INK MAGAZINE - APRIL 2023

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“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” – George Orwell

So for the April issue, I find myself writing this note on the first day of spring. I myself am a big fan and am very much looking forward to spending time with my bicycle, the fresh air, sunshine, and the smell of rebirth. Please feel free to take this magazine out on the back deck and find some stillness in your day. My wish for you is one hour and fifteen minutes completely unaware of your phone. Trust me, it will be there when you get back.

I have been putting out INK since 2005 and still find myself amazed at how many really great people that I come across while building each issue for you. It pretty much renews my faith in all that is good. There are so many gifted and talented folks who manage to keep their hearts in the right place. Each of these people combine to create a whole and in turn, a creative community.

I recently spent time taking photos and learning more about “All the Single Kitties” CatCafe in Old Saybrook. As an observer, Carla (the owner) is doing exactly what she needs to do. She is in ‘her” right place and when a person is authentically in that space, it is contagious Those animals are very well taken care of and will inevitabl y find the human friend that they need. She is doing amazing work there.

As with every issue of INK, personal passion abounds. We have photographers, artists, and sweet to eat treats and that is just in this one single issue. Also we would like to welcome the newest addition to the Ink family, Gregory Post. In his new column “What is Greg Drinking” he has set out on an odyssey of the imbibed. He definately knows a thing or two about what folks are drinking so listen up!

As a wrap, please visit any or all of our local sponsers. Shop Local and when you finish up with this months magazine do what many others do. Share it with a friend!

Enjoy!

Contributors

Jeffery Lilly founder / publisher

Caryn

Advertising

On the Cover: Photo by Josie Liechtenstein

Kathy Anderson, Red Tulips & Cardinal, Oil, 20 x 12”

Jeanne Rosier Smith, Unstoppable, Pastel, 20 x 40”

Leonard Mizerek, Windy Skies, Oil, 12 x 24”

Dan Brown, Lincoln, Torn Asunder, Oil, 8.25 x 9.5”

by Rona Mann / Photoggraphs by Jeffery Lilly

Message to parents forbid them some and they keep ask chances are when to go to great leng Carla was one of

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She had heard about cat cafes, sanctuaries established here and there throughout the United States, serving as foster homes for homeless cats where their lives would be improved until they could find “forever” homes. This intrigued Carla, and this time there was no one around to say “no,” so she threw herself into research. The first cat cafe was aiwan. T opened in 1998 in T Ta Tooday there are over 150 of them in Japan alone, the most locations in any one country in the world. The first did not appear in the United States until 2014 when a cat cafe opened in Oakland, California, quickly oday ork venue. T Y followed by a New Yo To y, , Gowrie reports, there are somewhere between 140 and 150 operating in the USA alone, although the pandemic took its toll on a number of them as it did on so many businesses.

Gowrie’s personal inspiration came from visiting a cat cafe in W Waashington, D.C. called Crumbs & Whiskers, which now additionally operates a second locale in Los Angles. After much research and satisfying the requirements of the health department, the state, and the town of Old Saybrook, All the Single Kitties opened on Main Street just five months ago to a curious and somewhat adoring public. What is it, exactlyy, , people wondered? Carla answers by saying, “Or cats come from our escue partner r r, , A Chance for Love Rescue, a licensed Connecticut non-profit shelter that spays and neuters, vaccinates, tests for feline immunodeficiencyy, , parasites, and feline leukemia, and finally microchips the cats before any adoption is approved. All the Single Kitties is both a safe haven and a showcase for some of the best felines in the state that have bthbddBid

been thrown away or abandoned Being cared forr, , playing, and being socialized through living with other cats and constantly handled by visitors on a daily basis then makes them perfect candidates for adoption.

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lounge, and just be themselves. “We’ve had as few as 8,” Carla adds, “and as many as 16.” But this place is unique. Visitors are asked to fill out a release form upon entering, to read the rules provided to them by one of the store hosts (Hannah, Chance, or Molly), sanitize their hands, and remove their shoes before going into the main room where the felines are eagerly waiting. There is virtually no odor, and the entire space has been professionally decorated by Chantal Lawrence of Total Design Source, a much-loved Saybrook shop and is well lit setting off cat condos, “trees,” comfy oversized pillows, and toys of every stripe strewn throughout the area. Visitors are encouraged to pet, to hug, to play, to throw toys, and to completely throw their hearts at the residents. About 70% of the visitors to All the Single Kitties are those who just want to see what it’s like to have a cat or be around cats. They are eagerly welcomed, especially those who bring children to play with the felines since this greatly helps in their socialization and makes them ready to go into a forever home. The other 30% are there because they seriously want to adopt a cat or two and wish to interact with them, up close and personal. So different from a shelter where you’re looking at your new family member through the bars of a cage!

The “cafe” has drinks and pre-packaged snacks and pastries available daily, but they must be consumed in a separate area or taken outside the facility. While potential adopters and human playmates enjoy their snacks, they can look through the glass at the ongoing activity as well as look at each picture and brief description on the wall. These cats are not just treated with the greatest respect and dignity, they are treated like movie stars with high-resolution portraits and a short character assessment under each photo.

All cats are “Connecticut residents,” so their health, their traits, and as much history as possible are gleaned from A Chance to Love from the get-go and passed along to All the Single Kitties so those who choose to adopt are getting the finest, cleanest, healthiest animals possible.

Interested in a party your guests will talk about for years to come? Ask Carla Y about renting space. Yoou can bring in your own food, cake, and guests whether it be a child’s birthday partyy, , wedding or baby showerr, , girls’ night out, or just a group of people who want topartylikeanimalswiththeanimals! to party like animals with the animals!

All in all, this is a win-win. Whether you choose to come, and play surrounded by willing playmates or you’re serious about adopting, both you and all the single kitties in residence are going to come out feeling just plain happyy.

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By Susan E. Cornell

wo-plus years ago, INK ran a delectable feature on artisan donut shops, of which there are many on Connecticut’s menu. Since that time, after considerable taste-testing research, a half-dozen additional shops have been revealed. These run the gamut from a 50-year-old bakery to a brand new, celeb chef-owned shop born out of the pandemic. Each serves outstanding, creative, dazzling delights.

Just as a quick review of this quintessentially American indulgence, doughnut history goes back long before the discovery of the New World. The earliest origins of modern doughnuts are generally traced back to Dutch settlers who brought the olykoek (“oil(y) cake”) to Manhattan (then still New Amsterdam). These doughnuts looked like later ones but weren’t ring-shaped.

Hanson Gregory, a Mainer, claimed to have invented the doughnut as we now know it – with a hole – in 1847 aboard a lime-trading ship when he was 16. Gregory didn’t like the greasiness or the raw center and claimed to have used the ship’s tin pepper box to punch a hole in dough’s center and to have later taught the technique to his mother. Smithsonian Magazine states that his mother “made a wicked deep-fried dough that cleverly used her son’s spice cargo of nutmeg and cinnamon, along with lemon rind,” and “put hazelnuts or walnuts in the center, where the dough might not cook through”, and called the food ‘doughnuts’.

The half-dozen featured are in oldest to newest order, not most favorite to least favorite or vice versa. They’re all damn good.

Flanders Donut & Bake Shop was established in the Flanders section of East Lyme 50 years ago and has been a family-owned business ever since, now with three generations working together. Second generation donut maker Greg Terracciano says just being around a long time surely helps Flanders make better products. Plus, being in the community as long as folks can remember makes Flanders a big part of the community. And, it’s not just three generations of bakers but three generations of customers.

Most importantly, the “products” are not just delicious but, oh, the variety of flavors available every day! In addition to the over 40 “standard” varieties (such as Chocolate Banana Cream, Key Lime, and Reese’s Peanut Butter), there’s the “Donut of the Month.” For example, Carmel Apple. The best sellers are Glazed Yeast-Raised and Boston Cream, which holds true with the next two shops – Neil’s and Dixie.

Neil’s New York Style Donut and Bake Shop has earned national recognition for their wide variety of freshly made donuts, danish, muffins and Italian pastries since 2001. Before opening the shop, the Neil of Neil’s worked as a sales associate. For him, the donuts at meetings were always supposed to be one of the favorite parts of the job, but he became tired of the quality (or lack thereof) of them. As the story goes, shortly after Neil’s

fortieth birthday, he “quit the only job he had ever known and set out to make sure that those inadequate donuts would never find their way into a sales meeting again.”

As Neil recounts, “Back in the day, I was in a sales meeting that had nothing to do with donuts and was forced to get Dunkin’ Donuts. I shouldn’t use their name but they were undersized, the edges were rolled in the glaze, and the top and bottom didn’t have any glaze. I wasn’t happy because corporate made me cheapen up our breakfast stuff and I’m like ‘this donut stinks.’

I was furious and went back to my cubicle and said ‘Screw this, I’m opening up my own donut shop!’”

Neil’s is now one of the most highly reviewed donut shops in the country.

Neil’s are the donuts of the 60s and 70s, the way they were in his childhood. “We cut the donut in half and put the filling in by hand so you’re getting a lot of filling … and generous with the toppings and powder and all that stuff too only because I’ve seen it done the wrong way too many times,” he says.

There are roughly 40 flavors and, instead of charging $4 or $5 per donut like some competitors, Neil’s tries to keep prices similar to the national chains while still serving a better product.

Neil, at 64, says “the pictures of fancy donuts with a lot of crazy toppings get the customer excited on social media but the taste and quality of my donuts speak for themselves, just taking a picture of a donut really isn’t that exciting.” (Note: Neil’s clearly has both an IG and Facebook presence).

“Maybe I’m a dinosaur in my own business but it’s still working,” he says. And it is.

The covid had changed the donut business and not for the better. Friday morning used to be huge, with 200 dozen flying out the door between 6am and 8am for work meetings. Now, with more people working from home, the demand for breakfast sandwiches with a couple of donuts has increased. The number of drive-thrus is also increasing, Neil notes, with many shops out west having six drive-thrus per shop.

About the same time Neil’s opened, Dixie Donuts (formerly Dandy Donuts) opened in Norwich. The current chieftain of this family-owned local staple, Jennifer Baker (yes, you read that name correctly), is the second-generation Dixie Chick.

Sure, the donuts are handmade and fresh every day but what sets Dixie Donuts apart from others is the staff. “A lot of people just come here to see this staff because they’re really friendly,” says Baker adding, “Look our Google reviews -- 9 out of 10 of them say the staff is so friendly.”

The only machine at Dixie is the mixer, every other step from rolling to frosting and glazing is done by hand. While the shop is tiny, Dixie Donuts still manages to offer around 36 different flavors. Among the most popular are Boston Cream, Buttercrunch, Chocolate Caramel, Coconut Custard, and sometimes Baker switches it up a bit and offers Maple Topped with Bacon or Peanut Butter filled.

Opposite Page: Courtesy of Flanders Donut & Bake Shop

Above Right: Photos by Susan E. Cornell,

Deviant Craft Coffee & Donuts donut and craft coffee shop in Olde established in 2018 as a pop-up sho V VaaultCoffee.

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Everything – every filling, every glaze and every garnish, is made by hand, but what is truly uniq is Deviant’s collaborations with local providers including Full Heart Farm (Ledyard), Beer’d Brewing Company (Stonington), Saltwater Farm Vineyard (Stonington), Thimble Island Brewery d) and T (Branfor Teerra Firma Farm (Stonington).

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Right noww, , the Everything Doughnut is a big hit. The ‘everything’ seasoning is made in house, and the chive and pepper in the homemade yeast dough makes a special savory donut.

e“Y The signatur Yooung Bun” is also a popular ound staple. “As a family year-r y, , our favorite Y doughnut is a buttercrunch, so the Yooung Bun is our take on that … a vanilla cake doughnut rolled in a sweet, slightly salty vanilla streusel. Perfect with a latte,” she says.

Butwhataboutthename?“YYooung Buns” is a Y family nickname. When your last name is Yooung, and you make a delicious bun… it’s a done deal!

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What makes Rise special, the pitmaster says, is not just making the best doughnuts they can with the highest quality ingredients but it’s also community support, it’s community fostered “and it feels like it’s theirs as well.”

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What is Greg Drinking?

April, as the kids say, just hits different. The transition from the doldrums of winter, even a relatively mild one, to mornings spent watching the grass finally grow is glorious. Shania Twain, a Canadian who would know something about the seasonal switches might have put it best: “Looks like we made it.” So for the inaugural installment of “What is Greg Drinking?” I had to really think about finding a beverage that encapsulates the feeling of ‘making it.’ With the help of the exceedingly knowledgeable staff at Spencer & Lynn package store in downtown Mystic, a new take on one of my favorite styles emerged: Clairet!

Let us start with a quick quiz to see if this wine is for you. Do you like French wines, specifically from the Bordeaux region? Rosé: all day or no way? Chilled pink adult beverages not named white zinfandel...are you curious? Do you like a wine that can as easily be paired with a simple charcuterie board as a smoked leg of lamb? Does the thought of being refreshed physically and mentally by a glass of fermented grapes sound appealing at this moment? If you or a loved one has said yes to one or more of these questions, you may be entitled to some Clairet.

With the season of big family gatherings upon us, be the one who shakes it up a bit when it comes to the non-basted sauce this year. Be the champion of Clairet. From baked hams and turkeys for Easter to Seder plates for Pesach, this chilled, dark pink Bordeaux beauty holds nothing back and rises to the occasion (a pun that can be exercised judiciously at both of the aforementioned holiday meals, as it turns out). For the sake of this article, I was guided towards Chåteau Massereau for their 2020 vintage. A blend dominated by Merlot, with some notable nuance from friends Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon respectively, this wine is a winner of hearts and minds. A little something for everyone, so no one will feel the need to say anything but “cheers!” when given the chance.

What to know about the nose: you are going to be getting some serious red fruit fragrance, specifically cherries and raspberries. Your palate will find that France fancies the fruitforward approach. There is a little minerality in the finish,

which makes sense given that this particular potable was fermented in concrete. A solid way to start the journey, no doubt! After this, there is a vacation into barrels where a daily stirring occurs for three months until it too is feeling the need for a release.

At this point in your perusal of this periodical, you might be wondering: who is Greg and why do I care what he is drinking? These are fair questions. I am a Mystic native, raised in the now-coastal cuisine capital of Connecticut before that destination dream started. I am a proud alumnus of the University of Connecticut, where I can count “mascot” as a brief occupation. Before my journey at Saltwater Farm and Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyards began, I worked down the road at the Beer’d Brewing Company, where I helped expand their regional footprint. My beverages of choice are usually the hoppiest or darkest of beers and whatever wine in the room has more salinity than a New Jersey tourist trying to save time on 95 by weaving dangerously in and out of traffic! I am married to an exceptional human and am constantly in awe of the child turning two this month that I have the honor and privilege of parenting.

Back to the beverage briefing, what else is there to say? As far as cuisine in April goes, you are going to be leaning into the hearty side of the equation. Roasted or grilled proteins, asparagus aplenty, that kind of mood. You might end up choosing a chowder or a stew if you catch a particularly raw day. Clairet can and will hold up its end of the bargain. It will not be overshadowed, nor will it push the pairing off the stage. It exists to excite and entice. If done right, it is the perfect argument for year-round chilled wines. A side I would champion on the drink debate team squad if given the chance.

I raise my (stemless, I have a toddler chasing an old rescue dog around me while I am writing this) glass to you and yours. Welcome to the daffodils giving hope vibes.

Congratulations on getting through the gray.

How To Capital-R RELAX, Already!

April is Stress Awareness Month

Ifyou think about it, it’s an odd month to be hyper aware of something we all experience year-round. Isn’t Spring supposed to signify fresh starts and new beginnings? Doesn’t warmer weather constitute an improved mental state?

According to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, there are five rotating factors most often cited as sources of stress, no matter the time of year — money (no surprise there), work, family, economic outlook, and lastly, the one that often gets overlooked, relationships.

Personally, I find when my relationships are in good shape, whatever stress that may be lingering feels far less significant. On the flip side, when my relationship with my husband feels off, for example, or I’ve just had a disagreement with a colleague, I will have this dreadful pit

By Ashley Alt

in my stomach that only disappears once the relationship at stake has been repaired.

Harvard Health backs this up by confirming the health benefits of connecting with others (especially on a deeper level) as profound, including improving one’s physical health and longevity. Another line of research suggests that “caring behaviors,” like making dinner for a sick neighbor, triggers the release of stress-reducing hormones, in turn, reducing both the caregiver and receiver’s levels of stress. Pretty cool, right?

It’s important to note that while stress is a normal part of human existence (no one is immune to it, unfortunately), there are several ways to manage and even prevent feelings of stress and overwhelm. We just need to be diligent about implementing practices so they become habitual.

I was listening to a podcast recently (as I do), where a functional medicine doctor kept repeating the phrase: “Ignorance is bliss, and knowledge is power,”right before explaining whatever health phenomenon was on her radar, emphasizing the point that while knowledge is power, the more information you seek on a topic — say, why microwaves are terrible for you — the more stressed out you may become due to the influx of “whatifs” and “oh-my-goshes!” that will inevitably ensue.

So, white stress in life is unavoidable, it is completely possible to lessen, and in some cases, erase that beast all together.

Here are Some Best Ways to Observe Stress Awareness Month

Practice Meditation

Take this one with a grain of salt. I’m well aware of the quarrel between meditation lovers and meditation haters. If you’re one of the haters, hear me out before you skip onto the next stress less tip.

Meditation can be many things. From prayer and yoga to cleaning and listening to soothing music, meditation really is whatever you say it is. You don’t need to climb on a mountaintop and sit criss-cross applesauce on a rug to achieve a state of meditation. You just need to find a proper way to quiet your mind and calm your nerves, and you need to do it daily in order for its stress-melting benefits to show themselves.

Exercise

Obviously, right? We all know the infinite benefits exercise has on our mental and physical health. In case you need a reminder, regular exercise can increase self-confidence (love this), improve your mood, help you relax, and improve your sleep.

After hearing all of that, how could you not take advantage of the wonderful world of exercise?! Whether you’ve fallen off the workout wagon or your current workout is feeling stale, there are lots of things you can do to get back on track — and enjoy your workout — including following a new trainer on Instagram for inspiration, starting a walking club with your friends, or even getting a new pair of performance-enhanced leggings.

Visit Your Doctor

Boring? Slightly. Necessary? You bet. If it’s time for a routine checkup, just bite the bullet and make an appointment. You’ll be so glad you did. Whether you’re semi-worried about a skin change, are experiencing headaches from time to time, or feel as healthy as a horse, tell your doctor what’s going on, and ASK QUESTIONS. We don’t take advantage of the time we get face to face with our health professionals, and we need to. Our lives (literally) depend on it.

Takeaway

We all know that in order to get and stay healthy, the basics are our best friends. Drink plenty of water. Exercise often. Eat healthy, nutritious meals. Ask for help when you need it, and get restful sleep.

Additional ways you can prevent feelings of stress and worry include maintaining a normal routine and giving back to others.

My expert tip? If you yourself aren’t feeling stressed, my guess is you know someone who is. Focus on thoughtful ways you can minimize that person’s worries. If you’re stumped on ideas, all you need to do is ask yourself, “What would make me feel better if I was feeling stressed?”

Find what works for you and stick to it. Then pay it forward to a friend.

Ashley is a writer and designer based in Connecticut. Keep up with her musings on her personal IG @ashleyalt_ and her clothing brand @valtbrand

udy Sirota Rosenthal had an idea that came to her while studying with Thomas Hübl, an internationally known teacher, author, and founder of the Academy of Inner Science. In his book, “Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Healing Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds,”Hübl “explores the symptoms, habits, unconscious social agreements, and cultural shadows that lead to unhealed collective suffering while offering new possibilities for how we can shed light in the darkness and come together in revolutionary ways to directly address our generational and cultural wounds.”

This philosophy resonated with Rosenthal who had seriously considered what she had learned from Hübl and how she might contribute in such a way that could change the lives of others.

“He is not a guru. This is his soul work and his commitment to seeing and understating the fragmentation in this world, where

it resides in each of us, and the slow steps to understanding this within ourselves, in our communities, and in the world,” explains Judy.

As a successful event photographer covering festivals, performances, weddings, bat and bar mitzvahs, conferences, and communities, Rosenthal decided to use her photographic knowledge, business savvy, and people skills to create a project that would benefit the multiracial BIPOC communities (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) in New Haven. Rosenthal had developed a deep fondness for this urban center where she has worked as a photographer for decades. As she says, “it’s a great city with an incredible mix of people.”

Now all she needed was students, a program, and funding. The first part was easy. She would seek students between the ages of 19 and 33 who had some previous photography experience so they could build upon it. Part of the goal was to create a viable revenue stream for the students who could hopefully go on to get work as event photographers. But the benefit would be twofold because Rosenthal knew of many non-profit organizations seeking to hire photographers of the global majority.

Utilizing the many contacts she had formed over the years, she put the word out to Southern Connecticut State University, the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, Albertus Magnus College, and the like.

Next, she applied for funding through the City of New Haven’s Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism and was awarded a Neighborhood Cultural Vitality grant.

“There is a portion of this that is economic development not only for the city and surrounding area, but also for the individual,” says Rosenthal.

Photo by Nicole Jeferson

Photo by Nicole Jeferson

Photo by Elyse Russell

It was really a win-win. The young photographers gain real world experience and create an ongoing relationship with the organizations, while the organizations can afford to hire a photographer to produce a library of images.

Next, she solicited the help of Milford Photo in Milford Connecticut, which offered the students gift cards towards photographic printing.“I love introducing young people to Milford Photo, which is a local camera store. It’s a place where they can look at cameras, get prints made and become acquainted with other photography equipment,” says Rosenthal.

After that, she spoke to the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) of which she is a member, a national organization with a strong Connecticut chapter, whose mission is to “advocate, educate, and provide community for image makers.” They offered each participant a one-year complimentary student membership. Now, the students could attend lectures, events, and workshops, and have an opportunity to meet and network with professional photographers. This could potentially lead to other work, internships or assisting gigs.

“By having student memberships, it gives them exposure to much more legal information and business practices than I can give them and more learning opportunities,” says Rosenthal. “I am only the introductory conduit. For example, I am not a studio

photographer. But now they have a chance to meet one and learn from them, if they want to continue, and my hope is that they do.”

Rosenthal loves to teach and loves to mentor. The way she is approaching her upcoming 4-week classes with her students is more interpersonal than technical along with some practical information sprinkled in.

“It’s about the relational quality of talking with your clients and the relational quality to the event, and some simple business practices,”

Photos Courtesy of River Road Farm

Photo by Polly Korbel

Photo by Judy Sirota Rosenthal

Rosenthal says. “Some of the young people that I’ve started to mentor have no idea about insurance, about carrying a second camera, about having a backup photographer, backing up files, or about keeping records.”

She believes that the key to successful event photography also lies within the body, and she uses a bit of a yogistic methodology in this regard.

“Photography is in the body. I mean, it’s in the camera too, but it’s in the body. I look for many different perspectives. You have to be able to pivot. The best photograph could be behind you. I have grown up hyper-vigilant, so I’m looking around all the time trying to figure out, where am I? I’m climbing. I’m on the ground. I’m photographing underneath people. I’m wherever I need to be to get the photo I want, because the best photo may not always be in front of us. This is the importance of having and using peripheral vision,” explains Rosenthal. “And my concern is with so many of these devices young people are constantly looking at, they are only seeing one perspective.”

Rosenthal intends to begin each class with a series of movements to get people into their bodies and to bring everyone together. Then she will lead a series of discussions and possible role play so students can get a feel for what it’s like to talk to different kinds of clients and learn about the events they will shoot. In this way they will not only gain verbal skills but confidence.

“I’m going to teach them about how to work in triads which means, two people are talking, one person is witness. One person says, this is what I saw, or this is what I felt, or this is what made me curious, or this is my question, or this is what I learned,” Rosenthal explains.

The students are going to be given homework assignments which entails photographing some events. It could be a parade, a wedding, a birthday party, a sporting event or they can even create their own. For example, if they have a commitment to a food pantry, they can go there and photograph. The images will then be discussed. Rosenthal prefers not to use the word ‘critique’ but rather, offers her observations about why a photograph is successful, or conversely, is not.

Mistakes are wholeheartedly encouraged. Another question the students will have to address is what great mistakes did they make, because this is truly where knowledge begins. And as Rosenthal says, mistakes are nothing of which to be ashamed. They are merely learning opportunities.

To view Judy Sirota Rosenthal’s work, log onto www.sirotarosenthal. com.

Photos Courtesy of River Road Farm

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On a rainy afternoon, the congenial Sylvain was in mid-project, working on the six-foot-ten needle-felted sculpture of Martin Luther King that was holding court in the artist’s living room. It is a staggering presence to encounter face-to-face – even in progress. The work is an inspiring homage to the legendary Civil Rights Leader, rendered in remarkable detail with a deft hand in color choices and technique. Clad in a suit and tie, the depiction is elegant while also conveying a warm and approachable dimension of MLK the man by utilizing the softness of felted textiles vs. complex media as the artist’s material of choice in a relaxed wrapping of the material on the support. “I love to work with found objects and was given a mannequin. It made the ideal foundation for this piece!”

When Pierre posted the completed sculpture of MLK on Tic Tok, it went viral; capturing close to a million views and adding scores of new followers of the artist’s work – many likely never going near a museum or gallery to date. This overwhelming response is a huge nod – it validates Sylvain’s tendency to lean into relatable materials to deliver difficult histories and often highly sensitive subject matter into the visual messages within his work. Incorporating familiar materials are a non-threatening invitation into the art world. As Pierre puts it, “...without the necessity of the viewer having any experience with fine art.”

The needle felting technique employed in the MLK sculpture is the next-gen of Sylvain’s textile period. The genesis of this body of work had its beginnings in 2022, starting with a series of traditionally crafted hooked rugs that – in clever contrast – incorporate a uniquely wry, modernist twist in the imagery. How did Pierre delve into this niche of highly traditional handcraft? “I had this great guy who made custom frames for me. His wife had been a traditional rug hooker for years, and he said she was giving it all up. I was fascinated by the process and pretty much fell into this – (and evidently in love) – when she gave it all up and gifted me all of her supplies.”

The collection of rugs is a series of intricate depictions of the sweet yet often mundane intimacies of everyday life. “Soulmate,” his textile version of a Sailor’s Valentine, is a love letter to his wife – who is also an artist – and his most ambitious piece. “Love. This is Us” is a snapshot of a couple sharing normal bathroom rituals together in a charming glimpse. It is an expansive collection. In addition to chronicling daily life, other pieces in “The Spirit of Textile Series” capture street musicians, the kinetic motion of the neighborhood billiard halls...social + cultural icons, jazz legends, and musical ensembles: all with softened edges due to Sylvain’s deft and artistic rendering in fabric. Norman Rockwell’s self-portrait was even translated into a rug – the museum proclaiming online about Pierre’s smile and nod, “This is great!! Can we repost with credit?” Painting identical images might not have conveyed the feeling of the subject matter quite as successfully.

Initially, Sylvain was – and still is – widely known for vibrantly iconic paintings and spanning murals, often presenting detailed chronicles of the Middle Passage and the prism of the global Black experience with a sharp and eponymous brush. The works are also rendered with an equally fascinating sense of perspective set at varying angles – uncannily modified accordingly to deliver the message, as McLuhan suggested. The BLM Movement inspired large-scale vivid graphic paintings that were redux of handbills – bold, elegant, and spare in their simplicity; letter forms mirroring stencils. The actual “Middle Passage Series” is a sobering and reverent look at the shadowed legacy of slavery. This multi-panel narrative of the Middle Passage in the artist’s ambitious montage of imagery – depicts a long and fractured history. Notably, the elongated imagery of Sylvain’s figures in his jazz pieces feels somehow familiar, with many of the artist’s followers acknowledging a parallel to Thomas Hart Benton’s eponymous renditions of café society– found locally in his soaring WPA murals lining the walls of the NBMAA. Both artists painted their subjects with a spectacular sense of perspective and artistic information.

There were other artistic predecessors who informed the work. “My first inspiration was Paul Rubens. As a young boy, I was mesmerized by his religious figures. After that, I discovered Dali, but it was Picasso who really did it for me.” There are echoes of these essentially revealing clues in earlier bodies of work – specifically, his “Roots and Spirits Series, which is a bold melding of primitive and traditional Island style with Picasso’s broken planes.

Sylvain’s prolific output of dazzling mosaics began in 2017 – portraits constructed from broken pieces of reflective color force you to linger in your tracks. There is the magnificent image of Frederick Douglass in homage to the fight for abolition – meticulously crafted in impossible detail. Often pronounced his Magnum Opus by followers – let’s say, thus far – Sylvain’s Vincent Van Gogh rendered in mosaic – venerated above an antique sideboard that has been transformed into an inspired shrine – is truly an inspired work. Still, other mosaics are simpler images of

his native island homeland, with palm trees and regional flora and fauna in a flat regional style – like a postcard. Regardless of the subject matter, the edges and angles of each shard constantly morph the images with the slightest shift in light – lending every piece a multi-dimensional viewer experience.

There had been one other immersive dive into the deep water of new material. This time it was stained glass – another universally relatable one. “My father-in-law had taken up stained glass as a hobby. When he retired and moved, he left us his entire studio. We travelled up to the Dragonfly in New Milford, enrolled in some classes, and learned stained glass. I took to it immediately. This is another material you don’t need a PhD to appreciate...it is an ancient craft that is so familiar and accessible (for viewers of the work).” The transition from mosaics to glass feels like a natural progression for Sylvain, with parts becoming whole and works often mirror-

ing a combination of mosaic and traditional glass techniques. The windows are vivid, and many possess the sharp angles of cubism in a myriad of varying subject matter and equally varying scales.

What is next? “Well, my piece on Frederick Douglass was installed on Main Street in Middletown. It is a great pleasure to see my work integrated into the city. There is a jazz piece at ION’s outdoor area – also on Main Street, with additional work at Wesleyan and others slated for the Town Hall Inn. I am the Gallery Director and Curator of the Charter Oak Cultural Center – just putting the finishing touches on a tremendous show that exhibits the work of 30+ artists with a concentration on fiber that opens on Sunday, April 16th.

...and the message? Pierre Sylvain chuckles on the other end of the phone. “Stay open and always come equipped with a fresh idea.”

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Photograph Courtesy of Nightfall

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NBMAA. Dejé Bennett as Mother Earth is magnificent tic. The troupe most recently lent technicolor and verv Saint Paddy’s Day Parade in Hartford. Large scale pup ters Rainbow and Heliodora highlighted the queue; a l Scooters carrying fox, eagle, and others added presenc Night Fall is an iconic and much-loved Hartford institu simply limited to their annual performances.

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My Mom instilled the sense in me that everything is possible. I’ve always lived in the tri-state area and have been an artist since age 7. Since we lived in Mount Kisco, I was a museum kid. I loved going naked people. Later, Mom and my grandmother started a patschematics to make clothing for my dolls.

At 14 Cubberly lucked into a spectacular opportunity to work for the design icon Louis Nicole, who established an unparalleled home furnishings and global lifestyle brand that hit its stride in the 1990’s. In addition to a priceless ad hoc master class in every facet of applied visual arts and presentation, Cubberly eventually garnered Nicole’s friendship and trust.

-

crafted headdresses. It was that moment when I knew that I wanted to do something like this.

Fast forward to 1982 and a visit to the decades famous Bread and Puppet Theatre in Vermont’s Northern Kingdom. Peter Schumann’s ad hoc collection of talent became a destination for dedicated followers of the troupe’s annual festival. Schumann’s exposure to the influences of John Cage and Merce Cunningham; the early happenings of Claus Oldenburg, Red Grooms, the Fluxus Movement, and the Judson Dance theater all telegraphed through his elaborate performances loaded with political allegory. Impossibly large-scaled

Finally... I can breathe and enjoy reconnecting with my 9-year-old self.

puppets were the key storytellers and the experience immediately informed Cubberly’s creative trajectory.

These were my lightbulb moments.

The artist combined exceptional visual gifts with an equal measure of community stake holding. She was engaged in community performance in the early aughts at University of Hartford. The experience and the model stuck.

I straddle a lot of lines with the variousnity has changed. When Dan Blow – of Japanalia – and I started events at the Wadsworth talents like Arien Wilkerson, LB Munõs and B Boy Dancers were incorporated. We hired all of them to be part

talents like them... also, Rosie Karabetsos who can deliver emotion and communicate with his body.

There has been a shift over the past few years in the structure of Night Fall. The

consummate storyteller, Cubberly speaks openly, tucked within her studio. It is filled with intricate costume heads; luxurious fabrics spilling over industrial shelving... jaundice light filtered through smudged windows.

We’re a collaboration now. I create all the props and above all, I am always thinking... there is so much magic in between to make this all happen.

2020 put everything on the line for Night Fall, with the future dodgy for a stretch. Cubberly reflects on this fragile chapter.

It was a great transition to be able to shift responsibility and authorship of the event. It has become truly collaborative with a convergence of talents. The scene is always and remains abstract beauty, with the ridiculousness shining through...thinking of characters like Peanut Butter and Jelly. This slightly enigmatic – yet ebullient –visionary smiles wryly in the waning light of the day. Finally... I can breathe and enjoy reconnecting with my 9-year-old self.

Circle your calendars for Nightfall 2023 on October 7th. For more information and to lend support for their ongoing sustainability kindly go to: nightfallhartford.org. / https://www.facebook.com/ NightFallHartford

Photograph Courtesy of Nightfall

The Cheesemonger

The Cheese Shop of Centerbrook

Parmigiano- Reggiano

Once you have tasted a three or four year old true Parmigiano-Reggiano Stravecchio you will no longer think of it as just a cooking cheese or something you sprinkle out of a little green container on a pizza or salad. It’s one of our favorite cheeses and a staple at home.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a partially skimmed raw milk cheese made from cow’s milk. It’s a blend of morning whole milk mixed with the previous night’s milk that has been naturally skimmed by allowing the cream to float to the top for removal. This creates a cheese with a butter fat content ranging between 28 to 32 percent. The cheese has a D.O.C. classification which means it meets strict Italian laws created in 1955. In addition to preserving the quality and traditions of Italian cheese it protects the names, origins, production methods and characteristics of each cheese. This D.O.C. rating also protects wines in the same matter.

The cheese is made in Italy in the region of Emilia-Romagna which contains eight provinces, the more well-known ones being Parma, Reggio Emilia, Ferrara, Modena and Bologna. This area is just north of Tuscany. Only cheeses made in these provinces can be labeled Parmigiano-Reggiano. One of the most famous provinces is Parma known worldwide for its production of Prosciutto de Parma. There is actually a close relationship here. In the making of Parmigiano-Reggiano, the byproduct of cheese making is whey which is fed to the nearby hogs. It’s partially responsible for the wonderful taste and aroma of the Parma hams. The area around Parma contains lush grasses and hay which are fed to the cows. No silage is used in the production of this cheese.

A true D.O.C. cheese will have the mark of Parmigiano-Reggiano stenciled on the outside. A cheese without this label would be considered a lesser grade and did not meet the requirements. Parmigiano-Reggiano’s are usually aged for a minimum of 24 months before being sold. When aged 24 months to 4 years you will see the name Stravecchio. These cheeses have developed full flavor and are a real taste treat. At this age it becomes a great table cheese but you can’t resist adding it to salads, pastas, soups, etc. for a wonderful finish for many foods. The cheese has intense flavor and great aroma.

The best way to enjoy Parmigiano-Reggiano is to buy it fresh and only what you will need for a week or two. Have it grated only if you’re going to use it right away. Keep it tightly wrapped and airtight. When you grate it you are exposing a thousand times more surface to the air allowing it to dry up and lose flavor. If you have leftover cheese you can freeze it which will help stop it from molding. Frozen cheese, when dispersed, will thaw quickly; there is no need to take it out of the freezer in advance. Our commercial cheese grater gets very little work out these days!

Beware of imitations. Parmesan (purposely different spelling) cheese is now made all over the world and labeled as such. For the most part they are young cheeses made from pasteurized milk with few similarities. They’re often sold grated and packaged and have little taste. They closer resemble saw dust from the local lumber store and you should be charged accordingly.

Grana Padano is another cheese sold very often for the same purpose. There are, however, many differences between the two cheeses. There are no controls over cow breeds, where the milk comes from, or feed used in Grana Padano production. Milk used can be gathered from over several days. They often use silage which will never be fed to cows for the production of ParmigianaReggiano. They are usually younger cheeses, having a much milder taste, aged for 8 to 20 months and contain less fat. You will often find them the same size and appearance of Parmigiano-Reggiano but they will be missing the stencil on the outside of the cheese labeling them as such. They sell for two thirds the price and are often used to save on cost. They are generally used for cooking and grating but not as an eating cheese. You will not generally find them shaved on Caesar salads. They are fairly consistent in production which gives them a quality point. Over the years I’ve had some fairly good tasting Grana’s but they definitely fall into the try before you buy category. If given the chance, try both cheeses at the time of purchase and then you can decide what’s best for you.

For a special taste treat try topping Parmigiano Reggiano with fresh figs, quince paste, balsamic vinegar, or acacia honey.

Currently Exhibiting:

Dennis Sirrine

Gigi Horr Liverant

Renee Rhodes

Alan James

Judy Perry

Serena Bates

Deb Quinn - Munson

Judy Friday

Ron Bence

Sara Drought-Nebel

Peter Daitch

Rick Silberberg

Mariette T Brown