The Artful Mind March 2019

PROMOTING THE ARTS IN THE BERKSHIRES SINCE 1994

MARCH 2019

THE ARTFUL MIND

BRIAN GARMAN Photographed by Edward Acker

CAROLYN NEWBERGER Forest Revelations

Autumn Ferns and Red and Yellow Mushrooms

www.carolynnewberger.com

watercolor 5x16 inches

617-877-5672

2018

MARK MELLINGER

THE ARTFUL MIND ARTZINE

MARCH 2019 “If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.” -Marc Chagall

JAY CALDWELL CALDWELL GALLERY HUDSON... 8 KARL SALITER ARTIST... 16 OUR REMAINS OF THE DAY: A GREEN NEW DEAL CARL BERG AND JUDY BERG... 22 BRIAN GARMAN CO-FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR BERKSHIRE OPERA FESTIVAL Photography by Edward Acker... 24 JONATHON LOY CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION BERKSHIRE OPERA FESTIVAL... 29 DAVID REED &THE INTROVERTS... 32 CHAIR

PIGMENT ON CARDBOARD 5 X 3”

100 North St Pittsfield Painting - Collage - Construction 914. 260. 7413 markmellingerart.com markmellinger680@gmail.com

RICHARD BRITELL FALDONI PT 7. FICTION... 36 SCOTT BARROW PHOTOGRAPHY... 38 LAURA PIAN GRANDMA BECKY’S OLD WORLD RECIPES BLACK-OUT CABBAGE SOUP... 44

Contributing Writers and Monthly Columnists Richard Britell, Carl and Judy Berg, Laura Pian Photographers Edward Acker, Tasja Keetman Publisher Harryet P. Candee Copy Editor

Marguerite Bride

Advertising and Graphic Design

Harryet P. Candee

artfulmind@yahoo.com issuu.com instagram FB

413 854 4400 FYI: ©Copyright laws in effect throughout The Artful Mind for logo & all graphics including text material. Copyright laws for photographers and writers throughout The Artful Mind. Permission to reprint is required in all instances. In any case the issue does not appear on the stands as planned due to unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, advertisers will be compensated on a one to one basis. All commentaries by writers are not necessarily the opinion of the publisher and take no responsibility for their facts and opinions.

2 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

JENNIFER PAZIENZA

Winter Works in Progress To learn about Jennifer’s work, please see her artist video m.youtube.com/watch?v=xb9WOTpLfI4 Follow her on https://www.instagram.com/jenniferpazienza/ Visit her website at, http://www.jenniferpazienza.com/ Contact her at, jennpazienza@gmail.com

artfulmind@yahoo.com Calendar ART

UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY 1400 WASHINGTON AVE, ALBANY, NY • MUSEUM@ALBANY.EDU Nicole Cherubini, thru April 6; Louise Lawler: Birdcalls 1972/81, thru April 6

510 WARREN STREET GALLERY 510 WARREN STREET, HUDSON, NY 518-822-0510 510warrenstreetgallery@gmail.com / 510warrenstreetgallery.com Peggy Reeves: Crossings, new chemigrams, Mar 1 Mar 31; Also featuring, The “New World Coracle”, a handmade boat by Hilary Russell. Friday & Saturday, 12 - 6, Sunday 12 - 5 or by app

VAULT GALLERY 322 MAIN ST, GT. BARRINGTON, MA • 413-644-0221 Marilyn Kalish at work and process on view, beautiful gallery and wonderful collection of paintings

AMUSE GALLERY 7 RAILROAD AVE, CHATHAM, NY • 518-392-1060 / www.amusechatham.com Through the Lens, thru Mar 31. A.P.E LTD. GALLERY 126 MAIN ST, NORTHAMPTON, MA • WWW.APEARTS.COM A JOURNEY: Rita Edelman and Kate Whittaker Paintings. April 3 -28, 2019 Artist Reception, April 12, 5-8 pm BERKSHIRE MUSEUM 39 SOUTH ST., PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS BERKSHIRE MUSEUM • 413-443-7171 HTTP://WWW.BERKSHIREMUSEUM.ORG/ | PITTSFIELD BerkshireNow: Pat Hogan, Feb 1- April 28 BERNAY FINE ART 325 STOCKBRIDGE ROAD IN GREAT BARRINGTON, MA WWW.BERNAYFINEART.COM Works by eleven artists will be featured in the inaugural show including Sandra Byers, Francesco Clemente, Warner Friedman, Jean-Claude Goldberg, Jessica Hess, Robert Mangold, Joe Neill, Linda Pochesci, Marjory Reid, David Ricci, and Janet Rickus. Mar 9, 5-7pm inaugural reception CLARK ART INSTITUTE 225 SOUTH ST, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA WWW.CLARKART.EDU/ | WILLIAMSTOWN Thomas Gainsborough, thru Mar 17 FRONT STREET GALLERY 129 FRONT ST, HOUSATONIC, MA • 413-274-6607 Kate Knapp oils and watercolors and classes open to all. GEOFFREY YOUNG GALLERY 40 RAILROAD STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON MA REALITY HUNGER March 1 -- 29, 2019 Exhibition opening: Saturday March 2, 5-7pm Gallery hours: Thursday -- Sunday, Noon to Six HUDSON HALL 327 WARREN ST, HUDSON, NY HELLO@HUDSONHALL.ORG Hudson Athens Light: MAR 23 – JUNE 9, RECEPTION Mar 23, 5-7pm: Curated by Richard Roth: Hudson Athens Light, an exhibition of paintings, photography and sculpture, illuminates and corroborates the ecological, historical, commercial and aesthetic splendors of our bend in the Hudson River since the days it was the Mahicantuck. LISA VOLLMER PHOTOGRAPHY NEW STUDIO + GALLERY 325 STOCKBRIDGE ROAD, GT. BARRINGTON • 413-429-6511 / www.lisavollmer.com The Studio specializes in portrait, event, editorial and commercial photography : by appointment. The Gallery 4 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

WORKSHOPS

Still Life Love Life, 2019, giclee print (1/10 edition), 7 x 7 inches Laetitia Hussain: Still Life Love Life On Saturday, March 30th, there will be an exhibition of works by Laetitia Hussain. The work will be on display Through April 2 reception for the artist on Saturday, March 30

JOHN DAVIS GALLERY 362 1/2 WARREN STREET HUDSON, NEW YORK 518-828-5907 / art@johndavisgallery.com

represents Sabine Vollmer von Falken, Thatcher Hullerman Cook, Carolina Palermo Schulze and Tom Zetterstrom. (Open daily from 11-4pm closed on Wednesdays) MASS MoCA 1040 MASSMOCA WAY, NORTH ADAMS, MA • 413-662-2111 Laurie Anderson, thru 2019; Louise Bourgeois, thru 2019 MARGUERITE BRIDE HOME STUDIO AT 46 GLORY DRIVE PITTSFIELD, MA • 413- 841-1659 or 413-442-7718 MARGEBRIDE-PAINTINGS.COM FB: MARGUERITE BRIDE WATERCOLORS NO. 6 DEPOT 6 DEPOT ST, WEST STOCKBRIDGE, MA Artist Kathline Carr: places in colour and shadow; mindfulness tea tasting, Mar 16, 4-5:30 NORMAN ROCKWELL 9 MASSACHUSETTS 183, STOCKBRIDGE, MA Frank E. Schoonover: American Visions, Thru May 27, 2019; SAMUEL DORSKY MUSEUM OF ART, STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, NEW PALTZ 1 HAWK DRIVE, NEW PALTZ, NY • WWW.NEWPALTZ.EDU/MUSEUM Linda Mary Montano: The Art/Life Hospital. Curated by Anastasia James, thru April 14, 2019; Just My Type: Angela Dufresne. Curated by Anastasia James thru July 14 SCHANTZ GALLERIES 3 ELM ST, STOCKBRIDGE, MA • 413-298-3044 schantzgalleries.com Hours: Daily, 10:30 - 5

DEB KOFFMAN’S ARTSPACE 137 FRONT ST, HOUSATONIC, MA • 413-274-1201 Sat: 10:30-12:45 class meets. No experience in drawing necessary, just a willingness to look deeply and watch your mind. This class is conducted in silence. Adult class. $10, please & call to register. First Tuesday of every month

FILM OLD CHATHAM QUAKER MEETING OLD CHATHAM QUAKER MEETINGHOUSE, 539 COUNTY ROUTE 13, OLD CHATHAM, NY, ACROSS FROM PITT HALL ROAD AND POWELL HOUSE / www.oldchathamquakers.org • 518-794-3048 “Planetary” screening Saturday, April 6, 2019, Potluck at 6:00 PM, film at 7:00pm IMAGES CINEMA 50 Spring Street, Williamstown, MA Movie Line: 413-458-5612 ‘CELEBRATE STUDIO GHIBLI SERIES’Famed Japanese Animation Studio Retrospective:March November 2019: see schedule!PRINCESS MONONOKE:Sat,April 13, 11am, Sunday, April 14, 1pm + 8pm: Princess Mononoke is a landmark of animation and a film of unsurpassed power and beauty. An epic story of conflict between humans, gods, and nature, the film has been universally acclaimed by critics and broke box office records on its original release in Japan.

MUSIC CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC THE MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER GT. BARRINGTON, MA • 413-528-0100 ton. Three Russian Giants: Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Scriabin. “TROIKA À LA RUSSE” will be presented by Close Encounters with Music on Saturday, March 23, 6 pm CLUB HELSINKI HUDSON 405 COLUMBIA ST., HUDSON, NY • 518-828-4800 heslinkihudson.com / info@helsinkihudson.com Sat, April 13 : The Suitcase Junket

ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM

MATT CHINIAN

Open Studio

138 W. MAIN ST. CAMBRIDGE, NY

Sunday March 31 10-5

COBBLE HILL ROAD, WHITE CREEK, NY 11 X 12”

AGWAY, SCAGHTICOKE, NY 14 X 16”

MY WEBSITE/BLOG: HTTP://WWW.MATTCHINIAN.COM/ INSTAGRAM:

FACEBOOK:

@MATTCHINIAN MATT CHINIAN

Open Studios of Washington County July 19 - 21, 2019 http://studiotour.org/visit-washington-county-art-studios

CELLIST, YEHUDA HANANI

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC “TROIKA À LA RUSSE”

ARTIST KATE KNAPP

FRONT ST. GALLERY

PORTRAIT OF JOAN GRISWOLD FOR WEBSITE USE

Pastels, oils, acrylics and watercolors…abstract and representational…..landscapes, still lifes and portraits….a unique variety of painting technique and styles….you will be transported to another world and see things in a way you never have before…. join us and experience something different. Painting classes continue on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10-1:30pm at the studio and Thursday mornings out in the field. These classes are open to all...come to one or come again if it works for you. All levels and materials welcome. Private critiques available. Classes at Front Street are for those wishing to learn, those who just want to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art, and/or those who have some experience under their belt. Perfect if you are seeking fresh insight into watercolors, and other mediums. A teacher for many years, Kate Knapp has a keen sense of each student’s artistic needs to take a step beyond. Perfect setting for setting up still lifes; lighting and space are excellent. Peek in to see! Front Street Gallery – Front Street, Housatonic, MA. Gallery open by appointment or chance anytime. 413-528-9546 at home or 413-429-7141 (cell).

berkshire digital | collins editions Opening in 2005, we do fine art printing for artists, photographers and anyone needing our services. These Giclée prints, can be made in many different sizes from 5”x7” to 42” x 80” on archival papers. In addition to the printing services, we create accurate photo-reproductions of paintings and illustrations, and can have client’s film scanned into digital files, for use in books, magazines, brochures, cards and websites. We also offer restoration and repair of damaged or faded photographs. A complete overview of services offered, along with pricing, can be seen on the web at www.BerkshireDigital.com A newly added service, is photographic portraits of artists in their studios, or wherever they would like, for use in magazines, as the author’s picture in a book, websites or cards. See samples of artist portraits on the website at www.BerkshireDigital.com The owner, Fred Collins, has been a commercial and fine art photographer for over 30 years having had studios in Boston and Stamford. He offers over 25 years of experience with Photoshop™ enabling retouching, restoration and enhancement to prints and digital files. The studio is located in Mt Washington but drop-off and pick-up is available through Frames On Wheels, located at 84 Railroad Street in Great Barrington, MA (413) 528-0997. Reach the Studio: (413) 644-9663, or go online to www.BerkshireDigital.com

Three Russian Giants: Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Scriabin. “TROIKA À LA RUSSE” will be presented by Close Encounters with Music on Saturday, March 23, 6 pm, Mahaiwe Great Barrington Ukrainian-born pianist Inna Faliks (“adventurous and passionate”— The New Yorker) and Yehuda Hanani present a program rich in Russian lore, Slavic emotionalism, Soviet-era sarcasm, and dazzling virtuosity: the cello/piano sonatas by Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and Scriabin’s Sonata No. 5, which pianist Sviatoslav Richter considered the most difficult piece in the entire piano repertory. Rachmaninoff’s sonata is passionate and emotionally torrential, a survivor from the 19th century. Prokofiev, on the other hand, dubbed “bad boy of Russian music” by the establishment for his earlier avant-garde style, has written here a work that is mellow and reflective. In the Close Encounters With Music tradition, each performance is followed by an AFTERGLOW reception, with hors d’oeuvres and wine provided by local restaurants. Audiences can savor the music and fun as well as the culinary connections with us at our thematic concerts and post-concert receptions this season! Close Encounters with Music - Tickets, $50 (Orchestra and Mezzanine), $27 (Balcony) and $15 for students, are available at The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center box office, 413-528-0100, mahaiwe.org. Pro-rated subscriptions to the seven concert Close Encounters series are available to purchase on our website, cewm.org or by calling 800-843-0778.

Acting is the expression of a neurotic impulse. It's a bum's life. Quitting acting, that's the sign of maturity. Marlon Brando

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THE ARTFUL MIND

Inaugural Show

Sandra Byers

Works by: Sandra Byers Francesco Clemente Warner Friedman Jean-Claude Goldberg Jessica Hess Robert Mangold Joe Neill Linda Pochesci Marjory Reid David Ricci Janet Rickus

Convolution

MARCH 9 — APRIL 20 2019 Gallery opening and reception for the artists

Saturday March 9 5-7 PM

Linda Pochesci The South End David Ricci Which Winch

325 Stockbridge Road SUITE #1 413-645-3421

Great Barrington, MA

www.bernayfineart.com

JAY CALDWELL enjoying a cappuccino on 2nd Floor, April Gornik (1996) in the background

JAY CALDWELL CALDWELL GALLERY HUDSON INTERVIEW BY H. CANDEE How do you introduce yourself to people that walk into your gallery for the first time? Jay Caldwell: Everyone is welcome at Caldwell Gallery Hudson. First time visitors are provided a brief overview of our mission which remains unchanged after forty-six years: to bring art of lasting merit and value to the walls of our private and museum clients. After that, we step aside. And any “drawing in” which occurs at the gallery needs to be done by the art on our walls. If someone isn’t quite sure about what they like, we’re happy to suggest they start with the “Three L’s” of art collecting: Look, Look, Look. Visit museums, galleries and art fairs. It's the only way to hone one’s interests, tastes and aesthetic. We advise aspiring collectors to NOT buy any art until they fully understand what makes their hearts sing, and why. And whether you’re a beginning collector or seasoned one, if an artwork doesn’t speak to your mind, body, and soul…don’t buy it! Are you in charge of everything at this gallery? Jay: We’re a small family business with a custom tailored “boutique-like” approach to servicing our client’s needs. I’m in charge of everything, it seems, from the boardroom to the shipping center to the janitor’s closet - which will come as no surprise to any small business owner. My sister Cynthia handles all of our online outreach, website administration, and search engine optimization - a crucial part 8 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

of our success - and she also covers the gallery during the times I can’t be there. The gallery is beautiful! Two floors so well designed. Were you the planner and designer? Jay: This is our first brick and mortar gallery, and I wish I could take all the credit for what visitors experience beginning with our sidewalk window and ending in the far reaches of our second floor space. But the real force behind our “look and feel” is my good friend and fellow dealer Ronald Wells. His guidance and suggestions during our 6-8 month build out phase resulted in the palette, textures and strategies we employed to craft a space that allows our art to look its best. One thing we consciously avoided was situating an imposing entryway desk/wall designed to let visitors know they were being scrutinized. Anyone who has visited certain galleries in large urban areas knows exactly what I'm referring to. Our spacious, comfortable, and welcoming environment has prompted even experienced gallery and museum goers to comment “what a great space”. When I’m moving through our first and second floor galleries, or our art book filled office, all I can think is “I love being at work!”. Housing and showcasing works of art by passed on artists must set off a gallery vibe of history and mystery. Do you ever get a feeling that some of these artists are still lingering around?

Jay: They are indeed lingering and hanging around - on our walls! The lives great artists lived, the struggles they surmounted (or succumbed to), the dreams they dared to dream, the hope and blood and sweat and tears they put into their act of creation - all of those “ghosts” reside somewhere in the presence of their artworks. Great art is both of its time, and timeless - and that resonance is what makes us (and our clients!) keep falling in love - again and again and again - with the art that ends up on our walls. What services do you provide? Jay: Over the years we have performed so many possible services that I sometimes feel like that ridiculously giant Swiss Army knife with 35 different blades and gadgets. But we do tend to focus on what our strengths are - assessing artworks for their inherent and lasting aesthetic merits and value. So while we are capable of acting as a liaison to just about anything which might come into play regarding a work of art, our primary mission is to offer exceptional artworks which have been thoroughly vetted for authenticity, condition, provenance, and comparative value. We do work internationally, but as our focus is 95% on American art 1800-2000, most of our clients are American. How did the gallery first start? When you picked it up, did you change it much? Jay: My dad hung his shingle out as a private dealer

Interior of Caldwell Gallery Hudson in 1973. He was forty-four years old when he decided to “do what he loved, so he could love what he did”. After turning his avocation as a serious collector into his vocation, he never looked back. He passed away in October 2017 at eighty-eight years old, having never wanted to retire. People still come into the gallery wondering if “that really enthusiastic older gentleman with white hair” is still around. He loved being an art dealer, and had the same amount of enthusiasm working with a beginning collector as he did with many of the seasoned, serious collectors we’ve had as clients for, in some cases, four decades. His principles and approach to business remain unchanged to this day, and I’ve been involved for thirty-four years since graduating college in 1985. The changes I brought to the table can mostly be summarized as greater involvement with modern and post-war art movements, and a commitment to computer technology and the internet. We were on the world wide web before many of the largest galleries were, although I shudder to recall our first website. In our defense, many of the biggest companies in world had early websites which were cringeworthy! Warren Street is an ideal location for a fine art gallery. Can you give us an idea of the changes you’ve seen take place over the past decade? Jay: We’ve been in Hudson almost 5 years now, and many businesses have come and gone as rents trend

upward. You’d have to ask some of the more longterm pioneers of Hudson’s revival for more detailed observations, though. We’re on the 300 block, which I understand used to be considered a bit like “near Siberia” when compared to the 4, 5 and 600 blocks heading up the hill. But that seems to have changed dramatically since we’ve been here, and we’re delighted to be right where we are. Having a sizable municipal parking lot next to our building is also a plus! We love the energy of Hudson, and for 250 years this little city has been a beacon, magnet and crossroads possessing a unique energy. If anyone knew the ingredients, they could bottle it and make a fortune selling it! What artists are your favorite and most sought after? Jay: This is a tough set of questions, as the artists we handle fluctuate depending on what we're able to find and purchase which we deem worthy of our, and eventually our client's, walls. As secondary market dealers, we’re usually purchasing one work at a time, by an artist who is deceased. And we might buy a work from a rare artist - and not be able to purchase another work by that artist for twenty years. My favorites change regularly, as that’s not something I can consciously control. The 400+ works of art we have in inventory are like my kids - and my favorite kid changes regularly! Going back over my time at the gallery, we've made sales to

more than thirty museums, and some of the most memorable artists in that grouping are Frederic Remington, Henry Koerner, Thomas Moran, Severin Roesen, Katherine Dreier and Norman Lewis. All standout artists, and the works we sold were exceptional examples. What is your opinion on framing art? Jay: Any time there is an existing original or artistmade frame, we will retain that - unless it seems somehow dated or inappropriate in which case we might reframe while retaining the original frame to accompany the work when sold. I like to think of framing as something where there are usually numerous “right” ways to do it, but definitely a lot more “wrong” ways! Personal tastes come into play with framing, and we work with each buyer in terms of making any framing adjustments they would find most suitable. With framing, sometimes less is more…and sometimes more is more. Our eyes usually tell us which is which! Lighting systems are a crucial part of the gallery. Dealing with an historic building, did you encounter similar challenges? Jay: We’re in an old building updated with modern mechanics and infrastructure. We had no problems with “having enough juice”, so we were able to specify the type of track lighting where we wanted. Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 9

JAY CALDWELL

By choosing any combination of halogen or LED bulbs for our fixtures, we can create any effect we choose. I will add that when I started in the business, the gallery world seemed to have a “bright lights of broadway” approach to lighting - the brighter the better. As the years have passed, we’ve been lighting with less and less light - and it’s amazing how much MORE you actually can see when you aren’t washing out a work with too much light. This “less is more” approach actually mirrors what most collectors have available in their homes, so it’s a great strategy all around. Museums are very much into this approach these days, with archival considerations also being a factor. When your gallery becomes filled with people, and they are sipping wine, looking at art, whispering, all dressed nice, you must feel a thrill, yes? Preparing for an opening must be a big task! Jay: Openings are kind of like being the host at Thanksgiving. You’re up at 5am, you fall into bed at midnight…and in between you get 5 minutes to enjoy the festivities and wolf down a plate of turkey. There are so many details involved in preparing an opening that you almost always feel “I wish we had one more day”. But, having said that, the energy of 10 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

CALDWELL GALLERY HUDSON

INTERIOR

openings is indeed thrilling! What are your thoughts on the difference between buying art on line and directly in person? Jay: The main reason we opened a brick and mortar gallery was to allow the works we love to be experienced first-hand. There simply is nothing which comparable to that sensory experience. We live in an age where the entire world seems photoshopped and pixellated and distorted and in some sense viewing an artwork online by definition carries that inherent flaw or limitation. We consider our website and informational PDF’s we send via email as a way to whet our client’s appetites and spark interest and engagement. And that needs to be followed up with an actually viewing of an artwork in person - either at the gallery or on approval in a client’s home. Only then can they can fully understand whether they can’t live without it! While in college, what did you study that helped to prepare you for the gallery/art world? Jay: I followed in my father’s footsteps, attending both Deerfield Academy (which is located in a village swirling with history and filled with antiques) and Dartmouth College. I graduated Dartmouth in 1985 with a degree in economics, and I wish I could

say I took a romantic and focused academic path toward my career as a gallery owner. But other than being dragged around as kids by parents who were combining family vacations with gallery going and antiquing, my real education didn’t begin until 1985 when I joined the family business for a six month trial and realized I had found my calling. Thirty four years later, my education continues, with no end in sight. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s why being an art dealer is one of the most interesting and stimulating businesses there is - we’re always learning, constantly being exposed to new and interesting artworks, and we get to fall in love with beautiful things on a regular basis! Does your private home look like your gallery or is it different? Jay: Both my home upstate and vacation property in Vermont are Mid-century modern in aesthetic. I wanted our townhouse in Vermont to feel like an artfilled urban loft with vintage modern furniture - but with the beautiful Green Mountains just outside the windows. Where do you go to get energized and destressed? So much of what is going on today affects us, and is just steeped in high adrenaline

VIEW FROM WARREN STREET, HUDSON, NEW YORK

brain activity. Maybe, your father’s life was a lot different. How do you see yourself following in his footsteps in terms of the lifestyle you want? Jay: Being on a mountain top with a pair of skis on my feet is always energizing to me. My mind becomes free of static. I also like hiking, mountain biking, and swimming holes in summer. Dad and I started taking regular fly-fishing trips once I joined the business. Those were special times for us, when we both felt we could leave the business behind, play cribbage, meet new people, and of course catch and release trophy salmon and trout. We traveled as far away as Russia, Alaska, and Canada, sharing a special bond as we casted together in those lakes and rivers, ending our days watching what seemed like a thousand sunsets together. On one trip to Alaska we bought an important work of American folk art - now in a museum - from a house where the nearest neighbor was fifteen miles away. So we weren't just fishing for fish! Our lifestyle can be summed up in the following way - there’s nothing better than being your own boss. It may be easier for you if you take on interns at the gallery? Jay: We aren’t taking any interns these days, and did so only a few times in the distant past. This is

not out of any malice towards interns, and we are asked regularly if we would be interested in doing so. But the fit, timing, and ability to “outsource” our human capital just isn’t there. When you call, email or visit Caldwell Gallery Hudson, it’s a Caldwell who will be on the line, the internet, or standing in front of you. What is your favorite time period in history? Jay: The 1930s to 1960s are generally my favorite time period, with a modern aesthetic at the core. But that’s a fairly broad range, and I'm regularly mesmerized by very traditional art. That’s what keeps this business so stimulating and fresh - you never know what your eyes will fall in love with when you wake up every morning!

be, or if they are just coming in to look. We only hope they have a desire to connect with art - and share the kindred spirit all art lovers possess. In terms of coffee, Hudson is home to numerous great coffee shops, but since we share a wall with Moto Coffee Machine, I better say Moto! Owner Antony and team source character laden beans - and I'm a big fan of their strong, smooth brews. I should also add that due to the coffee and waffles being created next door, Caldwell Gallery Hudson is arguably one of the best smelling galleries in America. We invite art lovers to check our website for our open hours, and stop in to say hello! Thank you, Jay!

What does your gallery offer visitors? Jay, if asked- where would be the best place in town for a good cup of coffee, what would you say? Jay: Well, we offer visitors to Caldwell Gallery Hudson the same opportunity to “meet” and “fall in love” with artworks that made us feel the same way when we first saw them. We have works available at a wide range of price points, from under a thousand dollars to six figures, and in some cases, beyond. We don’t care what a visitor’s budget might THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 11

BERKSHIRE OPERA FESTIVAL DON PASQUALE

JENNIFER PAZIENZA, WINTER LIGHT, WORK IN PROGRESS OIL ON CANVAS 42 X 42”

JENNIFER PAZIENZA Winter, a time of reflection. Hopefully reflected in, Winter Light. As I was writing this, unsure of what to say, I thought to turn to a Mary Oliver poem titled, The Winter Wood Arrives, one of my very favourites, but lo and behold, what did I find? A gift given to me from somewhere in cyberspace, a Mary Oliver quote, so perfect I had to pass it on. “All things are meltable, and replaceable. Not at this moment, but soon enough, we are lambs and we are leaves, and we are stars, and the shining, mysterious pond water itself.” Thank you Mary Oliver. My work is held in Public and Corporate Collections in Canada and in numerous private collections throughout the US, Canada, the UK and Italy. I regularly exhibit in the Berkshires with shows at the Artful Mind Gallery, St. Francis Gallery, Good Purpose Gallery, Diana Felber and 510 Warren Street Gallery. Award winning, Designs by Jennifer Owen, Great Barrington http://designsbyjenniferowen.com/ also represents my work. To learn more about my work please enjoy this artist video, m.youtube.com/watch?v=xb9WOTpLfI4. Jennifer Pazienza - inquiries visit, http://jenniferpazienza.com/, or email jennpazienza@gmail.com.

Berkshire Opera Festival (BOF) is proud to present Gaetano Donizetti’s charming classic Don Pasquale with performances August 24, 27, and 30 at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington. The production is conducted by Artistic Director Brian Garman and directed by Director of Production Jonathon Loy, the co-founders of Berkshire Opera Festival. There will also be recitals and outreach events around the Berkshires, including an exciting new collaboration with Hancock Shaker Village entitled Ain’t it a Pretty Night: Excerpts from American Opera, and Savor the Sound: An Evening of Bel Canto, a free concert for the Berkshire community. The delightful comedy involves a crusty old bachelor, Don Pasquale, who decides to marry a much younger wife and produce an heir to spite his nephew Ernesto, but gets much more than he bargained for when Doctor Malatesta and Norina decide to teach him a lesson. The production follows BOF’s acclaimed first three seasons, which featured Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos and Verdi’s Rigoletto. The cast includes of some of America’s greatest bel canto interpreters, with American bass-baritone Craig Colclough starring in the title role, Metropolitan Opera soprano Deanna Breiwick as Norina and American tenor Matthew Grills as her lover, Ernesto. Irish-American baritone Emmett O’Hanlon rounds out the cast as Doctor Malatesta. “We’re delighted to present this remarkable comedy this summer,” states Co-Founder and Artistic Director Brian Garman. “For me, Don Pasquale is the very greatest of all the bel canto comedies and stands as Donizetti’s masterpiece in the genre. Jonathon Loy, Co-Founder and Director of Production, is excited to be working again with his acclaimed team of designers to create a “look at some of opera’s funniest characters based on the commedia dell’arte. As usual, we will bring a visually enticing aspect to the beautiful voices you will hear and give you an opportunity to laugh, enjoy, and be touched by the power of opera.” Don Pasquale will be sung in Italian with projected English translations. Tickets are priced from $20 to $99. Berkshire Opera Festival - www.berkshireoperafestival.org/donpasquale.

You can drive out nature with a pitchfork but she keeps on coming back. Horace (65-8 BC)

12 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

JANET RICKUS PLUMS AND CHERRIES OIL ON CANVAS 12 X 16”

JEAN-CLAUDE GOLDBERG COCA COLA OIL ON PANEL 40 X 40”

WARNER FRIEDMAN BLUE ON BLUE ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 44 X 79”

BERNAY FINE ART GRAND OPENING Bernay Fine Art is pleased to announce the opening of a new location at 325 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington, Massachusette. The inaugural exhibition will open on Saturday March 9, with a group show featuring all gallery artists. A reception for the artists will take place from 5-7 pm and is open to the public. Bernay Fine Art was founded in Chicago in 2008 and is thrilled to be expanding to the Berkshires this Spring. The gallery's exhibition program will promote contemporary artists from the United States and Europe in mediums of painting, sculpture, ceramics, and works on paper. Works by eleven artists will be featured in the inaugural show including Sandra Byers, Francesco Clemente, Warner Friedman, Jean-Claude Goldberg, Jessica Hess, Robert Mangold, Joe Neill, Linda Pochesci, Marjory Reid, David Ricci, and Janet Rickus. This award-winning group of artists has been carefully curated to reflect a range of forms and dynamic styles. For the majority of the artists, the use of color, light and perspective are integral themes of their work, creating a unique aura. For example, Janet Rickus' still lifes have a gem-like glow and Warner Friedman's landscapes provide a perspective window of realism within a geometric canvas. JeanClaude Goldberg’s studies of crushed cans bring brilliant colors and detail to wood panels. His paintings outshine photographs. Bernay Fine Arts' inaugural exhibition will be on display from March 9 through April 20, 2019. Bernay Fine Art - 325 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington. www.bernayfineart.com, Contact information: Lou Friedman, (917) 209-0906, lou@bernayfineart.com

DESIGNS BY JENNIFER Awarded Best Of Houzz 2019

MOTHER TREE, WATERCOLOR, CAROLYN NEWBERGER

CAROLYN NEWBERGER FOREST REVELATIONS PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS Early this summer I found a morel mushroom near our Berkshire home, bordering on the edge of a deep forest. About the same time, our little dog, Lily, a rescue, began running into the woods, leaping, snuffling in holes, racing with abandon across every obstacle. We discovered the forest together, Lily and I, she in pursuit of rodents under logs, and I in pursuit of whatever other delectables were nestled on the forest floor or in the crevasses of its fallen trees. Our senses were awakened to the forest’s myriad revelations, death as ever present in every stage of decay, and life seizing every opportunity to emerge from the stew of decomposition. I enter the forest in early morning, even in winter, pawed awake by Lily, eager to begin her new day, a bear bell tinkling on my hiking pole, and, when the weather allows, with folding stool, notebook and art supplies on my back. Perched on my stool, I draw and paint and record in words the many insights the forest inspires. I am surprised every day by the forest’s astonishing variety, beauty, power and wisdom. My work can be seen at Galatea Fine Art in Boston, the Artful Mind Gallery in Lenox in season, in juried shows throughout the year, and by appointment in my studio.www.carolynnewberger.com 617-877-5672

Designs by Jennifer Owen of Great Barrington, MA has won “Best Of Service Award” on Houzz®, the leading platform for home renovation and design. The boutique interior design studio was chosen by the more than 40 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community from among more than 2.1 million active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals. Congrats! Recognized as a fabric guru with an eye for color, Jennifer has achieved accolades for her unique sense of style and vision. She has been featured on the cover of House to Home, Lifestyle Magazine of Fairfield County, featuring a home in Westport; East Coast Home Design Magazine; Shippan Designer Show House, (benefiting Stamford Museum and Nature Center); Weston Designer Show House benefiting Connecticut Humane Society. They feature her definitive style of design, transforming spaces to uplifting, functional environments, “simple elegance” at its best! A native of the West Midlands England, Jennifer grew up with a mother who was a passionate knitter and a talented seamstress, with a love to decorate and a relish for fabrics and yarns. This led to many inspiring visits with her to the fabric market. Hence Jennifer’s passion! Her client base extends to Fairfield County, CT, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and Berkshire County. Jennifer has a showroom and office based on Railroad Street in Great Barrington, MA. Jennifer is a member of IDS (Interior Design Society), with extensive training in interior design, IDPC (Interior Design Protection Council), member of Better Business Bureau, Metropolitan Museum, NYC, Museum of Natural History, NYC, Museum of Modern Art, NYC, member of Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, member of Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, and a member of A Women’s Creation Circle in Berkshire County. Designs by Jennifer, LLC - 6 Railroad Street, STE 17, Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Office: 413528-5200; Cell: 203-253-3647; www.designsbyjenniferowen.com

MARK MELLINGER WHAT THE HELL ACRYLIC 60 X 48”

MARK MELLENGER I live in two separate worlds. One verbal and one visual. What they have in common is an attitude of pushing into the unknown; of allowing unconscious elements to take form within consciousness. I couldn’t live without both. Art came first, but after a while I began to feel selfindulgent and isolated. I wanted to address problems of mans’ impact on the environment. I went through careers in art, photography, carpentry, ecology and microbiology before landing in psychology at 30. 10 years ago, when we found a loft in Pittsfield, I returned to my first love, art. It’s not like riding a bicycle. I had to start from scratch. I feel I’m just now catching up to where I left off 50 years ago. I’m not satisfied with a piece for a long time. I’ll put it away and work on something else. I’ll look at it upside down and in a mirror, trying to get a handle on what’s wrong. It’s a very solitary meditation. I might gesso over everything except some small bits that are working; then start over from those. The viewer completes the process. It’s a collaboration. It’s a thrill when someone “gets” a piece, but I’m OK when they don’t. The connection with the viewer should be as rare and special as marriage. Mark Mellinger can be reached at markmellinger680@gmail.com / markmellingerart.com / 914-260-7413

There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more. Lord Byron

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 13

MATT CHINIAN Open Studio 138 W. MAIN ST. CAMBRIDGE, NY SUNDAY, MARCH 31 10-5PM

Like a reporter I record the time and place of my wanderings around Upstate New York and New England. I find places and scenes of fascination: quiet woodlands or gas stations, farmlands or industrial sites, places I see in passing, sometimes from the corner of my eye often easily overlooked by others. This is where I find beauty. This is where I find the sublime. Open Studios of Washington County July19-21, 2019 My website/blog: http://www.mattchinian.com/ instagram: @mattchinian Facebook: matt chinian Open Studios of Washington County July19-21, 2019 http://studiotour.org/visit-washington-county-artstudios

14 • MARCH 2019

MARGUERITE BRIDE, HANCOCK BARN

WATERCOLOR

ORIGINAL WATERCOLORS MARGUERITE BRIDE Do you have special occasions in your future? Anniversary? Wedding? Graduation? Retirement? Selling a home and downsizing? A custom painting of a home or other special location is a treasured gift. Now is a great time to commission a house portrait or favorite scene you would like captured in a watercolor. Paintings (or even a personalized gift certificate, then I work directly with the recipient) make a cherished and personal gift for weddings, retirement, new home, old home, an

niversaries…..any occasion is special. Commission work is always welcome. Be in touch directly with the artist…it is guaranteed to be a fun adventure! Brides solo exhibit,“Jazz Visions”, 22 original watercolors, mostly on canvas are on “long-term” exhibit at 51 Park Tavern in Lee, Massachusetts. Fine art reproductions and note cards of Berkshire images and others by the artist are available at the Red Lion Inn Gift Shop (Stockbridge), Lenox Print & Mercantile (Lenox), Good Purpose Gallery (Lee); and a variety of other fine gift shops, and also directly from the artist. The artist gives group lessons in watercolor technique in her home studio. Contact the artist and/or visit her website for more details. Marguerite Bride – Home Studio at 46 Glory Drive, Pittsfield, Massachusetts by appointment only. Call 413-841-1659 or 413-442-7718; margebride-paintings.com; margebride@aol.com; Facebook: Marguerite Bride Watercolors.

FRONT ST. GALLERY ELEANOR LORD

Kate Knapp

Painting classes on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10-1pm at the studio in Housatonic and Thursday mornings 10am - 1pm out in the field. Also available for private critiques. Open to all. Please come paint with us!

ELEANORLORD.COM

gallery hours: open by chance and by appointment anytime 413. 274. 6607 (gallery) 413. 429. 7141 (cell) 413. 528. 9546 (home) www.kateknappartist.com

Front Street, Housatonic, MA

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 15

KARL SALITER ARTIST

Interview by H. Candee

How are you? What is your latest sculpture you’re working on? Karl Saliter: Hi there Harryet. Thank you for this interview. I am well, and working on a simple piece for a friend in Sharon. I started creating functional art while living in Mexico, and enjoy making pieces that serve a practical need. The piece I am making this week is going to be a log carrier built from found materials. I believe all creations of art come from within the deep core of an artist. Why have you chosen such materials as steel rods and stones as part of your repertoire? Karl: My practice of making art, and living in the woods combined to point the way to my choice. I lived on Yelping Hill Road in West Cornwall for some years, and worked in metal. On a walk in the woods, I found this certain stone with a really flat 16 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

face. I had to bring it home to work with it. This began a fascination with placing stones in the air. It can be quite satisfying. Do you like using other kinds of materials other then steel rods and stones? Karl: I like to work in other materials, and often spend time with Joel Schapira at his studio in Lakeville, working in assemblage: wire, antique hardware, cardboard, and Joel’s eclectic curated materials. It is a joy to be with him and make art. We’ve gone to workshops together with Peter London. Do you know Peter’s work? He wrote “No More Secondhand Art” and is a loving, intelligent teacher. Peter encourages artists to enter the woods, and work with found objects there. Sometimes I depart from that completely to work in clear acrylic and found plastic. I enjoy making pieces employing very small architectural figures, locating them in made

environments. This body of work is generally not something I bring to market. Have you ever needed to stop assembling midway and change the original plan of the sculpture? Karl: Absolutely! This is an excellent question, by the way. One time in Korea, I was making a piece for Hassla Museum in Gangneung. I was invited to work in any scale, and had decided small would be a good choice. But the only stones I could find were large, like you see in stone walls. I had no idea what to make, until I found a sweeping bank outside the studio and laid about a hundred stones down there. I began connecting them with rods and welding it all to a flat base, thinking the work would be beautiful once it was flipped over. I was right, but the piece became far too heavy. It grew to a nine by nine foot piece, about eight feet high. The museum sent a “knuckle boom” truck to pick it up, and it was sim-

KARL SALITER

ply too heavy to move. A second, larger truck met with the same result. Finally, a third truck was able to lift and install the piece. It overlooks the sea now. It is not at all what I had set out to make. The big stones are to blame. I’m curious to know, what kinds of challenges repeat themselves, and how are you better prepared to deal with them the next go around? Karl: Almost every large piece, at about two thirds completion, I stop liking it. Self doubt appears. I tell myself I am only pretending, that I don’t deserve to make art. I see a million things I have to do other than finish the piece. Dealing with that comes down to hearing this baseless voice of cynicism emerge, and knowing it for what it is. Rather than listening to it as if it is the “truth,” the work is waiting for that voice, that aspect of self, to pass. Cultivating a calm

abiding, without allowing fear too much purchase, is what gets my sculpture past this recurring block. Right now I have a large piece “resting” at that exact crossroads. The piece is called “Low Income Housing.” It features a super tiny house built on a radio flyer wagon, with a loveseat inside it, and a stained glass window. The piece is meant to be located about ten feet in the air. In my studio right now, there is a set of spiral stairs and a ten foot high salvaged metal plow blade column. I even have a chaotic, heavy base built for the piece. The tiny house took forever to make, and it waits. All the elements are there, ready for final assembly. Some have sat patiently in my studio for about seven years now. I’ll keep you posted. I happen to love stones. Smooth stones, like the ones you use. Where do you find them? This part

APOGEE 99%

of the artmaking process must be a lot of fun, yes? Karl: It is. I find excellent stones on the coast of Maine. I used to fly stones back with me from Colorado, when Jetblue had a free, three luggage 75 lb per piece policy. That was a good deal for me. Colorado has excellent stones. So does Canada. I am always on the lookout, and have even liberated stones from a cafe while sitting at a table. The main ideas and soulful points that carry over from one structure to another, giving you a signature style, is based on what artist statement you own? What do you believe in that breathes life into each one of your creations? Karl: Harryet I think it is the practice of art itself which imparts that style, over time and repetition. Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 17

KARL SALITER TREEFORM

KARL METAL WORK

Your hands start to know the way. In my work, I am happily engaged in an unfolding mystery. It keeps coming back to gratitude for me, in fact, you might say every piece I create is an embodiment of gratitude. I have been relieved of the impulse to pretend that I know what I’m doing. This allows for exploration and receptivity. Can you tell us about the strangest of all piece of sculpture you have made? It may be strange to the point where you have said, “I have no idea where this one came from! But, here it is! And I love it!!” Karl: In 2007, I started welding rods together without a plan. I simply wanted to make something large. A tube emerged, about three feet wide, and ten feet long. I rarely render, but began to understand that I was making a tree. This amused me, because “You could never make a sculpture as good as a single tree” was something I had often said. I made a knothole in the tree, like where an owl would live, and inserted a small swarm of stones in there. I stood the piece up, photographed it, and sent it to a few dealers. Beatrix Barker in LA loved it, and commissioned a version of it in bronze for Formosa Park in 18 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

West Hollywood. It was enormous good fortune. I love that tree. How and when do you decide on what materials you want to use? Karl: I live in a converted church, and have an outdoor studio here which offers an array of found objects and collected stones. I will often halt a project midstream to begin a new one, because I saw a long piece of metal that needed my attention right then, or a stone gave me a thought. I once heard, from Joel, in fact, that for some pieces of art, the only purpose is to serve as a stepping stone to the next piece. Don’t you think that’s true? And it takes the pressure off, doesn’t it? What is most rewarding for you when making sculpture? Karl: There are moments in welding when the metal grows a bright red orange. There is a lot of life force as the intersecting elements fuse: heaps of electricity and heat crash into proximate steels until they light right up with it. Once after a hurricane, I had to reweld a very high piece for an installation at the Society for Prayer for World Peace Festival in Amenia.

Up on a ladder and reaching above my head to weld, I saw this untamed orange fusion happen with a purple grey sky behind it. It was tremendous. There is this experience of creative force in those moments. When that happens and finds me receptive, I am poleaxed with wonder. Are most of your pieces kid friendly? Karl: Yes. My work is of the “go ahead and touch it” variety. It is overbuilt and ridiculously sturdy, and in no way of the “precious” variety. I have a piece at the Kohl Children’s Museum in Chicago which encourages kids to interact and play. Tell us about two of your most valued mentors? Who are they, what do they do? How have you learned from them? Karl: Well, I’ve mentioned Joel Schapira. He is like a true Johnny Appleseed of art. He and his wife Diane founded the Art Garage, a little studio where High School Students at HVRHS can make art after school. You can meet Joel at the Millerton Farmers Market. He runs the Un Gallery, and gives away beautiful art there. I have watched exquisite moments happen as people wrestle with the difficulty

Kid friendly!

KARL SALITER STONESCAPE 7

of accepting his loving, open generosity. I try to make art with Joel every Sunday. Sometimes, we just talk. Joel teaches me many things. Forgiveness. Self love. Patience. Artmaking as a tool to unfold into the spirit. The practice of not taking yourself too seriously. I was talking with Joel about the difficulties I face in cultivating a practice of daily meditation. I said: “What do I need, a written invitation?” And here you have to understand Joel. Had his reply been witty, or cute, I would have dismissed it. But he took that moment, and after calibrating, gently, respectfully, asked: “Would it be a bad thing to make one?” Our conversation shifted then into making art, because I started writing. Diane and Annie were in the kitchen with us, and helped me compose a short invitation. At home I found a toy temple guardian my grand daughter Ro had abandoned, and pressed him into service, holding the invitation aloft, up at my altar. It helps. My grand daughter Ro is my number one top favorite mentor these days. She is so unapologetic and untamed. We were blasting off together last week. Her kindergarten bus was at the end of the driveway. She slipped on some ice and did a full fall. She got

up, took three quick steps, and fell flat again. Undaunted, she got up again, and caught the bus in complete grace. Something to aspire to. One thing is the ‘permanence’ factor in the materials you use. Do you ever give much thought to the natural life expectancy of your sculpture as well? Karl: Absolutely, Harryet. In fact in India a few years ago I created a piece called “A Thousand Cairns” which you would have loved. I was in the Himalayas above Menali on a silent retreat, and went wild making these cairns with all the stones and road barriers which were a lot like altars. I wrote an essay on the process here https://karlsalitersculpture.com/2017/10/17/a-thousand-cairns/ You live and work in Cornwall CT., a very beautiful area. What other work do you do in the area? Karl: I am a freelance mover. One aspect of sculpture I appreciate is the satisfaction of placing heavy things where they are supposed to go. Moving lets me be of service. It helps pay the bills, keeps me from going crazy, and provides this strange satisfac-

tion in corralling objects into their desired location, as well. Karl, where did you grow up? Karl: I grew up in Sharon, CT. One of five kids. We all spent a lot of time in the woods. I am very grateful for that. When did you first start making sculptures, and what shape did they first come in? Karl: When I was seven, Highlights Magazine had a do it yourself article on how to make a stone turtle. It made sense to me, and I made one. I was so impressed with it. It was the first time art which I made smiled back at me. My first large scale public installation was in the Spring of 1995, celebrating Cornwall Consolidated School’s “No TV Week.” I re-purposed a satellite dish and made a multi-media work. The dish became a spider web, and in the center was a television. Shopping cart base bars were cut and made into jail bars, and there was a clown inside the TV, holding the bars. I loved it. The Register Citizen ran a piece about the sculpture. I was on the moon over that. Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 19

Karl’s Moto

Karl working on mural, MX

Living part-time in Playa del Carmen is a lovely way to spend your life! Returning to Isla Mujeres brings me to such a wonderful place in my head. Helps to stimulate new ideas, work out issues, and separating from everyday activity back in the Berkshires. Totally healthy. Where else in Mexico have to you travelled? Karl: I love Mexico and have explored Guanajuato quite a bit. I was lucky this winter to take my love Naomi to Michoacan to view the Monarch Butterfly Migration. I find Mexico very healing, most especially in the slower pace found there.

KARL SALITER

GREAT SUBATOMIC

20 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

Has living in MX been some of the main source for your sculpting, building, and art-making? Karl: Playa is a magic city, and I have to say I’ve loved much of my time there. I have a small studio there and made some very fun plant forms, and palm trees, life size, inspired by the thriving jungle environment. It is also a more urban environment. I found myself making decorative

metal window guards and the work was met with good market demand. Perhaps the most “Mexico Inspired” work I’ve done to date is a large mural of three sugar candy skulls ala see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. I depicted them within iphones, partially as an observation that we are vanishing into our phones. It was a joy to create. What if not for art? Some of us cannot live without it. What does art mean to you? Karl: I think if not for art we would have to invent art. Art is a struggle for me, more so in winter as I face a cold studio. Art is a release: the excitement of finishing a sculpture and knowing it is right is the deepest satisfaction I have known. Art is a path, it invites us to a hands-on conversation with the creative forces. And finally it is a humility lesson. There is so much undiscovered territory in art, which I will never see. I love the titles you give your work. Do they come easy for you? When do you title a piece of sculpture? Karl: Thank you, Harryet. The titles do come easy, in fact, I like that part of the work. Usually

KARL SALITER

I title in process or on completion. There is a piece in the works called “Greater Subatomic” which got named in the planning stages. Tell us about your favorite commissioned piece of art? Karl: Florida Atlantic University had me make a steel sphere about nine feet high with sea stones all throughout it. It was welded to rods drilled into a rough triangular stone, and placed in the corner of a student center courtyard. I enjoyed this commission because it was from a call for arts posted on a public forum, and the selection process was blind: entirely democratic. But what really lasts in my mind are the thundering mistakes I made on that piece. We were driving to Florida with the original sphere, cut into three sections to be re-assembled inside the building. About five hours south of here we stopped for gas, and I noticed that only two pieces were on the trailer. Retracing and searching took five more hours. We were exhausted by the time we got to Florida, and then the work began.

FINISHED MURAL

About six hours into it, I learned that these spheres I make are built in tension. Cutting the work into three pieces allowed the tension to release. They are impossible to re- assemble correctly. I offered to return to Florida free with a new, outdoor piece, uncut. The University accepted, and all ended well. The Garrison Art Center once invited me to show in their outdoor exhibit. I made a piece and installed it in the Hudson River. Named “As Above, So Below, it was a three-foot sphere form, measured to appear floating on the river at low tide, and vanish completely at low tide. When the exhibit was closing, a group of locals started a petition to keep the piece in place. I believe it is still there, vanishing daily. What would be something you wish to create that may be impossible to do? Where would it live? Karl: “Greater Subatomic” fits that description. It is an ambitious work. A sphere of stones 18 feet high. This piece will be composed of four 9x9 foot

steel cubes which “reach in” to host hundreds of stones per cube, on rods glued into individual stones. It will live internationally, leased from location to location, until some wise soul offers a bag of gold so large I have to part with it. I have been planning to make this piece for nine years. It will demand countless hours of work and a lot of teachability. I will have to learn from doing. I began gathering the materials for it three years ago, and will construct the first “host cube” this Spring and Summer. Wish me luck!

Thank you, Karl! Where can we see your art? Can we follow you? Karl: Please do follow me on instagram, karlsweldingaddiction. I blog at https://karlsalitersculpture.com My website is https://salitersculpture.com M THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 21

Our Remains of the Day A Green New Deal Photographs by Carl Berg

A Green New Deal. Think about it. No, not its political viability, like policy details, or how it gets paid for. Think about the brilliance of the language. Let the words roll around on your tongue, linger in the nether regions of your throat, then sweeten the critical functions in your brain. Now, doesn’t that feel good? Language instructs, yes, but primarily, it motivates. From the first “Up!” uttered to a caring adult as a toddler lifts its arms to be picked up, we have language that is impossible to resist. “A Green New Deal” is the “Up!” of the Democratic left. Up from apathetic and despairing resignation to a greater gulf between rich and poor, up from our gnawing anxiety about our planetary home’s ability to hold its own against the selfish, short-sighted predations of human greed. Just one final letter changes greed to green. Green Verdant growth clothing much of earth’s naked surface, oases dotting deserts, nature revelling in a fortuitous balance of water and sun. Green is also the color of our money, money to research how to feed the ten billion people living on Earth by 2050. Greenbacks and nature working together for the good of every living thing on Earth. Brilliant. Who could object? New Fresh, not tried before. Hope for solutions to big problems. Innovative, trending, far-reaching, visionary. Who could object? Deal Let’s make one. For every billion the billionaire has, one goes to fund the new and the green for the good of all. Mr. and Ms. Billionaire, doesn’t that beat retreating into your luxe New Zealand cave when the unsustainable biosphere finally caves, exhausted, depleted, ruined by exploitation for your cause of never enough? New Deal Remember, we’re talking about the brilliant, motivating power of language, here. The only people who don’t love Social Security and Medicare are those who can afford not to. That would be those rich and cunning enough to de22 •THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019

Written by Judy Berg

fine freedom as the right to die from starvation or lack of medical care when you are old and sick. Most of us still living have never known a world without these social supports, and we count on them like the air we breathe. Thank you, FDR & Co. February 14, Valentine’s Day, Rincon, Puerto Rico Carl and I are back in Puerto Rico, where one year ago to the day, the day we celebrate love, we woke up to the killing of fourteen students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, by a troubled young man who should never have had a gun in his possession. Looking out on the lush green that surrounds our peaceful terrace, where we enjoy our usual Rincon breakfast of local pineapple, papaya, cafe con leche, and toasted pan de agua, any kind of trouble seems far away. Carl and I spice up the peace with a little verbal sparring about which bakery turns out the best pan de agua for our morning tostada. Too much peace can be hard to swallow. Our peaceful breakfast is deceptive. Crime in Puerto Rico seems to be on the rise since the effects of the financial crisis have hit home. Cops who saw their pensions being reduced had begun leaving the force before Maria hit in September of 2017. Since then, the exodus of professional people from the island has only increased, and many island schools have closed as people fled with their children to the mainland with its assurance of open schools and better social supports. We notice the ominous look of boarded-up schools, yards empty of children. No society can survive without its children. From our resident friends we hear of all the mainlanders, non-Puerto Ricans with no stake in the culture, who are buying land on the cheap after Maria, and building homes they could never afford to build in the States. We notice a more sullen resignation to the difficult times brought on by government debt, then compounded by the devastation of Maria.

Photographs by Carl Berg

Location: Puerto Rico 2019

The mood last year was different. People were still in shock, grateful to be alive, grateful to have electrical power after close to six months without it. They spoke of sharing water with little known neighbors, of working shoulder to shoulder to cut through downed trees blocking roads to food and much needed supplies. They spoke of nature’s regenerative powers, of seeing a flower peeking up out of the brown debris the day after the storm. Hope was in the air. This year, no longer in shock, they have awakened to a troubled reality. A rising crime rate and empty schoolyards do not conjure hope for Puerto Rico’s future. The Anasco area public beach, located in a town simply called La Playa, remains closed. Before Maria, its facilities for community gatherings and recreation were alive with the sounds of children playing sports, and adults celebrating birthdays with the usual vibrant Puerto Rican blend of music and food. The shelters for family day trips remain abandoned. We decided to speak directly to people involved with the regreening of Puerto Rico, some farmers in the Rincon area. Jimmy Gonzalez is the proud producer of Pappamin Coffee. His family has grown, harvested, and roasted coffee beans in the mountains above San Sebastian for three generations. Over invigorating sips of his preferred blend of light and dark roast, and using the Spanish-English translator app on his phone, he told us that he lost 90% of his harvest after Maria. And, since this part of Puerto Rico is going through the double whammy of a drought and the opportunistic diseases that follow, he is struggling to save his remaining plants with effective pruning. While he has received no government help, he has had some aid from NGO’s. Jeff Paul grows cacao in an area about thirty kilometers south of Jimmy’s farm. Because of the mountains in between, Maria’s devastation was less apparent, and there is no drought. He has been cultivating his fourteen acre farm, Buena Fruta, there for nine years, and said that he lost about 20% of his crop after Maria. He devised a recipe for chocolate flavored toothpaste after researching the medicinal potential of cacao, and discovering that in addition to being an antibacterial agent, it is also purported to harden tooth enamel. Like the Hawaiian islands, Puerto

Rico, roughly 100 miles long by 35 miles wide, is subject to microclimates. For the farmer, geography is destiny. Tito, of Sana Farms, grows organic vegetables in the Cabo Rojo area south of Mayaguez. His farm was devastated by the debris carried inland by a river that flows through the farm. There were no backhoes or fuel available after the storm to clean up the debris. jSince he also has a restaurant to claim his time, it’s been a rough regreening. But, he said that he has received financial help from National Resources Conservation Service to plant tall grasses that should protect his farmland from any future threat from the river. Green begets green. Greenbacks can be used to seed green growth. Puerto Rico has, effectively, no representation in the United States Congress that could work towards a green new deal for the Island. In our more than forty years of visiting the island, we have always been impressed by a pride of place, and a sense that we are welcome in their place. They have been the collective stepchild of the United States, and they deserve better. As a psychologist in private practice, I was always conscious of the power and magic of words to reset, to reorder thoughts and feelings. A Green New Deal starts with words, and words are seeds that can grow into acts. I hope that we are in a reset, and who knows, maybe the Orange Menace has helped to push us there. On one last trip out to our devastated beach in the town called simply La Playa, the one with the boarded up school and closed beach, we saw a group of maybe fifty or sixty men and women cleaning up scrub and debris along the road. The road runs alongside an area severely battered and bruised by the hurricane. When we stopped and inquired, they said that they are local residents known as Groupa La Playa. They were planting flowers and bushes in rubber tires that they had painted brightly, playfully, joyously, in colors that declare, even insist on, a hopeful human presence. -Judy and Carl Berg

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 23

Brian and Claudia

BRIAN GARMAN CO-FOUNDER / ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

BERKSHIRE OPERA FESTIVAL Interview by H. Candee

Photographs of the artist by Edward Acker

When did you first realize music was your passion? Brian Garman: Well, I started taking piano lessons when I was five years old. As I remember it, around Christmas, a piano was wheeled into my kindergarten classroom so we could sing carols. Our teacher played the piano while we sang, and I recall watching her hands and thinking, “I want to do that.” My interest in opera came a few years later – this is actually something that’s been on my mind since the great soprano Leontyne Price’s 92nd birthday this February. When I was still a kid, there was a TV commercial that Miss Price did for the United Negro College Fund (it’s actually up on YouTube now), and it got a decent amount of airtime. She sings throughout the commercial and ends with a high A-flat followed by a high C. I had never heard an opera singer before, and I didn’t know what hit me! There was something about that sound that was just beyond my imagination. 24 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

Fast-forward a couple of years. My grandmother and a friend of hers would go to as many live classical performances in the area as they could. This was in rural Iowa in the 1980s, so there wasn’t always a wealth of opportunities for such things, but this was also during the time that the Met and New York City Opera were still touring. So they took me to my first operas – I must have been 12 or 13 years old – and when they took me to Verdi’s Rigoletto, I immediately knew I was listening to something that instinctively made sense to me. I’ve had a love affair with opera ever since then. Brian, do you live in the Berkshires full-time? Brian: I live in the Berkshires during the summer, but my full-time residence is in Manhattan.

Brian Garman

How do you divide your time with all that you are involved in and committed to do? Brian: With Berkshire Opera Festival, my other conducting engagements, and my private vocal coaching studio, there’s a lot that needs attention…to say nothing of trying to have some kind of life outside of work. One thing I’ve consistently struggled with is trying to find a good balance. Sometimes I’ve been successful in finding it, and sometimes not. But this is a constant challenge – it’s so often the case, for me and for many artists, that life and art and work all tend to become inseparable. Do you travel much? Where do you go that brings you that feeds your imagination, creativity and joy? Brian: These days, my travel is almost entirely for work. There’s never enough time for a real vacation, it seems, so it’s important to plan fun things to do and see while on the road. I do wish I could get to Italy more often – regardless of the city or region I happen to be in, it’s my “happy place.” The people, the food, the terrain, the history, the MUSIC… I have this fantasy of retiring someday to a place on the Amalfi Coast.

Photo by Edward Acker

Brian, tell us about the style in which you conduct an orchestra? Brian: My conducting philosophy is simple: rehearse thoroughly, be extremely clear about what you want, and don’t waste time. This way, by the time the performance comes around, you can actually get out of the way, and provide the framework for your cast and orchestra to play and sing. In terms of the physicality of it, I find that I do less and less as I get older. At the beginning of my career, I did a lot of dancing around on the podium and carrying on, because I thought that was what you’re supposed to do. But an economy of gesture actually allows the orchestra much more room to be expressive. What’s the purpose of putting together a group of musicians if you don’t allow or encourage them to actually BE musicians? Who has been your biggest mentor? Brian: My biggest mentor easily is John Wustman, the legendary accompanist and vocal coach. He played for all the world’s greatest singers “back in the day” – Luciano Pavarotti, Birgit Nilsson, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Carlo Bergonzi, you name it – and I was fortunate enough to study with him in graduate school at the University of Illinois. Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 25

Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield

I believe that he really taught me what music is all about. To be a part of such a musical lineage and to draw upon the vast experience he brings to bear makes me feel very lucky. I’m happy to say he’s also a member of Berkshire Opera Festival’s Advisory Board.

Inaugural season 2016

Brian: Charles, whom I know you profiled in The Artful Mind last year, has been our costume designer since the company’s very first season in 2016. He’s an absolutely remarkable artist, and his wealth of experience makes him a vital part of our team.

Has working with Claudia d’Alessandro, Interim Executive Director been inspiring for you and Jonathon? She has an amazing background in the arts. Brian: We’re so thrilled that Claudia was able to join us this season. As you mention, she has an amazing background in the arts and is full of great ideas. The plans she’s already put into place for BOF just in the few short months she’s been with us, especially in terms of fundraising and Board development, have been immensely valuable.

Is there an opera that pulls at your heart strings? Brian: I’d have to say Don Carlo, by Giuseppe Verdi. Verdi’s operas, more than those of any other composer, have always been closest to my heart. He wrote with a musical language that I feel like I “speak,” and Carlo best represents this. From a purely compositional point of view, it might not be perfect in the way that Otello is, for example, but I think it’s his most ambitious opera, the music is both powerful and profoundly beautiful, and the humanity of the characters (and the composer) is evident on every page.

Costume designer, Charles Caine, also has been working with the Berkshire Opera Festival. Very talented. How long has he been with BOF?

Is there an opera you would love to do at BOF, but you believe it would be too difficult to do? Brian: We actually have a running joke with some

26 •MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

Photo: Ken Howard

of our friends about when we’ll be able to produce Verdi’s Otello. There are two primary things that limit the repertoire many companies can mount (and we are no different in this regard) – budget and physical space. For example, it would be impossible for us to produce an opera that requires, say, an orchestra of 70 or 80 or more players and a chorus of 50 or more, because we just don’t have the budget to support that. And even if we DID have that kind of money, we don’t have a performance venue that is large enough to accommodate those kind of forces. Obviously, this means there are many operas that we can’t produce. But the reason we joke specifically about Otello is because it is, in my estimation, perfect. I think it’s not overstatement to say that it’s one of the landmarks of western civilization, and one of those works of art that helps define us as a culture, like for example Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, or the Mona Lisa, or The Marriage of Figaro. So Otello would be my “dream opera” to produce if we had the money and space.

Rigoletto

Brain Garman conducting

One day, Brian, I hope it happens for you. Why do you think the Berkshires is a perfect fit for Berkshire Opera Festival? Brian: The Berkshires are alive with the arts, and one of the most culturally rich places in the United States. But we realized when we founded BOF that there was one big thing missing – fully-staged opera. To be able to provide high-quality opera and present some of the world’s greatest singers here in the Berkshires is an absolute joy.

Brian: I certainly hope you’re right about all that, and my observations also bear that out. Interest and participation in the arts across the board does seem to be thriving. Unfortunately, the arts at the same time are undergoing a crisis of philanthropy. Fundraising today is much more difficult than it was, say, 12 or 13 years ago, and many people no longer seem to value supporting the arts financially. My hope is that we’re all able to find ways to teach people the real importance of charitable giving.

This is a perfect time for you to be fully engaged in Berkshire Opera Festival! People are returning to the arts now more than ever. Newcomers are looking at the arts in a different light—that they can be artists on all levels. They are picking up musical instruments for the first time, joining painting classes, writers’ groups, acting classes and volunteering at theatre companies. They are being welcomed to join and are spending their money on all this great music and art experience. What is your opinion?

Brian, is there any such opera you know of that claims it’s an opera, but it’s really not? Is there a borderline between what is opera and what is not? I’m wondering if creative license has anything to do with what is and what isn’t, and how do they get away with it? Brian: We’re maybe getting into shark-infested waters with this question, but I’m not sure I can categorically define what an opera is and is not, relative to other forms of sung, staged musical works. We all agree, for example, that Rent is not an opera, and

La Bohème is. But why is that? We can’t say that musical theatre incorporates spoken dialogue and opera does not. The Magic Flute has spoken dialogue. So did the original version of Carmen. I guess we could say there are tendencies – opera orchestras tend to be larger than musical orchestras, but not always. Operas tend not to use electronic instruments and amplification, while musicals do – but not always. We can’t even say unequivocally that musicals are composed of more “popular” or “lighter” music than opera. Take Puccini’s La Rondine, for example. It has very dramatic, “operatic” moments that alternate with other “popular” sections of such gossamer lightness that it’s not always easy to know if it belongs in an opera house or a music hall. (And yet, we all agree that it’s an opera.) We have seen these lines blurred many times in the last century – Bernstein’s Candide, Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, many things by Kurt Weill – and my prediction is that these boundaries will become more and more hazy. I think this is great, by the way. To Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 27

Jonathon Loy and Brain Garman

Photo: Matt Madison

say otherwise is to prevent opera from evolving. It’s been evolving for the past 425 years, so why shouldn’t that continue?

stuff (and I’ve worked in this industry over 25 years), there are always curveballs thrown at you that are impossible to anticipate.

What kind of music is in your private collection? Brian: Fairly eclectic. I own about four thousand CDs, and most of them are opera. (Even though the technology is becoming obsolete, I can’t yet bear the thought of parting with them.) But outside of classical music, my tastes vary. I love, for example, Radiohead, Nina Simone, Rufus Wainwright, Queen, Muse…I’m crazy about artists who have something really interesting to say.

When you are not working, what occupies your free time? Brian: I took up running a few years back, and I do a lot of it. I’m actually training now for two different half-marathons this spring. I love it, and I’ve realized that it also helps me to clear my mind and find this elusive “balance” that we were discussing earlier. After music, cooking is my big passion (the various cuisines of Italy in particular), and it’s absolutely what I’d choose if I had to change careers. Also, I have more than a small obsession with movies, and see dozens and dozens every year.

I agree! And, Rufus Wainwright does a wicked Hallelujah, and Nina Simone, great voice, Wild is the Wind—great to sing along with while driving.... What was the heaviest, most complex music project you have ever worked on? Brian: Every opera poses its own unique set of challenges that must be faced, whether they’re technical or musical or otherwise. But by far, the most complicated project I’ve taken on has been starting this opera company. Tackling something like this is allconsuming, and no matter how well you know your 28 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

Have fun with the running! What are your top ten favorite films/directors? Brian: That’s a tough one. I’m a big Hitchcock fan, along with Fellini, David Lynch, Kubrick, Paul Thomas Anderson, Almodóvar… Last year, I really loved Roma and First Reformed, which didn’t get nearly the recognition it deserved. I also think Timothée Chalamet is a genius, and probably the most

talented young actor working today. What is coming up that you are excited about at BOF? Brian: I know this will sound like a cliché, but I am honestly thrilled about everything we have coming up at BOF. We’ve got an absolutely electrifying cast for this summer’s Don Pasquale, and some very exciting new programming in the summer of 2020 that we’ll be announcing in the coming months. Brian, why is opera great, and why do you love it? Brian: Opera is the most complete of all art forms (Gesamtkunstwerk, as Wagner called it), because it represents a synthesis of all the arts – vocal music, instrumental music, poetry, dance, drama, and the visual arts. But in the end, opera is really about singing. The voice is the original musical instrument, and its very humanity gives the singing voice a uniquely transcendent power to communicate emotions to other human beings. I feel so fortunate to be able to share this magnificent art form with people.

more...

Jonathon Loy and the boys Photo: Andrea Yu

JONATHON LOY CO-FOUNDER / DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION

BERKSHIRE OPERA FESTIVAL What’s keeping you on your toes these snowy, cold days? Jonathon Loy: Being a Guest Director and Staff Director at the Metropolitan Opera. This marks my 10th season. What an accomplishment that is! What are your goals as Director of Production and Co-Founder of Berkshire Opera Festival? Jonathon: To expand the number of productions that we do over time, to maintain the highest production standards, to engage the best directors, designers and choreographers working today, and to help the staff and Board ensure BOF’s longevity. Are you surprised at the success of Berkshire Opera Festival so far? You began with great staff, artists, supporters, maybe it was no surprise at its opening here in the Berkshires. Any in particular people to mention that have motivated, influenced and inspired you along the way towards

fruition of BOF? Jonathon: I’m not surprised at our success, but I am always humbled by the support we found early on, and up to and including the present, in order to get to our fourth season. There are too many people to mention by name with fear of leaving someone out. However, I would mention my parents as always supporting everything I have done, therefore giving me the confidence to do what I do. What was the first opera done at Berkshire Opera Festival, and what were the decision factors that went into choosing this as premier venue? Jonathon: We produced Puccini’s Madama Butterfly as our first opera in the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. It is important to Brian and me to produce from the entire operatic repertoire, that is part of our mission, and while Butterfly is well known, it is in the top five produced operas in the country. So, it was a mix of name recognition and not as oft pro-

duced. We chose the Colonial as it is really the only theater in the Berkshires with a pit that fit the Puccini sanctioned reduction of the score, without putting the orchestra onstage, which is something we have done and will continue to do when necessary. Were there any risk factors involved that you dealt with masterfully? Jonathon: Yes, every factor of starting a non-profit, specifically, opera company, in 2014 is a massive risk, in every way. The fact that we are entering our fourth season, I would say is masterful in and of itself. How did you and Brian Garman first meet? What lead you both towards this artistic union in the Berkshires? Jonathon: Brian and I met in 1998 in Pittsburgh when he was the Principal Conductor at Pittsburgh Opera and I was a freshman at the University of Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 29

Berkshire Opera Festival, Jonathon Loy, Ariadne auf Naxos dress rehearsal

Pittsburgh who was starting what was to become a four-year internship at the opera. From the moment we met, we always shared the same taste in singers, repertoire and our overall love of the art form. We always stayed in touch and had ideas throughout the years of some kind of artistic collaboration. Have you had any backstage experiences, mishaps, last-minute-something-wrong-thing that the audience will never find out about, and that you and your staff remedied at moments notice? Jonathon: The nature of live theater is this. Every day in the theater we are always on our toes with one thing or another. Honestly, it all blurs together, 30 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

but I always say the public would usually be much more interested in what happens off stage, rather than on stage, as it is usually much more entertaining. What previous experiences of value helped educate and prepare you for taking on Berkshire Opera Festival? Jonathon: In the early 2000s I brought back a small company in Philadelphia, Center City Opera Theater, that had basically gone defunct and was the first person to produce opera in the Kimmel Center’s Perlman Theater. I ran that company for four years. I learned a great deal during that time. I have held other artistic administrative positions as well. Also,

Photo: Sean Kizy

being a stage director and working in the business, behind the scenes for over 20 years now, I have seen a great deal. I continue to learn something new every day from the situations I’m in and the great colleagues I am surrounded by. Jonathon, is there an opera you love the most? Jonathon: My answer to this question is always, the opera I am currently working on is my favorite. I need to be fully engaged in what I am working on in that moment. When did you first begin to recognize music as an important part of your life? Jonathon: When I started playing the violin at seven

Berkshire Opera Festival, Ariande auf Naxos

years old. Both my grandfathers were musicians, and my paternal grandfather was a violinist as well. My parents full support of whatever it is that I wanted to do. He definitely inspired my love of classical music, which lead to my discovery of opera. What are you trained at that would be the necessary for being an artistic director in the performing arts? Jonathon: Honestly, the only thing that prepares you for a life in the arts is real-life experience and an innate ability to lead and create. Jonathon, with so many forms and kinds of music we live with, why is opera your focus?

Photo: Ken Howard

Jonathon: Opera spoke to me immediately when I heard it. There is nothing comparable to the unamplified human voice and then add to that the drama of the stage, scenic design, dance, visual aspects, orchestra and you have the greatest art form in the world. With music striving towards uniqueness, plus, the breaking away from the traditional classical venues, all growing and branching off into millions of different ways of exploring the arts, I wonder, where does opera stand in all this modern age of change and technology? Jonathon: There are plenty of new operatic works being produced each year and BOF hopes to begin

entering the world of producing new works in the near future. Creation of new works is the key for any art form to stay alive. In terms of technology, that is up to the producers to decide how much or how little they want to use in their productions. When you are not working, what occupies your free time? Jonathon: Being with my husband, our dog, our friends, my family, cooking, traveling, enjoying life.

M Thank you Brian and Jonathon!

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 31

The Introverts‐ Sam Earnshaw, David Reed, Scott McKenney. Photo: C. d'Alessandro

DAVID REED & THE INTROVERTS INTERVIEW BY H. CANDEE

Congratulations on your new CD! David, it must feel good when you enter the recording studio, meet your fellow musicians and get down to business! How did you organize this project, especially with the diversity of styles you play and the wide range of musicians who are included on the album? David Reed: I suppose if you’d define “feel good” as “anxious as hell,” you’d be correct (laughs)! I’ve never been too comfortable in the recording studio, but Bruce Blair, who had produced several of my local house concerts, colluded with my fiancee Claudia d’Alessandro, and together they kept urging me to get back into the studio - “You have a sound that people want to hear!” Well, OK, it had been ten years since my last record! Bruce suggested working with engineer Luke Germain, and that was a very wise move. Luke and Bruce helped me winnow my long list of song selections down to twelve. I arrived with the expectation that this would be a simple trio record made with my band, The Introverts (Sam Earnshaw, drums and Scott McKenney, bass). Because we play together a lot, the songs were pretty tight when we entered Germain’s “Walkout Studio” in Stockbridge, MA and the process was less stressful - what a relief! - than I’d 32 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

anticipated (laughs). I’d wondered whether adding a few other instruments and voices here and there might be interesting, but was concerned that the extra time and cost would be prohibitive. Luke and Bruce enthusiastically encouraged my ideas so we reserved a bit more studio time and I contacted some of my musical colleagues whom I thought might be available and interested. Can you tell us about your contributing artists who play on Gypsy Davy? Are they all Berkshire musicians and vocalists? David: I was blessed to have all these talented folks join me on this project; they were terrific and really added some beautiful color and texture to this album! I had played a fun outdoor concert last summer where I had invited my former music student and Max Creek lead guitarist, Scott Murawski, to sit in with us. We had such a great time and he contributed such smokin’ lead guitar work to our sound that I thought I’d like to have that indelibly added to this record. Scott resides in Worcester and is busy touring nationally with Max Creek, the Mike Gordon Band, Bill Kreutzman & Otiel Burbridge and other music projects, but when I asked him, he was thrilled and readily accepted. Given the success

with Scott’s involvement, I asked Max Creek keyboardist Mark Mercier if he would be interested in contributing as well. He, too, was very busy with other projects, but immediately agreed to come on board. Mark resides in the Hartford, CT area. Building upon the success of these first contributions, I put out inquiries to other musicians who I respect and who might be interested in laying down a track or two. Violinist Eric Martin (from New Marlborough, MA) added a few truly stunning violin and viola tracks to several tunes. Accordionist Dave Vittone (from Peru, MA) squeezed right in and lay down a solid track. My son, Brendan Reed (Stockbridge, MA) played some deep djembe grooves on two songs, and saxophonist Mark Tuomenoksa (So. Egremont, MA) added a bit of sax appeal to a couple of songs. Local photographers and singers Lee Everett (Pittsfield, MA) and Claudia d’Alessandro (Sheffield, MA) added some vocal backup harmonies on a number of choruses, and on one song, “Sweet & Dandy”, I added The Ambient Chorus of barroom-style voices that included Lee, Claudia, Jeannie Bachetti (Housatonic, MA), Wendy Darling (Pittsfield, MA), Michael Brady (Lanesborough, MA) and Luke and Bruce (both from Stockbridge, MA). Looking back, it was a lit-

Max Creek Reunion (2017) @ Telefunken. Scott Murawski, David Reed, Bob Gosselin, John Rider

tle like herding cats trying to coordinate all these folks, but it was sure worth it (laughs)! You mentioned Max Creek in this interview. Who are they and what is your relationship with them? David: They are a band that I started back in 1971 with drummer and high school chum Bob Gosselin and bassist John Rider when Rider and I were students at Hartt College of Music at U. of Hartford. We began a little folkrock jam-style band that expanded over the years to include Mark Mercier on keyboards and my music student, Scott Murawski, on lead guitar. I left the band somewhere around 1975 to pursue a solo career and they continued on to be the progenitors of the modern jam-band scene, influencing such acts as Phish, moe., String Cheese, Mike Gordon and many, many more. The band has continued to tour all those years and is about to celebrate their 48th anniversary this year! Except for the ever-changing drummers (Max Creek is apparently hard on drummers!), they have had the same front line personnel for all those years! They’ll be playing an anniversary concert at the Colonial in Pittsfield in April. I’ve been known to sit in with them from time to time. How do you define “eclectica” music? You seem to feel this captures what your sound is all about. Is it geared towards a particular audience? David: Oh, boy, it’s that ‘what kind of music do you play?’ thing again (face palms)! It seems that everyone wants to put you in some sort of categorical box. Probably so the computerized algorithm gods can easily find you? While on the one hand, my critics enjoy the diversity and surprise of my live shows, on the other hand they don’t know how to classify me. I’m not purely a singer-songwriter folk, or rock,

Photo: Brendan Reed

or blues, or country, or reggae, or calypso kinda guy. I seem to be a hearty gumbo of all of it…and more. A pretty strange, or should I say, “eclectic,” combination of styles from a classically trained trumpeter, but, hey, that’s how I roll (laughs)! As for my audience, I have no specific target, per se. Rather, I’d like anyone who comes to hear me, whether they wind up liking it or not, will at least say, “This guy sure is interesting!”

staring right at me from a framed photo on my wall, came my answer. Claudia’s dad, Eugene Cook, was a brilliant photographer and editor at LIFE magazine from the late '40s through the '60s. He is known for his iconic photos of personalities and places, and right here, grinning at me from my wall, was Gene's photo of an Italian gypsy guitarist with his admiring bevy of beauties taken in the early ‘50s. I thought, “He’ll do quite nicely!” (laughs)

So how did you come up with the name, Gypsy Davy, for this album? How did you settle upon a graphic image for the cover? David: Well, I always struggle with naming things. Even my kids didn’t have names until they were at least twelve - just kidding! (laughs). But seriously, naming things is really difficult for me. However, I’ve come to learn that just the right name eventually finds its namesake. So it was with this album. After Luke recorded and mixed the raw material and Ian Stewart (“Flotown Studio” in Housatonic, MA) did the mastering, it was time to begin production. Can’t do that without a title, now, can you? As I was listening to the mixes, I was struck by the exotic and mysterious mood of one of the songs, Gypsy Davy. It’s about the quintessential, raggle-taggle gypsy pirate kind of guy who has held the fascination and intrigue of people from nearly every nation for hundreds of years. He certainly has had long-lived appeal. And our version of this song was, frankly, wicked cool. “Can’t go wrong with that!” I thought. “Gypsy Davy it shall be!” As for the cover art, I struggled a long while with that, too (rolls his eyes). I searched for appropriate gypsy images on-line, in books, museum files, etc. I found some pretty good stuff, too, but I would have had to pay for the rights to use it and I simply didn’t want to go through all that foolin’ about. And then,

It’s been about ten years since your last recording, Asleep At The Keel. What have you been doing with yourself? More specifically, what has your life been like over the past ten years in music, love, family, travel, etc? David: Ah, inquiring minds want to know, is that it (laughs)? Well, I eventually retired from the psychology business and went to work for Claudia at her Music Store in Great Barrington. Claudia and I became engaged in 2016 and we closed out the store in 2017, each of us focusing upon our lives together and our artistic endeavors: Claudia with her photography business and me with my performance schedule and building “Dr. Ea$y’s Sonic Boxes”, my little cigar box instrument making biz. I’ve expanded my performance schedule to include most of New England, down to Delaware, and I continue to perform in the US Virgin Islands as I have for the past 24 years. I bought a used Miata sports car and Claudia and I very much enjoy tooling around the northeast doing what we like to call “top downs”. Of course, all the while that “next recording” had been festering in my mind! On the family front, it’s been a pleasure to have my son occasionally join me on stage (and on this recording) with his grooving percussion playing, to watch my daughter grow and develop her own independent, organic farm in CT, and Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 33

Steve Sauve in No. Adams, MA) and a Taylor T5 that used to belong to retired folkie heroine Mary Maddux. On one song, engineer Germain had me play his Gibson SG electric guitar for some different color. I also played my trumpet on one song and added various percussion instruments to several tracks. Maybe if audiences start to yell “MORE CONCH SHELL!” I’ll record something with it! Does true love have anything to do with motivating you into creating this album? David: I suppose, in part, it’s my true love for music. It has been my constant companion and source of inspiration and comfort since I was around six or seven years old. It’s been Claudia’s true love for me that has encouraged and inspired me to keep moving ahead, take risks and continue growing. In what ways have you and Claudia collaborated or worked together on musical or visual art projects? David: Claudia has a wonderful voice! Her mom, Phyllis Curtin, used to say that Claudia had a more beautiful voice than hers! I don’t know about that, but it is sweet and I did want her to sing on Gypsy Davy. I am fortunate that she agreed, because Claudia, raised on the perimeter of her mom’s bright spotlight, wants nothing to do with the limelight or the stage But she consented to contribute her fine voice to several choruses on the record. I’ve been instrumental (no pun intended) in getting her to become more active and visible with her photography career. I am responsible for most of her PR and print media advertisements and help her to hang her gallery shows.

"On the Set" David Reed t at Doug Trumbull's MAGI Studio, New Marlborough, MA (2016) during the shooting of the "Digby" video. Photo: Claudia d'Alessandro

to develop relationships with Claudia’s three adult children. Tell us about your hand-made cigar box instruments? You keep making them, do you not run out of ideas? What have you perfected on, added to, to make these instruments a new a challenging experience each time you make one? David: Since 2010 I’ve been building, and performing with, cigar box guitars. To date, I’ve built 198 of them and they keep on coming…I’m running out of space (laughs)! What I love about them is that they are ALL different, visually and sonically. Except for the tuning machines, strings and any electronics that I might use, everything is made from ‘found’, or recycled, materials. Each box has its own art and physical dimensions, therefor, I can not simply ‘jig up’ and make a bunch of ‘em at the same time. Each is unique, although some are more 34 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

unique than others (winks)! For instance, one is made from a large, early 20th century Canadian Benson & Hedges cigarette box; another from an early 20th century Jack Daniels tin box. Some of the wood for the necks has come from hickory and ash trees in my backyard, old oak church pews, cherry from an ancient Amish sawmill, and exotic woods gleaned from the mill-end runs at Berkshire Products in Ashley Falls, MA. As for perfection, it ain’t them (laughs), but they are getting more, shall we say, sophisticated…and they sound KILLAH! On Gypsy Davy, what instruments do you play? I know you play the conch shell really well! David: (laughs) No conch shell TuTu on on this one…I just know there will be some folks who’ll be bitterly disappointed (laughs)! I play two different acoustic guitars on most tracks of this recording: my Steve Sauve Model II (made for me in 1987 by

From your perspective, what makes a relationship work? David: Mutual respect, admiration, and ultimate acceptance!!! You ain’t gonna change your partner (nor they you), so if you can’t accept them for who they are, you better keep moving! Mutual attraction and a few shared interests help make the journey way more fun, too! And cake. We like cake (smiles). What satisfies you the most when an album has successfully been done? For all those involved, I am sure you helped their lives to be more opulent with this experience of working together. Was this a spontaneous plan that worked, and one you hope will work again on the next round? David: I think that hearing from listeners that my work has somehow brought them joy or pleasure is probably the nicest ‘reward.’ Multiple sales go down well with me, too (laughs!). As for “opulent,” I’m not sure about that one! Our collaboration together may have made their lives, at least temporarily, quite interesting, or perhaps even exciting…and that’s always good. It would seem that this “spontaneous plan” (somewhat oxymoronic, n’est pas?) could likely work out. Time will tell. But in the meanwhile, it sure was FUN!

What were your main responsibilities in making this album happen? Can you tell us what the main challenges were to get this album to fruition? David: My primary responsibility was simply to agree to do the project. I then had to be mindful about trusting my own instincts and the guidance of others, and allowing the entire process to unfold without me getting in anyone’s way, including my own! Micro-managing and perfectionism are NOT your friends! And in the end, it was me who was writing the checks (laughs)! What have you learned this time around that you will definitely, or definitely not, apply to the next time around? David: To temper my expectations! Stuff happens. No matter how you prepare, there are exigencies that happen beyond your control…some good, some disastrous. Flow, Baby, flow! I hope this project will be monetarily fruitful for you so you can make more albums, and have more fun exploring the sounds of music. Was this an expensive project to realize? Did you have outside funding? David: Thanks, I hope so, too, but time will tell. I’ve learned that I can’t embark on such an endeavor expecting that it’s going to be financially profitable. That is a prescription for disappointment! “Expensive” is certainly a relative term. I priced a several studios before I committed to Luke’s “Walkout Studio”. He has been extremely reasonable and generous with his time and considerable talents - and we worked out a mutually acceptable compensation agreement. My guest musicians either donated their time and talent, or charged minimally. Suffice it to say, I’ve several thousand buckeroos laying on Gypsy Davy and I sure hope he’ll deliver the goods! No, there was no grant or outside money involved… just my own dwindling savings account! Collaborating always leads to networking and brainstorming of ideas! Do you have an idea of what is to follow? David:Yes, I do! ‘Producer Brucer’ and Luke both would like me to release a hard-hitting, hard-rocking cigar box guitar EP recording…with the amps turned up to 11 (grins broadly)! I’m game, but I gotta recuperate from Gypsy Davy first! Upbeat, fun, eclectic music is what we all need! Lets pass the word around so everyone has the opportunity to put this album into their personal repertoire of favorites. Will you be touring and playing live? David: I believe that by the time your readers see this interview, Gypsy Davy will have been released on the Dry Ducks Records label. The physical CD will be available for purchase at CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon and at all my live shows. It can be streamed on iTunes, Spotify and Pandora, too. As for touring, I am continuing adding to my calendar of local and regional shows and am looking into a future east coast jaunt that will take me all the way to Florida…and beyond? I plan to continue my annual, winter USVI tour as well. My schedule is updated regularly on the website: www.tambouraproductions.com

CD Cover: Taken in Italy of an Italian gypsy (and his admirers!) in the early 1950s by Eugene Cook, Claudia's father.

I am wondering, do you think vinyl and the turntable will return to us? Is that what you may like to see happen? Are there pros and cons to this happening? David: I don’t think that they ever totally disappeared, though I doubt they’ll replace or eclipse the digital domain that seems to be the purveyor of all music these days. It would seem that it is the true audiophile that gravitates to vinyl, and so far as I know, you can’t take vinyl records with you and listen in the car or while you jog! Have you thought of making a music video? David: I did make a video with filmmaker, special effects guru and iMax theatre inventor Doug Trumbull at his MAGI Studios in New Marlborough, MA back in 2016. Doug was working on a new way for video to be made and viewed and he wanted to include a music video as part of the marketing package to present to potential investors. I am grateful that he is one of my fans and am honored that he asked us if he could shoot one of our calypso songs, “Digby,” towards this purpose. It was great fun and a fabulous experience for us. However, other than the potential investors and those who’ve stumbled across the video on my website, I’m not exactly sure who’s actually seen it though (laughs!). Can you tell us about the most memorable moments of this entire collaborative experience for you? Is there a party planned? David: There were many memorable moments, mostly constellating around the performances of my

guest musicians. I will say that two moments really stand out: The first being that I was proud that my son made his recording debut on this project, and the second, when I asked Eric Miller to play violin, I had no idea he’d bring his viola. The poor viola is often maligned and relegated to the joke drawer of orchestral instruments, but my word, when Eric played his viola on some of my original songs, I wept. Literally. It’s warm, rich, almost cello-like voice truly amazed us all! As for a party, I do plan on having an album release party later in the spring or early summer. I’m in the process of inquiring about venues, but nothing has been firmed up yet. Stay tuned! David, what is a great line or two of lyrics that you would like to share before we listen to the album? David: Though it’s not at all a reflection of my current state of being and I am truly grateful for the vast abundance in my life, I found that this refrain from the Seasick Steve song Started Out With Nothin’ had a certain poignant resonance: “I started out with nothin’, and I still got plenty of it left!” I’m such a hopeless romantic (winks and laughs)!

Thank you David! m www.tambouraproductions.com

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 35

Faldoni CHAPTER 7 RICHARD BRITELL

Faldoni was brought to trial for the theft of the blue pigment, and the old Cantaloupe Man was still active and, although ninety years old, was still making his obscure comments. The superiors of the institution had to bow to the pressure of public opinion and acknowledge the veneration the old man received. They could hardly do anything to prevent it, and the visitors who now came from all over the world to see him brought so much money to the monastery that it would have been foolish to stop it. The reason his remarks seemed so cogent and useful to the pilgrims that came to see him was because the comments were made up of absolute gibberish. His observations consisted of unrelated phrases strung together with no rhyme or reason. It is not had to see why such talk would solve the most intractable problems. The pilgrims heard what they wanted to hear, and saw in his words what they unwittingly wanted to see. The friar, after giving a lot of careful thought to the case, decided to defend Faldoni with arguments that ran no risk of implicating himself in Faldoni’s guilt. He did not use what would later become Victor Hugo’s defense of Jean Valjean. The Hugo defense would consist of excusing a thief on the basis of the responsibility of the church to care for the poor. By that argument, the pigment Faldoni stole should have been given to him in the first place. He did not use what would be Dostoevsky’s defense of Fedka. Perhaps you do not think Dostoevsky was defending his character Fedka in what he said about him. You would be wrong about that, however. Dostoevsky’s defense of Fedka begins with the first words we quoted about him. Fedka said: “Well, you see sir, I went to the church with the idea of saying my prayers.” Fedka, it turns out, humbly believes in God, and believes in the teachings of the Russian Orthodox Church. He has these beliefs even though he is a murder and a thief. Dostoevsky noticed, because of his time spent in prison, that the worst criminals were often very devout. They often had Bibles carefully underlined, with notations in the margins of the pages. They pray for forgiveness of their sins, and hope for salvation. Here is the Friar’s argument, and I give it to you in full because of its importance not only for Faldoni, but 36 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

also because of its subsequent influence in medieval jurisprudence. He said, “Is it fair to say that Faldoni stole the ultramarine blue pigment from the monastery? I think not. Who owns the monastery? The monastery is owned by the church. And the church owns the monastery’s lands and buildings. Faldoni’s cell is in the servant’s quarters and the servant’s dormitory itself is owned by the church. Therefore the cell of Faldoni and his desk and his cot and his clothing, and anything that may happen to be under the bed in the cell are all possessions of the church. You could say that even if Faldoni has some lint in the pocket of his tunic, that lint is also the possession of the church. “So, Faldoni could not have taken the ultramarine blue pigment, because wherever the pigment was, and wherever Faldoni was, both were all the time owned by, and possessions of the church.” The judges so far, made no objection, sitting immobile in their ornate chairs, behind their massive carved oak desk, a desk that seemed to be muttering “guilty, guilty, guilty,” as did the ornate walls of the judgment chamber. The friar continued with his argument. “Now it is true that we monks and friars try to make things easier for the Good Lord by tonsuring our heads, thereby making it simpler for him to count, and those among us who are completely bald, I would suppose, are especially appreciated by The Father.” At this point the friar looked at the three judges to see if his attempt at humor had any effect, but he may as well have been looking at those dour stone portraits that adorn cathedrals in rural districts. But the friar, warming to his argument, went on and even ventured into dangerous territory. “So,” he said with new conviction, “The Roman Catholic Church owns the monastery, and also owns Faldoni and his ultramarine pigment. But more important is the question of who is it that owns the Church itself? That can have only one answer, the Lord God Jehovah owns the Roman Catholic Church, and the Pope, all the cardinals and bishops, priests, monks and even we humble friars are all His personal possession. So whomever decides to destroy one of God’s creations is quite obviously doing a very reckless and inconsiderate thing, regardless of any misguided ideas that would seem to justify such an act in the narrow view of those who actually probably do not even believe in God in the first place. Because if they truly believed in God, and believed that God created the universe and everything in it, they might have a hard time deciding to cut grass, let alone cut off Faldoni’s head. “We could make a mistake by destroying Faldoni because he was taking good care of God’s ultramarine blue that nobody else cared about, but then, tomorrow perhaps, God might go looking for Faldoni to see how he was getting on, and lo and behold he would discover that we had done away with him, and then there might be hell to pay, and that would be a hell with a capital H.” After saying all of this the friar was silent. He knew he had gone too far in what he said, but he was carried away by the sound of his own voice in the silence of the judgment hall. After a painful silence the judges conferred with each other very briefly, and in their hushed conversation it was obvious that all three agreed about every aspect of the case; not a good sign for the defense. If only the friar had seen just one of the judges holding back and shaking

his head in indication of skepticism. But there was no skepticism or disagreement. The judge in the center of the three had a crooked face, the right side hung down a little as if he had suffered a stroke. It was he that responded to the friar. He spoke not of Faldoni’s guilt or innocence, but of the friar’s argument. The judge said, “First you attempt to establish that the gardener did not steal anything because everything belongs to the monastery. Not content with that piece of impertinence, you then make the argument that everything belongs to God. From there you have gone on to accuse us of a crime for taking it into our hands to act on God’s behalf, and without His permission. “According to your reasoning, there are no crimes of theft, since everything belongs to God at all times. Since it is impossible for anyone to steal anything from anyone, you arrive at the conclusion that all judges are guilty of blasphemy. If we accept your reasoning, then there are no thieves, and we judges are the only sinners.” The friar, listening to these words, involuntarily nodded his head in agreement; an unwise thing for him to do at that moment. The friar did not expect anything different from the judgment, and only hoped that he would not be condemned along with Faldoni for being so bold as to criticize the ecclesiastical judges. The judgment that was handed down was a simple burning at the stake. In recognition of the fact that Faldoni did not intend to sell the pigment, the judges decided to dispense with the flaying part of his punishment. It was just the day before the beginning of Lent when the judgment was handed down, and according to the traditions of the monastery no burnings at the stake could take place until after Easter, forty days later. So Faldoni was taken back to his cell and locked up. His jailer, who had grown fond of him during his ordeal, saw to it that he had materials to continue painting if he was so inclined. Now you have to put yourself in Faldoni’s shoes for a moment in order to comprehend the problem that confronted him on the first day of Lent, in the year of Our Lord 1292, or thereabouts. The question that perplexed him was the same as you or I would have had to answer. The question was, “If I have 40 days to live, what should I do? Or would it be best to do nothing at all since anything I start is likely to remain unfinished when Easter arrives.” Faldoni could neither read or write, so on the afternoon of the first day of Lent he decided that what he wanted to do was learn to write, and then, with that accomplished he planned to write a letter to the judges hoping to explain himself to them in detail. He had no idea what it was he wanted to say to his judges, but he was sure that difficulty would be resolved as soon as he mastered the problem of how to write things down on paper. Faldoni had one book and it was not the Bible, as you would expect, but a work in Latin. It might have been a religious meditation of some sort but was missing its covers and the first and last pages. Faldoni asked the jailer if he could read and write, and if he could possibly help him with his urgent task of learning to read. He was hoping to be able to accomplish this project in a few weeks.

RICHARD BRITELL: FROM THE BLOG NO CURE FOR THE MEDIEVAL MIND

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Everything is always lovingly & consciously prepared with fresh organic ingredients! THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 37

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SCOTT BARROW

SCOTT BARROW PHOTOGRAPHY INTERVIEW BY H. CANDEE Welcome back from Chicago, what a cold city it must have been! Vortex! What have you brought back to the Berkshires? Scott Barrow: Evidently, I brought the vortex back with me for a few days. Fortunately we are now back to the Berkshire’s winter beauty, above zero temps and an abundance of ice. I had purchased a new pair of boots two weeks before I left and I noticed that they were rated at 40 below zero. I laughed when I read that knowing that I would never need that capability. Then I went to Chicago and shot in -45 and the boots were excellent. Never say “never”. Regardless of the conditions having a camera in hand makes the discomfort worthwhile. I love shooting in winter. Your work allows you to escape any time of year? Scott: Yes, absolutely. My schedule has always been my own though having a gallery requires my focused attention for the summer months. For eight weeks Scott Barrow the photographer becomes Scott Barrow “The Artist” and I enjoy hundreds of conversations with visitors and my returning clients (Many of whom are now friends). Summer is the time that I “escape” for sunrise on Stockbridge Bowl or for a midweek trip to Manhattan to photograph the city. Can you recollect any experience that was life altering, or one that has 38 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

been a great learning curve for you? Scott: I met and married Karen Beckwith. How have you applied that learning curve lesson / experience to benefit you now with your photography work? Scott: Well, there are a number of things. First, when it comes to honing your photographic skills I can’t emphasize enough the importance of having a beautiful and extremely patient woman close by to photograph in any situation or location that you find yourself in. Whether on the beach, traveling the world, capturing a sunset or becoming a father there is just no substitute. Second, all assignments are a team effort. My job is to understand the concept, to appreciate the art director’s personal creative needs and to be willing to compromise when necessary in order to achieve and surpass the client’s vision. In general, listen carefully, plan ahead, see the opportunities that the unexpected provides and then act decisively. Most importantly, embrace serendipity. Your gallery in Lenox houses a wealth of your artistic insights and visions. How have you designed the gallery environment /space so it all unravels at a comfortable pace for visitors?

ROCKEFELLER 1 SCOTT BARROW

Scott: My wife once described the gallery as the perfect Scott Barrow space. It really is like being invited into someone’s home to see his or her personal photography collection. Built in 1820 the building and my space are architectural gems. When you enter, the first thing that you see is a freestanding white wall with a 44 x 66” print that sets the tone of the current exhibition. To the left is a glimpse through an arch into the main gallery where three to five prints draw you in to the show. A comfortable pace is built in because my associate, Rebecca and I enjoy meeting our guests, sharing the art and telling the stories behind their creation. The shows are based on my current creative projects. My extensive and eclectic archive serves as a valuable resource for art consultants and interior designers across the country. I am fascinated by your antique car photos. Why these handsome in distress car shots, what interests you most? Scott: Most would see a junkyard and a blemished landscape; I see fields of former powerhouses: well used, well loved icons of transportation, vehicles waiting patiently to have their acquired patina rediscovered. They are adorned in rust and peeling pain. Their metal takes on the colorful iridescence of a fine silk. Hood ornaments gleam even as their chrome plating fails. Visually, it’s as if they have been weathered to perfection and they are new again.

Tell me about the Dear Moshe series, they are so timeless and beautiful. It must have been intriguing for you to find the typewriter with Hebrew letters. And you mentioned that you wondered if the typist was still alive… are you a sentimental historian in some ways? Scott: A bit sentimental sometimes but essentially, I just love typewriters. They are mechanical wonders that when used to their fullest potential seem as if they might fly apart at any moment. They are Noisy, percussive yet elegant and responsive. They are a tactile and immediate connection to our thoughts and feelings as we put them to paper. Our computer keyboards serve the same purpose, but they keep us at a distance. When your fingers dance across the keys of a Remington, a Royal or an Underwood you are one with the machine and that physical contact locks in the emotion of your words. Typewriters are collection points. They embrace your energy, your joy and your fears and become wiser with every correspondence. When I first saw this machine with the Hebrew keyboard I was smitten. It was foreign, yet familiar. The British Pound symbol “£ “ implies that it was in Palestine when the British were there. At least half of my visitors comment on “Dear Moshe” and interesting and informative discussions are a regular occurrence. Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 39

OLDS UNIVERSE SCOTT BARROW

What part of photography is the most intriguing and satisfying for you? Scott: Photography is an extension of who I am. From the moment my eyes open in the morning until they close at night I am framing images. My environment is my canvas. When I add a camera and I experience the moment of capturing a memorable photo it’s a thrill. That I can now share it with others in the gallery and online is satisfying for sure, but the sensation is brief because in the blink of an eye I am already on to searching for the next image. Can you tell us more about your process in the studio, the film you use, the cameras you enjoy working with, and why? Scott: I am primarily a location photographer so my “studio” is wherever I happen to be at the moment. I moved on from film to digital in 2005 and I have always worked in the 35mm format. My equipment is Canon and my lenses run from 14mm to 400mm. I love zoom lenses for their versatility and for how quickly they allow me to react. What specific work ethics and principles are on top of your list to follow? Scott: I shoot to please myself because I am my harshest visual critic and if I’m happy with the results I know that my clients will be as well. I am tireless with a camera in my hands because it’s never “work” for me. Truth be told, I have been blessed with a lifetime of getting paid for having fun. My photographer’s golden rule; if you see the shot, take it because magic is fleeting. It’s easier to say that you’re sorry than to ask permission. You never 40 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

want to lose the moment while you are waiting for an answer. Tell us about your first inspiration to work with a camera? Scott: My father was an avid photographer his whole life as was my mother. Both sides of my family have been taking photographs since the 1860s. That said, spending time in dad’s darkroom and watching an image appear in a developing tray was magic to my eight-year-old eyes. I received my first camera that Christmas. Do you and your wife, Karen, collaborate on photography and design projects together on a professional or personal level? Scott: Karen is an accomplished painter and interior designer. In a former career as a graphic designer she designed my promotional calendars and my book, “Private Moments, Impressions of Manhattan”. A ½ page in the Sunday New York Times Book Review honored the book and it won numerous international design competitions. Often, when I am editing she looks over my shoulder and says, “Oh, print that one large” and she is always right. We also work together professionally when I photograph her extraordinary interior design projects. Is there anything you haven’t photographed yet that is on your list of things to explore? Scott: Egypt and India. Continued on next page...

HEBREW TYPEWRITER SCOTT BARROW

BOYS PLAYING IN THE IRRAWADDY RIVER, MYANMAR SCOTT BARROW

CRANWELL TREE

SCOTT BARROW

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 41

AUTO STACK

Scott, are you planning to offer any upcoming photography workshops? Given your previous workshops, what angle / style, or new direction do you see fitting that may work for the next one coming up? Is it open to all levels? Scott: Each workshop has the same premise and yet they are always different. It is geared toward advanced amateurs, but shooters that are confident with their equipment are welcome. I work with my student photographers to help them notice the subtle beauty that surrounds us everywhere, all of the time. I teach by example. Every group brings new and diverse energy to the workshop and I learn as much from our time together as they do. Along with my Berkshire Excursions we are planning trips to Block Island, RI this year. You should come! You seem so upbeat and happy, like a child jumping into a rain puddle! Why do you not explore the world of the poor and distraught side of life? Or, have you? Scott: To be sure, not every day is upbeat and happy, but I am always grateful for this amazing life 42 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

SCOTT BARROW

and the creative gifts that I have. I see rain puddles as opportunities for reflection (literally), not obstacles. I don't explore the world of the distraught because I'm not drawn to it. My work is about beauty and light and that is what I am here for. Even when I find myself in situations of industrial blight, storm damaged neighborhoods or tragic fires I can’t help but find gorgeous and dramatic imagery. I feel that an artful mind does not have to suffer or focus on deprivation in order to create. That said, you can always act outside of your art. When I lived in New York I renovated a raw loft space and I made my 2000 sq ft of 6th floor Manhattan into a light filled garden. My next-door neighbor and daily confidant, Betty was the homeless woman that lived in the doorway just outside mine. Every night she slept in a collection of boxes and every morning the furriers that owned the doorway would help her fold them up and bunji cord them to the light post nearby. I realized at some point that she knew more about my schedule and current events than any one else in New York. Regardless of winter temperatures she would not take my offer to sleep in our

lobby and she would never go to a shelter because she felt that they were too dangerous. When I asked her about money from welfare she told me that she could not qualify because she could not prove residency. I gathered affidavits from the furriers, my neighbors, and the FedEx and UPS guys. They all stated that they had known Betty for two years and that she did indeed live in the doorway of 214 West 30th Street. I went to the welfare office with her and the application was passed from agent to agent, eliciting smiles from them all. She received her first check soon after. What have been some of your biggest challenges that were difficult, but managed to make it through, or still working towards that goal? And, tell us about it, your thoughts. Scott: Art and commerce have been equal partners throughout my career. I often say that the work of photography is getting the work. As a freelance photographer you are only as good as your last assignment and you are constantly working toward finding the next one. I once heard that “Something

THE COMMITTEE STEPS OUT

terrible happens without promotion… Nothing!” Self-promotion is the order of the day and I do that best in person. I have thousands of cold calls behind me and yet it is still a struggle to pick up the phone and ask for someone’s time. Interestingly, once I have an appointment I love the meetings. I am a people person and I thrive on making new connections. Did I mention that I speak to strangers in elevators? My greatest career challenge came when, as a young photographer I moved from a mountaintop in Virginia to Manhattan. I wanted to compete with the best photographers in the world and for me, they were in New York. I had one connection, an art director that I knew from Richmond. He was now working at a major ad agency so he was my first call. The receptionist (remember those?) told me two things. She just loved working with him and that he had moved to LA the week before. So, the cold calls to agencies began. I would see anyone who would see me. Between appointments I would make more cold calls to see more agencies. I felt like Clark Kent running into and out of phone

SCOTT BARROW

booths (remember those?). One Friday I had a creative director say that he thought that I looked tired. I just smiled and told him that he was my 27th appointment that week. I spent ten years working out of New York and eventually I won assignments over some of the best photographers there. Many of them became and still are good friends of mine. After I finish this interview today I will be making calls to new art consultants in the city because the goal is a moving target. Advertising has made way for fine art, but the challenge and enjoyment of new relationships is a constant for me. Where are you mentally headed in terms of your fine art work? You must have daily inspirations, some realistic, some not. Tell us! Scott: That’s an interesting question because my personal photography does not involve a mental process; it’s more of a spiritual one. I may have a destination, but I try not to have any expectations of what I may find once I get there. Serendipity plays a major role in my work and I am constantly amazed at what I discover that I could never have

thought to plan. My job as an artist is to stay open to the possibilities that present themselves. What I am constantly working on is nudging beauty just over the edge into art. It is a totally subjective goal and it requires total immersion and connection to my subject in a split second. If I succeed you will be able to experience what I felt at the moment the shutter was released. If we are on the same wavelength you will love it like I do. I always have several themed personal projects in process. They keep me fresh and engaged, especially in the Berkshire’s winter months. I will be having a show on one of them this spring. It involves a journey to a very small, enchanted island.

Thank you, Scott! M

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 43

Gramma Becky’s Old World Recipes Written and Shared with a Loving Spoonful by LAURA PIAN

It was a Tuesday, shortly after 5PM on November 9th, 1965. As most New Yorkers were traveling on their way home from a busy day, my Mom had just picked me up from my weekly after-school piano lesson. We made a stop at Mrs. Mendelsohn’s to drop off my piano school friend Diana. Suddenly, as Mom was kibitzing with Mrs. Mendelsohn, there was an obvious flicker of lights, continuing on and off for many minutes. Diana and I thought it was funny. A strange eeriness came upon the neighborhood. My only thought was to follow Mom’s lead; certainly she would know what to do. My mother, Goldy was always brave, she never lost her positive attitude in front of me, even during the worst of times. At this moment I heard her say “Uh-oh”, and suddenly I knew something was terribly wrong. She jumped back into the car and swiftly drove us home. As she tuned the radio to WCBS-AM news, we heard the early reports of a massive power outage. The city went totally black and I was scared. We drove along the dark streets which were typically well lit by tall lamp posts. Instead of being guided by the familiar lighting from the posts, this evening we found ourselves amongst ribbons of car lights; cars filled with other panicked, rush-hour New Yorkers. Luckily, Mom found a nearby parking space, she grabbed me by the hand and guided us into our very dark apartment building lobby. The elevator was not working. I tried my best to hold back tears and remain brave as her grasp on me grew tighter. Mom found her way to the doorknob of the staircase and in the pitch black darkness, we climbed up five double-flights of stairs. “Laura, count with me!” she said. Together, we counted each step out loud as we walked up, and up, and up some more, 65 steps in total. We exited the stairs onto the 5th floor hallway in total blackness. As Mom carefully felt her way to the keyhole with one hand, we finally entered our small apartment. There was (a very worried-looking) Grandma Becky! Her face burst out into such a big smile when we entered the apartment. Hugs all around, our jackets came off and she sat us down. Grandma had the transistor radio on, candles lit, and dinner was served! As the two of them spoke, primarily in Yiddish, my older brother and I ate. He and I found this adventure in darkness to be quite exciting. Grandma Becky had prepared an amazing pot of cabbage soup which had been cooking on the stovetop for over an hour before the power was lost. As luck would have it, the soup was still piping hot when we returned home, along with a fresh loaf of black bread on the side. Despite the complete shut-down of power that NYC had endured, we inevitably managed to have a cozy, delicious dinner thanks to Grandma Becky. To this day, over 50 years later, I refer to cabbage soup as “black-out” soup. It continues to bring back those awesome feelings of family, love, safety and of course… home. Here I share that sweet dish with you.

BECKY’S “BLACK-OUT” CABBAGE SOUP: Ingredients: • 3 Tbsp butter • 1 large onion, chopped • 2 stalks celery, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, chopped • 2 carrots (1 sliced, 1 grated) • 1 green cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups) • 1 large starch potato, peeled and diced • 1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz) • 1 can white beans, rinsed (15 oz, optional) • 2 Tbsp chopped dill or parsley • 1 Tbsp brown sugar • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth • 2 bay leaves • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Heat the butter in a large pot. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until soft. Add the cabbage, carrots and celery, stirring until all the vegetables cook evenly. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, beans and bay leaves, dill or parsley and stir to combine. Now add the broth, sugar and vinegar; stir and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Lower heat to a simmer and cover, allowing soup to simmer and thicken for approximately 30-45 minutes. If soups seems too thick, add more broth or water to your desired consistency.

Enjoy & esn gezunt! (eat well and healthy!) 44 • MARCH 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND

EDWARD ACKER PHOTOGRAPHER

Time Flies D Get Pictures EdwardAckerPhotographer.com 413-446-8348 THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2019 • 45