The Artful Mind artzine

THE ARTFUL MIND Monthly Berkshire Artzine

Since 1994

May 2012

THREE GENERATIONS OF VICTOR BORGE Frederikke Borge, Johanne Kesten and Jazmine Bona Photography by Jane Feldman

PHOTO: JANE FELDMAN

Maestra Sara Jobin rehearses for an upcoming performance of 驶Peter and the Wolf始 with students from Mountain Road School, NY

Hair and Make-up

Sonya.heimann@gmail.com Seven Salon Spa 413. 298. 0117

PHOTO: JANE FELDMAN

Sonya Heimann

Mountain Road School a celebration of Childhood, Nature and Creativity www.mountainroadschool.org

Photography: Jane Feldman

www.janefeldman.com

janefeldmanphoto@gmail.com

“Across the Valley”, Oil on Canvas, 20” x 30”

MICHAEL FILMUS

413-528-5471

www.michaelfilmus.com

Rob Michels Up Close/Not So Close

The Gallery at the Goldsmith

152 Main Street / Great Barrington, MA 413-528-0013 10:30-6:00, Tuesday-Saturday throughout May

Reception/ Saturday, 5/12 4:00-6:00 P.M.

THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2012 • 1

MAY CALENDAR In and Around the Berkshires 2012

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

HUDSON VALLEY ARTS CENTER 337 Warren St, Hudson, NY • 800-456-0507 Regional and nationally-known artisans. Classes.

A.P.E. LTD. GALLERY 126 Main Street Northampton, MA • 413-586-5553 May 8 – 30, 2012: 'Scale in Contemporary Printmaking', is an exhibition that pushes the boundaries, materials and scale of traditional printmaking. On view are 20 works by members of Zea Mays Printmaking that explore scale and format in printmaking.

Reception Friday, May 11th, 5-8pm during Northampton’s Arts Night Out. (Gallery Hours are Tuesday–Sunday: 12-5 and Friday: 12-8.)

ISABELLA FREEDMAN JEWISH RETREAT CENTER Falls Village, CT • 860.824.5991 Former Players, Pulitzer Prize Winner, Ambassador to Join for “Judaism & Baseball” Gathering. June 29-July 2, 2012, the first ever “Judaism & Baseball” retreat is slated to delve into such questions as “Why ask ‘Who’s a Jew’ in Baseball?” and “The Responsibility of Jews in Baseball,” provide illumination on topics ranging from baseball in Israel to Jews in black baseball, as well as include fun activities including a draft of the All-Time Jewish All-Star Team and a Yiddish version of “Casey at the Bat.”

ART ON MAIN

BARNBROOK REALTY 271 Main Street, Gt. Barrington • 413-528-3623 www.artonmain.blogspot.com March 31- May 11: Feather and Flora: A mother and son photography exhibit. Nature mandalas by Sarah Nicholson and Bird studies by Kai Reed.

THE GALLERY AT

HOUSATONIC VALLEY ART LEAGUE SUMMER SHOWS 2012 Dewey Memorial Hall, Sheffield, Mass.

Wed closed. JURIED ART SHOW, Opens July 5 Reception July 6, 4:30---6:30. Closes July 29 MEMBER ART SHOW, Opens August 2. Reception August 3, 4:30---6:30. Closes August 26. Gallery Admission is free; public welcome! (Gallery Hours: (Mon, Tu, Th, Fr, Sat 10:00---5:00 Sun 1:00---5:00) BERKSHIRE ART GALLERY 80 Railroad St, Gt Barrington, MA • 528-2690 www.berkshireartgallery.com 19th and early 20th Century American & European art and sculpture, contemporary artists

CARRIE HADDAD GALLERY 622 Warren St, Hudson, NY • 518-828-1915 Photography: New Work: April 19 – May 27, 2012. April 19 through May 27, 2012.

DON MULLER GALLERY 40 Main St, Northampton, MA • 586-1119 Beautiful American crafts, jewelry, glass and more ECKERT FINE ART 34 Main St, Millerton, NY • 518-592-1330 Featuring artist Chuck Close

“...one of the finest and most charming private galleries in New England.”

LAUREN CLARK FINE ART 402 Park St, Housatonic, MA • 274-1432 www.LaurenClarkFineArt.comLauren Lauren Clark Fine Art presents PASTELS by Helga S. Orthofer, May 24 through July 8. Reception for the artist, Saturday, May 26, 4-7pm.(Business hours are Thursday-Mon, 11-5:30 and Sunday, 12-4)

“The Why Tree” Photographs by Maurine Sutter 1 Main Street, Salisbury, CT 860-435-9758 May 1-31 Wed.-Sunday from 10 am-6 pm

“Created by a unique combination of traditional “wet” darkroom techniques combined with contemporary digital methods, the finished prints have a timeless quality featuring delicate color on a richly textured surface. In tracing the many steps which lead to a completed print, it might come as a surprise to find the original prints are black and white.”

MATTATUCK MUSEUM 144 West Main St, Waterbury, CT • 203-753-0381 Reflections and Undercurrents, Prints of Venice, 1900-1940: May 11 - Aug 26

MUSIC & MORE 2012 FESTIVAL New Marlborough, MA Meeting House Gallery: May 25: "Moments of Focus," juried photography show with opening reception, 5-7 p.m., Meeting House Gallery, Route 57. Show runs May 26-June 17; photos judged by David LaSpina of Bard College at Simon's Rock.June 22: “Sculpture on the Green,” opening reception 5-7 p.m., Meeting House Gallery, Route 57, New Marlborough. Featuring pieces

by Toby Frank, Joe Wheaton, Robin Tost, Eric Callahan, Ellen Murtaugh and River Kelly. Show runs June 23-July 8.

FRONT STREET GALLERY Front St., Housatonic, MA • 413-274-6607 / 413-528-9546, or cell at 413-429-7141 Front Street Gallery will host Robert Forte’s first exhibition in the Berkshires; it will run May 5 – June 3, with an artist reception on Sunday, May 6 from 3-6 PM. Housatonic Gallery for students and SCHANTZ GALLERIES artists. Featuring watercolors by Kate Knapp (Saturday and Sun- 3 Elm St, Stockbridge, MA • 413-298-3044 day 12-5pm or by appointment) • www.schantzgalleries.com.

A destination for those seeking premier artists working in glass.

11 - 5 daily

THE LENOX GALLERY O F

MARGUERITE BRIDE STUDIO www.margebride.com Custom House and Business Portraits, “Local Color”, watercolor scenes of the Berkshires, New England and Tuscany. Original watercolors and Fine Art Reproductions. Visit website for exhibit schedule

F I N E

A R T

THE GALLERY AT THE GOLDSMITH 152 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 413-528-0013 ROB MICHELS: UP CLOSE/NOT SO CLOSE Rob Michels will be exhibiting his photography at The Gallery at the Goldsmith in Great Barrington throughout May. A reception will be held on Saturday, May 12 4-6pm. (Hours: 10:30-6:00, Tuesday-Saturday) THE HARRISON GALLERY 39 Spring Street, Williamstown, MA Leslie Peck, May 5 – May 3. Opening Reception with Artist Saturday, May 5 – from 5 - 7pm

paintings • draw i n g s • w a t e r c o l o r • s c u l p t u r e • m i x e d m e d i a w o r k s • p a s t e l s • p o r t r a i t c o m m i s s i o n s

69 Church Street, Lenox, MA 01201 • (413) 637-2276

over twenty-five artists • on two levels

2 • The Artful Mind MAY 2012

open year round - call for hours

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 TK HOME AND GARDEN 441 Warren St, Hudson, NY • 518-697-0909 The Flower Show: Betzie Bendis, paintings and Barbara Leven, photography. May 5-June . Reception May 5, 5pm.

510 WARREN ST. GALLERY 510 Warren St., Hudson, NY • 518-822-0510 Four artists during May: Maxine Davidowitz, oils; Pat Hogan, watercolors; Elaine Radiss, photography; and H. David Stein, photography. The exhibit will run Friday, May 4, - Sunday, June 3, with an artists’ reception Saturday, May 5, from 3-7pm. (Fridays and Saturdays from 12 noon until 6 P.M., and Sundays from 12 noon until 5 P.M., Mondays by chance)

WILLIAM BACZEK FINE ARTS 36 Main St, Northampton, MA • 413-587-9880 • wmbaczek@wbfinearts.com www.wbfinearts.com Solo exhibition by Travis Louie. The exhibition is titled The Secret Pet Society and will consist of approximately fifteen new paintings as well as etchings, digital prints and sculpture by the renowned New York artist.

MUSIC & THEATRE

ASTON MAGNA 40TH ANNIVERSARY GALA Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood, Lenox, MA Singer Deborah Rentz-Moore: Saturday, June 9th at 6 PM, when Aston Magna celebrates its 40th Anniversary with a Gala concert of Monteverdi, Purcell, Handel and Bach.

FODfest CONCERTS FRIENDS OF DANIEL PEARL FESTIVAL www.festfest.org Little Theater at Torrington High School in Torrington, CT on Saturday May 12 at Dewey Hall in Sheffield, MA. If you are a musician interested in performing, please submit your request via our website.

IS183 • ART SCHOOL OF THE BERKSHIRES 12 Willard Hill Rd, Stockbridge, MA • 413-298-5252 The Live Music Cafe series will continue on the fourth Thursday of every month final show is May 24. Doors will open at 6pm, music runs from 7-9pm, and beverages (wine, beer, water) and light snacks will be available. There's a $10 suggested donation.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Post Office Box 34, Great Barrington, MA • 800-843-0778 / www.cewm.org. For further information contact www.cewm.org or 800-843-0778.

THE ROARING TWENTIES: BERLIN, PARIS, NEW YORK The program re-introduces an important but often neglected group of diverse composers whose works were suppressed during the Nazi era, along with those whose voices were silenced altogether, and places them and their works in context within 20th century music.

COLONIAL THEATRE Pittsfield, MA • colonialtheatre.com Colin Hay, May 5, 8pm; Rhythmic Circus, May 12, 8pm; Dark Star ORchestra, May 22, 7pm; Bettye LaVette, May 26, 8pm

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE The Moviehouse, Main st, Millerton, NY • 518-789-3408 She Stoops to Conquer, Apr 22, 3pm, Apr 23, 7pm. One Man Two Govnors, Sun May 20, 1pm, Mon, May 21, 7pm. A New Play by Nick Dear ‘Frankenstein’, Sun June 3, 3pm, June 11, 7pm

SHAKESPEARE & CO. 70 Kimble St, Lenox, MA • shakespeare.org Cassandra Speaks, May 26-Sept; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, June 12 - Sept 1; Parasite Drag, June 20- Sept 2, see website for complete schedule TANNERY POND CONCERT SERIES www.tannerypondconcerts.org First concert will be on Sunday, May 27 at 3pm; June 16, featuring The Tokyo String Quartet is a special performance at St. Peter’s Church in Spencertown. Paul Huang, violinist with pianist Jessica Osborne, on July 14 at 8pm. August 4, the Harlem String Quartet. Emanuel Ax, on August 11. Todd Palmer, clarinet, Elizabeth Futral, soprano, and Ran Dank, piano will present a unique concert on Sept 1 at 8pm. Sept 22 at 6pm, the Brentano String Quartet.

Ben La Rocco: Autistic's Card through May 20th

"Many years ago, in a nurse’s apartment in Paris, I saw a square card with red dots on it tacked to the wall. The nurse told me that the card was used to communicate with autistic patients. She had put it on her wall because it seemed pretty to her. The red dots were large. I think there were around 9 of them floating randomly around the card. There was no discernible order to the dots, except that they were all the same size. Apparently, autistic people could nevertheless read these cards to mean something.

I don’t know if what they saw was an image, a word, or a state of being. Perhaps all. I found the card beautiful too. It had some kind of Gallery hours are Thursday through Monday, 11:00 till 5:00 p.m.

For further information about the gallery, the artists and upcoming exhibition, visit.”

-Bem La Rocco

TREMAINE GALLERY at The Hotchkiss School 11 Interlaken Rd, Lakeville, CT • 860-435-3663 Brook Singer’: Sites Unseen, May 2 - June 17, reception May 5, 4-6pm

TRI-ARTS SHARON PLAYHOUSE 48 Amenia Rd, Sharon, CT • 860-364-show Divas Do the Decades, June 8-10; The Best Littel Whorehouse in Texas, June 28-July 15; Altar Boyz, July 20-29; The Sounds of Music, Aug 9-26

WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN Saturday & Sunday, May 19 & 20, 9 am – 4 pm Build a Cob Oven: Demonstration/Hands-on Workshop Cost: Members $80; Nonmembers $90 Learn the ancient art of making cob, a versatile and long-lasting building material made of clay, sand, and straw. Build a cob oven from the ground up at this workshop using locally sourced stone, clay, hay, sand, wood chips, and gravel. All aspects of construction will be covered including siting, design, and building. After curing for a month or so, the oven will be unveiled on the 9th of JulyInstructor: Felix Lufkin HILL-STEAD MUSEUM 35 Mountain Rd, Farmington, CT • 860-677-4787 Sunken Garden Poetry Festival 2012: Poetry reading, live music, workshops and talks. See Hill-stead.org for complete schedule.

KENTUCKY DERBY ART SHOW AND SALE Maplebrook School, Rte 22, Amenia, NY • 845-373-8557 May 5: Tommy Hilfiger’s Private Collection of autographed works by pop artists and icon Andy Worhol. Opening recpetion May 5, 4-7pm

PARADISE CITY ARTS FESTIVAL Northampton 3 County Fairgrounds, Rte 9 at I-91, exit 19 800-511-9725 / www.paradisecityarts.com May 26 - 28: 260 Artists and craftspeople from over 30 states, live music, food, special exhibition of “Wild Things!”

RENAISSANCE ART SCHOOL Upstairs at 33 Railroad Street in Great Barrington, MA. Please go online for Spring and Summer classes.

• 413-528-9600 / www.renaissanceartschool.com

PITTSFIELD FIRST FRIDAYS ARTSWALK First Fridays Artswalk - http://firstfridaysartswalk.com Starting May 4:First Fridays Artswalk will occur in the immediate downtown area of Pittsfield on each first Friday of the month

JOHN DAVIS GALLERY 362 1/2 WARREN STREETHUDSON, NEW YORK 12534 WWW.JOHNDAVISGALLERY.COM

from 5 – 8pm; a reception for the exhibiting artists will take place in most of the venues displaying art.

SABINE PHOTO ART WORKSHOP Photographic workshops are scheduled for this spring: Set out on weekends to explore the beautiful country site of the Berkshires.

Zoom in on your fellow students and capture their expressions.

Designed for serious amateurs who are interested in improving their artistic eye. All participants are asked to bring a digital SLR camera and a laptop with software to present their images for edit and critique sessions. Event dates: May 12/13, May 26/28, and June 9/10. For more info please contact Sabine Vollmer von Falken Photography Studio www.sabinephotoart.com, info@sabinephotoart.com tel. 413 298 4933 Artfulmind@yahoo.com Deadline for JUNE issue is MAY 10, 2012

CALL FOR ARTISTS

from BERKSHIRES ARTS FESTIVALS

Emerging Artists and Artisans Offering low cost exhibition opportunities for up to100 artists as well as 25 full exhibition scholarships.

JULY & AUGUST

EXHIBITION DATES 2012:

July, 6,7, 8: Ski Butternut, Gt Barrington, MA

August 24, 25, 26: Ski Butternut, Gt Barrington, MA Sept 28, 29, 30 ..... Shakespeare & Co., Lenox, MA For Arts Festival Submission Forms and further information email:

americanartmarketing.com The Artful Mind MAY 2012 • 3

FRONT STREET GALLERY

ROBERT FORTE Presents the Work of

Elaine Radiss

AY

M

Pat Hogan

s

st i t r

A

Pat Hogan Elaine Radiss David Stein Maxine Davidowitz

May 4 - June 3 Reception: May 5, 3-7 pm

David Stein

Maxine Davidowitz

Exhibiting Artists Include: John Clark, Diana Felber, Joan Giummo, Iska Kenny, Kate Knapp John Lipkowitz, Nina Lipkowitz, Eleanor Lord, Hannah Mandel, Joel Mark, Steve Porcella, Peggy Reeves, Jeannine Schoeffer, Doris Simon and Fine prints & Posters from Mill River Studio

510 Warren Street, Hudson, New York Friday and Saturday 12 - 6, Sunday 12 - 5 or by appointment 518-822-0510 ~ 413-528-9546

www.510warrenstreetgallery.com

Lauren Clark Fine Art presents

PA S T E L S

Helga S. Orthofer by

architecture, cityscapes, landscapes, portraits

May 24-July 8 Reception for the Artist Saturday, May 26 4-7pm 402 Park Street, Housatonic, MA 413-274-1432 LaurenClarkFIneArt.com

4 • The Artful Mind MAY 2012

MAN IN WHITE SHIRT, OIL ON CANVAS

May 5 through June 3, 2012 OPENING RECEPTION Sunday, May 5, 2012

Front Street, downtown HOUSATONIC, MA 413 274-6607

The Artful Mind MAY 2012 • 5

Your ARTFUL MIND artzine MAY 2012

Frederrike Borge: Life with Papa, Victor Borge Page 12 Photographs by Jane Feldman Archival photos supplied by Rikke Borge

Stanley Ritchie Baroque Violinist and Founding Member of Aston Magna Festival..... 8 Life with Papa: Victor Borge

Harryet Candee..... 12

Planet Waves Eric Francis...... 16 Feng Shui Elisa Cashiola..... 17

Simply Sasha Sasha Seymour...... 17

Architecture & Arcadia Stephen Dietemann...... 23

THE ARTFUL MIND

artfulmind@yahoo.com Memories of good music, art, love and laughter PUBLISHER Harryet Candee

COPY EDITOR Marguerite Bride

ADVERTISING AND LAYOUT DESIGN Harryet Candee

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND MONTHLY COLUMNISTS Harryet Candee, Stephen Gerard Dietemann, Eric Francis, Todd Mack, Nanci Race PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Feldman, Julie McCarthy Sabine Vollmer von Falken

DISTRIBUTION & OFFICE ASSISTANT R. Dadook, Shoshana Candee

985, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA 01230

ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM 413-528-5628 Deadline for the JUNE :: MAY 10, 2012 BOX

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 • The Artful Mind MAY 2012

THE MUSIC STORE

As the Berkshires enjoys its Spring Sonata, we at The Music Store look forward to the summer prelude at the end of the Railroad Street extension in Great Barrington.

We are proud to offer some extraordinary and unusual NEW instruments this spring: 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 - the Forever Guitar!

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.

Acclaimed as one of the area’s best music stores, The Music Store specializes in fine, folk and unusual musical instruments, accessories, supplies and music motif gifts. Music lovers and professional and amateur musicians alike will find an exciting array of both new and used name-brand and hand-made instruments, extraordinary folk instruments and one of the Northeast’s finest selections of strings and reeds.

Professional musicians seeking the finest or unusual strings or accessories are welcome to call in advance. We will make every effort to satisfy the need!

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, Luna, Recording King and Takamine and from designers including Greg Bennett and J.T. Ribiloff.

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 hand made 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. Small bronze and metal musician statues and cuddly ‘Music Lover’ stuffed animals, lapel pins and earrings add additional possibilities to gift giving customers.

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. Since our mission is to support and encourage our musical community, consultation and advice are always free.

For capos to kazoos, guiros to congas, rainsticks to rosin, bows to bodhrans, mandolins to microphones, reeds to rods, Strats to stands, local artist’s CDs and harmonicas to picture frames and music motif ornaments, instruments and more, The Music Store is the place to be.

The Music Store, 87 Railroad Street, Great Barrington, Massachusetts - open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 to 6, and on Sundays from 12 to 5. Call 413-5282460 or email us at musicstr@bcn.net

y o J

Christa Joy returns home to release her debut CD, “Ready or Not,” at the Gypsy Joynt Main Street, Great Barrington, MA Friday June 2

Christa Joy’s name suits her perfectly. She

is exactly that – joy. Pure joy! Born and raised here in the Berkshires, music has always been a central theme in Christa’s life, be it singing old hymns with her grandmother, mother, and sister around the family organ when she was young, singing in school chorus at Southern Berkshire Regional School District and the Berkshire Children’s Chorus, or writing and performing her own songs on stages throughout New England. Christa sings because it brings her joy. Christa’s singing brings joy to others.

For nearly a year now, Christa & I have been working together to produce her debut CD, “Ready or Not”, which she will return home to the Berkshires to release on Friday June 2 at the Gypsy Joynt in Great Barrington. Spring, the season of reawaking and renewal, seems like the perfect time for her CD to drop. It is bursting with songs of love, loss, and rebirth – honest and earnest stories of journeys through life’s changing cycles. “This album could have been a concept album— moving from California, uprooting from the community we had made and moving back to the East Coast,” Christa notes.

“There’s a lot of literal journeying that happened, from the time when my Mom was diagnosed with cancer, to the moment when I felt like I had to live closer to her. A lot of the songs are about leaving and departure. Thresholds. Stepping through. Some songs include returning. Arriving. Those are essential human experiences and include that universal path of birth, life, and death.”

During the making of “Ready or Not”, Christa’s mother, Jennifer Henderson, a loved and respected member of our local community, had a relapse of the cancer she had been diagnosed with a few years earlier. Coming into town from the Pioneer Valley nearly every weekend for the better part of a year to simultaneously work in the studio and be with and help her mother, I often wondered how Christa managed it all, physically and emotionally, and how it influenced her music and songwriting.

“Culturally, we spend a lot of time and energy trying to avoid this idea that we are going to die,” Christa observes.

“Being creative, in itself, relates to this experience of trying to make something meaningful out of this human life.

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Tod by

As an artist, both moments of joy and moments of sorrow remind me of my ability to be present. When a loved one has a significant illness, it brings to the forefront the poignancy of life. The fleeting quality of being alive and being in relationship with others. A lot of the songs are born from that feeling of bitter-sweetness, appreciation for what’s passing or ephemeral. ‘Strange Angels’ in particular, was written in the hospital waiting room and at my mother’s bedside. That song and ‘Ready or Not’ emerged from these different experiences, that are shared, but ultimately we navigate alone. The songs, I think, are a way to make honest sense out of all that occurs in our lives. Music puts me in touch with the heart level of my experience, which is healing.”

Christa’s songs are filled with vivid imagery, her lyrics poetic and conceptually creative. Culling from an album’s worth of examples, here is one of my favorites from her song “The Line that I’ve Drawn”.

You’re just a house, I’m looking for a home Not this broken down porch, not those chairs you unfold Not those bottles you lie across a dusty sill I need more than a surface to fill

“Every moment of our lives is an opportunity to notice the everyday magic that surrounds us. The exhaust from the bus clouding the street, the closed up video store, the teenagers underneath the awning of the closed up video store...” Christa offers.

“Writing songs moves me away from conceptualizing about what’s happening. It’s less like a heavy rain and more like a morning mist...you can feel the song softly landing...

The majority of my songs are inspired by people I know or experiences people I know have gone through. Sometimes they’re my own experiences. That’s a starting point. Then once I begin to write the song, it takes on a life of it’s own.

There are songs I’ve written that feel like a composite of multiple stories and then there are songs that emerge from one day or one moment.”

Join me on June 2 in welcoming home Christa for her CD Release Concert at the Gypsy Joynt. It will be a celebration of song, friendship, and this journey we call life. For a teaser of Christa’s fine new CD, check out her website www.christajoy.bandcamp.com.

Todd Mack is a writer, musician, and producer, and owner of the Off the Beat-n-Track recording studio in Sheffield, MA. He is also the founder and executive director of Music in Common, a non-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen, empower, and educate communities through the universal language of music.Email him at todd@toddmack.net

The Artful Mind MAY 2012 • 7

What were the initial reasons for creating Aston Magna, and have those reasons expanded or changed through the years, (1972 was its starting point?)? Tell me a bit about its origin and how it came about from a note on paper brainstorm idea, to actuality?

Stanley: Aston Magna was a kind of happy accident: Albert Fuller and I, who had been playing Baroque violin and harpsichord together for a couple of years, teamed up with Fortunato Arico (viola da gamba and cello) and in the summer of 1972 played a concert for local dignitaries in the music studio on the grounds of an estate in Great Barrington called Aston Magna, owned by Lee Elman, a New York entrepreneur. Sometime that evening the idea was proposed of having a summer workshop on the estate in a separate building large enough to house a number of participants, and with a great room in which concerts could take place. The first in the ensuing series of workshops and concerts took place in the summer of 1973.

Was other musicians’ support crucial for AM’s birth and growth?

Stanley: Definitely. Albert was a persuasive and charismatic visionary, and in the early years he was able to attract a number of well-known American and European Early Music specialists, as well as recruiting students from The Juilliard School and freelance professional musicians interested in learning about the music of the 17th and 18th centuries. Albert had a phrase, “the now of then,” which sums up what it was that attracted all of us in those days – a curiosity about what it felt like to play the instruments used by musicians of that period, and how they thought about and performed the music of their time.

STANLEY RITCHIE Baroque Violinist & Founding Member of Aston Magna Festival Interviewed by Harryet Candee

Harryet Candee: Okay, to start on a up beat question, I have a joke for you: What happens when you play Beethoven backwards?Answer: he decomposes.

Another year is rolling around for Aston Magna Festival in the Berkshires. Are you ready and excited? What are ticket holders going to expect to see?

Stanley: It’s too early to be “ready,” but I’m certainly looking forward to participating in this historic event. With forty years of experience in Early Music behind us, the audience will hear players who represent the best that this country has to offer in period instrument and vocal performance. But the younger generation will also be represented – talented up-and-coming young musicians who will swell the ranks of the Early Music profession.

How are you involved in the planning of the program, and, can you explain the ways all the brains behind Aston Magna comes up with the themes of each concert?

Stanley: I can claim no credit for programming, which is in the brilliant hands of Dan Stepner. I’m just honored to be included in the Festival – he does all the program planning.

Tell me a little about your childhood in Australia, and how you decided to make a move to the Big A, USA? Stanley: I was born in a small farming community in New South Wales, and took violin lessons at the local convent. When I graduated from High School I chose to pursue a career in music for some reason, and enrolled in the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. After graduating from that institution I travelled to Paris 8 • The Artful Mind MAY 2012

Photos by Aston Magna

to study and eventually to Yale. I had no intention of staying in the USA, but one thing led to another and I never got around to returning to Australia.

Do you ever go back to see family? Would composing music be an option from a nostalgic visit back home for you?

Stanley: I’m still Australian, with friends and family there, and I do go back as often as possible – most recently in October to attend our 60th High School reunion, which was most enjoyable. As for composing music (other than improvised ornaments), that’s not one of my talents!

Being a violinist as a profession, and knowing this instrument and how to play and teach so well, I was just wondering, what instrument do you not know how to play that you would like to learn, and why?

Stanley: The keyboard – every day I regret not having been able to learn to play the piano as a child! My aunt had one, but my parents couldn’t afford anything more than a violin. I would have found keyboard skills extremely helpful in my teaching.

How does teaching help you to perform?

Stanley: Heavens! One learns so much from one’s students, and I continue to do so. Having to convey concepts of interpretation to them and hearing the results – what works and what doesn’t – has helped me to understand music so much better than just having done what my teachers told me, and certainly better than merely practicing in a lonely room.

You must be very proud to be where you are today, having been a founder of AM – when you meet up with, say, Mr. Stepner, over dinner, when you first get to the Berkshires, and possibly go out for a glass of wine or dinner, time permitting of course, what kind of conversations about music in general are of interest that you both like to discuss? Is it like a yearly reunion with other members, or are you all as a group of AM keep in very close touch?

Stanley: I can’t speak for all of the musicians involved, but in my own case active association with Aston Magna has become peripheral and occasional. Philosophically I’m an ardent supporter though, for Aston Magna in its original form was for me such a high point in my professional life, one that marked the start of a totally different and immensely more satisfying part of my career.

As for dinner conversations, they don’t normally centre on music pro music – no one likes to talk shop, after all, unless it’s to exchange anecdotes – we’re more likely to be discussing the merits of various wines…

I understand you have a book out, and is easy to purchase through Amazon.com, on Chin Technique. Please explain anything about this to me, and how you invented this method in relation to playing an ancient instrument?

Stanley: First I’d better clarify one point: The book is called “Before the Chinrest,” and if anything it’s partly about how to use the chin as little as possible when playing the violin. Nowadays all modern violinists use a chinrest to help support the instrument, but the device dates only from about 1830, which means that violinists before mid-19th century played without one. Those of us who participate in the revival and reconstruction of pre-chinrest playing have to come to terms with an entirely different technique. I have been teaching this at Indiana University for thirty years now, and recently decided to record my teaching methods for those whom it may interest, hence the book.

Relating this to Aston Magna, I know that the performances aim is to interpret the music of the past as the composer had imagined it. How are the individual musicians influenced, and their ideas, worked into sculpting an orchestra that is in unison?

Stanley: Generally, of course, musicians who are on the same wavelength stylistically don’t spend much time arriving at a consensus. Aston Magna artists have decades of experience in this field, so that most of the points that need rehearsal are subtleties of tempo and expression that are quickly resolved in a purely democratic process. There’s certainly room for the suggestion of new ideas, otherwise performances would become boring, and in any good Early Music performance there will be an element of improvisation.

How do the musicians achieve the emotions needed to stir an audience, when the science behind the playing is so technical?

Stanley: As with any art form the ideal is to forget the technique and focus on the expression, the emotional message. Of course, there are clues as to the expression in the notes, various signals built into a composition, but unless the performer is moved in some way by the music the audience won’t feel anything. Good performers don’t impose themselves on the music – don’t use the music for self-aggrandizement – but humbly allow it to flow through them and “turn them on” to the composer’s intention.

This transmits a subliminal message to which the listener can respond, as by crying, laughing, feeling anger or tenderness, etc.

For you, which would you say is more rewarding: Recording music, or playing live in concert?

Stanley: Well, that’s a complicated question, really. Take performing, for example: how positive an experience it can be depends on a number of factors, such as the acoustics in the hall, the climatic conditions, whether the program is comfortable repertoire or virtual sight-reading, the responsiveness of the audience, etc. When everything comes together in happy coincidence it can be an enjoyable experience – if not you can wish you were doing something else for a living!

Recording is a totally different process. There’s a different kind of pressure, mainly having to do with to producing a perfect product in a limited amount of time. Ultimately, if you’re happy with the musical results as well as the technical, you’ll have a tangible memento, whereas a successful concert (unless there’s a live recording to listen to) will only be a pleasant memory.

Break time for another kind of question: Why did Mozart kill his chickens?

Because they always ran around going: “Bach! Bach! Bach!”’

I always wondered, and perhaps you know the answer to this.

How was Beethoven able to play and compose while being deaf?

Stanley: By writing down the music he could hear in his mind. As an accomplished pianist, he didn’t need to be able to hear what he was playing in the way a string player might, who has to deal with intonation – playing in tune.

Have you ever come across a discovery you made while interpreting and studying a composer from the 15c to 18c, that can mark or turn our present day pages in music history?

Stanley: One fascinating aspect of life as an Early Musician is that you’re able to experience the evolution of musical style, tracing its development and seeing how each step on the path led logically to the next. One can therefore arrive at an interpretation of Mozart’s music “from behind,” as it were, rather that peering back through the 20th and 19th centuries and trying to peel away the layers of tradition that veil Classical and Baroque style. As modern musicians trained in the traditional way we fancy that we understand the difference simply because of our schooling, but the experience of coming forward through history can shed a significantly different light and open doors that we didn’t know existed. So yes, one can make new discoveries – “Aha! moments”—very frequently. I think it’s a privilege.

Who changed the course of your life in music for you, and how did they do that? If you cannot think of anyone, who was your biggest mentor, and still is?

Stanley: Well, as modern musician I would have to say that it was my last teacher in Australia, Ernest Llewellyn, concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony, who taught me more in 18 months than anyone before or since. As a Baroque violinist, I owe everything to Albert Fuller, who introduced me to a completely new world of music-making and, as a result, changed the course of my life in more ways than one.

What would you say is most interesting for you when teaching? Do you have constant challenges and goals with individual students, or a set direction in general?

Stanley: Oh, definitely the former – I couldn’t teach in a fixed, routine way if you paid me! Each student brings his or her own set of challenges, which can be musical, technical, or a combination, and addressing these and finding solutions to them is what makes teaching endlessly fascinating. It all comes under that

Four original Aston Magna artists Jaap Schroeder, Albert Fuller (Founder), Fortunato Arico and Stanley Ritchie (Founder)

Archival photo from Aston Magna

heading of problem solving, and there’s no one solution that fits all. My goal is to help students arrive at technical comfort and stylistic fluency, and each individual needs individual attention.

Do you think people who love classical music, do so because they have a historical knowledge and background on the musician and time period? Does this matter, especially when it comes to the appreciation of music for the young and newcomers to the scene?

Stanley: Not at all. I’m sure that environment plays a part, and those who are exposed to classical music from an early age, such as myself, may possibly continue to enjoy it, and not necessarily to the exclusion of other forms, but historical knowledge, while interesting and enlightening, is only incidental to the appreciation of the sounds.

Stanley, I know how absorbing time is with music, and your love for it, living it 24/7… Do you have a life outside of music that involve other interests? Golf? Painting? Reading? Hiking? Hunting? Para-sailing? Ping-pong? I bet it involves something totally opposite and possibly more physical in nature.

Stanley: Well, Harryet, I read as much as possible, and have a subscription to NetFlix, as well; I enjoy hiking in the mountains of northern Italy (the Süd-Tirol); I have occasionally dabbled in painting; I love watching para-sailing, but would never try it; I abhor hunting; I do enjoy a game of ping-pong, but my ping-pong table is groaning under piles of music papers and years of National Geographic; and at an early age I decided that I had absolutely no talent at all for golf! I used to be a reasonably good squash player, though… and let’s not forget photography and a bit of gardening.

How is it possible that Bach’s music, like his Prelude, technically is able to be played backwards, and still sound good?

Stanley: That’s a puzzling question! I’m not sure which Prelude can be played backwards, unless its one of those palendromic pieces that can be read upside down. As far as making Bach’s music sound good, perhaps that’s a topic best left alone, as there are so many approaches to his music and the degree of success is definitely in the ear of the listener!

For me, much of the theories in music are perplexing, like, the Circle of 5ths, say… Are the modern music brains on earth updating the understanding and knowledge of theories that were created so long ago in time?

And, does it go with the flow of how music has changed and developed in style and all motivational anchors?

Stanley: A simple answer to your question is that yes, we know so much more now about the degree of sophistication among musicians and instrument builders and keyboard tuners prevalent during the Baroque an Classical eras. As modern musicians we’ve forgotten or refined so much, things that were taken for granted in the 17th and 18th centuries. A couple of examples: “Equal Temperament,” whereby all intervals except the octave are equally out of tune, which was rarely employed at that time, rather than temperaments with much more chromatic flavor. The use of editions of pre-Romantic music with all of the expression marks provided by someone other than the composer, whereas the 17th- and 18th-century musician didn’t need to be told how to interpret. Fortunately, thanks to musicological research, we’re now able to read music in the way of our musical ancestors.

Please tell our readers why they should hear, and see, Aston Magna performances this year in the Berkshires? What would whet the whistles for new faces to appear in the audience?

Stanley: Because the music they’ll hear will be fresh, vital, natural, devoid of Romantic (or romanticized) preconceptions, in the spirit and on the instruments the various composers had in mind (or as close as we performers can approach that ideal). Early Music, so-called, can be defined that way, and its tentacles have now reached far into the 20th century.

Okay, final question: What is your soul-searched and heartfelt philosophy you live by, and wish to share with students and children, and all ages – all over the planet. What message would you send out?

Stanley: The only one that leaps to mind is what I tell my students when they’re agonizing about what they’re going to do when they graduate: “Do what you love doing – don’t ever lose sight of that, no matter what sidetracks you’re obliged to take as you pick your way through the obstacle course of life.” That’s what has always guided me professionally – not burning ambition (which can lead to frustration); and despite having strayed at times from the path – just doing what I love doing. As I look back over my career I have few regrets, and I feel privileged.

Thank you Stanley.

The Artful Mind MAY 2012 • 9

The Don Muller Gallery, located in the heart of Northampton, Massachusetts, features an outstanding collection of museum quality crafts and fine jewelry from over 400 American artists. Niche Magazine has recognized the gallery as one of the Top Retailers of American Crafts every year since 2003. The gallery was also awarded the prestigious Top 10 Design Retailer by Jeweler’s Circular Keystone (JCK) in 2009, and is a member of Preferred Gallery Program run by American Style magazine. In 2010 the Don Muller Gallery won Coolest Small Store in America by Instore magazine.

The gallery is committed to providing a venue for awardwinning artists, local talent, and emerging artisans. The Don Muller Gallery focuses on distinctive handmade jewelry, glass, wood and ceramics. It is also a destination for those seeking unusual and designer wedding rings. The gallery’s one-of-a-kind interior also reflects and complements the exceptional artwork it presents.

At the gallery, customers are assured of the finest and most thorough service. Whether you are seeking a diamond engagement ring, birthday present, or a corporate gift, you will surely enjoy your unique experience.

Don Muller Gallery, 40 Main St., Northampton, MA 413-586-1119 donmullergallery.com Open Mon-Wed. 10-5:30, Thurs-Sat. 10-9, Sunday 12-5

10 • The Artful Mind MAY 2012

MYRON SCHIFFER

Established as a pianist and teacher in the Berkshires since the late 60s, Myron “Mike” Schiffer has a history of exploring the avant garde. Prior to living in the area, Schiffer lived and worked in New York City, studying with John Mehegan and Hall Overton as well as playing, teaching and hanging around the fringes of jazz.

Fascinated with music and the visual arts since childhood, Schiffer enrolled in photography at The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Working in black and white at the time, he was most notably inspired by Richard Avedon’s fashion photography. Once introduced to color, he was deeply moved by the mystical color fields of Georgia O’Keefe and Mark Rothko and considers this work his strongest influence.

After focusing purely on his musical career for most of his life, he’s now fulfilling his dream of indulging his interest in photography which he started to explore in the 1970s. For the past several years he’s been busy exhibiting his work at galleries, frame shops, Kimball Farms retirement community, the North Adams Open Studio show and Castle Street Café.

His current Motion Capture Series is a minimalist expression of color, light and space, revealing the influence of musical improvisation. The method he employs for this series is improvisational movement of the camera, capturing light sources. Schiffer’s graffiti and urban scenes follow along similar lines, capturing unexpected images.

His website showcases ever-expanding galleries of many subjects, including Urban Scenes, Found Textures, Graffiti, and the World of Nature. A small selection of Schiffer’s miniatures can be seen at Local at the Lenox Common Plaza on Rte. 7, and at the Red Lion Inn Gift Shop in Stockbridge, MA. His most recent video slideshows, ”Interior Views” and “Motion Capture Slideshow”, are accessible on YouTube and can be found by Googling “Myron Schiffer Videos”.

Myron Schiffer - for more information contact the studio at 413-637-2659 or visit www.myronschiffer.com

ROB MICHELS PHOTOGRAPH BY ROB MICHELS

UP CLOSE/NOT SO CLOSE

Rob Michels will be exhibiting his photography at The Gallery at the Goldsmith in Great Barrington throughout April. A reception will be held on Saturday, May 12, 4:006:00 P.M. “A recent trip to Kauai, along with the always-there beauty of the Berkshires, caused me to buy my first digital camera a couple of years ago, and re-ignited the urge to take pictures which had been with me, off and on, since high school, over one thousand years ago. At its heart, this compulsion is rooted in a celebration of the ability we humans (unlike many other members of the animal kingdom) have to see in color. The goal, at least with the non-macro shots, is to attempt to do justice to the magnificence of the things and places which I am lucky enough to have seen; to try to create images which at least hint at how good it felt to gaze upon this stuff. Although that might sound like a fool’s errand- after all, can a photograph ever truly do justice to the original?- maybe it might be possible to find a particular aspect or perspective of a scene which could spark a viewer’s interest. Anyway, this is what I’m trying for.”

“The macro shots strive to accomplish the same thing, in a slightly different way. By getting up real close to some fairly unremarkable, everyday objects, I found there were some pretty surprising images lurking, some of which were quite abstract- indeed which bore almost no connection to the familiar object from which they came. That concept is, obviously, not original; I’m hoping that the images themselves, however, are.”

“When my daughter was about four years old, she saw, from her stroller, a bank of brightly colored flowers. Her classic response- “Ooooh, Ahhhh, Nice!!”- has become shorthand, among my closest friends and I, for the feeling we get when we look at a pleasing image with vivid colors. If you utter your version of those words when you look at my photos, it would definitely be “mission accomplished”.

The Gallery at the Goldsmith, 152 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 413-528-0013; Hours: 10:30-6:00, Tuesday-Saturday. Rob Michels - 413-528-5373; rmichels57@yahoo.com

photo: Jane Feldman

mountlebanonherbfest.com

DON MULLER GALLERY

PHOTO: MICHAEL LAVIN FLOWER

510 Warren Street Gallery will feature the works of four artists during May. The artists are Maxine Davidowitz, oils; Pat Hogan, watercolors; Elaine Radiss, photography; and H. David Stein, photography. The exhibit will run Friday, May 4, - Sunday, June 3, with an artists’ reception Saturday, May 5, from 3-7pm.

Maxine Davidowitz has enjoyed a distinguished career as a Creative Director for consumer magazines; her work on many publications has garnered numerous awards. While she continues to consult to magazines, including Country Living, Consumer Reports’ ShopSmart, Scrubs and others, her focus has shifted to a career as a painter. She is currently studying oils with James Sheehan, and has studied watercolor with Staats Fasoldt. Her work is in private collections throughout the Northeast. This is her first gallery show of works in oils.

Pat Hogan specializes in paintings inspired by nature. Recent works reflect her respect and love for our beautiful Berkshires, the mountains and sea coast of Maine and the vanishing islands of the Chesapeake Bay. She is passionate about watercolor and the illusions created through the transparency and luminescence of the medium. New work includes charcoal figure drawings and mixed media pieces. Her paintings are in private collections in England, Sweden, and throughout the United States.

For Elaine Radiss , “Photography has been a great joy in my life and some of my most peaceful and spiritual moments have been in losing myself in the petal of a flower. I strive to express in my images the emotional connection that I feel for nature and the preciousness of the planet. I hope they inspire people to want to protect what we have for future generations to enjoy.”

H. David Stein speaks about his Deconstructed Flowers: “I love to photograph flowers and have photographed them from the inside out and the outside in, from top to bottom and in-between. There are many features of flowers that are beautiful and interesting, but each individual photograph can only show a single element of the flower. I therefore set out to create photographs that showed many aspects of the flower in a single image. This meant taking multiple photographs and merging them into a single montage. I then allowed the flower to grow more naturally by hand-cutting the flower to allow it to grow over the image’s mating. The end result is a floral image that shows many views of the flower’s beauty in a single image. Look closely and you will see the intriguing features.”

Exhibiting artists at the gallery, in addition to those featured include: John Clark, Diana Felber, Joan Giummo, Iska Kenney, Kate Knapp, John Lipkowitz, Nina Lipkowitz, Eleanor Lord, Hannah Letterman Mandel, Joel Mark, Steve Porcella, Peggy Reeves, Doris Simon and fine prints and posters from Mill River Studio.

June featured artist: Eleanor Lord.

510 Warren Street Gallery, 510 Warren St., Hudson, N.Y. Friday and Saturday 12-6pm, Sunday 12-5 pm. and by appointment; 518-822-0510; 510warrenstgallery.com

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC JENNIFER RIVERA, MEZZO-SOPRANO

THE ROARING TWENTIES: BERLIN, PARIS, NEW YORK

The cabaret beckons at Ozawa Hall Saturday, June 2, 6 pm as Close Encounters With Music ushers in the summer season in the Berkshires. In a performance that evokes the twenties of the last century—a time exemplified by Art Deco, Prohibition, the loosening of social restraints, Jazz, the Charleston and flappers—“Roaring Twenties” offers a panorama of composers and styles that defined and shaped the era: Gershwin, Kurt Weill, Alexander Zemlinsky, Hanns Eisler, Cole Porter, Poulenc, Schoenberg, and Erwin Schulhoff provide a bi-continental glimpse into a decade that still looms colorful, mythical and seductive in cultural history.

The program re-introduces an important but often neglected group of diverse composers whose works were suppressed during the Nazi era, along with those whose voices were silenced altogether, and places them and their works in context within 20th century music.

“The Roaring Twenties” performers are Jennifer Rivera, mezzo-soprano; Will Ferguson, tenor; James Tocco, piano; and Yehuda Hanani, cello and artistic director. They bring to life the spirit of a music that was nearly destroyed. Hear the recovered voices, come to the cabaret!

Tickets are $50 and $40. A Patron Package including preferred seating and the Patrons’ reception is available at $125.

The reception following the June 2 Close Encounters With Music “Roaring Twenties” concert is part of a $125 Preferred Seating Package which includes the concert and a ticket to the reception. at Gateways Inn. It is not open to the general audience.

Close Encounters With Music - To reserve tickets go to www.cewm.org or call 1-800-843-0778.

TANNERY POND CONCERT SERIES

Photo: Leslie Teicholz

Under the artistic direction of celebrity photographer and concert pianist, Christian Steiner, the opening of the 22nd Tannery Pond Concert Series will take place on Sunday, May 27 followed by 6 events throughout the summer months.

Our first concert will be on Sunday, May 27 at 3pm. Carter Brey, prinicipal cellist of the NY Philharmonic, has teamed up with two young musicians, Gabriala Martinez, a pianist whom Gustavo Dudamel has called a ‘genius’ and Elena Urioste, a young violinist who receives rave reviews wherever she performs.

The concert on June 16, featuring The Tokyo String Quartet is a special performance at St. Peter’s Church in Spencertown.

This will be the last chance to hear two of the founding members, Kikuei Ikeda and Kazuhide Isomura, who are retiring at the end of the year.

Paul Huang, violinist, is the first recipient of the “Tannery Pond Concerts Performance Award,” and this year’s winner of the 2011 Young Concert Artists International Auditions.

The Tannery audience will have a chance to hear him, with pianist Jessica Osborne, on July 14 at 8pm.

On August 4, the Harlem String Quartet returns, by popular demand, after being introduced last year with great success.

Emanuel Ax, on August 11, needs no introduction. “He is a true musician with the utmost taste and world renown,” according to Christian Steiner.

Todd Palmer, clarinet, Elizabeth Futral, soprano, and Ran Dank, piano will present a unique concert on September 1 at 8pm.

Our final concert, on September 22 at 6pm returns the Brentano String Quartet, who have performed here several times, to the Tannery.

Tannery Pond - Mount Lebanon Shaker Village and Darrow School, New Lebanon, NY, www.tannerypondconcerts.org

FRANK S. PACKLICK

PRINT EXHIBITION April 3 - June l, 2012

CLAIRE TEAGUE SENIOR CENTER

South Main Street, Great Barrington, MA Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8 AM to 3:30 PM • 413-528-1881

The Artful Mind MAY 2012 • 11

LIFE WITH PAPA VICTOR BORGE

Rikke with bust of her dad, Victor Borge, 2012, Jane feldman

Harryet Candee: I know you are one of the many people living in Great Barrington, the Berkshires, and who has a very colorful and wonderful outlook on life and lives each day facing head on many different struggles and good things, to it’s max. Gee. I wonder if you are that way, perhaps, due to a certain person that was with you since the day you were born. One person, in particular. Can you guess who I am thinking of?

Frederikke Borge: My invisible friend, Gunnar?

No, your father, Victor Borge, the pianist… I was hoping you would say that! Rikke, tell me how he was an influence and mentor to you?

Rikke:Oh, him! (Technically he was with me nine months or so before my actual emergence.)

My life as a child was full of beauty, interesting people, fantastic places and experiences. Because all of it was part and parcel of being my father’s daughter (as it was for my siblings Sanna, Janet,Vebe and Ron), you could say I am completely influenced by him. As far as mentoring, he loved to ride horses and saddled me with the same affliction; he was a lifelong avid sailor and made sure we were all lively deck hands. He encouraged us all to be interested in history, current events and especially in the people who had made, or were making great contributions to the world.

Tell us about yourself and your family.

Rikke: Well, I’m sure you’d get a more accurate picture of me if you asked around a little, but I can try to give you a glimpse without telling any unfavorable bits. I’ve been in the Berserkshires for more than half of my life. I came here in the arms the man I would be with for 26 years, the late film producer Steve Kesten. He had fallen in love with the area while filming the features ‘End Of The Road’ and ‘Pretty Poison’ here. I became step-mother to his two daughters, Christina and Frederika and we co-produced one more named Johanne. The eldest, Frederika Kesten is an actress and lives in Los Angeles. She can be spotted in the area around holidays or when her step-mom gets trashed by a frantic horse and has to spend six months sitting up on the couch (2010). She spent most of her childhood weekends, school breaks and vacations here in the Berkshires with her father, and rode with Jean Hawkins and later with Pinky Edmonds. As a professional actor she returned to partake in a summer training program with Shakespeare and Co. at their old

12 • The Artful Mind MAY 2012

A talk with Frederrike Borge

home, the Edith Wharton estate. Sister Christina was closer with their mother and so spent more of her time in New York. She eventually lived in South Egremont with her daughter, Marlowe, for several years and now they both reside outside of San Francisco.

Johanne (aka Hanne) is a Berkshire ‘lifer’. She attended the Rudolf Steiner School, Berkshire Country Day and Berkshire School.

Hanne is a singer/actress who has studied with Vikki True, Claude Corbeil, NYU’s Summer Intensive and as a Musical Theater major at Emmerson and BCC. She has performed at the Berkshire Theater Festival, Newport Intl. Music Festival and Sharon Playhouse.

She has sung the National Anthem at Lime Rock Racetrack and Waconah Park and has performed with many local bands. At 5 years old she made her film debut. She had to “drown” in a Los Angeles river, stunt doubling for the actress who was unable to swim. Currently she is working at Allium Restaurant and Bar in Great Barrington, and bringing up six year old daughter Jazmine (third generation, finally a local!).

I trained for a career in acting at Carnegie Mellon University, then with Stella Adler, Uta Hagen and Sanford Meisner. Sandy’s professional class was recorded the year I attended, and became the bones for his book ‘Sanford Meisner On Acting’ (in it, I am the girl with the braid). I have had roles in five feature films, catered one, been a P.A. and did stunts in one. I’ve played some Off Broadway in NY and at the Yale Repertory Theater. I spent a season with the Mermaid Theater in Copenhagen, at the time the only English language ticket in Denmark. That was a good thing, as I didn’t speak Danish.

I was 18 and my father and I had just filmed a movie for the Danish Tourist Bureau. In it we cycled all around the country, seeing the sights and eating open-faced sandwiches and regional delicacies. Papa drove that bike on pavement, sand, grass and cobblestones. I sat on the bar between the seat and handlebars looking carefree. No helmet, no padding, no stunt doubles. I can tell you I’ve never been that afraid on a horse! We never crashed, though, and the last image in the film was of us riding the bicycle into the sea, on our way back to America. I’ve worked on soaps, episodic TV, commercials....and waited many tables. In one TV movie with Bette Davis, she was having difficulties with the producers and so would retire to her trailer whenever any of them showed up on the set, effectively halting production. One day she invited me to come along, and who was I to say no? She told me

she liked that I always entered a scene continuing an action that had begun off camera. I was floored that she’d noticed! She was aware of everything that went on around her. She knew camera and lighting so well, I was awe struck. More amazingly, the crew didn’t seem to mind when she would have them rearrange things to suit her eye. I looked forward to a producer coming around so I could go play cards with Miss Davis and hear Hollywood stories. I found out later that before I was born, Miss Davis had been to our house and flirted with my father, making her an enemy to my mother forever more.

When our daughter started school it became too difficult to go to NY before breakfast and be home every night for bedtime. I gave up acting and took up horse training. (Makes perfect sense?) I partnered with the wonderful, venerable, brown (his word) horseman Richard “Pinky” Edmonds. I spent the next 12 years learning from him about life, riding, driving, grooming, every facet of horse care, training horses and their people. Pinky and my father enjoyed making fun of me whenever they were together, (also when apart) so they had bonded instantly.

My brother, Vebe had been fallen on by a horse as a child (the groom had led my father’s horse out of the paddock and down our driveway with my very young brother on its back. Somehow the groom had lost control, the horse galloped back to the barn and slipped on the pavement). One of Vebe’s kidneys was crushed, so my mother was never happy about any of us riding.

My father always encouraged me to be an “Amazon”, and so although he never overtly encouraged the horse business, he never really encouraged me to stop either. He had horses on the poultry farm in CT, and before that on the ranch in CA. When he owned “Frydenlund Slot”, a 17th century hunting lodge that had belonged to the Danish royal family and was our summer home in Denmark, he would ride to a café in the adjacent Deer Park where he would have his morning coffee. His horse, bit removed for the purpose, would have toast.

What was the question again?

You answered it Rikke, you did!

I had a great crush on Victor Borge. (how did he like to be called?). I saw him when I was a little girl on the Ed Sullivan show. My gosh, he made me laugh, every time he was at the piano. I think it was unique. Watching him play at the grand

Newspaper photo of we three during the final trip in Denmark.

Victor Borge In the Deer Park for breakfast piano and being funny actually got me through my dreaded piano lessons! Talk about serious, talk about funny — all at the same time! How was he able to do that?

Rikke: I can’t tell you how many people over the years have told me that they had hated their piano lessons until they saw him. He made it more fun for them, and so they kept at it.

He had a normal childhood until he was about three years old.

That was when his mother began to teach him how to play the piano. His father was first violist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and once played in an orchestra in Hamburg under the baton of Richard Wagner (my grandfather was born in 1847!!). So there was music on both sides. Apparently his gift was obvious, so after school, when the other kids were out playing, Papa was at the piano practicing. He made his debut on the concert stage in Copenhagen when he was around 12. He continued his studies with Frederic Lamond and Egon Petri at the Hochschule in Berlin. Lamond was one of the most prominent students of Franz Liszt, and Petri was the great disciple of Ferruccio Busoni.

Ever since he was a small child, Papa’s wit was recognized. He could make people laugh, and he was sent around to amuse various relatives who were ancient and ill. He said, “They either got well... or died laughing.”

Legend has it that one fateful night while playing a concert, he was taken with a pretty girl in the front row and winked at her. The first four rows tittered, and the career that would make him world famous began.

Serious musicians agreed that he had one of the finest touches of any pianist in the world. It has been said that “Borge doesn’t play the keys of a piano, he plays the strings”. Add to this his instant and multi layered wit and you have a combination that remains as unique as it was entertaining. All of his comedy grew from real or imaginary happenings and sprung from his brain effortlessly and without measure. He showed us all how to find humor in almost anything.

As for what he liked to be called, old friends called him Borge,

Frydenlund Slot, our summer home in Denmark 1957-63

as that had always been his first name. When my father was asked what his favorite word in the English language was, he answered, “Papa”.

What was his journey like growing up and surviving through WWII? What things happened to him?

Rikke: Before the Nazi occupation of Denmark my father was a big star on the stage and in films throughout Scandinavia. He had also been performing in Cabaret shows (think live comedy and musical shows with people performing skits and political satire). He was alarmed that the Germans were building an army, something they were not supposed to do after WWI, and so began skewering Hitler in the Cabarets. Of course Nazi sympathizers in Denmark got word back to Germany and my father was targeted to have his hands broken so that he would never be able play the piano again.

He was chased twice but managed to get away unscathed.

Then Denmark was invaded (Who wasn’t?) and my father was forced to flee to Sweden. He managed to sneak back into Denmark one time, heavily disguised, to visit his mother Frederikke (after whom I was named), who was dying in hospital in Copenhagen.

During that visit (the last time he would ever see her), he told her he’d been offered a Hollywood contract and was going ahead to set up house and would bring her over as soon as possible. Her last words on the subject were “Don’t let it go to your head”.

The nurses had put a Christian name on her chart so she wouldn’t be taken away for being Jewish. They also had managed to keep it from her that Denmark had even been invaded. She had no reason to doubt the story that Papa had made up for her. He managed to escape back to Sweden that night and two weeks later his mother died, possibly dreaming about the oranges she would be able to pick “right from the tree” in sunny California. My father found a chapel in Stockholm with an organ and played for her as she was being buried in Copenhagen. Papa and his wife then managed to get passage from Petsamo, Finland on the last passenger ship to leave Northern Europe, the “S.S. American Legion”.

How do you think his war-time experiences directly influence him in becoming a famous performer and musician?

Rikke: I don’t know if he had ideas of coming to the US before the war. I do know that he came in flight, unprepared, without employment and unable to speak English. His wife, Elsie, had been born in America and retained her citizenship. A fact that, along with his fame was instrumental in their success at getting on board the ship to safety. Sometime during the voyage he changed his name from Børge Rosenbaum to Victor Borge.

In New York at night he played piano in restaurants, clubs... anywhere. During the day he sat through as many double features as possible to learn the language. Elsie tried to translate his routines into English but he always worried that if the words weren’t just right, they might not make sense, or worse they may offend. Becoming proficient was imperative, and the sooner the better. During the first months after arriving in New York City, Papa’s sole meal for the day consisted of a 25-cent “summer salad sandwich” at Hector’s Cafeteria on Broadway.

I know that he never forgot the war. He always lived near water in case of a repeat performance, although sometimes he said it was to feel closer to Denmark. Probably a combination of both. He never took freedom or democracy for granted. He loved his ‘Danmark’ and remained her dutiful son until the day he died. He became an American citizen and was ever grateful to this country for giving him refuge and the chance to attain The Dream. The end of his life is a perfect illustration of the love he felt for his two countries.

My mother had died three months previous to the last time we went to Denmark and he had said to me that now there was no more reason for him to be living. She had been housebound for years and in the last year had been unable to leave her bed. Because of the many strokes that she had suffered, she was no longer able to speak or function and was fed through a tube. Fortunately he was

Continued on next page...

The Artful Mind MAY 2012 • 13

What’s your life like these days? What are your intentions, and how are you going about making them a reality?

R: I am gearing up to get back to acting work. There are occasional parts for old silly ladies aren’t there?

Of course, I would hire you. What do you think all artists have in common in terms of being a struggling or successful artist?

Rikke: I think all artists are driven to create and to express universal truths/feelings/questions through their work. Artists create because they can’t help it. Like hair or nails; you don’t ask them to grow out of you, they just do. I believe artists have no choice. Those who deny or try to suppress their creativity must go mad. And success has so many meanings. I think you are successful if you can touch your audience in any way; make them think, laugh or question. It doesn’t matter how many people you perform for or how much money you make. True success in the arts can never be measured because none of us knows how much lasting effect we have on the people who experience our art. Of course, for the performing artist, applause can be measured. But really, the ‘unmeasurable’ is how people are moved to grow, change and evolve because of a seed the artist planted that will bear fruit long after the performance is forgotten.

Your daughter Johanne, is a singer. You must be proud of her.

And you obviously did something right as a parent. Do you know what that was?

Rikke: I love to hear her sing. She definitely has the musical gene.

She has tremendous range and power. Apart from a lot of singing in the car, the only thing I did was stay out of her way and encourage her from the sidelines. Of course, if she asks me for performance advice I am happy to make suggestions or work with her to discover more choices.

Off to Europe on The Queen Mary.

L-R: Papa, Mama, Sanna, Ron, Janet, Vebe and Rikke

able to afford to keep her at home and had nurses for her around the clock. She had forgotten everyone, but her face lit up when he would enter her room. Clearly she had not forgotten him. Once, after not saying anything for some days, she angrily warned one of the nurses to “stay away from my husband”! He had meals with her in her room and they watched television together in the evenings.

Meanwhile, he had promised Tine Harden, a prominent Danish photographer, who had made a book of photographs after following Papa around for two years, that he would come to Denmark at publishing to do a promotional tour. We went, and he spent two weeks going to book stores, making TV appearances and signing hundreds of dedications every day. In the evenings he would sign boxes of books with his signature heart and autograph for sale as signed copies. It was a very demanding trip and for a man on the cusp of 92 years, exhausting, but he was energetic and cordial and sweet throughout. Then it was time to come home. He had just toured all around his beloved Denmark, had spoken to thousands of Danes and eaten wonderful Danish food. We had visited his parents’ graves, as we did every trip. I believe he said his last goodbye to Copenhagen when we boarded the plane that morning, and upon arrival back in the States, the circle was complete. It was that night before Christmas Eve when he died at home. He had his last sunrise in Denmark and his last sunset in America.

Coincidentally, he attributed his great success to the luck of being in the right place at the right time, and being prepared to make the most of the opportunity.

Did WWII affect him in other ways?

Rikke: In 1963, Papa and his lawyer founded ‘Thanks To Scandinavia’, a scholarship fund dedicated to remembering the heroic deeds of Scandinavian people who risked their lives to save their Jewish compatriots. More than 3,500 students, descendants of those brave people, have come to the United States on TTS stipends to further their educations. Many of the awardees have been involved in the field of medicine, so the benefit of their advanced educations will affect large segments of the Scandinavian population. (He financially supported and did benefit performances for so many organizations, charities and individuals that it would take pages to list them.)

How did your parents meet?

Rikke: He had an engagement in Chicago and needed someone who could handle correspondence for him since his language skills were not yet up to it. My mother, Sanna, owned an Artist Agency and 14 • The Artful Mind MAY 2012

they were introduced by the manager of the theater. They met at The Palmer House and she was unimpressed, (he had come hurriedly from the theater and was wearing a turtle-neck shirt under his jacket, which my mother found to be quite “gauche” - too informal). He was instantly smitten, met her the next time in a proper suit and talked her into helping him. It was a good arrangement because Sanna was an astute businesswoman and manager. She protected him and he won her over. Eventually they would divorce their respective spouses and marry. They were together for over 45 years.

What was one of your most fondest memories you remember about him?

Rikke: Laughing, (usually during a meal) until the tears were running down our napkin covered faces and no-one could breathe or speak.

How does he live within you?

Rikke: I am forever grateful that he and my mother were not shy about reminding us how fortunate we were. Neither had come from wealth, both had experienced struggle and had persevered. Through their hard work and smarts they had become very well off. Papa had done it twice! He had seen his considerable fortune in Scandinavia taken away (he had always loved to drive, but in the last years he had a full time chauffeur, was living in a grand apartment and his bank accounts were ‘well-filled’). He came to the United States with a very limited amount of money. That experience produced a life-long concern about having (or not having!), funds. I always understood that what they had built was not mine. If I wanted to enjoy the lifestyle as an adult that they had provided me as a child, I had better go and make it for myself.

I’m still working on it......

Please explain Victor Borge’s “Phonetic Punctuation” act that he did and had me nearly falling out of my chair in fits of laughter.

Rikke: Papa always said that he invented “Phonetic Punctuation” after observing some fellow performers rehearse for a music revue.

All of them had colds, and at the end of each line they delivered, there was a cough, or a sneeze, or a sputter, or some other unscripted sound. Those sounds, to him, represented unintentional punctuation marks by the cast members!

How are you and your dad similar?

Rikke: I, too, love to make people laugh (but cannot play the piano).

Publicity shot in Denmark 1930's Was your dad close to Johanne?

Rikke: She was named after his mother’s sister, who survived concentration camp and returned to Denmark after the war. Papa found Hanne most entertaining and cute. (He loved being around family and especially his grandchildren.) He told Hanne her voice was very good and encouraged her to keep singing. Believe it or not, that was high praise. Being old school, my father didn’t give compliments often. Consequently, when you got one, it meant a great deal.

What would you do today to change your life, if you could?

Rikke: I would hire a professional house organizer.

Papa & Mama 1970' Family Photo in our house in St. Croix, USVI mid1960's What do you carry with you each and every day that your dad taught you to believe in to make life good? Was he a strict dad?

Rikke: I carry his curly hair, his sense of humor, perfectionism, compassion and a lot of his facial expressions. He and my mother were strict and held us to high expectations. He was on the road so much, though, that Mama was usually the enforcer.

What kind of music occupied most of your father’s life and livelihood?

Rikke: Papa has said that there must be a special place in heaven for all the composers... and Mozart has his own room! Besides playing the piano, he enjoyed conducting very much. He lived a life long dream when he conducted ‘The Magic Flute’ in the Royal Danish Theater. The same orchestra, in the same theater in which his father had played. It was very well received and made Papa deeply happy.

Did he ever venture off and do other things that were totally different than how we remember him at the grand piano?

Rikke: Yes, he was the first to bring the Rock Cornish Game Hen to the U.S.. They are a small breed, each bird a perfect portion for one person. He raised and processed them on his ViBo Farms in Southbury CT, where we lived for my first eight years.

They were shipped all over the country to the best restaurants, hotels and purveyors of fine foods. They were a big hit. Once, long after the farm was gone, someone asked him if he was still raising the chickens.

He replied, “No, they are raising themselves now.” He also was one of the original partners in an amphibious plane service in the Caribbean that is still flying.

not trying hard enough to do a good job. Haphazard, destructive, sloppy or lazy behaviors were not tolerated in his immediate vicinity.

What was it about him that would always make you feel close to him?

Rikke: His kindness and generosity to those less fortunate.

You have had a wonderful life. Lived all over, visited everywhere, and seen a lot! What is that like for you now that you can look back and reflect?

Rikke: The family would go along with Papa if we were on vacation, or if he had an extended engagement of several weeks. One time when he was playing in Las Vegas, Vebe and I were quite young and decided we wanted to go home. We had gotten there in a plane, so we looked up at the sky and followed the next one that we saw. My mother told me we almost made it to the desert before someone returned us.

When we were old enough we’d go along and sell souvenir programs. My brother Ron was Papa’s stage manager for his last 25 years of performing.

The most wonderful part of traveling with my father was that everywhere we went, people were happy to see us. It is always nice to be loved, even by association.

How is your father, Victor Borge now being remembered?

Rikke: My father was a big believer in and supporter of Public Television. Years before he passed away, he began a relationship with them that proved mutually beneficial. Together they produced new videos (later DVD’s) that would be shown on PBS, and offered as thank-you gifts to those who pledged. The stations got loads of contributions, and Papa played happily in people’s homes. We are grateful to be able to continue this collaboration. Consequently, you can usually find Victor Borge playing on your local PBS station during fund raising periods. It really is great that new kids and families are being exposed to his music and humor.

Do you ever get the feeling he is watching over you…You can hear him say, “Oh Rikke, that was a silly thing to do!” or, ‘Thatta girl!”

Rikke: Yes, but he says them both in the same sentence. I still reach for the phone to tell him about funny things that happen, but then I remember the house isn’t even there anymore.

How can we catch a glimpse of his work he did over the years? Is there a web site you can lead us to?

Rikke: He’s all over youtube. Not because we’ve put him there. But it’s fun to go and watch him do his thing. You can also look him up in The Guinness Book Of World Records under ‘Longest Running One Man Show In Broadway History’. A Bust on the Great White Way would be nice...

Can you share an experience relating to your film career that you will never forget?

Rikke: On my first film (‘Tattoo’), Bruce Dern taught me that if I felt a scene was going badly to swear loudly.

They would then be forced to cut and re-take the scene.

Otherwise, the bad take might be printed and you risk giving the editors work that you are not happy with. A good lesson.

Back to your dad. He was smart and handsome. Do you think he was perfect? Did he have any flaws? If so, how did it effect you and your family?

Rikke: Of course he was perfect! Almost. If anything, it was his perfectionism that created problems for him. He always gave one hundred percent effort in everything he did and expected everyone else to do the same. He could become irate if he thought the people around him were

Rikke, Jazmine and Johanne, photo by Jane Feldman, 2012

Publicity shot with love note

I’ll see what I can do about that, Rikke! By the way, what was one of your father’s repeated favorite quotes you would hear him say?

Rikke: Probably his most widely repeated quote, and my favorite, is: “A smile is the shortest distance between two people.” It’s true. Have you ever noticed how quickly you can diffuse a tense situation or put people at ease by simply smiling? It is a universal gesture we all share and speaks volumes whether up close or from afar.

You want another? Near the end of his one man performances, he would say: “I would like to thank my parents for having made this evening possible, and my children for having made it necessary.”

Thank you Rikke.

The Artful Mind MAY 2012 • 15

Planet Waves The Sun is now in Taurus. May is the month of Beltane, that Pagan holiday that blends sex and money. The usual date for celebrating this ancient holiday is May 5. This combination of themes isn’t as strange an idea as it sounds, when you consider it in the context of fertilizing the fields with love and passion — the fields that will feed the community for the next year. Also in May, Venus stations retrograde. That happens in Gemini on the 15th, and it’s an invitation to review our history of love, and the odd tendency we might have to feel two ways about ourselves or people we care about. Venus retrograde leads directly to the Venus Transit of the Sun on June 5. This is a rare event — the next one happens in 2117.

ARIES (March 20-April 19)

Finally, you can make some progress, though lately it’s felt like catching up. That still counts. Don’t skip steps — make each decision carefully, focus on the details and don’t lose sight of the big picture. Elements of your astrology are making you restless, as if you have the feeling that something big is about to happen. You need to coexist as peacefully as you can with that sensation, and keep your focus on what you’re doing, what you’re planning and what you know is necessary. Integrity is crucial now, but I’ll remind you that integrity means integrated: the different aspects of your life working together, rather than separately or against one another. Part of making that happen means standing as a strong, focused center of your experience, and more precisely, the innovator of your own life.

TAURUS (April 19-May 20)

Remember what is important to you. Remember, and at the same time, learn. There is a message in your chart about seeing the other side of something — a way of life, an idea about yourself, a basic value you hold. You’re not typically given to exploring what you think is precisely opposite what you might normally do, though this would be an exceptionally healthy thing to work into your routines. You’re about to see how valuable it is when you can step out of your point of view and consider what you might have considered strange, threatening or irrelevant in the past. This is just one of many occasions you will have to reinvent yourself from the inside out. True freedom is based on your ability to adapt to your circumstances and your desires.

GEMINI (May 20 – June 21)

There’s an actual conversation going on within your soul space — not the usual gossip. You seem to be making an agreement with yourself about what it means to feel good about your existence. You’re working out this dialog in the midst of a world that seems to go increasingly mad — and the most reassuring thing you can learn is that you’re not crazy. One hint I can offer is, don’t try to understand what makes no sense at all. Perhaps understanding will come, but I suggest you focus on what you recognize inherently, and what speaks to you in a language you comprehend.

You may always feel like you have two distinct entities living in your psyche, though the difference now is that one is willing to listen to the other.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Something special happens this month — the Scorpio Full Moon coincides with Beltane, to the day. The chart looks like you become a magnet for many things that exist outside you or your personal space, that you would like to invite into your life more closely. This is absolutely positively the time to stay visible and be social, and to approach anyone you’re attracted to with confidence. Not everyone is going to respond — but that leaves many other possibilities. Keep the conversation moving. There’s an old rule about cocktail parties, where you’re supposed to circulate and not speak to anyone for more than five minutes. This allows

16 • The Artful Mind MAY 2012

MAY 2012

you to taste the energy of many different people, while keeping the social environment light and flexible. From these encounters you will notice who you want and who wants you. Go for mutual — really, truly mutual.

LEO (July 22-Aug. 23)

The Sun reaches one of the peaks of its path through the seasons this month, arriving at the hotspot in your house of career, reputation and noteworthy success. This could have the effect of bringing what seemed like promise and potential to life. Therefore, I suggest you try your luck when it comes to anything involving the work you do or the reputation you have. Make contact with those who are in a position to help; they will be impressed by your sincerity and solid values. Current developments are as much about what you’ve accomplished in the past as they are about your potential now; right now the two are closely related.

Keep your eyes on your vision of what is possible, which is to say — stretch a little and reach for what you think might be impossible.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)

Mars is now traveling direct in your birth sign, after a long spell of retrograde motion. You are now doing a lot better at working with yourself: at making goals and moving efficiently in whatever direction you set. This month you have a lot of support in doing that. What is most boldly emphasized is your long-term, long-range vision for yourself. Think in terms of the best possible outcomes. Allow yourself to think big, mainly by setting aside any concerns about the details that might hold you back. Once you catch the wind at your back, those details will not seem nearly as meaningful or significant, but you’ll take care of them just as well. They key is letting any form of worry get in the way of what you want. Perhaps a tall order — but right now, not really.

LIBRA (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)

An old expression goes, “You cannot be fully committed part of the time.” Therefore, allow yourself to be fully committed all of the time. Set aside the idea that life is full of contradictions and paradoxes, and recognize the ways that your different talents, ambitions and favorite activities support one another. Right now many people are living with the sensation of ‘so much to do, I don’t know where to start’. Therefore, the most meaningful thing you can do is start, and keep track of where you are with each item on your agenda. Gradual progress on each item on a daily or weekly basis will be enough — for now. There will be a time when you select certain projects or goals and really accomplish something, but that moment is still a few weeks off.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)

What has seemed like an impasse in your life the past few months is about to burst into more movement than you’ve experienced any time lately. You may feel like you’re exceeding your speed limit or some unspoken agreement that seems to limit your happiness. No such agreement is binding you today — though it may seem like one is, if you worry too much about how others perceive you. This is a message you’ve been getting over and over again — focus on people, not what you suspect their concepts might be. If you have a mission to accomplish or a role to play, the opinions of others matter not — the only thing that you need to concern yourself with is feeling confident you’re doing the right thing. You should know — you’ve thought about it long enough.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)

You’ve been incredibly patient for a Sagittarius, especially during the past three months. You haven’t lost any ground —

by Eric Francis

everyone else has been involved in their own version of working through seeming setbacks. I know that you keep getting handed these tests of your focus and attention to detail, and yet you may be discovering that it’s within your nature to work things out until they are just exactly right. This comes with a certain kind of pleasure, and the feeling of control — though when the moment arrives to let go and take your chances, I suggest that you do so boldly. You may soon encounter what looks like a narrow opportunity, the kind you have to fit sideways to get into. Yet you’re more likely to experience that as an invitation than as a deterrent.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)

Remember that God isn’t always watching you. You’ve heard that ‘He’ is lots of times, and at least let’s consider that it’s a disturbing thought; what you do isn’t anybody’s business but your own. That is, it’s not if you don’t make it so, therefore, take your space. You might actually have to do something like experiment and consider the consequences later — if there are any. That’s the problem with thinking you’re being spied on: guilt makes it difficult to know what you’re really entitled to experience. Therefore you have to stretch that particular boundary and see what you discover once you do. One risk you run is the discovery that you could have had a lot more pleasure in your life, which I would rate as a positive, given that you’re still very much alive.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

If you have any fear of settling down into a space you love, now is the time to get over it. I am picking up some kind of ‘security phobia’ in your charts, as if when faced with the potential to be comfortable and set up in a solid place, you get nervous.

You may not have always been this way, and I suggest you remind yourself of a time in your life when that was not the case. Part of any anxiety about things being good is an acknowledgment of how badly things can go on this planet; therefore it sometimes feels better to live as if they’re already that way. Though as Lou Reed has said (and I know I’ve quoted this before), you can’t count on the worst always happening. True fact — it hardly ever happens. Therefore, relax and discover.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

You have not lost your magic touch — in fact you’re about to discover just how much stronger it’s become. One thing I suggest is that you concentrate your energies. Stay grounded; stay ontask. For the moment, you might consider remaining close to home so that you don’t distract yourself with the need to adjust or adapt to externals. If you are selecting from among creative projects, focus on the most daring, dangerous or experimental. If you are selecting from among relationship opportunities, focus on the desire that feels right, and that speaks to you the most clearly.

Everything that’s right and true is going to have that sensation of concern that it’s a little out of bounds, a little too much. That’s the idea: keep your connection to the dark side, so that you can keep your connection to the light. ~ Read Eric Francis daily at PlanetWaves.net

“Hollywood can’t contain a great talent, because even the best films aren’t enough to nurture that kind of talent.”

-Kim Stanley

FENG SHUI

What placement design can do for you

At times in our lives, we go through major changes - relocating to a new home, welcoming a new member of the family through birth and marriage, getting a new job, and more - and these kind of changes can be stressful and hectic, resulting in our homes being disheveled and feeling disharmonious, even when the change seems to be on a positive scale. Sometimes it takes months to get the reorganizing and reshifting squared away, and other times it is done in days or weeks. If it is taking longer than expected, perhaps it is time to reflect on what is holding you back or preventing you from making those changes...after all, change is always for the better, even when we don’t seem to think it is.

Placement design is not just about the flow of energy in your home; it also takes into consideration what you collect in your home and why. This includes clutter in its many forms, most of which we wouldn’t normally consider clutter (but it is still clutter nonetheless) and the symbolism of the objects we surround ourselves with.

Symbolism is a crucial factor when it comes to placement design. If you are seeking change in your life, it is so important to make sure that you are supporting that change fully. Otherwise, there will be a falling back into the “old habit” occurrence or a feeling of being stuck for a long time. It is human nature, it is normal, it happens to the best of us, and it is nothing to beat yourself up about. It is just about recognizing what you may not be aware of around you and it takes an objective eye to see it. We have objects that hold emotional value and memories and we tend to keep them close by. Only someone who is not emotionally attached to it will see the object for what it is: an object, that could be helping or holding you back by what it symbolically represents. We also tend to collect certain objects, such as certain animals, certain shapes and so on. A huge collection of the same kind of object is considered clutter in a subtle way, since there isno room for other

symbols, that could enhance your life on many levels.

The other aspect of symbolism is how we arrange our objects around the house, which is a telling sign of what it is you really want for yourself. Our patterns of doing things can often be seen later in years, even after several household moves. Sometimes these patterns are a carryover from our childhood. It takes awareness, a willingness to see that we may be repeating the same habits and arrangements over and over again, and a desire to work on breaking the pattern.

Elisa Cashiola Too often, we collect objects that seem to clash with what we seek to achieve in life. If you want to have a relationship with a significant other, then make sure you have objects paired up, such as two candlesticks, a male and female figure, two lovebirds and so on. A single object symbolizes independence, and aloneness, and that is not what you want if you seek a partner, especially if you have many single objects all over the house. Objects in numbers of threes is also discouraged, since it represents having another “person” in the relationship. Artwork is also looked closely upon for symbolism and how it imprints on our consciousness, since there are so many different pieces of artwork available. A painting of a meadow with a tree and flowers generates a more peaceful feeling than a dark, brooding painting of someone clearly in distress.

Placement design will help you get your home in harmony and balance, when you are ready to leap forward! It is very much like exercise, you must keep exercising to see effective results. As soon as you stop exercising, what happens? Your muscles atrophy, your body changes shape, and you start to feel sluggish. It is the same concept with placement design. You must keep your house flowing clearly, keep clutter from piling up, or it will accumulate in the home, resulting in a feeling of disharmony.

I can be reached at elisacashiola@gmail.com and to find more placement design tips, go to my blog website at www.elisacashiola.com

Simply Sasha by Sasha Seymour Jeannie’s Irish Soda bread 5 cups flour ¾ cup of sugar 5 ½ teaspoons baking powder 3 tablespoons of caraway seeds 1 cup raisins (do not soak)

Mix all ingredients with 2 or more cups of milk until all flour is mixed in the dough.

Put into greased and floured 12” cast iron pan bake 1 hour or less at 350 degrees.

Either you can get a good 10 month start on this recipe or just pretend it’s St. Patrick’s day in May. My friend Jeannie gave me this recipe and her family enjoys it any time of year.

Enjoy toasted or untoasted and it can be lightly buttered for an extra bit of decadence.

Sure to be a hit, this wonderful Irish soda bread recipe is simple, delicious and good for you too.

Peace, Love and Mojo to you all.

Enjoy!

The Artful Mind MAY 2012 • 17

BERKSHIRE HILLS AIKIDO

Aikido is a journey of self discovery as well as an opportunity to take responsibility for your own safety. It is a decision for the moment or for some people, a lifetime. We at Berkshire Hills Aikido are a group of people who seriously study the principles and practices of aikido on the mat and in our daily lives.

The benefits of the benefits of Aikido training: Self-defense skills; A way to move with mind body co-ordination; Heightened awareness of your surroundings; Learn to face your fear; Improved physical fitness; You will have fun; You will become more flexible in body and mind; You will be challenged every class; Your mind will quiet as you develop centering skills; You will meet good people; Your lifelong habits will be challenged; You will be freer to make new exciting changes in your life.

Ron Ragusa Sensei, is the founder of the Berkshire Hills School of Aikido. After studying for 25 years with Shuji Maruyama Sensei, founder of the Aikido Kokikai International Federation, Ragusa Sensei left the Kokikai organization in 2001 to continue his study of the art independently.

Mary Eastland Sensei, co-owner of Berkshire Hills Aikido, certified Master Instructor, has studied Aikido for over twenty four years and currently holds the rank of sixth degree black belt.

Are you ready to start on a new way on a new day? Call today!! Berkshire Hills Aikido, Great Barrington, MA 01230; 413-528-3354; www.miron-enterprises.com/berkshirehillsaikido

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.

Photographic workshops are scheduled for this spring: Set out on weekends to explore the beautiful country site of the Berkshires. Zoom in on your fellow students and capture their expressions. Designed for serious amateurs who are interested in improving their artistic eye. All participants are asked to bring a digital SLR camera and a laptop with software to present their images for edit and critique sessions.

Event dates: May 12/13, May 26/28, and June 9/10.

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.

Sabine is a member of The American Society of Media Photographers asmp. The International Center of Photography ICP and the Wedding Photojournalist Association, WPJA. Sabine Vollmer von Falken 20 Glendale Rda.k.a.

Rte183,Glendale,MA01229; www.sabinephotoart.com, info@sabinephotoart.com tel. 413-298-4933

SHARON TRUE, M.A., C.M.A., R.M.T. Somatic Movement Therapist and Certified Pilates Instructor

WholePerson Movement Mat Classes Tuesdays 5:00 - 6:00 PM Kilpatrick Athletic Center, Simonʼs Rock College 84 Alford Rd, Gt. Barrington, MA

Semi-Private mat classes can be arranged for friends who want to exercise together

WholePerson Movement Private Sessions

Personal training in a quiet country setting featuring the Reformer and other Pilates-designed apparatus

All WholePerson Movement Classes:

• Increase strength and flexibility • Improve posture, balance, breathing, body awareness • Improve comfort, ease, grace in moving • Reduce lower back and other chronic pain • Reduce risk of re-injury from sports or occupation

Call for more information 18 • The Artful Mind MAY 2012

413.528.2465

OPENS ITS DOORS

New studio offers a breath-centered, individualized approach to yoga. Long-time area yoga instructor Uma McNeill has put down roots in downtown Great Barrington, opening 528-YOGA in the space behind David Gavin Salon.

Uma began studying yoga over 20 years with Sharon Gannon and David Life at Jivamukti Yoga Studio in New York City. During her first trip to India in 1991, she studied with K. Patabbhi Jois and went on to receive a teaching certificate from Sivanada Yoga Vedanta Ashram. Upon her return to New York City, she began teaching at the Jivamukti Yoga Center while continuing her yoga studies. She returned to India in 2001 to study at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, and has been practicing and teaching the principles of breath-centered, individualized yoga ever since.

Uma moved to the Berkshires in 1996 and over the years has taught at the Kilpatrick Athletic Center and Berkshire South Regional Community Center, as well as having studios in both South Egremont and Great Barrington. This new, downtown location puts her studio in the heart of Great Barrington, making it easy and convenient for community residents to take a class before work or during their lunch hour.

Breath-centered individualized yoga is aimed at increasing the spaciousness in the human system. This is achieved by identifying and resolving obstructions to the natural flow of movement in the body, affecting patterns in breath, posture, connective tissue, and thoughts or emotions. The fundamental rhythm of breathing is the key tool to success.

528-YOGA - for more information, drop by the studio (front door opens onto the Triplex parking lot) for a free class session or go online to 528-YOGA.com. Classes: Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m., Uma; Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Uma; Tuesdays 6:00 a.m - 7:15 p.m, Uma; Thurs 6:00 - 7:15pm, Jenna O’Brien; Sat from 10:00-11:15 a.m, Jenna O’Brien.

“The subliminal self is in no way inferior to the conscious self.

It knows how to choose and to divine.”

-Henri Poincare

SHARON TRUE

MARGUERITE BRIDE MARGUERITE BRIDE, AMALFI COAST, W/C

CUSTOM PAINTINGS

This is the season of celebrations…weddings, retirements, graduations…transitions. What would be nicer than to receive a watercolor painting, done just for you? Marguerite Bride has been commissioned to paint many such happy occasions…from custom house portraits, to favorite vacation scenes, romantic settings from weddings, honeymoons, a trip to Alaska, even a ‘65 Pontiac convertible where a marriage proposal took place.

Gift certificates for house portraits are the most popular, and are usually given to parents for a special occasion by the adult children, and often by friends for an anniversary, retirement, or “moving away” gift. It is always a very pleasurable artistic journey —for both the recipients and the artist— when designing that special painting.

Have you taken a really great vacation? A trip of a lifetime?

Something in your past that you will never forget? Your trip doesn’t have to end with a bunch of photos on your computer; your favorite scene can live forever on the wall of your den or favorite room. Bride has painted honeymoon villas in Tuscany, olde town Stockholm, a cherished Norwegian cottage, and a raging river where a fabulous kayak trip took place… all from clients’ photos. Details can be found on Bride’s website.

Bride also gives private lessons in watercolor technique in her studio on North Street, Pittsfield. Visit her website for more details about commissioning a painting, purchasing a painting or fine art reproduction lessons and updated exhibit information; or contact the artist directly.

And don’t forget to visit Pittsfield for the inaugural First Friday Artswalk. Visit Bride and many other artists during the spring opening of the Studios at Art on No, 311 North Street both happening on May 4 from 5-8pm.

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

Open for First Friday Artswalks, and by appointment only.

Call 413-442-7718, or 413-841-1659 (cell); website: www.margebride.com, email: margebride@aol.com

MAKE THE MOST OF THE BODY YOU HAVE Starting Now! 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.

Who needs Conscious Exercise? People who want to make the most of the body they have. This would include individuals who currently enjoy active lifestyles, such as performers, athletes, gardeners, and those who love all the outdoor activities that the Berkshires has to offer, and who want to maintain or expand on their physical fitness through a challenging Pilates workout. It also includes individuals who are confronted with impediments to their enjoyment of movement, such as injury or chronic pain, stiffness, difficulties with balance and coordination, or lack of body confidence. Sharon True welcomes the opportunity to find a way to help your body function at its best, no matter what age or condition it is in now.

True is a registered somatic movement therapist, certified Laban movement analyst, and a certified Pilates 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 now to start making the most of the body you have with a Conscious Exercise workout with Sharon True.

WholePerson Movement sharontrue@roadrunner.com or 413-528-2465, 9 AM-9 PM.

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

STARTING MAY 4

Followers of the Pittsfield cultural scene will have a regular opportunity to see works from visual artists in the newly announced “First Fridays Artswalk”. Starting on May 4 and running year-round, the mostly indoors art displays will be in more than 25 venues, including galleries, retail establishments, and hospitality businesses along the North and South Street arts corridor.

First Fridays Artswalk will occur in the immediate downtown area of Pittsfield on each first Friday of the month from 5 – 8pm; a reception for the exhibiting artists will take place in most of the venues displaying art.

The timing is perfect…shortly after earning its designation as one of the five original state-recognized cultural districts by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, downtown Pittsfield’s newly minted “Upstreet Cultural District” will strut its stuff with the kickoff and ribbon cutting at the north end of the artswalk, near Berkshire Medical Center at 5pm. Expect to see many dignitaries for this event as Pittsfield gets ready to officially open the 2012 art season.

FFAW is the brainchild of Mary McGinnis, Pittsfield business woman, and Leo Mazzeo, local artist. Co-sponsors and major sponsors of First Fridays Artswalk include The Berkshire Eagle, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Office of Cultural Development, City of Pittsfield, Berkshire Art Association, Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Theatre Group, Gallery 25, Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association.

For details of this event, contacts, and more information about venues and possible participation, please visit the website.

First Fridays Artswalk - http://firstfridaysartswalk.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. 10:00-11:15 am Jenna O’Brien PRICES $15.00 per Class

413.528.YOGA (9642) www.528yoga.com

$120.00 for a 10-class card (good for 8 weeks)

(located in back of Main st. adjacent to the Triplex Movie Theater parking lot area)

Owner - Uma McNeill

274 Main Street G r e a t B a r r i ng t o n

$75.00 month unlimited (Uma only)

The Artful Mind MAY 2012 • 19

ASTON MAGNA DEBORAH RENTZ-MOORE, SINGER

40TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

Growing up in Pittsfield, singer Deborah Rentz-Moore never imagined that one day she’d get to share a stage with some of the most esteemed artists in early music. But that is exactly what she’ll be doing at Tanglewood’s Ozawa Hall on Saturday, June 9th at 6 PM, when Aston Magna celebrates its 40th Anniversary with a Gala concert of Monteverdi, Purcell, Handel and Bach.

Aston Magna, one of the nation’s most revered early music festivals, has brought historically-informed music to the Berkshires for all its 40 years, attracting some of the finest artists in the early music world, including founding violinist Stanley Ritchie and current artistic director Daniel Stepner. It’s no wonder that mezzo-soprano Rentz-Moore feels a little awe.

For Rentz-Moore, the Berkshires proved the ideal location to hone her musical interests. Starting in South Congregational Church’s choir, she took voice lessons at the Pittsfield Community Music School and later received BA and MM degrees.

During her studies, Rentz-Moore sang solos with the Berkshire Concert Choir and Berkshire Lyric Theatre. “Those experiences familiarized me with some of the great choral works and introduced me to wonderful colleagues. Singing with Aston Magna is truly the icing on the cake.”

To order tickets to the Gala concert on June 9th or to find out more about Aston Magna’s 2012 Festival Schedule, please visit www.astonmagna.org or call 413-528-3595 / 800-875-7156.

ROBERT ALAN HYDE, LOBO, LIFE-SIZE SCULPTURE

HELGA S. ORTHOFER LAUREN CLARK FINE ART

PARADISE CITY ARTS FESTIVAL

HELGA S. ORTHOFER

Lauren Clark Fine Art presents PASTELS by Helga S. Orthofer, May 24 through July 8. Reception for the artist, Saturday, May 26, 4-7pm.

As an artist, Helga S. Orthofer has been dividing her time between New York City and Stockbridge, Massachusetts for over twenty-five years. In reviewing her artwork, one can feel these fluctuations between the city and country; between the colorful bravado of her series on Fire Hydrants, for example, and the soulful light lingering on the side of her sylvan White Barns.

Ms. Orthofer has played with space and light all her life, exploring the realism of representational painting as well as the transcendental nature of abstracted shapes shifting across a flattened plane. Inspired by artists as diverse as Chardin, Cezanne, Morandi, Hopper and O’Keefe, she stands very still observing the world with paint or pastel at hand, creating lush blue shadows or turquoise skies to express the mood of the light she strives to convey.

While there are no people inhabiting her settings, the artist fondly refers to her still life paintings as “portraits.” Indeed, this is a true and telling description of her work, for it seems that Ms. Orthofer is aiming to portray the intimacy of a familiar, or even ordinary, object or scene. Her sensitivity to color and form is remarkable, but it is the depth and coloration of her light that lingers with such a profound emotional resonance.

Lauren Clark Fine Art Gallery is located at 402 Park Street (Route 183) in Housatonic, MA. Hours are Thursday through Monday from 11:00 - 5:30, Sunday from Noon - 4:00. For more information call 413-274-1432, or visit the website at www.LaurenClarkFineArt.com

Northampton’s Paradise City Arts Festival in Northampton once again hit the Top 10 Art and Craft Fairs in America list, coming in at #3! This is truly one of the most spectacular fairs of fine craft, painting and sculpture in the entire country. With 260 of the nation’s finest artists and craftspeople traveling from 30 states to show off their newest work, Paradise City’s signature live music and fabulous food, a flowering sculpture garden filled with artful delights, and a special exhibition of “Wild Things!” … all compelling reasons to come on out to Northampton during the long holiday weekend.

New Orleans meets New England at Paradise City! “The food soars beyond expectations,” writes Boston Magazine.

The Festival Dining Tent is a microcosm of Northampton’s vibrant restaurant scene, including New Orleans and Cajun specialties. While you’re dining, enjoy New Orleans-flavored music by Samirah Evans and Her Handsome Devils, North of Dixieland with a big horn sound, and the great sax player Charles Neville with his hot young band on Memorial Day. The theme of “Wild Things” can be found throughout this spring’s show. Catch the special exhibits of fine and functional art inspired by the animal kingdom – like a life-size wolf sculpted of metal, a six-foot elephant, a gold damselfly pin and an aquarium filled with hand-blown glass sea creatures. Alan Bennett demonstrates making a really big fish out of clay. James Kitchen unveils a 30-foot-tall “Bird” made of steel.

And in keeping with our “animal” theme, Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society is the beneficiary of Paradise City’s Silent Art Auction this May. Hundreds of beautiful works have been donated by the exhibiting artists. 100% of the proceeds support Dakin, which provides shelter, education, advocacy and assistance to animals and people in need. Take home a one-of-a-kind find and demonstrate your love for animals at the same time.

At Northampton’s 3 County Fairgrounds, Route 9 at I-91 Exit 19. From the Mass Pike, take exit 4 to I-91 North. For complete show and travel information, and discount admission coupons, visit www.paradisecityarts.com or call 800511-9725.

BERKSHIRE ART GALLERY

Mary Davidson Represented by

THE LENOX GALLERY OF FINE ART 69 CHURCH STREET, LENOX, MA 413-637-2276

Open year Round www.davidsondesigncompany.net

Studio Appointment : 413-528-6945 South Egremont, MA

20 • The Artful Mind MAY 2012

Indian Summer, Stephen G. Maniatty, 1910-1984, o/c, American

8 RAILROAD STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA • 413-528-2690 OPEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY NOON TO 5PM AND / OR BY APPOINTMENT WWW.BERKSHIREARTGALLERY.COM

MICHAEL FILMUS

The muted tones of winter are slowly giving up their hold on the land as the first light greens of a new season emerge. In time, these soft colors of spring will change dramatically, transforming the landscape in the rich and varied colors of summer.

Michael Filmus has painted the Berkshires landscape for many years. He has exhibited his work in one-man shows at the Berkshires Museum in Pittsfield and at the Welles Gallery in Lenox. In New York he has been represented by Hirschl & Adler Galleries and David Findlay Jr. Fine Art. Filmus’ works are at numerous private and public collections including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Butler Institute of American Art. Michael Filmus may be contacted in the Berkshires at 413528-5471 or through his website: www.michaelfilmus.com

ROBERT FORTE ROBERT FORTE, SELF PORTRAIT

Front Street Gallery will host Robert Forte’s first exhibition in the Berkshires; it will run May 5 – June 3, with an artist reception on Sunday, May 6 from 3-6 PM. Painting is Forte’s passion; however the road to this exhibit has been neither direct nor readily foreseeable. A Columbia graduate with a Harvard Law degree, Robert Forte has had a successful and very busy career in law, but he was also studied art. He attended Art Students League and a variety of paint workshops over the years.

“Indeed, it was not that long ago that I was hard at work briefing a major case before the United States Supreme Court.

In other words, I practiced law, a life far removed from that of a painter. The artistic “seed”, however, was planted at a very early age, when I literally drew everything in sight, grew up on (for those who remember) Jon Gnagy’s TV art lessons, and subsequently attended the High School of Music and Art in New York City.

“Toward the end of my legal career, I decided to cultivate that dormant seed. In the intervening years, I met and studied with two New York artists, Minerva Durham and Cornelia Foss, each supreme in her craft – Durham’s wizardry drawing the figure and Foss’s incomparably beautiful paintings. These artists formed the foundation of my art.”

Now living and painting in his studio in New Marlborough, Forte has a new life devoted to painting.

Front Street Gallery – Front Street, Housatonic, MA. 413274-6607.

FRONT STREET GALLERY 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….please come join us and experience something different.

For those seeking collectable, great art, Front St. Gallery is where you should head next. A huge selection of art work, all reasonably priced. Who said art was not affordable? Easy to make an appointment to see for yourself.

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 Hours: Saturday & Sunday, open at 12 pm or by appointment or chance. 413-274-6607.

The Artful Mind MAY 2012 • 21

BERKSHIRE DIGITAL FINE ART REPRODUCTION FOR ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS

Entering its sixth year of business, Berkshire Digital is a fine art reproduction service that offers very high quality digital photography of paintings as well as GiclÊe printing on archival papers and canvas. Artists & photographers use BD to create limited editions of their images. Private collectors and galleries use BD to document their collections. Whether the photography needs are for archiving, printing or internet use, BD adheres to very strict color controls along with delivering stunning detail by using a large format camera with a Better Light™ digital scanning back for photography (the same equipment that museums are using) and Canon™ printers using archival pigmented inks for GiclÊe prints.

In addition to the art reproduction and printing services, Berkshire Digital also offers graphic design, enabling clients to create Blurb™ books, show announcements, post cards and brochures. The website has a complete overview along with prices.

The owner, Fred Collins, has been a commercial photographer for 30 years with studios in Boston and Stamford. Fifteen years ago, he began working with the software manipulation program Photoshop™ and gradually added extensive retouching capabilities to help with his client’s needs. His wife Alison owns The Iris Gallery of Fine Art, located in Boston & Great Barrington.

Berkshire Digital, Mt Washington, MA, 413-644-9663, www.BerkshireDigital.com

BERKSHIRE ART GALLERY INDIAN SUMMER, STEPHEN G. MANIATTY, 1910-1984, O/C, AMERICAN

The Berkshire Art Gallery features a variety of paintings, with a specialty in 19th and 20th century artists who achieved great success in their lifetimes, but often are undervalued considering the quality of their work and past reputations. Two good examples, albeit from artists with different personalities, are J.J. Enwright (1911–2001) and Stephen G. Maniatty (1910–1984).

J.J. Enwright was a pseudonym for Caspar Hjalmar Amundsen, a Greenwich Village bohemian who had a lifelong interest in the sea and supported himself selling his mostly marine paintings at outdoor art shows (he was a founder of the Washington Square Outdoor Show), and doing cover illustrations for Motor Boating Magazine. Largely self-taught, he concentrated on the Long Island and Massachusetts coastlines, particularly Sag Harbor, Rockport, Gloucester and Provincetown, sometimes signing as Enwright, sometimes as Amundsen. His harbor and dock scenes are known for their verisimilitude and lighting. A Gloucester Pier is a good example. Colorful lifestyle aside, the Sag Harbor Historical Society sponsored a retrospective show before he died in recognition of his ability as an artist.

Stephen George Maniatty, a graduate of the Massachusetts School of Art, taught in the state’s public schools and was art director at the Deerfield Academy. He maintained a teaching studio on Main Street in Old Deerfield, and found inspiration in the architecture of Deerfield and the landscape of the Pioneer Valley, nearby Vermont and the Berkshires. His Indian Summer is a very good landscape. Like Enwright, Maniatty also favored Rockport and North Shore marine scenes. He won numerous awards, including gold medals from exhibits with the American Artists Professional League and the Rockport and Hudson Valley Art Associations. He also showed at the Copley Society, Guild of Boston Artists, Southern Vermont Art Center, etc. The Holyoke Museum holds his work.

Berkshire Art Gallery, 80 Railroad Street, Great Barrington, MA. Gallery hours are noon to 5pm, Saturdays and Sundays, or by appointment or chance. Parking for customers is available in front of the Gallery. For information, contact Jack Wood, 413-528-2690 or visit berkshireartgallery.com

MARY DAVIDSON MARY DAVIDSON, FROM THE SHOE SERIES

Try walking a mile in Mary Davidson’s shoes and you may discover why she paints whimsical acrylic portraits of footwear never designed to touch the ground.

Mary Davidson is a Berkshire native who left the area to go to collage, become a designer, run a fashion business, and eventually return as a fine artist. After honing her skills as a designer of clothing, Mary made the leap from wearable art to wondrous art. Intensive study with painters like Gloria Arnold, Jim Schantz, Pat Hogan, Don Andrews AWS, and Judi Betts AWS, helped Mary synthesize all she had learned and loved onto the paper and/or canvas.

She found it was the Berkshires, not the fashion-conscious cities, which inspired her stylish shoe art. Even as a child, growing up around Berkshire barns and cows, Mary had an interior landscape teaming with imaginative, intricate design, which led her to experiment in many mediums. But Mary’s quirky thinking, love of repetition and pattern-on-pattern, all blossomed into a vision that is hers, alone.

Mary Davidson’s “SHOE DEPARTMENT� is filled with styles you’d love to try on for size, but can’t. Each shoe or boot is magically woven into a bright acrylic universe with motifs that twist, turn, twirl, outline and overlap, in a playful dance of form, color and contrast. She simply starts with a shoe and lets her intuition do the rest.

Unlike Imelda Marcos or the fictional Carrie Bradshaw, with her costly collection of Manolo Blahniks, Mary Davidson chooses to sink her entire artistic soul, not her feet, into her beloved shoes.

Davidson has been juried into shows locally and regionally.

A few of her painting’s can be seen at the Lenox Gallery of Fine Art, 69 Church Street, Lenox, MA. She is a member of the Housatonic Valley Art League here in the Berkshires and also a juried member of The Cambridge Art Association, in Cambridge, MA. She currently paints in series, consisting of shoes, cats, ladies with hats, dancers and her flower series. She shares her website and her studio with her husband Keith Davidson who is also a painter. Some of Keith’s flower painting’s can be seen at SATI, clothing store in Lenox.

Keith and Mary Davidson, Studio: South Egremont, MA. Call 1-413-528-6945 for an appointment; www.davidsondesigncompany.net

Join the Art Community!

22• The Artful Mind MAY 2012

The Artful Mind artzine 413. 528. 5628 artfulmind@yahoo.com

Architecture

& Arcadia

Stephen Gerard Dietemann

House

she recognized the voice, a deep baritone, like an echo returning from far away. Colin’s hands and voice.

(a short story in four parts) Part 1 I

Margaret is angry at herself. She stabs at the crusted garden dirt with her new steel hand shovel.

How could she have forgotten?

Sunlight reflecting off the tool’s freshly polished surface skips across the house’s newly painted shakes, a patchwork of mauve, ochre, rose. A return to the original Victorian colors, the house finally freed from the oppressive blanket of white paint Colin had insisted on covering it with almost forty years ago.

“In with the new and out with the old,” Colin had said to Margaret as they — just married — watched the painters bury the original vivid colors of their newly purchased house.

Sterilized, she had thought silently at the time.

Now Margaret wipes her brow with the back of her old garden glove. She hopes that the pain in her back will leave her alone today.

At least for today. The anniversary of his death seven years ago.

II

So much work still to be done! She thinks: if Colin were still alive the tomatoes would all be in by now. Like everything else he ever did this would have been done on time and properly. He had been in charge and the center of her life from the moment they met, but had it not been for the delivery of the new hand shovel this morning she might well have forgotten that today is the anniversary of his death. It’s strange how we are reminded about big things by little things, she thinks, twisting the shovel. The young delivery boy, otherwise unremarkable, had large, perfectly manicured hands. Alabaster, she thinks. A young woman would show them off proudly, gloveless even in winter. And when he spoke to her

Yesterday, seven years ago, she was a married woman and today she is seven years a widow. That’s exactly how it works, she thinks, one minute you are sleep walking, perhaps you have been for many years — maybe your entire life? – and then suddenly something forces you awake. A voice arrives from nowhere and everything is changed.

In her case, the voice of a young state trooper. “M’am,” he had said gently, “we found your husband.” The next thing she remembers is the glass of water offered by the trooper’s partner. “M’am, I just want you to know that he died instantly ... no pain at all. We found him in the basement. He had a flashlight; maybe he was fixing a pipe or something …” Awkward silences. The sound of scratchy voices on the police radio. A moment later, the arrival of friends – Muriel, perhaps? — with food no one would ever eat. Finally alone again, everything is the same and everything is irreparably different. A day she was certain she would never forget.

III

“You really should move in here, Margaret...”

Even by phone, Muriel’s voice slices through the stillness of the parlor. The call arrives just as Margaret settles herself onto the dark leather couch, relishing the cool silence of the room. Sixty-eight and younger than Margaret by only two years, Muriel retains the voice of a much younger woman, just as she had forty years ago when Margaret first met her the day Colin hired her to work as a receptionist at his architectural office. “She is by no means conventionally pretty,” Colin had remarked at the time, “but she is a bit flirtatious and the men in the office seem to respond. I hope that will not be a problem.” In the beginning she and Margaret had been friends but after Margaret left the office they lost touch with one another except for the yearly office Christmas party.

After Colin’s death they had spent some time together, more shopping than talking, but soon Muriel stopped returning her calls. Margaret was relieved, returning happily to her house and her garden. Now, for no good reason Margaret can think of, the calls from Muriel have started again.

In the months after they were married, Colin’s architectural office had grown rapidly and Muriel began to take on more re-

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sponsibilities, including marketing. “I don’t know what I’d do without Muriel Mays,” he’d tell Margaret at dinner from time to time, smiling. “She knows how to do everything and ... that voice. It just seduces the clients. The men all insist on meeting her after they talk to her on the phone.” Then, as if an afterthought, “It’s great for business.”

Muriel continues. “Mister Thompson – you do remember Mr. Thompson — the other big architect in town besides your husband, right? – anyway, he is right down the hall here! You should really meet him; he still looks as good as he did when he was the competition! I do hope there are no hard feelings on his part.” Muriel continues quickly. “And let’s face it; you won’t be able to keep taking care of that old house much longer. Not with your back acting up all the time.”

The pain finally forces Margaret to retreat from the garden.

She had tried to keep working — Colin would have said, “Don’t be such so self-indulgent, Margaret!” — but when the June sun was at last free of the massive house and directly overhead it had been overwhelming.

She thinks, so much still left undone!

(End of Part 1)

~Stephen Dietemann

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The Artful Mind MAY 2012 • 23

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FRONT STREET GALLERY

Painting Classes Art for Sale Kate Knapp, Summer In Sheffield

413-274-6607 413-429-7141 (cell) 413-528-9546 (home) Gallery hours: Sat & Sun 12-5 pm or by appointment Front Street, downtown HOUSATONIC, MA

24• The Artful Mind MAY 2012

510 WARREN ST, HUDSON, NY 518-822-0510 www510warrenstreetgallery.com

June Featured Artist Eleanor Lord "WATER: Theme & Variations" · Sunday, June 10, 3-6 PM.

510 Members include: John Clark,Diana Felber, Joan Giummo, Kate Knapp, John Lipkowitz, Nina Lipkowitz, Hannah Mandel, Joel Mark, Steve Porcella, Doris Simon, Jeannine Stoeffer, plus antique prints and posters from Mill River Studio.