May the artful mind 2015 issuu com

THE ARTFUL MIND

MAY 2015 MONTHLY BERKSHIRE ARTZINE

THE SOURCE FOR PROMOTING ART SINCE 1994

COSTUME DESIGNER, ARTHUR OLIVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABINE VON FALKEN

Paradise City Arts Festival “ WILD AND WONDERFUL! �

-Boston Globe

May 23, 24 & 25 elr y

Memorial Day Weekend

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Valentine • Painting

Handmade in America

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Craft, Art and Sculpture by 260 Juried Exhibitors

Furniture • Jewelry • Painting • Ceramics • Glass Wearable Art • Garden Sculpture • and more!

Whether you’re a serious collector, an imaginative shopper, or simply a lover of beautiful thLQJV \RXœOO ¿QG LW DOO DW WKH ³)DLUHVW RI WKH )DLUV ´

Under the Dining Tent...

Live on the Soundstage NEW! Saturday: Juke Joint Jazz NEW! Sunday: Sugar Ray & the Bluetones NEW! Memorial Day: Evelyn Harris

Sensational Cuisine Culinary masterpieces cooked up by your favorite local chefs! Sierra Grille • Local Burger • Great Wall Spoleto • Mama Iguana’s • Pizzeria Paradiso Amber Waves • Wine Bar • India House Bart’s Homemade Ice Cream

and more! • Up in the Air!: The sky’s the limit!

Paradise City’s artists will give you the moon and the stars in this special exhibit • Silent Art Auction WR EHQH¿W WKH International Language Institute • Stroll the beautiful Sculpture Garden • Demonstrations • Creative fun for kids

NORTHAMPTON MASSACHUSETTS

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Indoors & Under Tents at the Three County Fairgrounds 54 Old Ferry Rd., at I-91 Exit 19 • FREE PARKING!

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Saturday & Sunday 10am-6pm • Monday 10am-4pm $13 adults, $11 seniors, $8 students, 12 and under free, three-day pass $16

show information and discount admission coupon:

www.paradisecityarts.com

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CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

MAY 28 - 31, 2015 75 FILMS, PARTIES AND EVENTS GREAT BARRINGTON // PITTSFIELD

PASSES AND TICKETS ON SALE NOW! BIFFMA.ORG

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The ArTful Mind MAY 2015 • 1

The ArTful Mind ArTzine MAY 2015

What are the differences between the visual and performing Arts?

Send in your ideas: artfulmind@yahoo.com

ArThur oliVer

costuMe desIgner PHOTOGRAPHS BY SABINE VON FALKEN ...8

IntervIew wIth WriTer SoniA Pilcer PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA DOCKTOR ...15

Arthur oliver costume designer Harryet Candee...8 Planet Waves MAY 2015 Eric Francis.....12

Simply Sasha recipe for MAY Sasha Seymour...13 Writer Sonia Pilcer Interview Harryet Candee ... 15

fIctIon: The Museum Show Part i Richard Britell 16

Contributing Writers and Monthly Columnists Richard Britell, Eric Francis, Sasha Seymour, Amy Tanner Photographers Edward Acker, Barbara Docktor, Jane Feldman Sabine von Falken, Alison Wedd Publisher Harryet Candee

Copy Editor

Marguerite Bride

Advertising and Graphic Design

Harryet Candee

Mailing Address: Box 985, Great Barrington, MA 01230

artfulmind@yahoo.com 413 854 4400 All MATeriAl due the 10th of the month prior to publication

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 unforeseeable 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 intention of enhancing communication and sharing positive creativity in all aspects of our lives. We at The Artful Mind are not responsible for any copyrights of the artists, we only interview them about the art they create.

2 • MaY 2015 the artfuL MInd

The MuSic STore

what better way to welcome spring than to gift yourself and those you love with MusIc! the Music store’s fifteenth year in business in great Barrington has proven many things! we enjoy helping the community, near and far to make music which has been an enjoyable and productive enterprise for us. and we look forward to continuing this mission into the second half of our second decade. we offer wonderful musical instruments and accessories at competitive pricing. we have a good time serving our community, her musicians and music lovers. come see some of the fun . . . composite Acoustic guitars (the forever guitar!) and their peerless travel guitar, the cargo, a favorite of our own dr. easy, david reed, made of carbon graphite and impervious to most changes of temperature and humidity. You can see it often in his hands in performance locally and abroad.

Guild Guitars - Light, powerful, affordable; ukeleles - 50+ different models: soprano, concert, tenor and Baritone, acoustic and acoustic/electric, six string, resonator and the remarkable u-Bass! You might even hear dr. easy play a banuke. how about a cordoba cuatro? or a West African djembe with a sMashIng carry bag? or another dr. easy favorite, the Klong Yaw! try Takamine for a guitar to suit almost any budget (Limited editions and great sales, too)! dr. easy can tell you about his.

Alvarex Guitars - celebrating their 50th year with beautifulLimited editions; Breedlove - beautiful, american, sustainable. and so many more brands and types, including Luthier handmade Instruments from $150-$5000; ever heard of dr. easy’s drunk Bay cigar Boxes? acoustic/electric cigar box guitars, exquisitely made, which bring the past into the present with a delightful punch, acoustically and plugged in; harmonicas, in (almost) every key (try a suzuki hammond ‘Mouth organ’).

Picks (exotic, too!), strings, sticks and reeds; Violins, Mandolins, dulcimers, Banjos, and Banjo ukes; handmade and international percussion instruments; dreamy native american and locally made bamboo and wooden flutes and walking stick flutes! and there is more to delight the eyes, intrigue the ears and bring warm joy to the heart! we remain your neighborhood music store, where advice and help are free and music is the universal language. working with local luthiers and repairmen we offer stringed and band instrument repair. and we just may have something you haven’t seen before (have you heard the electric cigar Box Guitars?). we match (or beat) many on-line prices for the merchandise that we sell, and do so in person, for the most part cheerfully (though we reserve the right to glower a little when asked if we can ‘do better’ on the price of a pick!)! come and see us soon and help us celebrate our 15th year!!!

Your patronage helps the community and makes it a more tuneful and happy place.

The Music Store, located at 87 Railroad Street in Great Barrington, is open Wednesdays through Saturdays and by appointment. Call us at 413-528-2460, or visit us on line at www.themusicstoreplus.com

MArGueriTe Bride MarguerIte BrIde, Language of fLowers, w/c

SPrinG-SuMMer Schedule

Marguerite Bride’s scheduled events for the next few months: May 23, 4-7 pm – spring opening at the nuarts studios, 311 north street in Pittsfield. 18 artists, many of them new to the studios, plus new look and feel. visit Bride at studio #9 and all of the artists during their official opening!

May 23 (2-5 pm) and 24 (10am-2pm) – oLLI open house, 6th annual art show, and silent auction at the welles gallery, Lenox Library. Bride will have two new pieces on display.

May 30 – Lenox Library 200th Birthday Bash – one of Brides paintings is included in the commemorative book and will be auctioned at this event as a fund raiser event to benefit library programs and services. for more information contact celebration@lenoxlib.org.

July 3, 4, and 5 – Berkshires arts festival at Butternut Mountain in great Barrington.

August 15 and 16 - stockbridge summer arts & crafts show. while these are the confirmed events as of this date, more may still be added; please check website for detailed information. always available: prints and fine art note cards of her Berkshire images and others at red Lion Inn gift shop (stockbridge), Lenox Print and Mercantile (Lenox), st. francis gallery (so. Lee), hancock shaker village (hancock) and Bride’s studio at nuarts studios. visits to Bride’s studio to see originals are by appointment and are always welcome…just call or email. commissions for vacation and house portraits are welcome at any time. It’s not too soon to think about 2015 holiday gift giving. If interested in watercolor technique lessons, contact the artist, there are some timeslots are available for private or semiprivate. see website “Lessons” for more information.

Marguerite Bride, NUarts Studios, Studio 9, 311 North Street, Pittsfield, by appointment. Call 413-442-7718, or 413841-1659 (cell); website: margebride-paintings.com email: margebride@aol.com

“To approach the spiritual in art, one will make as little use as possible of reality, because reality is apposed to the spiritual.”

-Piet Mondrian

SPRING EXPOSURE! MAY 2015

BerKShire inTernATionAl filM feSTiVAl BIffMa.org MaY 28-31. 75 film, parties and events in great Barrington, and Pittsfield, Ma

museums & galleries

510 WArren STreeT GAllerY hudson, nY • 518-822-0510 / 510warrenstreetgaLLerY.coM natalie Levy, recent work, through May 24

ArTS Mid-hudSon 56-58 MaIn street, MILton, nY Info@artsMIdhudson.org saturday, May 9, 2 - 3:30 p.m. Japanese children's day, an interactive Japanese culture program BerKShire MuSeuM 39 south st., Pittsfield, Ma • 413-443-7171 hu renYI, Immortal Present: art and east asia. represented by Brill gallery, north adams, Ma. May 23-sept, 2015; opening reception friday, May 22, 5:30-7:30pm

BinG ArTS cenTer 716 suMMer ave, sPrIngfIeLd, Ma • 413-731-9730 sally curcio’s art exhibition competitive Landscapes, april 3- June 13.

music/theatre

Rhett Miller, pop/rock soloist at Helsinki Hudson Friday May 15, 9:00 pm. Steve Forbert, May 28, 8pm; Martin Sexton, 9pm June 5 405 Columbia Street, Hudson, NY • 518-828-4800 helsinkihudson.com

fronT STreeT GAllerY 129 front st., housatonIc, Ma • 413-274-6607 / 413-5289546, or ceLL at 413-429-7141 housatonic gallery for students and artists. featuring watercolors

by Kate Knapp (saturday and sunday 12-5pm or by appointment) GAllerY AT r&f exhiBiT 84 ten BroecK ave, KIngston, nY • 800-206-8088 encaustic/form II works by susan spencer crowe.

May 2-July 24, 2015.

Good PurPoSe GAllerY 40 MaIn st., Lee, Ma come and celebrate the earth with us! april 10-May 18

lAuren clArK fine ArT 25 raILroad street, great BarrIngton, Ma • 413-528-0432 / www.Laurenclarkfineart.com; Lauren@Laurenclarkfineart.com 2015 summer season with a Memorial day open house and reception for ceramic artist, Michael Boroniec, saturday, May 23 from 4-7pm.

MArGueriTe Bride nuarts studIos, studIo #9, 311 north st., PIttsfIeLd, Ma MargeBrIde-PaIntIngs.coM • 413-841-1659 original watercolors, house portraits, commissions, lessons.

May 23,2-5 pm, and 24, 10am-2pm – oLLI open house, 6th annual art show, and silent auction at the welles gallery, Lenox Library; July 3, 4, and 5 – Berkshires arts festival at Butternut Mountain in great Barrington MorriSon GAllerY 8 oLd Barn rd., Kent, ct • 860-927-4501 don gummer, works on Paper, May 16 - June 2.

norMAn rocKWell MuSeuM rte 183, stocKBrIdge, Ma • 413-298-4100 J.c. Leyendecker and the saturday evening Post thru June 14.

SchAnTz GAllerieS 3 eLM st, stocKBrIdge, Ma • 413-298-3044 schantzgalleries.com a destination for those seeking premier artists working in glass.

ASTon MAGnA MuSic feSTiVAl danIeL arts center, Bard coLLege at sIMon’s rocK gt.

BarrIngton, Ma • 888-492-1283 / astonMagna.org saturday, June 20, “Monteverdi’s warring Lovers,” operatic madrigals sung by soprano dominique Labelle, and tenors frank Kelley and william hite

MAhAiWe PerforMinG ArTS cneTer 14 castLe st., gt. BarrIngton, Ma • 413-528-0100 The Best of Rufus Wainwright, saturday, May 9 at 8pm Rosanne Cash: The River & The Thread with John Leventhal and Zev Katz, sunday, May 17 at 7pm; Dan Zanes Buster Keaton Steamboat Bill Jr., saturday, May 23 at 3pm

norMAn rocKWell MuSeuM rte 183, stocKBrIdge, Ma • 413-298-4100 saturday, May 9: Programs for adults the Jazz age: an evening of Music with John e. Myers 5:30 p.m. Inspired by the stylized, art deco works by J.c. Leyendecker

Barrington Stage Company

30 Union St, Pittsfield, MA info@barringtonstageco.org413-236-8888

ScoTT TAYlor statIonerY factorY, 63 fLansBurg ave. daLton Ma. • 413-443-4660 scotttaylorpaintings.com / scotttaylorpaintings@nycap.rr.com “Into the woods”, opens on May 2, artist reception 4-7 p.m.

The eMPoriuM 319 MaIn st, gt BarrIngton, Ma • 413-528-1660 www.emporiumgB.com eunice agar, figurative genre paintings, thru May; curated by sherry steiner ST. frAnciS GAllerY rte. 102, south Lee, Just 2 MI froM the red LIon Inn “renewal of spring” til’ May 25. exhibition includes art by children of dago Kogelo, Kenya. Many more artists! come and enjoy!

TiVoli ArTiSTS GAllerY 60 BroadwaY, tIvoLI, nY www.denisebchandler denise B chandler, fine art Photography & olive farrell: two views of our world, a Photographer & a Painter, thru May 24.

events

PArAdiSe ciTY ArTS feSTiVAl three countY faIrgrounds In northaMPton, Ma. www.paradisecityarts.com or 800-511-9725 May 23, 24 and 25 at the three county fairgrounds in northampton, Ma. one of america’s top-ranked shows of fine crafts, paintings and sculpture, Paradise city features 260 outstanding artists in four buildings, sensational cuisine, live music, creative activities, demonstrations and an outdoor sculpture garden.

Call for artists

oTiS ArTS feSTiVAl saturday, July 25, 2015, indoors at the farmington river elementary school, 9am to 3pm. for application, go to www.townofotisma.com/culturalcouncil

Workshops/classes

BerKShire feSTiVAl of WoMen WriTerS BerKshIrewoMenwrIters.org / Info@BerKshIrewoMenwrIters.org rookwood writing retreat for women: writing the Journey of Your Life, June 5 – 7, rookwood Inn, Lenox. the Butterfly effect: Be the change. Live the change. Love the change. July 20 – 24, the Mount, Lenox.

SABine Von fAlKen PhotograPhIc worKshoPs • 413-298-4933 www.sabinephotoart.com, info@sabinephotoart.com Photographic one on one workshops, scheduled throughout the winter months: BehInd the caMera - sabine’s eye for detail provides the students with everlasting creative tools. explore the beauty of patterns, textures, layers, depth of detail in the real. Participants learn how natural light can create dramatic or lyrical images. designed for the serious learner who is interested in improving her/his skills. the hope is to concentrate on the artistic and critical eye. You are asked to bring a digital sLr camera.

Ma1 1, 2015 – sept 21, 2015 Calendar listings no later than the 10th of the month

read our collection of 50+ issues online at iSSuu.coM

The ArTful Mind MAY 2015 •3

Good PurPoSe GAllerY MeLIssa MatsuKI LILLIe

shared PLanet

the good Purpose gallery celebrates the earth in a local group show artists ariel K. Burgess, Melissa Matsuki Lillie, Laura christensen, and Brian Powers. with unique perspectives, executed in paint, and mixed media, the artists explore our connection to the natural world in honor of earth day on april 22. the exhibit runs april 10 May 18. arial K Burgess’ eye catching paintings “weave her environmental conservation and science background into her art.”

Melissa Matsuki Lillie’s work “explores her representational relationship to nature and her animal awareness that has always been present in her life.”

Laura christensen paints on old vintage photographs and displays them in amazing handmade architectural cabinets, some with moving parts, “composite images and objects offer mysterious new narratives of memory and history, shifting meanings, poetry, painting, photography, context and transformation.”

Brian Powers’ sculptures “bring out the relationship and connection between all things in the natural world”. don’t miss our upcoming exhibition featuring our very own Lee high school students! a reception will be held May 20 from 57 pm. all are welcome. refreshments and h’orderves will be served.

Good Purpose Gallery - 40 Main Street in Lee, Massachusetts.

Gallery hours: 9am - 4pm, Sunday - Saturday. www.goodpurpose.org, gallery@cipberkshire.org, 413-394-5045.

KuBaLe, truth

ST frAnciS GAllerY chILd of KenYa

the art of exPLoratIon

for the entire month of May abstract work fills the gallery space, purposefully combined with children’s sculptural art from our work in Kenya. frequently these canvases can be quite massive “intrusions” into our space. when people hang these works where they live or work they seem to expand the space they are in to include more than is there. the art represents something familiar to them but at the same time something “seen for the first time”. these works of art have been described as reinvigorating and what the viewer and painter have been struggling to say in a language that speaks to the “eye”. abstract work when it is successful breaks out of the limitations of the canvas itself into the space we inhabit. often it goes to the edge of flying apart in meaninglessness, expanding into both complexity and simplicity at the same time, enlarging beyond recognition, almost dissolving, and definitely questioning what is real and what is imaginary. watching the Kenyan children create their art work, which is included in this exhibition, one could feel the joy and freedom in the experience. they took their work seriously but unpretentiously at the same time. It was both impulsive and yet directive as their strokes of paint combined both graceful and bold marks without any preconceived meaning or message in mind. It is likely why abstract work is often compared to children’s art and artists frequently describe a process of unlearning in order to be creative.

It is fitting that these works hang in a spiritual place. they are grouped like an epic to represent the connectedness and the expansive differentness at the same time. they are all part of a practice of these dedicated and creative artists that challenges our beliefs and experiences in a refreshing and sometimes disconcerting way, irreverent yet respectful, valuable but often made from humble materials, and paradoxical. the message… ..”we are just playing with these materials and your mind…..but we are serious…it’s not real life in front of you….or is it?” there is elegance in this creativity. come and partake of this experience at st. francis gallery and view what our artists have created that they never saw before.

St. Francis Gallery - Rte. 102, South Lee just 2 miles east from the Red Lion Inn. Gallery hours: Friday thru Monday 105pm.

Join The Artful Mind.

Be seen. artfulmind@yahoo.com iSSuu.coM

4 • MaY 2015 the artfuL MInd

PArAdiSe ciTY ArTS feSTiVAl guggIna, coffee cuPs

MAY 23-25, norTh hAMPTon, MA

there’s no better way to spend the long holiday weekend than soaking in the sights, sounds and tastes of the Paradise city arts festival! every year a carefully selected collection of 260 artists and fine craft makers descend upon four buildings and the grounds of the historic three county fairgrounds for three days of astounding visual arts, scrumptious food, fabulous live music and great fun. stroll through flowering sculpture gardens filled with artful delights, and enjoy special exhibits, demonstrations and activities. “the Paradise city arts festival may truly be nirvana for arts enthusiasts,” writes the Boston Globe Magazine. artists from all corners of the country come to dazzle you with their cutting edge work, from sculptors and painters to fashion designers and woodworkers. come for the art, but stay to savor culinary delights from the Pioneer valley’s most beloved eateries. Pour over the diverse menus and locally sourced cuisine. featured restaurants under the festival dining tent include Local Burger, sierra grille, spoleto, amber waves, India house, Pizzeria Paradiso, Bart’s homemade Ice cream, Mama Iguana’s and the great wall. while dining, sit back and enjoy three brand new musical acts: Juke Joint Jazz on saturday, sugar ray norcia and his Bluetones on sunday, and evelyn harris closing out the festival on Monday. the sky is the limit at this spring’s special exhibit in the arena Building. “up in the air!” explores everything that defies gravity, whether it flies, floats or is suspended in space. the participating artists were asked to give Paradise city the sun, the moon and the stars. If it isn’t tethered to the ground, it’s fair game! this year’s silent auction benefits the International Language Institute (ILI). ILI provides free classes to those learning english as a second language, as well as teacher training and student-centered language instruction. hundreds of beautiful works have been donated by the show’s exhibiting artists for a three-day silent auction at the festival, and 100% of the proceeds benefit ILI. At Northampton’s 3 County Fairgrounds, 54 Old Ferry Road off Rt. 9. From the Mass Pike, take exit 4 to I-91 North to Exit 19. For complete show and travel information, and discount admission coupons, visit www.paradisecityarts.com or call 800511-9725.

Jennifer PAzienzA snow daY, oIL on canvas, 42 x 40.5 In

rooted In Love

Jennifer Pazienza’s paintings, writes canadian curator tom smart, “have a strong sense of drawing in them as well as painterliness that trace a deeply meditative process. they are formed from her intention to interpret her experience of the landscape around her home and studio on Keswick ridge, and to probe her place within it. while her paintings reflect solutions to painterly problems she sets herself in her artistic practice, they are also responses to the poetry of place and an inner landscape.”

Rooted in Love an exhibition of new and recent work continues Jennifer Pazienza’s artistic inquiry into her relationship with her surroundings. aware of the contested nature of the idea of landscape in society and within contemporary visual culture, from the vantage point of her Keswick ridge studio in new Brunswick, canada, Jennifer treats us to interpretations of what an eye for the stuff of the natural world could look like. In these paintings we are reminded that hers is an un-alienated, insider’s way of seeing and re-presenting land as the setting for life and work. at once personal and socially critical these works compel us to consider our role as stewards of the earth and the interdependent origination of all things. represented by the Ingrid Mueller art + concepts gallery, Rooted in Love will be on display through June at the fredericton convention centre, fredericton, nB, canada. Jennifer Pazienza is also represented by st. francis gallery in south Lee and the Jonathan Bancroft-snell gallery in London, ontario.

Jennifer Pazienza’s work is held in Public and corporate collections in the Provinces of new Brunswick and nova scotia and in numerous private collections throughout the us, canada and Italy.

Jennifer Pazienza - jenniferpazienza.com / jennpazienza@gmail.com

lAuren clArK fine ArT MIchaeL BoronIec

Lauren clark fine art starts the 2015 summer season with a Memorial day open house and reception for ceramic artist, Michael Boroniec, saturday, May 23 from 4-7pm.

Michael Boroniec’s, “May flowers,” is an exhibition comprised of stunning floral arrangements created from ceramic material. each delicate petal is handmade and assembled into beautiful bouquets frozen in time. the exhibition fuses vincennes porcelain with Japanese Ikebana. with this work Boroniec follows up his well-received show at the gallery in 2014, “spatial spirals”, thrown and deconstructed vases.

Lauren clark was a partner in tokonoma gallery in housatonic from 1992-2006. In 2006, she created Lauren clark fine art, which remained at the housatonic location until november of 2014 when she moved the gallery to great Barrington. the gallery’s new home is located at 25 railroad street. the gallery features fine art, ceramics, functional and decorative art glass, sculpture, and jewelry by regionally and internationally recognized artists. Lauren is committed to serving the community by partnering with other local institutions to bring art in its many forms to residents and visitors of the Berkshires. a picture framer and paper marbler for over 30 years, Lauren added gallerist to her resume when partnering with tokonoma gallery. Lauren clark fine art continues to provide custom framing with personalized service, an eye for detail, and an extensive selection of frames to choose from.

Lauren Clark Fine Art - 25 Railroad Street, Great Barrington, 413-528-0432; Lauren@Laurenclarkfineart.com / www.Laurenclarkfineart.com

ASTon MAGnA doMInIque LaBeLLe

MusIc festIvaL turns 43

aston Magna Music festival, the nation’s longest running summer early music festival, opens its 43rd season in the Berkshires saturday, June 20, with “Monteverdi’s warring Lovers,” operatic madrigals sung by soprano dominique Labelle, and tenors frank Kelley and william hite. (time: 3:00 pm, daniel arts center, Bard college at simon’s rock.) the season’s other great Barrington concerts are June 27 and July 4 at 6:00 pm, also at daniel arts center, and July 18 at the Mahaiwe Performing arts center at 8. all great Barrington concerts are followed by “Meet the artists” wine and cheese receptions. aston Magna artistic director daniel stepner delivers a preconcert talk one hour before each performance. the programs are also offered thursday nights at slosberg auditorium, Brandeis university (7:00 pm), and friday nights at olin auditorium, Bard college, annandale-on-hudson, nY (8:00 pm). the other season programs are “Le Monde de Marin Marais: La Musique et La danse” with dances from the court of Louis xIv (June 27); “wind Power” (July 4) featuring schubert’s octet for winds and strings; “eternal seasons,” (July 18), performing vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, with four solo violinists, as well as works by J.s. Bach and others, featuring mezzo-soprano deborah rentz-Moore.

Aston Magna - 888-492-1283, or astonmagna.org for information about subscriptions, venues and discounts.

The ArTful Mind MAY

2015

•5

The art of exploration ABStRACt WORk purposefully combined with CHiLdREN’S ARt from kenya throughout the month of MAY 2015

ART WORK BY PHIL PRYJMA

Saint Francis Gallery

LEE. MA (next to fire dept.) complete schedule: www.saintfrancisgallery.com 413.717. 5199 open fri-mon 10-5 pm

1370 Pleasant street. route 102

6 • MaY 2015 the artfuL MInd

good Purpose gallery

Runs through May 18, 2015

Next Exhibit: Lee High School Senior Art Show, May 20 - June 1 Opening reception, May 20th 5 - 7pm

goodpurpose.org 40 Main Street, Lee, MA

artIst

eleAnor lord

510 warren street, hudson, nY

WWW.510WArrenSTreeTGAllerY.coM

JENNIFER PAZIENZA

Snow Day, Oil on Canvas, 42 x 40.5 in

518-822-0510

jennpazienza@gmail.com

LAUREN CLARk FiNE ARt PRESENTS

http://jenniferpazienza.com/

FRONT STREET

MICHAEL BORONIEC

“May Flowers” And a

Season Opener for

GALLERY ARTISTS Saturday, May 23 4-7pm

LAUREN CLARK FINE ART

25 Railroad St., Great Barrington, MA 413. 528. 0432 www.LaurenClarkFineArt.com

Painting Classes on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10 - 1pm at the Studio and Thursday mornings 10am - 1pm out in the field.

Open to all.

413-274-6607 413-429-7141 (cell) 413-528-9546 Gallery Hours: Saturday and Sunday 12-5 or by appointment

FRONT STREET, downtown HOUSATONIC, MA

the artfuL MInd MaY 2015 • 7

ARTHUR OLIVER

coSTuMe deSiGner Interview by Harryet Candee photography by Sabine von Falken

Arthur, you knew what you wanted to do with your life since you were a kid. You’ve followed your passion and became a successful costume designer. can you tell how your artistic career unfolded for you and what challenges you faced?

Arthur Oliver: the most challenging obstacle to my development as a costume designer is directly related to where I was born and raised. when I was in public school there were no art programs at the time, other than marching band. so aside from what I saw on public television, my exposure to the arts was rather limited. that was until the alabama shakespeare festival opened its (then) state of the art multimillion-dollar venue, located in Montgomery, alabama, approximately 20 or so miles away from my hometown. with the blessing of my parents I gravitated there and fell in love with the performing arts. never inclined to be an actor, singer, dancer, I made my way from passing out programs in the lobby to the costume shop. It was there that I met the men and women who would teach me the skills to begin my journey as a young designer.

Arthur, how would you define the art of costume designing?

Arthur: It's the creation of a design that helps to tell and support a story. a good costume can give information not mentioned in the text such as environmental conditions, social and economical landscape of the time and what the weather is like, also the status of the person wearing it—are they wealthy, comfortable, poor, injured? costumes show the passage of time and create fantasy and illusion. costumes set the time period. ultimately, a good design gives the director and actor the right tools to help tell the story, past and present.

8• MaY 2015 the artfuL MInd

Photo:

saBIne von faLKen

What skills must you master in order to be a successful artist in this field?

Arthur: to me, there are several key skills one must have. a good designer must be a careful reader and listener. Many hints, so to speak, from the author appear in the text like a road map that one follows en route to the core of the story. My favorite is from shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. everyone knows the capulets and Montagues are feuding. feuding for so long that no one actually knows what the feud is about. there is a scene in which Benvolio, conversing with Mercutio, mentions the weather. It is hot. can you imagine? especially in shakespeare’s time, clothes made of wool, linen, cotton, silk, velvets, fitted and worn in extreme heat. disgusting! unbearable! I don't know about you, but I know that when I'm in a very warm room, or outdoors on a hot, humid day, my temper is very short. so, in his way, shakespeare is telling us, the designer, that it's hot. a fussy designer, like me, will reflect this in the clothing choice. and that should go for any period in history. another is the ability to listen and dialogue. there is always

more information to be found by listening to your director, especially their responses to your designs and ideas.

It is also important to note what comes out of the rehearsal room. there are many discoveries made by your actors that will influence what choices or changes you must make to your original design, and that ultimately improves the design. rendering. a rendering is another term for costume illustration and used to present designers’ vision of style, color and detail. any good designer Must know how to render. design is the manifestation of what is in a designer’s creative mind. It is not a xerox, a copy of a magazine print or something directly out of a costume history book, and it is most certainly not a "Butterick Pattern" put together with cheap materials from your local fabric store.

of an entire city block in the nevsky Prospekt of st. Petersburg. The Nutcracker has been an ongoing project for the last three years as it is so large and performs a north american tour with two companies, an east and west coast tour. Year one, a few costumes from act 1 were created and the entirety of act 2. the following year a second set for the west coast tour was created. this year, we are finally re-designing the party scene from act 1. the Moscow Ballet provides me with an opportunity to see the execution of my designs at a very high level. It is a relationship that I hope to see continue and flourish.

i bet you learn a lot while traveling to different parts of the planet. do you travel much?

Arthur: I do, and I hope to travel more! I've spent an inordinate amount of time in the stunning city of st. Petersburg, russia, and also studied and observed in spain, england, australia and canada along with a great majority of the united states and the tropics. the marvelous thing about travel, as a designer, is the access not only to present-day culture, but culture from the past.

Paintings, sculpture and historical clothing are of great value. the most interesting discovery was the Ice Princess of ukok, seen quite surprisingly while rounding a corner in the lower level of the hermitage (st. Petersburg, russia). Marvelous remnants of burial garb!

Where did you learn the most valuable costume designing skills?

Arthur: I've culled from all over. I have some academic experience, which of course contributed to my skills, but the majority of my craft comes from working in the industry and mentoring with some of the top designers in north america: John Pennoyer, david Murin, Laura crow, alan armstrong and desmond heeley.

Art history and textile design are probably key areas for students in this field of design, yes?

Arthur: Yes, hands down. for example, the history of how certain textiles, trends and fashion styles were created through the ages like the regency silhouette (late 18th, early 19th c.) that occurred primarily because the french revolution was at it’s bloody end and no one, no one at all, wanted to look anything like the former french aristocracy. so from the great expanse and width of the rococo panniers and swing backs came the revitalized grecian silhouette in women's gowns, to the claw hammer coat for gentlemen. …great cocktail talk, that is.

Arthur, what is it about being in the world of theatre that truly excites you? What makes you feel passion and desire to keep working in the performing arts arena?

Arthur: tough question...I suppose, that in performing arts, it is all about creating the next thing, a way of putting a new design on an old play, working with friends (the world of performing arts is truly small) and getting excited about brewing new projects. I have reached a point in my career where, yes, money is important, but it is not as important as being able to work with dear colleagues and friends, new directors and new venues. I have found the joy in what my industry is supposed to represent, and that by itself is a goldmine.

how is sharing your time between the Berkshires and new York city working out for you?

Arthur: Pretty well, although not as well as I'd like. I believe that the theatre community in the Berkshires is a touch insular. everyone knows that I have been with shakespeare & company since 1991 and therefore perceive me as exclusive to that company. the truth is that I'm a true freelance designer and work as far afield as san diego, california to tel aviv, Israel.

I am very loyal to shakespeare & company as they have always been faithful to me. however, I would welcome an opportunity to design for any of the other remarkable companies in the area. I live in the Berkshires. It is home. It is quiet and vibrant and artistic and filled with the most unique and fascinating people. sure, I could move to nYc in a heartbeat but the fact of the matter is that I don't want to live in nYc. Love my trips there, love working there, but knowing that Lenox is waiting for me with a beautiful home...that's what makes it worthwhile.

What is your schedule like now?

Arthur: My schedule at the moment is still very busy. I am designing one show for chester theatre company, but that is

this dress designed by Arthur is from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, produced by the Moscow Ballet.

Photographed by Sabine von Falken at The Mount in Lenox, MA

it for Berkshire summer work. I do have designs in progress for the Moscow Ballet and the national Ballet of Israel, so between those two, and the opera on Martha’s vineyard, I have more than enough to keep me busy drawing.

What is it like to work for the Moscow Ballet?

Arthur: this will be my fourth collaboration with the Moscow Ballet. My first ballet design for them was Romeo and Juliet, the Prokofiev version. the build for both Romeo and Juliet and The Nutcracker took place in st. Petersburg, at an atelier (artists' workshop) named vozrozhdenie, which is the length

What did you find so interesting about the ice Princess and the remnants of the burial garb?

Arthur: the burial garb was so simplistic and angular yet, beautiful in the way it must have draped, even on a corpse. the hermitage also had done a beautiful illustration of what it would have looked like based on the study of the actual garment. given the right play, I’d put it in there, somewhere. greek tragedy, perhaps?

do you ever collaborate with anyone when designing a line of costumes?

Arthur: oddly enough, I am co-designing a new translation of Mozart’s The Impresario with a top-line fashion designer, stina sayre, on Martha's vineyard. the director, wendy tauscher, wants stinas’ unique line of style incorporated into costumes. stina sayre's style is distinctly her own; soft fabrics, wools, silks, cottons all uniquely draped into soft angular folds and lines. the garments not only wear beautifully but also are so very unique in her use of exaggeration in collars, asymmetry and placement of hardware such as zippers and heavy snaps. one would think this could get sticky, however, the collaboration is very smooth. It's going to be very contInued on next Page....

Arthur’s renderings for costume designs start on the pad.

Photo: Sabine von Falken

the artfuL MInd MaY 2015 • 9

ArThur oliVer coSTuMe deSiGner

two of many renderings by Arthur for Olympia dukakis in Mother Courage

the leading lady emerges from a burning schoolhouse. the beautifully charred dress, wig and make-up were perfect, but the most extraordinary bit about this costume was the actual smouldering of her heavy skirt. that probably sounds laughable, but it was actually quite effective in how it translated to the audience.

Costumes for Mother Courage by Arthur Oliver. Paula Langton as Yvette, Olympia dukakis as Courage. Photo credit Kevin Sprague

wonderful and unique. we will premier it late summer on the island.

do you work closely with make-up and hair professionals back stage?

Arthur: wigs and makeup are very important, especially in period productions. Makeup and hairstyles of a period are integral to the complete look of the costume design. I'm very lucky to know several outstanding wig and makeup artists—sondra nottingham and daniel Koye. sondra and I met while working for the atlanta opera and danny and I met during our years of doing Broadway Bares (a fundraiser for men, women and children living with hIv/aids).

You know, a great wig is made of human hair, each strand individually knotted into an invisible lace front which makes the wig look as if it is growing directly on the actor. My involvement is to do a rendering to illustrate style and color. also, for the performer it makes preparation time for a performance run more smoothly. styling ones own hair into a period hairstyle is usually overly time consuming and messy.

What was your most favorite costume design experience for you over the years?

Arthur: I have to say that my Mother Courage for olympia dukakis was the most satisfying. after much preliminary drawing, discussion and re-designing, she declared me the easiest—and dare I say, most talented designer she has ever worked with. I designed Mother Courage and Her Children for olympia in 2013. My dear friend tony simotes (Managing director and artistic associate, Berkshire theatre group) was directing and he hired me not just for my skills as a costume designer, but also for the way I work well with performers who carry status like olympia. she won't mind me saying this, but she has no time for resistance or long fittings. In a case like hers, you give her what she wants by adapting your design to feed into her needs. I think I did twelve renderings of Courage,

10 • MaY 2015

the artfuL MInd

which we finally whittled down to three different looks for the show. since then, we have plans to continue to work together and I just love her to death.

Aside from lovely olympia dukakis, whom else do you have on your resume that you have created great costumes for?

Arthur: I've also designed for raquel welch, debra Jo rupp, diana degarmo (Young), Marge champion and a great many leading women and men of Broadway: Jerry Mitchell, alison fraser, wesley taylor, Luba Mason, Kerry Butler, chip Zien...)

Arthur, have you had any “oMG!” occurrences with any of your costumes? What happened with John douglas Thompson and his hump (richard iii, S&co)? arthur: the creation of John douglas thompson's hump for Richard III, as well as his "limp", involved much dialogue and communication. I have to hand it to the costume shop at shakespeare & company, working under the direction of costume director, govane Lohbauer, because almost every day the hump and the boots (the limp was created by adjusting the height of the sole on the left foot) came back for more refinement. My assistant was a dream as well. she had infinite patience as John and I worked out the perfect deformities.

So far what has been the ultimate costume you’ve ever seen?

Arthur: anything—anything at all done by the incredible desmond heeley. (theatrical design legend desmond heeley made his Broadway debut with the original production of tom stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. his designs won two tony awards, the only time in the history of the tony awards that a designer has received these coveted awards for the settings and costumes of the same play. -wikipedia) also, there was an amazing 1870s gown in a small play at the avon theatre at the stratford festival of ontario, where

oliver, do you think fashion and the costume design world have much in common? how do they overlap and differ in your eyes?

Arthur: I'm asked this question a lot. the comparison I like to make is that the only similarity I see is that a costume or fashion garment usually has sleeves. all joking aside— costume design is the creation of character for stage and fashion is what an individual chooses to dress for the day or an event.

We walk around in our own ‘costume designs’. We reveal our inner psyches by what we choose to wear. from this point of view you must have a degree of respect for what people wear despite the quality, expense and style. What do you learn from people and what they wear? i’m sure you’re a detail inspector and style observer.

Arthur: absolutely. I often see individuals who are so inspiring. I’m a firm believer in stereotype. You can spot a "hempen homespun" (Midsummer Night’s Dream) at any diner or a fantastic fantastical on any new York city subway—especially late at night after the discotheques let out.

Arthur, you’re also a part-time educator. in what ways do you inspire and motivate students so that the end result is a beneficial learning experience for you and your students?

Arthur: academe is not really my thing but I have done my time there. I have taught at harvard, nYu/tisch, Lsu, emerson, many places and I try to teach what you don't find in books: how to work collaboratively and listen to other’s ideas. these actions can be used to improve your design. also how to catch "curve balls" and keep a flexible and creative open mind. a good designer can handle a surprise or any difficult situation by using their creativity to solve problems while retaining aesthetic.

What words of wisdom do you share with your costume design and theatre students?

Arthur: that it is not for the faint of heart. You will have the most insensitive, cruel and hurtful things said about you. to your face and behind your back. But you will also have the immeasurable JoY of seeing the culmination of your work onstage with your fellow designers. You will have the most talented hands and minds working on your designs and being invested in their work. You will have the adoration, praise and respect of colleagues from your persistence of good work and good spirit. You will meet amazing people.

details of this costume dress, one of seven, made in St. Petersburg, Russia for the corps de’ ballet. designed by Arthur Oliver.

Photos on this page taken at the Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts by Sabine von Falken

do you think theatre and performing arts have a positive future? do you think nYc will still be in the limelight for theatre?

Arthur: I believe that the performing arts will continue to weather the ups and downs of finance and public interest. I do agree that remaining financially sound in the last fifteen years has been difficult for almost every theatre in the nation, and sadly we have lost some of the great ones. But with good management and an eye towards restructuring how to raise funds (not relying too heavily on contributions from Board members, for one) is key. do I know the answer to that question? absolutely not. however for thousands of years the performing arts have been with us through ceremony, religion, education and entertainment. It has survived war, famine, plague, cinema, television and the Internet. nothing can stop it or change it unless we, as artists, give up.

We all have a dream. What is yours?

Arthur: to keep working and finding joy in my work and to share it with others. I’d also like a tonY...

What’s on your mind that you would like to share with your readers?

Arthur: to my friends and colleagues at williamstown theatre festival, Barrington stage, Berkshire theatre group and shakespeare & com-

pany: support each other, embrace each other. there are ways, as sister companies in this small area, that each one institution could assist another through very simple actions. Be as generous as you can. encourage your audience to travel down the road to see other companies work (after all, they've seen all of yours, of course!). stop charging rental fees for borrowing costumes or scenic pieces. these favors will be rewarded, like throwing bread upon the water. collaborate! could you imagine a co-production between either of these companies? I'd stand in line for that!

Lastly, give a hand to young arts organizations that are trying to provide something new and wonderful for the area. waM theatre, who donates a percentage of all profits to women's charity, the wharton salon, which for six years has been bringing the Berkshires most famous authoress, edith wharton, and her stories back to the stage of her first real home, the Mount. enrico spada's Pittsfield shakespeare in the Park, which struggles each year to raise enough money to put on a first rate shakespearean production on site specific properties in Pittsfield that is free to the public!

I love my theatre/performing arts community so much. I feel truly blessed to call this place home.

Good luck, Arthur!

Planet Waves

ArieS (March 20-April 19) Pull your mind into focus and set your priorities. this will give you a sense of direction. as you move through the next few weeks, you're likely to revise your plans many times, or more likely, rework the language you use to describe them. I suggest that you not get lost in the sauce of thinking that the words you pick to describe something are more important than whatever they are designed to illustrate. focus on your central idea and you'll find it a lot easier to be clear. stay close to your subject matter. at the same time, keep shifting your viewpoint, so you get a more full panorama. notice when your perspective gets stuck. when it does, move around and look from another angle, or through a different lens. If you find yourself arguing, argue the other side of the case as well, and then weigh and balance what you learn. Language is always a matter of experimentation, of revision, and of getting the best approximate fit between a concept and how you sketch it out. think in terms of improvement rather than perfection. remember that good writing is not merely about clear words but rather about expressing clear ideas. and it can take some time to get there. If you consider that you're describing something that already exists, this process will be much easier.

TAuruS (April 19-May 20)

You seem determined to sort out the money issue, which is a good thing. remember though that money is not usually something that comes to you. rather, it's something that you go out and get. and if it does come to you, it's often the result of long preparation. that's actually good news, because there are likely to be several skills you've developed that qualify. In that light, I have two suggestions: one is to embark on a personal resources inventory. what do you know, or what skills do you have, that are of value to others? what do you currently get paid for that you can improve, so as to increase its value? Before you go striking things off your list for not being perfect, or well-developed enough, take it slow and consider carefully what you're working with. communicate with people who pay you and find out how you can snuggle tighter with the larger business plan. second, you need to connect to your motivation. that's another way of saying what drives you, and allow it to do so. skip excuses like 'money isn't everything' or 'money doesn't really matter that much' and actually make contact with your need or desire to improve your life from a material standpoint. If you look carefully you'll find many matches between your resources and your motivation to succeed.

GeMini (May 20-June 21) think of yourself as a weaver. You already know that fibers that are woven into fabric are much stronger with more integrity than a collection of loose threads. therefore, collect the loose threads and one at a time, gather them into the fabric of your life. weaving is a conscious act. It's based on an idea and an intention. You may at first need to trace the threads back to their origins, untangle them and place them where they belong. this is of course a mental process, and you may be sorting through some complex ideas about who you are, how you feel and how you feel about others.

12 • MaY 2015 the artfuL MInd

Eric Francis

May 2015

there would seem to be some scenario from the past that is calling for a careful review. You're likely to notice interconnections between people and events that you might have missed, though you saw the clues many times before. You don't need to look for the connections, merely to notice them. I also suggest you pause before you judge the intentions of others, especially on events in the past, because much information is going to come to the surface. the timing extends into mid-June, because Mercury is retrograde in your sign. other chart factors say you may be in a rush to get to the bottom of things, or experiencing some other form of impatience. give yourself time to untangle and weave what you learn into a coherent story.

cAncer (June 21-July 22)

If you've ever wanted to reveal all your secrets to yourself, this is the time. with this I would include deep, unspeakable desires, which you may find are more easily translated into words over the next few weeks. You may discover that you can see viewpoints that are opposite what you typically hold. this doesn't mean you're changing how you feel, but rather that you're open to considering different perspectives. notably, you don't have to share this information with anyone yet. In fact you will be working out a diversity of inner contradictions, and you won't know for a while where you really stand with yourself. It would probably be better if you kept what you're working through to yourself, or perhaps only a trusted confidant, at least through the end of Mercury retrograde on June 11. the real gift seems to be getting to the bottom of your anger. this would be especially true if you feel you don't have any. and it'll be helpful if you're aware that you struggle with forgiveness in any way, especially in a world that seems intent on doling out insults and injuries on a regular basis. there's plenty you can do about this, at least in terms of cultivating your own peace of mind. understanding really is the most significant precursor to compassion, and within a short time you will understand a lot more than you do today.

leo (July 22-Aug. 23)

Many mysteries will reveal themselves over the next five or six weeks; that seems to be written in every corner of the sky. Your own personal discoveries are likely to surround your sexual history. the fact that sex is exploited, commercialized and joked about does not lessen its significance. In a clear and sober state of mind, just about everyone would agree with that statement. You now have a rare opportunity to focus on a dimension of your healing that you may have been trying to see clearly for years. there's a factor that you first encountered during childhood that may make itself known. the result of that event or experience seems to have been accelerated maturity, but you paid a price for that; you left behind an aspect of the child you once were. Information about this may come from any direction, though I suspect that a series of interactions you have with people in your community or circle of friends are going to help you figure out how you feel and what you need to do. Pay attention to any conflicts that arise, particularly with people you thought you trusted. Be aware when some-

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one reveals another side of their personality, or when you notice that it's there. Look for the other side of every story. this will guide you closer to the truth that you seek. then take that information in and contemplate it quietly.

VirGo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) You seem to be fixating on the question of why you struggle with insecurity to the extent that you do. It’s a good question, though if you look around at the world and notice how much is teetering on the brink of disaster, you would feel better about yourself. we in the 21st century often think of ourselves as being so much better off than the pioneers or the settlers or assorted primitives who came before us. But is that really true? there's so much more that can go wrong today. for you, though, the question is where you place your focus or, as may be the case, your over-focus. Because the things that concern you and consume your energy so rarely go wrong, you can read your own thoughts like a tarot spread. You don't actually need to worry about what you tend to worry about, though it will tell you a lot. there really is a root cause to your worries, and from what I can see you're in an excellent position to figure it out. I can give you a clue, which is that it's likely to be a variant on something that troubled your parents and perhaps their parents but is no longer a factor in your environment. once you understand that their problems are not your problems, you will feel so much better.

liBrA (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) You now have the blessing of being seen, and even better, being seen for who you are. while it's true that your focus is often on making sure that others are taken care of, you're not always recognized for that. If you are who you are, it will be obvious who you are. under this astrology, you have extra freedom to reach for goals that may have seemed distant or impossible, and actually get a result. Just make sure that you don't talk yourself out of that possibility. surround yourself with supportive people, and gather a few new ones. Make sure you take care of yourself and that you're taken care of by others; your state of mind is nearly all that matters now. therefore, if you have a crisis of faith, I suggest you speak with those who are in a position to help. You might even decide that it's better to leave certain concerns to others that you trust, so that you can keep your mind free to take care of other things. under the current astrology the best thing you can do is be visible, show your face in public and stay on the radar of those you respect or want to work with. all of that, and remember your goals. Know what you want and don't forget.

ScorPio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) You certainly seem to be walking that fine line between fear and desire. Yet your fear, in some ways, seems the larger of the two, as you contemplate all that could potentially go wrong. Yet that's not really an issue, though if it is, ask yourself whether you're using your power correctly. consider carefully, and if the answer is yes, then move on. what really may be the thing making you nervous is the passion you're feeling for someone, or that they feel for you. In that way, intense desire can come across as fear, though I would ask: fear of what? aaah well, fear of the only thing that seems to get anyone's attention, which is the potential for change. change in this scenario means experiencing actual feelings, and meeting someone who has the potential to match or even exceed your energy. remember the many ways you've invited this into your life. remember that if someone seems to be just a bit difficult to understand, it would be helpful if you were to note the context in which you're seeing and experiencing them. You may have a way of taking things very personally, which would be natural enough. Yet I suggest you pull back your vision and look with a wide perspective. see all the contexts that are involved. and then take every opportunity to share, and to feel, as fully as you can.

SAGiTTAriuS (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) You don't need to argue with your emotions, or block them, though you would be wise to notice them and treat them as real. You seem ready to step out of a corner that you somehow let yourself get backed into, and the issue seems to be whether you really can trust someone. Looked at more closely, though, the question is whether you can trust yourself. If you can manage that much, you will be

Simply Sasha

Stuff Those Leaves With Good Stuff!

by Sasha Seymour

I know many of us go online to find new and exciting recipes to try from time to time. Although I am a huge fan of the Internet, there is something so satisfying about opening up an actual cookbook and reading recipes while flipping through the pages. I've had some of my cookbooks for over 20 years, and the notes I've left in the margins (use less salt, or add more cheese, etc.) brings me back to a time when I was first discovering my love of cooking! This recipe is one of my best-loved ones, because it contains so many of my favorite foods in it! I did alter a few ingredients in the basic recipe, and I have also listed some additional ingredients you can throw in as well, if you wish. These are very easy to assemble, and they would make an awesome Mother's Day brunch main course! Enjoy your May, art lovers!

- 1cup cooked lentils - 2 cups of brown rice - 2 cloves of garlic, minced - 1 cup of chopped baby arugula, chopped - a sprig of chopped mint, chopped - 8 oz goat cheese, at room temperature - 1 jar of tomato sauce - 1 bunch of Swiss chard - grated parmesan cheese - olive oil and salt and pepper

1. remove the stalks on each leaf of chard, and place the leaves in boiling water for a minute or two, or until they become soft. then place them on paper towels 2. In a bowl, combine the lentils, brown rice, garlic, mint and arugula. stir to mix.

3. then add to the lentil mixture a little olive oil, goat cheese and salt and pepper. Mix until it becomes a bit stiff.

4. In an oiled casserole dish, spread some tomato sauce, just to cover the bottom.

5. Place each chard leaf flat and fill it with the rice and lentil mixture. roll it up!

6. Place each stuffed leaf, seam side down in the casserole dish. top it off with remaining tomato sauce.

7. sprinkle Parmesan on top and drizzle with a little oil. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. You are done! ***additional ingredients to add to the rice mixture could be chopped pine nuts, slightly steamed and chopped shrimp, chopped black olives, and or chopped portobella 'shrooms. Be creative! It's fun. enJoY!!!!

able to make more sense of the potentially erratic thinking and/or conduct of someone you're close to. I suggest you hold open plenty of space for them to go through their gyrations, and to express everything they want to express, including and especially their contradictions. as they do this, if you're paying attention, you will have all the information you need to figure out exactly what's going through their heart and soul. Just be aware this could take a little while. You may have reasons to change, radically shift or end the relationship; I would urge patience and forbearance. act like you have all the time in the world. while you're doing this, you're going to learn a lot and I do mean a lot about some inner questions and issues that you've been wondering about forever. the tolerance you offer to others is the same as what you offer yourself. the truth is organized in layers -- therefore, patience really helps.

cAPricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) It would help if you believe the information you're given, especially if you recognize that it's associated with your personal evolution. Your charts suggest you might not recognize as true something that is indeed true, even though you have evidence to support it. one hint is that you've figured this out before, and it didn't quite register. now the pattern is easy to see. You don't need to make the same mistake again, especially if it involves a relationship and what you're learning and exploring there. You have by this time figured out that there is some internal issue that's preventing you from fully trusting this situation, or in truth, many others. It's as if you can see this scenario as it is only when you don't look directly at it. now, however, a constellation is aligning that is allowing you to enter a direct dialog with this issue. one theme is whether you feel you can accurately express yourself. this in turn has a way of making you feel the only option is silence. But that's not really a viable route; not now, anyway. the more progressive way to go is to enter into a direct dialog with every taboo. Put the subject matter into words, whatever that takes. strive for clarity day by day and please don't be deterred by the small effort it can take to get there.

AquAriuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep scratching out your niche in the world, the one where you belong. If it often seems more difficult than necessary, remember that you're doing something original. You may also be doing something that contradicts the many prevailing beliefs of our time.

But what it doesn't contradict are the prevailing needs of our time. rather than focusing on beliefs or on what is supposedly acceptable (or not), stay close to the necessities you're responding to.

Know what they are, and when in doubt, come back to the egg. that's the thing to speak to. remember that people are hurting, that they often feel dispossessed of the world, and that they have less energy and often less ability to reason than you do. Plus, very often you're willing to take chances they are not willing to take. therefore, don't try to convince anyone of anything. rather, speak directly to their needs, and demonstrate what you can do for them.

It's true that this puts you in a nurturing role, though in truth that is what's required for both your own progress and for that of the planet we all share. remember too that the solution to any problem is most often born of creativity. that in turn requires an experiment, which is exactly how your chart is describing your life at the moment. so keep at it, one day at a time.

“The universe was not made in jest but in solemn incomprehensible earnest.�

- Annie Dillard

PiSceS (Feb. 19-March 20)

consider all the possible combinations of work, wellbeing and healing, and experiment with them. I don't mean the words, I mean what they represent. this is where you can find benefit in your life, for yourself and for others. Many factors may seem to be unpredictable or unstable, at least for the moment. what is dependable is that there's work to do, that you have some important healing processes going, and that wellbeing is the core theme of your life. Your greatest productivity and strongest relationships will come from the place where these things meet. focus on those relationships and you will strengthen them, and come into a new state of balance. the world may be stressed out, and people may be struggling to find time to check all their devices. You have abundant energy, you have a clear agenda and a sense of what matters to you. You can trust your perceptions about these things. while you're here, I suggest you focus on one longterm plan that you know is going to improve your life. If you must lean on others to create (or claim) the space and energy for this special project, that's why they're in your life. allow yourself to be supported by your environment. If it helps, remember the abundant benefit people get from your presence. take care of yourself and remember that your priorities actually matter. ~ read eric francis daily at planetwaves.net

the artfuL MInd MaY 2015 • 13

fronT STreeT GAllerY art worK BY Kate KnaPP

Kate KnaPP

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…. join us and experience something different.

Painting classes continue on Monday and wednesday mornings 10-1:30pm at the studio and thursday mornings out in the field. these classes are open to all...come to one or come again if it works for you. all levels and materials welcome. classes at front street are for those wishing to learn, those who just want to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art, and/or those who have some experience under their belt. a teacher for many years, Kate Knapp 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 are excellent.

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 open by appointment or chance. 413-528-9546 or 413-429-7141 (cell).

SABine PhoTo ArT

Photographic one on one workshops, scheduled throughout the spring and summer months: Behind The cAMerA May 1-September 21, 2015 sabine’s eye for detail provides the students with everlasting creative tools. explore the beauty of patterns, textures, layers, depth of detail in the real. Participants learn how natural light can create dramatic or lyrical images. designed for the serious learner who is interested in improving her/his skills. the hope is to concentrate on the artistic and critical eye. You are asked to bring a digital sLr camera. a published and collected fine art photographer, she has a number of specialties. one of these is a focus on commercial and editorial portraiture, collaborating with professionals to provide their publishers / labels with an image portfolio. sabine’s talent lies in both choosing the location and working with the subtleties of lighting. her eye for the “Yes Moment” results in timeless imagery. she has the talent to bring introspection to the art of life style photography. she is the interviewer, catalyst and image-maker. her InsIde and out studio is located in stockbridge, Ma. signed books: “woodLand stYLe” and “ sheLL chIc “, M. h. Marshall, published by storey, all photography by sabine. she is a member of asMP, the International center of Photography IcP, and the wedding Photojournalist association, wPJa.

Sabine Vollmer von Falken - For more detailed info please contact Sabine Vollmer von Falken Photography at info@sabinephotoart.com tel. 413-298-4933.

BerKShire feSTiVAl of WoMen WriTerS

the Berkshire festival of women writers announces two new programs that will begin in June and July this year: rookwood writing retreat for women: writing the Journey of Your Life, June 5 – 7, rookwood Inn, Lenox. women writers are invited to join founding festival director Jennifer Browdy, Ph.d., to for an intensive weekend writing workshop focusing on memoir, which she has taught at the college level for more than 25 years. from working with the initial concept of the memoir to thinking creatively about using narrative techniques like flashback, internal monologue, dialogue and detail, memoirists in any stage of the writing journey will enjoy the support and encouragement of a circle of women all working together to bring out the best in each other’s writing. there will be time for individual writing, and each participant will have a chance to receive constructive feedback from the group, designed to build confidence and enthusiasm. accommodations at the Inn are optional. this is the first in a series of retreats, which will continue in september and January. the Butterfly effect: Be the change. Live the change. Love the change. July 20 – 24, the Mount, Lenox. teen girls and young women are invited to create community, write from the heart, and step into their potential as leaders on the issues they care about in this transformative writing-intensive summer Institute, led by Jennifer Browdy with college senior grace rossman. whether well on her way to becoming a leader in her school or local community, or just beginning to discover what it is that inspires her, The Butterfly Effect will give girls the tools, strategies and confidence they need to step into leadership roles in a wide variety of social contexts. Young women will have special opportunities to mentor the girls in the group as together we build confidence, clarity and purpose.

Participants will leave the Institute with specific ideas for continuing to develop their passions in writing, speaking and action, and can sign on to help lead the new Bfww teen advisory council, as well as new monthly Leadership circles during the 2015-2016 school year.

Full details available at Berkshirewomenwriters.org

“There is an investment of your own life experience in something as innocent as color.”

-Stephen De Staebler

14 • MaY 2015 the artfuL MInd

harryet candee: originally we met when your son, Jacob, was a camper at natchez in West copake, owned by our good friend Marc Schafler.

Sonia Pilcer: Yes. Many moons ago. Jacob now works in west hartford, and Marc opened the restaurant and club helsinki with deborah Mcdowell in hudson.

i loved the book liTTle dArlinGS, same for the film. did you go to camp as a teenager ( pre-teen), and how close from actual experience was this book to your life?

Sonia: My least autobiographical book. I worked as a counselor in camps, actually at camp Kadima in great Barrington, but was not a camper. an editor assigned me to “novelize” the film script of LIttLe darLIngs, about 120 pages of dialogue, into a real book. It was a challenge as you can imagine. But the book of my youth is teen angeL, my first novel.

i love the nostalgic look of the book Teen AnGel! The one with the teenager on her back and her legs up into the blue horizon… her hair, her style — its so—-70s!?

Sonia: actually it’s the sixties. the book has just been re-issued in a 35th year anniversary edition. and though it’s my firstborn and I was in my 20s when I wrote it, I love that book and was reluctant to let go of my heroine, sonny Palovsky. so much so, I re-introduced her and her family in a novel I wrote twenty years later, the hoLocaust KId.

can you talk about being born in Germany and how you were personally affected by the holocaust.

Sonia: My parents, both from Lodz, Poland, met after the war. they were orphans from large families, married in 1945, and were forced to escape from Poland because anti-semitism was still rampant. Ironically, they went to germany for safety. they wanted to come to the states, but because of strict quotas, they didn’t arrive until the 1950s. they lived in the Landsberg displaced Persons camp, where I was born. In fact, I wrote a poem “refugees,” which ends: We were fevered by visions of roots like fingers implanted in the earth’s belly.

Two by two, we boarded the boat, Noah’s grateful beasts, to salvage what was left.

America! America! America!

We chanted the magic word of passage.

Our daughter sat quiet as baggage.

I guess I always knew there was something unusual about my family, but since I grew up with other survivor families in washington heights, I thought all Jews spoke with foreign accents. It kept me alienated from Judaism, but when we moved upstate, I discovered a rich and creative Jewish life in great Barrington.

living in the Berkshires and in new York city must be fun for you. has the juggling between both locales had an effect on your writing? is there a connection you can make between your new novel, The lAST hoTel, and your life in the Berkshires?

Sonia: I haven’t thought there was a connection, but I did write the the Last hoteL while spending most of my time in the Berkshires. I suppose I was remembering a city that no longer existed.

My new York when I was young, when I was full of promise, and though the city was tough and scary, there was so much life there.

It was terribly exciting.But living in the Berkshires now, I really appreciate the sense of community here. a visit to the co-op and I’ll see half a dozen people I know. some will mention reading the latest installment of the Last hoteL.

how did the idea of serializing your novel come about?

Sonia: david scribner and I talked about it before he even began to publish the edge. I had been aware of dickens having serialized his novel. I’d been a fan of armistead Maupin’s taLes of the cItY. and the form of this book — the fact that every chapter takes place in a different suite in the hotel, in the lobby, in the basement, in the elevator — it was just too tempting! so every thursday evening, I send the next suite for him to publish. sometimes I send a photograph I take with my phone during my wanderings. we’re up to our 25th installment, I think, and there’s still more. i-lAnd: Manhattan Monologues is based on new York city of the 1980s. it was designed by you as a string of monologues that are connected. how were you inspired to create this kind

wrIter sonIa PILcer

Photograph by Barbara Docktor

of book? What did you find the most interesting in the various stages of writing? What kind of research was involved? Sonia, and where in the world did you discover a sense of humor lies underneath every human condition?

Sonia: I’ve always felt that humor is the way to get at serious things. It disarms the reader, and then you throw in some difficult truth. “Make them laugh!” the catskill entertainers sang out. and spending our summers in the Borsht Belt probably contributed. the monologue form particularly appeals to me. I can actually hear the characters chattering and I just have to type fast enough to get their words. with I-Land, I turned the book into a theatrical play which ran in a small theater, the thirteenth street repertory theater, for over six years. I had the pleasure of seeing different actors interpreting my characters. everyone seemed to want to play Lana Lamarr, my gorgeous transsexual character, on the eve of her operation.

What do you think has rounded out your life? What experiences can you share with us that have inspired you to write them down and share.

Sonia: Most of my books are about psychic survival. I have followed a heroine, not unlike myself, on her journey. It began with growing up in a tough neighborhood and joining a girls gang. that was teen angeL. I then wanted to explored the devastation of first love and first sex, which I did in MaIden rItes, based on my first relationship. I-Land was a kind of joyful lark in the midst of when I was writing the hoLocaust KId, and receiving countless rejections. the Last hoteL, which is based on a hotel my father managed on the upper westside of Manhattan, became the repository of all these amazing characters I had in my head. why not give them rooms at the Last hoteL and see what happens when they all meet each other. can you explain what you think works in order to become a successful writer? like many arts that are out there, is writing one that you should have an early start in order to succeed as a professional?

Sonia: I had the good fortune to publish early. I had taken a workshop at the writers community with c.d.B. Bryan, author of frIendLY fIIre, who encouraged me to work on teen angeL. he said if I gave him 100 pages, he would show it to his agent. then it became another 100 pages and continued this way until I finished. I don’t know if I’d call myself a successful writer, but I’ve had the opportunity to do my work and tell my stories.

You teach writing yourself, don’t you?

Sonia: I do. and that’s been one of my great pleasure to offer up to other writers what I know. I returned to teach at the writers community at the westside YMca, which had been so helpful to me. I also teach at Berkshire community college in great Barrington, and I work privately.

Mostly I try to encourage writers to write. to not judge the work or themselves too early in the process. often I just say “Keep going.” that’s what cdB wrote on all my chapters. I also let them know that it’s a long, long path, and that talent will only get you so far. If you want to have a career as a writer, I suppose one has to have a gift, but more importantly — grit — despite indifference, rejection, distraction — all the difficulties a writer encounters in their work.

Are you planning to ever write a novel about the teenagers in Great Barrington? What’s up next?

Sonia: I wish I knew. Maybe I’ll write about the grey hairs of Barrington. I’ve had such great experiences curating woMen wrIters of a certaIn age at the Berkshire women writers festival for four years, and at the hillsdale Library. I’ve met amazing women.

I am interested in the process of aging. My father, a survivor of auschwitz, died at nearly 95 a year ago. My mother, 92, is still going strong and plays a wicked amount of canasta at the sterling senior Lifestyle center. In fact, I’ve acknowledged her group, the Knitters and Kibbitzers for their help with Yiddish words and expression. since my newest birth, I’m giving readings and book-signings of the Last hoteL. My next reading and signing in the Berkshires is on sunday, May 3rd, 5 PM. congregation ahavath sholom on north street in great Barrington.

SoniA’S BooKShelf teen angeL (Putnam) originally published in 1978, now available from Intoprint.

MaIden rItes (Viking) 1982.

LIttLe darLIngs (Ballantine) 1983.

I-Land: Manhattan MonoLogues (Ballantine) 1987, now available from Intoprint.

hoLocaust KId (Persea and Delta Books) 2001 the Last hoteL (Heliotrope Books) 2015

available at your local bookstore and aMaZon.com or go to sonia’s website: soniapilcer.com

the artfuL MInd MaY 2015 • 15

ILLustratIon BY fantIn-Latour

the MuseuM show

Part 1 froM "no cure for the MedIevaL MInd" rIchard BrIteLL

when agnes was 15 she decided to do her first watercolor still life and submit it to the annual juried show at the museum in her town. this would be her first painting done entirely on her own, outside of her art class in school. according to the show prospectus, works on paper had to be framed appropriately so her first consideration was to find a frame and a mat suitable for her soon-to-becompleted picture. she went shopping in second-hand stores and found many frames that might have been suitable, but most of them had artwork of sufficient value to make the purchase too expensive. she managed to find a suitable frame with a glass and mat, the only problem being that the mat, which was probably white at one time, was now a depressing brown color. she took it home, took it apart, and painted the mat white with house paint. she set to work to paint her watercolor painting of flowers. she thought this would present no problem but it turned out to be otherwise. she was so long trying to arrange her flowers in an interesting way that she had to go to bed before she even started working on the painting. In the morning all the flowers were drooped and wilted so she had so start over again. her second attempt was more successful but once she finished the flowers and the vase she felt that she simply had to do something about the blank background. she was pleased with the flowers and thought the vase was adequate, but she proceeded to ruin the entire thing by painting the background all black. she thought painting the background black would make the flowers stand out better, but it did just the opposite. she had painted the petals of the flowers with great attention to their subtle tints

and hues, even managing to show the difference of the colors in the shadows, but the black background made all her carefully considered tints look like one drab pink color. she started all over again. she did the background first to be safe, and then did the flowers and the vase in exactly the same way as before but found that even though it looked precisely the same, it somehow lacked a certain vivacity that her first attempt possessed. now she had spent three days and many hours on a project she thought would be very simple. she threw her second attempt away and started over. she threw her flowers in the trash, put her mother's vase back on its shelf, and, in frustration, painted the entire thing over again from her imagination as quickly as she could, in a frenzy of intense concentration. when she finished she had a little watercolor painting that it would take her 20 years to surpass. It was her first true work of art, born of a combination of frustration and inspiration. although she was completely happy with her painting, she was disappointed with the frame and the mat because it was old and dingy looking. she worried that the judges would take one look at the frame and reject her entry. the mat looked almost all right after she painted it white, but, even so, some watermarks showed through the white paint down in the corners. she took her picture down to the museum where she found a long line of artists waiting to submit their works to the show. for the past few years she had seen every one of the juried shows at the museum but the line of artists submitting works and their paintings was something entirely new to her. she had never realized that for every 30 or 40 pictures submitted only one or two would find their way into the show. the line of artists was therefore an exhibit in itself, an exhibit mostly of works soon-to-be-rejected. agnes knew nothing about art at that point in her life but she could see clearly that the majority of the things people were submitting were never going to appear in the show. what, she wondered, would the judges think of several paint by numbers landscapes complete with thick globs of paint filling in all those little shapes. would they ever accept a portrait of elvis done in oil from a glossy photograph where the features had all but disappeared, encroached upon by the surrounding flesh? one man had a white canvas on which he had poured black ink. once the ink ran from the top to bottom he had turned it on its side, and let the drips run in the other direction. agnes looked again at her first still life painting and had a surge of hope, just from her visits to the previous shows she realized her picture was probably going to be accepted. she filled out the paperwork application, paid the fee, and went home. after that she looked every day in the mail for the reply to come. the reply would be the little pink postcard she had filled out at the time she submitted her painting. on the postcard were little boxes to indicate the acceptance or rejection of her painting. Years later she would discover that the prize winners would receive a

signed letter from the judges, but everyone else got the postcard. a week later she received her postcard; her picture was accepted. You can be quite sure that the next question that flashed through her mind is the question every artist in a big group show becomes obsessed with: where will they hang my picture? even though I was telling my story of Mrs. festini's first experience submitting a painting to a show, and even though I was being quite complete in remembering all the details of agnes' story, still Buboni our art historian, was so interested that he felt he had to interrupt me and expound on this exact point. where in a show are works hung, and what does it signify to the artist?

"Picture," he began, "that you are entering an exhibit hall to see a big group show in which you are one of the exhibitors. You have no idea how the people in charge of the exhibit have handled the painting you submitted. You enter a large room and in the distance on the far wall you see your painting all by itself and there is nothing to the left or right of it, nothing above or below it. this is what every artist, especially those consumed by vanity, wish to see." on the other hand, what if you have a wall all to yourself, at the farther end from the entrance to a room, but it is a smaller room just off of the main hall. although this is very honorable treatment for an artist, still it is often looked upon as a deep insult. It makes the obvious point that your painting is not the best, but it is some how obviously second best.

- To be continued in June Issue -richard Britell

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