Metropolitan Palm Beach July 2022

PALM BEACH

JULY 2022

LUXURY MAGAZINE

ADVANCED AESTHETICS

DR. SHERRELL ASTON M.D.

$20.00 USD Fashion | Luxury | Profiles | Features | Shopping | Travel | Art | Design | Auto | Food | Health

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Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, NJ 07675-1227 Tel: 1-877-877-3735 www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com © Copyright Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The Rolls-Royce name and logo are registered trademarks.

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THE NEW ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM SERIES II

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The Nature of Jean 6

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chlumberger.

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THE DAWN OF RADIANCE: A Journey into the Unseen

Inspired by the fleeting moment of the golden hour in the crown of the Swiss Alps, in 2021, La Prairie sought to recreate its unique radiance and impart it to the skin with the unveiling of the Pure Gold collection. In 2022, La Prairie explores another radiant Swiss landscape.

Suspended between the majestic minerality and the vast lakes of Switzerland, there exists a singular place overlooking lac Léman where radiance reaches an apex of beauty. It is a place shaped by ancient terraced vineyards traced by stone walls. Throughout the day, the bright sun directly irradiates the mountain face while its rays are reflected off the mirror-like surface of the lake to ignite the Swiss mineral surfaces. The energy of the sun is captured and stored in these ancient stones.

When the sun sets, Swiss peaks are veiled in darkness and a calmness blankets the landscape.

The replenishing energy of the sun that was captured during the day continues to seep through the mineral core in a nocturnal diffusion, allowing the vines to thrive at night.

Inspired by this nightly phenomenon, the scientists at La Prairie sought to capture its essence.

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UNVEILS

PURE GOLD R ADIANCE NOCTURNAL BALM

A NEW R ADIANCE ARISES, NIGHT MAKES IT INFINITE.

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25A A SIGNATURE GESTURE Inspired by ancient rituals, the Pure Gold nighttime ceremony begins with a signature gesture using the Nocturnal Massage Stone, made from a single piece of UNVEILS sculpted marble, that accompanies the Pure Gold Radiance Nocturnal Balm. After cleansing and toning, Pure Gold Radiance Concentrate, or alternatively, a small amount of the Pure Gold Radiance Nocturnal Balm is appliedGOLD to the skin as a base for the immersive ceremony. A PURE series of specially conceived massage strokes using the cooling Nocturnal Massage Stone follow to stimulate R ADIANCE NOCTURNAL BALM microcirculation and lymphatic flow, allow a free flow of energy and an exchange of nutrients and oxygen in the skin, increase lymphatic drainage and soothe facial muscles by releasing the daily build-up of tension.

A NEW R ADIANCE ARISES, NIGHT MAKES IT INFINITE.

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UNVEILS

PURE GOLD

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Photography: David Scarola 12 25A Magazine | metmagny.com

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Producer/Photographer: Jason Konrad - @jasonkonradproductions Model: Gianna Pica - @giannapica Management: EWH Management - @ewhmgmt Select Wardrobe courtesy: Millie and Joy Boutique - @millieandjoy

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Photography: Jason Konrad

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Producer/Photographer: Jason Konrad @jasonkonradproductions Model: Maxine Hoover / @maxinehoover Management: Genetics Management - @geneticsmgmt

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Producer/ Photographer: Jason Konrad - @jasonkonradproductions Model: Tao Wickrath - @taowickrath Agency: Elite Miami - @elitemiami Agent: Paolo Buonfante - @paolobuonfante MUAH + Creative Direction: Bruce Dean - @arrivebeautiful

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Photography: Jason Konrad

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

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“The Most Beautiful Thing You Can Wear Is Confidence” - Blake Lively 25A magazine for June is popping up all over the Hamptons as summer heats up with CEO Metta Risdal on the cover as she promotes her critically acclaimed Uni Tequila.

Flying back and forth from Palm Beach to NYC and then to the Hamptons has become a sacred journey to bring our readers the very best in luxury, business, travel, fine dining, the arts and so much more. So grateful to our loyal and new readers for how you have embraced all three of our industry-leading magazines. Thank you so much!

The best is yet to come!

Speaking of the best, Dr. Sherrell Aston, M.D., is considered by most to be one of the very best plastic surgeons on the planet and the “King of Facelifts”. From Hollywood to Washington DC to all points of the globe, Dr. Aston’s handiwork can be seen on some of the world’s most famous faces. A true scholar, artist and gentleman, Dr. Aston is receiving a well deserved lifetime achievement award as an unparalleled master of his craft.

Cheers!

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©2021 California Closet Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Franchises independently owned and operated. CT HIC #0657205. Photo: Stefan Radtke.

From simple to intricate designs, California Closets systems are custom designed specifically for you and the way you live.

californiaclosets.com

@caliclosetsnyc

GREENVALE 25 Northern Blvd, Greenvale 516.334.0077 CONNECTICUT 565 Westport Ave, Norwalk 203.924.8444

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EDITOR’S NOTE

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“Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.”

- Confucius The summer is off to a fast start!

Global Health Influencer Jen Selter was a gorgeous maid of honor at her equally beautiful and brilliant sister Steph’s wedding of the year.

CEO Metta Risdal launched her delicious Uni Tequila brand and already it has beaten out the top tequilas on the market in taste-tests.

Dr. Sherrell Aston, M.D., one of the most acclaimed plastic surgeons in the world, graces our July cover. Genius, artist, top doctor, and a true gentleman. Such a pleasure to spend time with Dr. Aston and his lovely wife Muffie.

Lastly, we are very happy to share the latest summer fashion line for men by Tiffany de Lisio, a breast cancer survivor and talented artist who found strength by exploring her artistic talents.

Enjoy!

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Adam Kluger Editor in Chief Metropolitan/25A Metropolitan Palm Beach

Jean Sclumberger bird perched on a Tiffany Diamond

Today, as an emblem of Tiffany & Co. and a figure who changed the world of jewelry, altering the possibilities of what can be designed from nature’s sight and transformed into emblazoning pieces, Schlumberger’s extraordinary wonders have continued.

Tarra Iziah In Der Muhlen IG: @tarra_iziah_in_der_muhlen July 2022 27 Photography: Luciana Pampalone

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CONTENTS JULY 2022 PAGE 50

COVER DR. SHERRELL ASTON COVER PHOTO BY JACQUES MALIGNON

FASHION 34 SEE BEYOND THE SURFACE COLLECTION 2022 36 DALUYONG SPRING/SUMMER COLLECTION 2022 40 BIBA IS BACK IN SOUTHAMPTON

JET SET 56 UNDER CANVAS ACADIA 58 KILKEA CASTLE & ESTATE 64 CLEAR SKY RESORTS

TASTE PAGE 36

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42 YOSHI RESTAURANT

Where peace of mind lives.

Where your financial well-being is priority one, backed by integrity, ethics and a passion for helping clients for nearly 40 years.

Where sound financial strategies create a solid basis upon which to grow wealth, for today and generations to come.

Where we take a side-by-side approach, building our own assets alongside yours.

Where relationships grow with your assets, because you’re so much more than just your portfolio.

First Long Island Investors. Where you belong.

516-935-1200 w fliinvestors.com July 2022

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CONTENTS JULY 2022 PROFILE 48 50 72 78 81 106 112

AMERICAN YACHT AGENTS DR. SHERRELL ASTON, M.D. NEW AMITY DINER BOWS OUT AFTER 45 YEARS RENEE VARA SARA CONNELL SPOTLIGHT WITH JULIANNE MICHELLE ANNIE WATT

ART FORM

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76 KRAVIS ON BROADWAY LINEUP 80 "TOWARDS HAPPINESS" - LITERARY SPOTLIGHT 82 59TH INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION OF LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA 88 ARTIST ANAT FRITZ 89 ARTIST ROBIN KOFFLER 90 TEFAF ART FAIR MAKES A COMEBACK IN 2022 96 FRACTIONALIZATION: ON THE RISE 102 RICARDO MONGE

SOCIAL 66 107 108 110 114

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RETURN OF THE HAMPTONS SUMMER SEASON MEET KELLY TSHIBAKA PARAMOUNT + LE BILBOQUET EVENT COLONY HOTEL CUBAN-THEMED PARTY

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Publisher Chase Backer

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Editor-in-Chief Adam Kluger Assistant Publisher Jaime Backer Art Director Lonee Telemaque Assistant Editor Willy Nichter Sales Manager Jeffrey Strahl Copy Editors Sean Buttimer; Whitney Thompson; Maribel Alvarez; Lillian Langtry; Nicole Ashley Schubert, Norah Bradford Lifestyle Editor Elizabeth Langevin Luxury Editor Stephanie L. Howitt Editor at Large | Art, Culture, Fashion Rachel Vancelette; Douglas Evans Fashion Photographers Jason Konrad Profiles Editor Alexandra Appino-Tabone

Gold Coast Luxury Magazine

SPRING 2022

Social Editor Clara Morgan Food Editor Andrea Correale; Maribel Alvarez Digital Media Director Nancy Molina Contributors Rachel Vancelette, D.D. Rice, Paul Prince, Peter Elston, Johnny Angel, Harry White

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

MARGARET

LUCE $20.00 USD

Fashion | Luxury | Profiles | Features | Shopping | Travel | Art | Design | Auto | Food | Health

Contributing Photographers Jacques Malignon, David Scarola, Tara Quinn, Jason Konrad, Luciana Pampalone, Michael Gaida, Michael Paniccia, Jay Mathews, Filip Shobot, Chris Carroll, Lenny Stucker, Patrick McMullan, MA , Tom Fitzgerald and Pam Deutchman, Sandy Ramirez, Jan Klier, Mitchel Gray, Paul Prince, Kristiina Wilson For advertisement info: 646-300-1852 Info@metmagny.com | metmagny.com Facebook.com/metropolitanmagazinepb | Twitter.com/metmagny Writers, models, musicians and photographers, please inquire.

© Copyright 2021 by Metropolitan Magazine, All rights reserved. Metropolitan is published eleven times per year. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material and it will be treated as such and unconditionally assigned for publication subject to Metropolitan magazine’s right to edit.

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Manhattan, NYC, Milan, Sardinia

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SEE

BEYOND T H E S U R FAC E Denesse Ramirez Spring/Summer 2022 34

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Filipina fashion designer Denesse Ramirez reflects on how the world stopped during the global pandemic, and how returning to one’s self-essence and nature is the inspiring way to live life, as seen in her ethereal designs in her “See Beyond the Surface” Spring/Summer 2022 collection.

Producer: Marane Plaza Creative Director & Fashion Designer: Denesse Ramirez Stylist: Beng Santos Photographer: Rxandy Capinpin Makeup & Hair: Shim Mendoza Special thanks to Gibi Shoes

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DALUYONG ANGELI ABELO SPRING/SUMMER 2022

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Daluyong, the Tagalog word for tidal wave, explores overcoming a despairing emotional phase as Angeli Abelo shares how it feels like to ride her waves of anxiety until she reaches the shore of clarity in this fashion series in shades of blue.

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Producer: Marane Plaza Fashion Designer & Stylist: Angeli Abelo Photographer: Rxandy Capinpin Creative Director: Lara Non Makeup & Hair: Shim Mendoza Models: Vienne & Jane of Farah Models Special thanks to Janeo Shoes 38

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BIBA is back in Southampton!

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he popular summer pop up boutique, BIBA, has returned and is showcasing its 2022 BIBA collection.

A one stop shopping experience for stylish Hamptons women, BIBA offers an eclectic mix of fashionable clothing from both local and European designers, as well as a collection of chic summer dresses, accessories, and one of a kind designer inspired denim jackets created by owner Barbara Blatt.

A must on the Hamptons shopping scene, BIBA is frequented

by Hampton celebrities as well as locals. At BIBA, shoppers can find stylish summer staples and statement pieces from the perfect dress to this season's must-have accessories, that will see them from days on the beach into nights on the town.

BIBA hand picks all of her collections focusing on pieces that are wearable, accessible, and timeless for all ages and body types!,

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BIBA has developed a reputation for understanding women's fashion and prides herself on the ability to create and design clothing for everybody.

BIBA also specializes in personal styling - in store or at home creating a luxury VIP experience that has set her apart from other boutiques in the area.

BIBA Southampton, 16 Windmill Lane, Southampton NY. 11968 516.316.7880 You can also find BIBA's flagship Florida store at 404 E. Atlantic Ave, Delray Beach. 561-562-8785 ig: @BibaDelrayBeach

MAKE A STATEMENT

BIBA

UNDERSTANDING WOMEN'S FASHION BIBA Southampton | 16 Windmill Lane, Southampton NY. 11968 516.316.7880 | E: bibabeach@gmail.com

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MICHELIN STARRED

YOSHI RESTAURANT AT THE HOTEL METROPOLE MONTE CARLO

By Tara Quinn

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n summer evenings, from the restaurant Yoshi, the only Japanese restaurant on the Côte d’Azur with a Michelin star, takes its place at the edge of the pool in the Odyssey area.

Enjoy a gastronomic Japanese dinner while benefiting from an exceptional setting designed

by Karl Lagerfeld.* Let yourself be seduced by a selection of inventive cocktails or the delicate menu proposed

by Chef Takeo Yamazaki and his team. “Nigiris”, “makis”, “sashimis”, fish or meat… All ingredient-driven dishes are created with freshest premium produce and prepared on the Teppanyaki, accompanied by the finest sakés, whisky or Japanese green teas selected by the Head Sommelier.

Photo by Tara Quinn

Yoshi’s hours are from Tuesday to Saturday, from 12:15pm to 2:00 pm and from 7:30pm to 11:00pm. To book your table at the best Japanese restaurant on the Riviera, call +377 93 15 13 13 or email yoshi@metropole.com Address: 4, avenue de la Madone BP 19 MC 98007 Monaco Cedex 42

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Chef Takéo Yamazaki Photo Credit: BERNARD TOUILLON

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UNI

A NEW KIND OF TEQUILA

SMOOTH, PURE AND CRISP UNI CRYSTAL BLANCO TEQUILA GO THROUGH AN INNOVATIVE EXTRACTION PROCESS METHOD THAT MAKES OUR TEQUILA SUPER SMOOTH, PURE AND CRISP TASTE WITH HINTS OF VANILLA, CITRUS & PEAR NOTES PERFECT FOR SIPPING, ON THE ROCKS, OR MIXING. WWW.UNITEQUILA.COM | CONTACT US: INFO@UNITEQUILA.COM July 2022

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PROVIDING SUPPORT TO YACHTS THROUGHOUT SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE GREAT LAKES CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION DOCK RESERVATIONS GUEST TRANSPORTATION

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AIR CHARTER - OFFICE ASSISTANT - FUEL & WASTE MANAGEMENT BANKING - FREIGHT FORWARDING - BLACK CAR SERVICE Office: 954.908.7559 | Cell: 954.684.9456 | captdeb@americanyachtagents.com Port of Palm Beach, Berth One Suite 100 | www.americanyachtagents.net July 2022

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AMERICAN YACHT AGENTS

LAUNCH TO LUXURY

By Whitney Thompson

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merican Yacht Agents is a full-service yachting agency based at the prestigious Berth One at the Port of Palm Beach. I recently had the opportunity to talk with owner Debora Radtke about her company and her experience in the yacht industry.

Debora Radtke

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Growing up in Wisconsin, Debora spent her childhood summers sailing on Lake Superior. “My family owned a series of sailboats, and my parents had a built-in crew of seven children,” she told me. She inherited a great love for boats, and she even had a small boat services business during high school. After exploring other career options in Minneapolis and St. Paul, she moved back home and got her captain’s license. “My friends asked me, ‘why are you wasting nine months out of the year in the snow and cold?’” she told me with a laugh. She took their advice and moved to Florida, where she worked on board yachts for 16 years, starting as a cook and stewardess, and later working as first mate to a very hands-on captain. “He did his own engineering, so I spent a lot of time in the engine room and learned a lot about that side of the business.”

She then worked as a captain herself. In 2011, deciding she didn’t want to be at sea all the time, she moved her career shoreside. “I floundered for a couple of years, then eventually, I was fortunate to be in a position to start my own company.” Her various experience from the three major departments of the interior, engine room, and bridge of yachts equipped her well for founding American Yacht Agents. “This April is the seven-year anniversary of the launch of American Yacht Agents.”

Photography by Callie Jones American Yacht Agent’s tagline is “Simplifying your life.” They do this with their host of services including ensuring port state compliance of incoming vessels to concierge services upon arrival. “We work with a really great team of vendors to provide everything from dockage arrangement to black car services,” Debora told me. They also have a beautiful lounge for the crews. “We provide support for vessels all the way from Fort Pierce to Miami, occasionally Key West, and it’s expanding.

This summer, we’re even providing assistance to Viking Ocean Cruises up on the Great Lakes.”

Debora credits the success of American Yacht Agents to the relationships she has been able to build throughout her career. When I asked Debora what sets her company apart, she replied, “I think it’s because I’ve been a captain. I really understand what captains go through, and I try to do everything I can to make things easier for them.” She added that with vessels growing in size and the increased regulations that captains need

to follow, her company has built strong relationships with Customs and Border Patrol and the US Coast Guard to help stay on top of changing rules and effectively guide their clients. Debora also shared, “One of my primary philosophies in business is that it’s a collaborative effort. This is a small industry, and I firmly believe that if we all work together, we all grow.” Her team approach helps American Yacht Agents to best serve their clients’ needs.

When Debora isn’t working, she rescues dogs, most recently bringing home Lily, a lab-beagle mix. She’s loved animals from the time she was a child. “I think everyone thought I’d become a veterinarian, but I didn’t have the patience to go through the schooling,” she laughed.

You can reach American Yacht Agents at 954-684-7559 and captdeb@ americanyachtagents.com.

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DR. SHERRELL J. ASTON, M.D.

RECIPIENT OF THE CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN AESTHETIC PLASTIC SURGERY

By Adam Kluger Photography by Jacques Malignon & Jason Konrad

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r. Sherrell J. Aston, M.D. If you wanted to create a Mount Rushmore of plastic surgeons, Dr. Aston's name would surely be at the top of the list. A senior surgeon whose practice logo says "Experience makes a Difference", Dr. Aston, a world-renowned Manhattan-based plastic surgeon, has long been recognized as one of America's ( and in fact the World’s) top plastic surgeons and is still as busy as ever.

"I usually get up between 5:15 and 5:30 a.m. I'm having fun and enjoying what I'm doing. I know what's going on in all aspects of aesthetic surgery.

I don't get influenced by trends and fads. I see the anatomy and I see what needs to be changed. Moreover, I know how to perform the techniques needed to make the change.”

Dr. Aston is a Professor of Plastic Surgery at New York University, past President of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and for twenty-two years Chairman of the

Plastic Surgery Department at Manhattan Eye Ear & Throat Hospital. Dr. Aston is a surgeon, educator, and author of scientific papers, textbooks, and teaching videos for plastic surgeons. New York City plastic surgeon Dr. Aston is sought after to lecture and operate in numerous countries to teach his advanced surgical techniques. He has done so in China, Canada, England, Italy, France, Spain, Brazil, Columbia, New Zealand, Iran, India, and Mexico. A pioneering plastic surgeon since the 1970s, Dr. Aston has often been called the "king of the facelifts", having performed thousands of facelifts from Manhattan to Hollywood to Washington DC and all points of the globe.

His patients include Senators, First Ladies, fashion designers, media moguls, Royalty from around the world, Rock Stars, and their wives and of course the social jet set. When asked for a list of his more famous patients, Dr. Aston is notoriously tight lipped.

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"PLASTIC SURGERY HAS GOTTEN BETTER OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE BETTER TRAINED, I FEEL I HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO SHARE MY KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE... " - DR. ASTON

Not one for hyperbole, Dr. Aston has influenced generations of other top plastic surgeons.

Responding to requests over the past few weeks, Dr. Aston has most recently lectured to plastic surgeons in India and Taiwan and he will be traveling to Brazil in August 2022 and in Turkey September 2022 to lecture. That said, when teaching a surgical technique one can teach the procedures, but the mastery of aesthetics is unique to the surgeon’s aesthetic judgment ability and to perform the artistry required.

"Plastic surgery has gotten better over the years because you have more people who are better trained, I feel I have the responsibility to share my knowledge and experience. It is good for patients and our great specialty of Aesthetic Surgery.

Dr.Aston is considered one of the preeminent authorities in the world on the subject of facial rejuvenation. A facelift is defined as correcting the aging process from the corner of the eyes down to the collarbone. That includes the mid-face, cheeks, jawline, and neck. The forehead lift is separate. Dr. Aston’s facelift procedures are designed to give the individual a natural, unoperated look with the shortest recovery time possible, and a gorgeous result that is long-lasting. New York City facelift surgeon, Dr. Aston, has performed many thousands of facelifts and is regarded by his peers as one of the surgeons who developed a variety of modern facelift techniques. Dr. Aston's facelift procedures are highly individualized and designed for each patient according to his or her anatomy. There are several techniques to reposition and restore the underlying foundation, including the fat and fascia

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in the face and the muscles in the cheek, jawline, and neck. When he is not in the operating room, Dr. Aston is surrounded by his beautiful family, wife Muffie, and his twin daughters, Ashleigh and Bracie.

Dr. Aston is an early riser who hits the gym devotedly.

"The first thing I did today when I got up was to go to the gym. I do think a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle are extremely important. Oftentimes I am in surgery for 8-9 hours and yet I don't get tired or have aches and pains. I think it is because I workout most days. That's extremely important for a surgeon. A healthy lifestyle and being physically fit has been instrumental to my long term career. Surgery requires intense mental concentration and a fit body."

Aside from his ground-breaking work in facelift procedures, Dr. Aston provides a full array of other plastic surgery solutions. As will be noted

by Newsweek Magazine July 8, 2022 Dr. Aston is an expert in cosmetic eyelid surgery (Newsweek ranked him number one in America and named him the highest ranked facelift surgeon in New York as well) and browlifting techniques, choosing the technique that is most appropriate to rejuvenate one's appearance without changing the shape, size, or expression of the eyes. He is renowned for his ability to retain the natural look and shape of patients eyes while rejuvenating them. His patients eyes never have the “spooked” look that of often associated with eyelid surgery. Dr. Aston is an expert in the Closed Rhinoplasty technique, which avoids incisions and scars on the outside of the nose. He has used the closed technique for thousands of noses, both in primary and secondary procedures. He has lectured to plastic surgeons around the world and has written textbook chapters on Closed Rhinoplasty. Patient outcomes by Dr. Aston's skilled hand can be seen in his online photo gallery. Dr. Aston has a tremendous amount of experience with and is equally skilled in other cosmetic procedures including breast augmentation, and other body contouring procedures. Dr. Aston also performs nonsurgical facial rejuvenation treatments such as fillers, BOTOX®, lasers, and peels for those patients who are not candidates or do not wish to have a surgical facelift. He is also at the forefront with the latest technology including using Advanced Radiofrequency Technology (FaceTite, AccuTite, Morpheus8) as stand alone procedures or in combination with surgical procedures to enhance the aesthetic results. Patients can always consult with Dr. Aston to determine the best procedure for their desired outcome.

Photography by Jacques Malignon

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These days, the hard-working surgeon makes time to enjoy special moments with his family.

"My wife and I have twin daughters who are 17 years old. We just spent a week in Vail skiing and now we are in the Bahamas for a week. But I also have to admit I work a great deal because I enjoy it so much. I have a lot of projects related to my surgical practice. To me, accomplishing things is relaxing; Getting things done brings great satisfaction."

In a life full of accomplishments, at the time of this interview, the good doctor was still jazzed about receiving The Career Achievement Award given by the Aesthetic Society Education Research Foundation at the annual meeting of the Aesthetic Society in San Diego in April 2022.

Some colleagues relate this award to receiving the Nobel Prize of Plastic Surgery. His life has been devoted to making his patients happy through hard work, passion, artistry genius, and a complete mastery of his craft.

"I have no intention of retiring. I'm working as hard as I did 25 years ago. I like what I'm doing. I enjoy being in the operating room and I enjoy trying to make people happier with themselves. My goal is that I want to make a person look natural and more like they did at a younger age. I can often make their jawlines better than when they were 30 years old. Or I can change the nose of a teenager and give them self-confidence to face the world. My goal is to make patients happy, and that's what I always ask them after surgery.

Are you happy, have I made you happy? Happy patient ...happy surgeon."

Newsweek Magazine just listed and ranked America’s Top Plastic Surgeon. Dr. Aston number one in Blepharoplasty (eyelids), and is the highest ranked Facelift Surgeon in New York.

Website: www.draston.com

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Photo by Jacques Malignon

PhotoJuly

by Jason 2022Konrad55

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DISCONNECT FROM THE WORLD AND RECONNECT WITH THE WILD

UNDER CANVAS ACADIA

By Karina Y. Sotelo

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eepen your connection to the earth while staying in an ultra-luxe safari-style tent at this recently opened Under Canvas glamping collection. Intimately tucked between 100 acres of serene wilderness and a ravishing rocky coastline in Surry, Maine–approximately 25 miles out from its namesake Acadia National Park and the charming village of Bar Harbor— this sumptuous woodsy outpost is the quintessential summer getaway for recharging in nature and unplugging from the hustle and bustle of the world and technology. Designed with sustainability and relaxation in mind, this New England luxury

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retreat is completely void of everything digital—no wifi, televisions, or electricity in any of the accommodations—encouraging guests to fully experience and explore the life and beautiful scenery that abounds.

THE ACCOMODATIONS There are 63 cream-colored canvas tents hidden within a forest of fragrant pines, elevated from the ground by a wooden foundation and minimally furnished with lounge chairs and freshly chopped wood, promising the ultimate privacy and serenity.

Interiors harmoniously blend in with the natural aesthetic and surroundings; each effortlessly earthen and rustic featuring wood grain, brass metal and stone elements, complimented with rich leathers, natural-fiber and jute coastal-inspired accents. All accommodations include the bare necessities: king-sized beds with super plush linens, en-suite bathrooms with flushable toilets and eco-friendly pull-chain showers fully stocked with herbalscented organic bath soaps. Every luxury tent is also appointed with a wood-burning stove, the perfect place to cozy up around after an adventurous day outdoors.

THE FOOD & DRINK The dinner menu indulges in classic New England-style flavors and dishes, but it offers much more than lobster rolls (which are exceptionally tasty by the way). Every evening, the main dining area curates a delicious spread of locally sourced seasonal fare and fresh catches, enjoyed café-style. Think cheesy lobster nachos and a grilled wild caught salmon sandwich, that can be paired with a chilled brew or glass of wine. For craft cocktails and a more refined dining experience, the village of Bar Harbor is a short drive away from a sea of bars, lounges and fine dining options.

THE SERVICES & ACTIVITIES Guests are warmly welcomed by an attentive staff at check-in, kindly ushered to each designated accommodation and provided with the glamping essentials: refillable water jugs, a USB batterypower source to plug in lamps and other chargeable devices, along with matches and wax fire-starters for the wood-burning stoves. Guided tours and water adventures are offered for guests that want to venture out accompanied by a knowledgeable and experienced staff. Though the property is free of technology, there are plenty of on-site amenities and activities for guests to indulge in. The main tent has an inviting lobby area, decorated in cozy West Elm furniture, an assortment of books and board games and even, lululemon products to satisfy guests itch for retail therapy. There is a communal outdoor area complete with Adirondack lounging chairs, firepits where guests can gather, roast marshmallows or simply relax amid breathtaking views of the Maine shoreline and Cadillac Mountain in the distance.

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KILKEA CASTLE

& ESTATE

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ilkea Castle, which dates back to 1180, combines history and mystical charm with the allure of timeless sophistication and luxury. One of the oldest inhabited castles in Ireland, the medieval fortress and estate was sold by the Fitzgerald family in the early 1960s. It was run as a hotel for decades but entered examinership in 2009, as a result of the Irish financial crisis. It has undergone a six year, $30-million renovation and restoration and today stands ready to extend a 5-star welcome to travelers from around the globe. The estate, which is located one hour from Dublin, includes the castle, the carriage rooms, a grand function hall, restaurants and bars, the spa, and the golf club with self-catering suites. It sits on 180 acres of lush woodland, lavish, rose-filled gardens, a serene river, and a world-class golf course.

OWNERS: In 2012, Boston construction mogul Jay Cashman and his wife Christy purchased Kilkea Castle, which had been owned by the state since 2009. Mr. Cashman is the founder and CEO of The Cashman Companies, which employs more than 1,000 people in the marine construction, dredging, vessel leasing, renewable and wind-powered energy, real estate development, environmental remediation, heavy/civil construction, water storage, and power plant maintenance. Mrs. Cashman is an actress, writer, producer, philanthropist and entrepreneur who has appeared in over 20 films, including American Hustle, The Forger, Joy, and Ted 2. In 2014, she founded of Saint Aire Productions and co-founded Charity Warriors Challenge, an annual competition that provides a platform for women and their charities.

ROOMS & DÉCOR: The 12th century castle has been fully refurnished and the result is an intriguing mélange of medieval décor and modern chic. Guests may enjoy a variety of offerings in the castle itself, including a luxurious Drawing Room, perfect for afternoon tea, and a grand Dining Room for sumptuous meals and gatherings. Other areas to enjoy include the Castle Lounge, with its roaring fireplace, and The Keep, an authentic Irish pub where guests may enjoy Irish whiskey

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and Guinness after a full day of activities. There are 11 beautifully appointed bedrooms in the castle, including the Fitzgerald Suite that features sweeping vistas of the landscape that encompasses the estate. In the court yard, the original carriage house and stables have been converted into 24 lovely bedrooms and suites, many of which showcase original features including bespoke wrought iron and exposed wooden beams.

GOLF CLUB & COURSE: Kilkea Castle’s new clubhouse proudly overlooks the 9th hole of its private golf course with the majestic castle visible just beyond. The 18-hole, par 70-parkway course features the River Greese as a natural hazard flowing throughout with two different lakes included in the design. Additional offerings include a driving range, practice putting green, fully stocked golf shop and, overlooking the course, 33-self catering, three-bedroom lodges are available, perfect for families or a group of avid golfers.

DINING: Using seasonal local produce from ethically sourced suppliers, Executive Chef David McKane delivers superb traditional Irish cuisine with a hint of international flavor. Options include The Bistro, an informal dining experience located in the clubhouse which offers a selection of healthy breakfasts, lite bites and hearty main dishes. A sophisticated setting, Hermione’s Restaurant offers a mix of haute cuisine with seasonal specials and Irish favorites. In the castle, guests can enjoy High Tea in the Drawing Room, with specialty teas or a glass of bubbly and delicate finger sandwiches, homemade scones with jam and a lashing of fresh cream. For a sophisticated culinary experience, guests may also enjoy the grandeur found in Restaurant 1180, which opens in the grand dining room in the castle and overlooks the rose garden and 18th hole.

PURSUITS & PLEASURES: In addition to golf, Kilkea Castle hosts a variety of pursuits and pleasures including Tennis, Archery, Falconry, Skeet Shooting, Horseback Riding, Hiking, Swimming, Tubing, Cycling, Fishing, Birdwatching, and a variety of tailored beauty and wellness treatments in the newly opened Kilkea Spa and Fitness Center.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sydney Masters Phone: (212) 987-6804 | Email: sydneymasters2@yahoo.com Website: www.kilkeacastle.ie

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We’ll MAnAge Your hoMe. go hAve SoMe Fun.

Imagine the bliss of stress-free travel. You’ll never again have to worry about your home while you’re off on some idyllic trip.

When you hire the ModernButler team to manage your home, you’ll relax knowing we have it covered. And when you return, you’ll experience that Five-Star luxury resort feeling with our exquisite attention to detail. From packing and organizing, staff training and arranging repairs, appointments and reservations, to that last minute cocktail party, we’ll take care of everything, whether you’re at home or away. To make your home your personal heaven, reach us at 561-310-3815 or Info@ModernButlerpb.com

elite home management

mary Butler, Founder | modernButler llC | info@modernbutlerpb.com | 561-310-3815 July 2022

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WHERE THE WILD MEETS THE SKY

CLEAR SKY RESORTS

REIMAGINING AND TAKING TRADITIONAL CAMPING TO INFINITY AND BEYOND.

By Karina Y. Sotelo

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arvel at the constellations by night and explore the beautiful outdoors by day at one (or both) of these off-grid geodesic glamping retreats. Situated within the country’s most dramatic desertscapes and stunning snowcapped mountain panoramas, the sky domes at Clear Sky Resorts—Grand Canyon and Glacier National Parks—are everything in creativity, stylish design and glamorous outdoor living. Each collection offers all the creature comforts you’d expect from an authentic wilderness escape, but with an added luxurious twist: giant welcome domes where guests are greeted by a friendly staff, happy-hour drinks and snacks, and a cozy gathering area with an impressive assortment of board games and books. Outside, there are 64

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communal areas with rattan tee-pee daybeds and Adirondack chairs that encircle artisancrafted firepits made for sundown activities and marshmallow roasting. Accommodations are modern and loft-like, every bubbled-tent is warm and inviting, has its own personality and complete with upscale amenities, including plush queen– sized beds, living areas minimally decorated with leather butterfly chairs and hanging cocoon loungers, eco-conscious fireplaces, airconditioning, spacious en-suite bathrooms with glass encased rainfall showers and flushable toilets, floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows, massive skylights and, of course, telescopes for viewing the dazzling star-studded sky above.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK These super cool geometrical stargazing eco-pods will make you feel like you are on another planet. Ingeniously built in the heart of the majestic Colorado Plateau—only a 20-minute drive from the South Rim entrance of the Grand Canyon— this Clear Sky Resorts location is an otherworldly display of 45 futuristic-looking sky domes resembling something you’d only expect to see on Mars. The spherical structures are dotted across a vast crimson high-desert terrain, individually propped atop wooden platforms outfitted in sun-lounging chairs and swinging hammocks. While all accommodations maintain a chic aesthetic and intimate feel, some domes carry a more playful and high-spirited mood (they’ll even inspire you to pack a costume). Think whimsical and quirky themed rooms, kitted out in British Spy, Pac Man and Space Galaxy décor.

The “Pretty in Pink” domes scream in vibrant pinks and Hello Kitty accessories, they are the quintessential dream rooms for families, birthday festivities and, especially bachelorettes.

Come nightfall, all the domes promise outer-space experiences and cosmic views of the infinite desert sky. After a long day of admiring the canyons and multi-hued desert landscapes, grab your complimentary smores kit or savory snacks from the onsite food truck and float on over to the main outdoor firepit, where soul-stirring Native American storytelling ceremonies take place. It is also where you’ll witness the incandescent Arizona sun paint the sky of cotton-candy colors and magically sink into the dusty-red earth.

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK Take a breath of fresh air at this ultra-cozy mountainside Clear Sky glampsite. Nestled within the most notorious stretches of untouched natural beauty, the sky domes at Glacier National Park are the ultimate for bathing in nature.

Just eleven miles west of the park, the 16 igloo-like edifices are freckled throughout a forest of towering trees, suspended by wraparound decks that provide subtle, but breathtaking glimpses of the white-topped peaks in the distance. Here, the geodomes emit a more intimate and traditional cabinstyle lodging experience, bedecked in wood-paneled walls, rustic log furnishings and embellished with an extra dose of warmth and homeyness—knitted throw blankets layered and draped over leather chairs and other textured fittings, adding to the easygoing backcountry vibe. The moment you enter your designated pod, you’ll feel compelled to surrender to the peaceful scenery, slip into your fluffed-up robes, snuggle next to the fireplace and worship the brilliant night sky. But, as tempting it is to spend all day in these super cool bubbled abodes, you are encouraged to take advantage of the great wilderness that exists outside, for endless trails, scenic winding roads, a wealth of wildlife and jaw-dropping sky-high vistas abound. Plus, on your way back from an adventurous day outdoors, there is a quaint log cabin Tavern located on the premises where you can unwind and indulge in smoked BBQed fare and sip on a complimentary and well-deserved boozy nightcap.

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HAMPTONS SUMMER SEASON

By Clara Morgan

T

he days of summer are back in full swing. With so many wonderful Hamptons happenings the only thing that will be hard about this perfect season in the sun will be to decide which events you should attend.

On June 25, the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center hosted their 14th Annual Get Wild Benefit at Swans Crossing in Southampton Village. This year’s benefit honored Bridget Fleming and Karen Johnston, DVM, and celebrated the center’s continuous efforts to rehabilitate and successfully release animals back into the wild across Eastern Long Island. Guests were welcomed to the cocktail party that featured appearances from some of the hawks and owls the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center has rehabilitated that are non-releasable and now reside at the Center. To make donations please visit www. wildliferescuecenter.org.

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On the same date, famed artist Eric Demarchelier’s work will be on display at Demarchelier Bistro in Greenport. The exciting new show is a tribute to his late brother and photographer, Patrick Demarchelier. Eric’s recent collection of paintings are based on Patrick’s photographs which will be displayed side by side. The current collection as well as Eric’s other work are for sale at the bistro. www.demarchelierrestaurant.com July 9 will see the 18th Annual Hamptons Happening with the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation. Held on the beautiful Bridgehampton Estate of Kenneth and Maria Fishel, guests will raise critical funds for collaborative cancer research while enjoying a night of delicious tastings from dozens of chefs, restaurants, and beverage companies. This year's honorees include Bess Freedman, CEO of Brown Harris Stevens, Mark Melchiorre, Executive Managing Director, CIO &

Head of Brean Investment Group, and Chef Julian Medina, Chef & Owner of Toloache, as well as Max Mara and Cristian Notari, CEO of Max Mara USA. July 16 will be a busy day with back-to-back events. RAND Luxury will showcase the annual Hamptons Concours celebrating 75 years of Ferrari. This invitation-only event takes place at a private estate and benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Expect to see the latest Ferrari models on display, as well as other exclusive luxury brands such as home electronics and décor, private aviation, tourism opportunities, fashion, and more. Attendees will also be treated to fine cuisine and spirits, including wines, scotch beverages and hors d'oeuvres. (Rain Date: Sunday, July 17). For tickets and more information, visit: www.randluxury.com/event/ hamptons-concours/ Later in the day, the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation’s 13th Annual Unconditional Love Gala returns to the Hamptons. The event of the season will take place on Gin Lane in Southampton.

The annual night has been the most vital fundraiser for the shelter for over a decade. This year’s gala will include Jarrell Entertainments electrifying DJ's spinning the music you love as musicians layer it with a live vibe that will ignite the audience. Sip on signature cocktails and enjoy an entrée created by Rocco DiSpirito. In addition, a live and silent auction will help raise much-needed funds for the animals. This year’s gala, chaired by Jean Shafiroff, will honor Mr. Jonathan McCann, founding President of SASF and Mr. William Bratton, former New York City Police Commissioner.

Proceeds from this event directly support the more than 1,500 animals who enter the shelter’s doors each year. www.sasf.org/events On both July 23 and July 30, Polo Hamptons returns to the legendary event’s breathtaking home of the iconic estate of Kenneth and Maria Fishel in Bridgehampton. The game and cocktail party will be held at 900 Lumber Lane and will take place between 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Guests can enjoy the thrill of the polo match where they will have access to an open bar paired with hors d'oeuvres and preferred seating. Food will be provided by Elegant Affairs. Complimentary parking is available, but Uber dropoff is recommended. Only 450 tickets are available, and the event takes place rain or shine. Tickets can be purchased at https:// www.polohamptons.com/ This August 6th, the Hamptons longest running fundraiser, the Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Annual Summer Party, will continue their ‘Gala in Your Garden’ format for one more year.

Guests purchasing a table for ten guests will ‘host at home’ in support of the Hospital, with everything they need for a wonderful dinner party delivered to their door. Elegant Affairs will provide a delicious three course meal, event sponsor Wölffer Estate Vineyards will be responsible for the accompanying wine selection. Tables July 2022

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Chris Wragge, Dr. Samuel Waxman Photo by: Patrick McMullan

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SASF Unconditional Love Gala - Photo credit: Rob Rich Society Allure

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at different price points will include customized menus, waiters, chefs, handmade cocktails and more. All proceeds from the event will support the Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Emergency Department – the only Emergency facility on the South Fork and the new East Hampton Emergency Department. For tickets and more information please visit: www.southampton.stonybrookmedicine.edu

made by PCF over the last quarter-century. Founder Mike Milken invites guests to enjoy, engage, and be entertained while helping to fund groundbreaking cancer research discoveries. The extravagant dinner party will be followed by a special musical performance and other surprises. Previous performers include Lionel Richie, Bryan Adams, and John Fogerty. For tickets please visit www.pcf.org.

Then on August 17, Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation will host another fundraiser with Kids Cancel Cancer at The Clubhouse in East Hampton. The organization’s first ever kid-created and kidfocused fundraising event will be a fun day of arcades, miniature golf, great food, raffle prizes, and more - all for a great cause - raising money to cure pediatric cancers through cutting-edge research.

For tickets and more information, visit: www.waxmancancer.org/ events/kids-cancel-cancer/

Finally, on September 22, the Ann Liguori Foundation Charity Golf Classic will take place at The Maidstone Club in East Hampton. The sports broadcasting trailblazer and award-winning talk show host will be celebrating her 24th annual charity outing that benefits not-forprofits that work in the field of cancer research and care including the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and East End Hospice. For years, the Ann Liguori Foundation has raised funds and awareness for cancer research and care. The Foundation also funds scholarships and mentorship programs for students aspiring to work in sports media. www.annliguori.com/philanthropy/

August 27 will bring back the annual Prostate Cancer Foundation Gala, which will take place at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill. The summer benefit supports the Annual PCF Pro-Am Tennis Tournament while also commemorating the millions raised and accomplishments

For tickets and more information, visit: www.waxmancancer.org/hamptons

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Amity family. A happy place. Steve made it so. And so did Irma and all the waiters and busboys and cooks. Irma is gone now and Steve seems a shell of his old self without her.

"What are you going to do?" That has been Steve's pat answer.

The last day has been like every other day so far.

"Back for one last time, huh?"

The waiters have always been characters lending to the personality of the joint. Oldtimers, like me, remember Gus, Milton, Frankie, Abner.

Everybody was always nice to our kid, who would wolf down the silver dollar pancakes while reading a comic book, smiling and chilling out. Irma always had kind words and lollipops for all the kids. On the last day of the New Amity Restaurant, a lazy Sunday in the middle of Memorial Day Weekend in an abandoned NYC, the regulars started to file in.

"Good morning, how are you?" asked Steve.

NEW AMITY DINER

BOWS OUT AFTER 45 YEARS ON UES

By Adam Kluger Illustrations by Dreck

I

t was really a love story in the end.

The noise outside was consistent. Traffic, construction, and wandering conversations as New Yorkers enjoyed the relative peace of Memorial Day Weekend in the city. But for Steve, the owner of the New Amity Restaurant, it was the end. The end of a 45-year love affair with the people of the Upper East Side who would frequent what very well could have been the best diner on Madison Avenue. There was an old-school charm to the place even though Steve ran a tight ship.

Make no mistake about it. Steve was always on the job. Alert and aware. The first to spot a potential problem and the first to jump in and make sure it was smooth sailing at this one restaurant for almost half a century. A well-oiled machine needs a boss and that was Steve. That was the way Steve led New Amity. No nonsense. A commitment to customer service and amazing food. He had the formula and he stood at the counter area and surveyed each table. He knew when the salt shaker needed filling and he would say hi, ask about the family, see if you needed anything and then he was gone like a maestro back to conducting the flow of the place, coffee, menus, delicious food, more coffee and no pressure to rush out. But we all knew it wasn't the right thing to do to loiter at a table because there were always plenty of people lined up outside the door waiting for a coveted table too. The people of this neighborhood loved the New Amity Restaurant for 45 years. And for that same amount of time, so did Steve and the New

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"How's Steve doing?" someone asked Jesus the waiter who shook his head and replied, "It's just another workday but he's depressed."

I ask Miguel the busboy who was wearing a mask, how he was doing after he asks me if I want an iced coffee (my usual), and he replies in broken English, "I'm just happy to work here, maybe something happens last minute?" and then he knocked on the wood atop one of the empty booths. His glass was still half full. Nearby I hear Jesus the waiter again, the most outgoing of the current group of waiters, George (the whisperer) is hard to understand, "Here for one last time, huh?" None of us know the future. We sit, drink coffee, and ponder what's next?

I ask my high school pal Eddie, an acclaimed writer and graduate of Yale, a regular to beat all regulars, "How many meals have you had here at New Amity?"

"What's five times a week over 30 years? Last year, 50 weeks out of the year? That's 250 meals a year for 30-something years. It varies."

"Which waiter do you think has been the most memorable?"

"They are all memorable in their own way."

"Agreed" "Their delivery was also super-fast...10-15 minutes."

"Your go-to's?"

"What do you mean? What do I like to eat? I like pancakes, waffles, and egg whites."

"Was this the best diner in New York?"

"My favorite"

"What's your post-New Amity plan?"

"I'm going do what I do when I don't come here."

"What's that?"

"I have lunch for breakfast and dinner for lunch and then for dinner, I have a frozen dinner and a bowl of cheerios."

No, I didn't really understand how my old friend's new system was going to work...it didn't really matter that much to me. Einstein wore the same suit all the time. Eddie would frequent New Amity. An old customer stopped outside the restaurant, where we had been sitting at an outdoor table, one of the tables that were on the sidewalk because of COVID. He looked at the large white sign in the window that read: After 45 years it's time to say goodbye..."

"There's nowhere else to go," he was defeated like all of us.

"It was the Cheers of Madison Avenue," opined an old lady who looked familiar, another regular who recognized the historic nature of the day.

A day when the best diner on the Upper East Side was shut down after 45 years. Just another economic victim of COVID. Manfred Gogol, the artist, cynic, and rabble-rouser stopped by for an iced coffee, to snap some photos, and to check out the scene.

"Time to hang out at Starbucks, this place is toast," he offered unsentimentally.

New Amity was not his jam or hang-out spot. He preferred checking out the action in Starbucks and Dean and Deluca before that (now a Butterfield Market). But for residents who lived near 84th and Madison, New Amity was our place and it was all about Steve.

I found out the news about The New Amity the day before when I met Eddie for coffee and saw the closing sign on the window. Eddie and I sat outside at a table in silence, except for the ongoing construction noise and the sound of Eddie's spoon hitting the inside of his iced coffee glass. When I asked Steve what happened it was a fast tale of the landlord raising the rent and about how COVID has shut them down too. What was there to say really?

After 45 years as the best diner on the Upper East Side, it was time to say goodbye. 45 years. Wow. Eddie summarized his feelings on the matter," bummed out, man...I eat here like 5 times a week.... breakfast at 8:15 and lunch at 12-12:30." Eddie shared a couple more memories. "I used to come here a lot with my dad."

I would miss the crispy french fries and juicy cheeseburgers, the iced coffee, and the friendly wait staff. Everything was always super quick and super delicious. Steve running the place, the cool mural of sailboats on a lake on the wall, and the 80s music radio station that kept things lively. Mario the manager and part-owner...Milton, Gus, Frankie, Abner...

"Gus was here the other day," added Eddie, "his hair was darker."

"Must have dyed it, looking a bit like Bela Lugosi I bet." Everybody loved Gus. "Yeah, Steve is having a tough year," said Eddie as we both sat nursing our iced coffees at an outside card table that would be put away for good the following day at 4 pm in the afternoon. For good. Eddie and I sat there stunned, really. The next day, the last day, I went inside to shake Steve's hand, pat him on the back, and wish him well. I asked him what the secret was to running a successful diner for 45 years.

He went through the history of the place and his eyes were glassy and his voice was filled with emotion. New Amity was his life it helped him buy a house and pay for college for his kids. Now Irma was gone and the restaurant too. " I love it. waking up at 4 am every day, coming here every morning and opening up and working in the kitchen and working the register and with the waiters and everybody, like a family."

Rumor has it that Steve is already looking into opening up another diner somewhere in the neighborhood.

The Captain of the New Amity is not the type to retire quietly to the Greek Islands.

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THE LAKE HOUSE MEN'S FASHION BY TIFFANY DE LISIO

By Adam Kluger

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fishing boat with an outboard motor puttered past the lake house.

The wind off the lake in Rome, Maine, gently stirred leaves on the tourist trees lining the dock. The pontoon boat was secured. A loon laughed heartily as a Saturday morning began to unfurl.

“Easy entry” “For sure” “I love this place” “It’s awesome”

“That rod was tangled up. I fixed it but it still can’t cast worth a damn.”

Dragonflies hovered about and the clouds were cottony against a light blue sky. Oversized scoops of vanilla ice cream.

The five old friends passed the morning with small talk about sports and things that men feel comfortable discussing. I drank my coffee black and listened to the birds and frogs and crickets and more.

The night before was full of laughter, scotch, burgers, and stories often told. Each of us was past middle age laughing out loud while trying to make sense of how things came to be in our respective lives.

A canoe approached.

“Did you find Bigfoot?,” I asked.

“We did some reconnoitering on the far side of the Lake. Saw a loon close-up.”

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“You see that eagle?”

“He’s being chased by two crows“ “a hawk among crows can be an eagle,” I offered Moose who was doing something of great import. But, still, he carried the conversation thread with some verve.

“Did you understand the significance of the three-eyed crow in Game of Thrones?”

“Did you?”

“I’m going to go back to my cabin and take a nap for 5 or 6 hours”

The back and forth banter was the residue of many years of old friends making fun of each other.

We all laughed.

“Is that the scallion cream cheese?”

“The Mets won 7-3” “Mets and Yankees on a collision course” “Tyler McGill is back off the IR” “Hey, look ...a chipmunk!”

“Oops, am I being too loud for the neighbors?”

“Hey, I just spotted a cool birdhouse” “It’s got no floor”

“You bet it is.”

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“Love the scallion” “So, there was one summer when I was 15 and a couple of friends and I filled an empty box full of fireworks and we lit it and pushed it out onto the lake. That was fun.”

“And then I was spending part of a summer in Nantucket and some guy put a tape in the box and said these guys are going to be as big as The Police— it was REM - the Murmur album.”

“Nice”

M and C got on surfboards. Stood on them unsteadily. C fell into the lake.

“You see that guy from Oracle…

“Ellison” “Yeah, buying up most of Kuwai” “And Nevada” “Smart - no taxes”

Kaploosh!

They both laughed.

It was early. Even though it was late. These weekends are always a nice getaway. Surrounded by friends. Guys who know you. Like most guys' weekends, C was in charge of the tunes. “…The wheel is turning and you can’t slow down… if the thunder don’t get you then the lightning will.”

“The thing I like about the book is the way Jefferson writes to Washington, “Dear Sir,” and what he’s saying is don’t believe what others are telling you about what I said, I am loyal to you.”

“You didn’t want to get on the bad side of Washington” “Definitely not” “How’s your son liking college in Cali?”

“He loves it”

“Santa Barbara is beautiful”

“…The time has come to weigh those things …this space is getting hot.”

“There’s no one out…we are all alone.”

“It still feels like early season” “This lake never feels crowded” On the pontoon, boat talk shifts to sports -family-business-high school - college and back to sports. Beach towels wave. The lake glitters white as the waves lap the shore lazily and wicker chairs are standing at attention while another pontoon boat on the other side of the lake blasts music from a speaker.

It won’t be long until it’s time to stand around the BBQ grill with drinks watching the sun go down. Later we will watch the NY Rangers game on the laptop while drinking more scotch, and raising glasses to one another.

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KRAVIS ON BROADWAY

SEASON LINE-UP

By Douglas Evans

A

s a Tony Award voter for over 25 years, I had the honor of seeing pretty much every Broadway show on Broadway. I also

attended no less than 50 Broadway opening nights to celebrate what I consider to be one of the if not the best of American art forms.

From the opening of “Phantom of the Opera” to the closing night of “CATS” after thousands of performances at the Winter Garden the current home of “The Music Man” with Hugh Jackman, one of my concerns was what these shows would look like once they went on a road tour around the country. I’m happy to report many of the shows are even better on tour than in New York City! The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is celebrating thirty years of the best of Broadway in South Florida through its Kravis On Broadway series, bringing a phenomenal line-up of seven Broadway shows that include multiple Tony Award winners, and the Kravis Center premieres of the beloved smash hits, Disney’s ALADDIN and WICKED. With something for everyone, the 30th Anniversary Kravis Center’s Kravis On Broadway season is packed with Tony® Award winners and nominees including the magical carpet ride of Disney’s ALADDIN, Broadway’s biggest blockbuster WICKED, and the Tony® Award and Grammy® Award-winning Best Musical HADESTOWN. The 80’s rule the stage on and off Broadway, and the Kravis Center is bringing it to South Florida, starting with the true story of South Florida’s very own Gloria Estfan Broadway production that defined a musical genre, ON YOUR FEET!, followed by the brand–new, uproarious comedy, TOOTSIE. Then for a perfect date night, fall in love all over again with one of Hollywood’s

most

beloved

romantic

stories of all time, PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL. Finally, the season wraps up with the electrifying tale of brotherhood, family, loyalty and betrayal in AIN’T TOO PROUD: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS.

Arts & Culture Editor: Douglas Evans

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Interview with Art World Expert

RENEE VARA

By Adam Kluger Photo credit: Jo Broughton

Any thoughts about the recent New York Art fairs and auctions?

We just got off of three incredible weeks of nonstop auctions, fairs, and gallery openings - it was great to see everyone after the lull. And I am happy, as a feminist art historian undergraduate, to finally see the long-awaited moment of "corrective history." There is a refocus in the market on diversifying art and properly recentering neglected artists including female artists, artists of color, and activists.

Why do you love NYC? I love New York because it is truly a place of inclusion - where no one has to feel bound by any metaphorical box. It has always been personally and professionally to me, the ultimate place to claim your complexity. There is such a collective sense of creative capital and even after I have worked around the world in many art centers, NYC is still extraordinary. I came here for that freedom that I have enjoyed for over three decades, and now think there is an upside to the pandemic because it has afforded a new youth culture that is formulating its own generational expression.

What’s going on with the Art Market these days?

Well - the Art World is back and like a Phoenix rising, New York is yet again the center of the art world. More business is transacted here, and even more so after the pandemic than in any other city in the world including Hong Kong, London, and Paris. I think the Pandemic in a way made the art world better - as galleries, auctions, and fairs were forced to pivot online. So, it opened up access to a 78

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great extent, and the art world is no longer an exclusive enclave of insiders. Now people across the world can learn, listen, and look at what’s happening on a very sophisticated level of participation.

What type of consulting and conservation work are you up to?

I am a recognized valuation specialist who works with investmentgrade objects to help navigate the complexities when they are damaged. I work closely with artists, conservators, collectors, galleries, and companies to ensure the work is conserved for posterity, to preserve value, and also ensure that the artist’s legacy is honored. It’s a collaborative process and the opportunity to consult with talented conservators, who are like art surgeons, makes it extremely technical and nuanced work, but also a fascinating process because it equalizes all the stakeholders to achieve a common good for the artwork and artist.

Renee, please tell us about the artist advocacy you have been involved with.

Besides building collections responsibly for the last several decades, I was recently the art expert for the successful 5Pointz landmark case that set a legal precedent for protecting artists under the Federal Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA). That advocacy work has expanded beyond NYC, and I have been advising other artists across the US, including my most recent high-profile cases which involve upholding the rights of two female artists and the integrity of their public sculptures. I also actively lecture on these concerns to artists, art professionals, and lawyers because moral rights are seemingly esoteric in America.

Critic's Corner

by Bob Massimi

How I Learned to Drive Mary- Louise Parker is Moving If the stars line up, Mary-Louise Parker should win her third Tony (Proof, The Sound Inside). After 25 years, Parker and David Morse, who plays uncle Peck (The Ice Man Cometh, The Long Green Mile) return to their roles in this deep, disturbing play. Parker, or Li'l Bit as she is called by her family is a deep-feeling actress and a true wonder to watch on stage; maybe the best of today's female actors. "How I Learned To Drive" is once again directed by Marl Brokaw. Here Brokaw makes a major mistake in not letting this wonderful actor have more anguish when being assaulted.

We see Uncle Peck getting her drunk, fondling her at the young age of 13, and taking lewd photos of her while encouraging her to pose for Playboy. What should have been a devastating climax in a hotel room feels flat and emotionless. Johanna Day, who also appeared in the original production was humorous at times and she too fell flat at other times. Miscast in their roles are Alyssa May Gold and Chris Myers. These two actors play various parts, none of which they fully embody and as such, their acting only goes through the motions. Rachel Hauck's set is plain but effective in the eternal feel of the columns moving back to show time moving in each direction. Writer Paula Vogel has put forth her best work here (better than "Indecent"). Unfortunately, the direction and choice of supporting characters make this "Drive" weaker than when we last saw it 25 years ago. -BM

American Buffalo Rockwell Rocks in This Classic.

An all-star cast makes this American Buffalo by David Mamet move at a rat-a-tat pace. Originally written in 1975, it tells the tale of three con men who want to recoup a Buffalo nickel sold to a customer. Directed by Neil Pepe who has worked on many Mamet projects, this play is as raw as the first time that I saw it in Circle In The Square downtown. In planning the heist, the three are both funny and intense. Sam Rockwell plays an excellent Teach; his interaction with Donny (Lawrence Fishburne) is magnetic. Darren Criss, too, is a standout as the unintelligent, low confidence gopher. This play is old school, replete with cursing, racial epithets, and violence, and left many of the wokesters heading for the exits early. The brilliant industrial lighting by Tyler Micoleau and the junk store setting by Scott Pask bring this three-quarter round stage front and center and give the audience nowhere to escape this well-done performance.- BM Hangman A Hanging Dark Comedy It's 1965 and hangings are outlawed in England. The second-best hangman, Harry (David Threlfall) is out of a job. Written by Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside, The Pillowman) and directed

by Matthew Dunster, Hangman pokes fun at death and hardship in this two-and-a-half-hour play. The second act is a standout, but the first act finds that the accents and low volume make it difficult at times to hear what is going on. Anna Fleischle gives the audience a spectacular set and wonderful costumes. The cast is all substantial in this inconsistent play. If the first act was as brisk as the second, this would have been a very formidable play. Instead, McDonagh takes his time setting up the first act which leaves a lot of the audience dozing off during act 1. - BM July 2022

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LITERARY SPOTLIGHT

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“In Towards Happiness, Dr. Friedberg has made an incredibly sensitive study of actual lived experience. In this collection of intimate portraits, he demonstrates the imagination, courage, wisdom, and unflagging effort necessary to create happiness where it has been lost.”

Harold Bronheim, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine, Mt. Sinai Drawing on a range of clinical cases, Towards Happiness presents an engaging, insightful look at how we define and achieve happiness in core aspects of our lives: work and money, wellness and personal growth, sex and love, family and friendship, and aging.

The book includes a series of essays by Dr. Ahron Friedberg, a prominent Manhattan psychiatrist, concerning how his patients sought to achieve greater happiness during challenging periods of their lives, and how as a consequence they grew personally and professionally. Each chapter considers a core topic through the lens of Dr. Friedberg’s practice, demonstrating how patients worked through difficult, sometimes chronic personal issues. Throughout, there are useful summaries of key points. While candidly acknowledging that each life is different, Towards Happiness offers practical examples that can enhance readers’ efforts to achieve greater levels of happiness and reorient their lives towards a deeper capacity for happiness.

Towards Happiness offers honest insights into the compromises, sacrifices, and resulting degrees of success that characterize pursuing happiness, and will be of great interest to psychoanalysts, clinical psychologists, and other mental health professionals. It will also be useful reading for anyone seeking to understand the achievement of happiness in their own lives.

Sandra Sherman, J.D., Ph.D., formerly a Senior Attorney in the U.S. government and Professor of English at two major universities. Currently, a Principal at ChildsPlay International, an organization that helps children around the world to realize the benefits of play. She is the author of four books on cultural history, and co-author of several books on neuroscience, as well as co-author with Dr. Friedberg of Psychotherapy and Personal Change and Through a Screen Darkly.

PSYCHOANALYSIS / SELF DEVELOPMENT

ISBN 978-1-03-227627-4

Routledge titles are available as eBook editions in a range of digital formats

9 781032 276274

Ahron Friedberg, M.D. with Sandra Sherman

Ahron Friedberg, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Editor, The Academy Forum of the American Academy of Psychodynamic Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis. Book Editor, Psychodynamic Psychiatry. Co-Chair, International Council of Editors of Psychoanalytic Journals. Served twice as National President of the American Society of Psychoanalytic Physicians. Recent books include Psychotherapy and Personal Change: Two Minds in a Mirror (Routledge 2021) and Through a Screen Darkly: Psychoanalytic Reflections During the Pandemic (Routledge 2021).

TOWARDS HAPPINESS— A PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH TO FINDING YOUR WAY

“Towards Happiness offers a series of true-to-life stories about real people and follows their literal pursuit of happiness. Their trials and travails offer guidance by example. The stories follow the protagonists as they try, make mistakes, brush themselves off, try again…there is a sense of real life, as well as of real drama. But more to the point, anyone can learn from these relatable, immensely human accounts. The lessons are ones that you can actually use because you see how each lesson was learned.”

Arnold Richards, M.D., Founding Editor, International Psychoanalysis

TOWARDS HAPPINESS— A PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH TO FINDING YOUR WAY Ahron Friedberg, M.D. with Sandra Sherman

TOWARDS HAPPINESS – A PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH TO FINDING YOUR WAY

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r. Ahron Friedberg, a noted New York psychiatrist, announces the release of his latest book, Towards Happiness – A Psychoanalytic Approach to Finding Your Way. Based on over 25 years of clinical experience, the book offers life-changing perspectives on how to understand and achieve happiness using one’s own, uniquely individual resources. Towards Happiness argues that no one can tell anyone how to be happy. There are no one-size-fits-all prescriptions and – even if there were – they would have to change as one’s life changes. Happiness, in other words, is a moving target, defined by who and where we are at any given stage of our life. Achieving happiness takes constant work. Yet we can still learn from others' failures and successes, and apply their experience in our own lives.

Towards Happiness illustrates that experience. Drawing on a range of cases, the book presents an engaging look at how we become happy in core aspects of our lives: work and money, wellness and personal growth, sex and love, family and friendship, and aging. In immensely relatable essays, Dr. Friedberg explores his patients’ efforts to enhance their lives in the face of challenges, and how as a consequence they grew personally and professionally. Each chapter considers a core topic, demonstrating how patients worked through sometimes chronic personal issues. While acknowledging that each life is different, Towards Happiness offers practical examples that readers can apply so as to reorient their lives towards a deeper capacity for happiness. Towards Happiness offers honest insights into the compromises, sacrifices, and resulting degrees of success that characterize pursuing happiness, and will interest psychotherapists and other mental health professionals. It will also be useful for anyone seeking to understand how to achieve happiness in their own lives.

Dr. Friedberg states: “I wasn’t satisfied by prescriptions for happiness that failed to account for individual circumstances, and that told you what happiness looks like but not how to get there. Each of us starts from a different place, and in each case, our path will be different. I wanted a book that spoke to each person individually, and took account of the work we each need to do to maintain a level of happiness even as life changes around us.”

In addition to Towards Happiness, Dr. Friedberg has also written Through a Screen Darkly: Psychoanalytic Reflections During the

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Pandemic, Psychotherapy, and Personal Change: Two Minds in a Mirror, and Life Studies in Psychoanalysis: Faces of Love (forthcoming), all with Dr. Sandra Sherman. He wrote Flashing Seven: Seven Essential Skills for Living and Leading, co-authored with Dr. Jack Hischowitz, and Between Us, A Father and Son Speak, with his father, Dr. Eugene Friedberg.

Towards Happiness is available on amazon.com.

ABOUT DR. AHRON FRIEDBERG: Dr. Ahron Friedberg, M.D. is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is a practicing psychiatrist and psychoanalyst in Manhattan. At Mount Sinai, Dr. Friedberg served as Co-Chair of the Psychiatry Advisory Board and has helped develop and lead several academic and teaching initiatives including their Innovations in Psychiatry Symposium. Dr. Friedberg also directs the ‘Symposium’, a national meeting held annually at Mount Sinai. He has participated in clinical research as part of the Department’s Mood and Anxiety Program, which focuses on translational neuroscience and understanding resilience. Dr. Friedberg has served twice as national President of the American Society of Psychoanalytic Physicians. He was named the first Executive Editor of International Psychoanalysis. net, a highly regarded online psychoanalytic resource. In addition, he is an Acquisitions Editor of International Psychoanalytic Books, Book Editor of Psychodynamic Psychiatry, Editor of the American Academy of Psychodynamic Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis Academy Forum, and elected chair of the International Council of Editors Psychanalytic Journals, as well as a regular contributor to Psychology Today. His research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including The Psychoanalytic Review, The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, Neuro-psychoanalysis, and Psychodynamic Psychiatry.

Dr. Friedberg’s writing focuses on the treatment of anxiety and trauma, clinical technique, and the concepts of resilience, consciousness, and desire in psychoanalysis. He has received awards for excellence in writing, in addition to originality and scholarship.

For more information on Dr. Ahron Friedberg, visit www.ahronfriedbergmd.com.

YOUR STORY IS YOUR LEGACY

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ike many families on New Year’s during the pandemic, we spent the evening at home. My in-laws drove in to stay with us and I wondered what we’d do with ourselves for a week, bottled up in the house. Then my father-in-law announced, “I’m writing my memoir. Want to hear some?”

For the next two hours, I was transported to WWII-era Morton Grove, Illinois, an army base in Colorado Springs and into the offices of 1980s Proctor and Gamble (the Mad Men era), where my father-in-law ran a Health and Beauty division. My son (10), who we worried would have begged for a screen a few minutes into the reading, sat enraptured. We all came away from that night clear that the memoir reading was the highlight of the visit.

It turns out, we were not the only family experiencing a renewed interest in our elder family member’s histories. A recent study showed that 74 percent of Americans regret not learning more about their families’ stories. www.yahoo.com/now/reflectingback-one-pandemic-national-164200612.html Until our relatives leave us, we can minimize the value and specialness of our family lore. But every family has heroes and heroines worthy of a great novel.

If you feel the call to record and share your family’s story, here are some possible approaches: 1. The Family Autobiography: create a timeline of major events, then have family members contribute their portions in a shared google doc. Or have each member select five to ten images that represent their life story and create a legacy box.

2. The Doc: Not avid writers? Instead of writing the story, film yourself or other family members sharing their favorite stories. Edit yourself on iMovie or a similar easy-to-use app, or hire a low-cost editor to put the stories in order or to music if you want to make a digital family oral history.

Sara Connell Feeling more ambitious?

3. The Professional: some of my clients have written full length family memoirs and published them on Amazon. If you want to make your story compelling to people outside your family, try these tips: Use the hero’s journey structure: focus on what others can learn from your life story and share the universal lessons.

Show versus tell: Include descriptive language, sensory detail, dialogue, and scene. Look at your favorite books and emulate what they do.

Work with an editor: an editor can help you pull the narrative together and take your story from raw materials to publisher-ready manuscript.

Story is said to be a great unifier, healer and transforming force.

What ripple effects could we make if we all take what’s left of this quarantine and get those stories on paper, on video, and out into the world?

Sara Connell is a bestselling author and the founder of Thought Leader Academy. Want to write a bestselling book that changes lives in less than 3 months? Here is my roadmap: www.saraconnell.mykajabi.com/writeyourbookmasterclass July 2022

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Uganda participates for the first time as a national pavilion in the

59TH INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION OF LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA 2022

by Rachel Vancelette

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e are looking forward to presenting the works of Ms. Kerunen and Mr. Sekajugo, whose dual approaches to art making, while diverse in their respective aesthetic approach, finds a common ground in their respective imaginations on materiality and form. ‘Radiance - They Dream in Time’ refers to the essential knowledge and lived experiences of Kerunen and Sekajugo in speaking to the many different territories of Uganda, as well as to urban trade and living conditions in its urban centers. Both artists have been actively working with formal and informal archives of Uganda’s dynamic visual culture.” Curator Shaheen Merali RADIANCE: THEY DREAM IN TIME: UGANDA NATIONAL PAVILLION The Tanzanian-born, British curator, Mr. Shaheen Merali leads the curatorial presentation with Kampala-based artists Ms. Acaye Kerunen and Mr. Collin Sekajugo. Uganda’s first appearance as a national pavilion at the International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, this milestone brings both local and regional Ugandan traditions, culture and aesthetic design to international audiences with fresh and innovative approaches Commissioner of the Uganda National Pavilion Mme Juliana Naumo noted that this opportunity was made possible through a partnership between Stjarna.art and the Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC).

many biases across visual, oral and digital cultures. Since 2012, Sekajugo has worked with the manipulation of the common stock image to reveal its inherent biases of entitlement and privilege largely modelled on the Western self. Sekajugo’s artistic practice highlights a contemporaneous anthropological reversal of this mainstream culture through the lens of a decidedly African sense for irreverence and play on the ad-hoc. Conceptually, the works of Sekajugo become pure theatre, a hacking of identity that exposes some truths behind these stock images that quietly continue to colonize the entire globe by the weight of their own popularity.

The 59th International Art Exhibition titled “Milk of Dreams” will take place from April 23rd to November 27th 2022 curated by Cecilia Alemani. “As the first Italian woman to hold this position, I intend to give voice to artists to create unique projects that reflect their visions and our society.” notes Cecilia Alemani Quickfire Series 2022 by Rachel Vancelette will include forthcoming interviews throughout the duration of the La Biennale di Venezia engaging artists’ experiences, presentation and engagement in the cent since the pandemic delayed original official dates.

Artist Acaye Kerunen is a multidisciplinary performance and installation artist, storyteller, writer, actress, and activist based in Kampala, Uganda. Kerunen’s process as a socially engaged artist foregrounds the work of local and regional Ugandan craftswomen, celebrating them as integral collaborators and elevating the artistic practices of local artisans who are the gatekeepers of their local wetlands, drawing upon a sacred and unspoken knowledge of ecological stewardship. By deconstructing utilitarian materials and artisan crafts, Kerunen repositions the work in order to tell new stories and posit new meaning. The act of re-installing these deconstructed materials is a response to the agency of women’s work in Africa and an acknowledgment of the role that this artistic labor plays in the climate ecosystem.

Artist Collin Sekajugo approaches his work from a distinct, aesthetic departure point that resides in his repeated return to pop culture and the omnipresent influence exuded by the global mainstream. Collin’s art practice conversing and critiquing its 82

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Curator Shaheen Merali

UGANDAPAVILION.ORG

APRIL 23 - NOVEMBER 26 2022 PALAZZO PALUMBO FOSSATI SAN MARCO VENICE

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ARTIST

ACAYE KERUNEN

OUGANDA, 2021 “Presenting mikekas and bibbos at the Venice biennale is something of a radical response to the overall focus on painting at the moment in East Africa. Painting is an imported European culture, mostly male, and the responses from our culture can rarely go beyond that point. Using ancient fibre materials in mats, baskets, ropes and twines that are supplied to my art in collaboration with Ugandan artisan women weavers completes my conceptual circle. These extraordinary women are also guardians of the wetlands from which these materials stem. My polymath practice allows me to reposition these materials from ancient voices and hallowed grounds, acting as an amplifier to thousands of years of oral memory, maternal wisdoms and those quiet voices that still whisper through the reeds.”

-Acaye Kerunen

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Mixed Media, 155 cm H x 115 cm W (61” H x 45 1/4” inches) Photo courtesy: Acaye Kerunen Studio

KAKARE, 2021 Mixed media, 370 cm H x 860 cm W x 50 cm D, (145 5/8" H x 338 1/2" W x 19 3/4" D inches) Photo courtesy: Acaye Kerunen Studio

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ARTIST

COLLIN SEKAJUGO

"Stock Image 013 - Engaged" Acrylic and mixed media on canvas, 2018/2021 120cm H by 120 cm W (47.24" by 47.25" inches) Photo credit: Maximilien de Dycker, Collin Sekajugo Studio

“A painting has to work hard in contemporary global culture. It presents one vantage point and it doesn’t come attached with either movement or sound or dialogue. It is obscured by hundreds of years of layers of Western art history, but still, if it works hard enough, it breaks new ground in the quest that most paintings seek, which is to achieve iconic status.”

-Collin Sekajugo

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"Stock Image 017 - I Own Everything" Acrylic, barkcloth and mixed media on canvas, 2019/2022 190 cm H by 300cm W (74.8" by 118.1" inches) Photo credit: Maximilien de Dycker, Collin Sekajugo Studio

Julie Blackmon: Records, 2021 © Julie Blackmon, Courtesy Robert Mann Gallery July 2022

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ARTIST

ANAT FRITZ

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ARTIST

ROBIN KOFFLER

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TEFAF ARTFAIR MAKES A COMEBACK IN 2022:

REFINEMENT, ELEGANCE AND ART AT THE PARK AVENUE ARMORY

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By Rachel Vancelette

EFAF Maastricht, established in 1988 and TEFAF NY launched in 2016 continues to be the world’s most important and influential art fair. Both encompass and present over 7000 years of art history and currently the fairs are making a grand return for 2022. TEFAF’s Chairman Hidde van Seggelen sat down to speak about TEFAF’s recent return to New York, after a notable absence on the art and design calendars for the last two years.

TEFAF New York re-emerged with a refreshed welcome at the Park Avenue Armory this past May, being the first edition to return in person since before the pandemic lockdown. The VIP opening night kicked off with delicious oysters offerings and 100s of overflowing champagnefilled flutes which had art collectors and art enthusiasts toasting and cheering the grand return of the fair this season. Elegant tulip flowerfilled vases and aisle displays from floor to ceiling were reminiscent of the regal elegance and refinement of days-old fairs. The Park Avenue Armory at the same time, appeared like the latest fashion runway of VIPs, presenting everyone’s ‘best dress’ from sparkling high heels,

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spring linen suits, elegant jewelry and top designer outfits. It was a certain all-encompassing sight of glamour during these ever-changing times. (no more athletic attire allowed for sure!). The long hallways and designed art booth presentations boomed with the latest art chatter on the most recent and greatest art finds.

After their two-year hiatus, the massive and historic Park Avenue Armory was filled with international artworks ranging in style and eras, setting enthusiasts and art collectors on the run to be the first in line for the premiere presentation. Over sixty museums and cultural institutions attended TEFAF NY, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, Guggenheim Museum, LACMA, Dallas Museum of Art, Seattle Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Städel Museum (Frankfurt), and Centre Pompidou (Paris) while many initiated discussions and processes to acquire artworks for their collections.

The New York TEFAF edition set during the critical and important return of New York art auction weeks, came on during the same month of the

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impressive Macklowe Collection sale which set a record in the total of 922.2 million. The new record makes it the most valuable single-owner sale ever sold at auction, surpassing even the Rockefeller Collection sale of $832 million. International TV and magazine press coverage continues to help broaden art collecting interests among the masses by reporting these shattering sales records, while bringing both new and old art collectors back into the art fair circles. Works by contemporary artists Cecily Brown and Anh Duong mingled with masterworks by Rembrandt and Picasso. Galleria Gmurzynka set a dream-like display that felt like experiencing a private collection from a grand castle or estate. At the same time, other galleries like Sean Kelly’s presentations of artists Marina Abramovic, Idris Khan, Yves Klein and Kehinde Wiley kept the edge of contemporary on point, making us all continue to want more.

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Among the most notable sales were White Cube’s sale of Park Seo-Bo’s Ecriture No. 51-79 (1979) for $1.3 million and additional works by Isamu Noguchi and Cy Twombly; Blum & Poe’s sale of several assemblages by Thornton Dial; David Zwirner’s sales from the Cartin Collection including works by Josef Albers, Sol LeWitt, and Bill Traylor; Charles Ede’s sales of more than a dozen Roman antiquities from 1st century BC to 2nd century AD; Perrotin’s sale of two works by Anna-Eva Bergman to institutions; Hostler Burrows’ mix of sales across both its contemporary and vintage pieces; and Donald Ellis Gallery record sale of a Plains Ledger drawing.

TEFAF’s Chairman, Hidde van Seggelen sat down to discuss TEFAF’s return for 2022:

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With more than 91 Galleries and 14 Countries represented at the TEFAF NY, after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, how has the art fair changed or perhaps not changed in the new phase of the pandemic?

“This year’s TEFAF New York continued the tradition of being a truly international event. Featuring top specialist dealers representing 14 countries, the fair drew an excited crowd from around the world and garnered strong sales. All recommended precautions were taken at the fair, but it was clear that both dealers and clients were thrilled to be safely back in person with each other and with the art.”

Do you feel the Online Virtual Gallery experience is here to stay past the pandemic for visitors to an artfair?

We see a future of online fairs as a hybrid experience and as an accompaniment to the in-person fair, such as TEFAF New York (live) and TEFAF Online (digital). _______ The upcoming TEFAF Maastricht this June is expected to host 243 dealers and thousands of visitors from around the globe, and will undoubtedly be a spectacular and refreshing reset. Presenting masterpieces of fine art, antiques, and design from around the world, it is recommended to keep an eye out for 500 pieces of jewelry which will be on display including stunning presentations of bracelets, rings, watches, brooches, and more. The word on the street is there is an incredible find -The Heritage Collection’s transformable necklace in platinum and white gold with 59 sapphires and diamonds, circa 1969, by Van Cleef & Arpels- all eyes are watching to see who will end up with the elegant and spectacular beauty.

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INVEST IN A MASTERPIECE ARTWORK LATELY? MANY WANT NEW SLICES OF THE PIE.

FRACTIONALIZATION: ON THE RISE.

By Rachel Vancelette

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he art market consistently looks for ways to expand, evolve and innovate. The latest art masterpiece portfolio fund is undoubtedly moving to diversify your investment portfolio with the click of a button.

Over the last few years, new emerging art funds such as Masterworks.io, Yield Street, and Particle, have arrived on the art world and financial scene, offering new fractional ownership options.

This news is compelling investors to investigate and invest like never before in the modern and contemporary art market. These innovative art funds provide access to their analytic financial platforms that, in some cases, only requires minimum entry investments as low as $20 USD. Artwork for the price of your morning coffee in London?

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As Blue-chip artwork is mostly acquired in the traditional art collection experience leading to sole ownership for one UHNW individual, the process historically has involved limited access and select art offerings, waitlists, and VIP status through market channels such as auction houses, art fairs, art dealers and art galleries. Shifting to the fractionalization of artwork instead attempts to shift the art acquisition process by breaking down the traditional barrier with entry into select blue-chip artworks, placing it right at one’s fingertip for immediate investment. These multiple art funds are encouraging enrollment by everyone to invest in art, ushering in a new wave of blue-chip art gatekeepers and decision-makers for these platforms. They are allowing everyone the opportunity to participate as a group and become art collectors — Fractionalized ownership of artwork is on the rise as a new asset class- the art masterpiece.

Modern and Contemporary art was the largest sector of the fine art auction market in 2021, and had 55% of the value of the total global fine art auction sales. Art Sales totaled $6.7 billion, up by 42% year-on-year. Within the sector, sales of works created in the last 20 years reached $2.5 billion at auction, more than doubling in value from 2020. Price transparency has long been a mystery in the art gallery and auction worlds, with technology and AI systems enabling companies to rapidly develop public art price art indexes for online art sales databases and annual reports. The yearly and quarterly art reports traditionally provided only to art industry insiders, and often subscription-based price databases continue to be developed by financial analysts and economists today. The information now offered is also regularly disseminated at a mass scale to the public. For instance, ARTBnk founded in 2017, states its mission is to provide transparency to those who collect, finance, and insure art. Founded by American financier Asher Eldeman ARTBnk platform uses artificial intelligence to examine thousands of art pieces for their prices that have been auctioned and publicized in the media. Their AI proprietary database can determine future pricing estimates based on provenance and size, suggesting future pricing for artworks.

Fractional ownership is defined as percentage ownership in an asset where participants share in the asset’s cost and benefit from usage rights, income sharing, priority access, and reduced rates. Utilized for many years in real estate markets, there has been an increased demand with investors’ rising appetites searching for the latest investment opportunity and new technology platforms where information is disseminated and updated to the minute. The global pandemic led to everyone spending more time online, exploring 3D galleries, art fairs and WEB3 communities which gave rise to blockchain technology and moved into consumer culture. The NFT phenomenon with platforms such as Decentraland, OpenSea, Rariable and Superare, supported the movement toward fractionalization and is becoming an everyday collecting experience event among NFT groups. Artworks became more accessible to the masses and forged an alternative investment strategy helping artists, galleries and auctions with a new outlet for sales opportunities. The direct trade of an NFT can lead to purchases of physical assets rather than relying upon the traditional gatekeepers of the art market to access artists or artworks.

Traditionally artwork viewed as an illiquid asset has shifted consumers’ mindsets in the market to reevaluate both the physical and digital assets of an artwork for acquisitions and ownership.

To take a closer look, external platforms for auction sales enlist NFT platforms on Ethereum, Flow, and Ronin blockchains and have grown from $4.6 million in 2019 to $11.1 billion in 2021. The value of sales for art-related NFTs expanded over a hundredfold year-on-year, reaching $2.6 billion. Will this flood of money into the market continue to fetch the prices and the returns investors hope for? With an emerging wealth segment engaging using the latest investing app, a new survey

by Select and Dynata found that almost half (49%) of investors check their investments’ performance once a day or more. Technology has allowed for instant gratification and diversification and has birthed communities with the ability to enjoy a shared mindset and assets.

The art fund pitch “if the investment is your only motivation for buying art, why go through the trouble of owning it with all the associated costs?” It cannot go unnoticed in acquiring artwork tax obligations; capital gain tax on sale can be a high 28%, along with other management issues of illiquidity, counterfeits, insurance and storage.

The many factors to consider in thinking about fractionalized artwork is that the collectible depends on commercial, social and intrinsic value involving many more factors such as original purchase price, condition, and exhibition history. Therefore, it has always been a high barrier for entry to select and top blue-chip artworks; fractionalization can be a potential solution to access artworks one could not otherwise afford.

“The art world loves to throw things out and bring new things in.

There’s always this new circle of artists entering every five years.” Robb Pruitt Tokenization, used to purchase NFTs, now appeals to the individual investor and family offices rather than the more prominent institutions, and these ideas are moving toward a change in the art industry’s future. Having an art fund handle all the advisory services at the click of payment is a newer concept, but the downside remains that collecting trends are known to be illiquid. Often based on small collecting circles, trends, and global accessibility, the risk remains a choice. History has shown that art collectors often collect artwork with an emotional and sentimental attachment. Can we now consider art a clickable momentnot to be experienced in person?

According to the SEC filings, Masterworks, which launched in 2017 obtained a recent $110 million Series funding led by Left Lane Capital venture fund. Last year alone, the fund purchased more than $300 million in artworks in total, roughly 65 artworks. Artworks were acquired across multiple auction houses and top-tier gallerists such as White Cube and Skarstedt. Billionaires like Steve Tananbaum and the Murgrabi family have appeared in the filings, along with statements from investors such as Shark Tank titan Kevin O’Leary supporting the company. Blue-chip contemporary artists such Jean Michel-Basquiat, July 2022

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Banksy and Joan Mitchell are some noted artists on the investment boards of the platform. According to the Artnews News Intelligence reports, Masterworks sold only three artworks from its portfolio and takes a 1.5% annual management fee, plus 20% from an artwork sale. (plus, other fees can apply.)

The company holds the artwork for 3-10 years and does not accept anyone over the age 70 as a potential investor.

Yieldstreet was founded in 2015 with funding of $328.5 million and $150 million in Series C funding last year, looking toward a range of mid-career to blue-chip contemporary artists and artworks to be sold over the life of each fund. Each fund is set for five years with a possibility of an extension of one to two years.

Yieldstreet’s Art Equity Fund IV was recently unveiled, which holds work by artists Damien Hirst, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Edward Ruscha, among others. Fees range from 1%-4% per year with offered exposure to real estate, legal, and supply chain investments.

Former chairman of Christies postwar and contemporary, Loic Gouzer, launched Particle in 2021 along with founder Adam and Shingo Lavine with crypto brokerage Voyayer. The company divides each artwork into a 100-by100-square grid, resulting in 10,000 unique “Particles,” which are then minted as NFTs and sold on the Avalanche blockchain. With 15 million in seed funding, the company’s first purchase was a Banksy’s artwork titled ‘Love is in the Air’ for 12.9 million. The website states, NFT technology and the unique Particle process allow for the decentralization of art collecting and the ownership experience. The company plans to place the artwork in the Particle Foundation, a non-profit trust and physical museum, to display the collection. The merging of NFT and physical artwork is setting trends in real estate, fashion, and collectibles for a new buyer experience.

Democratization of artwork allows interested parties the ability to invest with limited funds in a masterpiece. For instance, with NFTs, an automatic market with affordable tokens offers a percentage of ownership in an NFT. NFT sales have continued to enter the auction sector, for instance, Christie’s NFT sales totaled $150 million, including the landmark sale of Beeple’s Everydays: The First 5000 Days (2021) for $69.3 million. Sotheby’s NFT sales reached $80 million. According to The Art

Market Report with Art Basel and UBS, only 5% of the second-tier auction houses surveyed had sold NFTs in 2021, although 28% had not but were planning to do so in the next one to two years. Fractional donations are also gaining popularity for their tax advantages which now play a role in the purchasing decision of the ultra-high net clientele and art collectors, many of whom purchase at top art fairs around the globe. While increasing demand for jewelry and art for investment continues to surge as we are hopefully coming out of the pandemic, values continue to climb at auction. Fractionalization has become a topic among museum trustees and art collectors, and now the general public is looking to find alternative ways to collect and potentially attach a charitable donation.

Economists Jiangping Mei and Mike Moses found inflation-adjusted returns of 2% over 250 years and 4.9% over 125 years. Estimated returns vary based on the period, sample, and methodology, so reviewing the artwork holding times, whether 1-3 years or longer, leaves uncertainty. Of course, many of these studies do not account for the fees associated with the care, long-term storage of artwork, and art expert services related to purchasing an artwork. The auction, private dealer and/or art advisor commissions for serving as the intermediaries still play a vital role in the one-off transaction and acquisition of artwork. Art dealers have often formed syndicates from the founders of museums to art galleries historically pooling funds. Is this different than these new emerging art fund companies offering art as an investment alternative?

If one speaks to their banker and UHNW home offices of the top banking firms, many state art investment is rising in both a social and intellectual appeal, not always a financial one, yet a new group mindset of owning an artwork among other noted professionals remains appealing. As part of investment strategy, the new language and idea of “ownership” shifted conversations with many key financial advisors reporting and clarifying to investors that they should expect lower returns on artworks than other investments.

Art investment funds have indeed existed for decades, so why has anyone heard of one having a smashing success, or will this be on the horizon? Risk or reward for a slice of the pie... time can only tell.

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ARTIST RON BURKHARDT

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T H E R I T Z - C A R LT O N & MANOLIS PROJECTS Are Proud to Present A Group Exhibition of Original Works of Art, Color-themed to Abstractly Represent:

T H E S U N , S K Y & WA T E R

R O N B U R K HA R DT

SOUT H BE AC H

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ARTIST RICARDO MONGE

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icardo Monge is a Mixed Media Artist working with the mediums he loves…painting, photography, printmaking, video and graphic design. Monge was born in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, where he graduated college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts (BFA) from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras. After completion, he got accepted to Pratt Institute in New York to complete his Master’s Degree program in Fine Arts (MFA), majoring in printmaking and multimedia (graphic design, photography & video).

After completing his MFA, he was eager to change surroundings and gain professional experience as an artist and graphic designer. He enrolled in an international program where he was able to gain experience while living a new culture. He decided to move London, travel Europe and experience the richness of different cultures evoking his Latin Heritage. In addition, he participated in multiple artist residencies in Skopelos, Greece.

MIXED MEDIA ARTIST

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25A Ricardo is the founder of MongeArt.com and he currently works as Art Director and in-house artist for Casa Santi LLC. His projects expand beyond the fine art world and include Teatro Grattacielo, Battery Park Authority, NYC.gov, IBTCI, US Aid, Columbus Citizens Foundation, IDEAglobal and others.

He has also participated as artist and artistic sponsor for institutions and organizations, such as Isabela International Film Festival, Bailey House Gala & Auction, The Kaleidoscope Project, IFDA NY Chapter, George to the Rescue - NBC Studios, Las Vegas Market, Mike Ruiz - Post Magazine, Hearts Awards, Intercontinental Montreal, The Cornell Inn, RuPaul Dragcon, Venice International Art Fair, Open House NYC, Holiday House 10 Year Anniversary, Junior League High Point Designers Showhouse, Skopelos Foundation for the Arts, NY Public Library, Museo de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Galeria Oller and Arsenal de la Puntilla among others.

In April 2022, Monge was selected as one of the artists for The Flag Project 2022 at the Rockefeller Center as part of the "ONLY ONE EARTH" exhibition. The Rockefeller Center collaborated with the UN Environment Programme and The Climate Museum for the 3rd Annual Flag Project, turning the submitted art into one-of-a-kind eco-friendly flags and displayed on one of the 193 flagpoles surrounding Rockefeller Plaza through the month of April. His artwork is also the face and art promo for the productions of Guilietta & Romeo and Don Giovanni, by Teatro Grattacielo. He also created the official logo for Isabela International Film Festival and Friends of Cinema Puerto Rico.

Ricardo Monge Ricardo@MongeArt.com www.MongeArt.com @Monge.Art

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ARTIST

LORENA CAIRNS

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SPOTLIGHT with Julianne Michelle

CAREER BRIDGES

Julianne Michelle Photo Credit: Max Di Biaggio

GALA CONCERT AND DINNER

Left to right: First row: Jane Shaulis, Eve Queler, Barbara Meister Bender, David Schuyler Bender Second Row: Richard Miller, Jr, Mary Beth

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Nelson, Kaileigh Riess, Joanne Evans, Keungeun Lee, Lisa Rogali, Third Row: Left to Right: Key'mon

areer Bridges, founded 18 years ago by David Schuyler Bender and Barbara Meister Bender, provides grants, expert mentoring, training, and performance opportunities over a period of three years to highly talented young classical singers to prepare them to launch their careers on the professional stage.

Murrah, Samson McCrady, Thomas Ciliuffo, and Matthew Soibelman Julianne Michelle and Barbara Meister Bender

Photo credit: Hechler Photography

Connect: www.careerbridges.org Luminaries of the Opera World gathered at the exquisite Metropolitan Club to celebrate the next generation of opera stars, recipients of awards from The Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges, providing students with a bridge from studio to stage. The evening, hosted by Richard J. Miller, Jr., included cocktails, a seated dinner of decadent cuisine, palpable performances, and heartwarming displays of gratitude and accomplishment.

Every year, except during the pandemic, Career Bridges leads a competition in which they award career grants to 10 young gifted artists. Those winners have the opportunity to sing for and receive expert critique from a panel of industry professionals. The singers are then granted a conference with David and Barbara to review the critiques and provide follow up feedback. The grant winners have the opportunity to return for 3 more years to “check in” to measure progress and determine if goals were met.

This year Career Bridges selected ten outstanding, young opera singers—Joanne Evans, Thomas Cilluffo, Kyungeun Lee, Matthew Soibelman, Mala Weissberg, Keymon W. Murrah, Mary Beth Nelson, Kaileigh Riess, Lisa Marie Rogali, and Samson McCrady—along with two honorees, Eve Queler (Lifetime Achievement) and Jane Shaulis (Distinguished Achievement).

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Bottom Photo: Cherie Corso, Greg Bender, Lorraine Silvetz, and Julianne Michelle Photo credit: Hechler Photography

DONALD TRUMP'S CHOICE TO UNSEAT SENATOR LISA MURKOWSKI IN ALASKA:

MEET KELLY TSHIBAKA

By Adam Kluger

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elly Tshibaka grew up in Alaska, her dad worked as a union electrician and her mom was one of the first workers at the startup of Alaska’s largest oil field. Kelly was the first in her family to pursue a college degree, and then she went on to law school, where she met her husband, Niki, with whom she has five children.

According to Tshibaka, her family story is the realization of the American dream.

Tshibaka is eager to take her fight and warrior spirit to Washington D.C.

"My husband Niki and I have an intercultural and interracial family. Niki is a first-generation immigrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). His father was the youngest of 5 children raised by a single mom in a mud hut in the rainforest. After high school, his dad received a rare USAID scholarship to Dartmouth, where he learned English and received his bachelor's and business degrees all in 4 years. He met my mother-in-law and they moved back to the DRC where my father-in-law opened a Citibank branch. My father-in-law was promoted with Citibank, leading operations in Kenya, Liberia, Brazil, Spain, Poland, and Germany before becoming one of the executive Vice Presidents for the company in Manhattan. After living in Spain, my husband came to the United States for college and law school, which is where we met. Our children are 2nd generation African immigrants, direct descendants of a DRC tribe. They know they have every opportunity available to them here in the United States because, on both sides of their family, they have seen the American dream lived out."

"I am a conservative. I am pro-life, pro 2nd Amendment, and pro-America first, always. I am proud to be endorsed by President Donald Trump and the Alaska Republican Party, as well as countless leaders and citizens in Alaska... we love our state, we love our community, and we love our country."

Tshibaka says she is running for the U.S. Senate because it was the people of Alaska who stood up for her and gave her opportunities in life, and now she wants to stand up for the people of Alaska.

"It will be my honor to represent Alaska in the U.S. Senate, says Tshibaka, " and I will never forget the Alaskans who sent me there. It’s time for a change."

"I grew up with a typical Alaska childhood of hunting and fishing and playing ice hockey. In Alaska, we talk straight...we don't like politiciantalk...we are also a resilient and self-reliant people...we love to live off the land, not because we have to, but because we like to. And we are very community-focused...You cannot live in the arctic unless you live together."

"I’ve spent my career holding government insiders accountable and exposing waste, fraud, and abuse in federal agencies, and then as the Commissioner of the Department of Administration for the State of Alaska."

Tshibaka pledges to make the government work for the people.

Tshibaka says she is an unabashed admirer of President Trump's energy policies on fossil fuel drilling in Alaska.

"He won the state of Alaska by double digits twice, so we understand up here that his policies were the best that we ever had from any president... he was the one who delivered opening up ANWR (The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) for us...and ANWR is huge for our workers, for our economy, for national security, for energy independence for the Alaska native community that lives up there."

Tshibaka will look to unseat Lisa Murkowski, Alaska’s senior U.S. Senator.

website: www.kellyforak.com

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PARAMOUNT’S MOUNTAIN OF ENTERTAINMENT ARRIVES IN THE UK AND IRELAND: PARAMOUNT+ LAUNCHES JUNE 22 FOLLOWING A STAR-STUDDED LONDON EVENT, REVEALING NEW SLATES AND EUROPEAN LAUNCH TIMING

Hosted by Graham Norton, some of the biggest stars from Paramount+ landed in London to preview their shows live on stage, including Kevin Costner, Viola Davis, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Naomie Harris, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Bill Nighy, David Oyelowo, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Shannon, Sylvester Stallone, and many more

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aramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA) rolled out the Blue Carpet and hosted a dazzling star-studded event set at Outernet London, a new immersive culture, music and media district on iconic Denmark Street, to celebrate the debut of Paramount+ in the UK and Ireland on June 22. The premium SVOD service will offer more than 8,000 hours of content for the entire family, including blockbuster movies and TV series, new originals, and iconic shows.

Hosted by Graham Norton, the event featured world-renowned talent from Kevin Costner, Viola Davis, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Naomie Harris, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Bill Nighy, David Oyelowo, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Shannon, Sylvester Stallone, and many more.

Paramount+ launches in the UK and Ireland on June 22, after successfully landing in South Korea on June 16 and will continue its expansion to Italy in September, and to Germany, Switzerland, Austria (GSA) and France in December, with 45 markets expected to launch by the end of the year.

In addition to this announcement, Paramount+ unveiled slates for its premium international originals as well as casting details and the start of productions in partnership with MTV Entertainment Studios.

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LE BILBOQUET HOSTS LOUISE LINTON'S

ENVIRONMENTALLY-CONSCIOUS SHOE COLLECTION LAUNCH BENEFITTING VIVA GLOBAL RESCUE Photos by Nick Mele

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arking the first full week of Earth Month, a glamorous group of women gathered in Palm Beach for the first opportunity to shop a new shoe collection. The shoe collection is the vision of Louise Linton, a passionate longtime advocate for animal welfare and wildlife conservation. A percentage of the proceeds from the event benefitted Viva Global Rescue which rehabilitates horses and farm animals.

Linton and guests gathered at Palm Beach hot spot Le Bilboquet where they enjoyed a perfect spring morning filled with elevated environmentally conscious conversation. With Bellinis in hand, guests slipped on and scooped up multiple pairs of Linton’s two debut styles of black, white and nude heels.

Offering a prediction as to the brand’s sure-fire popularity, guests spanned generations and included residents of Palm Beach as well as guests from Miami, California and New York. Notable guests included legendary shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, Alina De Almeida, Amy Baier, Andrea Wynn, interior designer Brandie Herbst, Diane de Olazarra, Heather Mnuchin, Hilary Geary Ross, celebrity chef and cookbook author Ingrid Hoffman, philanthropist Kinga Lampert, Margit Brandt, Shari Liu Fellows, Molly Austin and fashion designer Rene Ruiz.

“I set out to create a luxury shoe line which places the wellbeing of our planet and animals parallel to excellent quality and luxury craftsmanship. Both vegan and environmentally friendly, the shoes were designed to be unique, both in their aesthetic, and their mission,” said Louise Linton, Founder and Designer.

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Le Jaguar

La Chaîne Puma

About Louise Linton Early in 2020, Linton began her search for the world's highest quality vegan leathers. She found Italy's Coronet, who for over 50 years, have been producing luxury, cruelty-free and ecosustainable products which set out to obtain the maximum positive impact on society and the environment.

tradition of making the world's most luxury shoe brands. Relying on the experience of their master craftsmen, Linton began a year long journey of designing and sampling. The final result is two elegant styles, a closed-toe pump, and a classic heeled sandal.

Both styles feature the brand’s signature forest green sole - a nod to nature and mother earth.

She then partnered with Minto Sandro, one of the most prestigious Italian shoe factories located on the beautiful Riviera del Brenta near Venice. Combining craftsmanship and innovation, the family-run company has a long history and

Linton’s shoe boxes are made in Italy from 80% recycled paper and feature an original hand-painted watercolor of a leopard framed in gold foil. They're designed to be upcycled and enjoyed.

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Kristen d’Offay, Shari Liu Fellows, Molly Austin, Rene Ruiz, Hollis Pica, Shannon Casey

Shari Liu Fellows, Hilary Geary Ross, Andrea Wynn, Louise Linton

Steven Mnuchin, Stuart Weitzman, Louise Linton

Alina de Almeida, Louise Linton

Erica Stern, Kinga Lampert, Erica Zohar

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Through the Lens Whether it is a magazine cover, a charitable cause, or a special occasion, the photographers with Annie Watt.com make an occasion more memorable. Annie and her associate photographers embody the essence of professionalism, seamlessly moving through any assignment with finesse and an innate ability to capture the moment at its heart. To book a photographer, contact annie@anniewatt.com

ANNIE WATT anniewatt.com

AKTION ART COLLECTION AT WYNN FINE ART GALLERY ON WORTH AVENUE

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COLONY HOTEL CUBAN-THEMED PARTY

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Palm Beach

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THE NEW ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, NJ 07675-1227 Tel: 1-877-877-3735 www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com © Copyright Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The Rolls-Royce name and logo are registered trademarks.