Stamford Hosts a Plethora of Public Art: Here's Just One for this Spring Day

Stamford's Pleasing to the eye Public Art

While waiting for the stop light at Summer Street and and 5th Street , a patient driver, eager to climb 5th homeward bound to Strawberry Hill Ave.,has such a pleasing work of outdoor art to behold.


This seaside vista opening up to the water is at once captivating, soothing and so serene in its melange of mellow sedate hues of green, pink, brown and blue pastels. It's a work of art that could easily be framed and hung in one's living room or den.

That one lone, wandering- branched. stark tree looks like it will shortly spring into floral life in what I imagine to be an early April scene along Fairfield County's shoreline.

Again, hats off to Stamford.

For a few of my dozen or so earlier blogs on Stamford's public art, click here. Then for the most recent post on public art at Glenbrook Metro North station, click here. And finally, here is a slide slide from last summer's "Raining Cats and Dogs" public outdoor display.

Why Stamford is a great place to live in

I could have entitled this blog: We commemorate the end of the Third quarter with 10 good reasons to celebrate living in Stamford and looking forward to the fourth quarter.

 1. The weather has been great the last few days temps in the 70's and cloudless skies and there is no finer place than Stamford downtown to dine alfresco; the restaurant patrons have been out today at tables set up in front of San Remos Pizza and Lucky's Restaurant basking in the sun.

 2. The road maintenance crews do a great follow-up job; during the summer they dug up streets laying new pvc tubings; they are now out in full force in my neighborhood preparing the roads to lay down new smooth surfaces.

 3. Stamford's Ferguson library has been hosting The Civility in America series with the support  of Mayor Pavia and the City of Stamford , The Dilenschneider Group,  Purdue,  Hearst Media Services and Sacred Heart University. We have been fortunate to hear Senator Olympia Snow, Faye Vincent, William Bratton and Joel Klein  to name a few personages.

 Set aside Tuesday, October 15th at 6 PM.  S.Georgia Nugent, past president of Kenyon College in Ohio is an advocate for liberal arts education. She will be speaking about Civility in American Society.

 4. Stamford Downtown hosts an outdoor summer art show entitled Art in Public Places. This summer thanks to presenting sponsor SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS and many other local supporters, we had 43 sculptures by 18 artists. 

 5. Our town has other permanent outdoor pieces such as J. Seward Johnson's Uninvited Advice. See the slide show by clicking here.

 6. The Curtain Call theater has been  presenting free outdoor Shakespeare performances On the Green for the last 14 years. . This year we enjoyed Othello under the stars.

  In nearby Rowayton, Shakespeare on the Sound performed As You Like it

 7. Major stars host performances in our town. Art Garfunkel, a classmate of mine, can be seen at Stamford's Ferguson library on November 8, 2013.

 8. Mill River Park has recently opened. Designed as a downtown oasis of walking paths, lawns, cherry trees, plants, benches, a carousel, skating rink and fountain, the Park now consists of 12 acres and will grow in future years to 28 acres.

     Projected cost will be $60 million. of which $14 million has been raised.

 9. Excellent public schools is another draw.

  Success Symposium 2013, featuring a panel of educators, will discuss strategies for public education. David Kirp, professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, is the keynote speaker. It airs at Ferguson Library this Wednesday, October 2nd from 4 to 6 p.m.

 10. Stamford hospital boasts the Van Munching facility, one of the Northeast's premier acute inpatient rehabilitation centers.

All of the above are good reasons Stamford stands out....

2013 Stamford Art in Public Places, Abstract Sculpture

First,  Kudos to Sandy Goldstein President of Stamford's Downtown Special Services District, SAC CAPITAL ADVISORS L.P. and all the other generous partner- sponsors for this year's provocative and inspiring outdoor summer exhibit representing a unique 20 year Stamford tradition of ART IN PUBLIC PLACES.

 Also, congratulations to all the dedicated acolytes of art who produced such an attractive 4-color, slick booklet entitled Downtown Abstractions. A glance at this sterling piece will make up for all and any deficiencies of my short blog. It presents bios of the 18 artists, pictures of the 43 sculptures they loaned to our city, lists of the our sponsors and a sculpture exhibit map for this show as well as for the nine permanent sculptures in downtown Stamford.

 You can access this brochure in pdf format online. Click here.

 Dictionary.com defines abstract art as "A trend in painting and sculpture in the twentieth century. Abstract art seeks to break away from traditional representation of physical objects. It explores the relationships of forms and colors, whereas more traditional art represents the world in recognizable images."

 Enough said!....almost done.

 I enjoyed my journey through the Downtown  (including First Stamford Place just across Metro North) and time permitting I will add more photos to the slide show. So do tune back in.

 For my coverage of previous outdoor summer exhibits and other outdoor art pieces and sculptures here in Stamford click here.

And, finally, if I have piqued your interest just a little about my fascination with the power of the abstract and you have patience and a few moments more, then learn and appreciate, as I did, how a truly great 20th Century artist-- Wassily Kandinsky --brilliantly pursued the path from the concrete to the abstract. If so, then click here.

If you haven't seen the show, hurry and get out to experience all the colorful vibrant pieces. The show ends on Labor Day.

Have a gr8 day, all!

Kudos to two fall ladies fashion magazines: WSJ. from the Wall Street Journal and T , The New York Times Style Magazine

In a recent post, on Why I Blog, I briefly touched on the success of fashion print magazines such as Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar--especially the September issues.

First there's Vogue weighing in with 902 pages total and 663 ad pages; next comes Elle with 652 pages total and 442 ad pages. Heavy, indeed.

Not bad for those who say PRINT IS DEAD!

However, of greater interest to me are the two fall fashion magazines of our two most prominent newspapers: WSJ. The Wall Street Journal Magazine and the New York Times Style Magazine.

Cover of the Wall Street Journal Magazine

September 2013, Women's Style

Both magazines are a pleasure to peruse and read. (If you don't have copies. get them from your local library.) They are also available online.

The ads are beautifully designed and do effortlessly and seamlessly --with a little bit of help-- lead us gracefully to intriguing articles.

Isn't that what top of the line magazine journalism is supposed to do--to draw us into the mostly textual sections that can and should matter to us, perhaps, even make a difference in our lives?

Put another way, the sensuality of the models and products featured in the ads are designed to quicken our senses- male and female- then goad us to open up our wallets and buy!

Isn't that our expectation?

Then, hopefully, we should be in a frame of mind to expect and then, indeed, discover the quality of journalism that is the mark of these two papers.

The Times is 252 total pages and WSJ. is 160 pages. (Size is not the issue--it's layout, it's content. Agreed?)

Each has museum quality ads from Ralph Lauren, Armani and Chanel vying for the front and back cover ads -- as usual. After all, this publication is a showcase for their wares and they will renew their ads only if pleased with placement and quality of layout and content of articles.

With some 75 plus full page ads dominating the WSJ. publication, what room is there left  for content?

Sounds like a tug of war of sorts: ads fund the publication and hence must be prominent -- but should this bottom line consideration be at the 'expense' of articles?

The Editor's Letter offers a clue as to what to expect in each. So, kudos to both editors Kristina O'Neill of WSJ. and to Deborah Needleman of the Times.

Kristina O'Neill, Editor in Chief of WSJ. She

replaced Deborah Needleman who moved over to T Magazine 

(Photo courtesy of Fashionlogie.com)

In her Editor's Letter entitled Hidden Treasures, the globe-trotting Kristina first flies southward to South America where she heaps praises on Inhotim "an extraordinary installation of contemporary art in southeastern Brazil." She then directs our 'sails' to a Parisian superstar designer, the "effortlessly chic" Isabel Marant.

Her itinerary then has us fly across the Channel to London where "we spend time with founders of Saturday Group, fashion consultants who wear a dazzling array of creative hats."

Other venues include Sir Richard Branson's private game reserve Ulusaba in South Africa -- to 'meet' daughter Holly and her brother and a meeting with Guido Palau "the legendary hair stylist whose creativity is behind some of fashion's most iconic moments."

Collage of Venice from Wikipedia: at the top left is 

the Piazza San Marco, followed by a view of the city,

 the the Grand Canal and (smaller) the interior

 of La Fenice and lastly the island of San Giorgio Maggiore

The destination that impressed me the most is the Venice Biennale.

Why the Biennale?

It has lots and lots of outdoor public art especially in the Giardini and I am a great fan of public art!

My keen interest in public art and magazine media is depicted and exemplified by many blogs (ranging from the Rodin exhibit at the sculpture garden of the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University,  Stamford's Downtown Outdoor Art in Public Places exhibits, to Kandinsky and Picasso at the Guggenheim and Kandinsky: His Paris Years 1906-1907 and as editor and publisher of Brooklyn's Community Magazine ).

Cover of Mort Walker's The Best of Times

featuring original artwork by Mort 

I also served as advertising director at Mort Walker's Best of Times Magazine. (Mort just turned 90 and is as spright and alert as a man 30 years his junior).

I am fascinated by Venice -- a city I visited as a teenager -- where every two years "the city is transformed into a grand exhibition of contemporary artwork from around the globe."  It is as Mera Rubell said "so incredible because the contemporary art interacts with the historical context..."

The online slide show is a pleasure to scroll through as we encounter the portraits of the artists and curators and gallerists and collectors. The outstanding photography is by Daniel Jackson.

The article inspires me to visit Venice for the next Biennale. Any joiners out there?

Thank you WSJ. and staff and I look forward to your Men's Style issue just posted online.

Look for my hopefully shorter blog on T, The New York Times August/Fall Fashion Ladies Style Magazine. (Click here)

The August 25, 2013 cover of the Women's Fashion Issue

from the New York Times Style Magazine

Stories you may have missed and some you still might miss

California Chrome winning the 140th  Running of the 

Kentucky Derby
Photo from the Daily News 

1. The Kentucky Derby still has room for dreamers with modest means:  The winner this year, California Chrome, was purchased by  his owner for only $10,000 proving you don't have to be a multi-billion dollar Sultan to win.

2. In New York City, pre-kindergarten applicants are up 36%-- a milestone advancement in education. See my prior blog on why this is so important. Click here to view

3. With the help of Governor Molloy and Stamford Mayor David Martin, the loft artists' fund raiser was a success. Monies raised will fund the LAA's free summer art workshop for children.

4. A nepotism ordinance in Stamford city government hiring is advancing thanks to the Board of Representative's mandating human resources officials to write and implement such a policy.

5. The Greenwich Arts Council is again sponsoring a public display of art along Greenwich Avenue. For the 17th year running, art will be displayed on the walls and among the merchandise through May 26th.

Canyon Flow by Ann Marie Tetelman

Best of Show at Spirit of Water exhibition 

6. The Stamford Art Association's juried art show entitled, Spirit of Water, opened at the Ferguson Library and and will be on display until July.

7. The annual Royce and Dr. Alfred Wolfsohn Lecture will be held on Tuesday, May 13 at 8 PM at Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford. The speaker is Rabbi Abe Cooper of the Wiesenthal Center, whose subject is Report from the Trenches: The New and More Virulent European Antisemitism.

8.. Kudos again to Bob Dilenschneider, Hearst Media Services CT  and other sponsors of the Civility in America series. Abraham Foxman will speak about Civility in Public Life on Tuesday, May 20th at 6 PM. Reservations are recommended. Call 203-964-1000 or register online at     http//www.sacredheart.edu/civilityinamerica
For an illuminating three year history of this seminal series at Ferguson, click here 

9. Americares Free Clinics in Stamford, Norwalk, Danbury and Bridgeport will be provided free drugs by Boehringer Inglehiem. Three classes of drugs will be provided: antibiotics, those to treat high blood pressure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Over 3,000 Connecticut residents without insurance who use these clinics will be aided.

Stamford Outdoor Public Art: High Ridge Park Corporate Center

Click on this Video to Experience Mobile Art Work at

High Ridge Park Corporate Center

Just behind the High Ridge Center Strip Mall near Merritt Parkway exit 35, lies one of the public art gems of Stamford: a mobile artwork sitting at the entrance to an inviting business park

In front of Building Two of the High Ridge Park Corporate Center sits a most fascinating work of art. As seen in both the photo and video, the piece rests on a circular conical base, attached to which are two more winglike cones that move about in the wind currents.

Consisting of 6 buildings built over a 6 year period from 1967-1973 on 40 acres, the park affords the visitor a marvelous, serene, green space environment replete with outdoor pools and sitting areas around the buildings.

It is well worth the trip and shows what planning and foresight can produce here in our jewel like, pristine environs.

Stamford Downtown is Rich in New Deal Paintings by James Daugherty

New Deal Art Mural (1934) by James Daugherty

at the Jeremy Richard Library at UConn Stamford 

"School Activities" shown above  and "New England Tradition"  shown below are two of seven murals painted by James Daugherty (1887-1974) for the octagonal  music room at Stamford High School. The mural was commissioned under the New Deal's Public Work of Art program and was completed in four months in 1934. 

"New England Tradition" mural by Daugherty hangs 

in the stairwell at the Ferguson Library 

The murals were retrieved in 1970 from a trash container where they had been dumped as part of a renovation.  At this time they had been cut into 30 sections. Hiram Hoelzer a New York art conservator restored six of them over a 16 year period and the city of Stamford bought them back in 2003 with major funding from the the Ruth W. Brown Foundation, the City of Stamford and the State of Connecticut 

A free brochure prepared by Ferguson Library states that "Daugherty conceived the Stamford panels to show a progression of history, using people from many ethnic groups taking part in education, sports, industry, science and the arts. Daugherty used local teachers and students as models."

Daugherty's works hang in the Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Yale University and Smithsonian. 

Stamford's Art in Public Places Summer 2014: Street Seats

Prior  inspiring  Art in Public Places shows, sponsored by the Stamford Downtown have been reported  and include slide shows of :  Reigning Cats and Dogs, Best of the Outdoor Sculptures,  Horsin Around and  last year's Downtown Abstractions. 

This year's show, entitled Street Seats features 40 originally designed and painted wooden benches found in the downtown area including our parks. Visit www.Stamford-downtown.com for a map to tour the exhibit.

Here are a few images from the exhibit to whet your appetite.

"Know your Roots" by Future 5 Art Students:

Lewis Derogene, Mykeyla Brown,Stefany Espinoza and Izzy Gomez

Sponsor: TORMAR Associates  LLC of Stamford 

One of my favorites: Can you guess 

where this bench is located? 

Again, kudos to Sandy Goldstein and her staff at Stamford Downtown for a very imaginative and  inspiring show and of course all the many sponsors of this year's exhibit.  

   

My Favorite Sculpture at Stamford's Art in Public Places 2011 Show: Personalities by Judith Peck

In my June 1, 2011 post, I presented a slide show of a representative sampling of the sculptures to be featured in Stamford's Art in Public Places Summer 2011 show. (Last summer, I posted a slide show of the Reigning Cats and Dogs Outdoor sculpture show as it was being readied for exhibition at the Landmark building.)

So, as you already know, Stamford has no dearth of outdoor art and part of my passion is to try to catch up with just a few with my trusty digital camera.

This year is no different. Just sample the 'difference': here's one for a spring day. 

As it turns out, this year my favorite piece, hands down,  is Personalities by Judith Peck, sponsored by SAC Capital Advisors, LP. Here is a slide show.



What makes this piece so captivating is the free form movement of the four white silhouetted figures.

You can almost feel and experience their movements as their young supple bodies sway freely on the swings and lateral ladders.

Each figure is in a different mobile position: one is crouching on a moving swing; another is doing a somersault; a third appears to be running on a track as his body is tilted to the right; finally, the fourth is leaning to his left on a plane above all the others.

Though the artist captures and isolates each figure , there is a unity of motion and a harmony of vibrant spirit common to all four.

The show is a must visit for all Stamford citizens.  The sculptures are primarily clustered along Bedford, Summer, Atlantic and Broad Streets downtown.

Personalities (number 17 on the map, click below)  is aptly located in Latham Park opposite the Avon Theater.

Now that you know which piece is my favorite, I want to know which is your favorite!

Here is a map to this year's Wit and Whimsy Outdoor show.

...And the winner of the Citizen of the Year Award goes to Bob Dilenschneider and Stamford's Mayor Michael Pavia

Bob Dilenschneider the man behind 

the Civility in America series 
Courtesy of the Hearst Media Group

"There is no man that embodies civility, decency and love of country and community more than this man."

These words of praise for the creator of the concept of Civility in American Series, Bob Dilenschneider, were pronounced by Joel Klein at The Ferguson Library as he began his talk on civility in education.

Joel Klein, former Chancellor of New York City 

Department of Education

courtesy of democraticunderground.com

These two leaders in their respective fields of Public Relations and Education  have known each other for over 10 years and exude tremendous respect for each other. (click here to watch the entire segment).

I must wholeheartedly concur with Joel Klein's assessment and, for  reasons I will elaborate on, award Citizen of the Year award to both Bob Dilenschneider and  Mayor Michael Pavia of Stamford. The latter was instrumental in bringing the series to the Ferguson Library and  passionately exemplifies the values of open discourse in governing.

Under his aegis, Stamford has become, arguably, the most civilized city in our country.

Michael Pavia, Mayor of Stamford 
courtesy of archive constantcontact.com

In introducing the Civility in America series, back in September 2012, Dilenschneider remarked that an unfortunate incident erupted in his Public Relations business that underscored the need for there to be a rational and national discourse about what constitutes civility in various categories.

In this CBS radio broadcast of September 2012, hosted by Fran Schneidau, Bob is heard saying that the idea of civility has entered Presidential politics where it "has been elevated to a new level." (click here to access the printed story and when on the page click again on right arrow under the bold heading reading WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau on the Story to hear the interview)

Bob's brilliance and acumen is demonstrated by his elevating the level of discourse in many fields including but not limited to  ART, EDUCATION, BUSINESS, POLICE RELATIONS, ADMINISTRATION OF BASEBALL, THE MANAGEMENT OF SPORTS FRANCHISES AND, OF COURSE POLITICS.

We are so appreciative that he has decided to extend this amazing program's lineup of speakers into its THIRD YEAR. The next speaker in the series is George Martin, former defensive end of the New York Giants on Tuesday, January 14th at 6 PM. He will discuss civility on the gridiron. You can register at  http://www.sacredheart.edu/aboutshu/georgemartin. Contact  203-351-8231

Olympia Snowe
courtesy of wikipedia

Judging from the turnouts, the most popular speaker was undoubtedly Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine. There was an overflow crowd so many of us were shuttled off to another Ferguson room where there was a large screen TV set up.

She has vacated  her Senate seat to focus exclusively on restoring civility to a Congress that has been in a gridlock mode. Here is a link to my blog on her speech.

On the value of a liberal arts education in promoting civility, please read my blog on Georgia Nugent's speech http://rjschwartz.blogspot.com/2013/10/at-ferguson-library-former-president-of.html

Special mention must be made to sponsors of  the series: The Hearst Media Group, Purdue Pharma, The City of Stamford, The Ferguson Library and  Sacred Heart University.

Stamford's Art in Public Places: Carlos Dorrien's Sculpture of Justice

Front and Rear Views of Carlos Dorrien's Sculpture of

Justice at Entry Plaza of Stamford Courthouse, Stamford, Connecticut

As one enters the Courthouse at 123 Hoyt Street in Stamford, one cannot ignore a massive stately sculpture of the figure of Justice adjacent to another figure representing the Scales of Justice. The latter doubles as a seat for the weary.

The piece was executed in 2005 by Carlos Dorrien an Argentine native, who now lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts. It is a large granite figure with a figurehead who shows no emotions. Her eyes are seemingly blank as if to suggest that justice cannot show any favoritism and must often shut her eyes to emotion and consider the facts as presented.

It is a welcome addition to Stamford.

At Ferguson library , former President of Kenyon College stresses value of liberal arts education in Civility in America series

Georgia Nugent addresses the subject of civility in 

society Tuesday night  at the Ferguson Library in Stamford 

In her informative and entertaining presentation at the Ferguson Library Tuesday evening, Ms. Nugent laid out her case for both the enduring and civilizing value of a liberal arts education and the reasons for attending one of the 600 plus small private colleges in the United States.

Ms. Nugent attended  Princeton cum laude and is a member of its first graduating class to include women (1973).

She went on to earn her Ph.D in Classics at Cornell; then she taught at Swarthmore, Brown and  Princeton. 

She has the credentials to be an Ivy League President, but elected to be President of Kenyon College, a small top-rated liberal arts college with only 400 students in each class. 

Although she has strong affiliations with Ivy League institutions, it is not hard to imagine her strong attraction to Kenyon which sits on 1200 acres and where "it is hard to tell where the Kenyon College campus ends and where the small downtown begins."

She referenced a recent survey in which 71% of those polled indicated that civility is on the decline and 51% felt that civility continues to decline.

She first discussed the meaning of civility (Latin civis, "citizen") in Greece of the 5th century; It was in the nature of Greeks to live in the city. Socrates was perhaps the foremost philosopher of the era.

The Death of Socrates by Jacques Louis David, 1787
 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
.

The questions he  posed to the youth of Athens in the agora concerned how to live the virtuous(arete in Greek) life; in other words, how can one achieve one's potential?  He asked them questions such as what is justice, what is the best form of government and what is the best life.

The unexamined life is not worth living exclaimed Socrates as he refused to bow to the authorities and admit he was corrupting their youth. He drank hemlock and perished giving up his life in defense of his core principles.

True civility is not a live- and let- live proposition; it is not taking a whatever attitude and walk away.

True civility is confrontational. (more on this in Part II of this subject)

Plato from School of Athens by Raphael (1509)

The Raphael Rooms in the Vatican

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Socrates' student Plato catalogued his mentor's teaching in his Apologia.

Aristotle, Plato's student studied civility from the point of view of the polis (Greek for "city"). His motto was that "man is a political animal."

President John Adams, the second leader of our country

courtesy of Wikipedia

Our founding fathers Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton- all studied the classical writers and foremost in their minds in establishing our republic was writing a constitution of laws that would promote civility. It is important to keep in mind that their education was in institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Princeton which were primarily divinity schools.

Implicit in their thinking was that only citizens living a life inspired by biblical and classical precepts would possess the necessary preparation and skills to form a government and then enter public office to lead the republic.

Ms Nugent then linked the modern day liberal arts education to the classic teaching of Greek and Roman philosophers and the political philosophy of our founding fathers.

 She concluded her talk by doing some myth-busting.

1. A liberal arts education is only for the elite since terribly expensive. In fact 40% of liberal arts students come from lower income households. There is substantial financial aid and the net cost is the same as that of public schools. 28% liberal arts majors graduate without any debt .

2. The liberal arts education is impractical:  Included in the curricula are courses geared for the new digital age: courses in programming, web design, city planning, digital photography, online newspapers and magazines, bridge engineering, etc.

Governor Marion Cuomo of New York

speaking at a rally in 1991

photo courtesy of wikipedia

3.The graduates of liberal arts schools are unemployable. Mario Cuomo former governor of New   York State was an English major at St. John's College, Barbara Walters was an English major at     Sarah Lawrence College, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was an English Major at Holy Cross University and film director Steven Spielberg was an English major at California State University at Long Beach.

Kudos to Dr. Nugent for an excellent presentation.

P. S. There are still some major unanswered questions that I will simply   pose now; but know, dear reader, they must be dealt because the very survival of our global community depends on our duty, as Americans, to know in depth the history of other civilizations, especially the avowed strength and power of  China.

For instance, a major issue is whether the liberal arts education in a small private college setting will be more conducive to a rational civil  non-polarizing discourse between opposing parties than a similar program on the stage of a public university.

A second issue is whether Dr. Nugent can team up with another speaker we heard in Stamford's Civility in American series--  ex-Senator Olympia Snow of Maine.  (As you might remember from my prior blog, that amidst congressional gridlock, she abruptly quit her reelection campaign to focus on solving the near stalemate intransigent polarization that has beleaguered Congress)

And finally, why should NOT two other major global forces- the Islamic and Chinese cultures (including each one's  history, major influential writings, art and music ) be included in the so-called Core Course curriculum (click here for background) introduced by Columbia College nearly 100 years ago?

Have they not proven that they merit serious study--in light of major turbulences of the first 13 years of the 21st century-- and discussion alongside  traditional Western Civilization courses?

So stay tuned.....

Ten top POSITIVE news stories you might have missed these last few weeks

With the world's attention focused on the major ongoing stories of the Crimea special vote to rejoin Russia and the mysterious disappearance of the Malaysian Flight 370,  you might have missed some of these other POSITIVE stories in the news.

1. CVS STORES WITH OVER 7,600 CVS/CAREMARK OUTLETS WILL STOP SELLING CIGARETTES AND OTHER TOBACCO PRODUCTS IN ALL ITS STORES AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2014. It is estimated that CVS will lose close to $2 billion in annual sales. This must have been a difficult decision; however, with over 800 Minute-Clinics in these store and its great majority of business coming from promoting health wellness and clean living, this was the right decision.
     Perhaps, the Rhode Island based company can do more in the way of promoting online as well as live seminars on prevention and other  health related issues such as the importance of colon cancer screening that I will cover shortly. So, stay tuned!

2. HATS OFF TO DANIEL P. MALLOY  of Connecticut for PROPOSING THE SALE OF E-CIGS TO MINORS BE BANNED.  This device involves heating  a flavored nicotine liquid to produce a vapor that is like smoke.Though touted as a means of beating the  nicotine habit, these devices make smoking more attractive to the underage because mainly because  celebrities are seen with the devices.

3. COLON CANCER IN OUR COUNTRY IS DOWN 30% IN THE LAST DECADE.  This is despite that only 50% of those who should be screened are in fact going for the test. So wake up America and those adults who are 50 years of age and up, go visit your local primary care doctor.

Mae Keane

Hartford Courant 

 4. CLICK  HERE TO READ A STORY CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF A CONNECTICUT LADY WHO BEAT RADIATION POISONING, THEN CONQUERED COLON CANCER AND FINALLY BREAST CANCER. BY THE WAY, SHE JUST PASSED ON AT AGE 107!

5. KUDOS TO THE CITY OF STAMFORD AND MAYOR MARTIN FOR "POT HOLE WEEK"  whereby the public is invited to contact the city to report potholes that needed filling. Streets such as Upland Avenue in Belltown have been repaved to cover the numerous and dangerous pot holes.

6. A TINY PUBLISHER IS BRINGING NEWSWEEK BACK INTO PRINT. Click here for the story.

7. FORBES MAGAZINE, ONCE THE VERY SYMBOL OF AMERICAN CAPITALISM (CAPITALIST TOOL) AND LAVISH CORPORATE CONSUMPTION IS ON  THE BUYER'S BLOCK. Click here to read.   Malcolm Forbes rode motorcycles and entertained the capitalist elite on his yacht as he courted Elizabeth Taylor. Son Steve spent $140 million on two failed presidential bids. Malcolm had a fabulous collection of military art depicting in miniature famous world battles, which he opened for public viewing at his company building on Fifth Ave. just south of 14th Street.


8. AMERICA FACES UP TO ITS FAILING EDUCATION SYSTEM AS THE DEBATE HEATS UP BETWEEN FUNDING FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS (favored by Governor Cuomo of New York) AND FUNDING FOR PRE-K EDUCATION (favored by New York City's Mayor di Blasio).

9. A BRONX CHARTER SCHOOL PRESENTS ITS CASE TO OPEN AN ELEMENTARY BRANCH HERE IN STAMFORD CAUSING CONTROVERSY.To access the many articles recently published in the Stamford Advocate, click here. 

10. METRO NORTH FINALLY FACES UP TO ITS FAILED INFRASTRUCTURE. IS HOPE ON ITS WAY?  Click here for story..

Kudos to Harry Bennett Library for its Lecture on American Visionary Artists

Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth (1948)

Kudos to Harry Bennett Library and to Helane Rheingold on a most enlightening program on November 5th that highlighted the paintings of Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer.

Ms. Rheingold, a docent at the Neuberger Museum of Art and Arts Enrichment Facilitator at the Stamford Public Schools led a lively discussion.

She prefaced her talk by saying she was not planning on lecturing; to the contrary, she expected audience participation because she learns and continues to learn about the painters via our comments and feedback.

She has a facility for getting people to provide feedback and she orchestrated lively discussions about each painting.

She said that the three American artists were unique in that they were everyday people covering everyday objects.

With each painting she inspired the audience to discover minute details that enhanced our understanding of the work.

Thank you Harry Bennett and Ms. Rheingold.

In Case You Missed Roam Around in Stamford

The 2009 Stamford 16th annual downtown Outdoor Summer Arts presentation, Art in Public Places, featured 42 sculptures created by 18 different artists.

Alas, what a beautiful and inspiring show and a pity the show has come and gone so quickly. Fortunately, on September 3rd, I was able to catch the last hours of some of the 42 'stars' of the show in our community as they were being assembled and loaded onto moving trucks on their way to Loveland, Colorado.

All the pieces are incredible including some my Power Shot was fortunate to capture for this slide show; of particular interest is Del Pettigrew's Gracle Mania (blackbirds) and Two's Company, Kent Ullberg's bear Waiting for Sockeye and Thomas Ottenberg's But, I Feel Fine (the upside down gymnast balancing on a horse with one hand) and Tundra by Virginia Sperry.

For more photos and information about the show, log onto the Stamford Downtown website Enjoy this year's show. See you next year!

Stamford's Downtown Architecture: The Atrium at UConn

The View of the Central Atrium at UConn Stamford

When in downtown Stamford, a visit to the University of Connecticut campus is a must because of the airy and spacious atrium that is at the core of the building. Once home to Bloomingdales that closed in 1990, the current building was erected in 1998 after extensive renovations and affords the visitor a wonderful opportunity to experience the midday sun streaming in the windows and enjoy a lunch from the student cafe on the ground floor.

In the following video, you will experience the feeling of openness, friendliness and connection to the downtown that makes this space so unique. It's a great place for the students to pursue their studies and for the visitor to enjoy a lunch and take in one of the many art shows that are free to the public. Inexpensive parking at $1 for 2 hours is available at Target across the street.

Harry Bennett Library hosts a captivating lecture on Gertrude Stein and her Artists: Matisse, Picasso and Cezanne

Pablo Picasso, Portrait of Gertrude Stein, 1906

Helaine Rheingold presented a slide show illustrating works by three towering late 19th and 20th century artists-- Cezanne, Matisse and Picasso.

The large community room of the Bennett library was nearly filled to capacity.

 Ms. Rheingold did not disappoint the crowd because she has a unique style of engaging her audience.

At the outset, she made it very clear that you are going to be direct participants; I will be inviting your comments. Sure enough, the audience quickly became willing participants as she often peppered her remarks with questions that were eagerly answered.

Here are just a few points she made:

Cezanne liked painting still lifes because he had no patience in dealing with people who would cause so much trouble; he would insist his subjects sit silently still for hours on end. In painting Ambrose Vollard a portrait dealer, Cezanne demanded he sit on a kitchen chair atop a flimsy packing case from 8AM until 11:30 PM. Once, when Vollard dozed off and nearly fell, Cezanne shouted, "Does an apple move?"

Picasso claimed that Cezanne was "my one and only master...Cezanne was like the father of us all."

Paul Cezanne, Plate of Peaches, 

1879-1880

Matisse set up a serious daily regimen because he panicked (shook, swore, sweated) when he painted. He would get up at 7AM and play his violin for two hours in a remote bathroom. For the next three hours, he would paint and after lunch would either nap, or stroll past Aleppo pines in the garden to one of the cafes. At four, he would return to his easel until dark. He would close the shades and do some drawing. 

Picasso left  a legacy of over thirty thousand paintings. Little known are the lifelike portraits he did of his father and his wife Olga. He also did caricatures of other famous artists' works such as Velazquez's famous Las Meninas. 

Indeed Picasso was known to have said "Good artists copy, great artists steal." 

By the way, Ms. Rheingold is a docent at the Neuberger Museum of Art and Arts Enrichment Facilitator with the Stamford Public Schools. 

Recalling Alexander Rummler, Norwalk, Connecticut Artist Who Spent the Last 18 Years of His Life in Stamford

Rummler Self Portrait

The above painting was a result of many request by visitors to Mr. Rummler's studio in South Norwalk, CT. They kept asking him to paint himself in a portrait when he is working on one of his works. So, he accommodated them and the above work is the result. It hangs in the atrium of Norwalk City Hall. "Mopping for Starfish" is in the background and hangs on the third floor .

Born in Dubuque, Iowa, Alexander Rummler (July 25, 1867-1959), studied at the Art Students League of New York. He then continued his studies at the Academie Julian in Paris.

He achieved fame when his painting of the signing of the World War I armistice was displayed on billboards across the county.

In 1907, he moved to South Norwalk. Then in 1926, he was chosen as the artist to represent Connecticut at The Sesquicentennial Exposition held in Philadelphia of the same year. His paintings won first place.

In 1936, under a Works Public Administration commission, he painted murals at Norwalk High School which was then being built. He painted 16 murals and eight smaller works illustrating Norwalk life-such as the oyster factories, fishing ,etc.

Rummler moved to Stamford in 1941 where he died in 1959; he lived to age 92.

Image Source (1)

A Preview of Stamford's Art in Public Places, June-August 2012, Horsin' Around

4/29/2012

Stamford Art in Public Places Summer 2011 is a happening event