VENU #21 Nov/Dec 2013 by VENÜ MAGAZINE

Contemporary Culture

November/December_2013

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Contemporary Culture

November/December_2013

Spotlight 16 Villas By The Sea: Waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edge Resort and Spa

Events + Gatherings 20 Parties, Art Exhibitions & Activities

Travel + Leisure 30 Norway: Home of The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Greatest Explorers

Style 36 Architecture: The Art of Classic Details: The New Georgian

Wine + Spirits 39 Tanduay Asian Rum: 160 Years of Intrigue - Revealed in a single sip

Appetite 40 Putting Indian Cuisine on the Map: Three Talented Restaurateurs Develop the Connecticut Spice Route

Features 42 Our Endangered Species: A Wild Embrace 46 Observations of a Childfree Woman A Tale of Suburban Living Sans Children 49 COVER STORY: No Risk. No Reward.

COVER: He is a risk taker. Which for a lawyer turned contemporary artist is probably somewhat of an understatement. A South African by birth, a Kiwi by assimilation, a Californian by choice and a Native American in spirit, David Foox has been turning the art world upside down. 4

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Contemporary Culture

November/December_2013

Indulge 54 Motoring: The New Porsche Cayman S 58 Yachting: Trimaran 210 - Sunreef Yachts Introduces Its Very First Concept Luxury Trimaran 61 Decorative Arts: Modern Invades Chicago. Take A Seat. In the Bag. Can’t Stop Art.

Art + Objects 63 Venü Magazine’s marketplace for fine furniture, textiles, jewelry, art, antiques and accessories

Gallery + Museum Guide 68 Gallery and Museum listings in Connecticut and New York

Pulse 74 Music: Taj Mahal Focuses on The Blues with an International Lens 76 ART: Weather Beaten - Winslow Homer’s Studio Restored 80 THEATER: Artistry Island - Vineyard Arts Project

Film + Entertainment: 82 Fox on Film - Peter Fox reviews “The Canyons”

Society 84 The Daisy Column: Miami society, The powerful, The chic, The unique

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Showcasing Contemporary Culture without any contrived formality. VENÜ is as a fresh yet discerning guide to contemporary culture. Not too artsy or too fussy, we’re thoughtfully written for the curious, the acquisitive, and those devoted to the one-of-a-kind and hard-to-find.

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Artists, designers, photographers, writers, illustrators, etc., if you’ve got it, flaunt it! We’re interested in hearing from all of you that have some great things to share...

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November/December_2013

President, Creative Director: J. Michael Woodside Vice President, Executive Director: Tracey Thomas Copy Editors: Cindy Clarke, Brian Solomon Senior Arts Editor: Philip Eliasoph Film & Entertainment Editor: Peter J. Fox Decorative Arts Editor: Matthew Sturtevant Florida Content Editor: Daisy Olivera Publisher: Venü Media Company Art, Design & Production: Venü Media Company Contributing Writers: Jeff Blumenfeld, Cindy Clarke, Phillip James Dodd, Carolina Fernandez, Peter Fox, Michael Horyczun, Linda Kavanagh, Ryan Odinak, Daisy Olivera, William Squier, Matthew Sturtevant Business Development: Shelly Harvey/Connecticut, Liz Marks/New York Advertising Sales: Michele Reid, National Accounts Manager 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 +1.203.333.7300 Tel +1.203.333.7301 Fax venumagazine.com Advertising Inquiries: advertising@venumagazine.com Editorial Contribution: editorial@venumagazine.com Subscriptions: Call 203.333.7300 subscribe@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 bimonthly publication and we encourage the public, galleries, artists, designers, photographers, writers (calling all creatives) to submit photos, features, drawings, etc., but we assume no responsibility for failure to publish submissions.

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SPOTLIGHT: THE WATER’S EDGE Resort & Spa

Villas By The Sea Water’s Edge Resort and Spa Introduces Seaside Sophistication To Coastal Connecticut

ater’s Edge Resort & Spa is ushering in a new era of “seaside sophistication” on the Connecticut shoreline with its new Villas by the Sea, a collection of luxurious two-bedroom villas with contemporary coastal décor and stunning views of the Long Island Sound. Located just two hours from Boston and New York, the twenty villas range in size from 1,100 to 1,300 square feet and feature state-of-the-art fully-equipped gourmet kitchens with Viking appliances, two full baths, elevator access, gas fireplaces, flat panel LCD televisions, spacious balconies, and private beach access, making them the ultimate “home away from home” for families or couples. Villa guests enjoy a number of customized amenities, including a personal concierge to facilitate reservations. Guests looking to entertain can hire a personal chef for an evening, couples can arrange in-room spa treatments, and families interested in cooking can request a fully stocked fridge and pantry. Located on 25 oceanfront acres, Water’s Edge Resort & Spa

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is a historic gem offering Villa guests personalized service, award-winning food in four dining locations and a pampering spa. Bringing The Outdoors In Inspired by the natural elements of its prime beachfront location, the Villas by the Sea exude serenity and relaxation. Generously

oversized windows and private balconies provide sweeping views of the Long Island Sound in each unit. To achieve an atmosphere of shoreside sophistication, Water’s Edge Resort & Spa turned to the world renowned architectural design firm of DiLeonardo International to fully furnish, design, and decorate the new Villas by the Sea. A color palette of warm creams and yellows, natural sands, and ocean blues complement wood cabinets custom made by Covenant Kitchens and tile, stone and Carrera marble counters by Daltile. In the living rooms and kitchens, crisp, custom furniture by Biscayne Hospitality, such as brown wicker chairs, glass-topped tables, and sea green rugs with

HARRY HOLTZMAN and American Abstraction October 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 26 A close friend and colleague of Piet Mondrian, Harry Holtzman (1912â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1987) is best known for shaping Abstract art in America from the 1920s to the 1980s. This exhibition of over 60 paintings, sculptures, and drawings highlights his role as stalwart of the New York avant garde. Harry Holtzman and American Abstraction is the first retrospective of this painter, teacher, writer, and resident of Lyme, Connecticut. Drawing from the holdings of the Holtzman Trust, public collections, and private lenders, the exhibition brings new attention to Holtzman's dedication to the Abstract movement. Harry Holtzman, Vertical Volume with Yellow and Blue (#858), 1944. Oil on gessoed wood, 7Âž x 17. Holtzman/Mondrian Trust

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SPOTLIGHT: THE WATER’S EDGE Resort & Spa

wavy white stripes create a light, airy atmosphere. Accented stone walls under the kitchen cabinets and around the fireplace add visual interest and texture to the space. Guest rooms are a tranquil sea blue with dramatic brown headboards and pops of bright blue pillows, focusing all attention to the luxury bedding. Front facing rooms feature cozy sofas by the large windows, encouraging guests to enjoy a good book or soak up the view. Bathrooms feature a Kohler air bubble soaking tub and Kohler shower and body spray. Images of sea shells and the sea shore, chosen by NortonShanel Art Consultants, unite all spaces. Food and Fun Dining options include The Restaurant at Water’s Edge, which features the best brunch in Connecticut, the Seaview Bistro & Martini bar, featuring live entertainment, the Sunset Bar & Grill for seasonal outdoor seating, and the Cappuccio Coffee Bar, which serves a selection of caffeinated beverages and light snacks for guests on the go. Waiters also serve light food and drinks to beach-goers. With a wide array of activities, the resort caters to guests of all types. Travelers can relax

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and rejuvenate in The Spa at Water’s Edge, which specializes in massages, facials, and body treatments, or take a sunrise yoga class on the beach. Active guests will enjoy swimming in both the indoor and outdoor pools and hitting a tennis ball on the resort’s championship courts. Sand sculpture design, capture the flag, scavenger hunts, and watermelon eating contests, among other activities, will keep kids moving and shoppers can visit the “The Shops at Water’s Edge” and the nearby Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets. Water’s Edge Resort & Spa is also in a prime location for day trips to many nearby attractions, including Mystic Seaport, The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, Yale University, Newport, RI, and many casinos, vineyards, golf courses, and parks. Villas cost $1,000 per night on weekends and $750 per night during the week, or $5,000 for a seven-night stay. For additional information and reservations, please visit www.WatersEdgeResortAndSpa.com or call 1-800-222-5901.

Villas by the Sea units are also available for purchase. Owners can rent their individual villa through the resort’s professionally managed rental program when not in use. Visit www.OwnWatersEdge.comor contact the Villas by the Sea sales team at 800.222.5901 ext. 2044 or via email at NewVillaByTheSea@ WatersEdgeResortAndSpa.com for details. About the Water’s Edge Resort & Spa Located just 100 miles from Boston and New York City, the Water’s Edge Resort & Spa is a secluded, family-owned, resort nestled along the beautiful Connecticut shoreline overlooking Long Island Sound in rustic Westbrook. With 170 spacious rooms, including 68 timeshare units, a luxury spa, over 15,000 square feet of flexible meeting and banquet space, award-winning food, “The Shops at Water’s Edge,” and indoor/outdoor pools, the Water’s Edge Resort & Spa is a popular beachfront family vacation destination. In 2013, the property launched Villas by the Sea, a luxury condominium hotel.

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events + gatherings

By Ryan Odinak

FCBuzz

Executive Director, Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County

About a NEW Kennedy Center Artist Cooperative!

We have all marveled at the work of accomplished artists in galleries, museums and in the pages of magazines like Venü, but what about the role the arts play in the lives of those who aren’t professional artists, yet find joy in creating art? The Kennedy Center, a private, community-based rehabilitation organization, has long used the arts to inspire and teach their clients. In the process, joyous moments have been created as well as some fun and revealing art. The Kennedy Center recognizes that amazing things happen when people are involved in the arts. They understand that art nurtures the development of cognitive, social, and personal competencies and serves as a bridge to learning, thereby playing a vital role

in achievement and growth. They believe that art creates authentic learning experiences and engages minds, hearts and bodies. This perspective insures many opportunities for their clients to engage in both the visual and performing arts. The latest arts based program being developed by the Kennedy Center, is a new Artist Cooperative that will open soon in Bridgeport in a storefront location. The new community arts hub will provide a creative environment for individuals with intellectual disabilities to participate in all forms of art. The project is a longtime dream of the Center and is being made possible by funds that will be raised this holiday season through the Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival. For the past 32 years, the Festival has raised funds for area non-profit organizations and their worthwhile causes. This year the Kennedy Center’s Artist Cooperative will be the recipient of the proceeds of the event. The three day festival will take place from December 6th -8th at the Burr Homestead in Fairfield. The opening Preview/Gala event kicks off the Festival on the evening of December 5th. The goals of the Artist Cooperative are far reaching. The Co-op will bring diverse people together to make art, inspire each other and break down stereo types. It will also support local efforts to bring new life to downtown Bridgeport, help spur economic growth and spark innovative partnerships. The Co-op will provide an incubator for local artists by providing inexpensive space for them to create and exhibit their work. This project will be accomplished by creating a variety of partnerships and collaborations within the community that include working with colleges, universities, theatre groups, dance companies, museums, students, arts educators, arts councils, local government and others. The Kennedy Center hopes that this model will achieve their ultimate goal of enriching the lives of people with disabilities. Kennedy Center staff will provide activities in areas such as painting, photography, sculp-

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

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Up & Away by Edward Clark

Serene Night by James Graves

Everbrite by Debbie Willis

ture, music, theater, dance and literature and local artists and volunteers will be sought to assist in teaching. During evenings and on Saturdays the facility will be available for various public art classes and exhibits that may include both individuals with and without disabilities. The Artist Cooperative will contribute to the creativity being cultivated in downtown Bridgeport by new initiatives such as the storefront redevelopment program known as CreateHereNow, and established ones like Reads ArtSpace and City Lights Gallery. In the near future, individuals will be able to find out what’s happening at the Artist Cooperative on FCBuzz.org.

Chef Brian Lewis and guests

From left to right: Jeff Barbour (New Canaan Wine Merchants), Carol Barbour, Debbie Shore (Share Our Strength Co-Founder and Associate Director), Joe Allegro (Share Our Strength Director)

Share Our Strength “No Kid Hungry” dinner hosted by Chef Brian Lewis at elm restaurant.

Chef Geoff Lazlo (The Whelk, Westport, CT) speaking to guests at elm’s chef table

n Monday, September 30th, over 70 guests converged for Connecticut’s very first Share Our Strength “No Kid Hungry” dinner hosted by Chef Brian Lewis at elm restaurant. The event featured a round up of the state’s finest culinary talent as guest chefs Geoff Lazlo of The Whelk, Westport, CT and Carey Savona of Heirloom, New Haven, CT joined Lewis in elm’s open kitchen. Owner of New Canaan Wine Merchants, Jeff Barbour, provided wine pairings while Lewis, Lazlo and Savona each prepared a course for the event. Share Our Strength shattered its financial goal and raised over 68k to help end childhood hunger as impromptu chef additions to auction items, group bidding wars and matching bids made the event an incredibly festive occasion.

Chef Brian Lewis, guest chefs and elm restaurant staff prepare courses for the No Kid Hungry dinner at elm restaurant in New Canaan, CT

Chef Geoff Lazlo (The Whelk, Westport, CT) introducing himself and his individual auction item at the No Kid Hungry dinner at elm restaurant in New Canaan, CT From left to right: Chef Geoff Lazlo (The Whelk, Westport,

Lucy Nolan (End Hunger Connecticut Executive Director) speaking to guests at the No Kid Hungry dinner at elm restaurant in New Canaan, CT Debbie Shore (Share Our Strength Co-Founder and Associate Director) speaking to guests at the No Kid Hungry dinner at elm restaurant in New Canaan, CT

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

events + gatherings

Jewelers of America Debuts 2014 Trends at Fine Jewelry Preview

The annual event showcased over 100 pieces of jewelry

J trade association for businesses servewelers of America (JA), the national

Photo: Leandro Justen/BFAnyc.com

ing the fine jewelry retail marketplace, showcased over 100 pieces of jewelry, many from Jewelers of America Supplier Members, during its Annual Fine Jewelry Preview in New York. The event was held in conjunction with partners American Gem Trade Association, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, Platinum Guild International USA, Silver Promotion Service and Tanzanite Foundation. “The Fine Jewelry Preview allows Jewelers of America to connect our Supplier Members’ stunning jewelry, and those of our event partners, directly with a large number of fashion editors, stylists and journalists,” says Amanda Gizzi, Jewelers of America Director of Public Relations and Special Events. “The result is more jewelry placement and positive jewelry stories in mainstream media that continue to increase consumers’ desire for fine jewelry.” The JA Supplier Members featured included: Alex Woo, Alexandra Mor, Andrew Hamilton Crawford, Byard F. Brogan, Drukker Designs, Eli Frei, Goshwara, Gumuchian, Heather Moore, Hublot, Imperial Pearl, Jacqueline Diani Fine Jewelry, Judith Ripka, Just Jules, K. Brunini, Kara Ross,

Leo Ingwer, Le Vian, Lieberfarb, Mastoloni, Novell Leibish, Orlanda Olsen, Pamela Huizenga, Phillip Gavriel, Rina Limor, Simon Golub, Stuller, Supreme Jewelry, Syna, Premier Fashion Brands (Ti Sento Milano), Todd Reed and Zaiken. About Jewelers of America Jewelers of America (JA) is the national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry retail marketplace, with the primary purpose of improving consumer confidence in the jewelry industry. JA’s consumer education arm, Jewelry Information Center (JIC), provides public relations and marketing services on behalf of the fine jewelry and watch industry. JIC’s website, www.JIC.org, is the online source for fine jewelry and watch information, trends and shopping tips. Visit www.jewelers.org and www.JIC. org for more information. Jewelers of America’s Director of Public Relations & Special Events Amanda Gizzi (c) with Communications Manager Lauren Thompson (l) and Public Relations & Marketing Coordinator Lauren Kalma (r) promoted jewelry from more than 30 featured JA Supplier Members at the 2013 Fine Jewelry Preview, like the Tanzanite Foundation pictured above.

Lionheart Gallery Supports Public Art Installation Gallery Talk: December 8, 11am - 1pm

Meet the artist Kathleen Griffin, she will discuss her installation project, “The Butterflies of Memory”

he installation honors an important part of New York history - the beautiful ruins of a Gothic Revival hospital on Roosevelt Island, designed and built 1854-56 by James Renwick, architect of Grace Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The former smallpox hospital served the community for nearly 100 years before it was abandoned in l950. Artist Griffin has envisioned a grand celebration of the historic structure. In her proposed four month installation, 17 giant golden butterflies - each 13 feet in diameter, sheathed in gold leaf over a steel armature - will be suspended between 18 and 36 feet above the ruins, visually releasing the building’s many memories and carrying them into the clouds. The Lionheart Gallery is featuring Griffin’s drawings and prints of the installation and also selling a few of the gold leaf butterfly indoor-outdoor sculptures. A portion of proceeds from the art sales will benefit the Butterflies of Memory Project. “Purchasers will become a part of the history”, says Gallery Director Susan Grissom. “The installation will be seen by over four million people from Manhattan - the FDR highway and the midtown waterfront - visually transforming the structure so it gets new moments of glory.” The Lionheart Gallery, is located at 27 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge, NY. For more information please visit www.thelionheartgallery, or call (914) 764-8689.

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Michele Sofisti, David Rockefeller, Susan Rockefeller, Nancy Hunt, Nile Rodgers

Susan & David Rockefeller, and GirardPerregaux “Changing Watch” for Nile Rodgers’ We Are Family Foundation

Susan and David Rockefeller and Swiss luxury watchmaker Girard-Perregaux joined forces with Nile Rodgers for the “Changing Watch” event supporting We Are Family Foundation.

he evening began with a cocktail hour at Cipriani 42nd St. displaying select GirardPerregaux timepieces. Of particular distinction being the revolutionary new Constant Escapement. Industry powhouses from the worlds of watchmaking, fashion, music, sport, and philanthropy mingled together under Renaissance inspired high vaulted ceilings and gorgeous chandeliers. Guests attending included socialite and activist Amanda Hearst, star of The Real Housewives of NY Kelly Bensimon, Million Dollar Listing NY star Ryan Serhant, model & activist Almudena Fernandez, Italian actress Jo Champa and more.

Nile Rodgers

Dylan Vecchione

Susan Rockefeller, David Rockefeller

Amanda Hearst

Q-Tip Kelly Bensimone

Nile Ridgers, Susan Rockefeller

Michele Sofist, Susan Rockefeller

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE Nile Rodgers, Michele Sofisti, Adi Al Faran

Jonathan Capehart and guest

events + gatherings

By Janet Langsam CEO, ArtsWestchester

“Anxiety Makes Its Mark” Pushing The Line In Westchester Larry Brown’s recent works are informed by current geo-political events relating to environmentalism and climate change. With floating atom-like structures and suspended circles that resemble globes bisected by coordinate lines, the pieces explore the relationship between nature and science in a colorful abstract language. Several artists employ unconventional materials to express their angst. Christine Heibert utilizes ink brayers and blue tape to

Creighton Michael, “Trace 1013”

Twelve contemporary artists are embracing the challenge of drawing lines and stepping over them in ArtsWestchester’s all exhibition entitled Pushing the Line: Drawing in an Age of Anxiety.

section reveals an intricate gray labyrinth of New York City’s buildings, blocks, parks, and public transportation systems. They might be mistaken for black and white aerial views of forest and river-mottled landscapes, but Cynthia Lin’s detailed graphite drawings depict skin and scars. Starting

urator Neil Watson looked to our current anxiety-ridden times when considering the theme for this drawing show. He reasoned that making their mark for some artists was a way to deal with their own anxiety. “Artists are explorers of an imagined future,” he says. “They weave threads of influence, inspiration, and imagination to give order to a world which can be overwhelming.” Several of the exhibiting artists and their works are familiar friends. Iconic New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast takes a humorous spin on the neuroses and general angst of modern living with notable vignettes like “Pigeon Little.” Award-winning book author and illustrator Peter Sís will show several original drawings. Among them is a whale whose cross

Roz Chast, “Pigeon Little”

with computer scans as her base, she painstakingly recreates the textures of flesh while mimicking the pixilation or banding effect of the original image’s printing imperfections. The pieces are at once captivating and disquieting.

Christine Hiebert, “Untitled (rdl.11.3)”

push the limits of line and texture. Meanwhile, Creighton Michael takes his drawings off the paper in a piece entitled, ShadowsSpeak. This “transdimensional” drawing displays a mesmerizing video of changing shadows and forms, synchronized with the cryptic sound of a typewriter’s keys being struck. While the artists on exhibit explore the overwhelming nature of anxiety in our society, recent thinking about doodling emphasizes the act of drawing as essential in diffusing that anxiety, as well as fostering listening, focus, and even eliminating writer’s block. From the typewriter to the Google Doodle, technology continues to evolve, but it is the creative spirit that helps keep us going. Neil Watson is the former director of the Katonah Museum and has been recently appointed to the position of Executive Director of the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook. Pushing the Line is on exhibit at ArtsWestchester’s Gallery in White Plains, NY through Nov 30th. For further information, visit www.artswestchester.org or call 914.428.4220.

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. 26

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Friday evening opening reception 2

Thursday night at the Ritchey Brother’s Building, former MOBB Director, Larry Francell, Peter Hassrick, Dr. Ron Tyler, Michael Duty, B. Byron Price, and MOBB Director, Liz Jackson

Friday evening opening reception, B. Byron Price and Charles Mallory Buffalo Soldier, Reenactor, FDNHS

Historic Frederic Remington Exhibit Opens at Museum of the Big Bend.

rom the Empire State to the Lone Star State, Frederic Remington’s legacy headed back West. Works by the legendary Western artist were featured in an exhibit at the Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University. Treasures from the Frederic Remington Art Museum, including the rarely toured painting, The Charge of the Rough Riders, opened Sept. 19th as part of a gala weekend. The historic exhibit runs through Dec. 8th. Opening events includesd scholarly presentations, dinners, receptions and live and silent auctions at various locations, including the Museum of the Big Bend, Sul Ross State University, Fort Davis National Historic Site, Fort Davis; the Gage Hotel, Marathon; and The Holland Hotel, Alpine. The exhibit has generated nationwide attention, including articles in several prominent publications, Southwestern Arts, Western Art and Architecture, Western Art Collector and Cowboys and Indians. “The Remington show has been well-received throughout the national art world as well as in the local community,” said Liz Jackson, museum director. “We have received extremely generous support from a host of sponsors, in the Big Bend region and well beyond.” She added that the live auction on Saturday, Sept. 21, included works donated by local artists Deborah Allison, Wayne Baize, Mike Capron, Lindy Cook Severns and many more. “Remington is the biggest name in Western Art and this is the biggest art event in our history,” said Jackson. “We are not only bringing a rarely toured painting to our museum, we will be bringing together the best in Remington scholars. This event is significant for the museum, Sul Ross State University, and the Big Bend region as a whole.” Painted in 1899, The Charge of the Rough Riders commemorated the charge of Teddy Roosevelt’s troops up Cuba’s San Juan Hill during the Spanish -American War. It has been on permanent display at the Frederic Remington Art Museum, Ogdensburg, N.Y. In celebration of this exhibit, four of the nation’s leading Remington scholars presented new scholarship and research during the course of the weekend’s events. Speakers included Peter Hassrick, Dr. Ron Tyler, B. Byron Price and Michael Duty. Treasures from The Frederic Remington Art Museum exhibit and events are made possible through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mallory, The Holland Hotel, Heritage Auctions and West Texas National Bank. Additional sponsors include the Gage Hotel, Mary Jon and J.P. Bryan, Carol and Pete Peterson and many others. Saturday morning and park ranger at FDNHS

Friday afternoon lecturer, Dr. Ron Tyler

Friday afternoon lecturer, B. Byron Price

Friday afternoon lecturer, Dr. Ron Tyler

Saturday evening, Holland Hotel

Louisa Mayfield,Museum of the Big Bend Director, Liz Jackson, Lance Jackson, Alpine, and Jack Mayfield, Dallas and Alpine

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE Saturday evening, Holland Hotel, Mrs. Johnny Weisman, Alpine and New Braunfels

Travel + Leisure: Destination NorwaY

Home of The World’s Greatest Explorers An Armchair Explorer’s Guide To Norway by Jeff Blumenfeld

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Photo: VistOSLO / Gunnar Strøm

Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002) is one of history’s most famous scientists, adventurers and champions of the environment. He gained worldwide fame when he crossed the Pacific Ocean on Kon-Tiki (pictured) in 1947. The Kon-Tiki Museum is home to permanent exhibitions about: Ra, Tigris, Fatu-Hiva, Kon-Tiki, and Easter Island. CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Travel + Leisure: Destination NORWAY

One Norwegian explorer discovered the New World 500 years before Columbus. Another was first to cross Greenland by land. In 1911, a Norwegian was first to the South Pole, and in 2006, a fellow countryman nailed history’s longest solo and unresupplied ski journey, 3,000 miles across the South Pole region. Who are these people? When the opportunity arose to visit Oslo and Bergen, and as a passionate, long-time enthusiast of historic exploration, I jumped at the chance to determine why Norway is home to the world’s greatest explorers. My search begins in Oslo where I learn that nothing in this country straddling the Arctic Circle is predictable or run-of-the-mill. We’re sitting in the courtyard of a restaurant in Oslo

incongruously called “New Orleans.” Our group is enjoying some after-dinner Frydenlund beers with members of the Norwegian chapter of The Explorers Club, when out of the blue just minutes before midnight comes marching in a 30-piece brass and woodwind band. Trombones, trumpets, clarinets, saxophones, and flutes. The works. In fact, more band members than restaurant patrons. Seems they’re members of the Malvik Musikkorps who like to show up at local establishments unannounced. Even my Norwegian hosts were astounded by the late-night energy of these musicians, most in their 50’s and 60’s. But I soon learned that nothing about this quirky nation, an incubator for history’s greatest explorations, should surprise me. Erling Kagge, arguably Norway’s bestknown living polar explorer, tells me over a lunch of fish soup and bread at his home in an Oslo suburb, “In a country of five million, polar explorers here are as famous as football players in the states. Exploration has been a part of our culture for 1,000 years. Being an explorer here is a natural state of being.” He should know. Kagge and fellow countryman Borge Ousland were first to ski to the North Pole unassisted (1990); Kagge was first to ski to the South Pole solo and unsupported (1992-93); and by 1994 had become the first to reach the North Pole, South Pole and the summit of Everest. “In Sweden or Denmark, you’ll hardly find an explorer,” Kagge stereotypes. “This is a Norwegian thing.” I had to see for myself, so my next stops were three museums dedicated to seagoing exploration. It seems Norwegians haven’t met an old ship they didn’t want to enclose in a

Norwegians consider Nansen (1861-1930) to be the most important man in the country’s history. He was a doctor of science, humanitarian, diplomat, winner of the 1922 Nobel Peace Prize, and most impressive to an armchair explorer such as myself, the first to cross Greenland (1888). He returned to Oslo (then called Christiana) a hero on May 30, 1889 when 200,000 Norwegians turned out to greet the team.

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building of one sort or another. With a $45 U.S. daily Oslo Pass that included admission to some 40 museums, I began my quest with a visit to the aptly-named Viking Ship Museum housing three ships discovered in large burial mounds: the Oseberg Ship (820 A.D.), the Gokstad (890 A.D.) and the Tune (built around 900 A.D.). Keeping those craft company were human skeletons, magnificent sleds, wagons and carved animal-heads, all attesting to wanderlust Vikings who from about 800 to 1050 A.D. were the lords of the sea, sailing west to the British Isles, then over the North Atlantic to Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland. Leaping forward 1,000 years, I next toured the Fram Museum which houses the Fram, the world’s most famous polar ship, built in 1892. The 128-ft. vessel was used on three important expeditions: with Fridtjof Nansen who drifted over the Arctic Ocean in 1893-96; with Otto Sverdrup to the arctic archipelago west of Greenland—now the Nunavut region of Canada—1898-1902; and with Norway’s Roald Amundsen to Antarctica for his South Pole expedition of 1910-12. Norwegians consider Nansen (1861-1930) to be the most important man in the country’s history. He was a doctor of science, humanitarian, diplomat, winner of the 1922 Nobel Peace Prize, and most impressive to an armchair explorer such as myself, the first to cross Greenland (1888). He returned to Oslo (then called Christiana) a hero on May 30, 1889 when 200,000 Norwegians turned out to greet the team. In his book, The First Crossing of Greenland (1919), Nansen writes, “It was hard to cross Greenland, but in full seriousness I must say that it is even worse to return.” I visit the Kon-Tiki Museum next, located adjacent to the Fram. Thor Heyerdahl (19142002) gained worldwide fame when he crossed the Pacific Ocean on a balsa raft in 1947. The 46-ft. raft traveled from Lima’s port of call, Callao, to Raroia in French Polynesia, 4,340 miles in 101 days, proving that it would have been possible for South American Indians to have reached Polynesia in pre-Columbian times. In addition to the original raft, the museum is a treasure trove of memorabilia from the historic voyage. The collection includes Heyerdahl’s 1951 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film; the U.S. military rations they ate in addition to fresh flying fish that landed on deck; and a chew stick from the team’s pet parrot, Lorita, which, it’s worth noting, they did not eat—it flew away in a storm. The new Kon-Tiki movie, released in 2012, has resulted in renewed interest in the museum. One out of every five Norwegians has seen it,

Photo: Bergen Tourist Board / Terje Rakke

Photographs by Daniel Byers/SkyshipFilms.com

Photo: Bergen Tourist Board / Per Eide

Photo: Bergen Tourist Board / Willy Haraldsen Photo: Bergen Tourist Board / Terje Rakke

Photo: Bergen Tourist Board / Willy Haraldsen

Photo: Bergen Tourist Board / Terje Rakke

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE Photo: Bergen Tourist Board / Oddleiv Apneseth

Photo: Bergen Tourist Board / Per Eide

Travel + Leisure: Destination NORWAY

The Fram Museum (background), a short distance from the center of Oslo, houses the world’s most famous polar ship, “The Fram”. The main exhibition has explanatory texts in ten languages and describes the three great Fram expeditions.

Photo: VisitOSLO / Matjaz Intihar

says museum manager Halfdan Tangen, Jr. Visits to the museum, founded in 1950, increased 50 percent last year, 20 percent so far in 2013. At the Holmenkollen Ski Museum, just outside of Oslo, Norwegians are justly proud of King Olav V, if for no other reason than due to his enthusiasm for skiing. In fact, during a gas shortage in the early 1970s, a popular photograph shows him traveling on the Holmenkollbanen suburban railway to the local ski hill carrying his skis on his shoulder. There’s his seat, his outfit, even his train ticket for fans of the Folkekongen (“The People’s King”) to view. But most impressive to me were displays of skis dating to 600 A.D., and those belonging to British Captain Robert F. Scott (1868-1912) in an exhibit honoring Amundsen’s historic discovery of the South Pole in December 1911. Scott, who arrived at the pole a month later than Amundsen and who perished with his team on the return, would most certainly roll over in his grave at the thought of his skis mounted next to those of his nemesis. Dozens of tourists from Japan, Italy, and Poland strolled by in search of the ski jump elevator, as I stayed to linger on the diorama featuring a stuffed and mounted, very dead sled dog—Obersten (“The Colonel”)—who went to the pole with the famed Norwegian explorer.

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A Close Relationship with Nature. My next destination was Bergen, on the west coast, a seven-hour train journey from Oslo. This is Norway’s second-largest city and gateway to the fjords. There are more direct trains, but I chose to travel on a tourist excursion called “Norway in a Nutshell,” that included a 12-mile ride on the vintage Flam Railway over northern Europe’s largest mountain plateau.

The train chugs past thick forests, churning rapids turned white as foam, past slender, impossibly high waterfalls, and rolling fields with shrink wrapped hay that looked like giant marshmallows. The Nutshell tour goes on to include a fjord boat tour, and a bus ride down the Stalheimskleiva, a mile-long, dizzying, barely two-lane road. With 13 spectacular hairpin twists and turns, it’s considered the steepest in northern Europe. It was in Bergen, in damp, rainy skies that I began to understand the Norwegian love of the outdoors. Despite the weather, locals everywhere are jogging, hiking, Nordic Walking, screaming downhill on mountain bikes, crosscountry roller skiing, and racing down switchback mountain roads on skateboards (wearing spiked metal gloves). Their love of the outdoors is such, you can see numerous “Bergensers” cooking hot dogs on small disposable aluminum charcoal grills the size of laptops. Synnove Marie Kvam, president of the Norway chapter of The Explorers Club, tells me, “Norwegians have a close relationship with nature. We need to be respectful because there’s so much harsh weather.” Indeed. Norwegians seem specially adapted to the cold and wet. Gore-Tex waterproof/

Photo Bergen Tourist Board / Terje Rakke

Photo Bergen Tourist Board / Per Eide

Photo Bergen Tourist Board / Jan Løtevdt

Photo Bergen Tourist Board / Per Eide

“Swedes, they do as they are told. Norwegians? We are a stubborn, impulsive, inventive and independent people. But above all, we’re curious.” breathable is the outerwear of choice. Hardy children play in schoolyards in brightly colored slickers, oblivious to the rain. Standing there, soaked down to my Calvins, the ticket-taker for the M/S White Lady fjord tour boat says, “This is actually quite good weather in Bergen.” (Assuming, of course, you’ve descended from the Vikings.) Fellow travelers and I would later fight for the few plastic chairs that were sheltered from the incessant drizzle. It was just a minor inconvenience compared to the astounding scenery, with waterfalls dotting the impossibly steep sheer granite cliffs of the Osterfjorden fjord, north of Bergen. This city of seven mountains has not one, but two lifts to nearby mountaintops – the Ulriken643 cable car and the Floibanen Funicular, both popular with tourists and locals alike. Although mountainous, there’s plenty

of oxygen to share. The highest peak barely tops out at 2,200 feet. Historian Sturla Ellingvag, a friend of explorer Erling Kagge’s, provided some insight on the Norwegian outdoor ethic. “If you’re a parent and your five-year-old hasn’t been camping in the mountains with you, it’s called bad parenting.” But there’s more to the Norwegians’ spirit of exploration. Listen to Eva Britt Kornfeldt of VisitOslo: “Swedes, they do as they are told. Norwegians? We are a stubborn, impulsive, inventive and independent people. But above all, we’re curious.” Bergen city guide Jim Paton explains that according to the Viking Law of Inheritance,

the farms were inherited by the eldest sons. The younger children had to make their fortune elsewhere as they were left to their own devices. “Exploration is in the Norwegian genes. It’s part of our Viking heritage, living as we are in a severe climate and being confronted by the elements.” There’s a park near Hakon’s Hall, in the shadow of the Rosenkrantz Tower. Below a statue of King Haakon VII, father of the skiing King Olav V, is a row of cannons protecting the harbor. A sign warns of a “high rampart.” Rampart? It’s not the sort of word you’d see in the U.S. warning of a steep 40-ft. drop just beyond. Were this in the litigious states, there would be a chain link fence protecting visitors from themselves. A sign reading “Danger!” Maybe a skull and crossbones for good measure. But this is Norway, a still sparsely settled, self-reliant country lying 40 percent above the Arctic Circle—home to a people with centuries of exploration experience in their DNA. I have no doubt – rampart or not, they’ll be just fine.

About the Author: Jeff Blumenfeld, a frequent contributor to these pages, is editor of ExpeditionNews.com, and author of the adventure sponsorship book, You Want to Go Where? How to Get Someone to Pay for the Trip of Your Dreams (Skyhorse Publishing, 2009).

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STYLE: ARCHITECTURE

All photographs courtesy of: The Art of Classical Details

The NEW GEORGIAN A Modern Day Classic

orn and raised in the United Kingdom, I was naturally thrilled with the latest addition to the royal family – Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge. Third in line to the throne, the baby boy was named after the Queen’s father, King George VI - whose life was depicted in the Oscar-winning movie The Kings Speech – with also a patriotic nod towards Saint George, the patron saint of England. So the question one might now ask is, “does this usher in the dawn of a New Georgian Era?” The term Georgian is typically used in the context of social history and architecture, covering the period from 1714 to 1830, and spanning the reigns of the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain - who were all named George. Time and again architects and designers, myself

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BY PHILLIP JAMES DODD included, have returned back to this period for inspiration and nourishment – and this is one of the underlining subjects that is explored in my recent book The Art of Classical Details (Images Publishing; $70), which features the work of today’s leading scholars, designers, and craftsmen. One of those craftsmen, Paul Chesney (the founder of a company that annually produces over 5,000 bespoke marble and limestone chimneypieces), explains “the Georgian period represents the apotheosis of design in terms of variety, craftsmanship, and creativity. It is no coincidence that today this is the most widely copied period of classical design.” Now, although classical design is not a single historical style, it is important to recognize the role that the Georgian period, with its multiple architectural variants, has had on the do-

mestic architecture on both sides of the Atlantic. According to Aidan Mortimer, Chief Executive of British building group SYMM, “the Georgian style can be broken down into three stylistic periods: Palladian, Adam or neo-Classical, and Regency. In America, the Colonial style echoes the first two periods and the later Federal style broadly mirrors the Regency style. In many ways the 18th-century American house was markedly similar to its British counterpart, although these ideas sometimes took a while to reach those provinces distant from Britain.” These ideas that Aidan refers to typically came in the form of pattern books where attractive plates of buildings from notable architects were meant to provide inspiration to the designers and builders of the day. These illustrated portfolios - covering everything from the overall design to theories on

Ferne Park, located in Dorset, is perhaps on of the finest modern-day examples of an English country house designed in the Palladian vocabulary - Quinlan & Francis Terry Architects.

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STYLE: ARCHITECTURE

All photographs courtesy of: The Art of Classical Details

“the Georgian period represents the apotheosis of design in terms of variety, craftsmanship, and creativity. It is no coincidence that today this is the most widely copied period of classical design.”

Clockwise from top: The garden facade of Ferne Park is more intimate in scale than the dramatic grand entrance facade - Quinlan & Francis Terry Architects. Fluted pilasters with delicately detailed Corinthian capitals - Peter Pennoyer Architects. This Georgian fireplace displays the popular 18th-century device of inlaying contrasting marble within a field of white statuary marble - Chesney’s.

proportion, details and decoration became part and parcel of the training of every architect, builder, bricklayer, carpenter, mason, and plasterer - from London to Philadelphia – and help explain why craftsmanship on both sides of Atlantic reached its zenith during this period. The fact that many of today’s leading architects and craftsmen still refer to these same pattern books – whether they be sought after original copies or modern-day facsimiles – is testament to their continued relevance almost 250 years later. Yet despite the importance of studying and learning from historic precedent and understanding what has come before us, it is equally important that we see how these practices are

now being interpreted for contemporary designs. Alongside the pattern books of the past, are the many new publications that feature the work of today’s best architects and designers. Architecture and interior design magazines, such as Architectural Digest and Elle Décor reach an every growing readership all over the world and are seen as the taste setters for home design. With an unabashed slant towards classical and traditional designs, the homes that they feature are seen as the epitome of elegance, refinement, and good taste. It doesn’t stop there with those two publications - just stop by any newsstand to see how many magazines with similar content can be found on the shelves of the home and design

section. Combine these magazines with the multitude of books that are being published on the subject, and we can argue that now more than ever we have unparalleled access to, and coverage off, classical architecture and interior design – especially the latter. So, with the Georgian style as its unquestionable watermark, it seems that classical architecture is as popular as ever in both the United Kingdom and America; indeed its appeal is universal with classically inspired homes presently under construction in every corner of the globe - from Beijing to Moscow, and Kuwait to the Bahamas. So, with that in mind, perhaps we don’t have to wait for the latest addition of the Royal Family to be crowned King, in order to experience and appreciate a New Georgian Era.

As a well regarded expert on classical architect-ure and interiors, Phillip James Dodd has worked for some of the most recognized residential architectural firms in America. His many designs can be found in Greenwich, Palm Beach, and Manhattan. He is the author of the acclaimed The Art of Classical Details. www.TheArtOfClassicalDetails.com. Venü is pleased to announce that Phillip will be writing a series of articles – starting in our January issue - titled Beaux-Arts New York.

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Kausi APPETITE: Indian Cuisine

Prasad Chirnomula

Written by Linda Kavanagh

Putting Indian Cuisine on the Map Three Talented Restaurateurs Develop the Connecticut Spice Route “My best competition is my own creation,” muses Chef Prasad Chirnomula, a patriarch within the Indian restaurant community throughout Connecticut. Indian food has come a long way since this intrepid chef first came to the states in 1985 after leaving his Director of Food and Beverage position at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Hyderabad, India. VENÜ Magazine sat with Prasad, the chef /owner of the popular Thali Indian restaurant group, along with his fellow restaurateurs, Jose Pullopilly of Coromandel and Kausik Roy of Tawa and Aladin. The conversation was a reminiscent and spirited exchange among friends and colleagues about the evolution of this bold and now trendy cuisine. Throughout the 1990s Prasad introduced his native cuisine to not-so adventurous consumers in the form of Bombay Indian Restaurant in Westport and Tandoori in Darien and Port Chester, New York. At the time, Indian cuisine was perceived as a primarily take-out food option. Full scale, sit-down Indian restaurants hadn’ttaken shape yet and a conservative clientele stuck with

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more simplistic dishes such as chicken tikka masala (creamy tomato curry), sag paneer (spinach and house made cheese), samosas (a dumpling of sorts), kebabs (tandoori grilled meats), and naan (traditional Indian bread). But, that was then. As with many dining trends, and due to a relatively large group of Indian restaurateurs spearheaded by Prasad, this vibrant and flavorful cuisine began its ascension into our mainstream food culture. Bombay thrived in its tony suburban town as one of the few ethnic restaurants where folks went to “see and be seen”. Sophisticated palates flocked to the growing number of Tandoori locations, which by then included New Canaan and Stamford, and brought their friends to enjoy family style dining while exploring more traditional Indian dishes such as spicy vindaloo, dal poori (lentils), curried goat, and regional specialties. Indian beer was introduced and even wine pairings were enjoyed among adventurous diners and excited restaurant owners and chefs. “Education was a large part of it, “Prasad looks back. “There were so many misconceptions back

then and I was determined to change the way people thought about Indian food.” Prasad broke away from the Bombay and Tandoori restaurants in 2001 and created the now popular Thali Regional Cuisine of India, taking over one of the Tandoori spaces on Main Street in New Canaan. The stunning, high-ceiling, colonial dwelling was transformed into a sophisticated restaurant and bar. Prasad recruited the talents of friend and sommelier Raju Somerpet to manage the front of the house and create the wine list. Thali was a huge success right out of the gate. Traditional dishes kept company with more innovative and regional preparations as seen with Prasad’s much talked about peppered Angare duck breast and the Konkani Samundri of lump crab meat with tempered garlic, green chilles and coconut milk. Thali would go on to be featured in Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2002, which not only praised Thali’s modern approach to Indian food and fine wine, but it recognized how far Indian restaurants had come throughout the region. Thali grew its brand, expanding into Ridgefield in 2004, New Haven in 2006, and Thali Too, a vegetarian eatery on the Yale Campus in New Haven in 2008. Restaurateur Jose Pullopilly, a former employee of Prasad’s, and an accomplished chef in own right who graduated from the Swiss Hotel Management School in Switzerland and cooked for the prestigious Taj Hotel Group in India, took over Tandoori in Darien upon Prasad’s departure and went on to develop Coromandel, Cuisine of India. Darien became the launching pad for the Coromandel Group of Indian Restaurants, under which Jose and his business partners now own seven restaurants throughout Connecticut and Westchester County. Coromandel continues to garner high praise from food critics and is able to

ik Roy

Jose Pullopilly

As with many dining trends, and due to a relatively large group of Indian restaurateurs spearheaded by Prasad, this vibrant and flavorful cuisine began its ascension into our mainstream food culture

straddle the line between traditional and more contemporary interpretations of this multi-cultural cuisine. “Regional preparations are greatly influenced by history, “explains Jose, “Throughout history India has been invaded and occupied by other cultures and each has left its own mark on Indian cuisine.” Looking back, it was the Indian and Chinese merchants who traded their skills with the Malaysians for their spices. And, it was the Thai tribes who separated themselves from South China in the 13th century yet continued to trade supplies and act as a liaison between China, India, and Vietnam. Region and religion played a major role in India’s food cul-

ture. Hindu vegetarian culture is still widely practiced. Adversely, Muslim tradition is the most dominate in the cooking of meats and its use of clay pots and the tandoor oven. In South India, coconut is an important ingredient. The Portuguese, Persians, and British made significant contributions to the Indian culinary scene as well. The British introduced tea and chai blends to India and is a favorite drink among Indians today. All of these influences shaped the various cuisines, with the concept of balancing five types of flavor – bitter, salt, sour, hot, and sweet. Let’s take curry for example. Contrary to popular belief, curry is not a spice on its own, but rather a blend of spices. Commercial sweet yellow curry powder is a generic blend of spices that just happen to take off in the retail markets of America. However, authentic curry blends include pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, ginger, mace, turmeric, cardamom, tamarind, fennel, chilies, and many other aromatic herbs and spices, which, depending on the blend can take on numerous flavors. Think of these spices as a color palette, and mixing these colors in various proportions and combinations then create numerous other colors. A true master of the art of creating “curry” dishes is Chef Kausik Roy. Kausik, who now operates Tawa Indian Cuisine in Stamford and Aladin Indian Bistro in Norwalk, came to the states in 1996 after a stint at Mumbai’s prestigious Taj Hotel Group. Kausik was

the opening chef for Coromandel and was instrumental in creating the menus for their first three locations; Darien, New Rochelle and Stamford. In 2003 Kausik opened Brick Lane Curry House on New York’s 6th Street in the East Village, a wildly successful restaurant on the city’s famous Indian restaurantrow. Inspired by a hole in the wall curry house he stumbled upon in London, Brick Lane was a recreation of that bare bones eatery. “It was all of 700 square feet. It had a modest kitchen and no room for an industrial size fridge or freezer.” Kausik says he flew by the seat of his pants, “We offered several curries and not-so-cold beer and house wine. That was it!” Due to the lack of refrigerator space he would shop at the local farmers’ market every day and only buy what he hoped would get him through the night. Kausik’s unconventional approach and cheap eats, teamed with his obvious culinary prowess, quickly got him noticed by local hipsters, which in turn leaked out to the media. Kausik enjoyed his time in the city, catering to a more diverse and progressive group of diners. Connecticut had just begun to come around to Indian cuisine, so when the opportunity to open Tawa was presented, Kausik went for it. “There’s still a bit of learning curve, “says Jose, “We all try to stay true to our concept but Indian food can be complex for many people. Some of the most popular dishes in the states are not dishes that we prepare in India.” Jose explains how the popular chicken tikka masala was created by the British. Cream was added to mellow out the curry and moisten the chicken. It’s an extremely popular dish now and has been adopted by Indian chefs across the globe – except in India. Prasad, Jose and Kausik take great pride in their own, as well as one other’s restaurants, all of which practice traditional cooking techniques. Spices are still roasted and ground with a mortar and pestle to bring out the most flavor and essential oils. Flour is of the stone ground variety versus processed and refined wheat. And vegetables and herbs are still hand cut. “I bought the kitchen staff a state of the art food processor and they still cut everything by hand, “laughed Prasad over his expensive piece of equipment which is now a counter ornament. Coromandel continues to offer their awardwinning brunch buffet, a hearty and fresh assortment of everyone’s favorite dishes. Jose stays on top of the most popular ingredients being used today and tries to incorporate those into his dishes such as kale and chard. His restaurants even offer beef dishes which are not found on traditional Indian tables. Kausik’s newest restaurant, Aladin, highlights India’s more healthful and vegetarian components in addition to his signature home-cooked approach to the old-style Indian dishes he grew up with. This is a chef who can make okra (karari bhindi) taste amazing, a dish from his childhood that continues to get attention to this day. Thali remains ahead of its time, creating unique dining experiences for enthusiastic guests. Prasad’s passion for his homeland, its history and its food culture is illustrated by his actions, organizing trips to India for adventurous travelers and conducting cooking classes for avid food crusaders. All in all, Prasad, Jose and Kausik are putting Indian cuisine on the map.

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FEATURE

Our Endangered Species: A Wild Embrace Most well-read people know, by now, that the Kakapo, the Ganges River Dolphins and the Sumatran Tiger are critically endangered. But fewer understand precisely just how perilous conditions remain for their continued survival and for others topping the list.

By Carolina Fernandez

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FEATURE

Did you know, for example, that only 135 purple frogs hop on the entire planet, and of those, only three are female? Neither did I, that is, until I was edified and educated by the one and only Gabby Wild. Self-described as a ‘global, thrill-driven, windblown, aspiring veterinarian’, this Ivy-educated fireball locked eyes with me a couple of years ago and I’ve been hooked on her, and her cause, ever since. Gabby desires to ‘protect endangered animals from extinction’ as an animal welfare activist and wildlife conservationist. She does this by trotting the globe in search of animals that need her most, in an effort to save them from extinction, near-extinction or endangerment, and to save herself along the way. Understanding the interconnectedness of all things, of man with animal, man with the forests, the streams, the lakes and the oceans, and appreciating the orderly harmony with which all was designed, helps those of us searching for ways to have impact, better grasp the significance of her work. Wendell Berry, in The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays, wrote: “... the care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster

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its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.” This trusim, this mantra, is the beat of Gabby Wild’s inner drum. I confess that I have not always shared this sentiment; I have not always felt this to be our most worthy responsibility. I have not long-held a strong and palpable passion for endangered and threatened critters and creatures. For while I describe myself as a “beautyhugger,” loving all things of beauty and of order, of color and of harmony, of all things aesthetically pleasing, I never consciously parced out the warmest and fuzziest—or the most endangered—amongst us. I tended to move the scales towards workmanship of one’s hands over the masterpieces of the natural world, taking for granted the glaciers and volcanoes, the lakes and streams, the butterflies and wolves. Working feverishly in a “non-nature” career, staring at my Reuters screen by day, watching blinking lights of red and green for upand-down ticks of stock movement, eating lunch at my desk, and lap-swimming in a chlorinated pool for exercise, I was more material girl than nature girl. I had no idea just how far removed I had become from the natural world. But a convergence of life events: trips to untraceable parts of Panama, Costa Rica and Africa, where I mingled with the Silverback mountain gorillas of Rwanda and where, one day on a long, windy drive up the mountains from Kigali towards Lake Kivu, the majesty of God’s handiwork, the grandeur of which I had heretofore rather casually dismissed, overcame me, and I experienced a palpable and overwhelming feeling of awe and wonder. Most recently, we moved to a cottage deep in the woods. More than a dozen acres of forest surround our place, and it is here, where I quiet my mind and sit still, that I hear nature’s call. The calculus of life circumstances placed me into greater awareness. It is this beauty, this natural beauty of the earth and all within it, that has captivated my spirit, and forced me to think more seriously now about the clear and present dangers facing a wide variety of species around the world. This is how Gabby Wild’s work took on increased significance for me. She met me while I was still working on Wall Street, away from nature and its call. She connected her passion

for endangered animals, for clean oceans and for nurturing habitats, to things more common to those of us living and working in the metro New York City area. She hired fashion designers from the hit series Project Runway to design outfits that corresponded to twelve species on the critically endangered list, and wore one outfit each month—all month long—to raise awareness for that species. Her campaign “12 in 12 for 12” highlighted twelve animal-inspired and originally-designed outfits in every month of 2012 for twelve threatened or endangered species. Brilliant.

n January, Gabby wore an outfit that embodied the designer’s vision of the critically endangered Amur Leopard, of which only 30-35 remain wild in the world, its habitat being lost through forest fires, logging and land conversion. Designers Althea Harper, a Project Runway season six finalist, and Calle Evans, who have worked with fashion luminaries Zac Posen and Alexander McQueen, among others, studied the Amur Leopard and imagined and styled accordingly. The result, a stunning sporty long gown with a clean racer cut, “evokes the sleek, slinky lines of the world’s most endangered big cat.” Take Seth Aaron Henderson, the winner of Project Runway season seven. Since his 2010 triumph, he founded a fashion-forward, 100-percent sustainable line of ready-to-wear clothing, as well as the design for Gabby’s endangered species for July, 2012, the Blue Morpho Butterfly. The outfit symbolizes the butterfly’s suffering due to deforestation of her natural habitat in the tropical rain forest. This magnificent creature’s blue hue is actually due to the effect of microscopic scales on the back of its wings, and not to natural pigmentation. Had it not been for Gabby bringing this to our awareness, who would know? Or care? Or Jay McCarroll, Inaugural Project Runway Winner, who designed the short sheath based on the critically endangered Kakapo Parrot of New Zealand. Perhaps the oldest species of parrot in the world, with only 130 left in the wild, this heaviest of parrots and the only known flightless species, displays an ombre color wave ranging from lime green to a brilliant yellow. This Kiwi epitomizes the perfect balance and

Visit Gabby Wild and her work at gabbywild.com. Contibutions can be made to The Gabby Wild Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Carolina Fernandez left a career on Wall Street to work in the arts full-time. A painter, writer and film producer, she lives in the middle of the woods in Connecticut.

I urge you to live closer to nature. To treasure its creatures. To embrace tranquility.

harmony of color and pattern, throwing off an energy that is not reproducible by man, even though the designer did an excellent job translating it for us. Other creatures on her list include the Bactrian Camel, Purple Frog, Ganges River Dolphins, Chinese Giant Salamander, Red Panda, Rondo Dwark Galago, Asian Elephant, Sumatran Tiger and Red Wolf. Outfits inspired by these animals were designed and fashioned. It is this masterful play of approaching nature with the awe and reverence that it deserves, with an appreciation for man-made beauty—through eco-fashion and design--that Gabby understands all too well, and which she executed to our fascination and delight at a Fashion Show at New York City’s Cornell Club in August of this year. Gabby wants people to grasp the truth that our world would be a sadder, darker, lonelier place without animals. Animals, as our teachers, our rescuers, our friends, and our guardians, bring personalities and powers different than our own into our spaces both intimate and grand. We simply cannot live apart from them. When I behold the beauty of the earth, The moon and the stars, The rivers, lakes and the roaring of the seas, The sculpture of the mountains, The beauty of man, and of creature great and small, The orderly harmony and the

interconnectedness of it all, My heart enlarges and my spirit soars. Oh! The inextricable pull of the beauty of the earth! I urge you to live closer to nature. To treasure its creatures. To embrace tranquility. Sit still in the woods and listen to the chirping of the birds. Put your hands in a stream and let the water run through them. Open your eyes to the daily miracle of nature. Fully partake of God’s art gallery, given to us, freely, as a gift. Care for it as a good and faithful steward. I close with an excerpt from novelist Annie Dillard in her work Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters: “At a certain point, you say to the woods, to the sea, to the mountains, the world, Now I am ready. Now I will stop and be wholly attentive. You empty yourself and wait, listening. After a time you hear it: there is nothing there. There is nothing but those things only, those created objects, discrete, growing or holding, or swaying, being rained on or raining, Lisa Seidenberg held, flooding or ebbing, standing,Photo: or spread. You feel the world’s word as a tension, a hum, a single chorused note everywhere the same. This is it: this hum is the silence. Nature does utter a peep just this one. The birds and insects, the meadows and swamps and rivers and stones and mountains and clouds: they all do it; they all don’t do it. There is a vibrancy to the silence...”

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FEATURE

Observations of a Childfree Woman A Tale of Suburban Living Sans Children By Linda Kavanagh

am a childfree woman. Not childless – but childfree! My life is different, some might say. I’ve been observing and living life, now as a middle age woman, sans children. As a business owner with many skills including food writer, publicist, and fitness instructor, I am in constant contact with women who are in and out of the workforce, with and without children, and those who are struggling with what they want to do with their lives. I live in an affluent suburban community where much is geared towards raising a family - churches of every denomination, a highly rated school system, numerous recreational facilities, a YMCA in every town, retail outlets galore, safe haven neighborhoods, and one of the highest SUV populations around. It’s truly one of the best areas in which to raise children. So, what am I doing here? The following pages contain excerpts from my soon-to-be famous New York Times bestselling book. It is a conversation meant for women (and men too) who have made a conscious and positive decision to forego parenthood. It is not an anti-child platform. In fact, it’s not about children at all. It’s about being realistic about how life changes when you become a parent, how childfree people respond to a judgmental society, and more importantly, the choices we women are making to achieve true happiness. 46

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What’s wrong with me? My decision to not have children was an easy one. However, it was not met with the same enthusiasm from others like some of my other life picks. Initial responses from those who did not understand or agree with my chosen life path included:

- You must have had a rough childhood. - Is there something physically wrong with you? - Your career is more important than family? - You are obviously too selfish to allow children into your life. - What will you do when you are older? Who will take care of you? - You’ll regret not having children. (This one really makes my blood boil) - Why did you bother getting married?

These are all fabulous examples of what NOT to say to a childfree woman. Frankly, I had a fabulous childhood. I have two wonderful older brothers and amazing parents who have been married for over fifty years. Originally New Yorkers, we moved to the affluent suburbs of Fairfield County, Connecticut to the charming town of New Canaan. It was a great place to grow 46

up. With no major life crisis or setbacks, I have only fond memories of my youth. Family, food, theatre, music, travel, social and moral responsibility, and a strong work ethic made up the foundation my parents had laid for myself and my brothers. My childfree path is supported whole-heartedly by my family, especially by my mother. I don’t have to explain how it was with my Mom’s generation. It’s universally old news and an overused rationale for why our parents’ generation really didn’t have much choice in the matter when it came to marriage and children. But that’s in the past – or, is it? Throughout my twenties my plans for the future were no more than to explore my many interests and work opportunities. Marriage was thought about, but never in conjunction with the idea of having children. While my career in the hospitality industry was zooming right along, my personal life became more complicated. My relationships seemed to be with men who were ready to settle down. By “settle down” I mean marriage and children. Wait! What happened to love, lust, living in sin, traveling the world? These hips can do more than bear children! Needless to say, I went through a few break-ups, two called-off engagements, and some lonely times. My priorities began to change. Work was at the top of the heap, providing me with a wonderful sense of empowerment, independence and accomplishment. Life happens. In 1992, after being diagnosed with systemic lupus, I had to go off of my birth control pills which were antagonizing my condition. Since I was not about to cut down on my sexual activity, I’d pursue a more permanent form of birth control. Knowing my lack of desire to have children, my doctors recommended a tubal ligation. My decision to go ahead with the procedure was just as easy as the operation itself. I was thrilled with the outcome and even more excited about my future. It became all about me. My health, my right as a woman, my control over my body, and most importantly, my choice. My boyfriend at the time dumped me the day after the surgery. He told me that it was merely a way for me to “screw around” without worrying about the consequences. Consequences? I guess he forgot therewas an AIDS epidemic out there, and that STDs were running ramped. A tubal ligation doesn’t ward off those, you idiot! Looking back it was kind of comical how he interpreted the situation. It was just a taste of things to come. Well into my twenties and thirties my friends were moving on with their lives. There were major changes around every corner. Weddings, babies, divorces, and those with children who could not swing the high cost of living in Fairfield County were forced to relocate. Relationships changed, as did everyone’s priorities. My girlfriends were putting their careers on hold to raise their children and many couples were on house detention in order to cut down on extracurricular costs to [already] save money for their kids’ college education. What was happening to my world? I was still in the clear. No children in this gal’s future. I was dating but it never became a husband search or a “prospective father for my child” quest. My disposition did however win me the dumpee award of the century. It became clear to me that if I wasn’t going to bear these men children, I was damaged goods. Should I just not bother with a relationship if I’m not going to play by life’s standard rules?

Relationships changed, as did everyone’s priorities. My girlfriends were putting their careers on hold to raise their children and many couples were on house detention in order to cut down on extracurricular costs to [already] save money for their kids’ college education. What was happening to my world? I am living proof that there’s somebody out there for everyone. I did eventually marry in 1994. He was a work-hard-play-hard type of guy who also chose a childfree life. We were a good match. He respected my independence and supported my crazy work schedule. We lived life on our own terms, coming and going as we pleased and spending our time and money on ourselves, the house and our future. During our ten-year marriage (divorced in 2004) we watched those around us dive into a life that would never be the same again with the addition of children - the good, the bad and the unpredictable. Who are these childfree women? In 1998 Author Terri Casey released her book Pride and Joy, The Lives and Passions of Women Without Children (Beyond Words Publishing). Terri chronicled the lives of twenty-five childfree by choice women. She also told her own story and talked about the conclusions that others drew about her character, her assumed personal tragedies, and even resentment from other women that were “playing by the rules.” I embraced and admired her honesty. Many of the women Terri interviewed seemed to give their career success as the main reason for swerving motherhood. Much had to do with the times when women were just beginning to make progress in the male dominated workforce. Whereas, fifteen years later, most of the woman I interviewed admitted that their decision not to have children had nothing to do with their career path, but rather, it was their preferred lifestyle. Many explained how they and their spouses relished their freedom and spontaneity. Some spoke about the financial challenges that came with raising children and how it was not what they wanted to spend their money on. And of course there were those who admitted that they simply did not care for children. When I initially began interviewing people for this project it was met with great enthusiasm. It was as if I was providing an outlet for them to vent, commiserate, laugh, and feel genuinely supported. But there was one woman who did not meet this invasion into her private life with the same fervor. “I never think about this aspect my life, “she quipped, “You’re making me think about something that really doesn’t play any part in my life. My decision to not have a child does not define who I am,” she continued, “Heck, until you brought it up, I never thought of it as a decision. It’s just something I’m not doing. I didn’t choose to like the color blue – I just do!” >

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Feature

Sensing a pent-up need to share I discontinued my line of questioning and just let her talk. “I cannot excel in that arena (motherhood), “she said, “I find it culturally disappointing that people even have opinions on this topic. I don’t think about other people’s choices in life. Why do people think about mine? Instead, I wish we would just celebrate our intelligence to do other things.” Well, she sure told me! And she made perfect sense. Isn’t that why I’m exploring this social phenomenon? To illustrate that choosing to be childfree is really a non-issue in society. And for those women who feel they are criticized for their choices, I want to assure them that they’re not only envied for being true to themselves, but they should also feel empowered for making the decision that is right for them. Stats / News In a recent TIME Magazine article, Having It All Without Having Children (August 12, 2013 - Lauren Sandler) it stated the latest Pew Research findings citing that 1 in 5 American women end their childbearing years maternity-free, compared with 1 in 10 in the 1970s. It also mentioned the nation’s fertility rate dropping 9% from 2007 to 2011. Author Jonathan V. Last made the case in his controversial book What to Expect When No One’s Expecting that the “selfishness of the childless American endangers our economic future by reducing the number of consumers and taxpayers.”

I suspect many couples face the same dilemma as Trish and Doug. Both lives are affected forever when a child is conceived. One would hope that the desire was not only shared, but embraced. Truth be told, people think and do some crazy things when it comes to the prospect of parenthood.

Compromise There’s a word that should never be used in conjunction with the thought process that goes along with having children. *Trish from my class at the YMCA had heard me wisecrack about my childfree life and felt comfortable enough with me to tell me about an issue her and her husband *Doug were having pertaining to having children. They discussed a future with children prior to marriage but now she was having doubts: 1) Having children never popped into her mind unless her husband brought it up. 2) Her new job was a priority and gave her great joy and financial independence. 3) Her husband was a workaholic. She’d end up parenting [mostly] by herself. 4) She did not have family nearby and a limited support system. 5) She was now thirty-eight years old. The desire to have children had subsided.

“If it happens, it happens. “A food writer said to me at dinner.

Her husband’s responses to her concerns were: 1) “You’re so wrapped up with your career that you keep putting it off.” (It’s her fault) 2) “You don’t have to work.” (Disregard for her independence and career) 3) “You won’t be alone in this. I’ll cut down on my workload.” (Yeah, right) 4) “We’ll hire someone to help you.” (Pacify) 5) “Everyone is having children later in life.” (Resentment and denial) Doug suggested that they test the waters and just have one child. A “compromise” he called it.

Choices I live in a family friendly suburb. I pay high taxes, much of which goes into the reputable public school system the county has to offer. Why does a single, childfree, professional woman live here when she can be living a New York City lifestyle? It’s simple. I like what suburbia has to offer. I enjoy those new sidewalks in town and the manicured walking paths in the park. I start my day at that awesome YMCA and appreciate the holiday decorations that adorn my town. My house is within walking distance of the train station and I enjoy the camaraderie among us commuters. It’s all here, in my charming, eco-conscious, family populated suburb. I may not have followed the expected natural progression that many women have. My life path is often admired and praised, but it is frequently judged. Perhaps there will always be a stigma attached to women who choose not to raise a family. I, however, take pleasure in my freedom and the ease by which I live my life. This book-in-the-making is not entirely about being childfree. It’s about knowing that you have a choice.

HOLY @#&%!! Did he just propose a compromise on bringing a life into this world? A negotiation of sorts for changing both of their lives! Is he mad? I’d like to write an entire chapter on the insanity of his proposal but it’s probably easier to just punch this guy in the face. Knowing this isn’t something anyone should compromise on, and not wanting to deny her husband the opportunity to have children, Trish filed for divorce. Trish is currently leading a full, happy and exciting life, childfree. 48

I may not have followed the expected natural progression that many women have. My life path is often admired and praised, but it is frequently judged. Perhaps there will always be a stigma attached to women who choose not to raise a family. I, however, take pleasure in my freedom and the ease by which I live my life.

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She wasn’t talking about possible rain the next day. She was talking about getting pregnant! “I can take it or leave it.” Insisted my newly married wine sales rep. Leave it where? “He wants it, but I don’t care either way.” Lamented an entrepreneur I met at a networking event. This was not about whether they should order the calamari - it was about having children! And people call me selfish?!

CoVER STORY

NORISK NOREWARD by Cindy Clarke

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Cover Story

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Photo: Courtesy of dozecollective.com

e is a risk taker. Which for a lawyer turned contemporary artist is probably somewhat of an understatement. A South African by birth, a Kiwi by assimilation, a Californian by choice and a Native American in spirit, David Foox has been turning the art world upside down with his unique perspective on the art of life since he first took up painting as a stress reliever during the dark days surrounding 9/11. He was living in Manhattan then, fresh off from taking – and acing – the New York Bar exam and getting licensed as an attorney in 2000. It was a time of immense pressure for him, so scary he remembers. He said that something guided him to paint as a way to reclaim his soul from the soul-less machinations of the legal world, a therapeutic move that not only gave him permission to breathe again but gave him license to breathe life into works of art that speak volumes about their creator. He learned the rudimentary points of painting quite by accident from a friend who dabbled in Warhammer miniatures about 2 ½" tall. His friend Solomon literally hand-painted miniatures for a living, adding a touch of color here, a tinted hue there, to give the Lilliputian figurines life-like, scaled down teeth, fingernails and even a hint of blood to add a realistic, finely detailed twist. David would stop by Solomon’s SoHo workshop often to help out and chill out after work, relishing his new role as a make-up artist. In fact, David enjoyed painting these tiny models so much that he eventually quit his practice in 2007 to color full time. “We even created a collectible dwarf army for Robin Williams,” David told me, adding that Williams just so happened to be working on a film on a street nearby after he received his little regiment so Foox stopped in at the shoot to tell the star that he helped paint the soldiers for him. It was synchronistic, David says, and an affirmation of sorts that he did the right thing by turning his attention and talents to the arts. Robin was all smiles and gave him a thumbs up… much like critics the world over have done

for his art ever since. Not surprisingly, his first breakout pieces of art took shape in figurines, collectible art that required the attention to detail and creativity of a toymaker and the imagination of a visionary.

fter he moved to Los Angeles to fine tune his new profession, he became obsessed (my word, not his) with a designer toy store called Munky King and wanted more than anything to have his work in their shop. For the uninitiated, Munky King is a temple of sorts for “toys that embody the rebellious and creative spirit” of its legendary namesake, the Monkey King. “Cast from the hearts and minds of independent artists around the world, the art toys are part of an evergrowing international phenomenon” that David wanted to be a part of. “I asked the owner what it would take to become one of their featured artists and he CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Cover Story

Photo: Courtesy of tenacious-toys.blogspot.com

told me to come up with an original idea, from conception to execution, keep my work unique, engaging and unforgettable, and stay true to my vision as an artist,” David explained. “The shop’s mantra is ‘individuality in the face of conformity’ so I knew I had to raise the bar with my own limited-run collectibles if I was going to make it here.” As his work – and his career path – attest, David Foox espouses the same revolutionary spirit that has defined breakout artists since the beginning of time. Think Picasso or Andy Warhol with a one-off toy mold instead of a canvas and you’ll get an idea of what makes David Foox an artist to watch. When creating his works of art, David takes his cue from real life. And in the case of the Organ Donor toys that launched his career, his inspiration was right under his nose. “Organ Donors is a vinyl figure concept that I really fell in love with because the idea actually came to me when a member of my wife’s family had to have a double lung transplant. He has had Cystic Fibrosis since the day he was born and he was lucky enough to get a set of lungs from a marathon triathlete. This miracle was the seed for the Organ Donors concept.” David recalls that it was an intense operation that literally took his breath away just thinking about it. He wanted to help bring attention to the importance of organ donation through his art but didn’t want it to be gory or abstract. The idea of pairing people with life-giving organs manifested in a line of dolls that literally 52

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kept organ donation top of mind and gave David coveted entrée to the Munky Shop. “The Organ Donors toy concept has brought together some very important considerations. Firstly, I wanted to make something that everyone could identify with and see something familiar in the Organ Donors. Secondly, I wanted to raise awareness for this cause. And thirdly, I wanted to create something quasi-interactive with regard to the blind box and availability of different characters in the Organ Donors world,” said David. David made 24 dolls dressed in hospital gowns, each sporting one of 9 organs for their head. In keeping with the anonymity of the organ donor process, he packaged the dolls in blind boxes so customers wouldn’t know which one they had received. Someone wrote that “his dolls were all heart, or lungs or eyeballs or brains.” After speaking with him for this story, I have to add that the artist himself is all that and more. That he is sensitive is a given. He wears his heart in his art, sharing his innermost feelings with the world at large as he creates thought provoking visionary pieces that make you catch your breath… and use your brain to figure out his message. He starts the process by making a pencil sketch, then builds it out, refining, revising, refocusing until his vision appears. Pop icons come into play in his paintings, which unfailingly blend ancient elements with modern-day cultural color. Take a look at his prints of foreign currency in his acclaimed Money Series and you’ll find philosophical commentary etched into the landscapes – Chairman Mao silently repressing the spirit of the people he lorded over, ancient Egyptian symbolism on Sadam’s money. David uses his art as a vehicle to shine the spotlight on social issues but he is quick to add that his work is not designed to make definitive political statements. That’s one of the great individual freedoms art allows us… to interpret what we see the way we see it. An avid world traveler, David channels his global adventures into his works, marrying

cultural insights, past and present, in an alwaysevocative way. His designs are multi-layered and symbolic of the people who came before. As David explains it, time overlays itself in a fractal progression and landscapes are steeped with energy from long ago. He is an ardent believer in the spiritual energy of the places he visits and paints, and holds dear a special connection to the Native American spirit of tribal chiefs. References to his artful depiction of a Lenape Seneca Indian Chief come up in our conversation about his Money Series, the common bond being the trading of commodities by all world civilizations throughout history.

e laughs at the irony of the constant devaluation of today’s paper currency and the very real value of items that were traded between cultures in the past. His work falls into the latter category. He is a master at creating one-of-a-kind contemporary gems that evolve in new directions to disrupt expectations and pay homage to treasures from another time and place. He is tuned in and in tune with frequencies others miss, incorporating them into his art to give credence and legs to images immortal. He is currently collaborating with a like-minded fellow artist, photographer Adam Allegro, on presenting a new perspective of timeless, ethereal Asian landscapes – a blending of photo reality with painted visions that invites thoughtful contemplation. David is excited about this new direction, saying that Adam has

Photo: Courtesy of tenacious-toys.blogspot.com

an incredible eye for capturing the true essence of a place in his pictures. It is that essence that David will be celebrating as he puts his heart – and art – into Adam’s photos with a paintbrush. He will be unveiling his newest works in December of 2013 in Miami, Florida, at Art Basel, the premier showplace for visual art of the 20th and 21st centuries. John Haas of Victori Contemporary will be curating a selection of David’s work at Scope Art Fair from December 4 through December 8. On December 4, Burgess Yachts has invited David to show his artwork throughout one of their luxury yachts, followed by a charitable auction. On December 7, David will be giving an artist’s talk and painting performance at the Soho Beach House, sponsored by Hip and Bone. If you can’t make it to Art Basel to see him, find out more about David Foox and his art at www.foox-u.com.

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INDULGE: Motoring

The New Porsche Cayman S, All Grown Up I have never bought into the cult of Porsche’s 911. I like it enough, though less with each new generation as the once pure sports car of the 1960s has grown steadily into a portly gentleman of means, existing seemingly to amuse not the racer at heart but posers seeking the fountain of youth. By Frank Anigbo

nter the Porsche Cayman S, a return to purity of purpose. I don’t remember exactly when I first saw an artist’s rendering of the Cayman, or the magazine in which I saw it. But I do remember the excitement at seeing that shape and the bits contained within. Here, finally, was the car I always knew Porsche would build, a synthesis of what worked with the 911, but more important, a correction of the one thing they never should have done on the 911 – locate the engine aft of the rear axle. The Cay-

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man was to carry its engine where racecar engines are best situated, somewhere between the two axles. A drawing in a magazine turned into the real thing and in the summer of 2006, I found myself sitting in the driver’s seat of a Seal-Grey Cayman S with red brake calipers. It was a contemporary Porsche that matched my idea of what a sports car should be: small with no back seats, a closed coupe of mid-engine layout, and stripped of all but the most essential of luxury accoutrements.

And with an engine rated at 295 horsepower, it wasn’t exactly slow. That very car was the dealer’s demo and when it came time to retire it in late 2006 I gave in to the romance of the thing and purchased it. The first generation Porsche Cayman S was a very competent sports car. But even from the onset of my year and half living with one, it seemed to me that it was suspiciously lacking in such ways to suggest Porsche had intentionally arrested its potential. That made sense from a marketing perspective

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INDULGE: Motoring as it most certainly would have shaken the accepted role of the 911 as top dog were the young upstart permitted to upstage the venerable staple of Porsche lore. The most annoyingly obvious clue to its intentional retardation was a lack of a limited slip differential. Then there was the 3.4 liter flat six engine that positioned the Cayman smack between the low end of the lineup Boxster S with a 3.2 liter motor, and the top end base 911 Carrera with a 3.6 unit. The net result was a car that had all the ingredients to count among legends, but somehow gave the impression of timidity in the face of more established contemporaries. When I received the handsomely produced literature from Porsche introducing the new Cayman S, I was once again hooked. It was still the same Cayman sports coup with the bubble roofline that some people hate, but at the same time, this was something altogether new. I needed to go see it in person. A phone call to Steve Delongchamp at Porsche of Norwell set up an appointment to borrow a car for an afternoon. It was on a hot Friday that I arrived for my date with an Agate Grey Metallic Cayman S. Steve met me beside the car to explain the technology behind it and show me a few basic things I needed to know before taking off on my own. Apart from the name and basic shape, there is little of the original Cayman to be found on this 2014 evolution of the car. Where the first Cayman looked like a timid teenager content to live in the shadow of its 911 big brother, this one is buff and assertive with powerful haunches and deep character lines that lend it a familial but very distinct personality. As if sensing my thoughts, Steve points to a large poster of a Carrera GT above a door inside the showroom. The Carrera GT was Porsche’s top-of-the-line no-compromise out-and-out speed demon of 2004 through 2007. I see immediately that the new Cayman S owes its styling more to the assertive

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“I twist the ignition key positioned at the left of the steering wheel (a signature Porsche thing) and the engine comes alive with a hollow, almost broken resonance that any Porsche driver will instantly recognize.” Carrera GT than the 911 sitting just beneath the poster on the showroom floor, or to the Boxster with which it is most commonly associated. The headlight arrangement, as well as deeply-cut channel that feed air to the heavily revised power plant via a gaping inlet just in front of the rear wheels, all speaks of a car no longer tolerant of the junior moniker. With its engine now rated at a heady 325 horsepower at 7400 RPM, and 272 lb. ft. of torque from 4500 to 5800 RPM, perhaps Porsche had finally decided to permit the natural balance of its mid-engine small GT to go against the bigger and more powerful 911 with its iconic but stubbornly misplaced layout. It was time to find out. Sitting behind the wheel of the new Cayman S reveals an interior that is in line with that of the current 911 and Boxster in its ergonomically enhanced layout and use of materials befitting the Porsche brand. The thickly padded steering wheel is wrapped in

expensive leather and is perfectly sized and positioned. The view out the front glass is that of the open road flanked by muscular and curvaceous front fenders. The feeling for me was that of a very personal racer, not so small that it felt claustrophobic, or so large that it just does not work. It was a feeling of seating alone with my thoughts in a singularly focused car at the starting grid of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. There are no back seats to spoil the sepia-toned illusion. I twist the ignition key positioned at the left of the steering wheel (a signature Porsche thing) and the engine comes alive with a hollow, almost broken resonance that any Porsche driver will instantly recognize. Unlike most sports cars on the sharp end of the performance spectrum, you can still get a Cayman S with a manual transmission and my test car is so equipped, a short-throw 6-speed unit that automatically blips the throttle on downshifts like an SMG unit. Porsche also offers a 7-speed fast-shifting dual-clutch automatic Porsche Doppelkupplung or PDK. Driving the new Cayman S confirms it to be a significantly different car – better by a mile – than the first generation Cayman S. Though still not as quick as the bigger 911 in straight-line speed, you are left with a clear sense that the difference in performance is solely due to the difference in power output rather than handling dynamics. And if all of the world’s roads were zigzagged, the Cayman S would comprehensively trounce the 911 Carrera by as far as the day is long. On returning the car to Porsche of Norwell, I sit and chat with Steve Delongchamp for a while. He describes the new Cayman S as visceral; I call it the best sports car currently in Porsche’s lineup, the car that the 911 aspires to be. I know from his smile that Steve would openly agree with me where he not obligated to toe the official company line.

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INDULGE: YACHTING

TRIMARAN 210 Sunreef Yachts Introduces Its Very First Concept Luxury Trimaran

n 2013 Sunreef Yachts in-house design office took another step forward in luxury multihull design with the completion of a superb concept for a 210ft mega power trimaran. The project has been prepared upon the request of a potential client who was looking for an extraordinary multihull and appreciates Sunreefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong position as a world leader in custom catamaran-yachts and superyachts design and construction.

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With the length of 210 feet and interior space used to the fullest within all three hulls, we have reached a remarkable living space equaling 950m2, which makes the TRIMARAN 210 the biggest yacht of this type on the market. Operated by 18 crew members, the yacht will comfortably accommodate up to 14 guests in comfort and privacy. The top deck comprises a 125m2 dining area for 14, the captainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s private cabin,

internal helm station and a guest day head. There is also a private king terrace on the aft intended for relaxation after a long day in the sun. This deck can be accessed via a lift connecting all floors on the yacht. The main deck was arranged in a way to maximize available space without losing roominess. The 220m2 saloon can be arranged in many different ways, taking into consideration the privacy of the guests stay-

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INDULGE: YACHTING

Specifications: Construction: Advanced composites Length: 64 m / 210 ft Bem: 23,5 m / 77,10 ft Draft: 1,65 m / 5,41 ft Engines: 4 x MTV 12 V 2000 M84 1220 kw (1635 HP) Max speed: 30 kn Crusing speed: 20 kn ing on board. There are four separate areas from which guests can admire unforgettable views through the window wall without being disturbed. It has also 6 spacious guest cabins with queen beds which are positioned transversely to the axis of the boat. They are located in front of foldable private balconies which enhance the luminosity of the cabins and allow guests to admire sunrises and sunsets from their cabins. Each one of them possesses a private bathroom and extended storage. The master suite in the front is every ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream. There are two separate walkin wardrobes, his and hers toilets, two study areas and an outstanding panoramic view. This cabin gives private access to the 30m2 front terrace which provides an intimate re-

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

laxed area for the owners. The lower deck is dedicated to the crew. From the exterior it can be accessed from the aft through the garage for the water toys including sea bobs and two jet skis. This deck also includes a fully equipped galley, crew mess and crew cabins spread all the way to the front of the hull were the utility room is placed. The main tender for up to 12 guests and the crew dinghy is placed in the forepeak section. Apart from a smart and comfortable interior space the TRIMARAN 210 is a true exterior design masterpiece. Her sleek flawless lines incorporating streamlined window walls prove again that Sunreef is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leader in its niche sector.

Range: 5000 Nm Crew: 18 Guests: 14 For more information contact: Anna Filipiak PR & Marketing Sunreef Yachts anna.filipiak@sunreef-yachts.com +48 517 254 853 www.sunreef-yachts.com www.sunreef-charter.com

by Matthew Sturtevant

INDULGE: Decorative ARts

On The Block:

Modern Invades Chicago. Take A Seat. IN tHe Bag. Can’t Stop Art. headed to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, who prevailed in the fierce telephone bidding war with noted authority on late 19th century furniture, Margot Johnson.

Modern Invades Chicago Fine Art auctions were a success with international competition from hundreds of bidders in the salesroom, on the telephones and via the internet. The auction featured important modern sculpture, contemporary works on paper and a strong session of paintings. Modern and Contemporary Art Auction A highlight of the sale was an Alexander Calder stabile titled Le Champignon, 1956 which sold for $452,500. This strikingly simple matte black example of Calder’s minimal sculpture boasts a strong silhouette, as well as contrasts the movement and primary colors more commonly seen in the artist’s work.

Fine American & European Furniture, Decorative Arts & Silver auction on September 25, more than four times their pre-auction estimate. Once situated in the hallway of de Forest’s New York home, these chairs reflected his passion for the Indian Craft Tradition. The splendid chairs, which were later owned by William Randolph Hearst, are now

In the Bag Hermès lead the day at Heritage Auctions’ inaugural, $5+ million Beverly Hills Luxury Accessories event as a Matte Bougainvillea Porosus Crocodile Birkin with Palladium hardware brought $106,250 and a Shiny Blue Electric Porosus Crocodile Birkin Bag with Palladium Hardware brought $87,500. The Sept. 23 event gives Heritage the distinction of having sold the Top 10 most valuable Hermès Birkins ever offered at auction. The fresh auction concept combined the world’s most desirable bags and fine contemporary designer jewelry at Heritage’s Beverly Hills location. “Our auction marked Heritage’s grand Beverly Hills luxury debut and it certainly surpassed our expectations,” said Matt Rubinger, Director of Luxury Accessories at Heritage.

entry into a market considered a key growth engine for global art sales. Hundreds of people attended the auction as more than 40 items -- from Western masterworks and Asian contemporary art to jewelry, watches and wine -- went under the hammer to fetch 153 million yuan ($25 million). Among the highlights, a Picasso painting titled “Homme assis” -- and produced in 1969, one of the legendary artist’s most productive years -- fetched 9.6 million yuan.

Can’t Stop Art Christie’s held its first independent auction in mainland China in Shanghai on September 26th with artworks including Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, marking its full-fledged

Take a Seat A pair of chased brass overlaid teak side chairs designed by Lockwood de Forest realized $242,500 in Bonhams Photographs: Courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd, 2013 CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Camila Cook

oil on canvas

48 x 32 inches

ALANNA FAGAN Commissioned

PORTRAITS A portrait is a collaboration between the Artist and the Sitter, and the end result should capture something of the spirit of both. alannafagan.com 203-809-7174 alanna@alannafagan.com

art + objects

Venü Magazine's Marketplace For Furniture, Lighting, Textiles, Jewelry, Art, Antiques & Accessories

TIFFANY & CO. INTRODUCES A NEW ATLAS JEWELRY COLLECTION Tiffany & Co. presents a new Atlas collection with all the power and magnetism that made this celebrated design a fashion icon. The latest options continue the evolution of Atlas, with its classical Roman numerals styled in jewelry that is eternally modern. Tiffany refined these symbols of empire with the streamlined contours of American design. This seamless blend of the new and the legendary captures the essence of Tiffany—chic, sophisticated—the premier jeweler of elegant simplicity. The clean-cut numerals assert their timeless beauty in the prime asset to own now: an Atlas bangle of spirited versatility. Tiffany circles the numbers in cutouts of 18 karat yellow or white gold, defining style in lean, confident strides. Bordered with sparkling diamonds, this major design statement makes for bold band rings, as well, circled with diamonds or shaped in smooth, polished metal. Other options that figure prominently include narrow bracelets with fine chains that drape the wrist and a great open medallion in gleaming sterling silver. Altogether the jewelry generates a sensuous play of light that casts a luster over dressing day and night. The Tiffany Atlas jewelry collection is available at Tiffany & Co. locations worldwide. www.tiffany.com

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art + objects

Venü Magazine’s Marketplace for furniture, Lighting, textiles, jewelry, art, antiques & accessories

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

art + objects

Venü Magazine’s Marketplace for furniture, Lighting, textiles, jewelry, art, antiques & accessories

Auctions Held Once a month, Quality, unique items sold to the highest bidder! Come down to preview our gallery. For scheduling and more information, visit: WWW.WESTPORTAUCTION.COM Always accepting consignments stop down for a free appraisal

615 RIVERSIDE AVENUE WESTPORT, CT 06880

NANCY MOORE ORIGINAL PAINTINGS . MIXED MEDIA . WOODCUT Signed, Limited-Edition Giclée Prints

Portrait of a Woman Mixed Media, 33" x 40"

Woodcut 1

Mixed Media Woodcut, 27.5" square

www.nancymooreart.com

203.438.5556

Fledgling

Mixed Media, 40" x 32"

Two-Spirit

Mixed Media Woodcut, 27.5" square

nancymooreart@gmail.com

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art + objects

Venü Magazine’s Marketplace for furniture, Lighting, textiles, jewelry, art, antiques & accessories

FINE ANTIQUES AND DECORATIONS FROM THE 16TH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT

Susan Cutler Tremaine

Untitled, Oil on Canvas, 30x40 8/2013

A Chinese Coromandel Lacquer Four Panel Screen, Late 19th century 72 1/4” H 64 3/4” W. A Pair of Restoration Gilt Bronze Candelabra, Circa 1825 28” H. One of a Pair of Louis XV Style Walnut Fauteuils, Stamped JANSEN, Circa 1940. A Louis XVI Gilt Bronze Mounted Mahogany Boulliotte Table, Circa 1780 29 1/2” H 32 1/4” dia.

M.S. ANTIQUES BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

917.885.6163

www.msdecorative.com

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“Fury”, Oil on Linen, 48”h x 72”w

Nancy McTague-Stock www.nancymctaguestock.com 203.856.3528

www.tremaineart.com

art + objects

VenĂź Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marketplace for furniture, Lighting, textiles, jewelry, art, antiques & accessories

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4176Âź; 8)? +758)6A Luxurious Interiors )Z\ )Z\QNIK\[ d ;\IOQVO d /QN\[ WN ,Q[\QVK\QWV

JANICE CUTLER GEAR â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bullseyeâ&#x20AC;? Hand Thrown Ceramic Vase This hand thrown ceramic vase is drawn in underglazed pencil, then painted andÂ fired using theÂ Raku technique. Janis Cutler Gear of Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nest Pottery is an extraordinary award-winning ceramic artist whose creations are inspired by nature. Dimensions: 11"h x 7"w. $450

63-A Unquowa Road at Donnelly Walk .IQZĂ&#x2026;MTL +< Phone 203-255-0558 +MTT .I` TQWV[XI_ (aIPWW KWU ___ TQWV[XI_ KW

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One from a set of Four Johann Weinmann Engravings of Tulips, Circa 1740 These sumptuous original engravings were printed in colours and finished by hand and published 1734-45 in the great botanical work Phytanthoza Iconographia. This was the first time that this technique of colour-printing was used successful on the continent in a botanical series. They are now framed in beautiful decoupage and ĂŠglomisĂŠ frames. Sunflowers, Protea, Poppies and Peonies are also available as singles or sets of twelve. Dimensions: 19Â˝" h x 14Â˝" w. $2,500 each. Available at: www.Vandekar.com (212) 308-2022

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Gallery + Museum GUIDE

CT Bridgeport

City Lights Gallery 37 Markle Court, Bridgeport Tel: 203.334.7748 Web: citylightsgallery.org Hours: Wed-Fri 11:30am-5pm; Sat 12- 4pm, or by appointment City Lights Gallery presents local, regional and emerging artists to Bridgeport and its visitors. The gallery hosts various community-based exhibits and events such as: Artists’ Receptions, Arts/crafts classes, Open Studio Workshop, Lunch Time Art Demonstrations, Movie Night Series, Concerts and Music, Private and Corporate Rentals. ______________________________________ Housatonic Museum of Art 900 Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport Tel: 203.332.5052 Web: hctc.commnet.edu/artmuseum Hours: June/July/August, Monday through Friday 8:30am-5:30pm; Thursday evening until 7pm The Museum has one of the most significant collections of any two-year college in the country and includes works by master artists such as Rodin, Picasso, Matisse, Miro and Chagall. Both art enthusiasts and casual observers have the rare opportunity to engage daily with original works of art and artifacts on continuous display throughout the College and campus grounds. The Museum also presents lectures, programs and changing exhibitions in the Burt Chernow Galleries for our students and the community at large, serving as a rich cultural resource for the Greater Bridgeport area. ______________________________________ Schelfhaudt Gallery University of Bridgeport 84 Iranistan Avenue, Bridgeport 203-576-4696 The Schelfhaudt Gallery at the University of Bridgeport produces a varied and eclectic number of shows each academic year. Exhibits include works from students, alumni, local, regional and nationally known artists and associations such as the New York Type Directors. The Schelfhaudt Gallery is also host to the Innovators Entrepreneurs events, film screenings and multiple symposiums.

_______________________________________

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

DARien Geary Gallery 576 Boston Post Road, Darien Tel: 203.655.6633 Web: gearygallery.com. Hours: Wed-Sat 9:30-5pm The Geary Gallery is well-known as a preeminent Fairfield County gallery for representational art. Its proprietors, Tom and Anne Geary, are more than art dealers. They are friends to artists, spotting talent and market appeal, and nurturing careers, with a lively schedule of art exhibits that rotate approximately every five weeks. They feature both Connecticut-based artists with national reputations and well-known artists from along the eastern seaboard.

The Fairfield Museum + History Center Explore the Past, Imagine the Future 370 Beach Road, Fairfield Tel: 203.259.1598 Fax: 203.255.2716 Web: fairfieldhistory.org Hours: Mon-Fri 10-4; Sat-Sun 12-4 Believing in the power of history to inspire the imagination, stimulate thought and transform society. EXHIBIT: Now on view

Fairfield Fairfield University 1073 N. Benson Road Tel: (203) 254-4046 or 4062 Bellarmine Museum of Art (Bellarmine Hall) The Collectors’ Cabinet: Renaissance and Baroque Masterworks from the Arnold & Seena Davis Collection October 10, 2013 - January 10, 2014. Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:30-4:30 www.fairfield.edu/museum Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery (Quick Center) The Rise of a Landmark: Lewis Hine and the Empire State Building September 12 November 26, 2013. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11:00-5:00 www.fairfield.edu/gallery _______________________________________ Southport Galleries 330 Pequot Avenue Tel: 203.292.6124 Web: southportgalleries.com Connecticut’s finest new art gallery is a century-old ‘worn with time’ historic space nestled within Southport’s picturesque village. Presenting a selection of enduring American Masters and exciting Contemporary artists, we invite new clients and seasoned connoisseurs to explore the values of fine art collecting. _______________________________________ Troy Fine Art 3310 Post Road, Southport (Fairfield) Tel: 203.255 .1555 Web: troyfineart.com Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30am to 5pm, or by appointment in your home or office at your convenience.

A new, interactive exhibition that explores how people worked, lived and created communities in Fairfield and the region over the past 400 years.

Greenwich Bruce Museum 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich Tel: 203.869.0376 Web: brucemuseum.org Hours: Tue-Sat 10-5; Sun 1-5; Closed on Mondays and major holidays Consistently voted the “Best Museum” by area media, the Bruce Museum is a regionally based, world-class institution highlighting art, science and natural history in more than a dozen changing exhibitions annually. The permanent galleries feature the natural sciences that encompass regional to global perspectives. _______________________________________ Samuel Owen Gallery 382 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich Tel: 203.422.6500 Web: samuelowengallery.com Hours: Mon-Sat 10:30-6:00; Sun 11-3; Likened to “a little bit Chelsea on lower Greenwich Avenue, Samuel Owen Gallery specializes in paintings, photography and prints by American and European midcareer and contemporary artists. Regularly scheduled artist receptions fill the gallery to capacity with a colorful crowd.

Fine Art Gallery, Exceptional Design, Conservation Framing, Perfect Installation. _______________________________________

Red Carpet, Antoine Rose, lambda print face mounted on Diasec, 39" x 52"

_______________________________________

Gallery + Museum GUIDE

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Gallery + Museum GUIDE

New Canaan

New Haven

Butler Fine Art 134 Elm Street, New Canaan Tel: 203.966.2274 Fax: 203.966.4694 Web: butlerfineart.com Hours: Tue-Sat 10-5pm or by appt.

Fred Giampietro 315 Peck Street New Haven, CT 06513 91 Orange Street New Haven, CT 06511 Tel: 203.777.7760 Web: www.giampietrogallery.com Hours:Tue-Fri 10-4pm, Sat 11-4pm

Located on Elm Street in the center of town, Butler Fine Art specializes in 19th and early 20th century American paintings. Paintings are available for serious buyers as well as beginner collectors. The gallery hosts three to four shows per year. _______________________________________ Handwright Gallery & Framing 93 Main Street, New Canaan Tel: 203.966.7660 Fax: 203.966.7663 Web: handwrightgallery.com Hours: Mon-Sat 10-5:30pm Handwright Gallery & Framing provides a full range of framing and installation services for the Fairfield County area. The gallery offers original paintings including watercolors, oils, and pastels along with sculpture from traditional to contemporary. Our gallery represents emerging and award-winning regional artists. _______________________________________

November 8 – December 21: Melissa Brown “Gertrude’s Nose” and Elisa Lendvay “Moon of the Moon”. Works in the office by Cathleen Mooses. Opening Reception, Friday, November 8th, 5-8pm. Fine examples of American Folk Art also available for view. 91 Orange Street New Haven, CT 06511 Tel: 203.777.7707 Hours: Wed – Sat 11-6 November 1–23: Works by Cham Hendon. Opening Reception, Friday, November 1st, 6-8pm. December 4 – January 4: Holiday Exhibit featuring Gallery Artists and Guests, Opening Reception, Friday, December 6th from 6-8pm.

Silvermine Arts Center 1037 Silvermine Road, New Canaan Tel: 203.966.9700 Web: silvermineart.org Hours: Wed-Sat 12-5pm; Sun 1-5pm Exhibition November 2 - December 23 Guild Group Show “Works On Paper” curated by Suzanne Jilig, a NYC private art advisor with over 25 years in the art field. _______________________________________

Facing West, 2013,Melissa Brown, Oil, dye and spray paint on canvas, 24” x 28”

Old Lyme

Florence Griswold Museum 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme Tel: 860.434.5542 For hours, admission, special events visit: www.FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org “Home of American Impressionism.” Historic boardinghouse of the Lyme Art Colony, modern gallery with changing exhibitions. Gardens and grounds to enjoy.

Ridgefield California Hotel and Casino, Cham Hendon, Acrylic and Rhoplex on canvas, 32” x 44”

Norwalk

Artists’ Market is an oasis of art, an exciting blend of a gallery, a museum, and a busy framing workshop. Here you’ll find artistic creations in a variety of media: classic contemporary handmade American crafts, exquisite fine art and photography as well

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE

Dedicated to the art of the original print, the Center annually hosts 4 major exhibitions, a members’ exhibition, artist talks, over 75 printmaking workshops, and programs for schools and colleges. Print studio rental is available for private and corporate functions and to members who work independently. There are some non-paying volunteer/internship positions. The MONOTHON fundraiser, an annual marathon of printmaking and a gala art auction, takes place in the fall.

Exhibitions, free and open to the public, include a broad spectrum of professional, student and alumni artwork throughout the year. Selected Student Work is on display through 8/24/13. _______________________________________

Artists’ Market 163 Main Street, Norwalk Tel: 203.846.2550 Fax: 203.846.2660 Web: artistsmarket.com Hours: Mon-Sat 9-5pm; Thu 9-8pm; Sun 12-4pm

Center for Contemporary Printmaking Mathews Park 299 West Avenue Norwalk, CT 06850 Tel: 203.899.7999 Web: contemprints.org Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 12- 5pm | Admission Free

Chauncey Stillman Gallery Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts 84 Lyme Street, Old Lyme Tel: 860.434.5232 Fax: 860.434.8725 Web: lymeacademy.edu Hours: Mon-Sat 10-4pm

Heather Gaudio Fine Art 21 South Avenue, New Canaan Tel: 203.801.9590 Fax: 203.801.9580 Web:heathergaudiofineart.com Hours: Tue-Sat 11am-5pm or by appt. Heather Gaudio Fine Art specializes in both emerging and established artists, offering works on paper, photography, painting and sculpture. The gallery offers a full range of art advisory services, from forming and maintaining a collection to framing and installation. The focus is on each individual client, selecting art that best serves his or her vision, space, and resources. Offering five shows a year, the exhibitions are designed to showcase important talent and provide artwork appealing to a broad range of interests. _______________________________________

as custom framing for those who want to show off something special or preserve heirlooms for future generations. _______________________________________

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum 258 Main Street Tel: 203.438.4519 Web: aldrichart.org Hours: Tue-Sun 12-5pm The Aldrich is dedicated to fostering innovative artists whose ideas and interpretations of the world around us serve as a platform to encourage creative thinking. The Aldrich, which served an audience of over 37,700 in 2011, is one of the few independent, non-collecting contemporary art museums in the United States, and the only museum in Connecticut devoted to contemporary art. _______________________________________

Gallery + Museum GUIDE

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To be included in the Gallery & Museum Guide call: 1.203.333.7300 or email us at advertising@venumagazine.com

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Gallery + Museum GUIDE

Ridgefield Ridgefield Guild of Artists 93 Halpin Lane, Ridgefield Tel: 203.438.8863 Web: rgoa.com Email: rgoa@sbcglobal.net Hours: Wed-Sun 12-4pm For a complete calendar of events and offerings, please visit our web site at www.rgoa.org. _______________________________________ Watershed Gallery 23 Governor Street, Ridgefield Tel: 203.438.44387 Web: watershedgallery.com Hours: Tue-Fri 11-6; Sat 11-5; Sun 1-5 Watershed Gallery represents artists from around the world – and around the corner – in a range of media, from painting, printmaking and works on paper, to photography and sculpture. Rotating shows highlight artists who produce abstract and loosely representational art, and who create an emotional connection with the viewer.

Westport Amy Simon Fine Art 1869 Post Road East, Westport Tel: 203.259.1500 Fax: 203.259.1501 Web: amysimonfineart.com Hours: Tue-Sat 11-5:30 and by appt. Amy Simon has extensive experience in the field of contemporary art. After years of working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum and Marlborough Gallery, she became a private dealer in New York and Connecticut. The gallery specializes in work by mid-career and emerging artists, contemporary blue chip editions and Asian contemporary art. The gallery’s inventory and exhibitions reflect its eclectic interests and expertise in these areas. Amy Simon works with collectors worldwide. It is our mission to introduce clients to work that we are passionate about. _______________________________________ Nuartlink Gallery 19 Post Road East, Westport Tel: 203.858.2067 Web: nuartlink.com Hours: Wed-Sat 11-6 and by appt. Nuartlink gallery focuses on contemporary art providing exposure to emerging and established artists. _______________________________________

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Westport Art Center 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport Tel: 203.222.7070 Fax: 203.222.7999 Web: westportartscenter.org Hours: Mon-Fri 10-4; Sat 10-5; Sun 12-4 Curated by Helen Klisser During, “Bird’sEye View” features major contemporary artworks that depict real or imagined landscape from an aerial perspective. From the Andrew and Christine Hall Collection. _______________________________________ Westport River Gallery 1 Riverside Avenue, Westport Tel: 203.226.6934 Web: westportrivergallery.com Hours: Wed-Fri 11-4; Sat 11-5; Sun 12-4, or by appointment We offer the best in distinctive European, American & Asian fine art, working with all levels of art collectors, corporate clients and decorators. Artists are selected based on reputation, credentials, style, distinctions. Styles include impressionistic, realistic, abstract & modern. Your hosts are Ken & Pat Warren. _______________________________________

New RochellEe transFORM Gallery 20 Jones Street Tel: 914.500.1000 Web: www.transformgallery.com Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-4pm Housed in a former industrial factory more than six decades old, the transFORM Gallery boasts high ceilings, original windows that drink the natural light, and a spacious lofty quality. Exhibitions organized by transFORM have encompassed all the visual arts: painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, and, of course, the decorative arts.

Pound Ridge The Lionheart Gallery 27 Westchester Avenue Scotts Corners, Pound Ridge Tel: 914.764.8689 Web: thelionheartgallery.com Hours: Wed-Sat 11am-5pm; Sun 12-4pm The Lionheart Gallery presents top drawer contemporary art: the sophistication of a Chelsea gallery in a charming country setting. November 16th- January 26th, 2014 Intimacy - Oil Paintings by Betsy Podlach and Kathleen Griffin - Butterflies of Memory, Artist Talk and Brunch - December 8th 11:00-1:00

Larchmont Kenise Barnes Fine Art 1947 Palmer Avenue Tel: 914.834.8077 Web: www.kbfa.com Hours: Wed-Sun 12-6pm

The gallery mounts seven exhibitions annually in our gallery space in Larchmont, NY as well as curating shows for art centers, museums, institutional art galleries and corporate spaces. We are a gallery and consulting firm that represents emerging and mid-career investment-quality artists. Our program includes over thirty artists working in a variety of mediums. The gallery mounts seven exhibitions annually, and participates in art fairs in Miami, Santa Fe and New York. _______________________________________

Pearls, oil and acrylic by Betsy Podlach

Purchase Neuberger Museum of Art 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase Tel: 914.251.6100 Web: neuberger.org Hours: Tue-Sun 12-5pm; Closed Mondays and Holidays. Admission: Adults $5, Students $3, Seniors (62+) $3. Westchester County’s premier museum of modern, contemporary, and African art and an integral part of Purchase College. From the mid-century American art and African art that form the core of the collection to the presentation of about ten changing exhibitions each year that range from retrospectives of the work of one artist to thematic surveys of contemporary art to newly-commissioned artist projects, we continue the commitment of founding patron Roy R. Neuberger (1903-2010) by championing the art of our time. _______________________________________

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Music Taj Mahal Focuses on The Blues with an International Lens By Mike Horyczun

ith his upcoming appearance at Fairfield University’s Quick Center for the Arts on November 16, 2013, Taj Mahal will be doing something that comes naturally – exploring the blues through the eyes of the world. The concert, entitled “World Blues,” features the Taj Mahjal Trio, with Taj on vocals, guitar, keys and banjo, Kester Smith on drums, and Billy Rich on bass. Joining Taj Mahal will be Vusi Mahlasela, the South African songwriter guitarist and international singing star known as “The Voice,” along with Fredericks Brown, a musical collaboration from New Zealand featuring vocalist Deva Mahal, daughter of Taj Mahal, and keyboardist Stephanie Brown.

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Composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Taj Mahal is one of the most prominent and influential figures in late 20th century blues and roots music. Though his career began more than four decades ago with American blues, he has broadened his artistic scope over the years to include music representing virtually every corner of the world – west Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the Hawaiian islands and so much more. What ties it all together is his insatiable interest in musical discovery. Over the years, his passion and curiosity have led him around the world, and the resulting global perspective is reflected in his music today. Born Henry St. Claire Fredericks in Harlem on May 17, 1942, Taj grew up in Springfield,

Massachusetts. His father was a jazz pianist, composer and arranger of Caribbean descent, and his mother was a schoolteacher and gospel singer from South Carolina. Both parents encouraged their children to take pride in their diverse ethnic and cultural roots. His father had an extensive record collection and a shortwave radio that brought sounds from near and far into the home. His parents also started him on classical piano lessons, but after only two weeks, young Henry already had other plans about what and how he wanted to play. In addition to piano, the young musician learned to play the clarinet, trombone and harmonica, and he loved to sing. He discovered his stepfather’s guitar and became serious

about it in his teens he learned styles of the blues, plus he threw himself into the study of older forms of African-American music. Henry studied agriculture at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in the early 1960s. Inspired by a dream, he adopted the musical alias of Taj Mahal and formed the popular U. Mass party band, the Elektras. After graduating, he headed west in 1964 to Los Angeles, where he formed the Rising Sons, a six-piece outfit that included guitarist Ry Cooder. The band opened for numerous high-profile touring artists of the ‘60s, including Otis Redding, the Temptations and Martha and the Vandellas. Around this same time, Taj also mingled with various blues legends, including Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Sleepy John Estes. This diversity of musical experience served as the bedrock for Taj’s first three recordings: Taj Mahal (1967), The Natch’l Blues (1968) and Giant Step (1969). Drawing on all the sounds and styles he’d absorbed as a child and a young adult, these early albums showed signs of the musical exploration that would be Taj’s hallmark over the years to come. Taj continued to carve out a unique musical niche in the following decades. He released 19 albums over the next 30 years including two GRAMMY® winners, Señor Blues (1997) and the live Shoutin’ in Key (2000). Overall, he has been nominated for nine GRAMMY® Awards. He was inducted in to the Blues Hall of Fame in 2009. Taj’s most recent release is a 15 cd deluxe box set titled Taj Mahal – The Complete Colum-

bia Albums Collection (February 2013 via Columbia/Legacy). It includes every album from his selftitled debut of 1968 through 1976’s Satisfied ’N Tickled Too, plus landmark archival compilations Rising Sons Featuring Taj Mahal And Ry Cooder and 2012’s two-cd set of previously unreleased material, The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal 1969-1973. Taj continues to tour internationally, doing as many as 150 shows per year throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Taj is bringing seasoned veterans to his Trio concert at the Quick Center. Bassist Billy Rich began playing with Taj Mahal in 1972 and has been the bassist of The Taj Mahal Trio since then. He’s also played with The Buddy Miles Express and Jimi Hendrix. Percussionist Kester Smith was born in Granada and raised in Trinidad, West Indies. For the last 20 years he has toured and recorded 7 albums with Taj Mahal on CBS and Warner Brothers Records. He’s toured and recorded with Peter Rowan and Geoff Mulduar and was musical director for the play “Mulebone” on Broadway. Vusi Mahlasela grew up in the Mamelodi township, just outside of Pretoria, South Africa, where he still resides. Vusi built his first guitar from fishing line and a cooking oil can and taught himself how to play. In 1976, Vusi’s political education began as he witnessed the devastating massacre of more than 200 black South Africans in the Soweto Uprising. Vusi responded through his music, inspiring other musicians and listeners around him. Vusi began to write songs of justice, of freedom, of revolution, of love, of peace and of life. He joined a poetry group, The Ancestors of Africa, and also joined the Congress of South African Writers, a group of like-minded artists and writers, including Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer who paid for Vusi’s first guitar lessons. At this point, his political activism truly began. For the “crime” of writing songs of freedom and human dignity, Vusi was held in solitary confinement; he was harassed by the police repeatedly. Many of his friends fled the country. Through this struggle, his songwriting became not only prolific but also healing for himself and for his

listeners. And as Nadine Gordimer so vividly puts it, “Vusi sings as a bird does, in total response to being alive.” He simply became known as “The Voice.” At the fall of Apartheid, Vusi was signed to Shifty Records/BMG records and finally recorded his first album - a collection of songs he’d been writing his whole life. The title track, “When You Come Back,” became an anthem. In 1994, he performed it at Nelson Mandela’s presidential inauguration, and “The Voice” was soon heard all over the world. He was in the 2002 documentary Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony, and fellow South African Dave Matthews signed Vusi to his label, ATO Records, and released “The Voice,” a collection of songs from Vusi’s South African releases. Guiding Star and 2011’s Say Africa, produced by Taj Mahal, soon followed. In 2010, he helped ring in the World Cup in South Africa, at Orlando Stadium in Soweto; “When You Come Back” also served as the theme song for ITV’s World Cup coverage in the UK. He recently received an honorary doctorate degree from the prestigious Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. And on Freedom Day, South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma awarded Vusi with the National Order of Ikhamanga, recognizing him for “drawing attention to the injustices that isolated South Africa from the global community during the Apartheid years.” He also was awarded the SAMA Awards (South African Music Awards) Lifetime Achievement award to recognize his accomplishments both at home and abroad. Sing to the People, a live recording on ATO Records from the Lyric Theatre in Johannesburg includes songs from throughout the first twenty years of his career. Fredericks Brown, the musical collaboration of vocalist Deva Mahal and keyboardist Stephanie Brown, are renowned for their energetic live shows, rich harmonies and beautifully crafted songs. After initially meeting on the festival circuit in New Zealand, Mahal and Brown moved independently to Brooklyn in 2007 where they met up again to form Fredericks Brown. In each other, they discovered a passion for storytelling: writing songs that combine imagery and narrative, which they interpret with a stunning blend of strength and intimacy that draws the listener close. They have performed in theaters and clubs all around the world and released their album Out of the Rain in October 2010.

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Art Weather Beaten: Winslow Homer’s Studio Restored By Philip Eliasoph, Senior Arts Editor

Celebrating the re-opening of Winslow Homer’s studio at Prouts Neck, newly accessible, in an exclusive, private community with guarded, limited access.

ike a rugged sentinel protecting the storm-beaten coastline of American art, Winslow Homer’s newly restored studio home at Prouts Neck beckons for our attention. Beyond a tourist site, it’s a guardian of the past, a disquieting vault full of secrets, and a beacon of hope upholding the basics of great art. In our current state of flux with so much ‘up for grabs’ vis-à-vis questioning ‘what is art? – Homer nails it. His sturdy studio is an unassailable bastion. Bewildered and bemused by many of the antics of contemporary artistic experiments – I sensed felt Homer’s magnetic effect anchoring me: Home! On a recent pilgrimage out to a rocky promontory 12 miles south of Portland, Maine, one can’t help but to think this metaphorically as one of the last standing lighthouses of clas-

sical American painting. If location gives rise to artistic genius – then Prouts Neck [note: no apostrophe as by local lexicon] is Homer’s transcendent legacy. The austere, rather humble studio-cottage projects a powerful, pulsating beacon. Now, a century after Homer’s lifetime [1836-1910] the public can take solace and inspiration from the views which transformed the history of art. The flinty, crusty amalgam of an archetypal ‘Old Man and the Sea’ assumed his residence here from 1883 until his death. Wandering visitors today are met with Homer-esque signs of intimidation: “Positively No Passing,” and an unwelcoming police surveillance for those not “summering” as a verb. You’ll look ‘outta place’ dude’ without sporting Lacoste tennis whites, Lilly Pulitzer tango orange shifts, or NorthSail thermo-light parkas, not to catch some attention of the private residents’ association. But let’s not quibble about the landed gentry relinquishing a smidgen of their well-guarded privacy for gawking, spectators seeking out Homer’s sanctuary. Not even the most deserving art lover or tree-hugging naturalist gets to ‘hang out’ at Homer’s refuge.

MASTERFULLY RESTORED At left: a view of the studio from the southeast corner; above: Winslow’s daybed; top: The Painting Room, the story of Homer’s career as an illustrator.

Photographs courtesy of Portland Museum of Art 76

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Escorted by an extremely generous set of staff members from the Portland Museum of Art, one can’t help but feel penetrating into a protected preserve of privilege to inhale its rarefied air – and views! Even Homer would have sneered at van loads of admirers pouring into this art historical Lourdes. Reclusive, reticent, and intentionally mysterious, the studio’s exclusivity is a contemporaneous version of Homer’s own hand-painted, poisonous hex sign posted – “Snakes, Snakes,

Mice!” Installed like a reliquary above the mantelpiece, its message was to deter the constant annoyances of inquisitive souvenir seekers at the height of his fame. What is not very clear – and a persistently nagging unanswered question – remains Homer’s own social and even sexual proclivities. Surely known as “one of the boys” in his machismo activities – hunting, fishing, sailing – does not however

square with his baffling, reticent, bachelorhood. His rugged women of the 1881-82 Cullercoats paintings from England’s North Sea, are essentially Boston Patriot linebackers in husky stature with flowing garments tossed in the breeze. Think of Michelangelo’s Sibyls – masculine steroid types with female hormones. Homer’s strangely antiVictorian females are venerated as de-gendered, muscle bound body builders. Then there is much fanciful lore in the literature about the dotting sister-in-law Mattie, (wife of brother Charles), who burnishes the Homer legacy telling tales about heartbroken young shopgirls and local lassies who Winslow once courted, but inevitably rejected. For this skeptic, none of it adds up. And it appears that I am in good company addressing these thorny questions. The distinguished art historian Dr. Henry Adams of Case Western, authored a groundbreaking article in The Burlington Magazine (April, 1990) wondering out loud about Homer’s “Mystery Woman.” Intricately argued, a “shepherdess” might well have been a burly fellow, Sergeant Joseph Keenan, of the Belmont, Ma constabu-

lary who might have posed “in drag” according to Adams. Professor Adams reclines Homer onto Dr. Freud’s confessional couch. Pointing out Homer’s “intense attachment to his mother, his ambivalent relationship with his weak and largely absent father, and the innumerable stories about his hostility towards women, all suggest deeprooted sexual confusions.” Christopher Reed published in the Yale Art Bulletin (Spring, 1989) zooms in Homer’s “Otherness.” We see the resonance in Homer’s muscular Black male victims as characterizing “erotic” tendencies. Not known for drawing from the female nude model – in direct opposition to his counterpart – Thomas Eakins, Homer seems to have an aversion for feminine flesh. Learning about his wardrobe full of natty, hand-tailored three-piece suits from Brooks Brothers, makes a post-Stonewall art historian wonder. Not that Edwardian foppishness defines homosexuality; but it seems contradictory to Homer’s lumberjack-deer hunter aura. Jonathan Weinberg, currently Visiting Critic at the Yale School of Art, is widely regarded as the

leading authority on gay iconography in American art. As a VENÜ Magazine exclusive, he spoke candidly to me about his ambivalence about the ‘queering’ of Homer and his reluctance to speculate about his sexuality when we know so little about his private life. “Certainly Homer at the end of his life made paintings of half-naked muscular young men that are homo-erotic,” Dr. Weinberg notes. “But whether he wanted to be like these men, or fuck them – (or both), we cannot know.” I carefully scanned his bookshelf looking for E.M. Forster’s three, pre-1910 novels of repressed sexuality as a clue. And more important in a thankfully post-DOMA era: who should care beyond simply coming to unravel a persistently, cloaked persona who now merits more unbiased disclosure. As one of the titans of American art, this taboo conversation will reveal more than a “don’t ask, don’t tell” indecisiveness. Fortunately, one senses that elusive intimacy within a whisper of the master’s ghostly presence. Homer’s fingertips gazing at a window pane with a perfectly signed “Winslow” etched into the glass. It’s akin to the fingerprints of Michelangelo recently discovered with the cleaning of the Sistine Ceiling. Like kindred spirits, fellow giants of American art, Homer’s studio residence enshrines his career. One quickly thinks of Frederic E. Church’s Olana with its commanding views of the Hudson, or the Jackson Pollock-Lee Krasner paint plattered studio in Amagansett, Long Island on our bucket list. The Portland Museum of Art earns angels wings for restoring this crown jewel back to its original, understated glory. Like the old Anglo-philic Piero della Francesca trail winding its way through a string of chapels ensconced in fairytale Tuscan hilltowns, Prouts Neck, is an instant ‘must see’ landmark. “The opening of the Winslow Homer studio is a pivotal moment in American art history. For the first time, visitors are able to experience

Homer’s own hand-painted, poisonous hex sign posted – “Snakes, Snakes, Mice!” Installed like a reliquary above the mantelpiece, its message was to deter the constant annoyances of inquisitive souvenir seekers at the height of his fame.

GHOSTLY PRESENCE Above: akin to the fingerprints of Michelangelo recently discovered with the cleaning of the Sistine Ceiling – a window pane with a perfectly signed “Winslow” is etched into the glass.

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Unknown Artist. Photograph: Winslow Homer with The Gulf Stream in his studio at Prout’s Neck, Maine, circa 1900. Albumen print. 4 11/16 x 6 3/4 inches. Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine, Gift of the Homer Family.

2 the Studio as it was during Homer’s time and discover the actual location where he created his best-known paintings,” notes PMA Director Mark H.C. Bessire. “The studio is truly a cultural treasure.” This was not achieved without the combined intelligence and flat out moxie to mount a $10.8 million national campaign. Engaging leading architects, art historians, and skilled craftspersons, the studio bears enough authenticity to grasp Homer’s vantage points for several pivotal paintings. Most thrilling is a gentle, overgrown winding pathway down to the craggy, weatherbeaten spit of rocks. This geological vestige of the last glacial ice age circa 40,000 years ago left its slashed out sculpture for Homer to memorialize in watercolor and oils. Its iconography was first known to me as a 10 year old schoolboy gazing at Homer’s majestic Prouts Neck paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The awesome power of “Northeaster” (1896) with its Japanese/Impressionist “Ukiyo-e” like plume of foaming waves, has been indelibly stamped. Thanks to the good folks at the Portland Museum of Art – that transcendent image sprang to Photographs courtesy of Portland Museum of Art 78

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3 life. A lifelong notion in my minds’ eye was the terra firma I was now magically standing upon. For next season’s fortunate visitors, they too will be rewarded as they embrace this most secret destination. Here, you will come to experience the physical sensations, blinding sunlight, wild flowers, and tortured rocky coast forming the inimitable language of Homer’s visual poetics.

1. Winslow Homer (United States, b.1836, d.1910) Weatherbeaten, 1894, Oil on canvas, 28 1/2" x 48 3/8" Bequest of Charles Shipman Payson. 2. Peter Juley. Photograph: Last official portrait of Homer, 1908. Photograph, Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine, Gift of the Homer Family. 3. Winslow Homer, Sharpshooter, 1863 Oil on canvas, 12 1/4” x 16 1/2” Gift of Barbro and Bernard Osher.

Hurry – It’s not too early to make your reservations, as last summer’s limited access sold out quickly. Open between April-December. For advanced reservations and instructions: call the Portland Museum of Art – (207) 775-6148. Tickets are $55/$30 for members. Tour duration: about 2.5 hours, transported by private van into the site. Please visit: www.portlandmuseum.org.

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Theater Artistry Island: Vineyard Arts Project By William Squier

hen veteran Broadway actor Nick Blaemire was was cast in a production of the play Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing that took place a few years ago on Martha’s Vineyard, it’s no surprise that he was excited. He was, of course, thrilled to be working with three-time Tony Award winning writer/director James Lapine and stars like Deborah Monk and Larry Bryggman. But, Blaemire remembers being equally pumped about the fact that the job would be, in essence, a 5-week working vacation on The Vineyard. “That setting combined with the opportunity to work with those people made it an unbelievable experience,” Blaemire recalls. “We spent most of our time in Edgartown, where the living and rehearsal spaces were. I did a lot of sampling the local cuisine and I’ve never had better seafood. The sunsets on the beach were

Ashley and Brittany Melone.

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breathtaking. The whole Vineyard is a little East Coast paradise.” Though the play was ultimately performed elsewhere on the island, the production’s home base was Edgartown’s Vineyard Arts Project, a custom-designed studio and housing compound that hosts to new works of dance and theater every summer from June through August. Among the other artists who, like Blaemire, have spent from 2 to 5 weeks enjoying the hospitality of VAP are marquee names like Charlotte D’Amboise, Benjamin Millepied, Leslie Odom, Jr., Tony Roberts and companies like Ars Nova, Dance Theatre of Harlem and The Public Theater. Vineyard Arts Project is unique among the colonies that provide artists with summer residencies in that it offers them a particularly high-end stay. The facility consists of two

hotel-sized buildings that are each outfitted with a pair of enormous, fully equipped rehearsals studios, one of which also serves as an airy, flexible public performance space. Each of the houses has a spacious living room, kitchen and dining area. And between the two buildings there’s enough bed space to sleep more than 40 artists-in-residence! In a way, it’s more of a creative resort than a retreat. Vineyard Arts Project was the brainchild of the Melone family, who originally built the facility to provide Ethan Stiefel, a choreographer and principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater, with a home for his summertime ballet-training program. By the time the doors opened in 2004, investment banker Thomas Melone’s daughters, Ashley and Brittany, had been very involved in the dance world. Brittany Melone, in particular, had been training for a professional ballet career from the age of 3. Ashley, however, had begun to gravitate toward work behind the scenes. “I was 19 when I started directing the school,” says Ashley Melone, VAP’s Founder and Artistic Director. “It started as a fluke. I was supposed to be a chaperone. Then, our school director left and I ended up picking up the slack. I got a lot of on-the-job training. It was really exciting.” After five years, however, Stiefel left to become the Dean of the School of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. And Brittany Melone had suffered an ankle injury that had made her performing career unlikely. “At that point, we were at a crossroads,” Ashley Melone admits. It was Ashley who hit on the idea of transforming the facility into an incubator for new works. “I saw the need to switch from a product-oriented organization to one that was process-oriented,” she explains. She envisioned it as a place where both up-and-coming and established artists could be given the time and space to focus on personal projects. The added bonus would be that the beautiful setting would also rejuvenate their creative souls. So, she pitched the concept to her parents. “Their one caveat was that I had to make it run financially as a non-profit,” Melone reports.

Vineyard Arts Project was the brainchild of the Melone family, who originally built the facility to provide Ethan Stiefel, a choreographer and principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater, with a home for his summertime ballet-training program.

Drew Jacoby and Rubinold Pronk rehearsing “Softly As I Leave You” by Lightfoot Leon

“Not a small order, especially in 2008!” Her next step was to pursue a graduate degree in non-profit management at NYU. There she met Kristen Gelinas, who ultimately became VAP’s Director of Development, and Megan E. Marshall, the organization’s eventual General Manager. The team was rounded out by Brittany Melone, who acts as the Associate Artistic Director, and Brooke Hardman, the co-founder of VAP’s New Writers, New Plays festival – all of whom volunteer their services.

“Kristen, Megan and I actually started Vineyard Arts Project largely in a class taught by the Executive Director of the Public Theater,” Melone notes. “Our assignment was to create a fake arts organization and put it through all of the stages of development. I asked, ‘What if it’s something that we’re really going to do?’ He said, ‘Great!’ So, during the first semester we incorporated, put together a board and said, ‘Here we go!’ Six years later, here we are still functioning.” “Our first artist-in-residence was Benjamin Millepied (dancer and choreographer of the film The Black Swan) who has just taken over the Paris Opera Ballet,” Melone continues. Through the Melone sister’s connections in the dance world, an impressive roster of artists followed in Millepied’s toe shoes, including Gillian Murphy, Christopher Wheeldon and Morphoses. The theater component began a bit later with a happy accident. James Lapine, who lives nearby, wandered in looking for rehearsal space for Mrs. Miller. “He literally knocked on our door,” Melone recalls. Lapine’s stay at VAP was

Pig Pen Theatre Company performing on the porch at Vineyard Arts.

A ballet class at the studio.

so positive that he became a mentor to Ashley Melone, helping her to establish relationships with cutting edge arts institutions in New York. Last year Lapine returned as an Artist-In-Residence to prepare another new play, Act One, for a production at Lincoln Center. “All of a sudden The New York Post’s Michael Riedel was writing about us,” Melone says. Despite an emphasis on process over product, several theater pieces developed at Vineyard Arts Project have already led to measurable results. Three visits by the Pig Pen Theater Company produced the Off-Broadway hit The Old Man and The Old Moon, which the company is now touring around the U.S. The first year of the New Writers, New Plays festival included Disgraced by Ayad Akhta -- which has already been seen at Lincoln Center’s Claire Tow Theater, awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and is likely to turn up on Broadway in the near future – and the musical Witness Uganda by Matt Gould-Griffin Matthews – which is on the American Repertory Theater’s calendar for a World Premiere directed by Diane Paulus, who headed up the successful Broadway revivals of Hair, Porgy & Bess and Pippin. The emphasis at VAP is still, however, to provide new works a safe place to begin development. “It’s always about seeing the work in progress,” Melone maintains. “As an Artistic Director, it’s very important for me to keep the structure fluid. The model is really dance inspired. To make a ballet, you need bodies in the room and you need the space.” And though every residency ends with a public performance, even that is meant to serve as a beginning. “It’s important for the artists to take the initial risk – to put something up in front of an audience,” Melone feels. “I want them to have that exquisite pressure that, at the end of the week, we’ll have an informal reading at music stands with an audience.” The experience is often just as rewarding for Ashley Melone as it is for the artist. “I just love being so close to the artists and knowing everyone’s name,” she concludes. “To see a ballet dancer ten feet from you in a studio and having the choreographer say, ‘No! Wait! Stop! Do it again!’ – I love that.”

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Film + Entertainment

Fox on Film

& Entertainment by PETER FOX: about.me/foxonfilm

James Deen, Lindsay Lohan, image courtesy of IFC Pictures.

“The Canyons” A film by Paul Schrader, starring Lindsay Lohan, James Deen Nolan Gerard Funk and Amanda Brooks. Screenplay by Brett Easton Ellis. An IFC Films release, 1 hour, 39 minutes. Rating:

uring the build-up to one of this year’s most anticipated releases, The Canyons, I found myself fascinated by the story of how the project was born, what it was attempting to accomplish, and the manner in which the Producers, (all twenty of them), Director Paul Schrader, and the film’s infamous lead star, Lindsey Lohan, were going to pull-off this daring cinematic feat: Create a hyper sexy, dark and dangerous look into the social periphery of Hollywood and that culture’s unmitigated downward spiral into the abyss of cultural irrelevance. With almost no budget (the film was crowd-

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funded), two very risky lead actors, in Deen, a porn star, and Lohan, a damaged, hopelessly addicted and ultimately un-bankable starlet, and a

supporting cast of B and C list talent, the project would have only two possible outcomes. Schrader and Co. would either, a) tap into the vast, well docu-

mented resources of Lohan’s experiences with sex, drugs, depression and self-inflicted injuries in such a way that those experiences would fuel the onscreen performance of a lifetime, while simultaneously maximizing the talents of Mr. Deen in much the same way. Or, b) the experiment, under the weight of an unpredictable Lohan and largely untested Deen , plus an overburdened cast and crew, would crash and burn. It is not as if this film never had a chance. Each of the lead principals has exhibited genuine talent in previous films. Paul Schrader was the writer of Raging Bull and Taxi Driver. Screenwriter Brett Ellis penned Less Than Zero and American Psycho. Lindsay Lohan is best known for her work as a child star and, more recently, received good notices for her work in A Prairie Home Companion. Deen, while less of a household name, is known as one of the top-grossing adult film stars of all time. I can see how the idea was formed. Take these two lead actors, each obtuse, yet perfectly suited for the lead roles, and deposit them into the universe of present-day Hollywood and hope that they will bring their real-world experiences to life after the director calls “action”. But, there are simply too many unnecessary detours. The opening shots of the film take us on a tour of shuttered movie theaters in the Los Angeles area. During the film, the cutaways to these abandoned movie houses and megaplexes serve as placards between scenes or sequences, as if we hadn’t already gotten the point that we are explorLindsay Lohan, Nolan Gerard Funk, image courtesy of IFC Pictures.

ing a way of life that is nearly closed out, closed down; just like the theaters. It is one thing to use a metaphor to subtly drive a point home. Less is always more, and never is this truer than it is in cinema. But to use a metaphor as a battering ram to beat a dead horse is completely another. Schrader relentlessly uses shots of shuttered cinemas during the all three acts of the film and results in the viewer being pushed out of the story, not drawn in. The Canyons follows the lives of four people after their initial encounter over dinner: the punk-ass, spoiled brat Christian (Deen), who plans to finance a low-budget slasher movie about to shoot in New Mexico; his girlfriend, Tara (Lohan); his assistant, Gina (Amanda Brooks); and her boyfriend, Ryan (Nolan Funk), an aspiring actor who’s landed the lead in Christian’s movie. They meet over dinner and drinks, during which Christian shocks the naïve new-kid-intown Ryan with tales of his and Tara’s open relationship, including frequent additional partners of both sexes. We soon learn that, a few years earlier, when they were both starving actors, Ryan and Tara were themselves an item. Now, ever since reconnecting at Ryan’s audition,

Lindsay Lohan, image courtesy of IFC Pictures

they’ve been meeting for illicit afternoon sex. Ryan still wants Tara, but Tara is more pragmatic. She has no interest in going back to a life of poverty, and tells him so. Ryan is crushed, but undaunted in his pursuit of Tara. Christian uses all the postmodern gadgetry at his disposal to confirm that Ryan and Tara are still hooking up. It is at this point that the story goes into full-throttle-exploration of the Hollywood noir. Christian uses his computer

Lindsay Lohan, image courtesy of IFC Pictures

and cell phone to spy on Tara, and to arrange for visitors to his Malibu home to have group sex with him and Tara. During production of the film, Lohan’s reluctance to do full frontal nudity, after agreeing to do so before production began, was widely reported. It is here that things begin to fall apart. The project, by its very nature, was dependent upon Schrader’s ability to pry out of his lead actors that which they were hired to bring to the set: Deen’s onscreen prowess as a stud, and Lohan’s drug and alcohol fueled mystique unveiled in its full erotic glory. But, Lohan’s refusal to let go resulted in shooting delays, the use of low light and above the waist camera angles, which proved to be largely ineffective. The delays caused by her completely unmanageable behavior, created an on-set atmosphere that was too much for this hopelessly underfunded and overmatched crew; lots of big budget film-set problems creating downward pressure on this micro-budget production. The added costs and lost shooting days created complete chaos on the set, and it is evident on the screen. Many

of the scenes play as though the crew was using guerilla style indie filmmaking tactics to make up for lost production days. (See the scene of Ms. Lohan having lunch at an outdoor café.) It was an accident begging to happen and a losing, (albeit noble) gambit by Mr. Schrader, who will hopefully not be judged by this failed, yet brave attempt at creating something special. Ultimately, the audience is left with a film which comments on itself, without actually setting out to do so. The internal contradictions of the story; the desperate Tara, searching for meaning, Christian, tragic trust fund brat who has never had to accept “no” for an answer (The Hollywood studio lots are loaded with his kind), the hapless Ryan, all victims of themselves. Lohan’s performance is at once triumphant, and an ultimate failure, as she scratches the surface of what could have been a great performance, but as a result of her own choices, falls short. In much the same manner, The Canyons falls short. It starts with daring ambition, but succumbs to the weight of the reality of its own internal contradictions.

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the

Daisy

Daisy column

miami society. the powerful, the chic, the unique

by daisy olivera

MIR Foundation

Celebrates Family Weekend With Tiffany & Co.

Top photo, pictured from the left: Madeleine Munilla, Martha Mishcon, Rene Ruiz, Kathy Simkins. Above, pictured from left: Dorothy St Jean, Remedios Diaz Oliver, Sonia Gibson, Jim Murphy. Photo at right Lourdes Valls (left), and Rene Ruiz.

Inner Circle of Twelve Luncheon At Rene Ruiz Couture Designer Rene Ruiz, a favorite of Miami socialites, hosted the kick-off for the 2013 American Cancer Society Inner Circle of Twelve Luncheon at his elegant, Coral Gables atelier. About 50 guests, including current and past honorees, committee members and supporters, attended the kick-off and had an opportunity to preview Ruiz’ latest collection as they enjoyed a lavish lunch by Thierry’s Catering. The 2013 Inner Circle of Twelve Honorees include: Ana Milton, Barbara Hevia, Christina Getty, Criselda Breene, DJ Kerr, Jeanne Shinefield, Kathy Simkins, Kimberly Shenker-Bacardi, Madeleine Munilla, Marile Lopez, Martha Mishcon and Tina Carlo. Ruiz’ exquisite evening collection is now at high-end retailers around the world, including Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.

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Fundación MIR celebrated its annual “Family Weekend for Life” in the Casa de Campo resort located in La Romana, Dominican Republic. The triumphs of the day’s golf and tennis events were celebrated with a magnificent awards ceremony at the picturesque Playa Minitas with celebrity emcee Pamela Sued, live entertainment by DJ Gringo of Miami, Tiffany & Co.’s Mystery Blue Box Wall, gourmet fare by Le Cirque, and cocktails by Ron Atlántico, Absolut Vodka and Chivas 18. Proceeds support the nonprofit’s efforts to aid and protect women, children and families who have been abused or neglected by providing them with education, technical programs, shelter and medical assistance. Photo at top pictured from left: Tiffany Director Henry Gonzalez, Lian Fanjul de Azqueta MIR Founder. Photo at left, Carolina & Aleco Azqueta, founder Atlantico Rum.

De Grisogono Shopping Event Benefits Brazil Foundation

Swiss luxury jeweler de Grisogono hosted a private in-store shopping experience benefiting BrazilFoundation at its new Bal Harbour Shops boutique, the 16th in the world. Guests enjoyed champagne and nibbles while shopping the extravagant, unconventional collections designed by founder, creative director Fawaz Gruosi. BrazilFoundation is a non-profit established in 2000 that generates resources for social entrepreneurs who propose innovative solutions to challenges faced by communities throughout Brazil. Host Committee, Frances Aldrich Sevilla-Sacasa, Claudia Mota Bomfim, Daniela Fonseca, Carolina Melo.

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