In ordinary times, we are surrounded with information and a multitude of options for cultural experiences in the New York/Connecticut metropolitan area. For those of us who participate, our schedules can be very full if we take advantage of what is … [Read more...]
An Art Sale that Benefits Local Charities – Art Show: Bedford 2020
Cultivating a Sense of Place: Thomas Cole and Catskill Creek at Hudson River Museum
Flamenco Legends: The Paco de Lucia Project opens Performing Arts Center’s 2019-2020 Season
I attended my first flamenco performance in Cordoba, Spain in June of 1987. I remember it well - a small club, with a raised platform that ran through the center of the room where the dancer performed. The experience was vivid and very … [Read more...]
Three Views into an Artist’s Creative Process: NYFA East End Studio Tour
Artist talks are interesting, but an opportunity to hear from an artist in their own studio, even more so. Today’s East End Studio Tour in Bridgehampton, New York, hosted by New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) was not only informative, but … [Read more...]
A Trip North for Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival & Boscobel House and Gardens
I first visited Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival with my sons several years ago; it's a very special destination, on the grounds of Boscobel House and Gardens in Garrison, New York. The experience so enjoyable and memorable, so I’ve been back since … [Read more...]
Classical, Jazz, World Music and More: Caramoor’s 74th Summer Season Has Begun!
Saturday night, June 15th, was Caramoor’s Opening Night for their 74th Summer Music Festival. The weather was perfect - there was a cool breeze that would occasionally drift through the Venetian Theater. We looked forward to the evening’s … [Read more...]
Our New Cultural Pursuit Destinations Page
This is a very special area - I’ve lived in both Westchester and Fairfield Counties, and with the myriad of cultural offerings, it's a region that has a tremendous variety of unique destinations to enjoy visual art, music, film, theatre and dance … [Read more...]
“The Weather Outside is Frightful, So Stay Warm at the Jacob Burns Film Center” by Abby Popper, JBFC
I've been going to the Jacob Burns Film Center for a long time, since my days living in Westchester - they've had many notable guests for Q&As after screenings and they feature an impressive variety of film series. Some we have enjoyed as … [Read more...]
The Schoolhouse Theater in Croton Falls Opens its 2018-2019 Season
LOVE, LINDA: THE LIFE OF MRS. COLE PORTER October 5 - 14, 2018 Loved by many, The Schoolhouse Theater located in the charming hamlet of Croton Falls in Northern Westchester County has opened its 2018-19 season with LOVE, LINDA, a musical … [Read more...]
New ways of perceiving with “Senses: Design Beyond Vision” at Cooper Hewitt Museum
Do you ever hear or see something and wonder how it could be perceived differently? If you appreciate the subtle and not so subtle effects of music, marvel at the sound of birds and wonder how that sound would look, think about how colors relate to … [Read more...]
Summer of Abstraction at Hudson River Museum
At the Hudson River Museum there are two exhibitions currently on view: Force Field: Drawings by Christine Hiebert,and riverthatflowsbothways by Ellen Kozak and Scott D. Miller. Seeing Christine Hiebert’s large scale drawings made me wonder … [Read more...]
Greenwich Film Festival 2018: Films, Shorts, Panel Discussions & More
The 2018 Greenwich International Film Festival opens tomorrow. Four days of special events, films and panel discussions, this is a festival that has grown and evolved in the past 3 years, since its first year in 2015. This year it consists of 33 … [Read more...]
“Art Students League Revisited” at Flinn Gallery: Eight Different Perspectives
Having been an art school student, I’ve always been of the belief that one never stops learning - whether we are pre-grad, post grad, or self-taught. "Student" is defined as "an attentive and systematic observer". By definition, then, artists are … [Read more...]
Art Treasures from the Church of the Gesù in Rome Come to Fairfield University Art Museum
The Holy Name - Art of the Gesù: Bernini and His Age opened at Fairfield University’s Art Museum on February 2nd. In this very special exhibition, commemorating the University’s 75th anniversary, are some exquisite works from the Gesù, the mother … [Read more...]
Looking Ahead to Winter/Spring 2018: Quick Center, Stamford Symphony & Caramoor
Happy New Year, I hope that your 2018 is off to a good start! This year, we’ll be branching out to experience more performing arts and film, in addition to our visual arts experiences. Beginning this month, we’ll be attending a Paul Taylor Dance … [Read more...]
“Being Part of the Whole” by Patricia (Tish) Fried, Fairfield County Chorale
Last Sunday, we met at the Norwalk Concert Hall for a special treat - a full-length performance of G.H. Handel's Messiah, sung by the Fairfield County Chorale, with orchestra and soloists: soprano Pascale Beaudin, countertenor Gon Halevi, … [Read more...]
“Walks With Artists” by Ted Barrow, Hudson River Museum
I was able to take an early look at the exhibition Walks with Artists: The Hudson Valley and Beyond at the Hudson River Museum, and the subject intrigued me -- I wanted to learn more about the different ways that our natural surroundings can inspire. … [Read more...]
What Can Come to Life Through Line: Toulouse-Lautrec at the Bruce Museum
I recall in art school, there was a quality of line that I learned about - it could be tentative, confident, gestural, or contour - and used for outlining, sketching or shading. So much could be communicated through the way a pencil, bit of … [Read more...]
Our September Visit to Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens
Having visited a few times over the years, I was thrilled to learn this spring that after being closed to the public for a time, the Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens at Pepsico in Purchase, New York would re-open for visitors this year. There … [Read more...]
Beauty, Wit and Whimsy with “Robert Zakanitch: Garden of Ornament” at the Hudson River Museum
The ability to learn directly from an artist about what motivates and inspires them is something I consider a gift. Knowing more about their point of view and creative process can add another dimension to the appreciation of … [Read more...]
Our Museums Offer Enrichment and Escape from Winter’s Chill
February can be a tough month for many because of the harsh weather. For me, it’s a great time to focus on the wide selection of offerings from our Museums throughout Westchester and Fairfield Counties. The cycle of exhibitions change regularly, but … [Read more...]
“A Few Feet from Michael Cunningham” by Susan Hodara
A few months ago, I met arts journalist Susan Hodara through a mutual friend, photographer Margaret Fox. Susan told me more about the Hudson Valley Writers Center, which recently featured “The Hours” author, Michael Cunningham, for one of their … [Read more...]
At the Bruce Museum: Her Crowd, Small Scales, Brett Weston Photographs and Last Days of Pangea
At the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, there are currently four shows on view: something for those interested in contemporary painting and sculpture by women, a view of our world from the perspectives of artists who work on a smaller scale, black … [Read more...]
Sacred Spaces: The Met Cloisters
It was a damp, misty day when we visited on Sunday - the first in a line of grey, drizzly days. Initially, I imagined it might affect our visit, but for me, it added to the experience. The Cloisters is a very special place, what I think of as … [Read more...]
Thoughts on Beauty – Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial
Beauty. A word with a kaleidoscope of examples, varying with time, place, culture, and in terms of artistic creations, influenced by technology, perspective, skill, vision, circumstances, materials, and processes. The world we live in sends … [Read more...]
Wendell Castle: Father of the Art Furniture Movement at The Museum of Arts and Design
One of the ideas emphasized in my art school education was the importance of good design. Design was defined as the realization of a concept or idea into a model or configuration which helps achieve the item’s designated objective, combining elements … [Read more...]
At the Whitney · Our Private Tour of Frank Stella: A Retrospective
Our small group navigated through the crowd of visitors in the soaring, monumental yet airy spaces of the Whitney. We walked slowly as our eyes took in walls filled with a dazzling variety of Frank Stella's works – from large, bold, geometric … [Read more...]
Why I Started Cultural Pursuit: That Awe-Inspiring Moment
I have had a life-long curiosity and love of learning in the arts. As a child I lived in Europe and was introduced early to the world of art, architecture and craftsmanship, and I clearly remember the first time art took central stage in my … [Read more...]