DAN'S PAPERS, May 1, 2009 Page 25 www.danshamptons.com
Honoring the Artist: Lisa A. Dabrowski This week’s cover artist and native North Fork resident, Lisa A. Dabrowski, not only paints but composes songs and writes poetry and children’s books. She’s also an accomplished craftsperson and videomaker. While her talents are diverse, there is a common thread running through Dabrowski’s professional and personal pursuits: her penchant for local history and family tradition. Thus, her subject matter captures North Fork’s indigenous life styles and farmland as well as its historical landmarks. Q: You have lived on the North Fork all your life. How did your family come to play such an enduring role in this area? A: My grandfather was a duck farmer here and managed the Long Island Duck Processing Plant in Riverhead. My great grandparents and grandparents on my father’s side came from Poland to settle here. I guess it reminded them of home. I went to Poland to see the cemetery where my great grandfather is buried. Q: You made a documentary of that place called Lomza Cemetery. It evokes a wonderful sense of lyricism and timelessness. Speaking of
history, your grandfather was an interpreter for General Pershing. How did your love of history manifest itself in your commitment to the North Fork? A: I raise 11 ducks where I live, and I plan on using them for educational purposes so children will know about this area. I’m also involved in Hallockville Museum Farm in Riverhead, and there’s a wonderful museum called Fort Corchaug near where I live that was the biggest trading place for wampum. The town of Cutchoque got its name from the Fort. Q: Your writing and art often come from your personal history of growing up on the North Fork where you had sheep and chickens and a garden. A: Yes. I just wrote a children’s book that should be out in early summer. My sheep were an inspiration for my book characters. I didn’t draw the characters in the book, but made them with a metal frame and clay. I couldn’t capture
their personality if I drew them. This first book is part of a series and it’s called, Mr. Woolly in How the Barn Was Painted Purple. Q: Your painting is also inspired by your childhood experiences. A: Yes. I’m actually building a duck house for my own ducks, and I’m doing a painting of it. Q: What about your writing and music? A: I have a poetry book called The Shutters of My Soul. And I sang my own songs on stage at the Vail-Levitt in Riverhead, the first performance on stage there since the 1920s. I’ll also be singing at the Big Duck Spring Fling May 2. Q: What do you want to do in the future? A: Something memorable. My dream is to have a small farm and to preserve the land. — Marion Wolberg Weiss Contact Fran Cobb at 631-727- 5342 about the Spring Fling. Dabrowski’s website is ladproductions.com
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