the artful mind artzine

THE ARTFUL MIND October 2012

Monthly Berkshire Artzine Since 1994

MAUREEN O’FLYNN and CLAUDE CORBEIL SINGERS, ACTORS, VOICE TEACHERS, STOCKBRIDGE, MA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANE FELDMAN

“Deep inside of every human being is the feeling that nothing is ever going to be complete, that the circle will never connect—and that itself is the secret to infinity.�

-Peter Townsend

stephen filmus

still-life paintings In the Berkshires

the lenox Gallery of fine Art 69 Church st., lenox, mA 413-637-2276

On Martha’s Vineyard

the Granary Gallery

636 Old County Rd., W.tisbury, mA 508-693-0455

www.stephenfilmus.com 413-528-1253 studio - by appointment “his Dad’s Bobbers”, 18” x 24”, Oil

argazzi art

22 millerton Road, Rte 44, LAkeville, CT Telephone: 860.435.8222 info@argazziart.com

ann e. coulter

one time pastels

september 27-november 25, 2012 The ArTful Mind October 2012 •1

O C T O B E R

A R T S

C A L E N D A R

museums & galleries

ArgAzzi ArT 22 millerton Rd, , Rte 44, lakeville, Ct • 860-435-8222 Ann e. Coulter, “One time”, pastels. sept 27-nov 25.

leticia Ortega Cortes, installation; first floor: Bruce Gagnier, sculpture; second floor: second floor (small rooms): Carrie Waldman, paintings; second floor: Cynthia Carlson, paintings; third floor: lois Dickson, paintings; fourth floor: mcWillie Chambers, paintings lAuren ClArk fine ArT 402 park st, housatonic, mA • 274-1432 www.laurenClarkfineArt.comlauren “Want to come up and see my...?” from woodcuts to broadsides, 17 printmakers make their mark. in this lively show of etchings, serigraphs, broadsides, monoprints, monotypes and woodcuts, we celebrate the modern printmaker.

Reception for the artists will be held on saturday, October 13, 4-6 pm. (Business hours are thursday-mon, 11-5:30 and sunday, 12-4)

CArrie hAddAd gAllery 622 Warren street, hudson, ny Jane Bloodgood-Abrams, harry Orlyk, nanacy Rutter, stephen Brophy: november 1 - December 9; reception nov 3, 68pm 510 WArren STreeT gAllery hudson, ny • 518-822-0510 October featured artist Doris simon, “shining moments”, opening reception Oct 6, 3 -6pm; Diana felber featured artist in november.

MArgueriTe Bride STudiO www.margebride.com seasons At hancock shaker village is ArT en induSTrie featuring the works of marguerite Bride DuAne miChAls (AmeRiCAn, B. 1932), untitleD (fROm “the inDOmitABle spiRit pORtfOliO”), 1989, GelAtin 420 park st, housatonic, mA, 2nd fl. and other well-known regional artists in silveR pRint, museum puRChAse, ©DuAnemiChAls, COuRtesy Of pACe/mACGill GAlleRy, neW yORk. • 413-353-0037 Cosmologies September through december 16, 2012 the poultry house in a painting exhibit Williams College Museum of Art, 15 lawrence hall drive, Williamstown, Massachusetts Reclaimed: Reused: Repurposed furniture entitled “seasons at hancock shaker & furnishings from found Objects village”. it will run from August 31 – October 28. Custom house and Business portraits, “local frOnT STreeT gAllery BerkShire ArT gAllery Color”, watercolor scenes of the Berkshires, new england front st., housatonic, mA • 413-274-6607 / 413-528-9546, 80 Railroad st, Gt Barrington, mA • 528-2690 and tuscany. Original watercolors and fine Art Reproducor cell at 413-429-7141 www.berkshireartgallery.com tions. 87 marshall street in north Adams, massachusetts. • housatonic Gallery for students and artists. featuring water19th and early 20th Century American & european art and 413.662.2111. Anna Betbeze: new Work. through november colors by kate knapp (saturday and sunday 12-5pm or by sculpture, contemporary artists 2012 appointment) gAllery 51 mClA, main st, north Adams, mA www.downstreetart.org Die formmeister: the masters of form a group exhibition at mClA Gallery 21, sep 27 - October 21. yura Adams, karen Arpsandel, michael vincent Bushy, Janet Cooper, helen febbo, linda kaye-moses, fay O'meara, Dina noto, Glenn shalan and paula shalan.(Gallery hours: 10-6 daily.) gOOd PurPOSe gAllery 40 main street, lee, mA. • 413- 394-5045 www.goodpurpose.org michael mcmanmon: "spectrum perspectives": an inside look at art through the eyes of an individual diagnosed on the autism spectrum. thru October 29. (Gallery summer hours are daily from 10am-6pm.) hudSOn VAlley ArTS CenTer 337 Warren st, hudson, ny • 800-456-0507 Regional and nationally-known artisans.

Classes.

2 • October 2012

the ARtful minD

JOhn dAViS gAllery 362 1/2 Warren st., hudson, new york 518-828-5907 www.johndavisgallery.com / art@johndavisgallery.com (sculpture, painting, collage and installation).

October 11 – november 4:main Galleries: fran shalom, paintings; Garden: Andrew Dunnill, sculpture; project space: Dionisio Cortes and

OxBOW gAllery 275 pleasant street, northampton • 413-586-6300.

Woodblock prints by frances kidder will be on display at the Oxbow Gallery, October 4-28. Artist’s reception friday October 12, 5-8 p.m. Gallery hours: thursday-sunday 12-5 SAMuel dOrSky MuSeuM Of ArT state university of new york, new paltz • 845-257-3844 Oct 10, 7:30 pm: kenneth silver: the Circle of montparnasse: Jewish Artists in paris 1905-1945; Oc 17, 7:30 pm susan Goodman: marc Chagall: Over the Rooftops of the World 1907-1917.hours: Wednesday-sunday: 11 am - 5 pm

SChAnTz gAllerieS 3 elm st, stockbridge, mA • 413-298-3044 • www.schantzgalleries.com.

A destination for those seeking premier artists working in glass. (11 - 5 daily) The gAllery AT r&f 84 ten Broeck Ave, in midtown kingston, ny • 845-331-3112 2012 invitational. this exhibition celebrates the release of encaustic Works 2012: A Biennial exhibition in print selected

by Joanne mattera.lery hours are monday - saturday, 10 am - 5 pm. .

The hArriSOn gAllery 39 spring street, Williamstown, mA Jane Bloodgood-Abrams, Dec 1 - Dec 31

The OxBOW gAllery 275 pleasant st, northampton, mA • www.oxbowgallery.com 413-586-6300

Woodblock prints by frances kidder. October 4-28. Artist’s reception friday October 12, 5-8 p.m. (m, t 10-7 pm W-f 15 pm)

The lenOx gAllery Of fine ArT 69 Church st, lenox, mA • 413-637-1253 two floors of fine art and sculpture by known artists from the Berkshires and beyond.

The STerling And frAnCine ClArk ArT inSTiTuTe 225 south st, Williamstown, mA • 413-458-2303 Clark Remix, salon style installation, with two new interactive programs: uCurate, and uexplore, on view til 2013

music / theatre film

AgleT TheATre PrOduCTiOn for reservations and info call 860 435 6928 “Dear liar”, written by Jerome kiltyOctober 12, 13, & a sunday matinée, the 14th at 2:00pm) at tri Arts’ Bok Gallery, sharon, Ct and October 19 & 20th at BtG’s unicorn theatre, stockbridge, mA.(Doors open at 7pm for complimentary wine and refreshments; reading at 7:30 followed by a discussion. $25.00; $20.00 students and under.

BerkShire MuSeuM 39 south street (Route 7), pittsfield, mA musician David Grover: family sing-Along, Columbus Day Oct 8, 11am

ClOSe enCOunTerS WiTh MuSiC mahaiwe performing Arts Center 14 Castle st, Gt Barrington, mA• 800-843-0778; or by emailing cewmusic@aol.com October 20, 6pm: “Dually” noted: music for four hands.

Russian piano virtuosos natalia lavrova and vassily primakov ; nov 4: peter Rosen’s film Shadows In Paradise MASS MoCA 87 marshall street in north Adams, massachusetts.

• 413.662.2111 the saddest music in the World, saturday, October 27, 2012, 4:00 pm, Club B-10, $5. iconic Canadian director Guy maddin set his 2003 odd masterpiece the saddest music in the World in his hometown of Winnipeg, manitoba, during the Great Depression.

PrOCTOrS TheATre Albany, ny, mainstage spencer’s theatre of illusion, Oct 19, 8pm; Classic theatre Guild, inc: verdict, oct 26-nov4; A Christmas story, Dec 1423; Brighten Beach memoires, feb. 15-24; A soldiers play, Apr 5-14; Doubt, may 31-June 9

ShAkeSPeAre & CO. 70 kimble st, lenox, mA • shakespeare.org the 39 steps, adapted by patrick Barlow from the novel by John Buchan and from the movie by Alfred hitchcockdirected

by Jonathan Croy; thru –november 4. elayne p. Bernstein theatre. the santaland Diaries by David sedaris, adapted by Joe mantello, directed by tony simotes,featuring David Josef hansen nov 30–December 30. elayne p. Bernstein theatre

The egg Center for performing Arts in Albany, ny empire state plaza • 518-473-1845 David Bromberg Big Band, nov 9; Arlo Guthrie, nov. 17

TiMe & SPACe liMiTed 434 Columbia street, hudson • 518-822-8448 the met: live in hD: l'elisir D'Amore (Donizetti). satsaturday, Oct 13th: 12:55, saturday, Oct 20th: 12:55, sunday, Oct 21st: 12:55, General: $25, student: $15. Anna netrebko and matthew polenazani star in Bartlett sher's new production. mauirizio Benini conducts. “the sun”, film: saturday, Oct 6th: 3:30, saturday, Oct 13th: 8:30, saturday, Oct 20th: 4:15, sunday, Oct 28th: 2:00. member: $5, General: $7, student: $5 WAM At the Berkshire museum, 39 south street, pittsfield, mA. purchase by calling 1-800-838-3006 / www.WAmtheatre.com.

World premiere production of the Old mezzo by Berkshirebased playwright susan Dworkin.October 12-28

workshops & events

AMherST BienniAl'12 ArT in exPeCTed & unexPeCTed PlACeS www.amherstbiennial.com A bounty of art venues grows in Amherst. terry Rooney, Chair of the public Arts Commission, has gathered unique resources of Amherst: five museums, four galleries, three college campuses, and unexpected places all over town. Works of 45 artists are at over 20 sites. Go to website for details.

BerkShire BOTAniCAl gArden Rtes102 & 183, stockbridge, mA • 413-298-3926 “Garden on fire”, Gimme shelter: Architects Design for shade; Open now, Garden time: Objects employing the sun, BerkShire SOuTh 15 Crissey Rd, Gt barrington, mA • 528 2810 for Adults and seniors: October 6 - november 10 * 1:00 3:00 p.m. explore a yoga wellness program designed to assist individuals with back conditions and maintain musculoskeletal health.

adventures in illustration, with Curator of education tom Daly. free with museum admission, members free.

PArAdiSe CiTy ArTS feSTiVAl northampton at the 3 County fairgrounds, Route 9 at i-91 exit 19 • 800-511-9725 October 6, 7 & 8.

SPenCerTOWn ACAdeMy ArTS CenTer 790 state Route 203 in spencertown, new york • www.spencertownacademy.org or call 518-392-3693. handmade holiday pop-up shop opens on saturday, november 24 with a festive holiday cookie contest from noon to 3:00pm and runs through December 23, thursdays through sundays from 10:00am to 5:00pm. the Academy invites local craftspeople and artisan food producers who would like to contribute to the shop, as well as holiday bakers who would like to participate in the cookie contest, to contact mary Anne lee at info@spencertownacademy.org.

deadline for november issue is October 10, 2012

ArTfulMind@yAhOO.COM

iSSuu.COM reAd The enTire iSSue On-line! *****

Please note!

COrreCTiOn On PhOTOgrAPh frOM SePTeMBer iSSue, featured interview with kristen van ginhoven The photographer in photo was JOe SChuyler

******

iS183 ArT SChOOl Of The BerkShireS 13 Willard hill Rd., stockbridge, mA • 413-298-5252 Register for a wide selection of art classes for fall 2012.

nOrMAn rOCkWell MuSeuM 9 Route 183, stockbridge, mA • 413-298-4100 humorous tales and little known factsfriday, October 12 at 2:30p.m.

Celebrate norman Rockwell’s unique brand of humor during this engaging, enlightening series exploring the artist’s

“Ultimately the whole show must belong to the actors, who share it with the specators in two hours of crazed generocity.”

-Joann Green

the ARtful minD October 2012 •3

510 WArren STreeT, hudSOn, ny

518-822-0510

WWW.510WARRenstReetGAlleRy.COm

fri & SAT 12-6PM, Sun 12-5PM, Or By APPOinTMenT

dOriS SiMOn Shining MOMenTS

October featured Artist

Reception Sunday October 6 • 3-6pm

510 memBeRs inCluDe: Will ClARk linDA ClAytOn DiAnA felBeR JOAn GiummO iskA kenney kAte knApp JOhn lipkOWitZ ninA lipkOWitZ eleAnOR lORD hAnnAh mAnDel peGGy Reeves JeAnnine sChOeffeR DORis simOn museum QuAlity fuRnituRe By JOel mARk AntiQue pRints & pOsteRs fROm mill RiveR stuDiO

BeRkshiRe ARt GAlleRy

JuAn De'pRey, GuitAR lullABy, O/C, 24 x20, 1904 - 1962 pueRtO RiCAn/AmeRiCAn.

8 rAilrOAd STreeT, greAT BArringTOn, MA • 413-528-2690 Open sAtuRDAy AnD sunDAy nOOn tO 5pm, AnD/OR By AppOintment WWW.BerkShireArTgAllery.COM

4 • October 2012

the ARtful minD

ARTFUL EDUCATION

musiCiAn miCAh stOne peRfORminG At sunDAy musiCAl BRunCh With GOOD puRpOse GAlleRy AnD stARvinG ARtist CRepeRie phOtO: DAn mCmAnmOn

Connecting Art and education in a Meaningful Way

By Dan mcmanmon

having grown up in the town of lee, i have fond memories of the 5 & 10 that catered to us kids with bins of assorted candies, airplane and car model kits, toy guns and just about everything else you can imagine. my summer jobs always revolved around my fathers business, the College internship program, or Cip. As an adult, i now work for Cip in marketing and admissions. it has slowly become my passion and i see Cip as a project of my fathers to build off and take to the next level. Cip has helped hundreds of young adults with learning Differences such as Asperger’s syndrome and ADD/hD develop skills in areas of their lives so that they can live independently, hold jobs and even purse college. i’ve gotten to know the young adults enrolled in the program fairly well. i see the gifts and challenges they possess firsthand. in the past few years the art scene in the Berkshires has grown, and the awareness of special education has become more and more recognized in society. these two seemingly unconnected worlds recently collided into something truly inspirational, something my father, michael mcmanmon, had the foresight to see as an amazing opportunity for our young adults in the program, as well as the larger community. the Good purpose Gallery and spectrum playhouse are helping to connect art and education in a meaningful way with Cip’s help.

A little over two years ago, the same building that housed h.A. Johansson five & Dime sat dormant on the main st of lee. now when you enter the building, the starving Artist Creperie connects

to the Good purpose Art Gallery. the upper two floors are used for the Cip offices and classrooms where Cip staff holds group and individual appointment with students. Our students meld with locals, tourists, artists and each other. their classes overflow from gallery to playhouse to Cip buildings. the students reside close-by in apartments and the small town of lee serves as their “campus”.

A former church, the spectrum playhouse now provides a yearlong season of community events including kids entertainment, classical music, improv comedy and other entertainment. even the starving Artist Creperie has student interns working and gaining experience. Cip students are engrained in these businesses, both as audience members and more importantly, as actors, artists and interns. they are proud of their titles and are accepted in the community as individuals. the opportunities for real experience offered serve as a stepping-stone for their personal development and integration within the community. Our students have opportunities to exhibit in a professional gallery, perform at a real playhouse, and practice and refine the skills they learn at Cip. michael mcmanmon, my father, has been an artist his whole life, ran group homes in his twenties, and has been a psychologist for 35 years. he has poured himself into his business for the past 28 years and has experienced first-hand what works and what doesn’t when it comes to special education. his goal for the coming year is to align his own passion in the arts with Cip by incorporating visual and performing arts as a formal option for students to pursue.

phOtOGRApheR AnD Cip GRADuAte ChARlie JACOBs WORks On sept 2011 phOtO: DAn mCmAnmOn

DisplAy DuRinG An exhiBit in

that connects everything together. Why not use a medium such as creative arts as a mechanism for teaching, learning and growth?

For further information, please call: 413-243-2576. www.cipberkshire.org/

Our students often have special talents due to the narrow areas of focus in their lives. they often need to be taught many of the skills that the rest of us may learn naturally, such as social skills, time management, organization, cooking, cleaning, etc. that is why the Cip program exists. the motto, which you will find in all Cip locations on walls and in printed materials, is “You were made for good purpose and are inherently valuable”. it is the glue

Cip stuDents pARtiCipAtinG in An OutDOOR DRAWinG ClAss

- Cip stuDent peRfORminG heR DRAmA ClAss mOnOlOGue fOR stAff stuDents AnD theiR fAmilies At the speCtRum plAyhOuse phOtO: DAn mCmAnmOn

phOtO: JAne

speCtRum plAyhOuse

phOtO: JAne felDmAn

felDmAn

the ARtful minD October 2012 •5

The ArTful Mind artzine October 2012

We got the performing arts under our skin.

We got the visual arts community happy as a lark.

Maureen O’Flynn in Gould Meadow Cover photo: maureen O’flynn and Claude Corbeil Photography by Jane Feldman ..... 12

Artful education: Connecting Art and education in A Meaningful Way Dan McManmon..... 5 notes from A novice gardener...getting ready Ruth Heuberger .....11 Maureen O’flynn and Claude Corbeil Singers. Actors. Voice Teachers.

Harryet Candee ..... 12

Planet Waves AuguST Eric Francis...... 16 feng Shui Elisa Cashiola..... 18

Simply Sasha Sasha Seymour...... 18

Architecture & Arcadia Stephen Dietemann..... 19

Contributing Writers and Monthly Columnists Elisa Cashiola, Stephen Gerard Dietemann, Eric Francis, Scott Harrington,Ruth Heuberger, Todd Mack, Dan McManmon, Nanci Race, Sasha Seymour Photographers Lee Everett, Jane Feldman, Julie McCarthy Sabine Vollmer von Falken Publisher Harryet Candee

Copy Editor

Marguerite Bride

Advertising and Graphic Design Harryet Candee Box 985, great Barrington, MA 01230

artfulmind@yahoo.com 413-528-5628

deadline for the november :: October 10, 2012

FYI: ©Copyright laws in effect throughout The Artful Mind for logo & all graphics including text material. Copyright laws for photographers and writers throughout The Artful Mind. Permission to reprint is required in all instances.

In any case the issue does not appear on the stands as planned due to unforseeable circumstances beyond our control, advertisers will be compensated on a one to one basis. Disclaimer rights available upon request. Serving the Art community with the the intention of enhancing communication and sharing positive creativity in all aspects of our lives

Our Art...Our Way 6 • October 2012 the ARtful minD

The MuSiC STOre

please nOte: the music store will be ClOseD on mondays and tuesdays during October, but on all other days, we at the music store celebrate the Berkshires’ Autumnal symphony at the end of the Railroad street extension in Great Barrington.

And October 2 will mark our 12th anniversary. Check in for anniversary specials this month . . . .We continue to offer some extraordinary and unusual neW instruments this year: for travelers, the incomparable Composite Acoustic Cargo guitar: made of 100% carbon graphite, in one piece, this pint sized guitar offers full-sized acoustic sound and professional grade electronics for the perfect gigging and traveling instrument in an almost indestructible body - aptly called the forever Guitar! And for the performer, try some of its bigger cousins . for Guitarists seeking unique handmade premium instruments, the music store offers guitars by American luthier Dana Bourgeois and introducing steel and classical guitars by irish luthier John Beckett. for instrumentalists in search of the unusual, the music store offers the unique Dr. easy’s sonic Boxes - cigar box guitars made from recycled ingredients and vintage cigar boxes, the serenity Bamboo flutes - cane and walking stick flutes which are handmade in stockbridge, fluke and flea ukuleles handmade in sheffield, Catania thumb pianos, Gourd pianos, fishtix and Catspaws - handmade in pennsylvania, and a host of other varied and exciting instruments for musicians of all ages and abilities. music store customers enjoy fine luthier handmade classical and steel string guitars as well as guitars from other fine lines including Alvarez, Avalon, Breedlove, Composite Acoustic, fender, loar, luna, Rainsong, Recording king and takamine.

Acoustic and electric guitars from entry to professional level instruments are available. famous named guitars and basses join less-well-known brands which appeal to those seeking high quality but are on tight budgets, providing any guitarist a tempting cornucopia of playing possibilities. new and used student orchestral and band instruments are available, including violins from $159 to $3000. An extensive array of international strings and reeds provides choices for the newest student to the symphonic performer. Children’s instruments, as well as a fine line of international percussion including middle eastern and handmade African instruments along with many choices of industry standard drum heads, stands, and sticks, as well as tuners, forks and metronomes can be found as well.

All new instruments are backed by the music store’s lifetime warranty which provides free set-up and adjustments on any new instrument sold. for repair and restoration and maintenance of fine stringed instruments - guitars, banjos, mandolins and the like - the music store’s repair shop offers expert luthiery at reasonable prices on instruments of all levels, as well as authorized repairs on lowden and takamine guitars. those in search of the perfect present for music lovers will find a treasure trove of gift favorites such as bumper stickers (“Driver singing,” “Go home and practice,” tune it or Die” and more), tee shirts, caps, scarves, miniature musical instruments and instrument magnets, music motif mugs, socks, totes and ties.

A proud server of the community for over eleven years, the music store’s warm and friendly staff are available for help in tuning, stringing or instrument repair. help in choosing tuners, capos, mutes shoulder rests and strings is as happily given as help in selecting instruments themselves. Our mission is to support and encourage our musical community, so consultation and advice are always free.

The Music Store, 87 Railroad Street, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, open in October Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 to 6, and on Sundays from 12 to 5. Call 413-528-2460 or email us at musicstr@bcn.net

CustOm RD stOOl

By BRAnDOn phillips fOR miles & mAy fuRnituRe WORks At ARt & inDustRie GAlleRie ReClAimeD heARtpine, WenGe h:22” W:14.75” D14.75”

ArT eT induSTrie gAllerie hOuSATOniC, MA

Art et industrie is pleased to announce the extension of their blockbuster inaugural exhibition, RECLAIMED. the stunningly restored 6000 sf gallery fills the entire 2nd floor of the former Waubeek textile mill in housatonic and features an enormous range of some 200 works by 20 regional artists, artisans & designers, all working in reclaimed materials. the event, titled “ReClAimeD, ReuseD, RepuRpOseD: fuRnituRe & fuRnishinGs fROm fOunD mAteRiAls” was originally scheduled to run from July 21st through Oct. 8th. in light of the thrilled response from the enormously enthusiastic public, as well as the wonderful support & encouragement of the featured artists, we’ve decided to extend the installation through november, and to further develop this important event with replenished new additions.

Art et industrie is the largest & most ambitious new exhibition venue in the region. the expansive size of the breathtaking former industrial loft has encouraged several of our world-class artists to exhibit pieces of truly heroic scale, as well as extended groupings of more traditionally-sized pieces down to the intimate & hand-held, some even wearable. find incredible live-edge dining & conference tables sliced from salvaged enormous trunks of wind-fallen ancient trees by hudson valley stars Jessica Wickham & Richard Johnson, spectacular Claro Walnut work as well as side-tables & benches from reclaimed old-growth lumber & steel by Dorset, vt great Dan mosheim, stunning high-design in super-strong, gleaming Brazilian ipe reclaimed from the Coney island Boardwalk by the famous miles & may, & one-of-a-kind wooden wizardry from Berkshire County’s own michael p. king, and many, many others. visit & view during our new autumn hours: Wednesday through sunday, 11:00 Am – 6:00 pm or by appointment.

ARt et inDustRie, 420 park street, 2nd floor, housatonic, mA 01236. 413-353-0037 Gallerie@artetindustrie.com www.Artetindustrie.com

issuu.com

...the artfulmind artzine of the berkshires ...read it before it comes out on the stands!!!

The Old MezzO WAM WOrld PreMiere

tickets are now on sale for WAm theatre’s World premiere production of the Old mezzo by Berkshire-based playwright susan Dworkin. the production runs October 12-28 at the Berkshire museum. in keeping with WAm’s double philanthropic mission, the beneficiary for the production will be Berkshirebased shout Out loud productions, a non-profit helmed by Jeanet ingalls that takes action to address sexual trafficking. shout Out loud will receive up to 25% of the box office proceeds.

WAm theatre’s artistic director, kristen van Ginhoven, says, “WAm theatre is excited to follow in the footsteps of other professional Berkshire theatres by producing at the Berkshire museum, which has welcomed us with open arms. As a nomadic theatre company, WAm theatre always tries to find the perfect location for the play we are producing and the museum’s theater is ideal for the Old mezzo, our first World premiere, which is set in a lecture hall and takes the form of a master class.” the Old mezzo concerns the political awakening of a great opera singer. Alyssa, the old mezzo, is driven by the recent death of a famous conductor to teach a master class concerning the politics of singing. the class becomes a play within a play where we revisit important scenes from Alyssa’s past. she has assigned parts to four of her students and as the exercise unfolds, we see how Alyssa had to risk her fame and success to preserve the freedom that is so essential to the arts. By the end of the play, through a surprising connection to recent events, the importance of politics in art is revealed.

“Berkshire museum is delighted to host WAm theatre this fall,” says van shields, Berkshire museum’s executive director. “the innovative nature of their work, from their dedication to producing art that engages the community to their unique philanthropic model, makes collaborating with them most rewarding. And that they have chosen to produce a play by a Berkshire-based author makes this production particularly appropriate for presentation in our theater.” the Old mezzo is written by Berkshire-based playwright susan Dworkin. ms. Dworkin is best known for her books the viking in the Wheat field and the nazi Officer’s Wife as well as her play All Day suckers. she was also a finalist for the susan Blackburn prize in 1980-1981 for her play Deli’s fable. ms.

Dworkin was one of the original writers and editors at ms. magazine. performances will take place friday, October 12 @ 8pm (preview); saturday, October 13 @ 8pm (Opening performance); sunday, October 14 @ 5pm*; friday, October 19 @ 8pm; saturday, October 20 @ 8pm; sunday, October 21 @ 5pm*; friday, October 26 @ 8pm; saturday, October 27 @ 8pm; sunday, October 28 @ 5pm. *performance followed by a talkback. tickets are $25 adults, $15 students + groups of 10 or more, $20 adults/ $12 students + groups (preview price for friday, October 12 8pm performance).

WAM at the Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA. Purchase by calling 1-800-838-3006 or online at www.WAmtheatre.com

SABine PhOTO ArT

the Artful mind showcases sabine’s work since 1994, the very beginning of the monthly Berkshire Artzine. still young at 20 something, sabine's studio has become a brand for contemporary, unobtrusive, relaxed photography in the european style. Did you have a “sabine” experience, yet?

A master of the subtleties of lighting and the nuance of background, her eye for detail provides imagery to be treasured for a lifetime.

Assignments are tailored to meet her client’s needs- a remembrance for a special occasion or a logo image to create an authentic professional online presence. it is to no surprise that she is a sought-after wedding photographer, as well. photo Art and Book signing by appointment “WOODlAnD style” and “ shell ChiC “, published by storey publishing, author marlene h. marshall, all photography by sabine can be purchased from your near by book stores. signed fine art prints are directly available through her studio.

For more info please contact Sabine Vollmer von Falken Photography Studio www.sabinephotoart.com, info@sabinephotoart.com tel. 413 298 4933. Sabine is a member of The American Society of Media Photographers asmp.

The International Center of Photography ICP and the Wedding Photojournalist Association, WPJA.

diAnA felBer JOy Of liVing still-life By DiAnA felBeR

An exhibition of paintings by Diana felber with nudes in oil and flowers in watercolor will be featured in november at the 510 Warren street Gallery, hudson, n.y. having recently “beaten” a medical condition, Diana is overjoyed at being alive and well again. this joy is reflected in her new work displayed at the gallery. in addition to Diana’s work, other artists exhibiting are: Will Clark, Joan Giummo, iska kenney, kate knapp, John lipkowitz, nina lipklowitz, eleanor lord, hannah mandel, peggy Reeves, linda Clayton, and Doris simon. Also showing is furniture by Joel marks and mill River studio Antique prints and posters.

510 Warren Street Gallery, Hudson, NY - Gallery hours: Fri & Sat 12-6pm, Sun 12-5pm, or by appointment; 510warrenstgallery.com 518-822-0510.

Die Formmeister:

the Masters of the Form A Group Exhibition at

MCLA Gallery 21 in North Adams, MA

September 27 - October 21, 2012 Yura Adams, Karen Arp-Sandel, Michael Vincent Bushy, Janet Cooper, Helen Febbo, Linda Kaye-Moses, Fay O’Meara, Dina Noto, GLenn Shalan and Paula Shalan

This Exhibit is part of DownStreet Art

www.downstreetart.org

the ARtful minD OCtOBeR 2012 • 7

AMherST BienniAl’12 ArT in exPeCTed & unexPeCTed PlACeS

A bounty of art venues grows in Amherst. terry Rooney, Chair of the public Arts Commission, has gathered unique resources of Amherst: five museums, four galleries, three college campuses, and unexpected places all over town. Works of 45 artists are at over 20 sites. the second Amherst Biennial presents some of the finest artwork created in the pioneer valley during the last two years. in the face of the closing of many galleries, this ambitious display of art throughout the town provides new and unexpected places to view art —- changing the paradigm of how artists’ work is presented to the public.

When Rooney, first approached town officials and businesses two years ago with the idea for a Biennial, she would have been happy to be offered a few storefronts. instead, 14 sites, including two farms, an abandoned school, and several storefronts accommodated the works of 44 artists. local and national press took note. many people who never set foot in art galleries or museums were delighted to stumble upon the artwork. in addition to new venues, this Biennial includes performance pieces like an artist carrying a huge blank canvas 8’x6’ on his back journeying all over town; an installation and performance at the mead Art museum; rabbit sculptures in the park, emily Dickinson’s poems on house constructions at hampshire College.

Amherst Biennial - For more go to the website www.amherstbiennial.com

MArgueriTe Bride fAVOriTe ThingS JimsOm BeAns, mARGueRite BRiDe, W/C

An artist’s “favorite” work seldom holds that distinction for long: before they know it, another painting comes along and takes its place. A demonstration of that concept will be on display at the Gallery at the Old Chatham Country store, where two pittsfield artists, marguerite Bride and scott taylor, team up to display their favorite works about their favorite subjects.

As one might expect, the name of their exhibit, which runs for the month of november is “favorite things.”

A reception to meet the artists will be held in the gallery on sunday, november 4, from 3-5 pm. the exhibit runs from nov 1 – 28 and can be seen during OCCs business hours. Old Chatham Country store is located at 639 Albany turnpike Road, Old Chatham, ny. visit their website for hours and directions: occsmail@yahoo.com.

Bride and taylor have collaborated on a number of shows in the past, including “the Wheels of time” that OCCs exhibited in february of last year, but this one is different. Rather than focusing on a specific subject as the theme, the artists have decided to exhibit those paintings that are particularly meaningful to them, the ones they love the most. hancock shaker village is also featuring works by Bride and taylor and 2 other well-known regional artists in the poultry house Gallery in an exhibit entitled “seasons at hancock shaker village”. it runs through October 28. the artists featured in this show besides Bride (watercolors and collographs) and taylor (acrylics), include ivor parry (oils and mixed media) and michael Cohen (oil and gouache). the works on display have all been inspired by a wide variety of the village scenes and impressions and interpreted by each of the artists in their own specific style and medium. marguerite Bride paints the Berkshires and has completed more than 130 watercolors of local scenes. she also is well known for her custom house portraits.

Marguerite Bride, 311 North Street, Pittsfield, Studio #5.

Open for First Fridays Artswalks, and by appointment. Call 413-442-7718, or 413-8411659 (cell); website: www.margebride.com, email: margebride@aol.com

JuAn De'pRey, GuitAR lullABy, O/C, 24 x20, 1904 - 1962, pueRtO RiCAn/AmeRiCAn

BerkShire ArT gAllery

the Berkshire Art Gallery, located at 80 Railroad street, Great Barrington, mA, is pleased to display Guitar Lullaby by Juan De’prey, one of north America’s finest painters known for his engaging portraits, particularly of children, and genre scenes.

Born in san Juan, puerto Rico, De’prey came to new york in 1929, struggling to support his family but always finding time to paint scenes, based mostly on childhood memories of puerto Rico or his family. he lived in Brooklyn heights and worked as an elevator operator before becoming a full time artist in 1940 when his work was first noticed at the Washington square Outdoor Art shows in Greenwich village. important gallery and museum shows soon followed at prestigious venues such as the Galerie st. etienne, 8th street Gallery, Galeria sudamerica, the Whitney museum of American Art, the Riverside museum, mount holyoke College and the university of puerto Rico. this was a far cry from the days when he sold his works to eager-to-buy building occupants from the back of his elevator car. many critics, then and now, have favorably compared his work to that of the mexican muralists, especially Diego Rivera, Jose Orozco and David siquieros.

Guitar Lullaby shows a young girl playing a guitar and singing to a younger child, perhaps her sister, whose rapt gaze and total attention show respect and affection for the singer. the complementary colors of the guitar and the simple dresses add to the serenity of the composition. Juan De’prey’s paintings are widely admired today, and although he did not see it in his lifetime, having died of a heart attack at age 57, they are in the collections of the museo de Arte of puerto Rico and several other public institutions.

Parking for Gallery patrons is available in front of the Gallery. Hours are noon to 5PM, Saturdays and Sundays, or by appointment or chance. New winter hours begin on November 25 when the Gallery will close at 4PM on Sundays. For information, contact Jack Wood @ 413-528-2690 or visit berkshireartgallery.com

CLASS SCHEDULE Mon-Fri 8:30 - 9;45am - Uma M-W-F 10:00 - 11:15am - Uma Tues. 6:00 - 7:15pm - Uma

Thurs. 6:00 - 7:15pm ... Jenna O’Brien Sat. 10:00 - 11:15am ... Jenna O’Brien

413.528.YOGA (9642) www.528yoga.com 274 Main Street, Great Barrington 8 • October 2012 the ARtful minD

located in back of main st., adjacent to the triplex theater

CLASS FEES ...

$15.00 per Class $120.00 for a 10 class card (good for 8 weeks)

$75.00 month unlimited (Uma only)

Owner - Uma McNeill

510 WArren STreeT gAllery DORis simOn

kAte knApp BlACk WAteRCOlOR On 22x30 ARChe hOt pResseD pApeR

frOnT STreeT gAllery

neW OilS plus BlACk And WhiTe drAWingS And PAinTingS pastels, oils, acrylics and watercolors…..abstract and representational…..landscapes, still lifes and portraits….a unique variety of painting technique and styles….you will be transported to another world and see things in a way you never have before….please come join us and experience something different. painting classes continue on mon Wed mornings 101:30pm at the studio and thursday mornings out in the field and are open to all...come to one or come again if it works for you...all levels and materials welcome...

Classes at front street for those wishing to learn and those who just want to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art and who have some experience under their belt. perfect for those seeking fresh insight into watercolors, and other mediums. kate knapp has been teaching for many years, and has a keen sense of each student’s artistic needs to take a step beyond! perfect setting for setting up still lifes. lighting and space is excellent. peak in to see! kate knapp’s paintings are also on display at 510 Warren st. Gallery in hudson, ny. please stop by to see all the many works of art by exceptional artists.

Front Street Gallery – Front Street, Housatonic, MA. Gallery now open by appointment or chance...if you call my home phone 413-528-9546 or cell 413-429-7141. I can meet you there very quickly...I lookforward to seeing you!

STePhen filMuS

stephen filmus, his DAD’s BOBBeRs, 18” x 24”, Oil

A collection of bobbers are splayed across a fisherman’s hat and a sea of undulating stripes. the arrangement appears to be haphazard, but is studied. every object has its place. the painting is more than a composition and the bobbers are more than interesting shapes and colors - they have meaning to those who have used them during many enjoyable outdoor hours.

A series of new still-life paintings by artist stephen filmus will be on view this season at the lenox Gallery of fine Art. in addition to the lenox Gallery, filmus is now represented by the Granary Gallery on martha’s vineyard. stephen filmus has lived and worked in the Berkshires of massachusetts for many years where he has established his reputation and following. his work is in numerous collections and he has exhibited widely including David findlay Jr. fine Art in new york and the Berkshire museum and the norman Rockwell museum. filmus paints landscapes and still-lifes that reflect his artistic sensibilities, but also works on commissions for those who want paintings of a specific scene or a still-life composition. he develops an artwork that satisfies the integrity of his style while creating an image that his clients envision.

Stephen Filmus’ work can be seen at the Lenox Gallery of Fine Art, 69 Church Street, Lenox, MA 413-637-2276 and at the Granary Gallery on Martha’s Vineyard.www.granarygallery.com His work can also be seen at his studio in Great Barrington by appointment 413-528-1253.

dOriS SiMOn in OCTOBer

Abstract paintings on aluminum by Doris simon, October 5 through 28, 2012. Artist's reception is saturday, October 6th, 3-6pm. Doris simon is an abstract artist who has been experimenting with aluminum as her canvas for the past year. it started, by accident, with a visit to a surplus metal yard. from that first attempt, her work evolved in a completely new direction and her new works are all on aluminum. these abstract paintings have a special luminosity that comes from the multiple layers of metallic paint and organic shapes on the shiny surfaces. the resulting work has an Asian feel and the show is aptly named: "shining moments" 510 Warren St, Hudson, NY, 518-822-0510. www.510warrenstreetgallery.com. Hours: Friday and Saturday 12-6pm, Monday 12-5 and by appointment.

510 memBeRs inCluDe: Will ClARk * linDA ClAytOn’ DiAnA felBeR JOAn GiummO iskA kenney kAte knApp JOhn lipkOWitZ ninA lipkOWitZ eleAnOR lORD hAnnAh mAnDel peGGy Reeves JeAnnine sChOeffeR DORis simOn museum QuAlity fuRnituRe By JOel mARk AntiQue pRints & pOsteRs fROm mill RiveR stuDiO *neW memBeR

The ArTful Mind now on ISSUU.COM ...Read the artzine on line!

the ARtful minD OCtOBeR2012 •9

WhOlePerSOn MOVeMenT ShArOn True

now—pilates plus pfilates (pelvic floor pilates).

Regular exercise is an essential component of optimal health and functioning. Conscious exercise with sharon true, owner of Wholeperson movement, takes exercise to a whole new level. in the personalized one-on-one workouts she creates in her pilates studio she guides her clients to become masters of their own body movement. they learn to become conscious of the inner experience and process of doing an exercise, as well as of its precise outer form. Conscious exercise workouts stretch and strengthen muscles, promote concentration, reduce stress, and deepen understanding of the body. true has recently completed training in a variant of pilates called pfilates (pronounced filates) which focuses on conditioning the muscles of the pelvic floor. pfilates helps with problems of incontinence, organ prolapse, weakness as a result of abdominal surgery and more. it is an excellent addition to the regular pilates workout focus on working from the inside out. it can also be learned on its own as a home program. true is a registered somatic movement therapist, certified laban movement analyst, and a certified pilates and pfilates instructor. she has been teaching pilates-based workouts for over 15 years, first at Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires and then in her own fully-equipped pilates studio in Great Barrington. these years of teaching, together with her commitment to continuing her own education, give clients the benefit of a vast array of experience to effectively address their goals and concerns. she is an expert partner and guide in the discovery of an exercise program that works and is a pleasure to do.

Call to learn more about Pfilates, now a component of Conscious Exercise workouts with Sharon True. Contact her at sharontrue@roadrunner.com, or phone 413-528-2465, 9 AM-9 PM.

ClOSe enCOunTerS WiTh MuSiC nAtAliA lAvROvA AnD vAssily pRimAkOv

gOOd PurPOSe gAllery miChAel mCmAnmOn, puRple WAteR

SPeCTruM PerSPeCTiVeS

the Good purpose Gallery presents “spectrum perspectives”: an inside look at art through the eyes of an individual diagnosed on the autism spectrum. this exhibit will take place through October 29. michael mcmanmon’s artistic perspective is naturally different as he is diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of mild autism. he was a featured artist in the book “Artism” and in 2011 opened a visual and performing art center, the Good purpose Gallery and spectrum playhouse, aimed at developing the talents of students with Asperger’s syndrome. varied in medium and expression, michael brings attention to unusual detail in pen and ink realism and watercolor landscapes; his acrylic paintings and glass shard sculpture are joyful abstractions. the Good purpose Gallery thanks michael mcmanmon for not only showing his work in our amazing gallery space, but for donating 100% all proceeds of all sales to the College internship program, a post-secondary program preparing young adults with Autism, Asperger’s and other learning Differences for independence.

Good Purpose Gallery - 40 Main Street, Lee, MA. Visit www.goodpurpose.org for more information.

“As is true of many women playwrights, I’ve not yet delved into the vortex of mother/daughter dynamics. I believe it is the last dark continent to be explored in dramatic material.”

-Kathleen Betsko

fOur hAndS, One keyBOArd

Russian piano virtuosos natalia lavrova and vassily primakov open the Close encounters with music season on saturday, October 20, with “‘Dually’ noted: music for four hands,” a diverse and intriguing array of works for duo piano. the 6 p.m. concert takes place at the mahaiwe performing Arts Center, 14 Castle st. in Great Barrington. the pair’s eloquent and precise dialogue for piano encompasses a wide range of styles and composers, from mozart and Chopin (two scherzos) to John Corigliano’s Gazebo Dances, inspired by the high-spirited mood of summer concerts on the village green. Also featured are a saucy Brazilian-flavored composition by Darius milhaud, and franz schubert’s transcendently beautiful fantasie for piano in f minor, one of the foundational works of the chamber music repertoire.

Close encounters With music concerts are broadcast on Wmht-fm, and weekly broadcasts of “Classical music According to yehuda” are broadcast on WAmC northeast Radio and at www.wamc.org.

2012-13 Close encounters with Music Calendar

October 20 november 4 December 9 february 24 march 3 march 23 April 20 may 18 June 8

Ticket Information for “‘Dually Noted: Music For Four Hands”Tickets, $40 (orchestra and mezzanine) and $30 (balcony), are available at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center box office, 413-528-0100; through Close Encounters With Music at 800-843-0778; or by emailing cewmusic@aol.com.

Subscriptions are $185 ($160 for seniors) for a series of 6 concerts. Visit www.cewm.org. Performances are supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Elisa Cashiola Placement Designer

Specializing in the Art of Feng Shui and Color Elisacashiola@gmail.com

413.717.5559 (text only - deaf) www.elisacashiola.com

10 • October 2012 the ARtful minD

“Dually” noted: music for four hands peter Rosen’s film shadows in paradise tragicomedia: A Baroque holiday Celebration midwinter fireside Concert: the Amphion string Quartet Conversations With… Ben luxon An evening with eliot fisk Grand piano trios i: schubert & schoenfield Grand piano ii: mozart, Beethoven and Ravel nordic lights: Grieg Revival

************* SEEKING WRITERS who enjoy interviewing very interesting people.

Please email Harryet: artfulmind@yahoo.com *******************

“The attraction of the virtuoso for the public is very like that of the circus for the crowd. There is always the hope that somethin dangerous will happen.”

-Claude Debussy

Welcome!

Part III

End Notes From A Novice Gar dener Ruth heuberger

i soon learned that a garden cannot be rushed. And tastes and aesthetics vary widely. Our son, who had visions of a full and colorful garden often complained when he visited that all those spaces in between plantings among the rocks and mulch made it look like “the ho Chi min trail.� urban talk. i was determined to go with the flow, and learn through trial and error to fill in the blanks. there’s been that in abundance: i once called enthusiastically to our gardening neighbor to show him a plant i’d be encouraging, only to be told, in his thoughtful and laconic way, that the tall weed i’d been encouraging in the raised-bed garden was nothing to brag about. found, too, that i didn’t have the kind of patience needed to grow vegetables; apparently, pulling up a carrot to see if ‘it’s done’ is not conducive to its healthy development. kronovitch!�, cried our carpenter and avid gardener at the crown vetch planted for quick coverage in the sunny rock bed. “Quick, rip it out before it invades the whole yard!� i did. Quickly plopped it somewhere else, but there’s not a trace left. i guess it’s not equally partial to shade.

But shrubs and trees seem finally to thrive, as well as easy-towater tubs and pots of colorful annuals. As do hydrangea bushes that bloom all summer and give winter interest, and spikes of dried lavender blossoms that artfully stick out of the snow. the ‘lawn’ too, is manageable .... i’m not at all fastidious about maintaining a weed-free lawn as long as it’s expanse is green. needs less water, too. And moss is encouraged by mowing low; learned from laurel t; i exult over the occasional downpour, for its further expansion. We diligently root out hyperactive sugar maple and locust seedlings which need a lot more room than we have for them. mother nature, in her exuberance, is often overgenerous with her gifts and we must refuse if we have the will, or be overwhelmed.

Across the path from the house is a resting spot and pond created from a mysterious underground source. it’s there that we make a small fire in an old coal scuttle to roast marshmallows.

And for a number of years, a half dozen goldfish thrived in the pond in all seasons. under the nearby hemlocks we put down some sweet woodruff that quickly spread, as well as wild plants that happily migrated there in the ways of bountiful nature- even fall asters; mini ‘wild’ areas that surprise with a new look every year. i’m philosophical about the trillium and bloodroot donated by a friend, and other half of an early music porch duet, from her beloved woods: there’s a nice theory that plants thrive on music. so far, with little rowdiness apparent, there seems to be a happy coexistence among the residents and volunteers.

Over the years, we developed grassless areas and rock gardens all around the house plus three others sizeable ones. my husband and i built a stone flower-bed and he and our younger son built another stone wall beside his studio. they’re nothing like laurel’s masterpiece, but i have her to thank for encouraging us. for calm without chaos, rock gardens and stone walks do need

tending and i employ a hit-or-miss homemade weed killer; a lawn with lots of tolerated weeds is no guarantee that they won’t migrate. Also, i admit to a few store- bought products harmless to all but slugs and lily beetles, though they eventually gain the upper hand anyway. Goodbye lilies. And berry-bearing bushes are a boon to birds. struggling aspen saplings that were sure to be destroyed, dug from the railroad track, and with permission, other stragglers from backyards and hedges, have been given a place. even with its curious and messy way of propagating, the silver poplar is enchanting with its leaves shimmering in the breeze or flipping in a storm.

With its roots hurriedly buried deep in the compost pile, the little Japanese maple that my brother presented to us in the middle of winter held on, and more. With gentle pruning, it gracefully drapes over the little ditch draining rainwater away from the house. Our family helped plant young aspen and dogwood saplings, along with poplars and a viburnum on the neglected part of the condo property, before a wooden fence was erected two years ago; we can only hope their new owners enjoy them. We don’t mind the fence- gives us less to maintain while still enjoying the display rising above it. And the birds, squirrels, and who knows what other critters, have a new vantage point aside from the fence’s unintended bonus- discouraging tick-bearing deer.

Been there! though beautiful creatures, we’d rather glimpse them in their woods.

“Look Ma! No grass!�

today, the rock gardens, possibly influenced by our time in Japan, proliferate with lavender and drought tolerant plants and flowers, luckily aided by southern exposure, natural shelter and an incline that affords good drainage. english ivy that soon replaced ‘kronovitch’ sprawls over the far side. i happily share the dozens of seedlings that pop up in the mulch and rocks each year, and succulents are a cinch. A manageable herb garden just outside the back door serve us, as well. for a precious moment, we are the temporary stewards of a spot of land in this corner of the world that i love. the garden has matured from the time i jotted down these sentiments almost twenty years ago‌ Old house, all fresh with paint and love / look down on tender garden some generations younger./ No gap / It’s give and take / Shades of dark and light / persist to tally tales.

And when the young ginkgo tree that we planted reaches maturity, with more tales to tell, i like to imagine that future owners, too, will marvel at nature’s bounty, look about, and wonder.

R

the ARtful minD OCtOBeR 2012 • 11

&

Maureen O’Flynn Claude Corbeil Singers. Actors. Voice Teachers

Photography by Jane Feldman Interview by Harryet Candee

Harryet Candee: I met Maureen O’Flynn, and Claude Corbeil last May in 2012, when they presented the public series of Master Classes at Berkshire South Community Center, in Great Barrington.

Hi Maureen. Hi Claude. I’m interested in learning about your musical backgrounds and professional careers. How you both started and where the road took you, separately and together.

Your voices are the key to your success, and you have given audiences all over the world a true gift of music and love.

I bet there were many people who did not realize that you’ve added teaching to your already established and extensive musical careers. Between the two of you, there must be a lot of performances under your belt, and not just of the Operatic nature. Now, having more time in the Berkshires, the world of teaching becomes part of your daily lives together. What path lead both of you to being able to make this change, and still continue to give great performances?

Maureen: Claude and i met doing a production of mozart’s the marriage of figaro. he was figaro, so i married him. (laughs) At that time, Claude already had a 33 year international career in opera, as well as his own television program, and numerous concerts singing Quebecois folk songs throughout his beloved Quebec and Canada. i’m going into my 28th year – can’t believe i’m saying it – of opera and theatre, and recently cabaret. so yes, between us, there’s been hundreds of performances, and beyond that, a lifestyle completely

12 October 2012 the ARtful minD

unique to itself. for us, mostly on the road, not so much at home, until this past year. i’m in the twilight of my operatic career now, so i’m adjusting to that, and to having more time at home.

Harryet: i know Claude has been teaching for more than 20 years now, but this is new for you, maureen. is that an adjustment, too?

Maureen: We always thought when we stopped traveling as much, we’d start to teach more at home. it’s kind of the best of all worlds; doing what we love and doing it in the place we love most. it’s why i love performing at home. so this was a natural progression for us, and the timing is right for me. i finally have something substantial to offer. i have something of value to say, to instruct, and beyond the technical, i can help someone do that by discovering the actor in them; to teach someone to enjoy the taste, and the texture of a word spun on a true, intentioned note, the sublime feeling of that liberated breath and emotion…that’s a thing of beauty. And it’s not about the singer, or the perfection of the note, but more about the expression and connection, what’s being said. What i’ve discovered is my own singing and my own acting having improved, and deepened both in their technical strengths and in the truth of each. in showing, i’ve discovered how “to do” better. When you teach, you have to articulate something you perhaps have never needed to put into words for yourself. so it forces you to examine your own art and your own technique. it’s a never-ending fascinating journey.

Claude: Actually, teaching here in our home and studio is our preferred place to work. Our studio here is growing with people from all levels of singing to all levels of age and life: an 18 year old who has just discovered he loves to sing, and can; a 73 year old Quebecois/American who saw me give a master class at umAss, and comes to learn how to better sing his beloved Quebecois folk songs. Architects. lawyers, college students, community theatre singers, choral singers, and a 50 year old woman whose parents told her never to sing when she was a little girl, and just discovered her voice. it’s like a Dickens novel, with all kinds of different and interesting people coming into our lives.

Harryet: have you two become “homebodies”? Working, entertaining, relaxing, cooking, etcetera…doing it all from the home?

Claude: We are indeed homebodies! it seems we love few things as much as being home, preparing a good meal, sharing a good bottle of Bordeaux, bien sur! it has been our ritual since coming home from long periods away when maureen was working. We would look forward to this on the return flight. Our studio is part of our home, surrounded by photos of our lives performing, and of our friends and family—souvenirs everywhere. it’s full of our life in music. so it’s a fitting spot for us to be teaching and passing on what we’ve learned and experienced.

Harryet: Do you find that your teaching approach is different, depending on the location of where you are teaching? in a school setting, or your home/studio setting?

Maureen and Claude: no. it’s more fun teaching at home, more convenient. But teaching is teaching, the techniques, standards and values are all the same no matter where the teaching happens.

Harryet: maureen, can you bring us back in time to when you were a little girl growing up in a large family, in stockbridge. What was that like for you?

Maureen: A few years ago, i made a birthday present for my brother, terry, and in it i used a photo of us when we were young kids. it’s black and white, and the border of it is of white scalloped, shiny paper that comes from that era of photos. the light seems somehow filtered, showing a 5 year old curly haired girl with a toy mower faithfully following her 12 year old brother as he mowed the lawn. that picture is how i remember growing up here in stockbridge. that kind of Andy Griffith/mayberry simplicity and goodness, and folks who seemed to know everybody, most especially by the cars they drove. i loved going to town with my father. he’d tip his hat and say “hiya” to everyone, and take me to the soda fountain at Benjamin’s pharmacy on main street. i miss that place. it was so old fashioned, whimsical and fascinating to me as a kid. there was a woman behind the counter named Chick, and she knew just what to put down in front of us without my father ordering. my father was an opera singer before he married and had kids, when the traveling vaudeville shows used opera during the entractes, (interestingly enough, Claude’s father did the same thing, something else we have in common). my mother was a classically trained pianist, and while she was tired and rusty by the time i came along (i was a huGe surprise— 8 years after 5 boys!), we would sing around the piano as a family. my mother played for us, and later my brother, michael did. it was like eating and sleeping to me. singing was something i just always did. so i remember that, and i remember marching down the aisle at church, every sunday, cringing, because we were always 10 minutes late – always – and it drove me nuts, even as a little girl. however, one sweet memory is leaning my head on my father’s shoulder during the service. nice.

Harryet: those are some precious memories you have! Between the two of you, how did you end up agreeing on living here in the Berkshires—as opposed to Canada, or new york City?

Claude: i fell in love with the Berkshires when i came to see maureen for the first time. i had been here at tanglewood as a young singer in 1959. (maureen: “i was 2. i’m just sayin”.) maureen was ready to move to Quebec with me if i had asked her to, but we were both in love with it here. so! here we stayed.

Harryet: What especially is attractive to you about the Berkshires? it’s amazing how it’s grown after all these years. the arts thrive all year round! endless beauty surrounds us.

Claude: for me, it is the inspiring surroundings. the cultural life, the simplicity that somehow remains alive in the midst of all the summer activity.

Maureen: my roots here are ridiculously deep. i’m connected, attached to the land, the hills, the trees, as well as to the family and friends i’ve had here all along. it’s always been wrenching for me to leave on extended jobs, even now. i’m rarely more comfortable anywhere else as i am at home. i’m extremely proud of our community; it’s beauty, culture and dignity. it’s such a perfect spot; between two major cities, near two airports,

MAureen & ClAude’S finAl PrOduCTiOn Of le nOzze di figArO in hAMilTOn, OnTAriO

and glorious all on it’s own. What’s not to love? it’s less small town wonderful than it was, but— Claude: —but the charm remains.

Maureen: yes, exactly.

Harryet: then the winter sets in… and Brrr! What do you do?

Cabin fever. if it wasn’t for the change in weather, i think there really is little difference. events, theatre and art are alive and kicking. things keep relatively moving along, growing by the day!

Maureen: it’s only been the last few years that we’ve been home enough to notice what season it is. (laughs) And frankly, we’re now too busy to get cabin fever. We’re all over the map between singing and teaching and master classes.

Harryet: how have your earlier years impacted your current careers?

Claude: Well, my performing years are over, and have been since 1995 when i was forced to retire because of vocal chord cancer. But fortunately, my doctor is the best in the world, and has given me a voice with which i can speak and teach, and sing a very few notes. i’ve been on the faculty of the Artescenica encuentro Opera festival in mexico for the last 11 years and maureen has been there now for the past 3 years. We are both on the voice faculty of hartt school of music in hartford, Connecticut, and actively teach here as well as in new york City.

Maureen: And i’m still singing opera, though nowhere near as much as i used to. i’m doing theatre, and cabaret, and auditioning for whatever comes up in theatre, tv, film, and trying to remember who i am each given day. Being a teacher, opera singer, cabaret singer, actor—it’s not boring. i’m a theatre creature. We both are. Claude had to give it up, but he nevertheless accompanies me, and still lives it a little bit, with me.

Harryet: Claude, can you describe what was it was like to lose your voice? to lose your first love?

Claude: Of course, very traumatic at the beginning. it did take years to digest even the reality of it. singing had been my entire life since i was a young boy in Quebec. losing my voice

ArChiVAl PhOTO

was losing my identity, and i am still learning how to live without it. i was passionate about it, and i’m as passionate about teaching as i was about singing. teaching makes me sing again, through my students. When maureen sings, my heart sings along. so it isn’t the voice i had, but it’s the voice of my spirit that is still alive.

Harryet: Claude, that was beautifully said. Do you miss Canadian style living, Claude? What would be a difference between here and where you grew up? And, what was your childhood like?

Claude: i don’t miss the style of living, but i miss the language, culture, and happiness of the people. the Quebecois are a jolly people.

Harryet: And you’re growing years? What were they like?

Claude: my childhood was very much like the one maureen described. i was also raised in a musical family. my father was a very well-known opera singer and radio personality. i studied voice with him and his influence was, of course, quite strong for me, and still remains so. that is where my musical interest came from, my father. i went on studying to become a singer, going to the Conservatory of music when i was still in high school. music was all i thought about.

Harryet: We are a bunch of music and art nuts, aren’t we? from my experience… i was comfortable the first time taking my very first singing lesson with you two, when you both warmly smiled at me, and really listened to me- and kept encouraging me to go on. it was a big difference from early childhood piano lesson memories, for sure which were very strict and methodical, too serious and you played cause you had to play, not because you felt anything for the music….What do you make a practice of doing, as professional teachers, that get first time students feeling comfortable so that they can more easily take their first steps?

Continued on next page... the ARtful minD October 2012 • 13

Maureen O’Flynn & Claude Corbeil SIngers. Actors. Voice Teachers.

envelopes for the sportsman Club, make floral bouquets from their own organic gardens and sell them at elm st market in stockbridge; arts and crafts that they hand make and are for sale all over town. i was really passionate about doing this concert. my life has been about finding my own voice, my connection to the world. isn’t that what we’re all looking for? Connection. validation. to be heard, and seen and listened to.

Riverbrook gives these women those opportunities, for them to find their voices and their connections, their place in the world.

MAureen On her POrCh

PhOTO JAne feldMAn

Maureen: Both of us are singers, and both of us are as insecure as the next person— and shy, as many, i dare say most performers are. so we really understand the courage it takes for some people to come and let us “play” with their voice, which is in essence, playing with a person’s spirit, soul, whatever one wants to label it. We try to create a safe environment for that student to discover and rediscover their own personal creativity, uniqueness, and own voice. We don’t just mean the literal voice, but the figurative, as well. technically, singing is easy.

Breathe, sing as you speak, and mean what you say. period… end of sentence. What often needs to happen, is for a person/student to be given the permission to express what they have to say in the studio, through a song. though it may also sound simple, but isn’t. especially for people who have a problem making them selves heard, listened to. they need to be provoked, helped to throw off old protective devices, or shyness and spread their wings, and get wild.

Claude: Basically, if you watch the movie the king’s speech, you will have a very good idea of our philosophy of teaching and the joys of finding one’s voice.

Harryet: the kings speech left me speechless. i mean to say— refreshed! maureen, you were just in a local performance, your cabaret show, “At the Crossroads”, and that was for the Riverbrook Residence in stockbridge. how did it go?

Maureen: i did just do the show on the 22nd of september, as a benefit for Riverbrook. i’m delighted to say it was a success and many people opened their hearts and attended. Riverbrook Residence is a wonderful organization for women with developmental disabilities. they are given a home and tools to live and function together in the community. these women have camaraderie, the joys of a shared home life, creative and educational instruction, and are encouraged to join the community with the goals of growing and finding their particular talents. they are participating contributors to the community: they stuff

14 • October 2012 the ARtful minD

Harryet: We all need to be heard. And some people happen to be great listeners. …it take a lifetime to learn about ourselves. it takes years to hone our skills till we are perfectly content with our performance-or never be happy with it no matter how good it gets. that’s being a perfectionist, i think! Do you find yourself being a perfectionist, maureen?

Maureen: yes, i am, and i say that with all the weight that particular burden carries with it. (laughs) it’s one of the things that almost kept me from a career in singing; having to edit every note, and strive for perfection in each and every one of those notes. i don’t have to think about that so much when i do cabaret singing, or musical theatre, or just acting, and i have to say, it’s a nice feeling to be more relaxed about it. it has brought me back to my life before i took up opera. i sang folk music, pop songs, old victor herbert songs, Cole porter, and i’m having a blast now rediscovering, and discovering new music.

Opera is a high stress business. it’s really high strung and demands a lot of energy at many different levels. As much as i miss a full diet of opera, i don’t miss that part of it, and i don’t miss it all having to be about the voice. i can just sing and tell a story now, and that is really pleasing to me these days. Just last weekend, my oldest friend was visiting, along with my music director/pianist, Don Rebic and his fiancé, Carol Reisner, who is a singer/dancer/fiddle player. After dinner one night, we met in the music room/living room, and started playing around with old songs like Carole king, the Beatles, Dan fogelberg my friend flo, and i sang one song after another, with Don on the piano, and his lady on the fiddle. flo and i harmonized just like we did growing up, taking walks, horse back riding. We had sung all the time. i realized it has been decades, longer than i can remember, since i sang only

ClAude & MAureen

PhOTO: JAne feldMAn

for myself, for the joy of it, quietly on a lovely early Autumn evening in the Berkshires. it was paradise. i hadn’t even realized i missed it.

Harryet: Oh and don’t forget the fireflies, they enjoyed it, too! i admire your partnership and how well you work together. i thought you were a terrific team while doing the master Classes at Berkshire south this past may. But, honestly, can it get challenging for you at times working on all the themes and variations in music and life?

Claude: i tend to be very discreet about criticizing maureen’s singing. (“liar,” says maureen!) (both laugh) no, seriously, we do help each other, and she trusts my ears. i know her voice better than anyone else, and as long as i’m careful…….(more laughter) We’re actually both surprised to be teaching together, doing master classes together. it isn’t often done so. But it seems to work in some circumstances.

Harryet: Did you love doing the master Classes?

Claude: We loved doing the master Classes at Berkshire south.

We’ll be doing it again this winter, in later January and february. it’s open to everyone of all levels, age 18 and over.

Maureen: those master Classes was a revelation to us—that experience. We didn’t expect to be so moved by it and by the people who came to sang, and who attended. We love to see people discover themselves; parts of themselves maybe they haven’t seen in awhile, or maybe never saw before, or never let anyone else see. it takes courage and determination, and a friendly safe, non-critical place to give it a try. Claude and i have really the same philosophy about singing and performing.

Beyond that, the necessity and catharsis of having singing as another avenue for expression. it’s a joy, and supposed to be a joy. We’re determined to make it that.

Claude: maureen and i work in very different ways, but we seem to compliment the other, to complete what the other is saying. i love to provoke people, to get them to stretch themselves. maureen can explain what i’m saying if it is not understood, and vice versa; it all depends on how it’s said, and received.

Maureen: Claude loves to get people out of their shells. he was really well known in Canada during his career, particularly for his comic roles. he was known as monsieur Jambon, which means mr. ham. he lives for the ridiculous and the silly, and people seem to respond to that when he’s teaching. he jokes them out of their shyness.

Harryet: i did notice that…. maureen, can you tell us the story of how you got into Opera. it’s a good one.

Maureen: As i mentioned earlier, my father was a singer, and singing was always part of my life. my brother, Art, was nuts

Harryet: Would you ever consider going back seriously into singing folk singing?

Maureen: every once in a while i do. As a matter of fact, when i met David Grover at a function, i said to him, “David, what’s wrong with this picture? you and i have never sung together.” so, when both our schedules allow, we’re going to get together and make some music! you never know, i might crash one of his gigs some crisp, cool Berkshire evening.

Harryet: i want to catch that! spontaneous and magical -that could be! how does a young music student create a descent career these days? Wondering…can anyone become a good singer?

Maureen & Claude: there are a few people born with actual physical problems that prevent them from singing, mostly because they can’t hear the actual pitch. But most people can sing and learn to sing better with practice, and training. they may not be performance-ready singers, but anyone can learn how to express them self more fully as they sing.

frOM PeArlS’ deBuTe AT ShAkeSPeAre & CO. frOM The lefT, SArA JOBin (PiAniST), JACk BrOWn, MArnie BreCkenridge, ruBy MCdOnAld, OliViA MArChiOne, MAureen O'flynn, JOhn BelleMer, JOhn Cheek (JOhn deMler, AlSO in The CAST, MiSSing frOM The PhOTO).

PhOTO: JAne feldMAn

about opera, and in particular, both tenors. One evening when i was 20, my brother played a recording of placido Domingo, singing arias that i remembered hearing my father sing. At the time, i was lost, unsure of my future and goals. By the time that evening was done, i knew i wanted to be an opera singer, and i was looking for a voice teacher the next morning. it was a defining moment for me. i had shied away from even thinking about a career singing, mostly because i was insecure and certain i’d never make it against equally talented, but more beautiful women trying to get jobs on Broadway or in the recording business. Opera seemed like a safer bet, and it took over my life. i began living, breathing and eating opera and classical song. i was concerned at the beginning that i’d lose my “normal” voice, and not be able to continue to sing folk and pop and musical theatre. i even told my first voice teacher, Bob Blafield, just that. i said i wouldn’t take voice if it was going to ruin the voice i had. happily, i’ve always been able to sing most any style. singing has given me so many opportunities i would not otherwise have. i’ve seen the world, i met my husband, i have a life filled with diverse, bizarre, wonderful, whimsical creative people. And i’m still finding my voice. i have a feeling it’s a never ending journey.

Harryet: And a never ending love story! Do either of you play a musical instrument?

Claude: We both play piano a little, and we both played the guitar.

Harryet: nice. And, is there any free time for lounging around, couch potato-ing?

Maureen: We don’t have any free time. i wish i was kidding.

Between teaching and performing and traveling, we’re pretty booked. i’m not complaining, just trying to figure out how to juggle it all. it use to be coming home from a job on the road was a vacation. now it’s more like going on the job is vacation! home is so busy now.

Harryet: many great collaborative ideas sprout from spontaneous gatherings, have you created any events that way?

Maureen: Another thing i love about living here are all the artists . A lot of us know each other, and are friends and colleagues it seems a lot of us meet at DreamAway lodge, in Becket. Dream Away! yet, another thing we love about the Berkshires! sometimes, living here, watching a gathering of artistic friends at the DreamAway, it feels a bit like paris during the time of the great cafes with all the painters, writers, and sculptors. We’re rich in so much, here. makes me smile. Jut

the other night while sitting around with my music director, and another producer/musician friend, we came up with a project we’re all pretty excited about, so yes, sometimes spontaneous ideas do sprout!

Harryet: i won’t ask what the idea was, i know better…What are some of your important goals? Anything on the burners that you can share?

Maureen: We just want to keep relevant; to keep active. i want to keep performing. We both want to keep teaching and for our students to flourish. We want to pass on the artistic values and standards to them. my one wish is that i am able to do both teaching and performing without one job suffering because of the other. Claude told someone the other day, he wanted to teach until he dropped. i think we both want to continue doing what we love. i have a new cabaret show i’m developing.

Harryet: A-ha!

Maureen: i’m about to leave for Orlando, florida to sing my first susanna in le nozze di figaro since 1994 with an orchestra there. And, i’ll be doing a few holiday orchestra concerts, too. there may be a play later in the Autumn, here in the Berkshires, as a tryout, so there’s some good things cooking!

Harryet: Do you think Opera is on the verge of being a lost art?

Maureen: Opera is, at its best, great theatre. When titles came on the scene for everyone to really know exactly what’s being said and what is going on in the story in real time, it changed the world of opera for the better, i believe, and certainly in this country. is Opera in trouble? yes, it is, just like every other performing arts organization is in this country. is it dying? i’ve heard it’s been dying since i got in the business almost 30 years ago. it’s changed. the standards have lowered drastically. in the last 5 years, it’s been dumbed down to purely entertainment by the heads of some large companies. seasoned, acclaimed artists have been put aside and marginalized, and that’s a shame for them, and for the public to be denied artists of greatness and integrity and experience. But i believe that the magical connection between audience and the human voice, unamplified, that visceral thread that connects us all, will never die. Opera has been around a long time. i just can’t believe it’s going to disappear. it will change, and has changed, but i think it will survive.

ClAude AT hOMe

PhOTO:

JAne feldMAn

for those students actually pursuing a career, there is no secret to it except persistence and hard work. it’s luck, timing, talent, and determination.

Harryet: that there’s quiet a bit! But i am sure there are people who are fearless and not easily intimidated. they know what directions to move in in order to get what they want. it’s like a yearning that needs to be satisfied. there are many relentless, future students just waiting for you to help bring out their voice. now they know where to find you! thank you Claude and maureen!! g

the ARtful minD October 2012 • 15

Planet Waves October 2012

On October 5, Saturn enters Scorpio, which it last did in November 1982, when Ronald Reagan was president and we were all much younger. Saturn takes about 10 seasons to pass through a sign, so it counts as one of those “for the foreseeable future” transits. Among other things, Saturn represents the principle of necessity, and we certainly have needs where Scorpio is concerned. This sign covers shared resources, sexuality, sexual health, commitments, secrets and our deepest passions. I will have more to say about these things, where space permits on PlanetWaves.net. This month the Libra New Moon is Oct. 15. The Aries Full Moon is Oct. 29. Mercury is direct this month, though it goes retrograde again on Nov. 8.

Aries (March 20-April 19) What is a healthy level of dependency in your relationships? there are two ways to answer: one is whatever degree feels helpful and functional, understanding that we need one another. the other is the level of dependency that supports your pressing agenda of being a more independent person. you have many options open along these lines, though what i suggest you remember is your drive for freedom from codependency (choose your definition of that word) and the many reminders you’ve had that you’re on the right track with this agenda. At the same time, notice the many ways that relationships as we think of them are often places where giving up independence is one of the first requirements. you’re walking a fine line in sorting out this material, though i am sure you recognize the time has come to work this out.

Taurus (April 19-May 20)

there is such a thing as a mature relationship, though it’s not what most people think it is. i can leave out the definition, not because it isn’t essential but rather because it takes care of itself when an essential element of authenticity is present: and that is trust. trust does not take care of itself; it needs to be cultivated and maintained as a conscious act, usually from day to day. i suggest you do a trust inventory of your relationships, and include looking at the ways in which you extend trust to others and signal that you’ve done so, as well as the ways that the people you’re in any way partnered with extend trust back to you. then, consider the ways that any given relationship reaches out into the social environment. is anything missing? now is the time to address it.

gemini (May 20-June 21)

your sign is associated with the health of the lungs, though i would take the story a little lower on the totem pole — your pelvis and any function associated with it: for example, your reproductive health. We live in an era when this topic has become a political bonfire, but it’s distinctly personal. it relates to how you feel about your body; what you do with and how you take care of your body; and what you tell your children. now is the time to take care of all necessities related to reproductive health, as well as sex education. start with educating yourself, going deep enough that you get answers to all of your pending questions. then, make the information easy enough to understand so that you can relate it to your partner(s) and any young people who need to know.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Risk and reward — the time has come to balance these. this includes being willing to take risks for the rewards that you want, as well as being willing to delay gratification while you take the necessary steps to keep your life functional while you build what you want. What both of these have in common are the idea of a conscious, long-term goal. there’s the implication that you have a diversity of responsibilities, and that these

16 • October 2012 the ARtful minD

must be taken into account simultaneously, when they seem to conflict. the ability to embrace contradiction and paradox is one mark of maturity, and this is a core theme of your life now. to do this, you can no longer assess things strictly based on how they feel; adding logic is what will actually get you from one place to the next.

leo (July 22-Aug. 23) the time has come to stretch your boundaries, and deepen your roots. this may come in the form of making room in your life for your relationships — which could include putting yourself into a larger, better space. the physical space you live in must accommodate your life, and the people in it. looked at one way, that means that your space serves as a container for your emotions. Remember this, as you make decisions for how to organize yourself, where to live and how you coexist with any space you’re in. said another way, i suggest you locate yourself in places where you feel good about yourself, and where you feel like a larger person — not a more powerful or authoritative one, but someone more embracing of your own potential. Remember to leave yourself room to grow.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) true intelligence blends every level of thought, perception and sensation. it’s a whole-being kind of experience. this is to say, if you want to be smarter, be more open to the many facets of who you are. And remember, there’s nothing like self-criticism to get in the way of these things, though it often feels like the opposite should be true. for example, it might seem logical that the more you push yourself to be perfect, the more perfect you’ll be, however, human sensitivity doesn’t work that way. i suggest you work on being open minded, exactly in the place where you discover yourself to be closed. monitor your language; when you make an argument for a limitation, open up to the possibility that you can go beyond it. Remember that there are no limits on who you can become.

libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) this month’s new moon in your birth sign opens up a new phase of your life and of your relationships. yet there’s a specific focal point, which is moving forward remembering that you don’t have to make up for the emotional inadequacies of others, or tell them who they are, or provide stability when they act like they don’t know. the heart of the matter is a caution about ‘bringing out’ who another person is, or helping save them from their personality chaos. you have your hands full figuring out who you are, what you want and what your purpose is; doing this for anyone else right now would qualify as a significant distraction. yet there’s a lot you can learn from the ways that people ‘search for’ themselves: in particular, what doesn’t work so well.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)

saturn’s ingress into your sign opens an extended phase of what one astrologer once described to me as ‘coming to terms with yourself’. that’s a kind of reconciliation, an understanding, and an exploration of your potential and your limits. though they’re not usually considered compatible ideas, your potential and your limits are closely related; they’re aspects of the same thing. you might think that your limits are a description of your outermost potential, though i think that they show you what you can, and will, go beyond. therefore i suggest you look at everything as an opportunity. When you reach a spot where you think you cannot go any further, that’s the place to reach beyond. use your intelligence, use your determination, use your desire — use everything to your advantage.

by Eric Francis

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)

you’re embarking on an extended phase of psychological housekeeping. this may involve ‘cleanup’ from years, decades or generations of ordinary living and perhaps some neglect as well. you could say that this is a time of revealing your secrets to yourself. One aspect of your nature is that you tend to see yourself as a simple person with easily understood motives; what you’re about to discover is the complexity of both who you are, and what drives you to be that person. said another way, there’s a lot you don’t know about yourself — and you’re now on the way to finding out just what that is. there are facts of your life that you can no longer deny, and i would propose that this can come as a relief.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)

you need fewer, better friends who understand that friendship is more than palling around. it’s a matter of mutual support and integrity. some of the people who will become more significant in your life over the next few years you already know. some you’ve yet to meet, though the situation is similar with both — their presence will come into focus as you make certain recognitions about your own self-worth, your value to others, and what this informs you about your role in the world. this is about a phase of settling in: it’s as if you relax into how you present yourself, what your purpose is and accepting what you offer to others. that will have a way of commanding the loyalty and respect of others, based on both emotional harmony and sense of purpose.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) you’ve always felt like it was your place to accomplish great things. now you get to address the obstacles that were in the way — and take the next step into tangible achievement. yet this is very much a matter of taking things one step at a time, which you may have figured out was necessary a while ago.

Remember that the idea is to learn how to get out of your own way — rather than to put new obstacles in your path. yet you’re not always sure the difference between these two things. initially, i suggest that you set out to accomplish less than you think you’re capable of, rather than shooting for the moon. know your vision, select one key piece of it, and give yourself the rest of the year to make it real. this will help you build your confidence on something solid.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Remember the importance of agreements, and how this differs from a tacit understanding. i suggest that you start a trend of making things conscious, if not in writing, then in words spoken. Remember to state outright what is important to you, and to remember to listen when others state what is important to them. that’s one thing you can depend on — people will say what matters, though most of the time, nobody is listening. i suggest you listen, both to others and to yourself. this will help you have grounded expectations, which are the only legitimate kind, as well as the grounds to pass on situations that don’t serve your own good. i assure you of one thing: you have options, and therefore can afford to be selective. ~ Read Eric Francis daily at PlanetWaves.net

“The saints are the sinners who keep on going.”

-Robert Louis Stevenson

FRONT STREET GALLERY

Garden on Fire Harvest Festival October 6 - 7

Kate Knapp, My Garden in Late August, 36x36"

Painting classes continue on Mon Wed mornings 10-1:30pm at the studio and Thursday mornings out in the field and are open to all NEW OILS plus BLACK AND WHITE DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS

413-274-6607 413-429-7141 (cell) 413-528-9546 Gallery Hours: Sat. and Sun 12-5 or by appointment FRONT STREET, downwtown HOUSATONIC, MA

New this year: Free Parking Adults - $5, Children under 12 - Free!

Holiday Marketplace December 1 - 2 Free to the public

RTES. 102 and 183, STOCKBRIDGE, MA

Display Gardens open daily 9am - 5pm through Columbus Day Horticulture, gardening, food and homesteading classes year round

berkshirebotanical.org

413-298-3926

510 WARRen st., huDsOn, ny 518-822-0510 www.510warrenstreetgallery.com

nOvemBeR FEATURED ARtist diAnA felBer JOy Of liVing 510 Members include: Will ClARk linDA ClAytOn DiAnA felBeR JOAn GiummO iskA kenney kAte knApp JOhn lipkOWitZ ninA lipkOWitZ eleAnOR lORD hAnnAh mAnDel peGGy Reeves DORis simOn museum QuAlity fuRnituRe By JOel mARk AntiQue pRints & pOsteRs fROm mill RiveR stuDiO

friday and Saturday 12-6, Sunday 12-5, or by appointment

the ARtful minD OCtOBeR 2012 • 17

Placement design Tips –keeping it Simple!

feng Shui

Elisa Cashiola

lanterns are fully working. if someone is trying to find their way to your place in a snowstorm, you will want the lights working properly.

With the colder months descending upon us now, this month of October marks a perfect time to start placement design preparations around the house! Once the cold weather and shorter days stick around, it makes it harder to maintain a clear flow of energy inside and outside the house, due to the clutter that can build up quite quickly in the fall and winter months. Clutter can show up in the form of piles of dead leaves on porches and decks, dead plants that have not been cut away, summer items not stored away properly, woodpiles that are not being burned on a regular basis, and so on. We all tend to retreat inside, keeping windows and doors closed, and suffer from seasonal depression with the low amount of sunlight that shines through. the lack of fresh air and sunlight flowing through our homes can cause a malady of issues, such as colds, unhappiness, and a general feeling of stagnation. it is no wonder the south becomes such a hot vacation spot for those who cannot stand one more minute of cold Berkshire weather! so in order to keep the good energy vibes flowing throughout your home, take stock this month of what needs to be stored away for the winter, organized, and cleaned up, so your time inside the house will be happier and your stuff much easier to maintain, as well as enjoying the reaps of our harvest! here are some tips below that will help you through the cold months!

- Refrain from displaying dried/ dead branches and leaves. it may be a popular decorating style for the fall, but in terms of feng shui, dead branches and leaves represent dead energy. A large vase with sticks is a big no- no. Once something starts to wilt or die, replace it with a healthy, live one. Chrysanthemums make wonderful fall plants, as they add color and vitality to the home and garden. A bowl full of colorful apples, pears, crabapples, and

Simply Sasha

- store away any summer clothes and accessories that you know you will wear next summer. if there’s anything old or worn out (smelly plastic funky flip flops come to mind), that you never wore all summer, then it’s time to discard them in the trash or use them for cleaning rags. Chances are, you won’t be wearing them next summer, either. the same goes for summer furniture cushions. make sure to store them in a mildewfree area.

- Be generous with use of bright colors, such as magenta, pumpkin, creamy white, teal and more in your home decor and fall/winter wardrobe. steer clear of blacks and greys when possible. the more colors you surround yourself with in the cold months, the happier your outlook will be. Black and grey tend to sap you of your energy. Colorful, warm throw blankets make a great splash of color on your sofa!

gourds make a great display of live décor. halloween decor (skeletons, cobwebs, etc) should be set up on a temporary basis only - better outside than inside!

- keep the front porch clear and well-lit. in times when it gets dark and rainy/snowy, it reduces your home’s visibility, making it hard for opportunities to find their way to you. having a large outdoor lantern or pumpkins with lights make a great way to light up your front door porch before the christmas lights come out. Also make sure your outdoor lights/gas

by Sasha Seymour

Sasha’s Stupendous Squash & Friends

Very dear friends of ours, Jed and Raina, are embarking on a magical journey. They have chosen to replant their lives in Mexico, and although we will miss their energy and presence very much, we are so proud of them for making this move! To celebrate the couple, Raina’s parents, Jim and Teri, threw them a wonderful party filled with friends, music and merriment. It was a potluck affair and everyone brought something to nibble on. I enjoyed one of these dishes so much, that I went back for seconds!

I researched many, many, many squash and eggplant recipes, to try and come up with something that is easy to make while still tasting just as fabulous as the one I ate at the gathering...and here it is!

Peace, Love and Mojo to you all!!!

1. One medium eggplant 2. Two zucchini, one green and one yellow (just for fun) 3. One small onion, diced 4. 2 cloves of garlic, minced 5.fresh basil, salt and pepper, all to taste 6. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar 7. Mozzarella and fresh Parmesan Cheese, shredded

saute onion in olive oil until almost tender.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant in a 9 x 13 casserole dish, spread some oil and balsamic on the bottom of the dish, and start layering eggplant and zucchini in between each layer of veges add oil and vinegar, onion and garlic mixture and parmesan cheese On the top layer, add the mozzarella cheese Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes uncover the casserole and continue baking for about 10 more minutes enjoy!!! ...Turn up the heat if you want brown bubbles on your cheese!

Got a recipe or comment? Let me know about it! E-mail Sasha at: artfulmind@yahoo.com 18 • October 2012 The ArTful Mind

- Clean out your garage now, while the days are still warm, to prepare for storing your car in there when it snows! Garages tend to get cluttered up faster than any other place in the house. it is akin to a “dumping” area. symbolically, garages represent past emotions, so a good clearing out will do wonders for you and the family!

Enjoy the lovely fall season! As always, you can contact me by email at elisacashiola@gmail.com or through my website, www.elisacashiola.com. Your comments are always welcome!

Architecture & Arcadia Stephen gerard dietemann

Architecture and globalism

i have written often in this column about the connection between architecture and art. Both are creative processes, originating with that ineffable unconscious-to-conscious internal ‘spark’, but then each follow a very different path to fruition. Architecture becomes collective, influenced by codes, zoning, banks, neighbors, site and sun to name only a few of the exigencies acting to shape that initial impulse. Art stays largely interior, influenced primarily by the artist’s connection with the art of the present and the past as well as his/her own personality and history. Of course, courage is required by both if really good work is to result, and they also share the impact of the market – capitalism is the air we breathe, as someone once noted correctly. finally, if the practitioners of each are clear about what they are doing, they realize that the process is the important thing, not the product. nietzsche noted (paraphrased here) that ‘art is sh*t’. that was his way of saying the same thing: creating art is comparable to ‘living’ and the byproduct is just that. Of course in the inescapable and all powerful ‘market’ we live in, the product is all that matters, but that is just a symptom of the problem of unquestioned reverence for capitalism. frankly, i am now digressing a bit, but promise to return to nietzsche’s aphorism at a later date and another column.

One major difference between art and architecture is how it is made. the artist, with the rare exception (such as sol lewitt’s collective installations) works alone. the architect, on the other hand, usually works with others. While the traditional approach (read: until a few years ago) in any office employing more than one architect breaks up the architectural tasks into (roughly) design and production. in this model – now being undone, incidentally, by 3D, Bim CADD systems – the designers come up with a working design ( similarly to the way the ‘traditional’ artist does) and passes it onto the drafting department. these guys and gals make the design buildable. While almost all drafting is also done with CADD systems, such systems are still mostly used as a fancy 2D drafting tool that creates clean, clear drawings for the builder to use. And this is where architects come face-to-face with the effects of globalism. until recently, when we talked about outsourcing jobs we meant relatively low skill jobs like manufacturing. White collar workers were largely immune to this onerous (for us, anyway) consequence of globalism — until now. it turns out that some large

architectural offices are sending these drafting jobs to places like india and China, where there are many educated architects equally capable of doing drafting, but willing to accept far less money to do so. in short, globalism aims for the least creative, most repetitious jobs (or parts of a job), regardless of where they exist, blue-collar or white-collar. not surprisingly, globalism goes out of its way to protect capital, but not labor. American workers cannot follow the jobs to india or China even as the money to build the project they are working on can move quite freely around the world. Don’t expect this to change anytime soon. so what is the answer? simply put: creative and local. Anything you do that only you could do and, even better, can only be done by someone in your area, is safe work for the foreseeable future. unfortunately, few can actually do this, and as i noted, creative professions such as architecture are full of replaceable tasks. this is not new, but with the improvement in band-width

and the internet, an increasing issue in the profession of architecture …and in many others, too.

Globalism is certainly not all bad, but it is worth asking anyone who tells you that globalism works for us and is in ‘our best interest,’ who they specifically mean by ‘us’. ~ Stephen Gerard Dietemann Architect AIA

the ARtful minD OCtOBeR 2012 • 19

JAneT COOPer, PAinTed And STiTChed dreSSeS

JAneT COOPer

Janet Cooper continues to be intrigued with the ‘reuse’ of materials and the detritus of the discarded. inspired now by fabrics and needlework crafts, Janet uses second hand clothing and textiles as well as her closet rejects as canvases. her work is most aptly described as “bricolage.” in the Berkshires in the 90’s Janet was known for her jewelry and artifacts, constructed of vintage bottle caps and tin cans. she designed those artifacts with a sense of humor and an affinity for color, and in much the same way, she turned to fabric twelve years ago. in the series fabric scrolls she began to combine vintage fabrics with the overflow of collectibles from her part time vocation as an antique dealer. she went on to create a series, Assemblage Quilts, weaving americana textiles with flea market bric-a-brac. Quilt ladies and party Dresses followed. Again she used the needlework of ‘unfinished women’s work’, memorabilia and flea market finds as the texture, embellishment, and visual interest of these works. in 2008 Janet, still celebrating her cache of second hand and ethnic fabrics, experimented with using her own stitches as a tool of expression in such pieces as healing slip, Coat of Anger, my mantra and hold me tight. When the slowness and precision of stitchery proved a bit frustrating and unsatisfying, Janet turned to ink and water colors to communicate her thoughts and ideas about form, language, expression and life experiences. last fall Janet was invited to exhibit at the Cheongju Biennale in south korea. this fall at Gallery 51, in north Adams as part of the group exhibit, Die formmeister - the masters of the form, Janet will be exhibiting works from the series painted Dresses and Judah as well as her latest Chair Art. Janet Cooper’s work is included in many books including the ARt of mankind by mary schoeser, Artist Wefts by marina Giordano, and Contemporary textiles (Black Dog publishing) 500 Art Quilts (lark Books) and the fine Art of the tin Can by Bobby hansson.

MCLA’s Gallery 51, Main Street, North Adams, MA - Gallery Hours: 10-6 daily. www.janetcooperdesigns.com

JAneT COOPer, PleASe Be SeATed, ChAirS WiTh fABriC And STiTCheS 20 • October 2012 the ARtful minD