not be said that Morgan did not have a sense of humor. Morgan’s study is a lesson in Italian Renaissance design. The ceiling was acquired from Sefano Bardini, a Florentine arts dealer, 38

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Phillip James Dodd has a reputation as one of the foremost experts on classical architecture and interiors. He is fast becoming one of the most sought-after young residential designers practicing today, and has designs can be found in Manhattan, Greenwich and Palm Beach. He is also the author of the highly acclaimed books The Art of Classical Details and An Ideal Collaboration. Contact: Email: phillip@pjd-architect.com or telephone: 203-900-1030

APPETITE

The Golden Palate by Fred Bollaci Donatello Restaurant Named Inaugural U.S. Platinum Member A Tampa, Florida, landmark since it opened to rave reviews in 1984, Donatello has been a personal family favorite for 30 years. Not only do owners Guido and his son Gino delight with the some of the best Italian cuisine anywhere in the United States, they serve it up with the impeccable service and signature style that are synonymous with gracious Old World hospitality. Think ever attentive, white-gloved tuxedoed waiters schooled in the finest restaurants in Europe and loyal for decades to Donatello; an outstanding menu of culinary specialties steeped in Italian tradition and taste, meticulously presented and exquisitely prepared, often tableside, and a wine list overflowing with award-winning selections. Add a romantic ambience that transports you to bella Italia with salmon colored tablecloths, gold leaf ceilings and soft pink lighting, walls dressed with colorful Venetian masks and original artwork created by artist Simone Bolla, and that surprising single red rose for the ladies at the evening’s end, and you’ll understand why Donatello, already one of my esteemed Golden Palate Partners®, has been elevated to Platinum status – the first Platinum Palate™ Member in the United States! Platinum Palate Certificate of Excellence recipients, like Donatello, exemplify the very highest standards of personalized service, attention to detail and exceptional dining with healthy gourmet options. A master at his craft, and a native of Venice, Italy, Guido learned the art of gracious hospitality by working at the finest establishments in Italy, Switzerland, and in London before coming to Tampa to open Donatello. Today, Guido and his son Gino, continue to deliver exactly what has made Donatello such an extraordinary restaurant for over three decades: their hospitality and service are flawless, and their food is consistently outstanding in quality and flavor and is always authentically prepared to rival the best Italian specialties from regions across Italy. Watching Guido and Gino oversee the dining room, personally visiting every table, and not missing a single beat, and even stepping in to stir a sauce that is simmering tableside, even on the busiest nights is awe-inspiring. They are truly hands-on gentlemen that elevate the dining experience to the next level. The result is a feast for all the senses.

Photographs courtesy of Donatello of Tampa

Above: Gino and Guido, owners Left: Signature Rack of Lamb

I have never had better oysters than their Oysters Fiorentina, baked with spinach, béchamel, and parmesan. The Calamari Amalfitana is amazing and healthy (tender squid with lemon, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil), and the Tagliatelle alla Kathy (ethereal housemade spinach pasta tossed with tomato, ham, mushrooms, and a touch of cream), has been a house specialty since day one! Most pasta items are available as half portions, and calorie conscious diners have plenty of healthy gourmet choices, and some examples include: Salmon Stromboli (with asparagus in a white wine sauce), Shrimp Caprese (mushrooms, garlic, tomato, and white wine), Dover Sole, Grouper Livornese (tomato, olives, capers, and onion), Scallopini alla Sicula (Veal with sweet peppers, tomato, oregano, and garlic), Fracosta di Manzo alla Pizzaiola (Beef Tenderloin with tomato and oregano sauce), Pollo Palermitana (Chicken with mushrooms, peppers, tomato and a touch of garlic), and Pollo Donatello (Chicken with mushrooms. artichokes and zucchini). Light starters include: Shrimp and Avocado Salad, Cozze alla Marinara (Mussels with parsley, garlic, wine, and tomato sauce), Smoked Salmon, and Zuppa Campagnola (chicken broth with spinach and whisked egg), as are their excellent house and broccoli salads. Their Ossobuco is among the best anywhere. Enjoy live piano music or entertainment several nights a week and don’t miss monthly opera night, with live performers from Opera Tampa strolling the dining room, as well as their annual Carnevale (Mardi Gras) celebration! Please be sure to tell Guido and Gino that I sent you, and Buon’ Appetito! For more information, visit: www.donatellotampa.com, or call 813.875.6660, and for more information on Fred Bollaci Enterprises, visit: www.fredbollacienterprises.com

For more information about Fred Bollaci Enterprises, visit: www.fredbollacienterprises.com CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

APPETITE:

Fearless Chef

DAVID BURKE– UNPLUGGED Fearless Chef Continues to Push the Envelope By Linda Kavanagh

“I’m not an artist, “assures renowned Chef David Burke during a recent visit I made to his ESquared Hospitality offices in Manhattan, “I can’t even sign my name the same way twice.” But this is not about the artist David Burke – that will come later. This is about the Chef David Burke, who after 4 decades of rising to the top of the culinary field is now finding his inner Picasso in the form of collecting and creating art. After years of crafting art on a plate, Burke is enjoying the fruits of his labor; and that fruit bears a split from his former company, David Burke Group and its holding company, Watershed Ventures, LLC, and pursuits in the form of new restaurants on the horizon, a collection of jarred sauces (Steak, BBQ, “Mad”, and “Door”) set to make their way onto retail shelves this year, and the freedom to create his own brand of art, for both personal and public consumption. Second acts aren’t something typically experienced by chefs after the name they’ve made for themselves becomes overshadowed by the next best thing, or worse, an inexperienced chef “personality” on the

1. Angry lobster artfully presented on a bed of nails 2. David Burke’s U.S. patented dry aging room with Himalayan salt wall 3. Steamed red snapper prepared “paella” style 4. Well hung bacon affixed with clothespins for effect

Food Network. For Burke, whose early years were spent soaking up knowledge fumes from the likes of Charlie Palmer, Thomas Keller, and Jean-Louis Palladin, his “celebrity” came by happenchance, and sans a publicist or agent. His fearless food preparations were matched by his bold plate presentations and his signature décor whimsy. Ahead of his

Photography by Dillon Burke

Ahead of his time, Burke’s food style, considered to be sacrilege by some, and genius by others, is the impetus to his success.

time, Burke’s food style, considered to be sacrilege by some, and genius

he could – and do so as quickly as possible. Formal training at the

by others, is the impetus to his success. “Love him or hate him,” said

prestigious Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, NY was just the

one New York City food critic back in the 90s, “Burke is here to stay.”

beginning. Burke would go on to travel to Norway where he gained

I don’t have a story to tell about how as a child Burke grew up on

tremendous knowledge of the fishing industry and fish preparations.

a farm and learned from-scratch cooking from his grandmother who

In France he honed his French culinary techniques and pastry arts,

taught little Davey how to cook from what they grew and butchered

all the while pushing his way into the kitchens of some of the most

themselves on the farm. Nope. Little Davey is from Hazlet, New Jersey

intrepid chefs of their time, learning from a broad mentor pool and

and he grew up on a typical modest Americana diet of grocery packaged

eating his way across the country. This young chef would return home,

meats and canned veggies. The story goes, during one of his shifts

ravenous for more, and wanting to create dishes that delighted and

as an after school dishwasher at a local NJ hotel, Burke caught his

surprised his guests.

first glimpse of a whole chicken being butchered by a white chef

And the rest is history. Burke would go on to set the tone at such

coat clad cook and was immediately intrigued. Such a revelation and

characteristic New York City restaurants as River Café, Park Avenue

appreciation for how food was prepared, Burke decided he would

Café, and Smith & Wollensky’s, before laying down the foundation for

pursue the culinary arts upon graduating high school, thought it was

his own restaurant brands, including; davidburke & donatella, and a

not met with the greatest of enthusiasm from his folks. “But who could blame them?” says a now knowing Burke, “Back

myriad of “David Burke” eateries such as Townhouse, Kitchen, Prime Steakhouse, and Fishtales.

then, being a chef wasn’t looked at like it is today. It was thought to be

Whether it was his cheesecake lollipops, the beef consume served

where the bad boys often ended up. It’s the opposite mentality now.

in a snifter glass, pretzel crusted crab cake, candied bacon, or his

Now we actually put words like “celebrity” in front of chefs’ names, “he

hallmark, the salt block presentation, Burke is motivated by simple

says unable to control his laughter (mixed with discontent?).

pleasures; the love of food and the ability to not take himself, or the

Unfettered by his parent’s disapproval, Burke set out on a mission to soak up as much knowledge and gain as much experience as

food, too seriously. “It’s just food, “he states with the utmost respect for the art, “I’m not CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

APPETITE:

Fearless Chef

sure when it turned into anything else beyond the sheer enjoyment

canvas – the plate. He’s a huge fan of the glass artist Dale Chihuly (and

of a properly composed, fine quality dish presented in a manner that

has even taken glass blowing glasses), has placed bronze statuettes of

added to the overall experience,” he pauses, then quips, “My approach

Humpty Dumpty in his restaurant, and is not adverse to mismatched

just has a more ballsy attitude!”

colors, artwork, or textiles. It’s a style all his own.

And he does indeed say that with respect, explaining that without

Today, Burke is producing his “unplugged” performance, a greatest

the proper training and the ability to execute a properly prepared dish

hits track that includes a few remakes of his classics along with a myriad

at its core, such liberties wouldn’t be possible. “As long as the integrity

of restaurant ideas that have been percolating for a while. When asked

of the food comes first, the rest is fair game.”

if this would be a more grown-up, sophisticated version of the David

This attitude is not so much daring (his friends growing up gave him the nickname “Imagine If Burkey”) as it is exploratory, fulfilling a

Burke critics and consumers have come to know, his bad boy grin makes a sinister appearance.

need to experiment, express himself, and cause a reaction. From the

“I don’t hide from the past, or make excuses for it. I loved [and still

get-go, Burke fashioned random antiques as serving vessels, such as

do] that aspect of the business, “ he says of the high octane adrenalin

his popular mini wood-fired stove bejeweled with sweets. He was one

rush chefs get when slingin’ food behind a hot steamy line while the

of the first chefs to present dishes at the table in cast iron pans and

dupe tickets keep piling up, “It’s not for everyone, but I enjoy the rush,

copper pots. And his affinity for the egg created numerous playful

the camaraderie, and the ‘Holy shit! Did we just do that?’ moment at

uses for the underappreciated shell. Burke can find beauty, as well as

the end of the night. It’s a work-hard-party-hard industry at times, and

usefulness, in the mundane, as well as the sensational.

I enjoyed it…still do,” as that grin reappears.

Included in this belief is Burke’s take-no-prisoners approach, and his

Through it all, Burke knows it’s a business. His experience with

attraction to intoxicating décor and artwork that adorn his restaurants.

owners, partners, investors, and the like, has been a learning curve

He is drawn to arbitrary pieces of artwork, in all mediums, and is as

throughout his career, yet, he’s managed to stay true to himself and

fearless with his restaurant designs as he is with his more natural blank

his vision for his restaurants because one thing no company can ever

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Burke is motivated by simple pleasures; the love of food and the ability to not take himself, or the food, too seriously.

PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD Entertaining DB Style Talking about food with Chef David Burke is like entering into an artist’s studio where’s there’s no right or wrong; there are only endless possibilities. With summer upon us, Burke offers up some herbtastic ideas, fragrant possibilities, and spicy alternatives. 8

“My go-to recipe for growing herbs includes: seeds, dirt, water, and sunlight”

1. Fill a jar half way up with rich soil. 2. Drop in seeds. 3. Cover with more soil. 4. Add water. 5. Place in a sunny room in your house or outside. Be sure to keep the soil moist.

question is Burke’s tremendous talent and intriguing persona. And while you can give a chef a high rise office, you can’t take the chef out of the kitchen – and that edginess that comes with it. Watching Burke orchestrate his latest restaurant concept, it’s

Once the seeds begin to produce a plant approximately 6” high, transfer it to a larger pot or into the ground. Be sure to continue to water the herbs and trim / harvest regularly.

apparent that it’s a true ensemble performance with Chef wearing his producer hat. “It’s a collaboration of talent, “he says of his long time branding director and design team, “they get me. And while I know they try hard to appease me, they’re not afraid to disagree and

“Get more use, and have more fun with your herbs.”

tell me I’m out of my mind!” Ultimately, the team comes together, and along with their fearless

When entertaining, present bouquets of fresh herbs at the table, either in a vase with water or tied up, and place scissors on the table for people to snip away at the herbs to add to their food.

chef, the concept takes form. Finding art in the most peculiar of places, Burke is back at it, filling his restaurant with lighting and design fixtures made from antiquated kitchen equipment. There’s even a copper pot “chandelier” – which is to play off of New York’s most expensive chicken dish. But, you’ll need to visit the restaurant to truly understand the irony in the dish and Burke’s intrinsic ability to push the envelope, all with a wink and a smile. Looking forward to his next great chapter, Burke is optimistic and continues to takes his cues from his gut, willing to put himself out there as he always has. Older and wiser? Perhaps. But that damn egg is back – this time it’s wearing a top hat and tails.

Fresh basil for tomato sauce Dill atop grilled salmon l Parsley in the salad l Thyme on the pork loin l

5. Watercress flan with lobster hash 6. Albert “Whitey” Bumen, illustration by Charita Patamikakorn 7. Aging prime porterhouse meat for BLT Steak restaurant 8. DB cheesecake lollipops with bubble gum whipped cream 9. “Pink Elephants,” painting by Neallia Burt-Sullivan

Don’t forget about rosemary in a maple walnut bourbon Manhattan cocktail, or lavender on the Meyer lemon cream cake.

APPETITE:

Cocktail Culture

THE SCOOP A fun cocktail to make collaborating with Chef David Burke using Don Julio Anejo Tequila. The tequila gives this cocktail a light butterscotch notes. The habanero syrup and chili rim gives its “Angry” side that pairs well with Perfect Purees El Corazon concentrate made from blood orange, passion fruit and pomegranate that gives this drink the balance it needs.

JAMAICAN ME SMILES

ANGRY SPICY ORANGE 2 oz Don Julio Tequila ¾o z Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur ¾ oz P erfect Puree El Corazon Concentrate ½ oz Lime Juice ½ oz Habanero Syrup 1 sliver Habanero GLASSWARE: Double Old Fashion Glass GARNISH (2 options): Candied Blood Orange wheel or Cocktail Caviar Autumn Apple* In a mixing glass, add the sliver of habanero and habanero syrup then muddle. Add tequila, blood orange liqueur, lime juice, el corazon concentrate and ice. Shake and strain on a rocks glass (with the chili rim: 1 part chili powder, 2 parts sugar, 1 part salt, zest of half blood orange) over rocks. Garnish with the candied blood orange wheel or Cocktail Caviar Autumn Apple. *

Cocktail Caviar can be purchased at cocktailcaviar.com

2 oz Highwest American Prairie Whiskey ½ oz Cherry Liqueur ½ oz Lemon Juice ½ oz Simple Syrup 1 oz Pineapple Juice 1 oz Sparkling Wine

GLASSWARE: Coupe Martinin Glass GARNISH: Brandied Cherry and Lemon wheel

RUDY AGUAS Originally from Chicago Rudy moved to Las Vegas in 2001 to attend UNLV. Rudy had his first taste in the industry working at Kerry Simon’s restaurant inside the Hard Rock Hotel. He continued his career working at David Burke in the Venetian, Green Valley Ranch Casino and Wynn Resorts. Currently, Rudy is the General Manager for DW Bistro and he has been here for over 3 years revamping the beverage program for DW. Keeping it modern and fresh, he has done seasonal cocktails as well bringing in unique micro brews and wines. Being off the strip he wanted to make sure that DW Bistro is a destination not only for amazing food, but to have delicious and creative cocktails.

In a mixing glass, add whiskey, cherry liqueur, lemon juice, syrup, pineapple juice and ice then shake. Strain in a coupe martini glass and topped off with sparkling wine. Garnish with the skewer of the lemon wheel and brandied cherry. Pour a little bit of the syrup over the cherry to waterfall the syrup into the martini.

THE SCOOP Elijah Craig Bourbon is the spirit of choice for this cocktail. We wanted to showcase how versatile bourbon could be by using fresh tropical flavors with pineapple and maraschino liqueur. Topping it off with bubbles gives it some fizz that will be great on the beach or at home in the pool.

50 SHADES OF DW THE SCOOP The 50 Shades of DW was inspired by using fresh ingredients as well as using our famous pomegranate iced tea. Absolut Elyx Vodka is a great premium vodka we used on this cocktail. This vodka is made from wheat and distilled in copper which gives it a silky texture.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

2½ oz Absolut Elyx 1 oz Cherry Liqueur 1 oz Bittermens Citron Sauvage 6 dash Bittermens Orange Cream Bitters 1 oz lemon juice ½ oz simple syrup 4 oz Pomegranate Iced Tea ½ oz Perfect Puree Mango Puree 2 each Basil 2 each Crystallized Ginger

GLASSWARE: Pineapple Copper

Mug made by Absolut Elyx GARNISH: Pineapple leaves

and lemon and lime wheels In a mixing glass, add the syrup and ginger then muddle. Add vodka, liqueurs, lemon juice, iced tea, basil (pop to release oils), mango puree, bitters and ice then shake. Strain in the pineapple mug over ice. Garnish with the pineapple leaves and lemon/lime wheel.

FEATURE

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

PART TWO OF A MODERN DAY TRAVEL ODYSSEY

By Cindy Clarke Photographs by Mary F Vaichus

didn’t have to sail very far from the southern shore of Turkey

when I came upon the Turkish baths that are

to get to Rhodes, a distance of 127 nautical miles across the cobalt waters of the Aegean

pretty popular with the locals and maybe not so

Sea. Masts unfurled to honor the maritime traditions that have defined life in the Greek

much with a trio of travelers who tried a certain

Isles for millennia, our Windstar yacht glided into the harbor at Rhodes in the early

ancient hammam in Turkey. Old Town was also

morning hours just as we were making our way on deck for an al fresco breakfast with

home to a Jewish community that dated back

amazing views of the ancient walled city. If we had pulled into Mandráki harbor a couple

to the days of the ancient Greeks. Little survives

of thousand years ago, before 226 BC, we might have seen a gargantuan, albeit mythical,

of their once vibrant Jewish quarter except for

110 foot tall bronze statue of Apollo Helios standing astride the entrance, bidding us

the stories poignantly passed down during the

ashore this sun-kissed island with a giant welcome. You may remember reading about

last century.

Colossus of Rhodes in school, immortalized in history as one of the Seven Wonders of the

✦

Ancient World. This part of the world is abundant with wonders of both the mythical and

I stepped inside Old Town’s Synagogue Kahal

manmade kind along with scenic beauty that is equally ethereal and enchanting.

Shalom, tucked away in a hidden courtyard,

Rhodes (Rodas) is the largest of the Dodecanese Islands, sunny bits of water-locked

to hear about religious refugees forced out of

land just off the Anatolian coast of Turkey that make up the southeastern edge of the

Spain, shipwrecked in the Aegean and lucky to

Greek nation. What made Rhodes the honored destination for the godlike statue of

land in Rhodes in 1492. I paused to reflect on

Helios almost 300 years before the birth of Christ resonates still. Legend has it that

the migrants facing similar tribulations today

Helios, the god of the Sun, brought Rhodes up from the depths of the deep blue

acknowledging how history repeats itself over

sea, then bathed it with his own radiance and made it the most beautiful island in the

and over again. The story of the Jews of Rhodes

Aegean Sea. Named after his bride, the sea nymph, Rhode, he also made it one of

was a happy one for only 450 years; the one little

the sunniest with over 300 days of sunshine annually, endless sandy beaches and a

synagogue that remains bore signs of prosper-

heavenly Mediterranean climate.

ous times when the city’s Jewish Quarter was

✦

home to some 40,000 residents in the 1920s. I

Head up to the acropolis and see impressive ruins of ancient Greek temples that once

had the rare opportunity to learn of the plight

stood on high and the remains of a wide boulevard that led down to the harbor. Follow

of the Jews living here during the 1940s when

it to one of the best-preserved and continuously occupied medieval walled cities in the

most were rounded up and sent to their death

world, Old Town Rhodes. The Knights of St. John renovated the strategic fortifications

by Hitler’s Italian allies from a local resident

they found here in 1309 when they took control of the island, building the Palace of

whose relatives were among them. He spoke

the Grand Masters and the inns that are now iconic hallmarks of Rhodes.

of man’s inhumanity to man with a gentle tone

There are roughly 200 lanes, many unnamed, behind the gates and walls and

that exuded forgiveness, understanding and

they lead to shops, cafés, inns, museums, galleries and squares influenced by myriad

compassion. He told us how neighbors tried to

conquerors and cultures, where life has gone on since the 3rd century BC. I wandered

save neighbors, in spite of others who turned

in the maze of narrow passageways, one car wide that twisted and turned back time

them in. He was one of those locals I met on my

everywhere I looked. I found myself on the cobblestoned Street of Knights mesmer-

trip who reaffirmed my faith in the kindness of

ized by the international architectural finery that dressed the inns I passed. Back in the

people all over the world and strengthened my

day the knights were housed in these inns, called tongues because of the different

resolve to travel.

languages they spoke in their homelands. Now the Spanish house is a bank, the Inn

Thirsty, hungry and craving a taste of present

of France, built in 1492, hosts the French Language Institute; the Tongue of Italy and

day life, I made my way to the rooftop dining

others have followed similar suit.

room of a taverna overlooking the square for a

Testament to 400 years of Ottoman rule, the Mosque of Suleiman was easy to find

Mythos beer and a hummus sampler, both of

because of its minaret and pink-striped Venetian exterior and I found myself chuckling

which, along with a very attentive waiter who

FEATURE FEATURE

Photograph by Kathy Calise

slipped me his email address and Facebook name, reflected the local flavor that makes exploring so much fun. ✦ Mykonos was next, a land of windmills, white washed cottages, blue-domed chapels, glamorous jewelry shops selling glittering gold, sun-splashed beaches that wrap around the island from end to end and parties that last until dawn. By day, pelicans, mascots of the Myconians, stroll the harborfront with fishermen and vendors who ply their trade at water’s edge. At night revelers, from A-list celebrities to wannabe-seen-here visitors, amble from bar to disco to café to club secreted in the meandering warren of narrow passageways that defines downtown. I was there for an oceanside lunch of seafood freshly caught, perfectly prepared and proudly served by one of those dashing Greek gods who work on chic island resorts all over the Aegean, on a bougainvillea draped, sea salt-sprayed balcony feet from the crashing surf. I dream about this kind of midday meal but it’s no surprise that the real deal is even better especially when it is followed by an afternoon on a windswept beach far from any maddening crowds. The beach I lucked into was the setting for the movie “Shirley Valentine” and where a tourist’s affair with one of those “Greek gods” soured and she ended up referring to him as a “goddamn Greek.” Back on the boat after deciding not to venture across the rough sea to tiny Delos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of Grecian ruins that defy the imagination, we charted a course for Santorini, the embodiment of paradise, the ultimate choice for a destination wedding and the real life movie set of “Mamma Mia.” Set in an archipelago in the southern Aegean Sea, 120 miles southeast from mainland Greece,

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Dining al fresco high up inside the walled city Rhodes is a feast for all the senses; colorful fishing boats and white-washed windmills are iconic sights on magical Mykonos; and royal tombs unearthed in Mycenae speak volumes about a great Grecian city that was at its peak of power, influence and artistic expression between the 14th and 13th century BC. CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Santorini sits on the site of one of the largest recorded volcanic eruptions in the world, occurring 3,600 years ago at the height of the Minoan Civilization. ✦ While visitors tend to head straight to Oia and cliff top Fira, oft photographed to make travelers yearn for a trip, I stopped first at a Minoan city long buried under ash and dirt and undergoing a meticulous excavation since it was unearthed in 1967, at the other end of the island. Artifacts discovered in Akrotiri offered a glimpse of how islanders lived more than 3,000 years ago, before the volcano erupted – they had beds, private bathrooms, stunning frescoes, ceramics of every design, shape and use… and gold, which you’ll find all over Santorini now dazzling in preciously endowed windows of jewelry stores abundant with treasures patterned after jewelry thousands of years old. I gazed with longing at everything I saw in Santorini, from the views which took my breath away, to the postcard-poised villas that cascaded down the rocky mount to the sea, to the shops which threatened to take my money away, to the pastry shops that took my will power away with pistachio honeyed baklava oozing nirvana in every bite. As remorseful as I was sailing away from undisputed

paradise,

thoughts

sailors

navigating this way for millennia in search of the new discoveries buoyed my spirit for my next adventure on land, where I would explore the sights in and around Athens from one of the most elegant hotels in Europe, the illustrious Grande Bretagne hotel. ✦ The birthplace of European civilization, Athens is mythical in every sense, playing out in archaeoFROM TOP TO BOTTOM: One small ship wide, the Corinth Canal, connecting the Gulf of Corinth with a Gulf in the Aegean Sea, is the culmination of an ancient dream dating back 2,000 years; priceless Mycenaean jewelry, now in the Athens Museum, is authentically replicated by Athens’ jewelers like Georges whose gold shop is in the pláka; the ruins of Greek temples like the Erechtheion (center) reign atop the acropolis with the Parthenon; views from aboard a Windstar yacht on a voyage to the Greek Isles inspire wanderlust and wonder….

logical museums unrivaled anywhere, ancient agoras that once openly voiced political views, in the Acropolis and the Parthenon Temple reigning

FEATURE

A real-life look at the place and the perch that is Santorini is truly the stuff of the dreams.

over the city for 2,000 years, in outdoor stadiums

I was in awe that the intricately crafted and beautifully designed items made in

acoustically perfect, and in the pláka, where

Mycenae circa 1500 BC were not only as exquisitely enticing to me today as they were

the historic heart of Athens beats in courtyard

then but they were also being meticulously replicated by a gold jeweler I met as I was

restaurants, winding streets lined by shops selling

wandering through the plaka. His pieces reflected excellence in every detail and I was

antiques, rugs, jewelry and gold and open air

drawn to them by some higher power. George, the owner, picked up on this as he

markets stocked with a dizzying array of goods

picked up a necklace and put it on me. It was fashioned in delicate 22-karat strands

from arts and crafts to designer fare.

of gold that plaited perfectly on my neck. Wearing it I could only imagine how those

Greek myths tell the stories of the gods,

Grecian maidens felt when one of the Greek gods who lived in Mycenae back then

as do the sights and sites around the city. The

gifted one to them. Weak in the knees, I somehow found the strength to leave the

Parthenon was dedicated to Athena, goddess

shop bare necked and empty handed, even after trying on more of his precious jewelry.

of reason, intelligent activity, arts and literature,

I vowed to make a return trip, with ample funds in hand. He made it a point to put his

and favorite daughter of Zeus who became

business card in my hand so I wouldn’t get lost on my way back.

the patron goddess of Athens after winning a

✦

contest against Poseidon. The city is a treasure

Like the Turks I met, the Greeks had me at hello with their determination to show me

trove of monuments built in her honor. The

the best sides of their country. After reluctantly leaving George’s shop, I found myself

nearby hilltop kingdom of Mycenae, once

hungering for some treat that I could more easily afford. Wouldn’t you know it that

a powerful palace complex, was home to

those Greek gods sent another one of their messengers to lead me past a throng

the mythical Agamemnon, son of Zeus, who

of crowds, down a narrow alley, behind a scaffolded cathedral to an open garden

amassed fortunes wrought in gold with many on

courtyard restaurant where I had one of the best Greek salads I have ever tasted to

display in an amazing Athens museum. Among

the accompaniment of a soulful Greek guitarist and a glass, make that two, of Ouzo,

the priceless objects of gold found in the tombs

compliments of the owner.

of Mycenae were the death mask of Agamemnon, crowns of Mycenaean princes, golden

With golden shores, gilded treasures and Greek gods and goddesses galore, it’s no wonder my cruise there was beyond heavenly.

rings, brooches, gold roped necklaces, bangle bracelets, and belts, even safety pins that look remarkably similar to the ones we use today.

Photographs courtesy of Mary F. Vaichus and taken on Tauck’s Treasures of the Aegean cruise, the same cruise experienced by Cindy Clarke. CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

FEATURE

ALEJANDRO VIGILANTE

THE

I-ART

MOVEMENT

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY

OPPOSITE PAGE

CINDY CLARKE

Frida Kahlo, 2012 Painting Completed My Life, Acrylic on wood plus transfer image, 48 x 63 in.

FEATURE

OPPOSITE PAGE Audrey Hepburn, 2014 The Best Thing In Life, Acrylic on wood plus transfer image, 31.5 x 24 in.

“I believe the Internet is the pop culture of our generation much like the celebrities, cartoons and advertising icons of the 1960s were for Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol,” he explained, adding that these pop artists had a huge influence on his move from realism and murals to his innovative I-art movement. Alejandro, the son of a famous Argentine artist who passed when he was three years old, was born a painter. He developed his talent on his own, using his father’s surrealist abstract art as inspiration and guide, before studying the techniques and technical details used by the Masters, Michelangelo among them, and meticulously replicating them with an ease that only comes with a God given gift. “I have painted every day for my entire life, but becoming a professional artist was not something I ever thought about,” he told me during a discussion about his art, even though he admitted that on some level he always knew it might be his destiny. “I took a job

ARISTOTLE

in banking after I left high school, then took a job at IBM working with computers during the day and painting, always painting, in my free time.” His paintings were very good according to the people who saw them and it was their words of praise that encouraged his confidence and his art. He was 25 years old when he had his first show and he remembers having a dream about his father around the same time. “I remember hearing my father say ‘now you know what you came here to do.’ Although I was admittedly shaken and more than a little scared by this spiritual message, I will never forget the meaning it had for me.” He quit his job right after that dream and dedicated his life to art. Not long after, in 1995, he was invited to travel from Buenos Aires, where he had lived his entire life, to exhibit his work at Art Miami.

“Art imitates life.” Oscar Wilde, in a philosophical essay he penned

What happened to Alejandro there in Miami was a replay of what

in 1889, opined, “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.”

had happened to his father 25 years earlier when he left his post as

In Argentinian pop artist Alejandro Vigilante’s work, where

an architect and teacher at the University of Buenos Aires for a new

portraits of iconic celebrities share immortalized words in hi-tech

career as a surrealist painter. Both father and son were natural artists,

conversations, from emails and texts to twitters, it does both. If you

both were breakout talents, and both enjoyed immediate success

haven’t yet come across his newly minted I-art, you’re in for a treat

when the first of their works were unveiled to an admiring public.

that blends wit with star-studded wisdom in captivating images that are layered with contemporary social commentary.

“My father influenced me a great deal,” Alejandro told me, saying his earliest art mirrored that of his father’s in spite of his father’s early

Imagine if stars like Marilyn Monroe and John Lennon were alive

death. “Growing up I was always drawn to the arts but I didn’t always

today. They would most likely be communicating over the Internet as

understand its importance in my life. When I decided to make art

billions of people do today, tweeting, texting and emailing messages

my life, I did it with the encouragement and blessing of my family,

for a captive computerized audience. The Internet has changed the

including my father.”

way we communicate, much like art in all its incantations has been

To complement his talent and to finesse his technical skills, he

doing for centuries. And because it has become part of the pop

took private art lessons, studied techniques mastered by the world’s

culture that defines our decade, Alejandro has incorporated it with

most famous artists and viewed their works in person in European

pop art portraits of people long passed who defined their decades

museums. Unquestionably gifted, he is firm on his belief that artists

to give them a modern-day voice and presence.

must study and be educated on the arts to fully realize their potential.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Alejandro was lauded for his talents at that art show and was offered a job as a muralist based in Miami where he was hired over several established artists to paint a mural on the ceiling of an Andrea Palladio-style villa for healthcare entrepreneur Phillip Frost and his wife. At age 29, he made the move from South America to South Florida, starting anew in a new land and new profession and he’s never looked back. Word of mouth recommendations led to projects for movie-mogul Oliver Stone and other high-profile clients, as his reputation as a faux finish artist and muralist painter grew. His career eventually took him to Manhattan where he was sent by a Russian interior design company to do the finish on the second floor walls for Tiffany’s jewelry salon and to paint a mural in the Marriott Hotel. That’s where his fate and fortune changed again. It was on a sunny morning in September of 2001 when his art began to imitate life in earnest. He was working a block away when the ground shook as the first plane hit its target. He saw the tower collapse and the city go dark. He knew he had to get in touch with his family to tell them that he was ok but his cell phone, like everyone else’s in Manhattan that day, was blocked from the onslaught of calls. “Thankfully I had an alternative and could email a message to my family. Then it dawned on me that the Internet was the key to communication in this day and age,” explains the artist. He marveled about the fact that people all over the world have the capability to reach out instantly in real time no matter how far away they are from one another. It got him thinking about the possibilities of merging art with technology in a new way. “The Internet is dynamic, every evolving, influential and an amazing insightful commentary on contemporary lifestyles. I seek to advance the critical role of these online worlds in the physical bodies of artwork,” says the artist. From that day on he made email his art, using his computer as his virtual studio, instant messages as his medium and pop art icons as his inspiration. As technologies changed, so did he and his I-art evolved into texts and social media updates to including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook posts from senders vividly and visually recreated to showcase his extraordinary mixed-media artistic talents. He imagines the messages celebrities might have sent to one another, then he borrows existing imagery to playfully paint their likeness and craft their thoughts piece by piece on separate blocks of wood that he paints separately and assembles together as a puzzle. He uses the Robert Rauschenberg technique known as transfer image for his work. Like Alejandro, Rauschenberg was a prolific innovator of techniques and mediums who developed his own unique style by combining painting with mechanically reproduced imagery to showcase popular culture as subject matter. His transfer technique

ABOVE

OPPOSITE PAGE

Diptych in Pink, 2015 Copy & Paste, Acrylic on wood plus transfer image, 63.5 x 48 in. each

Brigitte Bardot multicolor, 2012 I Don’t Think When I Make Love, Acrylic on wood plus transfer image, 42 x 64 in.

FEATURE

FOR MORE INFORMATION visit www.AlejandroVigilante.com

perfectly suits the time-capsule character of Alejandro’s works where

did before him. His exhibition and pop up shows have attracted a

process and subject become one.

bevy of interested celebrity buyers who connected, in real time, with

Envision artist Frida Kahlo, dressed in a paint box of color,

what he produced.

tweeting “Painting completed my life,” a dreamy Liz Taylor posting a

Of his I-Art movement he says, “I am the first to paint the Internet,

new “Got married” status update on her Facebook page, or a multi-

and I think had Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichten-

colored sultry Bridget Bardot exclaiming via social media “I don’t

stein been alive today, they would have used it too as integral

think when I make love.” The messages like the medium represent

expressions of their pop art.”

an endless flow of inspired, visually relevant, pop art expressions.

What’s next for Alejandro? He tells me his art will keep pace with

Like the positive reactions and praise he received about his first

the major social media influence makers of our time, including Apple,

paintings during his youth, the response to his I-art movement

whose always evolving technology nourishes his creativity and serves

fueled his desire to break out of the box like influential pop artists

as a catalyst in his mission to redefine the art of communication.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

FEATURE

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS... 150 YEARS... A CENTURY AND A HALF… FIFTEEN DECADES… IT’S DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE A LIFESPAN THAT LONG, EVEN BY TODAY’S LIFE EXPECTANCIES. IN 2016, THE FLOATING HOSPITAL REACHES THAT MILESTONE... BY SEAN T. GRANAHAN, ESQ.

7 9 8

1. Two girls cozy up to their mother aboard the Lila Acheson Wallace ship, 2001 2. View from The Floating Hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bow to a rowboat, 1941 3. A dental patient happy to be in safe care 4. A crewman making sure everyone gets on board for the day, 1941 5. A young girl drinks from one of the shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water fountains, 1941 6. POV shot of our captain looking at the Lloyd from a rowboat,1940 7. A baby weighed during their checkup, 1952 8. View of the Brooklyn Bridge and the city skyline from a dock, 1965 9. A little girl enjoys the ocean breeze on deck, 1938 10. Passengers deboarding from the Lloyd I. Seaman ship, 1966

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

2 1. A captain of the Lloyd I. Seaman ship show three boys the ropes 2. A windswept nurse and boy enjoy the sea breeze, 1941 3. A mother keeps her kid close in one of the activity rooms onboard the ship, 1969 4. An adorable patient snacking before seeing the doctor, 1941 5. Children high and low group together for a photo, 1957 6. A sister and brother look up to the ship before climbing aboard, 1951 7. Portrait of a patient aboard the Floating Hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lila ship, 2000 8. Two kids look out to the NYC skyline in from the ship, 1952 9. Three girls and their dolls aboard the Lloyd I. Seaman ship in 1957 10. A young, thin patient and a Floating Hospital doctor come eye to eye on the sea wall, 1939 11. A young girl working on her sewing aboard the Lloyd I. Seaman ship, 1938

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FEATURE

by the St. John’s Guild of Trinity Church, The Floating Hospital has spent the past one hundred and fifty years providing healthcare services to New York City’s neediest families. Today, it is the largest provider of healthcare to homeless families living in NYC-provided shelters and to families living in domestic violence safe houses. In place of its iconic ship, which last served New York on 9/11, it operates a fleet of vans to transport families to its various clinics throughout the five boroughs. The Floating Hospital has remained a true charity, providing healthcare to those who need it regardless of their ability to pay. NYC’s large and ever-growing population of uninsured has also found its way to the Hospital’s welcoming doors. From the birth of modern photography in 1888, the Hospital has recorded its adventures in health care. On June 20, 2016, The Floating Hospital will celebrate its

incredible150-year heritage at its annual gala. This year’s gala will debut some of its visually rich photographic archive through an exhibition at the event. The photos shown there, and throughout this article, capture the NYC experience as few can. The event program will function simultaneously as a photographic catalogue, and introduce its upcoming coffee table book celebrating the Hospital’s NYC legacy. From movie icons like Elizabeth Taylor, to the unwashed immigrants of the turn of the twentieth century, all will get their turn in the spotlight. At 150 and counting, The Floating Hospital is a cultural icon and gift to New York City, bestowing physical and emotional well-being to many generations of New Yorkers—a gift of health which it hopes to continue to spread throughout the next century.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

MOTORING

Lime Rock Park Historic Festival Caps the Motoring Season The Lime Rock Park Historic Festival is a perennial favorite event for car collectors and casual attendees alike. Written by MARIANNE BRUNSON FRISCH

The tranquil and verdant countryside of Litchfield County, Connecticut,

of the weekend’s race and concours star cars will strut their stuff in

belies the energy contained within the Lime Rock Park Historic Festival

demonstration laps. The entire Park buzzes with excitement, extending

in Lakeville. Charged with horsepower, style and beauty, the Historics

to the paddocks with racecar arrivals, tech inspections and service.

is an annual premier vintage racing and concours event that tops off

Vintage Racing Services provides specialized expertise, service and pit

the motoring season. Collectors, vintage racers and enthusiasts gather

crew support of both cars and drivers to contribute to enjoyable, safe

over Labor Day weekend, eking out the last bit of summer. This year’s

and successful outings, www.automotiverestorations.com.

Historic Festival 34, scheduled for Thursday, September 1 through

A “Tin-Top” Race Group is new for 2016 with Historic Festival

Monday, September 5, will rev up on Thursday afternoon with 120

Chairman Murray Smith’s call for “owners of saloons and ‘tin tops’ to

spectacular cars participating in the traditional Vintage Race and Sports

create a grid of pre-1970 racing sedans in the manner of Goodwood’s ‘St.

Car Parade from Lime Rock Park to the Falls Village Street Fair. For

Mary’s Trophy’ cars: Ford Galaxies, BMWs, Mini Coopers, Lotus Cortinas,

details, visit www.limerockhistorics.com.

Anglias, Alfa Romeo 1600s, Jaguar Mk2s, Hillman Imps and the like.”

Racecar drivers from North America, England and Europe and as

The Sunday in the Park Concours and Gathering of the Marques

far away as Australia will test their vintage Alfa Romeo, Beach, Bugatti,

draw eminent collectors, consummate car guys and casual attendees

Corvette, Ferrari, GRD, Lotus, Triumph and other marque cars in practice

alike. The Concours showcases approximately 250 rare and unique cars

and qualifying sessions on Friday, September 2. Competitors will meet

from the Brass Era to modern as well as motorcycles. The Gathering of

again on Saturday and Monday, September 3 and 5, respectively,

the Marques lines the track with 1,000 cars grouped by make, country

navigating Lime Rock Park’s 1.5-mile course. In addition, a sampling

of origin or enthusiast club.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Photographs by Casey Keil, courtesy of Lime Rock Park

Historic Festival 34 will toast racing legends John Morton and Peter Brock as Honored Guests. The Sunday Concours will recognize acclaimed creators and collectors, following past years’ awards to such recipients as Peter Kalikow, Jim Taylor, Rob Iannucci, Ralph Lauren, Lawrence Auriana, Peter Sachs and Dr. Fred Simeone. Additional highlights will be Guernsey’s auction of “Cars for Enthusiasts” www. guernseys.com, Burt Levy and Tom Cotter book-signing sessions, automobile vendor sales and a swap meet. Kent Bain, Director of Sunday in the Park, works with Smith “to make Sunday’s programs as extraordinary as the competition-focused days of the Historic Festival. We have created a nationally prominent event that focuses on the cars that have set performance standards

Above: Peter Kalikow’s 1972 Momo Mirage awarded first in the “Speed with Style” class at the Sunday in the Park Concours . Below from Top to Bottom: Kent Bain, Sunday in the Park Director, announces show awards. Scott Heckert and his powerful Corvette crest the hill at the Lime Rock Park Historics.

Spitfires of Vintage Racing Services take to the track with Dave Gussack, Bill Warner and Kent Bain behind the wheels.

and their road-going brethren. Road truly meets track at our Sunday in the Park exhibit, which is augmented by something for everyone in our Gathering of the Marques display. We have transformed a small, local-level show into something very special for lovers of fine machines.” While the Northeast’s car community idles over the winter months in eager anticipation of next year’s Lime Rock Park Historic Festival, preparations by organizers Smith and Bain are in high gear year round. Bain is a widely respected restoration expert, collector, racer and judge. He and his Automotive Restorations, Inc. team administer the Concours and Gathering: “We all are privileged and pleased to have had a key

in Rockefeller Center, New York. He has served on the motorsports

role in the development of Lime Rock’s Sunday in Park.” Smith has

committees of a prominent automotive manufacturer and the FIA

chaired the Lime Rock Park Historic Festival since 2009, drawn to its

Formula One Commission and was Chairman of British Motorsports

“uniqueness in featuring splendid racing for important and historic cars

Promoters. He also consults on motoring affairs to one of the world’s

and a world-class Concours d’Elegance at the same site on the same weekend.” He applies his love for and accomplishments in racing as

leading brands. Mark your calendars, ready your car for race or show, pack your

well as his esteemed career in international advertising to managing

spectator’s chair and set your course for Lime Rock Park’s Historic

prestigious automotive events, including the Louis Vuitton Concours

Festival 34! CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

PULSE:

Art Miniature Serena Sculpture, Oil on Resin, 2013

BALANCE IN THE MAKING Carole A. Feuerman, Sculptor, Artist By Susana Baker

A pioneer in hyperrealist sculptures, Carole A. Feuerman has spent more

impossibly life-like figures from photographs and created a new genre

than 40 years celebrating her vision of beauty and inner balance in the

of hyperrealist art. Feuerman has been recognized as a leading figure

figures she creates. I was privileged to talk with her about her impressive

in the world of hyperrealistic art ever since.

“bodies of work” at the opening reception of her solo exhibition in

I was immediately captivated by this attractive spunky New Yorker,

Miami’s Design District at the Bernard Markowicz Fine Arts Gallery.

5’2” tall, with eyes that smile when I approached her for an interview.

Entitled Swimmers, her exclusive models come to life in meticulously

I wanted to ask her about her fascination with swimmers, bathers, and

crafted large scale sculptures of bathing beauties, all female, perfectly

water, and the process of creating and perfecting this body of work.

proportioned, posed and poised to express the dual nature of women

I was curious to know, why this theme? What inspired her to create

in our society. Hyperrealism grew out of the photorealism movement

Swimmers? Feuerman enthusiastically replied, “After four decades of

that debuted in the United States in the late 1960s and early ‘70s

creating swimmers, I continue to be captivated by the figure in the

when artists reproduced images taken in a photograph in a different

water with water patterns on them. I love the mechanics of water and

medium and made them look as realistic as possible with a very high

its presence as an enduring symbol of life. Water is far-reaching and

resolution in color, precision and detail. Sculptors like Feuerman took

profoundly deep. Water cleanses and purifies. Water touches all

the movement to a new dimension in the 1970s when they fashioned

people, animals, and things. Water connects one land to another. Water

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Photographs courtesy of Armando Colls

1. Bernard Markowicz, Owner and Director of Bernard Markowicz Fine Arts Gallery with artist Carole A. Feuerman 2. Miniature Quan Sculpture, Oil on Resin, 2013

2 3

3. Balance Sculpture, Oil on Resin, 2012 4. Dancing Hoop Sculpture, Painted Bronze and Polished Stainless Steel, 2016

PULSE:

Art

1. Bernard Markowicz, Bernard Markowicz Fine Arts Gallery with artist Carole Feuerman viewing General’s Twin Sculpture, Oil on Resin, 2011 2. Survival of Serena Sculpture, Lacquer on Resin, 2012 3. Shower Portrait Silkscreen on Canvas with Diamond Dust, 2012

moistens and revives. I observe, photograph, and sculpt swimmers because we are all swimmers.” She continued to express that she has always been enthralled by swimming and water; her fondest memories as a child were playing in the sand and jumping in the waves at Jones Beach, Long Island. Feuerman noticed how water seemed to rejuvenate the human body with a radiating healthy glow as the swimmer submerged in and out of it. In second grade, Carole began to draw her first swimmers. By the fifth grade, her parents signed her up for private art lessons. I found it quite surprising when I asked Feuerman about her parents’ support for her as an artist and she answered, “When they found out I wanted to be a professional artist, they weren’t supportive. It was ok to do art as a hobby, but professionally, it was a whole other story. I found it was best to keep them in the dark about my art studies just to keep the peace.” Feuerman’s sculptures are curvy and sensual and accurately represent ordinary women with outwardly appearances of beauty and tranquility, yet their magnificent faces mask a deeper meaning of triumph and heroism. She gives each one a name to represent the islands she has traveled to and gains inspiration from. In 1976, after she visited the Isle of Capri, she named her next hyper realistic sculpture after the island itself. In 1979, inspired by the blue horizon, Feuerman envisioned a swimmer emerging like a phoenix from the sea with water droplets streaming down her face, which took form in her sculpture Catalina. In

Bernard Markowicz Fine Arts Gallery, Miami, Design District

2005, Feuerman made a monumental scale of Catalina, titled Grande

speak to the artist. Carole approached him and he asked, “Are you the

Catalina, which art historian, curator and past director of Florence

artist?” Carole replied, “Yes,” to which he responded, “How would you

Biennale, John Spike, installed in the center of Florence. This marked

feel if I walked away from your show buying every piece being shown,

the beginning of Feuerman’s art being displayed in public places.

today?” She replied, “Why I would love that!” He replied “Well young

Today her monumental beauties can be seen all around the globe.

lady, consider it sold! Hello, my name is Malcolm Forbes.” The owner

During our interview she told me her work was being shown around

of Forbes Magazine and world-renowned art collector bought Snorkel,

the world in 22 different museums and six solo exhibitions worldwide. I

Feuerman’s first swimmer, along with all the others!

asked Carole about her experience with her first solo gallery show, and in delight she remembered and spoke about it: “My first solo exhibition show was a flop! It was in MJS Gallery in Fort Worth, Texas, with my first collection of erotic hyper nudes, in a show named Rated X, which was shut down after opening night, due to its subject contents. Fort Worth wasn’t ready for me!” Soon after this, Feuerman began making swimmers and bathers, and in 1980, she opened her second solo show in New York City. Unlike her first one, this was a great show for her: “It was the last day of the show, and not one piece had sold.” Nervous that the show was ending in a few hours, she knew that with the first gallery show flop and now on her second solo show, not selling her work was out of the question. As a female artist in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the road to success was challenging, and galleries hardly ever featured female artists. Feuerman couldn’t fathom the thought that her show would close with no sales. But, as life would have it, in the last hour, a gentleman in a tailored business suit walked in. He viewed the 13 sculptures one by one and then asked to

Carole Feuerman currently has six solo exhibitions: in Florence, Hong Kong, Korea, Frankfurt, New York and in Miami at Bernard Markowicz Fine Arts in Design District. Two of her monumental sculptures, DurgaMa and Leda and the Swan were in the 2015 Venice Biennale at the Palazzo Mora, and in 2017 she will have her second solo exhibition in the Venice Biennale. Carole continues working between her two studios in New York and Jersey City. Her works can be seen in galleries and museums worldwide, and to this day she continues to propel the genre of hyperrealist art to new heights.

About the author: Susana Baker is an award-winning Tourator (historian tour guide/art curator). Creative Founder of The Art Experience, the number one company in South Florida to privately curate group or individuals through Miami’s Art Districts. Winning the distinguished “Certificate of Excellence for 2015” by TripAdvisor. For a private curated tour of the Design District, Wynwood, Little Havana or South Beach go to www. theartexperiences.com or for Art Basel go to www.artbaseltours.com or call 305-767-5000. Contact: Colls Fine Art Photography, Armando Colls (305) 903-7786, www.CollsFineArtPhotography.com

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

PULSE:

Stage

Broadway: Up Close and Personal “Touring The Great White Way With Actor Tim Dolan.” By William Squier

Which of the historic theaters in New York’s Times Square did a cow once call home? What theatrical impresario enjoyed dressing like a priest and living in an apartment with stained glass windows? How was an entire building that housed a landmarked theater moved about a half a block further west on Forty-Second Street? For the answers to these, and many other questions about the history of The Great White Way, you need only turn to Tim Dolan, owner of

“From there, I ran the gamut of almost everything: shows in New York,

Broadway Up Close Walking Tours (www.broadwayupclose.com). A

on tour and a lot of regional.” It was while Dolan was crisscrossing the

working professional actor, Dolan has created three al fresco lectures

country in the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes that he was inspired

about the theater district’s past. And he’s peppered these talks with

to create the Broadway Up Close Walking Tours.

personal anecdotes about Broadway’s present. Tim Dolan fell in love with the stage in high school. But, he didn’t

says. “We played all of these old, unique, former vaudeville houses. So,

consider entering the profession until he saw a touring production of

each time I’d go into a new theater I’d ask, ‘Who else has performed here,

a show and realized that it was something that a person could do for a

on these same pieces of wood where I’m about to perform? What ghost

living. “So, I started researching, taking voice lessons and auditioned

stories do you have?’ When I got back to New York, I looked around and

for some colleges,” he recalls. “I got into AMDA, the American Musical

thought, ‘We’ve got forty Broadway theaters in the middle of midtown

and Dramatic Academy. That seemed like a really easy way to get to

Manhattan. There must be someone who could tell me those stories.’

New York City. I finished high school on June 16th, 2003. I was starting

But there wasn’t. So, I asked myself, ‘Am I going to be that person?”

my orientation for the first year of performing arts school ten days later.

It took Tim Dolan about a year of reading all that he could find about

That was the first time that I ever put on a tap shoe!” When he looks back on it, however, Dolan feels that there was one

the theater district to answer his own question. “In New York, we have every museum and a performing arts library devoted to Broadway’s

thing missing from his education. “As actors, you study how to sing,

past!” he points out. “So, I cracked open every book that I could. Lincoln

dance and act,” he says. “You study the past shows. But, there’s no

Center was a great resource; the Museum of the City of New York

course in theater lore. I was always very fascinated by that.” It wasn’t

has wonderful archives, so I spent a lot of time there; at the Historical

until he’d been out of school for a couple of years, however, that he

Society, it’s the same thing. And I found some really, really interesting

hit on a way to pursue his interest in theater history.

stories that I had never heard.”

After graduating from AMDA in 2004, Dolan set off on what he

“The tour was as non-equity-bus-and-truck as you can get!” Dolan

Using the buildings that house those forty theaters as his starting

describes as “a wonderful acting ride,” beginning with a six-month

point, Dolan began to amass a great deal of “behind the scenes”

stint as a singer on a cruise line. “An awesome first job!” Dolan insists.

information. “Things like how a show is built or the economics of the

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Photographs courtesy of Sascha Reinking Photography

Dolan tested his tour six years ago on a friend who gamely stuck with him for a seven and a half hour lecture about of all forty of the area’s theaters! After that trial run, he divided the walk into three parts and winnowed each of them down to about an hour and forty-five minutes. Over the years since he’s added thirteen other guides, each of who is either an actor or a stage manager. “The idea was to hire people like me who are living a life in the arts,” he explains. “Right now we have a guide in Les Miz, one in The Lion King and one about to open in the Cirque du Soleil show, Paramour. When we’re not onstage, you find us on the sidewalk sharing our life stories.” It’s the personal experiences that his fellow guides bring to the tour that Dolan feels make every outing unique. “Along with all of the stories that I’ve dug up, they all add their own rehearsal stories and things-that-go-wrong stories,” he notes. “We talk about understudies and swings; we break down how a show works using examples from the ones that we’ve been in.” Some of that inside information is immediate. “A guest will say, ‘I’m seeing a two o’clock matinee,” Dolan says. “And I can say, ‘You’re going to see a great show because it’s the understudy’s first time on!’ I don’t think you can get that anywhere else.” Clockwise: Tim Dolan on the steps of The New Victory Theater, Tim Dolan with a student group, Student Group Selfie, Times Square Theater - all photos are credited to Sascha Reinking Photography

Along with their own anecdotes, every guide is armed with an iPad loaded with photos that Dolan turned up during his research to use as points of comparison. “If you look at what it looks like today and a photo of what it looked like a hundred years ago, you can see that a lot of the history is still there, even with the new stuff that’s built onto it,” he insists. “That’s my favorite: the old and the new colliding head-on. It’s really something to see the New Victory in 1900 and see the exact same theater untouched in 2016!” Broadway Up Close Walking Tours take place everyday, year round, rain or shine. Each tour lasts about an hour and forty-five minutes and covers around a half a mile of the theater district. “Wear comfortable shoes, check the weather and dress appropriately” Dolan advises. “The

costume industry,” he explains. It was the biographies of theatrical

more comfortable you are, the more you’ll enjoy our stories. In the

pioneers like David Belasco, Oscar Hammerstein the 1st and the Shubert

winter, we’re the only walking tour in NYC that gives out complimentary

Brothers that really caught his interest. But, Dolan says that he struggled

hand-warmers. It’s my way of saying, ‘I’m so sorry you came in February!”

with how he was going to share what he was learning. “How do you

The Act One tour costs $35 for adults and $30 for children age 12 or

bring them to life?” he asks. “You find the things that make them human

younger and can accommodate up to 15 people. Once you’ve taken

and tell it in the right way. So, I dug up stuff that very few people know.”

the Act One tour, you can return for Act Two – which travels from 45th

Example? One of the first stops on the tour that he eventually

to 47th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. And visitors who have

devised is The New Victory Theater at 209 West 42nd Street. It was built

taken the first two tours can explore the area from 47th to 54th Street

by Oscar Hammerstein 1st, one of Time’s Square’s first theater landlords

between Broadway and 8th Avenue on Act Three. Each of the public

and grandfather to the man who wrote the classic Broadway musicals

walking tours begins at 11:00 am. But, arrangements can be made for

Oklahoma! and The Sound of Music. Over the years the theater has

private tours at other dates and times.

been the home of long running hits like Abie’s Irish Rose, scandalous

Anyone who completes all three tours is in for a treat. “Every

entertainers like Gypsy Rose Lee and, today, a full season of children’s

Broadway show starts with the Gypsy Robe Ceremony,” Dolan explains.

programming. But, Dolan reveals that The New Victory’s most unique

“So, we have the Broadway Up Close Gypsies Hall of Fame for anyone

offering was once several stories above the stage. “In the old days, you’d go to see a Broadway show and then, afterward, hop into an elevator that took you to the roof of the building where

who does them all. We have a Gypsy Robe green tee shirt that you get to sign and a button that says you’re a member of our Hall of Fame. And your photo and name goes on our website.”

there was another entire theater,” Dolan explains. “Hammerstein

“When I started the tour, I wanted to cater to the person who has

wanted to have the best rooftop theater in the city. So, he put a farm

seen every Broadway show and people who’ve never seen a Broadway

next to his outdoor stage. He covered the roof with dirt, built a river

show,” Tim Dolan concludes. “So, I used the framework to the buildings

and had a woman living up there who raised geese, ducks, chickens

to expand people’s knowledge of the history and the business. You’ll

and cows! It took me years to find photographic evidence of this. But,

walk into Hamiliton with a different perspective if we give you a million

now I have photos of almost the entire farm.”

more things to think about.” CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

FILM + ENTERTAINMENT

FOX ON FILM by PETER FOX: about.me/foxonfilm Don Cheadle as legendary jazz great Miles Davis

“Miles Ahead” Starring Don Cheadle, Ewan McGregor, Emayatzy Corinealdi, LaKeith Lee Stanfield and Michael Stuhlberg. 100 minutes, Rated R, A Sony Pictures Classics Release.

iles Ahead is Don Cheadle’s hotly anticipated biopic on the life and times of legendary jazz great Miles Davis. After years of development and numerous setbacks, Cheadle’s directorial debut arrives in theatres like an unexpected blow to the stomach, and his indie passion project and its ensemble cast do not disappoint. Penned by Cheadle and veteran screenwriter Steven Baigelman, the film opens in the late 1970’s; the midpoint of Davis’s self-imposed, drug fueled hiatus resulting from

his desperate attempt to gain the upper hand on a chronically painful degenerative hip ailment. When an aggressive and ambitious journalist, Dave Braden (Ewan McGregor) arrives at Davis’s door, he is greeted with a punch in the nose. Undaunted, Braden joins Davis on a mission to recover a session tape which has been pilfered by a sinister record producer, Harper Hamilton (Michael Stuhlberg). In one of the film’s funnier scenes, Braden’s credibility with Davis gets an instant boost after he offers to broker a cocaine deal

with a Columbia University student who also happens to be a fan. This event serves as the narrative’s jump-off point, and through a series of artfully rendered flashbacks that focus primarily on Davis’s failed marriage to the dancer Frances Taylor (Emayatzy Corinealdi), Cheadle skillfully leads us on a journey through the various stages of Davis’ life and career; of past projects, performances, heartbreaks and failures. During their romance and subsequent marriage, Taylor served as Davis’ muse. It was during this period that

he released several of his signature recordings, including the groundbreaking “Sketches of Spain” and “Someday My Prince Will Come.” The idyll however, was short lived. The eight-year marriage was marked by infidelity and abuse, and Frances was forced to flee for her own safety as Miles’ mental and physical health deteriorated. Davis was married several times, but Cheadle chose to explore Davis’ marriage to Taylor. When asked why, Cheadle offered: “Frances was with Miles in what I call the “So What” era, his traditional emblematic jazz music and both the relationship and that style of music came to an end when the marriage fell apart. He had taken that music as far as he could push it and after that he didn’t play it anymore. Also, Frances was significant in his life, a period of romance and connection. Then he tries to lock her down and she walks out. Having her and losing her became a symbol for his loss of musical expression. No more music for Miles was death. And only when he finally acknowledges what he’s done, is he able to break through that block and take off again and grow and move forward.” Stylistically, Miles Ahead does not borrow from biopic templates, where we grab a glimpse of the protagonist on his way up, then in full bloom in mid career, followed by the moment where all is lost just before a rebirth, or wistful reconciliation of the past. Instead, Miles Ahead unpredictably plots forward almost as if improvised; much like the music of its main character. The

Photography by Brian Douglas, courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics 70

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

result is very satisfying. Though we bounce around between era’s beginning in the 1970’s then the 50’s , the 60’s, and 80’s, the narrative does not lose its equilibrium or energy. The flashbacks answer one question as they pose another. The structure of the film made for a very demanding production schedule, both creatively and technically. The sequences cover a vast array of different eras of Davis’ life. As Cheadle was in almost every scene of the movie, it was necessary to get everything right on the first try. “Don knew it was going to be complicated, so he arrived well prepared and hired the right team and had a lot of trust in them,” says Producer Pamela Hirsch. “It was a passion project across the board and Don was one hundred percent open to ideas. It was a completely creative environment from top to bottom.” Given the complexity of the sequences, it had to be completely planned out on storyboards, she says. “It was all there on the page and we knew the stakes, the pace and the action and, like much of the film, we wanted to push the envelope,” says Hirsch. “And to do that, first we had to carefully map it out.” The arduous process

of financing the film took years, and several start dates came and went. The stop and start financing, however, was not the only hurdle for the low-budget project. Many of Cheadle’s co-stars in the film, including Ewan McGregor, Michael Stuhlbarg and Emayatzy Corinealdi, had limited windows of availability before they had to depart for other commitments. “We only had Ewan and Michael for three weeks and Emayatzy for three weeks, so we had to complete all their sequences in the film during that period,” says Cheadle. “We had to get it right the first time. No second bites of the apple.” The final round of financing was completed through a successful crowd-funding effort on IndieGoGo. “It actually felt right that we used a social platform to complete the film,” observes Cheadle, “since Miles was someone who made ‘social music’”. Cheadle began developing the screenplay over five years ago, taking the story through various structures and dozens of different drafts. Ultimately, Cheadle decided to go out on a limb and take a risk on how he would tell the story of Miles Davis. Said Cheadle: “The main problem as with

“Emayatzy Corinealdi as Frances Taylor and Don Cheadle as Miles Davis.”

all biographical films was what to include and what to leave out. At first we asked ourselves, should we talk about Coltrane, do should we talk about Quincy Jones? I mean, how do you show musical genius? Ultimately, we decided to focus on depicting an artist going fallow. Again I took my cue from Miles’ music. Instead of a reverential

jazz performers like Esperanza Spaulding and Gary Clark Jr. It’s exactly the kind of group Miles might put together, a collage, very free form, almost like watching a rehearsal that’s open to the public. With the family’s permission, I used Miles’ paintings as a backdrop. But like the music, we manipulated them, almost Script Supervisor Belle Francisco and Director/Actor Don Cheadle

bio, I wanted to push it every way I could, go out on a limb and take a risk. Like bringing in the character of Junior, who is actually Miles. And Junior’s wife is Miles’ first wife, Irene. Through that character Miles gets to see the young Miles. But we don’t underline it. Only if you know Miles’ life do you understand that it’s him”. The film’s final sequence features jazz legends Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter in what Cheadle refers to as a meta-concert. In an attempt to stay true to the spirit of Miles Davis, Cheadle explains what lead to his decision to end the film with this very effective sequence of Davis’ music juxtaposed with paintings from his collection: “The group we put together included older musicians Miles had played with like Herbie and Wayne as well as newer

like visual sampling. Again, it’s what Miles would have done. Before rap he was already doing sampling in his music, the only difference is that it was analog instead of digital.” While the film’s free-form approach towards the life and career of Miles Davis may offend purists from the world of jazz music and cinema, its strengths are, nonetheless, augmented by its ambitious, non-conformist structure, beautiful cinematography and powerful performances, most notably by Cheadle, McGregor and Corinealdi. Moviegoers should not expect a linear biopic experience similar to Ray or Walk the Line. As with the music of Miles Davis, no pretense of conformity exists in Miles Ahead. But if you keep this in mind when you go to the theater, you might really enjoy this picture.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

DECORATIVE ARTS

On The Block: Spring Offerings. by Matthew Sturtevant

Dueling

Potter

A pair of pistols that once belonged to the Latin American independence hero Simon Bolivar sold for $1.8 million at the auction house Christie’s in New York on April 13th. The guns’ provenance prompted special interest. They were a present from the French aristocrat the Marquis de Lafayette, who fought in the French and American revolutions and believed Bolivar -- who led the liberation of several states from Spanish rule -- shared common Enlightenment ideals. He sent Bolivar the two ceremonial pistols, made by royal gunsmiths at Versailles, in 1825. Contained inside a wooden box, the weapons are inlaid with gold and silver and embossed with symbols from Greek and Roman mythology. Born into a wealthy family in Caracas, Bolivar led the troops who forced the Spanish to surrender control of the Captaincy General of Venezuela in 1813. He went on to play a decisive role in the establishment of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, whose name is derived from his. He died in 1830 at age 47.

The chair on which British author J.K. Rowling sat to write the first two volumes of her best-selling “Harry Potter” series sold at auction in New York on Wednesday for $394,000. The modest, 1930s-era oak chair was part of a mismatched set of four that Rowling was given for free when she was a single mother living in subsidized housing in the Scottish city of Edinburgh. Heritage Auctions said it sold for nearly 14 times the price that it last fetched at auction in 2009. The 50-year-old author used the chair to write “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” and “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” published in 1997 and 1998, respectively. “This was the comfiest one, which is why it ended up stationed permanently in front of my typewriter, supporting me while I typed,” Rowling wrote in a letter accompanying the chair, said the auction house. “My nostalgic side is quite sad to see it go, but my back isn’t,” she added. Rowling donated the chair in 2002 to an auction benefitting the National Society for the

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Prevention of Cruelty to Children after adorning it with words in pink, gold and green paint. “You may not find me pretty but don’t judge on what you see,” she wrote, along with “I wrote Harry Potter while sitting on this chair” and her signature, the auction house said. It sold again at auction in 2009 for $29,117, Heritage said. “A small piece of history connected to the mythology of the Wizarding World and one of the most beloved characters in children’s literature,” said the auction house.

Three Buddha’s One Price At Briscadieu Bordeaux A set of three Buddha sculptures from the 15th-century Ming dynasty went under the hammer in France on Saturday for more than 6.2 million euros, over 10 times the estimated sale price, the auction house said, in a flourishing market for Chinese art. An Asian collector snapped up the three gilded bronze pieces, which had initially been expected to fetch between 400,000 and 600,000 euros. The three seated Buddhas were offered for sale along with other pieces from a private collection originating in China and Tibet between 1910 and 1925, the auction house in Bordeaux, southwestern France, said. “These works of great rarity aroused much interest from... international collectors including many Chinese,” it said. “They were acquired for a sum of 6,292,000 euros ($6.9 million) by an Asian collector who was present at the auction,” it added.

FASHION FURNITURE LIGHTING TEXTILES JEWELRY ART ANTIQUES ACCESSORIES •

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JOSEPH DERMODY

JEFF MCNAMARA

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Jeff McNemara is a top magazine and advertising photographer, whose work is seen in magazines such as Architectural Digest, Luxe Interiors & Design, Coastal Living, House Beautiful - and in his Brand work with Polo Ralph Lauren Home, Restoration Hardware, oomph and Cowtan & Tout, to name a few.

josephdermody.com or e-mail: josephdermody@gmail.com

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jeffmcnamara.com represented by crcampbell@aspiremediamarketing.com

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FASHION FURNITURE LIGHTING TEXTILES JEWELRY ART ANTIQUES ACCESSORIES •

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FASHION FURNITURE LIGHTING TEXTILES JEWELRY ART ANTIQUES ACCESSORIES •

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GALLERY + MUSEUM GUIDE

ESSEX

BRIDGEPORT City Lights Gallery 37 Markle Court, Bridgeport Tel: 203.334.7748 Web: citylightsgallery.org Hours: Wed - Fri 11:30am-5pm; Sat 12- 4pm, or by appointment City Lights Gallery presents local, regional and emerging artists to Bridgeport and its visitors. The gallery hosts various community-based exhibits and events such as: Artists’ Receptions, Arts/crafts classes, Open Studio Workshop, Lunch Time Art Demonstrations, Movie Night Series, Concerts and Music, Private and Corporate Rentals. Housatonic Museum of Art 900 Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport Tel: 203.332.5052 Web: hctc.commnet.edu/artmuseum Hours: Sept-May, Mon - Fri 8:30am-5:30pm; Thurs until 7pm, Sat 9 - 3 pm The Museum has one of the most significant collections of any two-year college in the country and includes works by master artists such as Rodin, Picasso, Matisse, Miro and Chagall. Both art enthusiasts and casual observers have the rare opportunity to engage daily with original works of art and artifacts on continuous display throughout the College and campus grounds. The Museum also presents lectures, programs and changing exhibitions in the Burt Chernow Galleries for our students and the community at large, serving as a rich cultural resource for the Greater Bridgeport area. Schelfhaudt Gallery University of Bridgeport 84 Iranistan Avenue, Bridgeport 203-576-4696 The Schelfhaudt Gallery at the University of Bridgeport produces a varied and eclectic number of shows each academic year. Exhibits include works from students, alumni, local, regional and nationally known artists and associations such as the New York Type Directors. The Schelfhaudt Gallery is also host to the Innovators Entrepreneurs events, film screenings and multiple symposiums.

Cooper & Smith Gallery 10 Main Street Tel: 860-581-8526 www.coopersmithgallery.com Hours: Wed-Sat, 11–6; Sun, 11–5

Bruce Museum 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich Tel: 203.869.0376 Web: brucemuseum.org Hours: Tue-Sat 10-5pm Sun 1-5pm

Contemporary fine art, primarily oil paintings, in various genres and styles. Art reception and gallery anniversary celebration on Friday, June 24, 5 – 8 p.m.

A regionally based, world-class institution highlighting art, science and natural history in more than a dozen changing exhibitions annually. The permanent galleries feature the natural sciences that encompass regional to global perspectives.

FAIRFIELD Art/Place Gallery 70 Sanford St Tel: 646-258-6912 or 203-374-9720 Web: www.artplacegallery.com Hours: Thur-Sat 12 - 4pm & Sun 2 - 5 PM

C. Parker Gallery 17 E Putnam Ave Tel: 203-253-0934 Web: www.cparkergallery.com Hours: Mon-Sat 10-5:30pm, Sun 11-5pm

Art/Place Gallery celebrates over 30 years as a not-for-profit artist run gallery, located in the center of downtown Fairfield, Connecticut.

Over the last decade, C. Parker Gallery has cultivated an impressive array of original works created by highly collectible and distinguished artists. The gallery’s extensive collection ranges from 19th century masters to rising stars who have exhibited in major salons, museums and galleries around the world.

The Bellarmine Museum of Art Fairfield University, Bellarmine Hall Tel: 203-254-4046 www.fairfield.edu/museum Vaults of Heaven: Visions of Byzantium through September 16, 2016 Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery Fairfield University, Quick Center for the Arts Tel: 203-254-4062 Web: fairfield.edu/walshgallery Don Gummer - The Armature of Emotion: Drawings and Sculpture through June 11, 2016 Hours: Mon - Fri 11-4pm Fairfield University 1073 N. Benson Road The Fairfield Museum + History Center Explore the Past, Imagine the Future 370 Beach Road, Fairfield Tel: 203.259.1598 Fax: 203.255.2716 Web: fairfieldhistory.org Hours: Open daily 10am - 4pm Connecticut, 1940: Farms, Factories, and the Photographs of Jack Delano Through Sept. 18 Fabulous Animals: The Illustrated World of Robert Lawson. Through Sept. 18 Creating Community: Exploring 375 Years of Our Past. Ongoing Southport Galleries 330 Pequot Avenue Tel: 203.292.6124 Web: southportgalleries.com Presenting a selection of enduring American Masters and Contemporary artists, we invite new clients and seasoned connoisseurs to explore the values of fine art collecting.

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GREENWICH

Flinn Gallery Greenwich Library, 2nd Floor 101 W. Putnam Avenue Web: flynngallery.com Tel: 203.622.7947 Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Thur 10am-8pm Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 1pm-5pm The Flinn Gallery is a non-profit, education oriented exhibition space that presents art in all mediums from a wide range of periods, visions and techniques. Michael Florio Gallery 135 Mason Street, Greenwich Tel: 203-858-5743 Web: michaelflorio.com Hours: Mon-Fri by chance or appointment Michael Florio Gallery brings thirty years of expertise to collectors of emerging artists, contemporary art, investment grade marine art, and rare curiosities. The gallery hosts regularly scheduled artist receptions and works closely with major collectors and museums in helping build their collections and acquiring precious objects of great historical value. Located in downtown Greenwich with free and easy parking.

IVORYTON Six Summit Gallery 6 Summit Street Tel: (860) 581-8332 (917)-573-0029 NYC Web: sixsummitgallery.com Hours: Wed: 11am-5pm Thu:11am -6:30pm Fri: 10am-6:30 pm Sat: 12pm-4pm Sun: 12pm 4pm. Hours subject to change, please call ahead.

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F E AT U R E D G A L L E R I E S , M U S E U M S & C R E AT I V E S E RV I C E S

To be included in the Gallery + Museum Guide email us at advertising@venumagazine.com

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GALLERY + MUSEUM GUIDE

MADISON

NORWALK

Susan Powell Fine Art 679 Boston Post Road Tel: 203-318-0616 Web: susanpowellfineart.com Hours: Wed-Sat 11am-5pm Sun: Anytime by appointment

Center for Contemporary Printmaking 299 West Avenue, Mathews Park Norwalk, CT 06850 Tel: 203.899.7999 Web: contemprints.org Hours: Tue-Sun 9- 5pm

The gallery specializes in Contemporary Realism, and Impressionism, with monthly exhibitions featuring nationally-known and emerging artists.

Serving the tri-state area for twenty years, CCP is a non-profit gallery and world-class printmaking studio. The art of printmaking can be explored through workshops, edition printing with master printers, exhibitions, community programs, and an Artistin-Residence Program.

NEW CANAAN Handwright Gallery & Framing 93 Main Street, New Canaan Tel: 203.966.7660 Fax: 203.966.7663 Web: handwrightgallery.com Hours: Mon-Sat 10-5:30pm Handwright Gallery & Framing provides a full range of framing and installation services for the Fairfield County area. The gallery offers original paintings including watercolors, oils, and pastels along with sculpture from traditional to contemporary. Our gallery represents emerging and award-winning regional artists. Silvermine Arts Center 1037 Silvermine Road New Canaan, CT 06840 Tel: 203.966.9700 Web: silvermineart.org Gallery Hours: Wed-Sat 12pm-5pm; Sun 1pm-5pm

NEW HAVEN Fred Giampietro 1064 Chapel Street New Haven, CT 06510 Tel: 203.777.7760 Web: giampietrogallery.com Hours: Mon-Sat 11-6pm, or by appointment Reynolds Fine Art 96 Orange Street, 9th Square New Haven, Connecticut 06510 Tel: 203.498.2200 Web: info@reynoldsfineart.com Hours: Tues-Thurs – 11-5pm, Fri – 11-6pm, Sat – 11-5pm Yale Center for British Art 1080 Chapel Street Tel: 203-432-2800 Web: britishart.yale.edu Yale University Art Gallery 1111 Chapel Street (at York Street) Tel: 203-432-0600 Web: artgallery.yale.edu Hours: Tue-Fri 10am–5pm Thu (Sept–June) 10am–8:00pm Sat–Sun 11am–5pm The Gallery is free and open to the public.

Leclerc Contemporary At Fairfield Co. Antique and Design Ctr. 19 Willard Road, Norwalk, CT 06851 Tel: 203.826.8575 Web: leclerccontemporary.com Hours: Mon - Sat 10-6, Sun 11-5 and by appointment.

LoveArt Gallery & Studio 132C Washington Street, Norwalk, CT Tel: 203-957-3124 loveartgalleryandstudio.com Hours: Tue-Wed 11am - 6pm Thur-Sat 11am- 2pm & 5-9pm Sun 11am- 2pm Specializing in contemporary, urban, and pop art. The gallery offers unique, original art from both local and international artists.

STAMFORD Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery 96 Bedford Street, Stamford, CT Tel: 888-861-6791 Web: flalvarezgallery.com Hours: Mon by appt. Tue-Sat 10am-6pm Sun closed Franklin Street Works 41 Franklin St, Stamford, CT Tel: 203-595-5211 Web: franklinstreetworks.org Hours: Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun: 12 -5:00pm Thurs: 12-7pm Franklin Street Works is a new, not-for-profit contemporary art space, café, and social gathering place in Stamford, Connecticut. It produces original on-site and off-site exhibitions, artist projects, and related programming. Located in renovated row houses on Franklin Street, the two-story space includes three galleries and a café.

OLD LYME Chauncey Stillman Gallery Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts 84 Lyme Street, Old Lyme Tel: 860.434.5232 Fax: 860.434.8725 Web: lymeacademy.edu Hours: Mon-Sat 10-4pm Exhibitions, free and open to the public,

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include a broad spectrum of professional, student and alumni artwork throughout the year. The Cooley Gallery 25 Lyme Street Old Lyme, CT Tel: 860-434-8807 Web: cooleygallery.com Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-5pm Diane Birdsall Gallery 16 Lyme Street, Old Lyme 860 434 3209 Web: dianebirdsallgallery.com Hours: Wed-Sat: 12-6 pm Sun: 1-4 pm Florence Griswold Museum 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme Tel: 860.434.5542 For hours, admission, special events visit: FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org “Home of American Impressionism.” Historic boardinghouse of the Lyme Art Colony, modern gallery with changing exhibitions. Gardens and grounds to enjoy.

RIDGEFIELD The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum 258 Main Street Tel: 203.438.4519 Web: aldrichart.org Hours: Tue-Sun 12-5pm The Aldrich is dedicated to fostering innovative artists whose ideas and interpretations of the world around us serve as a platform to encourage creative thinking. The Aldrich, which served an audience of over 37,700 in 2011, is one of the few independent, non-collecting contemporary art museums in the United States, and the only museum in Connecticut devoted to contemporary art. Ridgefield Guild of Artists 93 Halpin Lane, Ridgefield Tel: 203.438.8863 Web: rgoa.com Email: rgoa@sbcglobal.net Hours: Wed-Sun 12-4pm For a complete calendar of events and offerings, please visit our web site at rgoa.org. Watershed Gallery 23 Governor Street, Ridgefield Tel: 203.438.44387 Web: watershedgallery.com Hours: Tue-Fri 11-6; Sat 11-5; Sun 1-5

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WESTPORT

PGartventure Gallery 2130a Boston Post Rd, Larchmont, NY Tel: 914-834-5100 Web: www.pgartventure.com

Amy Simon Fine Art 1869 Post Road East, Westport Tel: 203.259.1500 Fax: 203.259.1501 Web: amysimonfineart.com Hours: Tue-Sat 11-5:30 and by appt. Amy Simon Fine Art specializes in work by mid-career and emerging artists, contemporary blue chip editions and Asian contemporary art. The gallery’s inventory and exhibitions reflect its eclectic interests and expertise in these areas. Amy Simon works with collectors worldwide. It is our mission to introduce clients to work that we are passionate about. Picture This Custom Framing & Fine Art and Nylen Gallery 772 Post Road East, Westport Tel: 203.227.6861 Web: picturethisofwestport.com Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm Sat 10am-5pm Framing: Creative presntation and preservation solutions for every kind of art. Digital art services offred as well. Westport Art Center 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport Tel: 203.222.7070 Fax: 203.222.7999 Web: westportartscenter.org Hours: Mon-Fri 10-4; Sat 10-5; Sun 12-4

NJ MORRIS

Morris Museum 6 Normandy Heights Road Tel: 973.971.3700 Web: morrismuseum.org Hours: Tues-Sat 11am-5pm Sat 12pm--5pm The Morris Museum is Morris County’s epicenter of art, science, culture, and history. Located in the Twin Oaks mansion in historic Morristown, the museum boasts a permanent collection of more than 40,000 objects ranging from rocks and minerals to model trains, as well as one of the country’s largest collections of mechanical musical instruments and automata.

BROOKLYN A.I.R. Gallery 111 Front Street, #228, Brooklyn, NY Tel: 212-255-6651 Web: airgallery.org Hours: Wed - Sun 11 am - 6 pm A.I.R. Gallery’s goal is to provide a professional and permanent exhibition space for women artists to present work of quality and diversity.

MANHATTAN Agora Gallery 530 West 25th Street New York, N.Y. 10001 Tel: 212.226.4151 Web: www.agora-gallery.com Hours: Mon-Sun 12-7pm

Post Road Gallery 2128 Boston Post Road • Larchmont, NY Tel: 914-834-7568 Web: postroadgallery.com Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm

POUND RIDGE The Lionheart Gallery 27 Westchester Avenue Pound Ridge, New York Tel. 914-764-8689 Web: Thelionheartgallery.com Hours: Wed-Sat 11am - 5pm; Sun. 12-5pm and by appointment. May15,-July1 Impulse, Abstract expressionistic paintings by Ashley Chase Andrews Paper Cuts - Greg Welz July 15 -Sept 3 Abstract wwwaintings Maps of the Mind - Philippe Haliburda Alternative Process Photography Mary West Quin

C24 Gallery 560 W 24th St, New York, NY 10011 Tel: (646) 416-6300 www.c24gallery.com Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-6pm

Castle Fitzjohns Gallery 98 Orchard Street, NY, NY Tel: 212-260-2460 Web: castlefitzjohns.com Hours: Mon-Sun 12-7pm Hoerle-Guggenheim Gallery 527 W 23rd Street New York, NY 10011 Web: hoerle-guggenheim.com Tel. 212-366-4490 F. 212-366-4481 Rotella Gallery 468 West Broadway Tel:: 212-260-1140 Fax: 212-260-1125 Web: rotellagallery.com Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–7pm EST Sunday 11am – 6pm EST

LARCHMONT Kenise Barnes Fine Art 1947 Palmer Avenue Tel: 914-834-8077 Web: kbfa.com Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-5:30pm and by appt.

She Drew, 2015, 11” x 14”, $850 Platinum Palladium on Arches Palatine

PURCHASE Neuberger Museum of Art 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase Tel: 914.251.6100 Web: neuberger.org Hours: Tue-Sun 12-5pm; Closed Mon and Holidays. Admission: Adults $5, Students $3, Seniors (62+) $3.

RYE The Rye Arts Center 51 Milton Road, Rye, NY Tel: 914-967-0700 Web: ryeartscenter.org Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30 -7:00pm Sat 9:30-1:00pm Gallery52 81 Purchase St, Rye, NY 10580 Tel: 914-921-1585 Web: gallery52rye.com

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Fashion Takes the Lead at the Vizcaya “Hat” Luncheon Fabulously chic women flocked to the bayside Vizcaya Museum and Gardens 8th Annual Preservation Luncheon, (known as the “hat luncheon”) a favorite during our society season. Thanks to Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, the furor over hats and fascinators has escalated to competitive heights. More than 300 women, wearing meticulously coordinated ensembles, attended to raise money for the ongoing restoration of the historic museum and grounds, a breathtaking location for an al fresco lunch. The menu and décor were created by Thierry Isambert Culinary and Event Design. Dall’Armellina Vineyards provided Prosecco and Deering Wine provided Grenache Blanc. Vizcaya.org

Above: Paul Cejas, Trudy Cejas, Silvia Karman Cubina, & George Lindemann Right: Princess Firyal of Jordan & Naeem Khan

$2 Million Gift During The Bass Ball, A Surreal Night! The Bass Museum of Art has set a precedent in Miami with the Bass Ball -- which, from what I saw, will be our version of the Met Ball. Supporters wore over-the-top surrealist ensembles for the required Whimsical Black Tie attire. Over 350 patrons attended the $1000 per ticket Bass Ball dinner and the after party. The unique decor and exquisite menu by Le Basque Catering was inspired by South African artist, Athi-Patra Ruga, who premiered a new work that night. Three major gifts announced at the ball totaling over $2 million will go to the museum’s endowment. Ambassador Paul and Trudy Cejas donated $1 million as did Bass Museum Board President George Lindemann. Silvia Karman Cubiñá, Executive Director and Chief Curator, also revealed that an anonymous donor made an additional gift of an undisclosed amount. The Bass Ball was presented by Italian luxury brand TOD’S and sponsored by Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate. Bassmuseum.org

Vizcaya photographs courtesy of OlgaMiljko.com Above: Christy Martin, Daniela Swaebe, Lydia Touzet Below: Dr. Joel Hoffman, Swanee DiMare, Cathy Jones, Rayfield McGhee

A Trip Back In Time To 1950s Cuba

Mario Cader Frech & Robert Wennett

What will go down as the private party of year was hosted by Robert S. Wennett and Mario Cader-Frech at their breathtaking 1111 Lincoln Road penthouse with views of the sparkling lights of Miami Beach. Both are great supporters of the arts and collect conceptual contemporary works. Wennett, is president of UIA Management and creator of 1111 Lincoln Road, the iconic building which has received international acclaim and was built by Herzog & de Meuron, the firm responsible for the Tate Modern in London and The Olympic Stadium in Beijing. Cader Frech is Sr. VP of Public Affairs at Viacom International. They’re known for their creative bashes and this one had a “Havana Nights” theme. Over 200 guests were encouraged to wear glam 1950s Cuban style attire. Guests checked in at a replica of a Pan Am Airways desk with flight attendants dressed in period uniforms. Tropicana showgirls entertained the crowd, which danced to the Isaac Delgado Band from Cuba, very late into the night.

Follow Daisy on Twitter and Instagram @DaisySociety. For more on Miami, go to TheDaisyColumn.com

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