VENU #32 FALL 2016

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE

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Fall Issue_32

SPOTLIGHT 16 Benefactor Clearing the Air in Nepal

18 Gallery Wilson Avenue Loft Artists Depict “A Sense of Place”

20 History Treasures of Fort Hamilton from Veterans to Volunteers

FEATURES

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Sean Kelly Drawing Out the Man Behind the Ideas

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Rick Shaefer Speaks About His Powerful New Series on the Refugee Crisis

18 EVENTS + GATHERINGS

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24 FCBUZZ Fairfield County’s Inaugural Arts & Culture Empowerment Awards

Travel Getting to Know the Real Atlanta

26 ArtsWestchester Presents “Remedy” Exhibition

28 Fairfield Musem IMAGES

ON THE COVER Sean Kelly’s illustration, “Art Party Accident,” from The New York Times’s Metropolitan Diary.

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CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

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Fall Issue_32

30 Floating Hospital 150th

Anniversary Cocktail Party

32 Flash Miami Highlights

from Art Basel, Switzerland

33 Philantrophy In the Hamptons with Sara Herbert-Galloway

34 Fine Wine The 10th Annual American Fine Wine Invitational

STYLE 36

rchitecture The Gould A Memorial Library

Roberto Ramos in front of his bar which is famed in the largest collection of Rums from Around the World

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DECORATIVE ARTS

60

72 On the Block Summer Auction Highlights

APPETITE 39 The Golden Palate Platinum Palate Chefs Share Their Success Secrets

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Fearless Chef David Burke Exposed: Insta This Facebook That

44 Cocktail Culture Jimmy at The James

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CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

YACHTING 60

Azimut 66 at its Very Best

PULSE 62 Art Cuban Castaway To Cuban Master Collector

66 Film The Greenwich International Film Festival’s Triumphant Second Year

68 Stage Marion Abbott Discovers The Confidential Musical Theatre Project

FILM & ENTERTAINMENT 70 Robert Klein Still Can’t Stop His Leg, one of this Year’s Funniest Feature Films

SOCIETY 84 The Daisy Column Miami Society, The Powerful, The Chic, The Unique

IN EVERY ISSUE 10 Publisher’s Letter 73 Art + Objects 78 Gallery + Museum Guide

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Take a quick look at the myriad events that have dominated the world news of late – the

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

We have a special fondness for veterans at Venü and are proud to include a story on Tom Trombone, veteran volunteer and walking

upcoming election, Cuba’s new travel freedoms, the refugee crisis and our veterans to

adjective-stripped words is clearly out of the

historian whose knowledge about the history

name a few – add interviews with celebrity

question. We’re big fans of his work, along

of Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton caught our interest

newsmakers and top chefs, and then give

with countless other influence makers, which

and admiration! Be sure to read the story to

them an art spin to bring them to life in orig-

is why he is on the cover.

learn about the museum and the upcoming

inal Technicolor prose, and that’s what you’ll

We’re also big travelers and love the fact

find headlining in this 2016 Fall issue of Venü.

that Cuba is not only welcoming but encour-

CMC obstacle event produced by our partners circle and Teamwork on September 10.

We pride ourselves in keeping up on – and

aging conversations between the locals and

We wouldn’t be Venü without serving up

ahead of – what’s happening on the con-

US residents. While that wasn’t the case when

insights on food and wine; you’ll find several

temporary culture scene, always striving to

art collector Robert Ramos and his brother

appetizing stories inside as we wrap up the

remain as unbiased, fair and balanced as the

set off in a little boat from the island to our

summer with our homage to the culinary arts

news media should be. But let’s face it. When

Florida mainland with banned paintings

of David Burke, our cocktail maestro Johnny

you are sipping wine on a charming stone

secreted away from Castro’s regime, because

Swet, and our own traveling gourmet Fred

patio bordered by an imagination-perfect

of his efforts today we have the treasured

Bollaci. There’s lots more on the following

flowering garden of a historic Sea Captain’s

pleasure of seeing works by Cuban artists

pages, so sit back, pour yourself a glass of

home in one of Connecticut’s most idyllic

forbidden to speak out decades ago at the

wine or try a featured cocktail, and read your

waterfront communities with illustrator Sean

Cubaocho Art and Research Center in Miami.

way into reverie!

Kelly, who is a pro at inking award-winning

The sadness we feel at the plight of

Thank you for your support and continued

commentary, from the politically expressive

refugee families fleeing war-torn countries

Kudos! Our next Winter Issue is already look-

to the comically satirical, for the nation’s

in Europe is palpable. Artist Rick Shaefer

ing hot with features on some pretty amazing

biggest newspapers, any thought of benign

immortalizes their anguished flight in a new

artists and Art Basel festivities! Stay tuned!

exhibition at the Fairfield University Art Museum entitled Refugee Trilogy, featured on pages 52-55.

Land Crossing &

Rick Shaefer in Studio

Tracey Thomas Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

FEATURE

Figure Study & Water

K SHAEFER ARTIST RIC NEW SERI ES

SPEA KS ABOU T HIS POW

ERFU L

G AT IS DEBUTIN GEE CRIS USEUM ON THEI RREFU RSITY ART M FIELD UNIVE T H E FA

and Picasso’s Guernica, Raft of the Medusa, throngs the Innocents, Gericault’s of the imagery of vast with the onslaught War series, plus all How does one deal our Goya’s Disasters of partition of India to news of countless waves from Exodus to the horrific imagery and fleeing war and oppression three large-scale charcoal from the Middle East?

“Trail of Tears.” The of refugees coming own native American the expulsion or as of in this new series -humanity involved, each 8 feet by 15 feet, The vast scale of the ultimate drawings, the of the chaos over five million from a sea journey, and this writing numbering mass escape over land, journeys taken by refugees desperation the and me for agony distill the -Syria alone, and clash with other cultures stotheir historical precursors.

Biblical. When the current events with both epic and almost espeeverywhere, connecting one of of those afflicted, feel of the Baroque, and initial reaction was seeing the imagery started appearing my of that In my mind, I kept times. ries and photos first together elements this suffering many I decided to bring – we have seen all of cially Rubens, therefore of the 17th but despairing familiarity the current debacle Why employ the vernacular the scale or pain of vocabulary in the drawings. it seems an This is not to denigrate on refugees? At first tenacity of it. a 21st century work ge the historical, repetitive, century Baroque in was frivolity of scenes of mind to sadly acknowled surface to the came past But in looking vocabulary that instantly improbable choice. of As an artist, the visual and The Massacre The Last Judgment such paintings as Rubens’

Crossing

COVER STORY

Border Crossing

FEATURE

& Lion Study

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Opposite Page Clockwise from Left: “The Flatiron Building,” from Sean Kelly’s Metropolitan Diary series, The New York Times. “A Man of Influence,” Worth Magazine. “Companies Expand Their Identities,” Businessweek.

This Page: A full-page feature on “MiniMultinationals” in Business 2.0.

AZINE CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAG

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C L A R K E

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CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Rick Shaefer’s Refugee Trilogy and Sean Kelly’s magnificant works of art as featured in Venü Magazine’s Fall issue #32

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PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHEIF Tracey Thomas CREATIVE DIRECTOR Nichole D’Auria I Nisu Creative FEATURES EDITOR Cindy Clarke FILM & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Peter J. Fox DECORATIVE ARTS EDITOR Matthew Sturtevant

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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, Cindy Clarke, Phillip James Dodd, Peter Fox, Nancy Helle, Sara Herbert-Galloway, Linda Kavanagh, Michelle Khouri, Janet Langsem, Daisy Olivera, Rick Shaefer, William Squier, Matthew Sturtevant CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER David Heischrek / DHPA.com PUBLISHING PARTNER circle REGIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jamie Lewis NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Susie Earls VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Lauren Stever 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

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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.

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SPOTLIGHT:

Benefactor

79-Year-Old American is Clearing the Air in Nepal Cooking Up a Solution to Household Air Pollution Written by Jeff Blumenfeld Photography by Himalayan Stove Project

Clockwise from Left: New clean cook stoves are taking a bite out of indoor air pollution in Nepal; The Himalayan Stove Project has shipped over 3,600 stoves to Nepal, with more on the way.; “Chief Cook” George Basch is clearing Nepal’s air one stove at a time; Each properly vented stove reduces indoor air pollution by up to 90 percent.

IN SEPTEMBER 2015, ski mountaineer Kit

high altitude mountains,” DesLauriers posts

combined. It fuels deaths from lower respira-

DesLauriers, was on an expedition to climb

to The North Face NeverStopExploring.com

tory infection, chronic obstructive pulmonary

Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the

blog, a must-read for the outdoor adventure

disease and lung cancer.

world, when she became ill with high altitude

community.

cerebral edema (HACE). As she recovered,

“The smoke made my eyes burn and

health and the environment for the World

a local Nepali family shared their meals with

permeated the taste of the tea graciously

Health Organization (WHO), “We have 3.7

her despite having little food for themselves.

offered to me throughout the day, even

million people dying a year from outdoor air

DesLauriers was shocked by the amount

when I’d escape to the cleaner air of my tent

pollution, and 4.3 million from household

between meals.”

pollution. Almost half the world is still cook-

of indoor smoke caused by cooking on an open fire pit on the dirt floor, a method little

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

ing like in the stone age.”

calls cook stoves and the indoor air pollution

When smoke eventually disperses outside

“The smoky air inside the Nepali homes

they produce, “the world’s leading source

the home, it causes still further problems for

and tea houses I’ve visited is in stark contrast

of environmental death.” Household Air

air quality and climate change.

to the mental imagery evoked for most of us

Pollution (HAP) from cooking fires kills more

It’s a cause that has consumed 79-year-old

when we think about the otherwise majestic

than malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis

Taos, N.M., businessman George Basch for six

changed for centuries.

16

Adds Dr. Maria Neira, head of public

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

earthquake and subsequent aftershocks that killed approximately 9,000 Nepalis.

According to Basch, the larger, institutional-sized Envirofit stove, which has a 100-liter pot, is ideal for cooking dal bhat, a highly nutritious lentil soup served over rice. Where it can, HSP distributes them in pairs - one for dal and one for bhat - so that mass-feeding programs can be supported.

Basch has circled the globe as an adventurer, explorer, photographer and an entrepreneur. Born in Vienna, he immigrated to the U.S. as a small child, ahead of Hitler’s hordes, and holds dual U.S. and EU citizenship. He grew up in Chicago and graduated from MIT in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, and earned an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 1961.

He is currently president of Property Tax Relief Specialists, a Phoenix-based property tax consultancy he founded in 1987, and is years. His non-profit Himalayan Stove Project

the principal of Basch Photography, which

(HSP) has shipped over 3,600 environmentally

creates adventure films.

the world’s explorers and adventurers.

Says Dave Hahn, a professional mountain

friendly clean-burning cook stoves to homes

Between his irrepressible travels around

guide, who has summited Mount Everest 15

in Nepal’s impoverished rural communities.

the world, Basch, who is single and is an avid

times, the most for a non-Sherpa climber,

HSP’s partners in Nepal include The Hima-

skier and hiker, currently divides his time

“We all want to change the world… most

layan Trust founded by Sir Edmund Hillary in

between Phoenix and Taos. He’s often seen

of us are kind enough, but not quite cre-

the 1960’s when he began his philanthropic

at trade shows and Rotary meetings wearing

ative enough to figure out how to make a

work to help the Sherpa people in the Mount

his signature white chef’s toque imprinted

difference for people living in challenging

Everest region.

with “Chief Cook.”

circumstances.”

For $150, each properly vented stove has

While companies including Adidas,

Hahn, who carried an HSP banner to

been shown to reduce indoor air pollution by

Clothing Arts, Eddie Bauer, Global Rescue,

the top of Everest in 2012, continues, “The

up to 90 percent, using 75 percent less fuel

Kahtoola and MSR have supported the

Himalayan Stove Project is a tangible, smart,

which helps decrease deforestation due to

Himalayan Stove Project, the need continues

common sense approach.” ¨

more efficient use of wood.

to outstrip the availability of stoves. By one

The lightweight 20 lbs. stoves and chim-

count, around two million survivors of the

For more information on this program visit:

ney systems, manufactured by Envirofit, a

2015 earthquake are still huddled miserably

www.himalayanstoveproject.org

non-profit in Fort Collins., Colo., are sold

under tin sheets and tarpaulins. Studies by

to Nepalis for a few dollars to give them a

the Global Alliance for Clean Cook Stoves

vested interest in maintaining the stoves.

and the World Health Organization have iden-

Revenue is then earmarked for other projects

tified the need for more than seven million

in their communities.

improved cook stoves in Nepal.

In his own small way, Basch is helping

Basch hopes his efforts to bring clean

alleviate what continues to be a humanitar-

cook stoves to Nepal are taking a bite out of

ian crisis after the April 2015 magnitude 7.8

a critical issue facing a country so beloved by

About the Author: Jeff Blumenfeld, a frequent contributor to Venu Magazine, is editor of ExpeditionNews.com, and author of an adventure sponsorship book titled, Get Sponsored: A Funding Guide for Explorers, Adventurers, and Would-Be World Travelers (Skyhorse Publishing, 2014). He resides in Boulder, Colo.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

17

SPOTLIGHT:

Gallery

Wilson Avenue Loft Artists Depict “A Sense of Place” WALA’s Annual Exhibition and Open Studios offers an opportunity to view a great variety of creativity and envision 16 artists at work

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Written by Nancy Helle

Halfway between South Norwalk’s lively restaurant scene and the picturesque village of Rowayton, a former industrial complex has been transformed

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into a unique beehive of creativity – the Wilson Avenue Loft Artists, known as WALA. Fifteen studios with soaring ceilings, tall windows and a large exhibition space have attracted an outstanding enclave of 16 artists, mostly from Fairfield County with two from nearby areas in New York. WALA was founded in 2007 by two artists, Lori Glavin and Britt Bair. Bair’s Darien neighbor, David Genovese owned an empty factory building in South Norwalk with rentable space, and liked the idea of provid-

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ing a place for artists to work.

WALA’s popular annual community event is a

For “A Sense of Place”, some artists have

group exhibition which opens on Friday, Octo-

depicted a special part of the world they trea-

ber 28th with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. and

sure, some are captivated by the sea, familiar

continues with Open Studios on Saturday and

landscapes or everyday objects, while others

th

th

Sunday, the 29 and 30 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

envision imaginary landscapes and scenes or

The studios are at 225 Wilson Avenue (Rt. 136) on

share personal stories. As Nancy McTague-Stock,

the 2nd floor, but the entrance and parking are off

exhibition co-chair with Lori Glavin, says, “Place

Ely Avenue behind the building.

is a mindset of being in the moment; it can refer

The exhibition, “A Sense of Place” is curated

to a specific location or a specific state of mind.”

by Sophia Gevas, the former Director of the

According to curator Gevas, “A Sense of

Gallery of Contemporary Art at Sacred Heart

Place” is an ideal theme to celebrate the inno-

University, current Outreach Education Director

vative and singular ways we all think about our

at Silvermine Arts Center and an Adjunct Faculty

own ‘places’, whether a personal interpretation

member at Housatonic Community College. She

or a particular location in our world. Viewing this

says, “Collectives like WALA provide stimulating

exciting group of diverse works will open up our

opportunities for artists to reflect and discuss

minds to possibilities, which is what all good art

their work with other creators. In addition to

experiences ensure.”

¨

making art, they often teach or volunteer, and

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with free public events like Open Studios, con-

For more information on WALA: email:

tribute to making Norwalk the culturally vibrant

Lori Glavin: glavin@optonline.net or Nancy

city it has become.”

McTague-Stock: nmsstudio1@aol.com

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Nancy McTague-Stock’s (1) archival pigment prints were created in Amsterdam, Holland, earlier this year. An area called Prisengracht inspired her “study of environmental observations, focused on perceptual illusions through movement”.

Memories of New Mexico led to Erin Dolan’s (2) painting, Return’ to Taos, capturing “the intriguing contrast and connection between natural and urban places, and the colors, feel, mood and texture of moments which translate into visual stories that encapsulate the essence of the place.”

“Water and skies have always been my passion,” says Vicki French Smith (3). “Creating movement and texture in my paintings takes me to places I want to be. I seek to create dramatic emotion using complementary colors, soft and hard edges and a variety of brushes, palette knives, and techniques.”

Julie Van Norden (4) is constantly in awe of the endless blue created by the horizon where the sky meets the ocean. “There is nothing like the vastness of the sky and sea to make you realize how tiny and 4

9 14

rather insignificant we are in the scheme of things. Perhaps if we all saw how small we are, we would treat the earth with more respect.”

Maryann Jones (5) is also fascinated by the sea saying, “The stillness of water moves me as an artist to a deeper and quieter place within. It is a tremendous sense of freedom to create harmony.”

Home provides the Sense of Place for Kathryn Glover (6). Using familiar everyday objects – a piece of vintage china, a favorite vase or bouquet of fresh flowers in her colorful still life paintings, she experiences past memories of domesticity. Lori Glavin (7) is also inspired by what she calls “the visual clatter of the mundane places I know best, the domestic environment or the tilted landscape of my weekend garden.”

Like selective memories, she retells her story with embellishments and edits in her personal explorations - an abstract interpretation of what she sees.

Plein Air artist Leslie Concannon (8) works from life, her paintings are “a response to a particular location and moment, created through careful observation and choices of the formal structure, light and color”, as revealed in her expressive brush strokes and strong compositions. Britt Bair (9) also works from life. In her dynamic Cow Series, she captures a sense of place from the cow’s perspective - a “Lazy Cow”, happy and complacent sitting in a field, or in “Solitude”, a cow experiences the beginning of a snowfall, steadfast, confident and unencumbered by the change in weather.

The inspiration for Ruth Ipe’s (10) photographs, “Morning Fog”

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clouds and sunlight.” She calls her style “Persian Fusion”.

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comes from the natural world, but she does not attempt to recreate it.

She says, “Using photographs I am able to consolidate or deconstruct the images of nature in my art, drawing from it to express the feeling and sense of place in my paintings.” The dinner table has inspired Susan Cutler Tremaine’s (11) expressionistic series of paintings, “The Table - a place where we may convene to examine and define relationships, issues and outcomes, the conversations and unspoken thoughts that create alliances and alienation.” Claudia Renfro’s (12) ink drawing on paper, “Night Riders” is an imaginary carnival scene. She says, “I work quickly and intuitively without concern for making sense of this inner world. The whimsical images and fictional characters that make up this bizarre, dreamlike carnival are my own sense of place.”

Personal stories also relate to the artists’ sense of place. Farnosh

Olamai Birch (13), a native of Persia now living in Rowayton, has 12 integrated perceived opposites: “the traditional and the modern, the east and west, and the blend of the beauty of my two cultures, Persia and America. My canvas is a Persian rug, beautiful and luxurious. On top I paint my American story: blue skies, white

Isadora Machado Lecuona’s (14) series of self-portraits are like giant postage stamps which tell the personal immigration story of the current Norwalk resident. A Spanish born child, she came to the US with her family at age nine and experienced a long winding and uncertain trip through the US Immigration process. She says, “My sense of place is Permanent Immigrant.”

Mixed media artist Diane Weeks (15) has created a large collage of photos and other materials which document a period of her daughter’s childhood that exemplifies her exuberance about life, her discovery of self and her love of color. Just as her daughter’s favorite color is “rainbow”, it’s obvious the artist enjoys a colorful palette in creating her work.

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CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

19

SPOTLIGHT:

History

Treasures of Fort Hamilton, from Veterans to Volunteers An Interview with Thomas Trombone Written by Cindy Clarke

THEY’VE BEEN CALLED THE BEST AMONG US, “they” being veterans of the military as well as volunteers willing and eager to do their part in keeping all that’s good about our nation and our people safeguarded for the benefit of us all. In fact, the word volunteer was first recorded during the 1630s as “a person who willingly offered his or her services without pay.” The verb, to volunteer, was first recorded in 1755. It was derived from the noun volunteer meaning “one who offers himself for military service,” and came from the French word volontaire meaning voluntary. The word volunteering today applies both to military service and community service, which, if you happen to meet the men and women behind Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton Museum, also applies to them.

Volunteers aren’t paid. They work tirelessly, put in long hours and are motivated by a dedication and passion that’s often hard to

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come by even in traditional work-for-compensation businesses. Lest

You may be wondering why Venü, art-focused and lifestyle driven,

you think that they’re working for free because they’re not worth a

is doing a story about a small military museum on the only active-duty

paycheck, think again. Volunteers, especially ones like Thomas Trom-

military base in New York City. The reasons are many, relevant both to

bone, the long-time Fort Hamilton 87+-year-young docent I had the

the past and present, the most important and noteworthy of which is

privilege to interview for this story, are not only treasure troves of

Fort Hamilton’s strategic role during the 1800s in protecting New York

knowledge, they’re priceless.

City and paving the way for the freedoms we enjoy in New York today.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

The history of the site the fort occupies dates back to the Revolu-

He signed up as a volunteer for Fort Hamilton some 50 years later

tionary War when a small American battery located here fired into one

in 1998, “not at the museum, but in the Public Affairs office.” Now he

of the British convoy ships heading to New York. “Lots of people don’t

leads tours for the fort’s Harbor Defense Museum, founded in 1980,

know that,” said Tom Trombone as he gave me a fact-filled virtual tour

regaling visitors of every age with the forgotten history and stories of

of grounds. He added that “Brooklyn was a battlefield in the 1700s and

this little known gem. “I do this because I enjoy it,” he said, adding

one of the most important battles of the Revolutionary War was the

that when he is not teaching scores of visiting schoolchildren about

Battle of Brooklyn. George Washington was involved in this battle and if

the Fort and its role in American history, he is reading about history

he had been captured then, there would be no America,” Tom told me.

to become even more informed about the great legacies our heroes

At 6’3” Washington was a force to be reckoned with and the British

and volunteer soldiers left behind.

underestimated his power and prowess, “not as a military man,” said

“The present day fort you see here today,” he explained, “was

Trombone, “but as a person who took care of his soldiers.” Which, I

built in 1825 on a strategic location overlooking the Narrows for

thought, is a trait shared by veterans and volunteers like Tom Trom-

coastal defense, when the United States was still a young nation.”

bone himself.

The Narrows is the tidal strait of water that connects the Upper New

“I enlisted in the army back in 1948 because I thought we were

York Bay and Lower New York Bay and forms the principal channel

heading into World War III on account of the Berlin Air Crisis,” he said as he related all the details about the power-play events of Europe at

“You have to qualify.” There are papers to fill out, physicals to pass

Opposite Page Clockwise from Left: A 20-inch Rodman cannon at the Narrow Overlook facing Verrazano Bridge. It was the largest muzzle-loading cannon ever built; Dover patrol monument at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn on June 22, 2013. Same monuments erected at Leathercote Point in England and Cap Blanc Nez in France; Historic military uniforms still garner respect at the museum

and aptitude tests to take.

This Page: Projectiles for US 20-inch Rodman cannon.

that time. The requirements for volunteering were less restrictive than they are now he said. Today not everyone is accepted as a volunteer.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

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SPOTLIGHT:

History

Clockwise from Left: Spanish 24-pounder cannon cast in 1786 on display at Fort Hamilton US Army base in Brooklyn on May 31, 2013. A trophy of the war with Spain captured in Santiago de Cuba; A scarce example of Fredrick W. Beers’ map parts of the towns of Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, New York. Published in 1873; A model-20 inch Rodman cannon once displayed at the museum.

by which the Hudson River empties into the Atlantic Ocean, and has long been considered to be the maritime “gateway” to New York City. “The Harbor Defense Museum occupies the former Caponier.

It housed the armaments, including the heavy guns that were used to protect the harbor.”

“The cannons used to protect the narrows fired solid iron cannon balls of various sizes at the invading ships,” he explained. “The can-

“Fort Hamilton is an important national treasure that has played a

nons used to actually protect the Fort from any land attack became

key role in keeping New York Harbor safe from assault,” declared Tom.

large ‘shot guns’ firing at any attacking ‘enemy ‘ troops.” Many of

He said the Coast Guard patrols the harbor now from the waterside

these artillery artifacts are on display in the museum, along with

while the Fort stands strong still in its active Brooklyn land base. “The

uniforms and maps that played a role in its history.

base here still processes volunteers who want to serve in the military,”

“Back when the fort was first built, New York City occupied just

he said, justifiably proud of the place he guards with his heart.

the tip of Manhattan Island,” he said, patiently telling me that the city

Look for the Fort to make headlining news again this September

limits were walled off at, you guessed it, Wall Street, which actually

when the military combines its might with that of people from across

had a real wall extending from the banks of the East River to the

the country at a hybrid obstacle race that gives them all the chance

Hudson River. Its Dutch settlers built the wall to protect themselves

to show just how dedicated they are to supporting the community

from Indians, pirates, and other dangers. A bustling commercial thor-

services provided by this hallowed 19th century garrison.

oughfare, early merchants built warehouses and shops here, along

So while others are running the CMC (Civilian Military Combine)

with a city hall and a church. New York was the nation’s capital from

endurance race on September 10, 2016, you’ll find Tom Trombone

1785 until 1790 and Federal Hall was built on Wall Street. George

running the museum’s tours at an impressive fort that has endured

Washington was inaugurated on the steps of this building.

the course of history. ¨

Through the years, the Fort, named for Alexander Hamilton,

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hosted many a famous general, including Robert E. Lee and Stonewall

The Harbor Defense Museum is located in a bucolic setting in the

Jackson, as it defended what would become one of the world’s most

Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, New York, on the Fort Hamilton

important cities. Most recently, it opened its doors and barracks to

military base beneath the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The museum

the military responders from upstate New York who answered the call

provides educational programs and services for military and civilian

of duty on that infamous September day in 2001 when New York City

audiences. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 11

came under attack by ruthless terrorists.

AM to 4 PM. For more information, call 718.630.4349.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Get the exclusive T-shirt.

Shop the weekend.

Show your support.

Join Saks Fifth Avenue in the fight against cancer. Get the shirt, designed by Christian Louboutin, available exclusively at Saks this October.

Then shop Thursday to Sunday, October 27 to 30, when Saks will donate 2% of sales to local and national cancer charities.* Special thanks to Halle Berry,the 2016 Ambassador for the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Stand Up To Cancer and Saks Fifth Avenue’s Key To The Cure

*FROM THURSDAY TO SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 TO OCTOBER 30, 2016, TWO PERCENT (2%) OF NET REVENUE (AS DEFINED BELOW), FOR UP TO A TOTAL OF USD$500,000 ON A PRO-RATA BASIS, GENERATED FROM SALES OF MERCHANDISE OF VENDORS PARTICIPATING IN THE KEY TO THE CURE PROMOTION (THE “PARTICIPATING VENDORS”) (I) AT THE SAKS FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK STORE, THE SAKS FIFTH AVENUE BEVERLY HILLS STORE AND ON SAKS.COM WILL BE DONATED TO THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION (“EIF”) AND ITS PROGRAM STAND UP TO CANCER (“SU2C”) AND (II) AT THE SAKS FIFTH AVENUE QUEEN STREET TORONTO STORE, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE SHERWAY TORONTO STORE AND ON SAKS.CA WILL BE DONATED TO EIF CANADA AND ITS PROGRAM STAND UP TO CANCER CANADA (“SU2C CANADA”). IN ADDITION, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT (100%) OF GROSS REVENUE GENERATED FROM SALES OF THE KEY TO THE CURE T-SHIRTS SOLD FROM OCTOBER 1 TO OCTOBER 31, 2016 (I) AT THE SAKS FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK STORE, THE SAKS FIFTH AVENUE BEVERLY HILLS STORE AND ON SAKS.COM AND SAKSOFF5TH.COM WILL BE DONATED TO EIF/SU2C AND (II) AT THE SAKS FIFTH AVENUE QUEEN STREET TORONTO STORE, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE SHERWAY TORONTO STORE AND ON SAKS.CA AND SAKSOFF5TH.CA WILL BE DONATED TO EIF CANADA/SU2C CANADA. AS USED HEREIN AND FOR PURPOSES OF THIS PROMOTION, “NET REVENUE” SHALL MEAN GROSS REVENUE MINUS SALES TAX, DISCOUNTS, RETURNS, CREDITS, CANCELLATIONS, LOST, STOLEN OR DAMAGED MERCHANDISE AND BAD DEBT. IN ADDITION, ALL SAKS FIFTH AVENUE STORES, OTHER THAN SAKS FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE BEVERLY HILLS, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE QUEEN STREET TORONTO AND SAKS FIFTH AVENUE SHERWAY TORONTO STORE, (THE “REMAINING LOCATIONS”) WILL EACH DESIGNATE AND PARTNER WITH A LOCAL CANCER CHARITY. ANY FLAT DONATIONS RECEIVED FROM PARTICIPATING VENDORS WILL BE PAID OUT TO SUCH LOCAL CHARITIES BASED ON THE ALLOCATION FORMULA SET FORTH BELOW. IN ADDITION, TWO PERCENT (2%) OF NET REVENUES GENERATED FROM SALES OF MERCHANDISE OF PARTICIPATING VENDORS ÐFROM THURSDAY TO SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 TO OCTOBER 30, 2016 AT THE REMAINING LOCATIONS (THE “REMAINING LOCATION NET REVENUE”) WILL BE ALLOCATED AMONG SUCH LOCAL CHARITIES BASED ON THE ALLOCATION FORMULA SET FORTH BELOW. THE ALLOCATION TO EACH LOCAL CHARITY WILL BE BASED ON ITS PARTNER STORE’S PORTION OF THE REMAINING LOCATION NET REVENUE. FOR EXAMPLE, IF STORE A IS RESPONSIBLE FOR FIVE PERCENT (5%) OF THE REMAINING LOCATION NET REVENUE, THAT STORE A’S DESIGNATED LOCAL CANCER CHARITY WILL RECEIVE FIVE PERCENT (5%) OF THE AVAILABLE DONATION (I.E. FROM ANY FLAT DONATION FROM PARTICIPATING VENDORS AND THE REMAINING LOCATION NET REVENUE). IN ADDITION, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT (100%) OF GROSS REVENUE GENERATED FROM SALES OF THE KEY TO THE CURE T-SHIRTS SOLD ÐFROM OCTOBER 1 TO OCTOBER 31, 2016 AT SUCH REMAINING LOCATION WILL BE DONATED TO SUCH STORE’S DESIGNATED LOCAL CANCER CHARITY.

EVENTS + GATHERINGS

By Jennifer Bangser

FCBUZZ

Director of Marketing & Public Relations Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County

The ACE Awards: A Celebration of Contributions to Fairfield County’s Cultural Landscape 3

THE CULTURAL ALLIANCE of Fairfield County (CAFC) held the Inaugural Arts & Culture Empowerment (ACE) Awards at the Shore & Country Club in Norwalk, on Thursday morning, May 19th.

Artists, cultural and business leaders packed the venue to celebrate contributions of the arts to the economy -- with a powerful keynote speech by Arthur Levitt, former chairman of the SEC. Addressing the sold-out crowd, Arthur Levitt shared his lifelong passion for the arts and challenged the audience to redouble their efforts at getting involved with local and regional arts activities.

“Go to shows, buy art, listen to music, and tell your friends to do the same,” He said in his key note address. “Get involved in arts institutions with leadership and philanthropy…support your local community.” Levitt’s sentiments were echoed by introductory speakers Karen Books Hopkins, president emeritus of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and current senior fellow in residence at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and by Kristina Newman-Scott, Connecticut’s director of culture.

Following Levitt’s keynote speech, Master of Ceremonies, Tony Award winning actor, James Naughton went on to present the ACE Awards to the 2016 winners. The awards were created

by CAFC to recognize individuals, organizations, and businesses that have made significant contributions to the Fairfield County community through arts and culture. CAFC collaborated with the Westport Library and graphic designer Miggs Burroughs to design the logo and manufacturer the award using the library’s 3D printers. This type of collaboration exemplifies the mission of CAFC, which is, in part, to promote the cultural landscape of Fairfield County, and encourage collaborations among the membership.

Last Winter, CAFC put out a call to it’s over 450 members for ACE Award nominations in five categories: Artist, Citizen, Corporate, Educator, and Nonprofit. The members, comprised of Fairfield County’s nonprofit arts &

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Jahmane West, recognized for encouraging the careers and talents of local artists.

4 1. Joseph Pucci and Johnna Torsone, with CEO of Westport Resources, John Vaccaro 2. Kristina Newman-Scott, CT Office of the Arts, with former SEC Chair, Arthur Levitt and Karen Brooks Hopkins, President Emeritus of BAM 3. Westport Artists Collective Founders Jahmane West, Helen During, Miggs Burroughs, Nina Bentley, Tammy Winser and Duvian Montoya 4. Bill Tommins of Bank of America, with CAFC Board President Cindy Vaccaro and James Naughton 5. Mia Laufer and Susan Ball of the Bruce Museum, with Marianne Pollack and Guest.

cultural organizations, creative businesses and artists, responded with over 500 nominations from across the cultural landscape. The 2016 honorees went to the following, who were honored at the ACE Awards Breakfast: ACE Award, Corporate: Bank of America, a leading supporter of the arts and sponsor of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation’s Giving Day, where 24% of funds raised were by arts & cultural organizations.

ACE Award, Artist: The Westport Art Center’s Westport Artist Collective founders: Duvian Montoya, Nina Bentley, Miggs Burroughs, Tammy Winser, Helen Klisser During and

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 website at www.CulturalAllianceFC.org.

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CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

ACE Award, Nonprofit: Curtain Call Inc., to be accepted by Lou Ursone, executive director of Curtain Call. Curtain Call offers year round high-level community theatre performances and educational programs.

ACE Award, Educator: The educational staff of the Bruce Museum for their work in developing programming across generations and inclusive of STEAM educational concepts (Science, Technology, Education, Art and Mathematics).

ACE Award, Citizen: Richard J. Wenning, executive director of BeFoundation, a family foundation devoted to dramatic improvement in the education of underserved children in Connecticut and CoFounder of SpreadMusicNow which is dedicated to ensuring there is adequate funding for music education.

Westport Resources was the Platinum sponsor for the event, along with Gold sponsors Cohen & Wolf and Fairfield County Bank; Silver sponsors Purdue Pharma, the Ridgefield Playhouse, and Studio 2pt0, with media sponsorship from the Fairfield County Business Journal and WSHU public radio.

Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 2016

Silver Street Event Space Opening Night Preview Thurs. Sept. 29

houstonartfair.com Special thanks to

SAVE THE DATE SOFACHICAGO

ARTPALMSPRINGS

ARTHAMPTONS

ARTASPEN

Nov. 3-6, 2016 sofaexpo.com

Feb. 16-19, 2017 art-palmsprings.com

2017 Dates TBA arthamptons.com

2017 Dates TBA art-aspen.com

EVENTS + GATHERINGS

By Janet Langsam CEO, ArtsWestchester

Remedy Opens in ArtsWestchester’s Gallery Laura Splan, Prozac, Thorazine, Zoloft, 2000, latch hook on canvas, polyester filling, 11”x36”x11”

ONCE AGAIN, science and art merge in a new exhibition titled “Remedy” opening October 1st at ArtsWestchester’s gallery in downtown White Plains.

New medicines, advanced technologies and healing practices have changed the way today’s maladies are diagnosed and treated. Hospitals across the country are bringing artwork into treatment centers, hiring art therapists to work with patients and turning those green hospital walls into more attractive canvases. It seems as though the medical profession has rediscovered the healing power of the arts.

ArtsWestchester’s fall exhibition, “Remedy” throws a surgical lens on the many ways art can

be healing and healing can be an art in both personal and collective settings.

Works like Laura Splan’s “Prozac, Thorazine, Zoloft” blend humor and craft with the tools of modern medicine to provoke questions about what can provide comfort in times of physical or mental distress. Splan’s soft sculptures, made through the tedious and time-consuming process of latch hooking, transforms these commonly prescribed antipsychotics and antidepressants into cozy, domestic objects. The oversized pill-ows provide a different kind of comfort than their prescription counterparts.

“Asylum” is a captivating body of work by New York photographer Christopher Payne who documented some seventy abandoned mental institutions in thirty states. Payne’s photographs are both lyrical and ghostly portraits of a forgotten age of mental health care. Today, these palatial institutions of healing are in need of healing themselves, condemned and replaced by outpatient facilities.

Arizona-based artist Annie Lopez melds old photographic techniques with her Latina heritage to confront her father’s battle with Alzheimer’s and its effect on her family. Using photocopies of medical books as well as written memories from family members as source visual material, Lopez prints these images onto tamale wrappers using the cyanotype process and stitches the wrappers together as dresses. “The idea of wearing my burdens has always been intriguing to me,” Lopez says in a statement. “If my issues (or accomplishments) are on my clothes, I no longer have to think about them. They would be everyone else’s to consider or ignore.”

“Remedy” brings healing into the open with opportunities to discuss the role of healing our society. The fall exhibition opens with a special reception on October 1, 2016 and runs through January 2017. ArtsWestchester’s gallery hours are: Tuesday-Friday (12-5pm) and Saturdays (12-6pm). For exhibit details, visit: www.artswestchester.org

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.

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CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

THE #1 BOAT SHOW ON THE PLANET! NOV 3-7, 2016

Learn More at FLIBS.COM

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TICKETS, SHOW INFORMATION AND VIP PACKAGES | #FLIBS

EVENTS + GATHERINGS

Candy bar donated by Saugatuck Sweets

Karen Hubrich, Jill Littig and Roma Fanton

Patti and Pearson Spaght

Fairfield Museum Executive Director Mike Jehle addresses the guests.

Maxwell Cowan and Sasha McCay

Matthew Sturtevant and Tracey Thomas

THE BEST OF TIMES AT THE FAIRFIELD MUSEUM The theme was “Gin & Jazz,” and guests enjoyed both while supporting the Fairfield Museum on a crisp spring evening. The festive party was a celebration to mark the opening of the Museum’s exhibition “Connecticut, 1940: Farms, Factories and the Photographs of Jack Delano,” (runs through September 18). Guests enjoyed live jazz, food from Susan Kane Catering, gin libations from Litchfield Distillery and champagne cocktails featuring Hartford Flavor Co. To cap off the evening, attendees indulged in a dessert candy bar courtesy of Saugatuck Sweets. A live auction raised funds to support field trips for underserved students from Norwalk and Bridgeport.

Additionally, the event celebrated the selected photographs from the annual juried photography show, IMAGES 2016. At the party, the grand prize winning photographs were announced: Student: Justin Feldman, Old Glory Professional/Serious Amateur: Carol M. Battin, Dead Sea Reflection Ms. Battin won the prize of a solo exhibition at Southport Galleries. Mr. Feldman will have the opportunity to work with renowned photographer Philip Trager, one of the foremost photographers of architecture and dance, for a portfolio review.

Fairfield Museum Executive Director Mike Jehle said, “The event was a tremendous success for the Fairfield Museum! We were delighted to have so many friends of the Museum here for a special evening that raised crucial funds for our education programs.”

Photography by Mike Lauterborn Sponsors included Southport Galleries, Venu Magazine, and Fairfield University 28

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Sheila Marmion and daughter Clare Breakell

Kasey Hilleary and her photograph “Vintage Truck” Gwen and Peter Ackley with their 1915 Dodge Bros. touring sedan

EVENTS + GATHERINGS

Sean Granahan thanking The Floating Hospital supporters.

Joe Campanelli (center) with the Citi group (L to R): Elliot Eisner, Otis Banks, Tara Costello, Taylor Lavalli, Joe Campanelli, Patti Campanella, Kathy McTigue, Joe Kurtek, and Lisa Sloane

RAISING FUNDS FOR THE CITY’S FAMILIES Summer brought out the best for The Floating Hospital’s 150th Anniversary cocktail party at Current on Chelsea Piers. The Hospital is NYC’s oldest charity hospital for the city’s poorest families. This year’s 7th Annual Summer Soirée featured the storied organization’s first 150 years in a series of photo images selected from its vast archives. The Hospital retains some of the most iconic images of the NYC skyline, that guests enjoyed to the music of the Duke Ellington Legacy Band. For more information visit thefloatinghospital.org.

Venü magazine’s Tracey Thomas (L to R): Gianpaul Hernandez and Tracey Thomas

Mediterranean Shipping Co. (L to R): Maria Starikova, Antonietta Di Buono, Gianpiero Pagliaro, and Ion Burnic

Stiles Nyerere and Honorable Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney

Denise Bestman providing a special musical selection.

Photography by Doug Goodman and Rohanna Mertens Media Sponsor: Venü Magazine

Photography retrospective: A boat. A mission.

A journey of hope.

Groupe Clarins’ Scott Spicer and Danyelle Boilard-Paul

WellCare Health Plan’s John J. Burke (2nd from left) and team (L to R): Jack Mazzochi, John J. Burke, Anny Fernandez, Emerito Beltran, Diana Dover, Joiel Ray-Alexander, Pedro Placencio, Tony Chiarelli

RAND Architects posing at the photo booth (L to R): Al Spinelli, Suzanna Takayama, Michael Langwell, Yuni Song, Ted Klingensmith

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Lamb Financial (L to R): Shannon LaRocco, Corey Heller, Phil LaRocco

NOV 29 - DEC 4, 2016 | VIP PREVIEW NOV 29 ART MIAMI + CONTEXT PAVILIONS | WYNWOOD ARTS DISTRICT

Joshua Jensen-Nagle, “Looking Through Your Eyes”, 2016, Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto | CONTEXT Art Miami

W W W. A R T M I A M I FA I R . C O M | W W W. C O N T E X TA R T M I A M I . C O M

E+ G:

Flash Miami

Photography by David Heischrek / DHPA.com

ART BASEL 2016 In Basel, Switzerland 1

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1. Art Basel 2016 in Basel Switzerland 2. Vito Schnabel 3. Olivier Audemars, Jasmine Audemars at the Audemars Piguet Event during Art Basel 4. Marc Spiegler (Global Director Art Basel), Juerg Zeltner (President Wealth Management & Executive Board Memeber UBS) 5. Celia Birbragher, Leon Birbragher 6. Craig Robins, Rosa de la Cruz, Carlos de la Cruz 7. Larry Gagosian 8. Daniel Sennheiser, Fanny Sennheiser, No ID (robin’s girlfriend), Robin Schulz, Dinah Sennheiser, Andreas Sennheiser at the Sennheiser Event during Art Basel 9. Don Rubell, Mera Rubell, Jason Rubell

About the Photographer: What started out as a hobby 20 years ago, has turned into a career for David Heischrek who has photographed many important events and people, including celebrities, kings & queens, and presidents. His work has been published around the Globe. In Publications like Hola, Vogue, El Nuevo Herald, and Jerusalem Post just to name a few. Based in Miami Beach FL, he recently launched his own Photo Agency DHPA.com, with the focus on continuing what he has been photographing all these years, but with strategic emphasis for his clients.

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E+ G:

Philanthropy

A SATURDAY IN THE HAMPTONS With Sara Herbert-Galloway

Photo: Nick Hunt/GettyImages

Peter Thomas Roth, Anne Bezamat-Cohen, Sara Herbert-Galloway Photo: Steve Mack/sdmackpictures

Donna Karan Photo: Nick Hunt/GettyImages

OCRFA’s 19th Annual Super Saturday The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Allianiance’s (OCRFA) annual Super Saturday event raised nearly $3.5 million. Donna Karan, Kelly Ripa, and Gabby Karan de Felice hosted Super Saturday in Water Mill, N.Y. on the afternoon of July 30th. The event is known as a world famous designer garage sale and is guilt free shopping since all funds raised go to the OCRFA. To learn more about this wonderful organization, please go to ocrf.org.

June Ambrose

Kelly Ripa

Photo: Nick Hunt/GettyImages

Photo: Rob Rich/Societyallure.com

Robert Wilson and The Watermill Center’s FADA: HOUSE OF MADNESS Ja Rule Photo: Carl Timpone/BFANYC

Tracy Stern, Lucia Hwong-Gordon, Lauren Day-Roberts, Robin Cofer Photo: Zach Hilty/BFANYC

Maxwell Osborne, Alex Soros Photo: Zach Hilty/BFANYC

Robert Wilson

Robert Wilson and The Watermill Center held their 23rd annual summer benefit on Saturday evening, July 30th raising $2 million dollars. “Tonight marks the largest attendance we’ve had in 23 years,” said Robert Wilson.

“This year we have 130 artists representing over 28 nations.” Guests were escorted through tall bamboo trees along a wooded path lit by tiki torches.

There was a variety of performance art throughout the eight and a half acres of property. The Center supports young and emerging artists. Please visit the watermillcenter.org to learn more.

Photo: Zach Hilty/BFANYC CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

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E+ G:

Fine Wine

THE AMERICAN FINE WINE INVITATIONAL America’s Most Prestigious All-American Wine Judging, Gala, and Auction Has Given $1Million to Charity and is Celebrating 10 Years in 2017!

By Fred Bollaci

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Photography by Brett Hart 1 2

ALWAYS PROUD TO SUPPORT GREAT CAUSES that pair American ingenuity with old-fashioned generosity – and good times, Venü is delighted to raise a toast to South Florida’s 10th Annual American Fine Wine Invitational, as media sponsor. Join us in Fort Lauderdale in April for their auction, gala dinner and tasting event, featuring more than 750 of the best “made in America” fine wines. Details on dates, times and tickets will be published in our next issue. Read on to learn more!

Although wine has been made in the United States since early settlers like Thomas Jefferson brought Vitis Vinifera vines from the Old World to Virginia, followed by nearly two centuries of determination despite many obstacles (prohibition among others) by our country’s winemakers who successfully cultivated grapes for wine production from coast to coast, it was just 40 years ago that American wines finally achieved worldclass status and recognition. A prestigious wine competition dubbed the “Judgment of Paris” in 1976 turned the wine world upside-down. Before, the very thought of a wine that wasn’t French being compared to the great wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy would have been ludicrous.

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Among the judges were Odette Kahn, editor of the French Revue du Vin and Sommelier of the renowned three-Michelin-star La Tour d’Argent, Christian Vannequé for this blind tasting. Not just any French wines were competing. Heavyweights included the 1970 Haut-Brion, the 1970 Mouton Rothschild (two Premiers Crus from Bordeaux) and the 1973 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles, (a Premier Cru Chardonnay from Burgundy); the trio considered by most industry experts and connoisseurs to be among the finest examples of their respective styles and varietals in the world.

Much to the astonishment of the entire wine world, two California wines from Napa Valley beat their French

counterparts! This “slurp heard around the world” which heralded the 1973 Cabernet from Napa’s Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars as the world’s #1 red, and the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay the #1 white put California, especially Napa Valley on the map. Today, Napa is considered one of the world’s top wine regions, and many other areas of the country are recognized for their excellent wine.

It is in this spirit of American greatness that The American Fine Wine Invitational was founded in 2007 by Shari Gherman and Monty & Sara Preiser in South Florida. Shari has been involved in the wine industry for over 25 years in all areas, including marketing, distribution, supply, and advertising. Monty, who

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1. FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Wine Spectator Lab where the judging takes place. 2. The Staging Area for the AFWI Judging at FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management (also where the “After Party” take place). 3. 2016 AFWI Judges and a few of our Wine Angels.

4. Winemaker of the Year Ceremony Kim Bokamper, from the Miami Dolphins as emcee, Monty Preiser, Chief Judges & co-founder AFWI, Shari Gherman, president & co-founder AFWI, Mary Rocca, Rocca Family Vineyards (one of the honorees), Sara Preiser, Judge & co-founder AFWI. 5. Judges Chris Sawyer, Sommelier, wine educator, critic, journalist, consultant, public speaker; Roberto Colombi, GM & Somm at the blue, Boca Raton Resort 6. Shari Gherman, president & co-founder AFWI and husband Joel Feigenheimer, professor at FIU.

practiced law for 20 years and his wife Sara live part-time in Napa have been wine columnists, writers, and editors for numerous lifestyle magazines, serve as judges at wine events nationwide, and publish the most comprehensive guide to Napa Valley wineries and restaurants, the Preiser Key to Napa Valley. The three combined their passion for fine American wines and established what has become one of the foremost wine judgings and events in the nation, featuring American wines exclusively, with many outstanding winemakers in attendance! The judges are among the top food and wine industry professionals in the country.

The American Fine Wine Invitational has raised almost $1Million for charity, including for the Miami Dolphins Cancer Challenge benefiting University of Miami-Sylvester Cancer Center, which will

again be this year’s benefiting charity.

AFWI’s 10th annual competition is held in January, and is immediately followed by the “After Party” on Monday (January 16), where all 750+ wines are open and available for tasting with the proceeds from the event benefiting FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The gala, dinner, grand tasting, and auction are in April 2017 in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. You won’t want to miss out on this chance to enjoy fabulous wine and food to benefit a great cause! AFWI holds events throughout the year, including the popular Wine & Business after hours, where dozens of excellent wines from the competition are paired with luscious hors d’oeuvres at top local restaurants—a great way for South Florida connoisseurs to sample great wine and network.

For more information, visit: www.americanfinewinecompetition.org, or call 561.504.0206 CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

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STYLE:

Architecture

The Gould Memorial Library PART I: Repairing a Fathers Tarnished Name – and Stanford White’s Forgotten Masterpiece Phillip James Dodd

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Photography by Jonathan Wallen

HIGH ON A HILL IN THE BRONX, stands a Pantheon overlooking the

Most, if not all, of the great entrepreneurs of the Gilded Age have

Harlem River. It is a design that time has passed by, and one that is

been labelled as Robber Barons. Although there are conflicting stories

unknown to all but a few inquisitive New Yorkers. It is a building that

on how what was intended as a derogatory title came about, all agree

conjures many questions. Why is one of the triumphs of late nine-

that the term refers to American businessmen that amassed huge

teenth-century American architecture located in the Bronx? Why is a

fortunes immorally, unethically, and unjustly. It is, though, important to

building that was so prominent nationally now an after-thought? And

recognize that there are two distinct types, or generations, of robber

why is a place of learning and philosophy named after a notorious

barons – and that not all should be tarnished with the same brush. The

robber baron not known for his philanthropic contributions?

first were not great entrepreneurs or captains of industry, but merely

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

rogue financiers. It did not matter to them that the cost of gaining

Although never prosecuted, Jay Gould was shunned by New York

their own fortunes might result in economic or political instability for

Society. His disreputable financial dealings had made him an outcast

the entire country. Their only objective was to fill their own pockets.

amongst his fellow millionaires, and so harsh was public opinion, that

The later, and most well-known, generation – Vanderbilt, Morgan,

it was often unsafe for him to travel around the city without a personal

and Rockefeller - were no less ruthless, but their ultimate goal was

bodyguard. Dying in 1892, the vast estate that he had amassed was

to replace fierce industrial competition with sound economic order.

divided equally between his four children. Unsurprisingly, nothing

They strove to create profitable stable businesses, gain monopoly

was left to charity.

control of a product or industry, and control market prices. With this

A year before Gould’s death, Henry Mitchell MacCracken became

new unparalleled wealth they became great civic patrons and helped

the sixth chancellor of New York University. Incorporated in 1831 the

to make the United States the foremost economy in the world.

university was founded as a nondenominational school as a counter-

The notorious Jay Gould (1836-1892), certainly falls into the first

point to the Episcopalian Columbia College. MacCracken, who is

category, and is rightfully regarded as the most unscrupulous specula-

credited with turning NYU into a modern University, observed that

tor and manipulator of stock during the Gilded Age. In an era rive with

the bustling Washington Square neighborhood, once an epicen-

unethical and illegal business practices, Gould left an unparalleled

ter for artists, writers and academics, had now transformed into a

legacy of cold-hearted, cut-throat business dealings, that rightfully

teeming industrial and commercial district and was antithetical to the

earnt him the title the King of Robber Barons. “His touch is death”,

advancement of education. Instead he wanted to relocate to a rural

explained his business partner Daniel Drew. Whereas long-time adver-

setting set apart from the distractions of an urban world. At the same

sary Cornelius Vanderbilt surmised philosophically “it never pays to

time Columbia – then based in Midtown Manhattan – also sought

Opposite Page: The palette of materials used on the library and colonnade of The Hall of Fame, includes yellow roman brick, light grey limestone, patinated copper, and glazed terracotta roofing tiles.

The larger more ornate library employs the Corinthian order, whereas the Ionic order is used on the smaller, simpler and almost rustic colonnade.

Left: Imported from the west coast of Ireland, the sixteen green Connemara marble columns are the most prominent feature of the library rotunda. The marble was selected not just for its beauty, but also because Columbia had failed in its attempt to acquire enough of the material for its own library - highlighting the rivalry between architects White and McKim, and Chancellors MacCracken and Low, in their concurrent university designs. Each of the columns and the fluted pilasters at the wall rise from a base of white Vermont marble and are capped by Corinthian capitals, elaborately carved and gilded by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company. The inscription above the columns comes from Paradise Lost by Milton.

kick a skunk”. For most, Gould’s notoriety was established on Friday

out a larger academic campus. Before embarking on their separate

September 24 1869 when he conspired to manipulate the gold

expansion plans, MacCracken and Seth Low, the President of rival

market, and cheat investors out of their life savings. The plot resulted

university, discussed a possible merger between the two institutions.

in the worst financial panic of the nineteenth-century on Wall Street –

Unable to strike a deal they both decided to relocate uptown, with

and coined the phrase Black Friday. While others were left in financial

NYU purchasing a 50-acre parcel of land in the Bronx, dramatically

ruin, Gould made a considerable profit that within five years would

sited on the heights overlooking the Harlem River. It was from these

allow him to gain control of the Union Pacific Railroad, the Western

same heights that the British had launched their successful attack

Union Telegraph Company, and the Manhattan Elevated Railroad.

upon Fort Washington in the Fall of 1776 – a piece of history was not

th

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

37

STYLE:

Architecture

lost on MacCracken. Now that the pastoral setting for the relocation and expansion of the university had been found, there were still two key decisions to be addressed – who should design this new academic campus, and more importantly, who would pay for it.

Helen Miller Gould was the eldest daughter of Jay Gould. She had attended the New York University School of Law in a program reserved for female students, graduating three years after the death of father. Unlike her siblings, Helen lived quietly, preferring to give generously to charities such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and the YMCA. Some have argued that she became the philanthropist that her father never was in the hope of diluting his tarnished reputation.

With vast amounts money, a guilty conscience, and as an alumnus of the university, she was the perfect person for MacCracken to solicit for funding – even if her bequest would initially need to be kept secret, as not to put-off other would-be donors.

Next, MacCracken would approach Stanford White for his voluntary assistance, relying on the fact that the architects father had been a graduate of the class of 1839, and that White himself had been made an honorary alumnus in 1881. This choice of White would pit him against his partner Charles Follen McKim, (who by now had already been hired to design the new Columbia campus in Morningside Heights) and intensify the rivalry between the two New York academic institutions.

From the onset the relationship between MacCracken and White was testy, with the university chancellor rejecting the architect’s first

The bronze doors, which include lion head door pulls, were added later in 1921, and are inscribed, “These doors were given in memory of Stanford White Architect, by his friends.” They include eight ornamental carved panels with the themes Inspiration, Generosity, Architecture, Decoration, Painting, Sculpture, Music and Drama in recognition of the traits, talents and interests of the great architect.

design proposal for the library. Unbeknown to White, MacCracken would reach out to three rival architects for alternative design options - George B. Post, designer of the New York Stock Exchange; Henry Hardenburg, designer of the Plaza Hotel; and the venerable Richard

next issue of Venu we will take a closer look at the Library, its truly

Morris Hunt, the initial architect of the Metropolitan Museum. A truce

spectacular interior, and the 630 foot-long curved colonnade that

of sorts would eventually be negotiated, but from then on it was clear

wraps around the rear of the rotunda - in what would become this

that White would not have a totally free hand in the design. In fact,

countries very first Hall of Fame.

the design and construction of the library illustrates the revival of the

At the dedication Chancellor MacCracken, referring back to the

Renaissance ideal of a work of art jointly created by the artist and the

symbolism of the Heights, noted “lost to the invaders of 1776, this

patron, as MacCracken would highlight in a letter to White:

summit is now retaken by a goodly troop of Great Americans. They

“You will bear me witness that during several years I gave a great

enter into possession of these Heights and are destined to hold them,

deal of time and labor towards making your work in this library more

we trust, forever.” While that is indeed still the case, the Library’s

successful than it would have been if certain of your original plans and

prominence has now faded, with NYU long-ago having moved back

specifications had been allowed to remain.”

to their original site at Washington Square. Stanford White’s majestic

The library, perched atop the escarpment, is a majestic domed

design, the unscrupulous robber baron that it is named after, and the

structure reminiscent of Rome’s ancient Pantheon. Commanding

once vaunted Hall of Fame of Great Americans, are testament of just

imperial vitas it is a monument to learning positioned for all to see.

how fleeting fame and notoriety are. ¨

An elegant Corinthian portico opens to a set of large bronze doors that were replaced in 1921 by the White Memorial Doors - designed

by Stanford White’s son, Lawrence Grant White, as a tribute to his murdered father. It may seem surprising to us now that it is here, and not on one of his many other better-known designs, that Stanford White’s closest friends and collaborators would choose to honor him.

But that is to do this magnificent building a great injustice. In the 38

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

About the Author: 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. Email: phillip@pjd-architect. com or telephone: 203-900-1030

APPETITE

By Fred Bollaci

Platinum Palate Chefs Share Secrets to Their Success AS MY FOLLOWERS KNOW, I am passionate about food and healthy gourmet living, and seek out proprietors who share this philosophy!

I am proud to introduce my two newest Platinum Palate™ Members, Keith Davis of the Hampton’s beloved Golden Pear Cafés, celebrating 29 years, and Amy Chamberlain, #1 Chef in Vermont, at The Perfect Wife Restaurant & Tavern, in Manchester, celebrating its 20th anniversary! www.goldenpear.com, www.theperfectwife.com In addition to running the four successful Golden Pear Cafés and catering companies, Keith just introduced Keith’s Nervous Breakdown Margarita Mix, his signature all-natural concoction of delicious juices and organic agave syrup. This attractive pink version of one of America’s most popular cocktails, the margarita, was inspired when Keith missed a very important putt in a competitive round of golf. When his competitor and friend found Keith at the bar commiserating his loss over his favorite pink margarita, he stated, “Davis just had a Nervous Breakdown!” The rest is history! www.nervousbreakdown.com Keith, Amy, and I sat down for dinner and margaritas recently, and they shared with me the secrets of their success: Q. What do you credit your restaurant success to?

K: “There is no doubt God has had his hand on my life,” plus “hard work, perseverance, commitment to the brand, leadership skills, and fresh, quality ingredients.” “People are putting our food into their bodies. It is a tremendous responsibility to do it right.”

A: “Hard work, and community involvement in my hometown.”

Q. Favorite cookbook?

K: The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America A: “Christopher Kimball’s The Dessert Bible Q. Culinary professional(s) you admire most?

K: “Tom Schaudel, a Long Island restaurateur I have known for 25+ years. He is a great leader with great restaurants—A Lure and A Mano on the North Fork, to name two.”

A: “Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier who own

Clockwise from left: Keith Davis, Chef Owner, The Golden Pear Cafes & Catering Company; Keiths’ Nervous Breakdown Margarita Mix(tm); Amy Chamberlain, Chef Owner, The Perfect Wife Restaurant & Tavern

Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine, where I interned, and Julia Child.”

Q. Your favorite ingredient?

K: “Salt, the #1 flavor enhancer stimulates the taste buds. The margarita is the #1 consumed cocktail because it combines salt, sweetness, and sour!”

A: “Shallots—they make a sauce, salad dressing or soup a little more delicious and special.”

Q. Your personal motto?

K: “The absolute best for the customer.”

A: “Do it with love.”

Q. What do you do differently?

K: “Premium restaurant service in a casual setting, featuring excellent food quality, variety, and consistency.”

A: “Attention to detail, close relationships with local farmers and purveyors, and a long-time, loyal staff.”

In Florida, I am delighted to welcome my newest Golden Palate® Charter Member, Palm Beach’s renowned Trevini Ristorante, located in the Bradley Park Hotel, serving authentic regional Italian cuisine since 2000.

Owners Gianni Minervini and Claudio Trevisan, combining their experience, passion and names, created one of of South Florida’s best Italian restaurants. Claudio, from Stresa in Northern Italy, and Gianni, from Bari in the south, have assembled a mouthwatering meritage of the best of each region, delivering an experience reminiscent of a fine trattoria in Italy. Enjoy dining and cocktails in the spacious, elegant dining room, or al fresco in the beautiful courtyard. Experience attentive service and gracious, hands-on owners who pride themselves on fresh, quality food, a warm, sophisticated style, and treating every guest like family. www.treviniristorante.com When in the North Carolina mountains, visit their Osteria del Monte in Sapphire, and Claudio’s Stresa in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Q. What gives you the most pleasure in your job?

K: “Business is a game. I love to compete and win. I take on the position of a coach, encourage and be grateful for your team.”

A: “Meeting the customers in person and creating dishes on a whim.”

Q. What do you enjoy in your free time?

K: “I love to hang out with my wife, Anne, visit great restaurants, travel, and play golf.”

A: “Work hard. Play hard. I love traveling and gardening.”

Gianni Minervini, Chef Owner, Trevini Ristorante, Palm Beach, Florida, and Fred Bollaci

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

39

APPETITE:

Fearless Chef

CHEF EXPOSED: Insta This - Facebook That Chef David Burke Endures and Enjoys His Critics – Then and Now Written by Linda Kavanagh

296 posts

30.7k followers

#chewdoin

❤ 1,077

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CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

l 26

“ New Wave in the East River. Mr. Burke has been variously judged talented but untamed, creative but sometimes overwrought.”

here is only one thing T in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”

–Oscar Wilde

–Florence Fabricant, New York Times, November 9, 1988, River Café

The stage was set for this larger than life chef and without realizing it then, the media attention would soon catapult Burke into the next stages of his remarkable career. A caged animal that needed to hunt and forage, the David Burke brand was created and a string of restaurants (davidburke & Donatella, david burke townhouse, Fishtail, Primehouse in Chicago and David Burke Las Ve-gas to name a few) driven by the artistic and culinary interpretations of a chef without borders became media fodder. Writers were fascinated by Burke’s

When Chef David Burke was chosen to represent the USA at The International Culinary Competition (at the age of 26) and won France’s coveted Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d’Honneur - the only American to ever achieve this honor, it wasn’t front page news, not even a Facebook post. So, how did he rise to the top of his field at a time when there wasn’t ‘face-tweet-insta-blog’?

“I didn’t have a publicist. I had a stage, “ He says of his culinary playground as an up and coming chef at New York City’s famed River Café. “The buzz started from within the industry and would find its way to the customers, and ultimately the journalists. It’s not so simple

artistry, and while they didn’t always subscribe to his pushing the envelope with classic dishes (smoked salmon consommé served in a snifter glass), Burke says “The good writers would take the time to find out more about the dish and how I arrived at that preparation and presentation. It didn’t matter their personal opinion. It was the story behind it.”

“ It was in fact fish for steak lovers, and its success hinged on the technique.”

– Dana Bowen, New York Times, November 23, 2005, Burke’s infamous swordfish steak invention

anymore,” Burke says of the exposure and notoriety today’s chefs and restaurateurs either enjoy or endure.

Burke always appreciated the supportive journalists as well as the

Throughout the 80s and 90s, when the internet had yet to cross

purists who threw harsh criticisms his way. The sheer opposite ends

social barriers, a chef’s story was told through beat reporters and food

of the spectrum that the media had portrayed only made the David

writers, most of whom had actual writing skills and experience, and

Burke brand stronger. Food Network had yet to arrive commercially

were held accountable for delivering the facts. With the art of food

and food events were mostly industry driven back then, so consumers

entering into pop culture territory, a writer’s opinion was thrown into

relied on mainstream media, primarily newspapers and magazines,

the mix, and thus, the “food critic” was born. Critics weren’t anything

to feed their gastronomic interest. This served Burke quite well – and

new, per se, but their star status had been limited to the European

for quite some time.

Michelin Guide sleuths and stereotypi-cal food snobs who only wrote about French restaurants.

“The magazines loved what I was doing. It [the food] was innovative, rebellious, and most of all, photogenic! “, he says of such magazines

“The French restaurants reigned supreme, “recalls Burke of the 80s

as Art Culinaire and Gourmet, “And they wrote about the food, the

New York restaurant landscape, “Le Bernadin, La Gre-nouille, Lutèce, Le

chef, the inspiration, and even threw in some recipes. There weren’t any

Pèrigord, etc. These were the guys getting all of the ink. People weren’t

‘best of’ issues or ‘top ten’ categories. No gimmicks. Just the facts.”

writing about the Italian joint, the Spanish place, or the sushi bar.”

Burke’s star power initially manifested itself while at such Manhattan institutions as Park Avenue Café and Smith & Wollensky. His innate ability to play with his food and his daringness to create unconventional dishes within the walls of these staunch men’s clubby corporate dining rooms caught the attention of conservative diners

“ A class act in every way, his novel American fare is of Faulknerian complexity.”

–Zagat Review, 1996, Park Avenue Café

and mainstream reporters. Pictures had yet to become a major part

This simpler time would soon take a turn. Consumers were raven-

of the media fabric, but upon earning 3 stars from the New York

ous for more. More restaurants, more diversity, and more information.

Times, this prestigious news outlet was compelled to include a

The internet, circa the 2000 dot.com boom, was supplying another

photo of one of Burke’s intriguing dishes.

outlet for restaurants and chefs to communicate with the consumer.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

41

A day in the life on Chef David Burke’s Instagram page.

Review sites, online listings, and eventually Facebook seemed to

to follow a trend, as he was always the one creating them, he could

house the bulk of information about a restaurant, a food trend, and

appreciate the public’s growing infatuation with food and the talent

even insider information about the biz. Nothing was sacred anymore.

behind it. His online identity and activity, a crisscrossing map of the

It was there for all to read and judge.

good, the bad, and the outrageous, was one of the few that showed

This information wasn’t just limited to the credible and established

no signs of slowing down.

media outlets. These online portals were now housing food-centric web sites and blogs created by consumers. Food enthusiasts, cynics, supporters, know-it-alls, and egomaniacs all got in on the action, writing about their food experiences and documenting them through cell phone pictures. “Followers” were the new normal and both the

“ Of course, a David Burke wedge looks like a Carmen Miranda hat.“

– Gale Greene, Insatiable Critic, March 28th, 2011, David Burke Kitchen

media and the hobbyist thrived on growing these numbers.

42

For Burke the online and social media exposure was never a

“I began to have fun with it, “he says of such food sites as Eater,

driving force within his business model. While other restaurants were

GrubStreet, UrbanSpoon (Zomato), and Serious Eats, “It was a far cry

obsessing over their online presence, Burke looked to these outlets

from what I was accustom to - The Observer, The Times, Zagat, and

to keep him in the loop on what was going on around him. Not one

New York Magazine. Anyone can be a food critic now. Some of these

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

APPETITE:

Fearless Chef

novice writers are quite good – while others just give food bloggers a

well within today’s social media climate. “He’s a big personality,

bad name. Heck, even Yelp has positioned itself as a ‘credible’ source

somewhat controversial, uniquely qualified to tell it like it is, active

– and you can’t even prove the reviewer ever visited the restaurant!”

with projects, and his food makes a statement.”

Dillon Burke, a social media expert and the co-founder of Front

Looking back over Burke’s 40’ish years in the media, one can see a

of House (and yes, Chef’s son) looks at today’s social media trend as

pattern taking shape. It’s that of wonderful consistency within incon-

a natural progression. His take is that of an innovative and forward

sistency. His reviews are all over the place. And though no one has

thinking industry now having an equally progressive and expressive

ever denied his talent, personal taste and perception has long been

platform (s) to market their restaurant with.

a choppy road among writers when it comes to Burke’s inventions.

“Restaurants are brand and reputation driven – it’s a 2-way conversation that the restaurants and the consumers can actively participate in, “explains Dillon, “The photo aspect of what’s taken over the space is just mind boggling, but it makes sense. Food is a just as much a visual art as it is a culinary art. For someone like my dad, who sees food as an artistic expression, Instagram tells his story. His talent and personality cannot be airbrushed.”

“ The style in Burkeville could be described as over-the-top.”

– Lizzie Widdicombe, The New Yorker, January 30, 2012, David Burke Kitchen

“Listen, I know I take chances, and with that come consequences.

But, the stupidest thing a writer can do is give a restaurant zero stars or a negative and destructive review. It’s a disservice to the reader. Where

“ Celebrity Chef David Burke’s résumé includes ventures both serious and head-scratching.”

not to eat should never take up valuable editorial space as that writer is only one opinion and most likely it was from one experience,” says Burke, “There’s no reason to be nasty when you’re writing about food.”

–Time out New York, January 26, 2011

Burke sees the adoration and the humor in the reviews he’s

Does this age of online praise and persecution cripple a restau-

received over the years. He finds joy in the fact that his food has

rant’s ability to have control over their brand or their reputation?

created discussions among his colleagues and stirred up debates

It’s a hot topic among chefs and restaurants owners. Nowadays a

within the media. He once relished in the irony of receiving praise

business benefits from having a publicist, a marketing director, and

from reputable food critic Gael Greene for her “favorite dish of the

even a social media manager to navigate these waters. From Burke’s

year” (1989), a curried-oyster-and-noodle cake with red-wine butter;

perspective, he says it’s a shame that it’s no longer enough to just

while that same week [then] Esquire food critic John Mariani blasted

have great food, service and atmosphere. Today a restaurant has to

that same dish for being the “biggest misstep by a chef of the year.”

immerse itself into the community, the chef must perform cooking demos on TV and sling hash at a charity event. In a saturated market, staying relevant takes up as much energy, time and money as keeping up with food and service standards does.

“ You go here for David Burke’s cuisine, which is wholly his and reflective of the big guy’s generosity of spirit.”

David Sederholt, COO of New York’s Strategic Funding Source and a former chef himself, says even a restaurant’s business plan must include a marketing component. “Banks, lenders and investors

– John Mariani, Virtual Gourmet, May 2, 2010, David Burke Townhouse

want to know how their money is going to be paid back – and that

“You can’t make this shit up,” laughs Burke.

includes a restaurant’s strategy for growing their customer base and

“While I am grateful for what the media has done for my career (for

staying in the game. Smart restaurant owners will include marketing

the most part), it’ll be interesting to see the direction both traditional

professionals in the day-to-day operations of a restaurant.”

media and social media take and how it will affect the restaurants in

“I believe in good PR as it pertains to promoting my business. But

years to come. We think about how restaurants stay relevant. The

I do not subscribe to garnering votes or rankings, “says Burke, “I’m all

same can be said for writers and all of these review sites. Do people

for getting the right information out there and having a space where

listen or does it become white noise after a while? In the meantime,

the public can learn about who I am. But the popu-larity contest that

I’m going to keep on doing what I do, take chances, and have a little

overshadows the talent is an abomination and is disrespectful to the

fun along the way.” ¨

craft. You don’t have to like me, but at least get the facts straight, “he says about writers who don’t take the time to do their research or fact check.

Having grown up watching his dad morph into a legitimate brand, Dillon sees the next chapter in Chef David Burke’s career co-existing

About the Author: Linda Kavanagh is a former chef turned food writer and publicist and the Owner of MaxEx Public Relations. She is the Director of the New England Culinary Group, a support arm for the hospitality industry.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

43

APPETITE:

Cocktail Culture

Photography Courtesy of @ThreadSalt

JIMMY AT THE JAMES A Classic, NYC Bar, 18 Stories Above The City

44

EIGHTEEN STORIES HIGH atop The James

a cold night in February, or a lively scene at

where guests can enjoy chaise lounges, and

Hotel in SoHo New York, JIMMY is a con-

the pool on a summer Saturday or late night

unparalleled city views.

temporary interpretation of the classic pub,

on weekends.

Open to guests of The James Hotel

with a 1970’s New York twist. JIMMY was

Due to the influence of Swet, and Rabin

throughout the day, JIMMY at The James

conceived and developed by hospitality

- who is also a partner in Café Clover, The

comes alive from 3pm, 7 days a week. In

veterans Johnny Swet, and David Rabin, with

Lambs Club and The Skylark and was known

particular, the JIMMY is renowned for their

a design by three-time James Beard Award

for co-creating the nightclub Lotus - JIMMY at

fabulouxs pool parties which are always fun,

winner Thomas Schlesser.

The James has become a must-do for those

relaxed affairs taking place on Saturdays and

The atmosphere at JIMMY is intimate

visiting, or calling New York City home. Unlike

Sundays throughout summer. JIMMY at The

and refined, with lingam wood floors, swank

typical rooftop bars, JIMMY is a year-round

James also has an extensive DJ program

modular furniture, dark cinnamon glazed

destination. In colder months, guests gravi-

making it the perfect place to watch the sun

tile walls, and a working fireplace – all sur-

tate towards the inside conversation pit – a

go down as you take in the panoramic views

rounded by 14’ windows with panoramic

freeform lounge area with plush upholstered

of the city.

views of Midtown, Wall Street, the Hudson

seating, midcentury era Arco lamps, and

Cocktails, served from a freestanding

River, and the bridges spanning the East

exotic wood side tables. In warmer weather,

central bar, are basic on classic American

River. It can be a quiet place for a drink on

the experience spills out onto the roof deck,

inspirations, each expertly prepared using

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

BOTTOM’S UP Join the fun at JIMMY this fall with the following cocktails created by Johnny Swet.

THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL 1 ½ oz Plymouth Gin 1 oz Pama Pomegranate Liquor ½ oz Lime Juice 2 Dashes Peychud’s Bitter 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

JOHNNY SWET

syrups and bitters made in-house, freshsqueezed juices, and garnishes and herbs picked fresh from the hotel’s own organic garden. Partner and Mixologist Johnny Swet takes charge of the cocktail menu which is as inventive as it is inspired. Local favorites include the ‘Warhol Vesper’ which is a perfect mix of Plymouth Gin, Zu Bison Grass Vodka, Lillet Rosé and finished with a Lemon Twist and the ‘Double Down’ with Bonded Old Gran-Dad Bourbon, Simple Syrup, Laird’s Bonded Apple Brandy, Orange and Lemon Twists and Angostura Bitters. Delicious share plates and light bites are sourced from David Burke Kitchen, also located in The James. ¨

Johnny moved to NYC in 1992 to focus on his art career, but quickly found himself working and managing some of the city’s iconic establishments such as The Bowery Bar, Balthazar, Pastis, The Park and Freemans.

Besides his partnership in JIMMY NYC and Chicago, Swet was a founding partner in Hotel Griffou and Rogue & Canon.

He also has a solid consulting business as a Top Mixologist for The Skylark, Freds at Barneys, The Rickey at the Dream & Electric Room, Cafe Clover, Papillion, Lillie’s NYC, and Oscar Wilde’s opening in December.

In a tin, add ingredients, shake with ice, and strain into a tall glass. Top with tonic water, garnish with lime and thyme.

DR Y OAK MAN H ATTAN 2 oz George Dickel Rye 1 oz Carpano Dry 4 Dashes House made Oak Bitters In a mixing glass, add ingredients to ice, stir and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garlish with a fresh lemon twist.

L E GA L I N V E R M O N T H 2 oz Knob Creek Bourbon ½ oz Organic Maple Syrup ½ oz Cinnamon Syrup 4 dashes of Orange Bitters In a tin, muddle Purple Basil, add ingredients, shake with ice, and strain into a rocks glass over a cinnamon ice block. Garnish with Purple Basil leaf.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

45

COVER STORY

S

B Y

E

A

N

C I N D Y

K

E

L

L Y

C L A R K E

Opposite Page Clockwise from Left: “The Flatiron Building,” from Sean Kelly’s Metropolitan Diary series, The New York Times. “A Man of Influence,” Worth Magazine. “Companies Expand Their Identities,” Businessweek.

This Page: A full-page feature on “MiniMultinationals” in Business 2.0.

47

COVER STORY

Sean Kelly is one of the great ones. He is a visual journalist,

Venü was invited to the beautiful Southport, Connecticut, home

a solutions-oriented creative communicator from the old school

he shares with his wife, Megan, on one of those idyllic summer eve-

whose turn of the pen turns heads. His illustrations, thoughtfully

nings we dream about all winter. But it wasn’t just the balmy weather

conceived, insightfully driven, inspire contemplation and stim-

that ignited our reverie. It was also the quintessential coastal New

ulate conversation. He is at once an artist, a humorist, a pundit,

England setting of our interview – think a stately sea captain’s home,

an influence maker, and a life changer. His pictures paint ideas,

circa 1784, nestled on a quiet waterside lane in a postcard-pretty

provide commentary, proffer solutions and promise smiles. And

harbor front village – along with gifts of unabashed hospitality and

like his works, he is the whole package, “a can do, how to, for you”

unassuming humility on the part of our uber-talented host that

creative mentor who likes nothing more than to share his genius

welcomed us and our questions with unexpected delights. Did I

and generosity with others. Literally.

mention the wine, artisan crackers and honeyed walnuts, served in a rock garden patio dressed in hydrangeas and well placed perennials, staggered eye-candy blooms to sweeten each season, that loosed reserves and elicited spontaneities on both sides of our conversation?

Impeccably composed scenarios like these are an integral part of the countless visually oriented narratives Sean has parlayed into a lifelong career in the arts. To say that he is a master of his craft is a given. Just take a look at the awards he has garnered, the prestigious fellowships he was granted and the media giants he has impressed and you’ll be duly awed. But what surprised us was how seamlessly and genuinely he practices what he portrays, skillfully aligning observations with studied expertise to engage people in intimate connections.

Consider his now iconic illustrations published by the New York Times for its Metropolitan Diary series between 2005 and 2007,

some 50 of them. Sean’s drawings served as the visual springboard for contributors’ on-the-street anecdotes about life in New York City, immortalizing his take on bites of the Big Apple for print and posterity.

This Page: Finding a surprise connection in a famous setting through one of his 50 Metropolitan Diary drawings for The New York Times Opposite Page: Sean’s metaphor for the newspaper industry’s monetization of digital products: “Paywall,” The Christian Science Monitor.

From establishing a whimsical connection between a New York City pretzel vendor and one of the lions that has been guarding

“My clients hire me not for the way I draw,” Sean told us. “They

the New York Public Library for decades, to ironing a shirt atop the

hire me for the ideas behind the drawing.” After meeting with him

Flat Iron Building, to depicting moving men on a break in front of

and learning about his thoughts on the creative process, it wasn’t

the Baroque Furniture shop and likening an artful wine spill on the

hard to see why.

white rug of a private party to a work of modern art hanging on

Schooled in the arts since he was a child, Sean followed the

the wall, Kelly’s work is not only distinctive, diverse and cheeky, it is

traditional route of a trained artist. With certain noteworthy excep-

timeless in its telling and retelling of daily doings in the Big Apple.

tions. A gifted illustrator whose political cartooning for the Brown

He relishes the variety and challenge of coming up with some-

Daily Herald earned him national accolades during college, he

thing new, of playing with the ideas behind the drawings and

attended select side classes at the Rhode Island School of Design

depicting life through an innovative perspective that has a positive

(RISD) while he was a student at Brown University. He chose a liberal

impact on his audience.

arts school – where students study a wide variety of subjects, like CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

49

COVER STORY

engineering, anthropology, the classics and biology, not merely

the ring as a freelance illustrator for such media luminaries as the

art – because the diversity of people and passions was even more

Washington Post.

inspiring to him.

At this point in our conversation, I couldn’t resist asking the

“I love to meet people who are different from me,” he said,

obvious. “The presidential campaign must be fertile ground for

explaining how he has always enjoyed seeing how “others problem

political cartoonists. Has it drawn you in?” I asked, imagining

solve,” which, after all, is what he says being an artist is all about.

scores of cartoons trumping one another with sarcastic repartee

According to Sean, the creative process is not as much about art as it is about coming up with a breakthrough solution. That requires developing new ideas – as many as possible – taking risks and thinking differently.

and Clintonesque caricatures.

His answer, honest and heartfelt, surprised and impressed me, as does his work.

“Everyone has been too long focused on superficial qualities like

Which is what he did at age 10 when he entered and won a

physical appearances. And many cartoonists’ images are intended

national drawing contest sponsored by cereal giant, Kellogg’s, and

to distract the viewer from the issues so they pay more attention

what he did in college when he accompanied his friends, aspiring

to a candidate’s hair or other exaggerated feature. What’s more

journalists all, on an interview for writing interns at the Miami

crucial to focus on are the words and deeds and the issues at hand.

Herald. The newspaper was not looking for art department interns,

It’s frustrating for cartoonists today because the reality of politics has

but Sean got the editorial director’s attention with his portfolio

become more of an absurd caricature than anything we could invent.”

of political cartoons. His images spoke volumes about his talents

His forte as a visual commentator has seen ink on Op-Ed pages

as a visual “writer” and the paper ended up creating a position

in some of the country’s most influential newspapers, as well as

for him as its first intern who drew rather than wrote. He worked

being spotlighted on CBS News’ Face the Nation broadcast and

for the paper for three and a half years after he graduated from

online in The Huffington Post. But for now, he says he may delay

Brown, before setting off for Washington, DC, to throw his pen in

any political cartoons until after the conventions when the candidates are running towards the finish line in earnest, when he can put his passion where his pen is to visually “talk” about causes that are important and good for the country.

Until then you’ll find him helping businesses and non-profit organizations find their voice through branding campaigns that pair the power of creative thinking with their mission statements.

He admits to feeling lucky to work with clients who like his work.

After seeing what he delivers for them, we think “lucky” definitely goes both ways.

Take, for example, the name he came up with for a grass roots non-profit organization dedicated to finding and funding a cure for children’s food allergies. Visually and viscerally on target, he suggested the acronym E.A.T. for End Allergies Together. Not by accident, its orange color invites two-way conversations. Scientifically known as a warm and appetizing color, it is both physically and mentally stimulating, so it gets people thinking and talking!

Which is also what all of his art and his popular creative thinking presentations happen to do.

“Anyone can be creative,” says Kelly, who, as a sought after corporate speaker and guest lecturer, regularly invites the public to see where their ideas can take them at presentations and seminars across the country. “Creative-thinking skills can be learned and

This Page: A New York Times Metropolitan Diary anecdote about some clumsy movers inspired this pun.

Opposite Page: (Top) Another Diary entry allowed Sean to see a parallel to safety equipment used on school field trips. (Bottom) “Do Everyone a Favor, Take a Sick Day,” Science Times, The New York Times.

applied through deliberate practices, allowing the creative process to become a natural habit.”

He shares his secrets for creative success freely and happily, discussing process and possibilities with endless enthusiasm and

ABOUT

S E A N K E L LY, VISUAL ARTIST

➳ Award-winning illustration, visual journalism and political commentary seen on the arts, business, features and op-ed pages of The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe ➳ Honors from Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, Society of Publication Designers ➳ 2012 USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Fellow ➳ Named “Best Newspaper Illustrator” by the National Cartoonists Society in 2007 ➳ Featured in new book, The Brown Reader: 50 Writers Remember College Hill Visit www.seankellystudio.com for more information and a virtual portfolio of his impressive work.

All illustrations ©copyright Sean Kelly.

interest. At the core of his passion is his appreciation for invention, which he says is fueled by imagination.

Look around his home studio, set in a converted barn on his fairy-tale property, and you’ll find many of the same 1920s vintage

“The 1920s were one of the most creative, optimistic decades

gadgets and appliances that inspire him everyday. They all started

in American history when many inventions were conceived and

out in someone’s imagination as ideas, free flowing and fanciful,

created,” he explained, reflecting the excitement of those days

he reminded us, then they were shifted around and reworked until

in the tone and the telling. It was a time when sunglasses, band

the ones that were meant to be clicked and turned on a world of

aids, ice cube trays, masking tape, bubble gum and Eskimo Pies

new possibilities.

shared the limelight with radios, instant cameras, TVs, bread slicers,

Which, luckily for us, is what Sean Kelly does so naturally as he

pop up toasters, “moviolas,” traffic lights, electric razors and even

infuses positivity, humor and wisdom, subtly imparted and visually

penicillin, a time of prosperity and opportunity.

impactful, in the ideas that become his art. ¨ CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

51

FEATURE

ARTIST RICK SHAEFER

SPEAKS ABOUT HIS POWERFUL NEW SERIES

ON THE REFUGEE CRISIS DEBUTING AT T H E FA I R F I E L D U N I V E R S I T Y A R T M U S E U M

How does one deal with the onslaught of

the Innocents, Gericault’s Raft of the Medusa, Picasso’s Guernica, and

horrific imagery and news of countless waves

Goya’s Disasters of War series, plus all the imagery of vast throngs

of refugees coming from the Middle East?

fleeing war and oppression from Exodus to the partition of India to our

The vast scale of the humanity involved, as of

own native American “Trail of Tears.” The three large-scale charcoal

this writing numbering over five million from

drawings, each 8 feet by 15 feet, in this new series -- the expulsion or

Syria alone, and the agony and desperation

mass escape over land, a sea journey, and the chaos of the ultimate

of those afflicted, feel both epic and almost Biblical. When the sto-

clash with other cultures -- distill for me the journeys taken by refugees

ries and photos first started appearing my initial reaction was one of

everywhere, connecting current events with their historical precursors.

despairing familiarity – we have seen all of this suffering many times.

In my mind, I kept seeing the imagery of the Baroque, and espe-

This is not to denigrate the scale or pain of the current debacle but

cially Rubens, therefore I decided to bring together elements of that

to sadly acknowledge the historical, repetitive, tenacity of it.

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vocabulary in the drawings. Why employ the vernacular of the 17th

As an artist, the visual vocabulary that instantly came to mind was

century Baroque in a 21st century work on refugees? At first it seems an

such paintings as Rubens’ The Last Judgment and The Massacre of

improbable choice. But in looking past the surface frivolity of scenes of

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Land Crossing & Rick Shaefer in Studio

Figure Study & Water Crossing

Border Crossing & Lion Study

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FEATURE

rollicking mythological characters and courtiers, one feels an inherent pathos in the heightened emotional and physical drama. One look at The Last Judgment and you are instantly immersed in a maelstrom of cataclysmic anguish. The world Rubens and his contemporaries lived in and painted was far removed from our own, but the operatic emotional language they employed still powerfully resonates.

This ‘re-contextualization’ of figures has a long and storied past.

Rubens, like many of his contemporaries and artists of previous and

SHAEFER’S POWERFUL

later generations, borrowed freely from ancient sculpture as well as more recent art. Following generations continued to build on these motifs, and the thread of this visual discourse continues. Artists are constantly drawing from this well. In that sense we are not unlike the campfire storyteller passing on a verbal narrative that is reworked with each new telling.

Individual characters, Samson or Venus or Sisyphus, like any actor with a new script, leave behind their old drama and engage in the action of the new. We may perhaps recognize them from their previous incarnations but we also accept them, as we would any actor, in their new roles.

The three works in the Refugee Trilogy -- Land Crossing, Water Crossing, and Border Crossing -- are arranged in a chronology sug-

COMPOSITIONS

ABOUND WITH FIGURES & MOTIFS INSPIRED BY

RUBENS & GERICAULT

gested by the news reports. Land Crossing, the first of the three, shows a line of individuals leaving some implied region of war or oppression. At the left, under a violent sky, is a claustrophobic and

Border Crossing Detail

tumultuous grouping of entangled women and horsemen and an attacking leopard. Immediately to their right is a group centered around a cart pulled by an old man carrying an ill or dying sufferer.

To their right are several men carrying heavy loads and off to the far right stretches a continuous line of further refugees descending onto the plain below. These appear more contemporary than the frieze of figures in the foreground suggesting a historical continuum.

Lying directly in the immediate foreground are two exhausted or dying individuals along with two resting lions and human bones.

The various large cats found here are a thematic element picked up again in the third piece, Border Crossing, where they are joined by other animals. The natural world is not unaffected by the turmoil.

The landscape, somewhat reminiscent of Pieter Bruegel the Elder in its vast panorama, is from Rubens’ painting of his own property, Chateau Hat Steen. The sky clears, but ever so slightly, as we move to the right. Several fires burn in the distance and it is not clear that the

54

new destination sought by these refugees will offer any immediate

debris. Another touchstone is Rembrandt’s Storm on the Sea of Galilee,

respite from their travails.

stolen from the Gardner Museum in Boston over 20 years ago and still

Water Crossing, the second piece in the trilogy, deals with the

missing. I have borrowed from Rembrandt the idea of a large wave

harried and often deadly boat journeys undertaken to reach safe

hitting the bow and referenced the boy at the far left and the mast of

havens. We can become overwhelmed by such imagery in the current

his boat as an homage to that missing masterpiece. Here is a familiar

context but there is a significant predecessor in Gericault’s monumental

scene of overcrowding on a vessel precariously taking on waves and in

Raft of the Medusa. Gericault was reacting to a contemporary calamity

imminent danger of sinking. Again, the outcome is uncertain.

and scandal involving a sinking boat and the very few survivors that

The last piece in the chronology, Border Crossing, shows a wave

were eventually rescued in a makeshift raft cobbled together from the

of refugees crashing into the barrier at a border. The flow of bodies

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entangled with animals of various sorts, surges to the right, met violently by military and civilian militia and ordinary thugs. In this climatic scene, angels join the fray from a dramatic sky above and Icarus is seen plummeting from the upper right. The lion in the right center acts as Witness to the unfolding chaos. As in the other two pieces, an assortment of characters from over a dozen paintings is enlisted here. From the left we have players from: Destruction of Sennacherib, Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus, Lion Hunt, The Hippopotamus and Crocodile Hunt, The Flagellation of Christ, Allegory on the Blessings of Peace, Tiger, Lion, and Leopard Hunt, Reconciliation of the Queen and Her Son (from the Marie de Medici series), The Massacre of the Innocents, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, The Consequences of War, The Death of Adonis, The Fall of Icarus, David Slaying Goliath, and Venus Frigida. All are here re-engaged in a new scene of hope, fear, despair and violence.

In these drawings we are confronted with overwhelming events in a language both familiar and historical. Ideally, this visual language allows us a lens through which to contemplate them. Involuntary migration, expulsion, forced emigration, fugitive status, culture clash, ethnic cleansing, the effects of war on protracted displacement,

“Art and events both have a galvanizing agency—the power to inspire witnesses to contemplation or action. Conversely, momentous events, triumphs and tragedies alike, have long been commemorated in art, from the ancient reliefs on the Arch of Titus in Rome to the French Romantic painter Theodore Géricault’s iconic Raft of the Medusa. These strands from two ends of a common arc converge in the extraordinary Refugee Trilogy series by Rick Shaefer, which represents the Connecticut-­ based artist’s passionate and cerebral response to the current Syrian refugee crisis, the seismic effects of which continue to resonate around the globe. In reacting to this crisis through the language of the visual, Shaefer joins a varied company, from larger than life personalities like Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, who is currently completing a documentary film about the migrant crisis based on his visits to refugee camps on the Greek-Macedonian border, to Francesco Tuccio, a humble carpenter from the tiny island of Lampedusa between the coast of Tunisia and Sicily, who collected scraps of driftwood from the wreckage of ships carrying migrants from the Middle East and fashioned them into rough crosses symbolizing both the plight and the hope of desperate refugees, one of which is now in the British Museum in London.

Employing the lexicon of old master painting, Shaefer’s powerful compositions abound with figures and motifs inspired by Rubens and Gericault as he plumbs the expressive capacity of art to address the timeless human tragedy of exile, migration and dislocation.

– Linda Wolk-Simon, Frank and Clara Meditz Director and Chief Curator, Fairfield University Art Museum.

Figure Study & Land Crossing Detail

borders, political disintegration, religious and tribal conflict, international aid, ethnic identity, xenophobia, the meaning of “homeland”, and rights of asylum, are just a few of the myriad of issues encapsulated in the global discourse around Refugees. It is my hope that this set of drawings meaningfully participates in that discourse and helps in some way to further the search for a solution.

I wish to gratefully acknowledge The Pollock-Krasner Foundation and the CT Office of the Arts for their funding that helped make this project possible. ¨

Rick Shaefer: The Refugee Trilogy is on view from September 8 through October 21 in the museum’s Walsh Gallery in the Quick Center for the Arts. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., and admission is free of charge. A rich roster of programs dealing with myriad aspects of the convulsive refugee crisis, from the plight of the migrants themselves to the devastating spoliation and destruction of cultural heritage in the afflicted regions of Iraq and Syria in particular will be offered during the run of the exhibition.

Consult the museum’s website for the schedule of events: fairfield.edu/museum

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FEATURE

GETTING TO KNOW THE REAL

Written By

MICHELLE KHOURI Photography By

BHARGAVA CHILUVERU

Clockwise from Left: Downtown’s “SkyView” Ferris Wheel; Krog Street Tunnel; Ponce City Market

AT L A N TA THE TUNNEL IS DIMLY LIT. YOU’RE STANDING AT ONE END, STILL UNDER THE SUN’S WATCHFUL EYE, BUT CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE A SHADOWY FIGURE MOVING SWIFTLY— FIRST CROUCHING, THEN FULLY ERECT. You walk toward the figure, and only as your eyes adjust to their new surroundings does a flurry of color and shape come into focus. This shadowy figure is actually one of Atlanta’s talented muralists—and the dark tunnel? That’s the city’s living, ever-changing street art gallery, the treasured Krog Street Tunnel.

Welcome to Atlanta, equal parts misrepresented and mysterious. Atlantans may scoff at the thought of their city as “mysterious,” but that’s just what this multifaceted city is. And because it’s so hard to pin the Southern metropolis down as any one thing, ample room is left for erroneous clichés and misinformed generalizations. The truth is simple: Atlanta isn’t one thing, because it’s something different to each of its diverse residents.

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FEATURE

I moved to Georgia’s capital city in 2013 on an impulse fueled by my desperation to live somewhere—anywhere—but Florida. Overnight business trips and flight layovers had swept me through Atlanta a handful of times, but I’d never quite gotten a grasp of this place labeled as “urban” more often than I care to recall. Still, friends in Atlanta urged me to take the leap, reassuring me that I would love living in the progressive and creative city.

Had this Miami-bred Latina ever seen herself living in the deep American South at the foothills of the Appalachian mountains?

That’s a firm no. And yet, while Atlanta couldn’t be more geographically Southern,

THIS CITY BURSTS W I T H E N E R G Y, INFLUENCE

its ideology is decidedly not.

I drove into town for the first time in January 2013. Terrified by the onslaught of cars where I-85 converges with I-75, I found only a split-second in the panic of lane mergers and split-offs to catch a glimpse of the city’s sparkling skyline. If ever Atlanta lived up to one

AND TOLERANCE.

of its stereotypes, it’s as a city ruled by traffic.

I was determined to learn everything about my new hometown from the moment I pulled

the Civil War, Union General William T. Sherman burned the city

into the driveway of my first house in the city, a

down as part of his infamous Atlanta Campaign. When it came time

picturesque ranch house in quiet Brookhaven.

to rebuild, Atlantans saw an opportunity to embrace progressive

There’s something wildly intriguing about a

ideals and branded their reborn city the “New South.” Atlanta has

city so markedly distinct from the rest of its

since been on an upward trajectory fueled by forward thinking and

state. “A dot of blue in an ocean of red,”

bootstrap resilience.

residents say about Atlanta’s politics.

Today, landmarks, historic sites and spectacular museums bring

As with most things, to better understand

the city’s incredible past to life. I’ve wandered on countless occasions

Atlanta’s present, you have to learn about its

through the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, stricken with

past. From its beginnings, the city saw itself

awe at the wealth of tangible, living history scattered throughout its

in a different light than its more conservative

30 acres. Here, you can visit the home where Dr. King was born, the

and traditional Southern neighbors. During

church where he delivered some of his most famous sermons, and the tomb where he and his wife, Coretta Scott King, found eternal peace. And yet, this is only one facet of the “Capital of the South.”

Now, allow me to get deep with you—it was in Atlanta that I found myself. I know how syrupy that sounds, but it’s abundantly true. I arrived here a shadow of myself, having spent years conforming to cultures that have little patience for individuality. Forced conformity is stifling, and that above all else, is why Atlanta makes many newcomers feel “liberated” when they arrive. This is the kind of town that accepts you just as you are; in fact, the weirder the better.

From walls plastered with massive works of art to an extraordinary intellectual class, this city bursts with energy, influence and tolerance.

Homegrown Atlantans tend to sneer at optimistic newcomers who inevitably fall head-over-heels for the city, perhaps because these transplants

to see the city through the same awe-stricken eyes as these tourists.

Enumerating the city’s global influence has become second nature for me. Georgia Aquarium is the world’s largest. A couple blocks away, CNN was the world’s first 24-hour news network. Atlanta Cyclorama is one of only 16 massive paintings left in the world. The city is considered the birthplace of the American civil rights movement. And the list goes on.

Put simply, Atlanta is at once whatever you want it to be and very specifically itself.

I am a self-proclaimed culture vulture, which means I’m at my happiest when I’m supporting artistic talent. In Atlanta, there is never a shortage of plays to watch, live shows to attend, exhibitions to visit and street art to fawn over in what many have dubbed “Empire State South.” The same can be said

Photography contact: www.bchil.in

are idolizing a version of Atlanta natives have never been able to see.

Atlanta is best understood through the lens of its distinct neighborhoods (think New York City’s boroughs, but on a much smaller scale), each with a flurry of world-renown attractions or nationally acclaimed restaurants or highly regarded arts institutions or riveting historic landmarks.

There’s Inman Park with its young, wealthy residents, some married and others with small children, but always buzzing about on the neighborhood’s walkable streets, hopping on the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail, grabbing a slice at Fritti or seafood at Beetlecat or wine (and lots of it) at Barcelona.

Old Fourth Ward, while bordering Inman Park, stands in sharp contrast. Here, entrepreneurs and creative types take over historic lofts and former warehouses. This is my favorite neighborhood, the one in which I live and spend most of my free time frequenting restau-

Clockwise from Bottom Left: The Beltline Eastside Trail; City skyline with bustling traffic; The Westside Cultural Arts Center

for history buffs and fitness enthusiasts and club goers and families and…you.

I’ve been a resident of Atlanta for nearly four years. It’s the first city I’ve committed to

rants like Mango’s, my go-to for Jamaican food at 2 a.m., the Sweet

from the jump; like knowing someone is right

Auburn Curb Market, where I inevitably indulge in a made-to-order,

for you from the first date.

overstuffed Venezuelan arepa at Arepa Mia, and the food hall at Ponce

Every afternoon, as the sun sets and the

City Market, where I’ve spent hours idly sipping drinks and sampling

clouds embrace a pastel palette of purples,

bites from a bevvy of stalls.

pinks and oranges—what I call “cotton candy

Downtown is a bustling hub for tourists. Here, skyscraping hotels

hour”—I can’t help but smile. Somehow, the

host many of the city’s annual 50-plus million visitors, who travel in

girl who grew up in what’s more like South

glassy-eyed hoards to the convention center down the street or to the

America than the American South can’t

10 attractions that surround Centennial Olympic Park. Most locals stay

seem to get Georgia—and more specifically

away from downtown, but I enjoy spending a day there every so often

its capital city—off her mind. ¨ CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

59

YACHTING

Azimut 66 Design, Technology and Italian Home Style at its Very Best Permeate This 2016 Icon Being an icon isn’t just a question of image, style or the ability to innovate. It is all this and then just a little bit more. It means being chosen by the market as a must-have product, one that stays true to its identity over time and continues to amaze with its high performance and sophisticated design.

In the category of yachts around 65 feet, the Azimut Fly range epitomizes all the above, with more than 300 Azimut 62 and 64’s sold around the world since 2002.

This model perfectly incorporates the brand’s finest ingredients, starting from the exterior profile. In keeping with the finest tradition at Azimut, this model remains graceful and sporty, but offers more volume and surface area.

The obvious starting point is the flybridge, the largest in its category, with three different areas for entertaining. Next comes the four-cabin layout, offering outstanding liveability, and the new bar area positioned to the fore of the galley, which is ideal for breakfast or for accompanying the pilot during navigation.

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CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

struts and the owner can choose between a vanity area or a chest of drawers to complement the wardrobes. Owners can choose between Roman blinds and wooden Venetian blinds.

The VIP cabin located in the bow has large windows and offers The boat’s hi-tech soul features solutions inspired by the world of home automation and the automotive sector, but based on parameters defined by naval engineering experts that interpret the needs of the recreational craft segment. This is why carbon has been used for the first time to enhance onboard comfort, allowing the volume to be increased while maintaining excellent dynamic stability.

plenty of storage space, with two slim wardrobes, wall units and more storage space under the bed.

The crew cabin with two berths laid out in an L-shape and separated head can be reached from the transom hatch.

The hydraulic swim platform at the stern can be used to store a tender of up to 325 cm in length.

Creativity is also reflected in the interior design, every inch of which reveals its Italian heritage.

The Azimut 66’s performance is quite simply impeccable. The lines

Turning to the living areas, the main deck contains the salon, which

of the hull are the same as those which have given Azimut 62 and

features two roomy counterfacing sofas, large side windows and a

64 owners so much pleasure at sea. The deadrise at the centre of

55-inch TV with hi-lo mechanism.

the yacht is 20° and 17° at the stern, but the bare facts don’t do

The lower deck of the Azimut 66 contains the full beam master

justice to the yacht’s performance, which is defined by the perfect

cabin with its large ensuite bathroom, the VIP cabin and two twin-

relationship between weight distribution, wet surface and balance

berth cabins with enlarged portholes, one with bunk berths, and

forces. The end result is exceptional handling, with reduced

three bathrooms, all with separate showers. The berths all have new

dynamic trim angles in any conditions, soft entry and superb

plant-sourced memory foam mattresses.

performance at sea. Fitted with CAT C18 – 1150 mHP engines, the

The suite in the centre of the yacht has full-glass windows with no

Azimut 66 can reach a maximum speed of 32 knots.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

61

PULSE:

Art

Cuban Castaway To Cuban Master Collector The Story and Journey of Roberto Ramos

By Susana Baker Photography by Armando Colls

Clockwise from Left: Cubaocho impressive Literacy Collection from 1800-1958; Art collector Roberto Ramos showcases the culture of Cuba to Miami in the Cubaocho Museum & Performing Arts Center; Original Carlos Sobrino painting, El Saxofonista (The Saxophone Player), painted 1953

In the heart of Little Havana, Miami, nearly 200 miles from Cuba, there is an extraordinary collection of Cuban art and literary treasures that

Ramos, 17 years old at the time, along with his brother Carlos who

reside within a hidden gem named Cubaocho Art and Research

was then 19, helped an elderly man, Don Jose, move to a new home.

Center. Unbeknownst to many locals and visiting tourists, a histori-

The young brothers were excited about the prospect of earning

cally significant and underestimated art collection can be found here,

$20.00 to buy a pair of American jeans they hoped would impress

as the represented artists were major contributors to the cultural life

the girls at a Saturday night party. At the end of the move, the elderly

of pre-Castro Cuba. Roberto Ramos, owner of Cubaocho and the

man told the boys that he couldn’t pay them in cash, but in return for

man responsible for bringing the collection to Miami, along with

their help, he would bestow them with something better than cash.

his brother Carlos Ramos, led an incredible journey of survival and

It turned out be an original Carlos Sobrino painting, El Saxofonista

passion to recover their country’s history through the works of cele-

(The Saxophone Player), painted in 1953, which the boys could have

brated Cuban artists, who in 1959 were almost erased from existence

easily sold and earned much more than their anticipated $20.00!

by Fidel Castro and Cuban Regime.

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The Ramos Collection began with a vision in 1982. Roberto

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Appealing to Roberto’s entrepreneurial spirit, Roberto traveled

from gallery to gallery in Havana trying to sell his newfound treasure.

To his dismay, no one knew who Sobrino was, not even the museums and school library where he turned next. Finally, with help from a friend, they managed to gain access to the Jose Marti National Library, where they found out why Sobrino’s name and work could not be found in the museum. It was apparent that the artist had left Cuba in exile; even though Sobrino won the National Prize for Painting in 1959, the Cuban Regime and Castro saw Sobrino as a person non-grata and his name was erased from Cuban society.

After discovering this injustice, Ramos felt as though he found a calling that would forever change his life.

This newly awakened passion inspired Roberto to continue investigating other names erased from existence who had also achieved national acclaim and accolades in Cultural Art Societies not just in Cuba, but also throughout Europe. His mission would unfold over the next three decades. He spent countless hours researching, investigating and recovering the 50-year history of his country’s “erased” art, much of which had been burned and censored by the communist government of Cuba.

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This Page Top to Bottom: Yeney and Roberto Ramos in front of Antonio Sanchez Araujo, La rumba (The Rumba), 1937. Oil on canvas 78”x113”, one of their rescued paintings. Yeney Ramos holds their first published book Great Masters of Cuban Art: The Ramos Collection. Published to accompany an exhibition of Cuban masterworks at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach, Florida, this volume documents the historical development of Cuban painting from 1800 until the Revolution, 1958; El séptimo arte by Dagoberto Jacquinet, circa 1985, mix media on paper canvas.

Opposite Page Top to Bottom: Carlos Ramos and Roberto Ramos; Roberto Ramos holding Keys West Newspaper from 1992 when the story become front news of this Castaway Collector

The flight to freedom for these artists and their art had consumed Roberto Ramos; it was all he thought about since 1982. He dreamed of becoming a famous art collector, traveling to Miami and cashing in on his discovery by selling his collection to the famous galleries in Coral Gables. With his newfound wealth, Roberto would make good on his promise to bring his entire family from Cuba to Florida where he would buy a mansion in Cocoplum or Coral Gables, and live “happily ever after.”

In 1992, the beginning of his “happily ever after” started on the

The brothers had been adrift for three days in the waters of the

feast of the Epiphany; Roberto went to his mother, Rosita, to break

Straits of Florida, with no food and no water. On the morning of the

the news of his dream to freedom, unveiling his plans that he was not

third day, they hugged each other and said their farewells as there was

sailing alone, but would be traveling with his two brothers. Rosita, with

no land in sight. They were prepared to succumb to the deadly heat of

a great and heavy heart, said goodbye to her sons, saddened by the

the sun. Weakened by hunger, they seemed destined for death, and

many stories of her friends who lost their loved ones at sea on the

they were ready for it. Roberto took a look through his binoculars for

same flight to liberty. Rosita, naturally, feared the worst.

the last time, and he could not believe what he saw: the Cuban Military

Roberto then set off to America, fleeing Fidel Castro’s communist

64

Coastguards. His worst fear was about to come true; they would be

Cuba forever, on a journey that began some 160 miles away from

defeated, captured, and who knows what else.

the first Coral Gables gallery that would purchase art from him.

Death seemed more appealing than to be tortured along with his

Hidden away in a makeshift roof like a stowaway was the original

family and imprisoned for life. As the gloom took over the Ramos

Sobrino painting, along with 14 unique pre-Revolution artworks by

brothers, the sounding of a horn approached with great speed to

artists who had fallen out of favor with Castro. The brothers had

the Rosita II; it was the U.S. Coast Guard, who came to their rescue

food and water for three days, with plans of arriving in Miami within

minutes before the Cuban Military would capture them. Back in the

a day and half to two. On the first evening, 8-foot waves crashed

90s, when the U.S. Coast Guards would find Cuban castaways, they

against the Rosita II, breaking its steering wheel. Strong gusts of

would save them at sea and bring them on to their vessels, but the

wind decimated their fresh water supply.

law was to shoot down the boat or floating devise they were sailing

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

PULSE:

Art

what they should do, and the captain replied “tow the boat in with the castaway on it!” In the middle of the ocean, Roberto Ramos received his first right as a free human being; he was welcomed to the land of freedom with the crew reading him the Miranda Rights. “I began to cry with excitement because even though I was going to an immigration prison, for the first time in my life I had rights!”

The Ramos brothers did finally make it to that first gallery in Coral Gables, and sold their first two paintings from their collection, immediately earning them over $35,000.00 and making good on their promise to their mother Rosita; throughout the following year, the Ramos brothers brought their entire family to the United States. With Roberto’s zealous efforts, he earned the position of one of the most respected art curators and appraisers of Cuban Master Art. In 2000, he married his beautiful wife Yeney, and together they run the Cubaocho Art and Research Center that also transforms in the evening into a jazz lounge with some of the best Latin jazz players in the country performing. He continues to live the American dream with the recent graduation of his daughter Rosie Ramos, from the prestigious Boston Conservatory University, and his daughter Lisie Ramos, graduating from Valley Forge Military Academy and College as 2nd Lieutenant and continuing her graduate studies with the military.

Today, Cubaocho houses over 300 original works of art, with Ramos being the largest collector of Cuban paintings from 1800 to 1958. These works of art represent priceless images of Cuban history, with the Ramos Cuban Master Collection traveling in museum shows throughout the United States. Later on, a book that showed his collection was published by the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach, Florida, entitled Great Masters of Cuban Art 1800-1958: Ramos Collection. This volume documents the historical development of Cuban paintings from 1800 until the revolution and documents how the collection came to be.

If one wishes to hear the story for themselves and see some of these historical amazing works of Cuban art with their own eyes, you on. When the Coast Guards found the Ramos brothers, they brought

need to come to Cubaocho in Little Havana, where curator Roberto

the castaways to safety, with Roberto being the last to disembark the

Ramos works and lives there daily, humble and happy to tell his new-

Rosita II. One of the Coast Guard crew extended his arm to bring

found friends the story of the amazing journey of the castaways that

Roberto to safety. As Roberto began to extend his arm to be saved,

became master art collectors! ¨

he overheard another crew member say “Once we get him off the craft, shoot the boat down!” Roberto’s instincts took over immediately,

For more on Cubaocho go to www.cubaocho.com, and for a private

and letting go of the seaman’s arm, he jumped back to his boat and

VIP tour of Little Havana go to www.theartexperiences.com

yelled “No, don’t shoot my boat down. I am an art collector with my country’s most famous treasures of art, here on my boat!”

The Coast Guard was convinced that Roberto was delirious and suffering hallucinations as they felt they had now heard it all: “Cuban castaway who really is a famous art collector!” But Roberto refused to get off his boat, saying “I would rather die with my collection, than to come this far and lose!” The Ramos brothers begged the Coast Guard to listen to their brother, that he was telling the truth. After several attempts, one of the crew members called his captain to explain the circumstances that one castaway would not disembark. He asked him

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

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PULSE:

Film

Photo by Mark Sagliocco

Above: Photographer Harry Benson attends the "Harry Benson: Shoot First" event at the 2016 Greenwich International Film Festival Left: Atmosphere at the Changemaker Honoree Gala

and events which focused mostly on human rights advocacy.

More than fifty films

screened as part of this year’s competition Photo by Noam Galai

Success, Yet Again The Greenwich International Film Festival’s Triumphant Second Year

By Peter J. Fox Photographs Courtesy of Getty Images for GIFF

and the slate provided aspiring filmmakers and cinephiles with a wide array of lectures, workshops and panel discussions that included A-list professionals.

Said GIFF

Chief Operating Officer Ginger Stickel, “We have grown the festival, and we are offering a real variety of films including documentaries, dramas, westerns, and comedies. You name it; we’ve got it in the lineup this year.”

The festival’s second annual Changemaker Gala took place at Greenwich’s

The opulent surroundings of Greenwich serve

prestigious Betteridge Jewelers. The award

as a fitting home for the Greenwich Interna-

honors artists who have used their public

tional Film Festival, which has just completed

platform and the power of films to further

its second annual run with rousing success.

positive social change. Kathie Lee Gifford

The community, with ties to wealth, philan-

served as Master of Ceremonies and enter-

thropy and the arts that run long and deep,

tainment was provided by Blessing Offer,

has once again cemented its place among

a past finalist on The Voice. Last year’s

the top of the list of important film festivals.

Changemaker honorees included Harry Bela-

The mission statement of the Greenwich

fonte and Mia Farrow. This year’s recipients

International Film Festival is “to provide

of the award were Trudy Styler and Abigail

filmmakers with an effective platform to

Breslin. Ms. Styler received the award for her

showcase their work with the goal of finding

work with the Rainforest Fund, a foundation

financing and distribution. Additionally, the

dedicated to the support of indigenous

GIFF harnesses the power of film to serve the

peoples in South America, Africa and Asia,

greater good by highlighting an important

and their efforts to protect their environment

cause each year.” This year’s event did all of

and human rights. Since its inception, Ms.

this and did not disappoint.

Styler and her husband, Sting, who started

Picking up where it left off at last year’s inaugural, this year’s GIFF served up yet another impressive array of films, lectures, 66

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Photo by Mark Sagliocco

Founders Ginger Stickel, Wendy Reyes and Colleen deVeer

the foundation in 1989, have raised over 30 million dollars for the cause. Ms. Breslin, who is an Academy Award nominated actress,

(Little Miss Sunshine, Scream Queens, and

community needs to be aware of. We wanted

ABC’s upcoming Dirty Dancing Musical)

to make it bigger and better.”

received the Rising Changemaker Award for

The timing of this year’s festival coin-

her work with the National Coalition Against

cided with the massacre in Orlando, Florida,

Domestic Violence (NCADV), an organiza-

which made the screening of Kim Snyder’s

tion which advocates the principle of zero

deeply moving and disturbing documen-

tolerance for domestic violence through

tary, Newtown, all the more poignant. The

education, and policy change. A portion of

film’s emphasis on our nation’s inability to enact tougher gun laws hit audiences who

the proceeds from the Gala was donated to both causes. “It is an honor to celebrate both of these women by presenting them with the Changemaker Awards this year,” said Wendy

attended the festival especially hard.

Photo by Mark Sagliocco

Robert Klein, Marshall Fine and John Farr attend “Robert Klein Still Can’t Stop His Leg”

The overall effect of the film’s presence at the festival, given this year’s overall

Stapleton Reyes, Chairman of the Board of

emphasis on human rights films at this year’s

the Greenwich International Film Festival.

festival, created a sense of seriousness and

“They have worked hard to have their

community for moviegoers in attendance.

voices heard in a relentless effort to serve

However, other films like My Blind Brother,

the greater good on a global scale. We are

a film that featured a blind protagonist, and

proud to have them as part of our festival.”

The Fundamentals of Caring, which featured

The opening night festivities at Bow Tie

a protagonist with muscular dystrophy, were

Cinemas featured a screening of “Little

both uplifting and featured moments of

Boxes,” a feature about an interracial family

much-needed laughter and levity. Another

adjusting to life in suburban Washington

documentary, “Harry Benson: Shoot First”,

Stage, while a screening of “The Anthro-

examined the career of the illustrious Life

pologist”, a documentary about a teenager following her anthropologist mother who chronicles the impact of climate change, was

Photo by Noam Galai

Trudie Styler speaks at the Changemaker Honoree Gala

held at the Greenwich Library.

magazine photographer who skyrocketed to fame through his photography of The Beatles during the band’s 1964 American tour.

Some of Benson’s other subjects include Clint Eastwood, Richard Nixon, Martin Luther

With its quality films, lectures, and work-

King and Elizabeth Taylor.

shops, The Greenwich International Film Festival continues to separate itself from

But the festival’s core strength is what will

other festivals in the region. Star power was

certainly guarantee its continued growth; the

even more evident at this year’s festival.

opportunity for filmmakers to connect with

Actors Chazz Palminteri, David Duchovny

studio executives, distributors, and film finan-

and Michael Imperioli have been added to

ciers in a meaningful way. Said Colleen deVeer, (who co-founded the festival Wendy Stapelton

the festival’s Executive Board. Corporate sponsorship has also expanded, with Samsung, Pepsi, JP Morgan, Getty, and UBER joining the festival’s already impressive slate

Photo by Mark Sagliocco

Moderator David Negrin (L) and Actor John Turturro attend "Spotlight On: John Turturro"

and Carina Crain and Ginger Stickel), “We will continue to show films with a strong focus on social impact and hope to continue to con-

of sponsors. While the festival culminates

nect investors with talented filmmakers who

each year in early June, the organization

create powerful films from projects they are

sponsors events throughout Connecticut

of the Greenwich International Film Festival

passionate about. These films inspire millions

during the entire year.

continues to soar, and now certainly ranks

of people who have the opportunity to watch

The quality of each screening, workshop

among the top festivals in North America

them and take action in whatever way they can.

and gala continue to impress. As noted after

along with the Tribeca, Sundance and

Films have the ability to start movements, and

last year’s inaugural event, film festivals are

Toronto International film festivals. “We

movements can effect tremendous change in

ranked by their level of importance; mean-

have such a great program this year,” said

our country and our world to make it a better,

ing, by how many distributors, investors and

co-founder Wendy Stapelton Reyes. “We

safer place for all. If we (at the GIFF) can act as

industry officials attend for the purpose of

have incredibly high-quality films that are

a catalyst in that process, then we have done

buying or investing in films. The trajectory

really moving and powerful that I think this

our jobs well.“ ¨ CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

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PULSE:

Stage

Showtunes! Ssssssssh!

Discovering the Confidential Musical Theatre Project Written by William Squier Photo by Ashly Covington

Above: Eliana Chasen and Alex Wyse in The Secret Garden Left: Charlotte Moore as Mayor Cora in Anyone Can Whistle.

Marion Abbott Photo Contributed

After owning and operating an arts academy for young performers for

very affordable price of two dollars. This led to a part-time position

eight years, Marion Abbott, Creator and Executive Director of the

on Sheridan’s vocal faculty and the eventual opening of the Marion

Confidential Musical Theatre Project, was eager to make a change.

Abbott Performing Arts Studio.

“I wasn’t tired of the kids,” Abbott insists. “But, I craved doing the

Abbott says that it was an incident at Sheridan College that sparked

kinds of artistic stuff that they couldn’t do: a show like Follies. That

the idea for The Confidential Musical Theatre Project. “I’ve always

doesn’t work too well with younger actors!”

been inspired by people who show up at the first day of rehearsal

Then, a downturn in the economy convinced Abbott that the time

with their material learned,” she explains. “When I was at school as

was right to make a move. So, she closed her studio and began to

a lowly second year, we had a read-thru of the musical Bye, Bye,

cast about for a new opportunity. The only thing that she knew for

Birdie and the girl playing Rosie was off-book! I never forgot that.”

certain was that it was going to have to be done on a shoestring. But,

That experience came back to Abbott when she was mulling over her

that didn’t concern Abbott in the least. In fact, it served as inspiration.

prospects for the future.

“Who ever has any money in the arts?” Abbot asks, with a laugh.

“I was standing in my bathroom and thought ‘What if I sent out

“But, I’d learned so much during that period. How to do theater

scripts and scores for a musical and said to people, ‘Show up ready

with nothing! That you could tell a great story with no budget.” And,

to go?” she remembers. “What if we had no rehearsal and I only ask

fortunately, she had also amassed a wealth theatrical experience as an

them for one day?” Abbott was certain that her professional actor

actor, writer, producer and teacher. All she needed was the right idea.

friends would respond well to that particular notion and that even

Marion Abbott grew up in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada -- the

the amateurs she knew would be able to schedule a production like

daughter of a professional pianist. She began studying piano as a

that into their busy lives.

child and worked in schools and churches as a teenager teaching

“My next thought was about how I hate when cast lists get

musical theater classes. Abbot eventually followed her interests to

announced and the gossip starts,” Abbott continues. “I can’t stand

Ontario’s Sheridan College, from which she graduated in 1999 with a

it! But, what if nobody knew who was also in the show? Then, I went

Bachelor’s degree in Music Theatre Performance.

one step further: what if the audience didn’t know what the show

While at school, Abbot gained a bit of a reputation as a the “go-to” accompanist for her fellow students’ auditions and recitals – even hiring out for ten minutes of private accompaniment time for the 68

Photo Contributed

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

was?” She tossed in no set, minimal props and costumes and the Confidential Musicals concept was born!

Abbott was so excited about her brainstorm that she says

learning. That’s the nature of creativity: forever exploring, expanding and learning. It’s also like skydiving. Once people do it, they want to do it again. Where you usually have an adrenaline rush on opening night, this is ten times that!”

Abbott emphasizes that there are no auditions. Actors that are interested in participating submit a photo, resume and a video clip online. Next, the company’s casting director creates a breakdown of the characters that are needed, matches them with the potential performers and then reaches out to check their availability for a given Photo by Ashly Covington Frances Fisher and French Stewart in Urinetown

date. If they’re free, the actors are offered roles and the rest of the creative staff follows up with materials and specific instructions about how to prepare. Then, everyone arrives at the theater an hour before

immediately texted her initial partner in the project, Rob Corbett. “It

the performance, where they gather in a circle to meet the rest of the

just said, ‘Amazing idea! Insist you do it with me,” she reports. “He

cast and discuss a few logistics. The doors open and the audience

loved it!” And then, she left her bathroom.

pours in!

The Confidential Musical Theatre Project’s first performance fell

Abbott adds that the regular audience members for The Confiden-

together quickly. “Our mandate was and is to do shows that don’t get

tial Musical Theatre Project’s one-night-only events are just as hooked

done very often, but should,” Abbott explains. “We’ll never do The

as the actors who appear in them. “We have what we affectionately

Sound of Music and Annie doesn’t need any more exposure! And, if we

call The Zealots in Toronto,” Abbot says. “They buy their tickets way

did a musical that was simple, the naysayers would say, ‘That was easy.’

in advance. They line up first and literally run down the aisles to get

So, we chose to do Sunday in the Park with George because we wanted

front row seats. Run! I’ve had to say to the cast, ‘Here they come!

to show that we were serious.” Their one concession to expedience was

Get out of the way!”

to tap an actor friend, James Woods, that they knew had been waiting for an opportunity to play the demanding role of Georges Seurat.

The concept has also begun to spread, with franchise productions taking place in the Canadian cities of Cape Breton, Halifax, Hamilton,

The Confidential Musical Theatre Project’s production of Sunday

Ottowa, Port Perry and Vancouver, as well as Chicago, Los Angeles

in the Park with George opened (and closed!) on July 22, 2014, in

and New York City. “Every city has its own flavor,” Abbott feels. “With

Toronto’s Berkley Street Theatre Upstairs – 167-seat space in an old

New York there was this intensity! Every actor delivered everything

Victorian gasworks located in the city’s St. Lawrence Market and Old

in Passion like it was opening night, closing night and Tony Award

Town area. When the audience assembled, the only information they

consideration night!”

had was that they’d be seeing a musical and that this would be the first

Given the circumstances, it’s hardly surprising that emotions

and only time the cast would perform it as a group. There were a few

run high. “In every single city, the first five minutes of the show are

clues as to what the show might be – one sharp-eyed blogger noticed

bumpy,” Abbott admits. “It’s total fear. There have been no auditions,

parasols that looked suspiciously like the ones in Seurat’s painting Un

no group rehearsals and the cast is usually pale! But, then it drops in

dimanche après-midi à l’ Ile de la Grande Jatte – but, the title wasn’t

and goes and it’s great! We haven’t had one failure.”

announced and programs were held back until the intermission.

There have also been remarkably few accidents. Abbott explains

The show was a hit. But, more important to the Confidential Musi-

that, when the situation warrants it, steps are taken to insure every-

cals team than the success of that initial presentation was confirmation

one’s safety. “We just did The Scarlet Pimpernel and one of our actor

that their concept was viable. And since that summer night they’ve

built a guillotine in his spare time!” she says. “So, we did a little

mounted similarly well received pop-up productions in Toronto of

run-through for the girl who gets her head chopped off.”

Zombie Prom, Jekyll and Hyde, City of Angels, Nine and The Good-

Excitement about The Confidential Musical Theatre Project

bye Girl, among other lesser-performed musicals. “It makes me happy

continues build in the North American theatrical community. And it

to hear that shows are getting a little more love as a result of what we

has inspired several offshoot programs, including Confidential Shake-

do,” Abbott says. “I love that people now know Comden and Green’s

speare, Confidential Opera and a series that has allowed Abbott

Bells are Ringing a little better. And when we did Anyone Can Whistle

return to working with kids, Confidential Junior.

there was a mini-explosion on social media!”

“It all boils down to providing opportunities for more artists,”

Abbott reports that the company has also built a roster of more

Abbott feels. “If the answer is, “Yes,” then we do it! It takes so much

than 400 actors from the immediate area that are eager to be involved.

to be an artist. To get to validate all of that hard work is the best job

“One of my director friends said this and I quote it all the time, ‘Actors

ever! It really is an industry that says, “No” most of the time. We are

just want to play,” she notes. “Part of it is that they like to keep

the theater company that gets to say, “Yes!” ¨ CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

69

FILM + ENTERTAINMENT

Fox on Film

by PETER FOX: about.me/foxonfilm

Robert Klein Still Can’t Stop His Leg Starring Robert Klein, featuring Mike Binder, Richard Lewis, Jerry Seinfeld, David Steinberg and Jon Stewart.

Produced by the Weinstein Company.

94 minutes. (This film has not yet been rated), Directed by Marshall Fine

Robert Klein and Fred Willard, Beverly Hills, 2013

R

obert Klein’s signature comedy routine, I Can’t Stop My Leg, during which he expertly plays the blues harmonica while singing the lyric, provides the title of what very well might be this year’s funniest feature film. Director Marshall Fine (whose previous credits include 2007’s Do You Sleep in the Nude) who is also a well-respected film critic, expertly guides

us through the trajectory of the iconic career of the great Robert Klein.

The film features a who’s who list of comedic heavyweights such as Jerry Seinfeld, Richard Lewis, David Steinberg and Fred Willard, all of whom provide insights into their past experiences with Klein during his early years, his subsequent rise to stardom, and his importance to the

world of stand-up comedy.

Mr. Klein and Company enthusiastically deliver the goods in a series of artfully produced interviews which feature hysterically funny anecdotes by his colleagues.

While the film’s primary focus is on Mr. Klein’s career, it also explores his personal life and does so in an unflinching, yet respectful manner.

Prior to the screening, I had the opportunity to meet

with Mr. Klein to discuss his career, the state of present day stand-up comedy, and the film. I caught sight of him as I approached the entrance where he gently stood, tall with long silver windblown hair, looking fit and trim, elegantly dressed in a bespoke blue blazer, gray silk shirt, and blue tie.

His warm greeting set the stage for our discussion.

PF: Several years ago, I watched a television interview where you said that when you work, you always try to follow two simple rules. They are to work “always clean and never mean”. I’ve admired this aspect of your career.

(Mr. Klein gave a humble nod of approval when I mentioned this, and seemed happy that I remembered him making this statement).

Today, there is a shortage of comics who can perform that way. Do you think that this is because of the times in which we live? Or, have comics become lazy? How has this condition evolved?

RK: Lenny Bruce, who opened so many avenues, was almost like a Jesus Christ in his sacrifice. He couldn’t get work and all that. If you listen to his work now, even with the profanity, it’s so innocent and so intelligent. I think it has gone too far the other way.

I’m not for any form of legal censorship. But, I think that

Photography courtesy of Getty Images 70

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

there’s too much profanity in stand-up comedy as a substitute for wit. You know, profanity is an important part of the language when used aptly (emphasis his), at the right moment, just as a great novelist would.

But, there are funny people around, and stand-up comedy is now a profession.

There’s a way of getting there; there are hundreds of comedy clubs. There was no such thing when I started. I always thought it was a very high calling, making people laugh. And if people do it and succeed, then it’s all the better.

PF: You’ve just mentioned that today, comedy is a profession. What was the difference back then? Why did people get into comedy back then, as opposed to now?

RK: That’s an interesting question because first of all, you give your parents a heart attack when you say that you’re going into show business! Back then, I was educated and all that. But now, there’s more of a way of doing it. Back then, it was more difficult. I guess I knew in graduate school (Mr. Klein attended the Yale School of Drama) when Constance Welch, (the drama coach at Yale) said to me: “You should do a one-man show.”

I mean...you know. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be an actor. I’ve been in over forty films and six or seven Broadway shows. But, she was right, you know? And then, I went to Second City in Chicago, which was an unbelievable experience and excellent training. And then it became real to me to

me that I could do this. And I was inspired by Jonathan Winters and Lenny Bruce, their work. Jonathan was not political, but he was a one-man show; he was noises and faces when he took the stage. And (Lenny) Bruce pushed envelopes, but, in a way that would appear now, gently. So, I thought it could be higher, better, than just some guy with cufflinks telling jokes.

Post-war comedians, though, with tuxedos. (Here, Mr. Klein delivers up his standard Catskills delivery) “I tell ya, My girlfriend’s a kvetch, when she hangs around the house, she really hangs around the house”. You know what I mean? Not that that wasn’t funny-I saw those comics in the Borscht Belt, the Catskill Mountains when I was a kid, but it wasn’t what I thought it could be.

PF: Are there any contemporary comics whose work you admire? Do you watch a lot of stand-up comedy?

RK: Nah. PF: Really?

RK: No. We shared a laugh on this one.

RK: My son (Alexander Klein), has started to do it in the last year or so at 32. He was 31 when he began. We call him Allie. He’s terrific now. He’s still in the early stage. But, I mean, I respect Louis CK I guess, and Lewis Black and all that, but there is too much nihilism and profanity and dating stuff and all that. I’m just not interested generationally anymore. I’m just comfortable with comedy that’s in good hands. There are always funny people. But

Peter J. Fox with Robert Klein, courtesy Greenwich International Film Festival

I don’t think that anyone’s challenging anybody, you know what I mean? I think Jon Stewart-which is a different context, it wasn’t stand-up comedy-Stewart, and Colbert and this guy that’s currently on HBO (Bill Maher), I mean they’re pushing political satire in a very, very meaningful way.

But most comedians get up; they talk about “My kid.

My this. My that.” I don’t see anything outstanding.

I’ve gone to see my son, and I see some young ones coming up, and I’m not impressed. I know that it’ll go on, and it’ll be okay. You know what? Show business has been great to me. It was the greatest profession I could have chosen. But when the meter is off, so to speak, my interest is elsewhere. I’m just not involved too much. I get a job to do a movie; I go and do it. I go to the movies sometimes. Mostly, I have a big 70-inch television I watch at home. But, from what I’ve seen, there’s plenty of talent out there, so I’m not worried (about the future of comedy).

PF: Can you tell us how Robert Klein Still Can’t Stop His Leg came into being?

RK: Marshall Fine, who is a long-time and respected critic and who is a friend of mine, wanted to do this.

I said, “ Okay, why not?”

Whose ego wouldn’t? And then we made what’s called a sizzle reel, six minutes, five minutes, hilarious. And he (Fine) was at the Dubai film festival, and Harvey Weinstein was there with some of his staff. Marshall showed them the sizzle reel, and they loved it. So, they financed it. It’s not a significant financial investment like feature films are. But they’re (The Weinstein Company) the best at documentaries. I hope it has a theatrical run in the fall. I live in Westchester, but I have an apartment in the city. In my building, there is the best art theater that there is. I would love it to play in my building!

Notwithstanding, it’ll wind up on HBO or Netflix or something like that. And, it’s well done. They did a great job on it. ¨

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DECORATIVE ARTS

Summer Auction Highlights

By Matthew Sturtevant “Lot and his Daughters”, which realized $58,167,720 in a spirited 14-minute bidding war. Henry Pettifer, International Director, Head of Old Master & British Paintings Christie’s London: “Following the curated 250th anniversary Defining British Art sale we are delighted with the results of this Old Masters evening’s auction totaling $85,636,183 which gives us a combined running total of $137,999,657, the result of strong bidding from not only our traditional collectors for the category but also new clients from Asia and collectors of 20th Century art. We are especially pleased with the sale of Rubens’s “Lot and his Daughters”,the most expensive Old Master

Astronomical Prices The Space History Sale at Bonhams New York, 20 July 2016, opened with a full-scale lab model of the Sputnik 1 satellite, which achieved more than ten times its estimate of $10,000-15,000. After a dramatic spate of bidding, it eventually sold for $269,000 to a buyer on the telephone. The Soviet-built Sputnik 1 marked the dawn of the Space Race between Russia and the United States, and this life-size model was one of only four ever made. An incredibly rare artifact from the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, signed by all three astronauts on board – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins – made double its estimate. Just 3.5 inches in diameter, the Apollo 11 Beta cloth crew emblem sold for $110,000, (estimated $50,000-70,000). It came from the original collection of the Apollo 11 command module pilot, Michael Collins.

An original space suit achieved $62,500 – double its estimate of $25,000-35,000. It was made in 1973-79 and worn by Don Pettit, a veteran of three spaceflights, in February 2003 during his dramatic return to earth aboard the Soyuz TMA-1 following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.

Time Will Tell At Sotheby’s London, auction records for watches made by two of England’s most famous and important watchmakers were set when a silver pocket chronometer

by John Arnold sold for $722,318 and a gold pocket chronometer

by Thomas Earnshow fetched $395,524. Made in 1781 and estimated at $170,000-200,000, the large silver consular cased pocket chronometer by John Arnold is remarkable in that it 72

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has survived in its completely original state. Arnold introduced the ‘double S’ balance in 1780.

The ‘S’ sections of the balance were shaped bi-metallic bars that were designed to overcome the changing elasticity of the balance spring and expansion of the balance’s rim. The watch is the only example of a watch by Arnold which survives without restoration and with its original case, dial, pivoted detent and ‘double S’ balance. Thomas Earnshaw invented the spring detent escapement and Thomas Wright, watchmaker to King George III, agreed to pay for the patent in his name. Dating from 1784, the gold pair cased pocket chronometer in the sale was the only surviving example of a watch made strictly to Wright’s patent details estimate $325,000-390,000.

Rubens At Christie’s King Street London the Old Master and Bristish Paintings evening sale totaled $84,745,570 with the highest price for an Old Master Painting sold at was achieved with the sale of Peter Paul Rubens’s

Painting ever sold by Christie’s.

The atmosphere in the saleroom was energetic as one of the most important paintings by Rubens to have remained in private hands sold after 14 minutes of bidding.

The sale of this work follows the

record sale by Christie’s of two Rembrandt Portraits sold by private treaty to the French and Dutch states earlier this year, demonstrating the continued demand of collectors for the very best Old Master works.

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FASHION FURNITURE LIGHTING TEXTILES JEWELRY ART ANTIQUES ACCESSORIES •

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Nancy McTague-Stock: The Prisengracht Portfolios

‟Prisengracht V”, Archival Pigment Print, 2015, Ed. of 5

‟Prisengracht II”, Archival Pigment Print, 2015, Ed. of 5

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Wilson Avenue Loft Studios, 225 Wilson Avenue, S.Norwalk, Ct. 06854

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GALLERY + MUSEUM GUIDE

CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT City Lights Gallery 37 Markle Court 203.334.7748 citylightsgallery.org HOURS Wed-Fri 11:30am-5pm, Sat 12pm- 4pm, or by appointment Housatonic Museum of Art 900 Lafayette Boulevard 203.332.5052 hctc.commnet.edu/artmuseum HOURS Sept-May; Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm, Thurs until 7pm, Sat 9pm Schelfhaudt Gallery University of Bridgeport 84 Iranistan Avenue, Bridgeport 203.576.4034 www.schelfhaudtgallery.com HOURS Tues to Sat 12pm to 4pm

ESSEX Cooper & Smith Gallery 10 Main Street 860.561.8526 coopersmithgallery.com HOURS Wed-Sat 12-6pm, Sun 12pm-5pm The gallery joins with Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., NY, to present a Stephen Westfall retrospective, September through mid-January. Cooper & Smith is between Boston and NYC and bisects the main artery between Greenwich and Newport.

FAIRFIELD Art/Place Gallery 70 Sanford Street 646.258.6912 or 203.374.9720 artplacegallery.com HOURS Thur-Sat 12-4pm, Sun 2pm-5pm The Fairfield Museum + History Center 370 Beach Road 203.259.1598 fairfieldhistory.org HOURS Open daily 10am-4pm Fairfield University Art Museum Fairfield University 1073 N. Benson Road 203.254.4046 fairfield.edu/museum Bellarmine Hall Galleries Crafting the Elements: Ceramic Art of Modern Japan from the Collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz (September 29-December 16, 2016) Hours: Tues-Fri 11am-4pm and select Saturdays •

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Walsh Art Gallery (Quick Center) Rick Shaefer: The Refugee Trilogy (September 8-October 22, 2016) Hours: Wed-Sat 12pm-4pm •

GREENWICH C. Parker Gallery 17 E Putnam Ave 203.253.0934 cparkergallery.com HOURS Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm; Sun 11am-5pm Flinn Gallery Greenwich Library 101 W Putnam Avenue 203.622.7947 flinngallery.com HOURS Mon-Wed & Fri 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am8pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm

IVORYTON Six Summit Gallery 6 Summit Street 860.581.8332 or 917.573.0029, NYC sixsummitgallery.com HOURS Wed 11am-5pm, Thu 11am-6:30pm, Fri 10am-6:30pm, Sat 12pm-4pm

NEW CANAAN Handwright Gallery & Framing 93 Main Street 203.966.7660 handwrightgallery.com HOURS Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm Handwright Gallery & Framing provides a full range of framing and installation services for the Fairfield County area. The gallery also offers an expansive collection of original fine art by emerging and award-winning regional, national and international artists in both traditional and contemporary styles.

September 8 - October 1: Between Representation and Abstraction

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November 7-December 31: • Small Works Show Silvermine Arts Center 1037 Silvermine Road 203.966.9700 silvermineart.org HOURS Wed-Sat 12pm-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm

NORWALK LoveArt Gallery & Studio 132C Washington Street 203.957.3124 loveartgalleryandstudio.com HOURS Tues-Wed 11am-6pm, Thur-Sat 11am2pm & 5pm-9pm, Sun 11am-2pm

OLD LYME Chauncey Stillman Gallery Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts 84 Lyme Street 860.434.5232 lymeacademy.edu HOURS Mon-Sat 10am-4pm The Cooley Gallery 25 Lyme Street 860.434.8807 cooleygallery.com HOURS Tues-Sat 10am-5pm Florence Griswold Museum 96 Lyme Street 860.434.5542 florencegriswoldmuseum.org HOURS Mon-Sat 10am-5pm Florence Griswold Museum, “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 203.438.4519 aldrichart.org HOURS Tues-Sun 12pm-5pm Ridgefield Guild of Artists 93 Halpin Lane, Ridgefield 203.438.8863 rgoa.com HOURS Wed-Sun 12pm-4pm

STAMFORD Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery 96 Bedford Street 888.861.6791 flalvarezgallery.com HOURS Mon by appointment, Tues-Sat 10am-6pm

WESTPORT Picture This Custom Framing & Fine Art and Nylen Gallery 772 Post Road East 203.227.6861 picturethisofwestport.com HOURS Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm, Sat 10am-5pm Westport Art Center 51 Riverside Avenue 203.222.7070 westportartscenter.org HOURS Mon-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-4pm

GALLERY + MUSEUM GUIDE

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 R V I C E S

CRAFTING THE ELEMENTS Ceramic Art of Modern Japan from the Collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz September 29 - December 16, 2016

Fairfield University

Museum fairfield.edu/museum

Suzuki GorĹ? (b. 1941) Box #3, Yachishida, 2009. Oribe ware. Photography by Ben Bocko.

Bellarmine Hall Galleries

RICKSHAEFER The Refugee Trilogy September 8 - October 22, 2016

Rick Shaefer, Water Crossing, 2016. Charcoal on vellum.

Walsh Art Gallery

To be included in the Gallery + Museum Guide email us at advertising@venumagazine.com

GALLERY + MUSEUM GUIDE

ASPEN

Waltman Ortega Fine Art 2233 NW 2nd Avenue 305.576.5335 waltmanortega.com HOURS Tues-Sat 11am-5pm, Mon by appointment

Casterline/Goodman Gallery 611 E Cooper Avenue 970.925.1339 casterlinegoodman.com HOURS Mon-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 12pm-5pm

Sponder Gallery 1657 N Miami Avenue Suite 716 561.350.0004 spondergallery.com HOURS Call for hours

Habatat Galleries 4400 Fernlee Avenue 248.554.0590 habatat.com HOURS Tues-Sat 11am-5pm

Christopher Martin Gallery 525 E Cooper Avenue 970.925.7649 christopherhmartin.com HOURS Wed-Sun 11am-6pm

Galleria Ca’d’Oro 4141 NE 2nd Avenue Suite 105 F 305.924.8247 ca-doro.com HOURS Mon-Sat 11am-6pm

NEW JERSEY

DENVER

GEORGIA

Opera Gallery 501 E Dean Street Residences at the Little Nell 970.710.7289 operagallery.com HOURS Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 11am-7pm

Jackson Fine Art 3115 East Shadowlawn Avenue 404.233.3739 jacksonfineart.com HOURS Tues-Sat 10am-5pm

MIAMI Art Bastion 2085 NW 2nd Avenue #104 305.509.8338 artbastion.com HOURS Tues-Sat 11am-6pm

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ATLANTA

Westside Cultural Art Center 760 10th Street, NW 678.218.3740 westsideartscenter.com HOURS Mon-Sat 10am-4pm Spalding Nix Fine Art 425 Peachtree Hills Avenue NE, Suite 30-A 404.841.7777 spaldingnixfineart.com HOURS Mon-Fri 10am-5pm

Opera Gallery District Design, 140 NE 39th St. # 239 305.868.3337 operagallery.com HOURS Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 12pm-6pm

MASSACHUSETTS

Fredric Snitzer Gallery 1540 NE Miami Ct 305.448.8976 snitzer.com HOURS Tues-Sat 11am-5pm

Adelson Galleries 520 Harrison Avenue 617.832.0633 adelsongalleriesboston.com HOURS Wed-Sun 12pm-6pm

Dean Project 1627 Jefferson Avenue 800.791.0830 deanproject.com HOURS Call for hours

M Fine Arts Galerie 61 Thayer Street 617.450.0700 mfinearts.com HOURS Tues-Sun 10:30am-5:30pm

Now Contemporary Art 337 NW 25th Street 305.571.8181 nowcontemporaryart.com HOURS Tues-Sat 10am-6pm, Mon by appointment

Robert Klien Gallery 38 Newbury Street 617.267.7997 robertkliengallery.com HOURS Tues-Fri 10am-5:30pm, Sat 11am-5pm

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ROYAL OAK

MORRIS

Galerie Maximillian 602 E Cooper Avenue 970.925.6100 galeriemax.com HOURS Mon-Sat 10am-8 pm, Sun 11am-7pm or by appointment

FLORIDA

MICHIGAN

BOSTON

Morris Museum 6 Normandy Heights Road 973.971.3700 morrismuseum.org HOURS Tues-Sat 11am-5pm, Sat 12pm-5pm

NEW YORK BRIDGEHAMPTON Chase Edwards Gallery 2462 Montauk Highway 631.604.2204 chaceedwardsgallery.com HOURS Mon-Sun 10am-6pm (seasonal)

BROOKLYN A.I.R. Gallery 111 Front Street, #228 212.255.6651 airgallery.org HOURS Wed-Sun 11am-6pm Art Mix Gallery 160 Union Street 917.603.2154 artmixgallery.com HOURS Mon-Fri 10am-6pm Space 776 229 Central Avenue 718. 578.1195 Space776.com HOURS Thurs-Sun 12pm-6pm

EAST HAMPTON Castline/Goodman Gallery 46 Newtown Lane 631.527.5525 casterlinegoodman.com HOURS Mon-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 12pm-5pm

GALLERY + MUSEUM GUIDE

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 R V I C E S

IN PLACE october

1 through january 29

FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org

Alida Fish, Metcalf Collection #1, 2016. Pigment print transfer on oxidized aluminum.

contemporary photographers envision a museum

To be included in the Gallery + Museum Guide email us at advertising@venumagazine.com

GALLERY + MUSEUM GUIDE

MANHATTAN 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel 532 W 25th Street 917.701.3338 532gallery.com HOURS Tues-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 12pm-6pm Adelson Galleries 730 5th Avenue 212.439.6800 adelsongalleries.com HOURS Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm Agora Gallery 530 West 25th Street 212.226.4151 agora-gallery.com HOURS Mon-Sun 12pm-7pm Berry Campbell Gallery 530 West 24th Street 212.924.2178 berrycampbell.com HOURS Tues-Sat 10am-6pm Blank Space 30 Gansevoort Street 212.924.2025 blankspaceart.com HOURS Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 12pm-6pm C24 560 West 24th Street 646.416.6300 c24gallery.com HOURS Mon-Fri 10am-6pm Denise Bibro Fine Art 529 West 20th street 4W 212.647.7030 denisebibrofineart.com HOURS Tues-Sat 11am-6pm Ethan Cohen 251 West 19th Street 212.625.1250 Ecfa.com HOURS Tues-Sat 11am-6pm Galeria Ca’d’Oro 529 W 20th Street 212.620.0549 ca-doro.com HOURS Tues-Sat 11am-6pm Gallery Henoch 555 West 25th Street 917.305.0003 galleryhenoch.com HOURS Tues-Sat 10:30am-6pm HG Contemporary 527 W 23rd Street 212-366-4490 hgcontemporary.com HOURS Tues-Sat 11am-6pm 82

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Heller Gallery 303 10th Avenue 212.414.4014 hellergallery.com HOURS Tues-Sat 11am-6pm Lik SoHo 419 West Broadway 212.941.6391 lik.com HOURS Sun-Thurs 10am-8pm; Thurs-Sat 10-9 Lumas 362 West Broadway 212.219.9497 lumas.com HOURS Sun-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-7pm Opera Gallery 791 Madison Avenue 646.707.3299 operagallery.com HOURS Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 11am-6:30pm Rotella Gallery 468 West Broadway 212.260.1140 otellagallery.com HOURS Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 11am-6pm UNIX Gallery New York 532 W 24th Street 212.209.1572 unixgallery.com HOURS Tues-Sat 10am-6pm

Elves are Words B, Acrylic, work on paper David Hutchinson​- The Lionheart Gallery

PURCHASE Neuberger Museum of Art 735 Anderson Hill Road 914.251.6100 neuberger.org HOURS Tue-Sun 12-5pm

RYE HUDSON Carrie Haddad Gallery 622 Hudson Street 518.828.1915 carriehaddadgallery.com HOURS Mon-Sun 11am-5pm

The Rye Arts Center 51 Milton Road 914.967.0700 ryeartscenter.org HOURS Mon-Fri 9:30am-7pm; Sat 9:30am-1pm

POUND RIDGE

Gallery52 81 Purchase Street 914.921.1585 gallery52rye.com HOURS Tues-Sat 10am-5pm

The Lionheart Gallery 27 Westchester Avenue 914.764.8689 thelionheartgallery.com HOURS Wed-Sat 11am-5pm; Sun 12-5pm and by appointment

TEXAS

September 9 - November 1, 2016

HOUSTON

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avid Hutchinson - WORDS ARE ELVES D paintings, drawings and sculpture

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mma Powell and Kristin Hoving - SVALA’S E SAGA Platinum palladium photography

November 5th- 2016 - January 2017 •

eoffrey Stein - “KING and QUEENS of LATE G NIGHT” Collage and Mixed media works

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LEPHANT/roxyshow - Mixed media works on E paper, soft sculptures

Laura Rathe Fine Art 2707 Colquitt Street 713.527.7700 laurarathe.com HOURS Tues-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 11am-6pm UNIX Gallery Houston 4411 Montrose Boulevard, Suite C 713.874.1770 unixgallery.com HOURS Tues-Sat 10:30am-5:30pm

GALLERY + MUSEUM GUIDE

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 R V I C E S

HANDWRIGHT GALLERY & FRAMING

Natasha Karpinskaia

Sally Frank

93 Main Street, New Canaan CT • 203-966-7660 • handwrightgallery.com

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miami society. the powerful, the chic, the unique

AMERICAN RED CROSS BALL CELEBRATES ITS 34TH YEAR

Photo By Zoltan Prepszent

Antonio Banderas Hosts the New Miami Fashion Week

Above: Rene Ruiz and his models after closing Miami Fashion Week

It’s known as one of the most prestigious events of the Miami society season and over $250,000 were raised at this year’s ball, which was chaired by Linda Levy Goldberg and Sid Goldberg at the Ritz Carlton on Key Biscayne. Over 325 guests attended in support of the fundraising event focused on building awareness and raising funds to help South Florida prevent and prepare for disaster. What added to the glam factor is that most ladies dress in red. It’s a tradition, not a requirement and it looks fabulous, especially with so many galas awash in a sea of black gowns. A highlight of the silent auction was a painting valued at $16,000, donated by Argentine artist Alejandro Vigilante, who flew back from Venice, Italy to attend the ball.

Left: Nicole Kimpel and MFW host Antonio Banderas

The reborn Miami Fashion Week (MIAFW), now with Barcelona-based owners, debuted a week of world class runway shows featuring ten top designers’ luxury resort collections at the Ice Palace Film Studios in the Miami Arts District. MIAFW was hosted by honorary president Antonio Banderas, who will be launching his first collection of menswear later this fall. He also hosted a VIP bash at Vizcaya where we got a peek at some pieces and they were beautifully done. Cuban-American designer, Rene Ruiz, was the only Miami designer asked to participate and his runway show closed the week’s festivities. Quite a coup! Among the VIPs were MIAFW’s new CEO Julio Iranzo; Barbara Hulanicki; designers Photo By Olgmiljko.com

Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and Alvarno.

Red Cross Ball chairs, Sid and Linda Goldberg.

Arsht Center 10th Anniversary Gala Raises $2.5 million, Honors Adrienne Arsht

Photo By Olgmiljko.com Michael Feinstein, Adrienne Arsht and Jon Secada.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts celebrated a decade of excellence at its sold out 10th Anniversary Season Gala and paid tribute to its name benefactor, Adrienne Arsht, with a star-studded concert and lavish black tie dinner attended by 500 of Miami’s social elite. The funds raised support the center’s arts education programs. Bravo TV’s charming Andy Cohen emceed the concert which featured world-class artists including Michael Feinstein, Jon Secada, Estelle and performances by the Florida Grand Opera Young Artists, American Ballet Theater, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and jazz great, Arturo Sandoval. The Lynn Wolfson Stage of the Ziff Ballet Opera House, was transformed by acclaimed New York City event design company Cait & Jules into an enchanted springtime garden for the gala dinner. Honorary chairs were Sue Miller and Judy Weiser; gala chairs were Swanee and Paul DiMare.

Among the VIPs who attended were Deborah Rutter, Kennedy Center president; Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Carolina Garcia Jayaram, the new president and CEO of the National YoungArts Foundation.

Follow Daisy on Twitter and Instagram @DaisySociety. For more on Miami, go to TheDaisyColumn.com

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S E T Y O U R S TA G E Alexander McQueen • Couture Salon

THE WESTCHESTER AT WHITE PLAINS 914.428.2000

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