gansevoort magazine
Winter 2019
SCULPTURE TO WEAR
INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART JEWELRY
.com
"There’s Tiffany and Cartier, and then... there’s SCULPTURE TO WEAR" - WHERE Magazine
Celebrating 20 years of
ICONIC
wearable art 1999 - 2019 Lisa M. Berman
Visionary Proprietor Barbara Stutman, Survival of the Foot-est Brooch 1999 Collection of Lisa M. Berman
T. Molsawat - Perils of a Righteous President, Collection of Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Lisa M. Berman, by Bonnie Schiffman Business Attire Necklace by Two Roses Orbit earrings by Gina Pankowski Hinged bracelet by Statements Accessories
Robert Lee Morris The Power of Jewelry Retrospective
Greg Orloff - Crystal Legacy Necklace
Thank you artists, collectors and admirers for the past 20 years!
I opened my first show on Jan. 16th, 1999 called STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY - Jewelry’s Foundation Looking forward to another two decades of inspiration!
Jeanet Metselaar
ARTS WEEK IN MIAMI
F. Lennox Campello provides advice for attending one of the premier art events in the U.S.
Courtesy of Art Basel
As it has been obvious to the most casual art observer over the last century, New York has been, and remains the center of the fine arts universe – at least on this planet. But about a couple of decades ago, the European founders and organizers of a well-established European visual fine arts fair called Art Basel (that’s Baaaaasel not Bay-sel), decided to try
an American version of their moneymaking European “art fair” model and started one in the gargantuan Miami Beach Convention Center, and they called it Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB, for cshort). And within a few years, the planetary visual arts scene was forever changed: New York remains as the center of the art world, but for the first week
of December, that center shifts south to Miami; it’s time for the art world’s new “big dance.” Over that same time period or so, that one Miami-based ABMB art fair has spawned multiple satellite art fairs in the Greater Miami area, nearly all taking place at the same time during the first week of December each year. By
Courtesy of PULSE Contemporary Art Fair
now there are over two dozen smaller, but almost equally important, satellite art fairs going on around the Greater Miami area. As a result of that, art collectors, artists, celebrities, gallerists, actors, dealers, party animals, politicians, curators, and all the symbiots of the art world head to Miami during that week, and art rules the region (as well as dozens and dozens of private “art parties”). It is now a factoid that about 20% of all the visual art sold on the planet each year (less auctions I assume) sell in Miami during that first week in December. As a rough comparison, that’s a little more than all the art sold in New York – auctions included I am told – in an entire year! And because there are so many art fairs, at some many levels of the economic food chain, and while most mega collectors, the Hollywood crowd, and the rest of the jet set focus on the top
two or three fairs (ABMB itself being the crown jewel), there is art somewhere in Miami for all tastes and budgets. ABMB week makes the art world dance for anyone interested in art. And original art has always been a better choice than the fanciest and prettiest of any other “wall décor.” The sheer amount of art being offered, and the mindnumbing diversity of works, combined with the full gamut of all genres of art, from the most traditional to the most modern, all lead to a “critical mass” which has no challenger in any other place. Because of that critical mass, the ABMB Week in Miami has become the “big dance” of the art world; the art salon of the 21st century; the art place to be. Also as a direct result of that, it has become imperative that art galleries from all over the world come to Miami to showcase their art and artists. And
they do. “I sell more work, and see more curators, collectors, museum directors, and gallerists in five days here than I did in 10 years at my gallery”, once told me a Washington, DC gallerist, who has since closed her iconic gallery space and now (as a virtual gallery) only does art fairs. It’s not an easy goal to accomplish, as the financial commitments for the galleries are enormous, and for many a gallery, if they make a mistake, it is a one-time mistake: a bad art fair choice will break most galleries’ finances in one strike. Most of the art fairs are galleryfocused; that means that it is art galleries and dealers, as opposed to individual artists, which exhibit artwork at the blue chip art fairs such as ABMB itself, or the other top fairs such as Art Miami (and its sister fair Context Art Miami), considered by most to be the second most important art fair in the big dance,
as well as other satellite fairs such as Pulse, Scope, Miami Project, NADA, etc. This Miami area combination couldn’t be better: the world’s best Cuban food – waaaay better than Cuba itself(!), some of the best party scenes in the New World, hundreds of art galleries from all over the planet, thousands or artists with tens of thousands of art offerings all combine to make for an irresistible magnet not only to those interested in art, but also to those interested in seeing and being seen! No wonder than that in the last few years Hollywood is all over these fairs. For the first time visitor, even to gallery-hardened New Yorkers, it can be a daunting task, as there is no way to “see it all”, and without some advice, an ABMB rookie can end up seeing a lot of bad art, and missing the top notch art fairs. I would recommend that no more than 4-5 fairs be visited – in fact, that’s really all the time that a visitor will have at a brisk pace. Also, be aware that there’s a ticket cost to enter most fairs, although you may be able to score some complimentary tickets (more on that
later) if you plan ahead of time. Which fairs? Art Basel Miami Beach itself (of course) is where you’ll find the multi-million dollar pieces and the world’s bluest chip galleries – no emerging artists here, this is generally established, well-known artists with a solid secondary market record. Note that usually your ABMB pass will get you free entrance to many other art fairs, but check with the individual fair ahead of time. ABMB is where you’ll find the Basquiats, the Warhols, and the latest generation of young art auction recordsetters. Walking distance from the gigantic ABMB, is a very small and intimate “hotel” fair – Aqua Art Miami, held inside the hotel rooms of the Aqua Hotel on Collins Street. Aqua is by far the best of the “hotel fairs”, of which there are several during ABMB week. This is an art fair where the rooms of a hotel are transformed into individual room galleries and it is one with a reputation not only for affordable work by new artists – often including student work offered by participating art schools – but
also an awesome opening party with a well-established footprint as one of the best opening parties in the area. There are usually multiple other fairs in the general Miami Beach area each year; traffic is often brutal in Miami Beach, especially during this week, but usually the fairs themselves offer free shuttles back and forth – make sure that you ask! Besides Aqua, I recommend the Scope Art Fair, usually located in giant tents right on the beach sand at Ocean Drive and 8th Street; also nearby is the PULSE Art Fair, located this year in Indian Beach Park. New Yorkers should be familiar with these latter two, as they also have New York iterations. Visiting all those fairs will take 2-3 days. Depending where you are staying, you can choose first to get over to Miami proper and stop by Art Miami (which has actually been around longer than ABMB itself ) and its sister fair Context Art Miami, which is conveniently located right next to it – the same pass will get you into both fairs. Context Art Miami is sometimes seen as the “incubator” art fair for its big sister, the enormous,
Art Miami and Context from above
Context Art Miami / Brett Hufziger Photography LLC
multi-tent, Art Miami -- easily the best “American” art fair on the planet. In my prejudiced opinion, it is at Context where the “next wave” of hot artists are usually found! At least that’s where you’ll find me! These two very large fairs will easily consume an entire day. If you have time left, then go visit the Untitled art fair – that’s the actual name of the fair – and/ or also go see Miami Project. All of these fairs have VIP pre-opening parties where elegant crowds, booze, and small food circulate; and where tightlydressed women in lethal-looking six-inch heels conduct their improbable art fair
strolls with plastic wine glasses in their manicured hands. These are openings where handsome young men in slim suits and nerdy black glasses use their cell-phones to photograph the artwork, while third generation blue-eyed CubanAmerican girls, four or five inches taller and 25 pounds lighter than their political refugee grandmothers, and slim as rifles, take countless selfies in front of the artwork. How to get to the VIP openings? Or at least score a free pass to the fair? Before you get there, spend some time online and find the website of the fair(s), then click on their exhibitor list and send an
email to 1-2 of the participating galleries asking for a complimentary pass. Most galleries get a generous allotment of free passes, and if you do it early enough, it will pay off handsomely. And, since the openings are staggered, you should be able to hit 2-3 during your visit. By Sunday evening, when most of the fairs end, the glamorous aura of ABMB week also ends as gallerists begin the sweaty after dance of re-packaging the unsold art for the long and expensive trip back home. Art Basel Week returns the first week of December 2018.
GEMOLOGY GEEK GEM AND JEWELRY REPORT TM
ORIGINAL EVE
Designs featured at Jewelry Soirée Presented by Gansevoort Magazine
Erica Silverglide G.G.
Designer: Eve Streicker originaleve.com
Eve’s inspired by the fine details in nature and landscapes. From her extensive travels that translate to her gems, metal work and textures the Pearl pendant hangs from two Amazon inspired satin-finished gold leaves. Visually exciting Diamond bezel(s) are engineered to ‘flip” in her modern engagement rings to enjoy both sides of the Diamond. Pearl Necklace: 18k Gold with Freshwater Baroque Pearl; Rings: 18k Gold Hexagon Diamond ring (0.26 tcw), 18k Rose Gold Champagne Diamond three stone ring (1.10 tcw), 18k Gold Gray Diamond rose cut three stone ring (1.21 tcw) Contact for pricing
K. MITA DESIGN Designer: Keiko Mita. k-mita.com
There’s a feminine elegance to Keiko’s details in the balance, texture, beautiful craftsmanship and her combinations of metal and an extra pop of visual intrigue to the earrings. She kept the design classic yet turned the Bi-Colored Tourmalines in different directions creating a more fascinating overall design on the ear. Pink Mystique Earrings: 14k Gold, Bi-Color Tourmalines (17.2 tcw), Pink Sapphires (0.29 tcw), Rubies (0.08 tcw), Diamonds (0.03 tcw) Contact for pricing
OBJECT DESIGN SUTDIO Designer: Nelson Giesecker objectdesignstudio.com
Captivating, whimsical and mechanical creations are Nelson’s expertise. His miniature sculptures often contain interesting moving parts. The ‘Dreamscape’ necklace for example, whose pendant slides along the silver chain, is an intimate human illustration of his bold visionary efforts and a true thought provoking conversation piece. Dreamscape: 18k Gold, Platinum, Sterling Silver Contact for pricing
LORIANN JEWELRY
Designer: Loriann Friedman loriannjewelry.shop
Lori’s organic elegance keeps captivating her growing list of collectors. Pendants with a welcoming sexy style from an aesthetic that usually begins with a large gem enhanced with overlays of other beautiful gemstones. This piece features a stunning Ethiopian Opal that creates a very sophisticated adornment for anyone. Oval Opal Pendent: 14k Gold Ethiopian Opal, Amethyst, Yellow Sapphires, Tsavorite Garnets (19.93 tcw); Diamonds (0.05 tcw) Contact for pricing
EMILY KUVIN JEWELRY Designer: Emily Kuvin emilykuvin.com
The energy that transpires from her designs demonstrate a confident feeling embracing true “Girl Power.” Emily’s inspiration draws from her interest in 20th century modern artists, pop art, use of bright colors and a touch of drama--the perfect combination of daring elegance and bold design. Double Stella Earrings: 14k Gold, Amethyst, Poppy Passion Topaz; and Diamonds (0.22 tcw) Contact for pricing
NEW YORK CITY JEWELRY WEEK 2018 (NYCJW) Founders: JB Jones and Bella Nayman nycjewelryweek.com
Something amazing happened when JB Jones and Bella Nayman had the courageous idea for the first-time Jewelry Week in the Big Apple. During the week of November 12th the New York metropolitan area became the epicenter for highlighting an industry that had been secondary in the fashion world. Whether it’s couture or your favorite jeans what’s a great outfit without a great piece of jewelry- it’s the ‘forever lasting’ icing on the fashion cake! With over 170 events, professionals and jewelry lovers took part in attending lectures, symposiums, exhibits, receptions, special pop-up shops, and had a first-hand look at the private workshops of many New York area jewelry designers who opened their doors to the public for the first time. Including David Webb and Alex Sepkus as well as a special event at Fred Leighton’s Madison Avenue Salon. The week was a memorable one for everyone involved as the jewelry greats and emerging artisans all came together as one (even with that one day blizzard). Panel held at FIT; Designers at the Swoonery showroom for the #thehookup shopping event. Celebrating jewelry week is Erica Silverglide, JB Jones one of the founders of NYCJW, with Lisa Salzer-Wiles and Kenny Hwang
S. YAMANE JEWELRY Designer: Shane Yamane syamane-studio.com
During NYCJW18 Shane opened his studio to a small group of us and we had the incredible privilege of seeing the designs he’s created and the tools of the trade he uses. Growing up in Hawaii one can easily see a passion for nature reflected in his designs and the gems he uses. He adds a balance of tranquility and modern style to his elements that gives his work a very elegant visual appeal. We all look forward to his recent interest in lapidary and how the future of his work will evolve. Cushion Diamond ring (1.00 tcw), Agate Cabochon ring, Moonstone cabochon ring, entwined rounded bands, entwined rose cut bands and Holley Blue Agate ring Contact for pricing
LULU FROST introduces ‘FINE VINTAGE’ Designers: Lisa Salzer-Wiles and Kenny Hwang lulufrost.com
It takes a lot of courage to mix different materials, elements and styles all at the same time with an outcome that so beautifully works. It’s no surprise that the new Lulu Frost ‘Fine Vintage’ line did just that through the collaborative efforts of designer Lisa Salzer-Wiles and master jeweler Kenny Hwang. Their daring creative talents and artful mix of vintage and antique elements and gemstones magically produce some very enchanting results in their new fine jewelry line. Totem Earrings: 14k Gold rivets, Sterling Silver, Brass, Emerald, Blue-Green Tourmaline, Crystal, Opaline glass, Mother of Pearl. Contact for pricing
Erica is a private consultant who works with designers and jewelry companies. Guiding them in their brand development, gemstone sourcing, creating design mechanicals for local and overseas factories, and streamlining the production process to insure a higher standard of product quality. Along with developing custom designs for her private clients. She received a BFA in Metals and Jewelry from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), a Graduate Gemologist diploma from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and studied Computer Aided Design (CAD) at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). She managed production and custom product development in small NYC jewelry stores earlier in her career and then held positions in leading brands at Alexis Bittar, Judith Ripka, and David Yurman. Her expertise was enhanced by working as a Designer, Bench Jeweler, Gemologist, Stone Buyer, CAD Designer, Product Manager and Senior Engineer, and coordinated with factories. Enabling her to recognize the benefit of further educating her peers in the industry to help design and produce products reflecting evolving trends and meet quality expectations. Her blog on Instagram ‘GemologyGeek’ exemplifies her gem education goal, which she fondly refers to as ‘Gemacation’ so her followers will be Gemology Geeks too. It’s a fun and fascinating way for both professionals and consumers to learn more about gemstones, geoscience, lapidary, jewelry, interesting gem stories and the industry artisans behind the scenes. Visit her page @gemologygeek. Photos and copy all rights reserved, no part can be reproduced or transmitted without the permission of Erica Silverglide a.k.a GemologyGeekTM
ON THE COVER Model: Tori Glenn Designs: Andreas Tsagas Leathers and Furs Photography: Capturing Our Senses
WOMEN IN PARIS Travel Sister, a travel company that curates unique excursions
Women are shaking up the travel industry like never before. Boomer or millennial, married or single - women are grabbing their passports and jetting off to explore the world in record numbers. Spending more time and money than ever on travel, women are broadening their geographic horizons by venturing to diverse locales in pursuit of out-of-the norm experiences; often travelling alone. According to Trip Advisor, 74% of women worldwide claim to have travelled solo or planned to travel solo in 2015. Some gutsy gals embark on their journeys unaccompanied organizing everything themselves, while others, gravitate toward large established group tours. Others still, long to get away but have no one to go with them finding the idea of solo travel incredibly freeing yet also daunting. These women seek a balance of feeling independent and adventurous, as well as safe and connected. Throw in a broad spectrum of elevated activities that immerse them in rich culture, options to customize free time, and the ability to share these moments with a select group (who possess similar aesthetics and curiosities) and you have the idea behind Travel Sister – Luxury Larks for Spirited Women. You won’t find mega-buses or faceless guides sporting raised flags on a Travel Sister trip, but rather an exposure to place that is deeper, more irreverent, more personal, and at its core more meaningful. Travel Sister, is a Denver-based boutique travel company that curates nuanced excursions for women to some of the world’s most sought-after destinations. Travel Sister arranges for small groups of 10-12 women to take in the landscape, cuisine, history, art and culture of each locale through privately guided tours, exclusive tastings, impromptu
detours and unusual classes. Travel Sister is dedicated to creating and fostering a community of friends who seek to explore and experience the world together. Travel Sister founder Carmel Scopelliti – a longtime world traveler well-versed in food, wine, fashion, and cultural amenities – has a mission: to create once-in-alifetime adventures for like-minded women who want to feel inspired by new surroundings, genuinely connect with one another, and experience the freedom of independent travel with the security of exploring new places in a small group setting. Tours are customized to the preferences of women. Everything from choice of accommodation to each carefully selected activity must meet Travel Sister’s high standards for elegance, comfort, safety and most of all ..fun. To Travel Sister, just like to most women, age is irrelevant. If you are drawn to journeys of substance and have the energy and optimism for an on-the-go deep dive into a city, Travel Sister is for you. One travel participant found the experience to be exceptional. “What an incredible way to travel - safe, intentional, sophisticated and fun! I feel so fortunate to be part of the Travel Sister community. They provide the ultimate magical journey you would plan for yourself (and your friends) if only you had the time and a year to research everything to a “T.” Seeing the world this way is the only way to go” The debut Travel Sister excursion, “Paris A La Mode,” took place Oct. 8-14, 2018, and was a fashion focused fling through the City if Lights. At the top of the trip
travelers set their own intentions and got to know one another over cocktails, one of the many forays they experienced while discovering “their” Paris. The week was spent packed with private tours of the city’s fashion hubs
and museums, immersive art installations and performances, dining and cocktails at some of the hottest clubs and restaurants, gourmet cooking classes and wine tastings, vintage and boutique shopping in the choicest arrondissements, and so much more. Next spring, Travel Sister takes on Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende for a transformative journey of art, design and cuisine. The group returns to Paris September 2019, followed by an extensive Viva Italia tour in October which will span the fashion houses of Milan and the food meccas of Piemonte.
A rejuvenating stay in Lake Como with a final stop in Venice for the acclaimed Biennale will round out the tour. Future plans for the company include more domestic and international tours, custom itinerary design, destination event planning, and a scholarship fund for low income girls that want to work, study or apprentice abroad. To stay up to date on Travel Sister trips, see: travelsister.world | Facebook: @yourtravelsis Instagram: @travel_sister
One-of-a-kind Statement Pendant with Ethiopian opal, multi-color sapphires, amethyst and diamonds in 14K rose gold. LORIANN Jewelry Inquire at Loriannjewelry@gmail.com Loriannjewelry.com
Model: Eva Petric nd - Art Fashion: AngelHou tric to Wear by Eva Pe Photo: Alain Simic
EVA PETRIČ
This Renaissance woman has a new fashion line and two upcoming shows in New York
Eva Petrič is a renown artist who works in Ljubljana, Vienna, and New York City, in photography, video, installation, performance and writing. She has had over 40 solo exhibitions and participated at over 70 group exhibitions worldwide. She also has her own fashion line, AngelHound - Art to Wear, which she’s shown wearing in the pages of this magazine. And in 2019, Petrič will be featured in two exhibitions in New York. Her lace installations Collective Heart and Love-Belief-Hope, Eden transplanted, were displayed at the world-famous St.
Stephan’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria, during the spring of 2016 as well as in various other parts of the world, spanning from Buenos Aires to New York and elsewhere. “My Collective Heart - acting as a Fasting Cloth in 2016 in the famous gothic cathedral of St. Stephan in Vienna, visited by almost six million people annually - is 36 feet high and 16 feet wide and spreads over 576 square feet. Yet it is without borders, accepting each and every one,” says Petrič. Collective Heart is made from over one thousand pieces of lace, collected all
over the world thus containing countless memories, millions of knots, billions of hours of sowing and infinite quantity of wishes. It is limitless in absorbing good intentions and in its spreading good will. “Indeed, it materialises a House Without Walls and the Value of Sanctuary,” the artist says. This huge art work is an assemblage of 1000 vintage doilies representing intertwined races, ages, nationalities, professions, beliefs and religions of the people of the world and those who will visit it while it on display at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Eva Petrič, Collective Heart, St. Stephan’s Cathedral, Vienna, Austria, 2016, courtesy of Eva Petrič
in New York, where it will be the central artwork of the forthcoming exhibition called Building a House Without Walls – the Value of Sanctuary from February 14 - June 16th, 2019. For the first time in the history of this Cathedral, it will cover the Cathedral’s High Altar, inviting visitors to focus on their hearts and connecting and webbing them into a greater collective heart. The exhibition will also feature more than twenty artists including Kiki Smith, Francis Cape, Louise Bourgeois, La Toya Ruby Frazier, Cassils, Robert Longo, and Tomas Van Houtryve, with Petrič’s Collective Heart serving as the anchor. It represents a number of overlapping themes—relating to life, value, and human dignity—that will be addressed by this exhibition, which is the fourth in a series. Through these interlinked
exhibitions, beginning with The Value of Water in 2011, The Value of Food in 2015 and The Christa Project: Manifesting Divine Bodies in 2016, the Cathedral has worked to expand upon a vision that begins with the need people have for the understanding and respect of others, and the faith that all people have within them a divine spark. “Using the Cathedral’s sacred space as our canvas and our starting point, the exhibition will illuminate the intersections between spiritual and social identity, and the ways in which personhood and community cohesion speak to and are formed by notions of dignity, inclusion and exclusion,” according to its curators. This exhibition and public program initiative build upon the Cathedral’s ongoing exploration of seeking and
providing sanctuary in this specific and visionary space. It will encompass visual art, performance, and social outreach through all the facets of the Cathedral’s founding mission and areas of advocacy. Eva Petrič’s other forthcoming exhibition is called SafetyKnot and it’s showing at Galerie Mourlot from February 21st - June 16th, 2019 The show opens a view into Petrič’s most recent photographic work where the umbilical cord of Petrič’s artistic practice nevertheless, remains faithful and intact. In a formally unique and ever thematically engaging way, she references also her most early black and white analog photoraphy “Gr@y Matter’ language of shadows” series. Upon entering the gallery, patrons will fall into cinematic shadow imagery which echo Film Noir and which we
Eva Petrič, Mitochondrial Eve, photography in lightbox, 2018
know from Petrič’s 2006-2010 opus. Yet this time she presents them in an even more constructivist and architecturally sensitive manner: the Shadow of the Shadow triptych follows the creases and inlays of the corners, not the straight walls and is even translated into the medium of actual knots, giving a hint of the title at use. The handmade woolen Shadow Carpet presented on the wall as a tapestry, offers flight to our mind’s imagination and its comforting, soft and tactile aspect implies that the theme of sanctuary is at play. That the theme of body is in the forefront is not only evident from the subject of the images (the body is at times presented in its shadow form, then in its human flesh form and then again in its abstracted fractal web like form), but also from the form of the art pieces themselves which appear like unique “ bodies”, existing in other forms then we have known them to exist till now.
Eva Petrič, Shadow Hunter 2, lambda on dibond and plexiglass, 2018
Mictochondrial WEB, the fourth of the Mourlot editions, encapsulated in the form of a lightbox is the residue of Petrič’s art performance: “Eden, transplanted” where the human body, through the symbol and object of the human heart is in foreground. “Can our hearts be transplanted also onto other planets?” echoes from Petrič’s latest 300 page art monograph WEBbing, on display and available at the exhibition. In it, the Mitochondrial WEB, this time in the form of a print, marks the 20th chapter of Petrič’s monograph. Interestingly, it stands to convey how the medium of performance is that which enabled for the development of Petrič’s new technique in photography, Mitochondrial WEB being one of the 25 chapter images, materializations of this technique. The nearby seven unique RELIC series shine in the light reflected by the lightbox, shown for the very first time and hinting back to many of Petrič’s other
photographic works, as they contain the actual objects which served as props in so many of her photographic works. They embody a real relic like quality to them, encased in double frames, creating an additional physical but also metaphorical distance of respect between the art work and the viewer. Here, the inner frames are each unique and acquired from various flea markets from around the world. After circling around the exhibition, one can’t but help and wonder whether it is safer to keep the SafetyKnot in a knot or to untie it? By viewing both this exhibiton and Petrič’s 36-foot high Collective Heart at St. John the Divine Cathedreal, with its numerous and endless knots, one can try to further attempt to unravel the mystery of this artist’s work. Find out more at mourloteditions.com/ collections/eva-Petrič and stjohndivine.org/ programs/art/upcoming-exhibitions
A CARIBBEAN SAILING ADVENTURE by Viktor Felkers
T
he smile spread across my face as we turned into the wind and picked up speed. The skies above were clear blue. My grandfather was at the tiller creating the earliest moment in my life I can remember. I was two years old and wasn’t yet able to speak to express the joy and freedom I felt, but that feeling would stay with me and was on my mind when I sailed the Virgin Islands in the summer of 2015. Seven months earlier, on a cold winter day in Denver, I was talking to my friend Gerhard Holzendorf. Gerhard is a bigger than life character, an outdoorsman and adventurer by any measure. He was visiting from Seattle and shared that he had been on an amazing sailing expedition with his college pal Paul Exner. Gerhard knew I was passionate about sailing and also knew it was a precious memory I wanted to resurrect. I had taken a couple of standard sailing courses in the Chesapeake Bay, but I longed for a real adventure. I wanted to challenge myself and meet nature on its terms, to escape the constraints of sailing classrooms and traditional charter boats.
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The journey from my home in Denver, Colorado, to Saint Thomas was one filled with anticipation. The plan was to fly from Denver to Miami, and then from Miami to St. Thomas. I had a layover of several hours at Miami International and decided to celebrate my journey with a cocktail at the bar next to my gate. I flirted with a lovely woman at the airport bar in Miami, and she was worried I would miss my plane. And I did! I ended up getting re-routed that evening and boarded a flight to Charlotte that would connect with another plane bound for St. Thomas the following day. Despite this little detour, it was all worth it. Day 1 • Hungry iguanas at Molly Malone’s and our first weather class • Boarding the beautiful Solstice • Sailing to St. John, US Virgin Islands, anchoring for the night, and going ashore for the festival in port
I landed at Cyril E. King Airport on the island of St. Thom-
as and gathered my luggage. My soon-to-be shipmate, Tom, had flown in from New Jersey and arrived at the same time. We jumped into a van and were on our way. Clouds dotted the blue sky and the winds were brisk. I looked down onto the sea from the mountain roads with that same excitement I remember feeling for the first time sailing with my grandfather. I was eager to get on board and begin my adventure. Our driver dropped us off at Molly Malone’s, a spot popular with the boaters in the town of Red Hook. Neither Tom nor I wanted to waste a single minute. We grabbed our bags and made a beeline to the outdoor patio where our captain, Paul Exner, was sitting at a table waiting for us. He was surrounded by a trio of hungry iguanas, each the size of a small dog. As soon as he saw us approaching, he jumped to his feet, walked toward us, and greeted us with a big smile and an outstretched hand to welcome us to his Caribbean playground. We sat down with our Captain and he shared with us a potential change in plans. Our original itinerary had us sailing the Sombrero Passage from the Virgin Islands to
Anguilla, but a tropical wave moving into the area created tough sailing conditions that forced a change in our journey. The Virgin Islands had been experiencing unusually strong winds for this time of year, good news for any sailor. But with a storm, the winds were too strong. At this point, it was almost 3 in the afternoon. Paul was eager to get us on board his sailing vessel, The Solstice. After the introductions and a walkthrough of the expedition, we boarded the dinghy at the Molly Malone’s dock and made our way through a field of sailing yachts anchored in the bay finally reaching Paul’s boat, the sailing vessel (s/v) Solstice. His boat stood out among the more than one hundred yachts around us. The Solstice was a handsome, sturdy vessel that had been built by our captain’s own hands. The woodwork was rich; the rigging and hardware, heavy and shiny; the portholes framed and anchored buy bronze. The hull in some places was layered more than an inch thick. This boat was built to handle almost anything an angry sea and heavy winds could offer. We quickly stowed our gear below, hoisted the dinghy out of the water, secured it to the deck, and readied the FEB/MAR 2016 29
boat for our first sail. As soon as we raised the mainsail and unfurled the jib, we were sailing at more than 7 knots, headed to the island of Saint John for our first night’s anchorage. That incredible feeling I felt as a little boy sailing with my grandfather in Michigan was back again. Tom was at the tiller driving the boat; Paul the Captain was standing behind him smiling, so happy to see someone experiencing the joy of sailing. We made it to St. John to anchor long before sunset, and we went to the shore that night to experience St. John’s nightlife and carnival. We stayed just long enough to eat at the Sundog Café. Then, we had to get back to the boat to get a good night’s rest to be prepared for a full day of sailing. I slept on the deck outside, swayed to sleep by the gentle rocking of the boat and the steady, cool sea breeze of the trade winds. Day Two • Waking up with the sun, living with the rhythm of nature • Checking into customs at the British Virgin Islands • Sitting in the cockpit talking navigation and sailing with my shipmate • Willy T’s party bar
We woke with the sunrise. Paul introduced us to the finer points of cooking aboard a sailboat. Paul fired up the stove and cooked up a simple breakfast so that we could get on our way; though cruising the Virgin Islands is often a relaxing pursuit, if you want to get somewhere, you have to negotiate with mother nature every step of the way – and she can change her mind quickly. This day we were headed to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) to clear customs and to meet Paul’s wife in order to pick up supplies to provision the boat for the rest of our expedition. That night we planned to anchor in a bight – a curve in the island’s coast 30
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resembling a bay – alongside BVI’s famous floating party bars, the Willy T. Tom. I took direction from Paul to prepare the Solstice for our first full day of cruising. We made a short stop clearing through customs and arrived at our anchorage in the bight just before sunset. We had sailed for a total of about seven hours that day. As a sailor new to the sport, I didn’t have the same sea legs as my more seasoned shipmates, Paul and Tom. And though a day under the bright sun and sailing in strong winds and a brisk sea state had tired me out, I was thrilled when Paul suggested we visit Willy T’s to visit his good friend Kelen and enjoy a refreshment or two to celebrate a perfect day of sailing. Tom turned in for the night as Paul and I jumped into the dinghy to motor over to Willy T’s. The party life in the islands was surreal to me: ahead in the water was a 100 foot floating barge lit up with strings of party lights and full of a loud, happy, raucous crowd speaking French, English, and Spanish. Paul headed to the bar and gave his friend a big hug. Paul had recently been a guest at this friend’s wedding. (People who live and work in the islands all seem to know one another and are a tight, warm group of folks.) As the party around us picked up energy, Paul and I settled in to talk about island life, family, relationships, and sailing. Joining us at the bar was an especially rowdy crowd of French men and women who danced the night away, performing a wild, island-inspired interpretation of the music that blared from the bar’s sound system. A group of Texans next to us were enjoying their annual booze cruise with the goal of hitting every party spot in the Virgin Islands before returning to everyday life at home. The islands and the waters of the Caribbean seem to attract an unlikely collection of people from across the world, and each person has their own unique way of experiencing this place. Kelen kept our drinks full as the night went on. When it was time to close, Paul and I were the last men standing; Kelen had coaxed the last of the revelers
off the party barge. The bar lights were turned off as we finished our drinks, boarded the dinghy in the cool, night breeze to return to the Solstice. Day Three • GPS familiarization, charting, ship duties to ready the boat • The boat race
The next morning, Paul pulled out the maps from down below and brought them into the sundrenched cockpit to share his route plan and teach Tom and I about the local waters and some of his knowledge about charting. We also received brief instruction on the use of the GPS systems onboard. Tom and I were now working as a team to tie down the dinghy, secure the portholes, manage the sheets,
and ready the boat for the day ahead. Each day Paul expected us to learn, adapt, and put into practical application the lessons and skills he shared. He was gradually handing over more of the boat’s duties to us and guided us only when needed. Paul is both a respected sailor and skillful teacher. After checking the weather and charting the course, Paul put Tom on the tiller to take charge of the boat and get us on our way. Today would be the longest day of sailing yet as our Captain decided on the destination of Leverick Bay, BVI. On this day, the winds were even more brisk and the waves even bigger. Inside the protected waters of the Drake Channel, waves were being whipped up to heights easily exceeding five feet. We sailed most of the day with the hull pounding against the water. At one point, a catamaran came alongside us along the same tack (or course). What happens when to sailboats come alongside on the FEB/MAR 2016 31
same tack? A race, of course! Paul had us trim the sails very precisely in order to ensure a win. We steadily pulled ahead of the catamaran. The passengers aboard the catamaran seemed so impressed that one pulled out a camera to take pictures of us before we got too far ahead for them to capture the action. Several hours and more than 20 nautical miles away from our morning anchor, we pulled into Leverick Bay. We dropped anchor, all of us satisfied and tired from a great day of sailing – and our racing win over a catamaran. Day 4 • Paul checks the weather at Leverick’s and the debate continues: Will we make an attempt to sail to Anguilla? • High speed sailing drills in the anchorage with nervous and excited onlookers aboard anchored boats who witness fine sailing skills but wonder if there is a chance someone might get hit in the maneuvers...
This day was to be another step in our progression toward becoming stronger sailors, helping prepare us for bigger waters ahead. We woke and Tom prepared a breakfast of omelets in our tiny floating kitchen. As we ate, Paul regaled us with a story of a disastrous and somewhat comical sailing race in Lake Michigan in which he participated years before. He waved his arms wildly and gave a detailed account of rigging snapping in powerful winds and then the mast snapping… Paul was animated and I imagined 32
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he shared his sailing story in much the same way that other sailors and pirates of the Caribbean might have hundreds of years ago. After our hearty breakfast, we went ashore again. It was time for Paul to connect his laptop to the Wi-Fi network and check the latest weather report to see if there might be a chance for us to consider sailing the Sombrero Passage to Anguilla. Paul determined that weather reports of rough seas between the Virgin Islands and Anguilla were too much for our mixed crew to chance the passage. Instead, we would sail for St. Croix the next day. Paul assured us the weather would provide us plenty of excitement and challenge, that mother nature could always surprise us. Paul continued to incrementally push our comfort zone as a crew. On this day, we practiced boat-handling skills and man overboard drills, shoring up our collection of skills before we headed out to bigger waters. Paul also ran safety lines on both the port and starboard sides of the boats. We also donned our safety gear and practiced working aboard the Solstice while clipped in with safety lines. After this practice, we hoisted the anchor and sailed into the bay to begin a rigorous day. During the previous days, Paul had assessed us to measure skill level and our ability to work together. Now, it was time to put the tasks we’ve learned and our individual skills together to tack, jibe, and maneuver the boat on command. We also had to practice the most important skill of all: to properly respond to a man overboard drill and to demonstrate the skill necessary to maneuver the boat to come to the rescue of a shipmate in the water.
That day Paul’s mood changed. He was still kind and thoughtful, but also deliberate and careful in teaching and guiding. This is a skill that is truly non-negotiable if one is to take on more challenging sailing conditions. We sailed through the waters of Bakers Bay, Robins Bay, and into the tight spaces and narrow waters of the mooring field adjacent to the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. It was late in the sailing season and we were officially one month into hurricane season. Most of the yachts had cleared the waters of the Virgin Islands for safer destinations, but for the boats that were still moored, we put on quite a show. We were sailing at near full speed, weaving in and out of boats and maneuvering in response to our captain’s orders, “Turn right!” “Jibe!” “Port tack!” “Man overboard!” Many of the onlookers aboard other boats waved or gave us a thumbs up for the display of impressive skills. It was an especially tiring and satisfying day; in a period of about five hours, Paul had worked and tested us rigorously. Tom and I both saw that Paul was happy with the results and had the confidence in our crew to take on more challenges tomorrow. We anchored off Saba Island for the night, and though the parties and music on land played around us, none of us wanted anything more than a good night’s sleep. We set our alarms to wake us at 3AM. I rolled out my bedding on the port side of the deck to sleep in the breeze under a full moon, and the mellow, soothing sounds of reggae carried across the water from the band playing at the Bitter End Yacht Club.
Day 5 • Paul hands us the reins and watches… • Charting in the morning and picking up anchor under the fading moonlight • Rounding Necker Island into the open waters with punishing 20-foot waves and 20+ knot winds
This was our big day of sailing. We woke at 3 a.m., ate a simple breakfast, and immediately began to ready the boat for an early departure. We confirmed our position and plotted our course under the red lights. By 4:30 a.m., our anchor was up and we were motoring through the narrow channel between Mosquito and Prickly Pear islands. At the 2 o’clock position at about two miles out, we could see Richard Branson’s Necker Island. As soon as we cleared the channel, rounded Necker Island, and pointed the Solstice at St. Croix, any protection we had from the wind and waves was gone. We were sailing with the mainsail fully reefed and a storm jib. The winds were ripping across the water up to 40 knots. The waves were 15-20 feet high. We sailed for a full 10 hours as the Solstice rolled, sliced, and crashed through the waves from Necker Island to the port of Christianstead in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. It was exciting to be in the open sea and to look up from the cockpit at the peak of another wave rolling at our boat like a freight train. My shipmate Tom exclaimed, “This is what I came for!” and it was what I came for, too. We came to be challenged, and maybe even sought the thrill of being a little frightened, though the boat was FEB/MAR 2016 33
much too sturdy and steady in the water to think the seas could around could ever threaten our safety – and we were in good hands with our captain, a lifelong sailor. A few hours into our open water adventure, Paul asked me to go below, to practice navigation skills he had taught, and to determine our position on the chart. I had experienced motion sickness twice before, once aboard a hot, stuffy, military aircraft flying for hours through stormy weather and another time aboard a US naval vessel being tossed in 50-foot waves in the Indian Ocean. Back when I was in Colorado, I had warned Paul that I might be a candidate for seasickness, and now the moment of truth had arrived. I was enjoying the wind and waves, and went down below to be thrown violently from one side of the cabin to the other as I constantly fought to keep my feet beneath me while reaching out to grab a solid handhold. Though the air above was being whipped about and the sea spray drenched, us the air in the cabin below was still, humid and stuffy. I struggled for 20 minutes to read the small readout on the ship’s GPS and to transcribe them to paper and then plot our position on the chart, all the while being tossed about below decks. And no matter how determined I was to focus, my body gave in and up came breakfast – and last night’s dinner, too. I went above decks 34
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and had only roughly succeeded in plotting our position before I became too sick to see straight. Back in Colorado • Passing the experience and joy along • Sailing with my nephew Peter
I returned to Colorado from the sailing adventure refreshed, rejuvenated, renewed and with that same smile and feeling I remembered as a little boy on my grandfather’s sailboat in Lake Michigan. I thought to myself how great it would be to share this and pass it on. I called my sister Helena in Philadelphia and asked if her if I could fly her 15 year old son Peter out from Philadelphia to spice his summer up with a little adventure. “What is Peter doing for the rest of the summer, Helena? How about I fly him out for a Colorado experience?” He came out and visited. And while on a sailboat, when I told him, “Okay Peter, raise the mainsail,” I saw in him the same kind of smile I first came to know when I sailed with my grandfather 43 years before.
F. Lennox Campello (American, Born Santiago de Cuba, 1966)
“Icons – A Woman of the Future in a Gallery of the Past” 2018, Original Charcoal & Conte Drawing on Paper, 16x20 inches.
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MAKING THE MOST OF THE
AMALFI COAST
The romance of the Italian Riviera has long been a tale worth telling. Positano in particular is the place to be. This sleepy little town with its thousand steps will somehow color your dreams long after you’ve left. The beauty is that the glimmer of the ocean and the coastline’s picturesque views are always brimming at the end of your Borsalino. 36
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by Justine Freeman Khakshour
I suggest a lazy start to the morning with a macchiato and breakfast on the terrace. Everywhere you go will have a terrace. Then find your “dolce vita” by sailing off to a private beach and whiling away the rest of the leisurely afternoon. A gentle swim in one of the many caves on the coast followed by a light and
unhurried Mediterranean picnic. You can never go wrong with a bright Caprese salad made of aromatic tomatoes and creamy mozzarella di Buffalo drizzled with fresh basil and the finest local olive oil. This simple salad is quintessential Italy, even resembling the colors of the flag: red, white and green. Another favorite dish among local Italians is the Prosciutto e melon, thanks to its irresistible pairing of the salty with the sweet. After lunch, the next big event is cocktails at sunset. Enjoy a crisp glass of champagne after clamoring up the winding steps to Franco’s Bar at La Sirenuse as you watch the sun sink into the sea and the flicker of candle light come alive. For dinner, stay on site for a Michelinstared culinary experience at La Sponda, or make your way down the cliffside steps to Chez Black, where diners sit by the beach for some sea urchin pasta. The restaurant has the most charming ambience with the decor meant to mimic the inside of a vintage Italian boat where glossy wooden columns adorned with carved mermaids complete the look. NOV/DEC 2016 37
Let this put some wind in your sails, because the best way to
Let this putthe some windcoast in your thewindy, best way to experience Amalfi is bysails, boat.because By car, the single lane roads getcoast backed farwindy, from smooth. experience the often Amalfi is up by and boat.theBydrive car, isthe single For a change of scenery is not baddrive idea to shortsmooth. trips belane roads often get backeditup andathe is take far from Positano and the Ravello for lunch, examFor atween change of scenery it issmall not town a badofidea to take short for trips beBy boatand however, you are free enjoy the andfor theexamocean tweenple. Positano the small town ofto Ravello for sun lunch, breeze soak inyou the are beauty you. you and are able take ple. By boatand however, freearound to enjoy theIf sun the to ocean a boat to the island of Capri, do not miss the opportunity. There breeze and soak in the beauty around you. If you are able to takeis also the option of a ferry ride which is pleasant and inexpensive. a boat to the island of Capri, do not miss the opportunity. There is Alcohol is served on board and the ferry has open air seating. also the option of a ferry ride which is pleasant and inexpensive. Capri is very stylish and boasts some incredible designer Alcohol is served and the ferrycustom has open air seating. shops. “Jackie on O” board was known to have sandals made for her Capri is very stylish and boasts some incredible in the small shops of Capri. You can still do this today.designer Another shops. O” was known have custom sandals madesunlight for her big“Jackie attraction is the Blue to Grotto. It is a sea cave where in thepasses smallthrough shops of Capri. You can still do this today. Another an opening underwater and illuminates the cave big attraction the Blue It isSometimes a sea cavethe where creating a is glowing blueGrotto. reflection. Blue sunlight Grotto is passes through anhigh opening underwater and illuminates the cave closed due to tides making it impossible or too dangerous to enter. you are lucky enough to enterthe during time is in creating a Hopefully glowing blue reflection. Sometimes Blueyour Grotto Capri experience inside the grotto magical. closed due because to high the tides making it impossible or is too dangerous to If the grotto is not open, I recommend spending enter. Hopefully you are lucky enough to enter during yourtime timeatinIl restaurant and beachinside club. It is grotto aroundisthe corner from the CapriRiccio because the experience the magical. the cliff provide intimate areas Ifblue thegrotto. grottoThe is sun not terraces open, Ion recommend spending time atfor Il Riccio restaurant and beach club. It is around the corner from the 38 INTERNATIONAL blue grotto. The sun terraces on the cliff provide intimate areas for 38
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sun bathing and for a swim in the blue sea you can just climb the
sun and for a swim in the blue sea you can just climb the stairsbathing to the water’s edge. the restaurant has stunning views and delicious stairsFor to lunch, the water’s edge. sea food and pasta. vongolehas andstunning uni pasta views are always a hit For lunch, the The restaurant and delicious but the of the meal is uponand entering the dessert room,a hit sea foodbest andpart pasta. The vongole uni pasta are always called stanza della tentazione” which literally translates to “the but the“labest part of the meal is upon entering the dessert room, temptation room”. della tentazione” which literally translates to “the called “la stanza If you areroom”. looking to spend several nights here, my favorite temptation hotel is the Hotel Caesar Augustus at the top of Anacapri for its If you are looking to spend several nights here, my favorite breathtaking views and infinity pool. This Relais and Chateaux hotel is the Hotel Caesar Augustus at the top of Anacapri for its hotel sits 1,000 feet above the Bay of Naples and offers the most breathtaking views andwhole infinity pool. This Relais Chateaux panoramic views on the of the island. The hotel and doesn’t alhotel sits 1,000 feet above the Bay of Naples and offers the most low children under the age of 10. There is a hotel shuttle which panoramic the whole of the island. Theashotel doesn’t takes guests views to the on piazzetta of Capri Town as well a local bus allow children under the age of 10. There is a hotel shuttle which service. To be self sufficient and also for a little bit of adventure, takes guests to the piazzetta of Capri Town as well as a local a scooter rental is the way to go. The center of town has several bus service. Tothe be boutiques self sufficient and alsoshops for astay little bit late, of adventure, nightclubs, and designer open and if anything your ayou’re scooter rentallike is me, the people way towatching go. The over center ofspritz townat aperihas several tivo will easily a ritual want toshops continue after you nightclubs, thebecome boutiques andyou designer staylong open late, and if return anything home. When family invite join them you’re likeyour me, friends people or watching over you yourtospritz at aperifor an evening dining al fresco, simply let knowlong youafter will you tivo will easily of become a ritual you want to them continue be there in a prosecco! return home. When your friends or family invite you to join them for an evening of dining al fresco, simply let them know you will be there in a prosecco!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
MARC KNOBLOCH
@MKJEWELRYSTYLIST