the artful mind july issue 2014

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Sculptor Don Gummer Photographed by Jane Feldman JULY 2014 MONTHLY BERKSHIRE ARTZINE THE SOURCE FOR PROMOTING ART SINCE 1994 THE ARTFUL MIND

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Featured artist, sculptor Don Gummer...please enjoy this summer issue filled with art!

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Sculptor Don GummerPhotographed by Jane Feldman

JULY 2014 MONTHLY BERKSHIRE ARTZINE THE SOURCE FOR PROMOTING ART SINCE 1994

THE ARTFUL MIND

Vault Gallery413.644.0221

Marilyn Kalishmarilynkalish.com

1 • JULY 2014 THE ARTFULMIND

2 • JULY 2014 THE ARTFUL MIND

FRONT STREET GALLERYKATE KNAPP

Pastels, oils, acrylics and watercolors…..abstract and represen-tational…..landscapes, still lifes and portraits….a unique vari-ety of painting technique and styles….you will be transportedto another world and see things in a way you never have be-fore…. join us and experience something different.

Painting classes continue on Monday and Wednesday morn-ings 10-1:30pm at the studio and Thursday mornings out in thefield. These classes are open to all...come to one or come againif it works for you. All levels and materials welcome.

Classes at Front Street are for those wishing to learn, thosewho just want to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art,and/or those who have some experience under their belt.

A teacher for many years, Kate Knapp has a keen sense ofeach student’s artistic needs to take a step beyond. Perfect set-ting for setting up still lifes; lighting and space are excellent.

Kate Knapp’s paintings are also on display at 510 WarrenSt. Gallery in Hudson, NY. Please stop by to see all the manyworks of art by exceptional artists.

Front Street Gallery – Front Street, Housatonic, MA.Gallery open by appointment or chance. 413-528-9546 or 413-429-7141 (cell).

BERKSHIRE FRINGE FESTIVAL

This August, the Berkshire Fringe moves north to theUpstreet Cultural district to kick off its 10th anniversaryseason at Shire City Sanctuary. From August 2-August 18,the Fringe will celebrate its decade milestone with over 30performances, special events, pick your own price nightsand free concerts by beloved Berkshire Fringe artists andensembles from around the world.2014 ‘best of the fest’  highlights include: Retrospectacle,the 2014 Fringe kickoff party on Saturday, August 2 featureslive performances, auction, dj, dancing and special musicalguest, May V. Oskan; Brooklyn’s beloved Under The TableTheater Ensemble present two hilarious and poignant phys-ical comedies, The Hunchbacks of Notre Dame and Solo: ATwo Person Show; The Wardrobe Ensemble from Bristol,UK return with their award winning show RIOT and the USpremiere of 33; Fringe favorite The Pi Clowns from SanFrancisco, CA inspire audiences of all ages and award win-ning monologist Dan Bernitt from Lexington, KY deliversan encore performance of his touchingly poetic hit, Thanksfor the Scabies, Jerkface! Plus, a British themed pub quiz,Community Performance Lab, new work showcases,  freeconcerts and more!

All performances take place at Shire City Sanctuary lo-cated at 40 Melville Street in Pittsfield, MA.  www.berk-shirefringe.org, e-mail  [email protected] or call413-320-4175.

CATA “I AM A PART OFART” Community Access to the Arts (CATA) presents “I Am a Part of

Art,” a celebration of CATA’s visual artists and writers. The month-long exhibit at Berkshire Museum features over 100 works of artcreated by artists with disabilities from Berkshire County. A poetryreading on opening night includes selected works from CATA’sWriters Workshop, read by guest reader Joe Cacaci, Founding Co-Artistic Director of Berkshire Playwrights Lab and a writer himself.The opening reception, free and open to the public, is Thursday,July 24 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in The Crane Room.

Faculty member Pat Hogan reflects, “It is a privilege to be aCATA teacher. Our artists astonish us every day with their rare in-sight and innate ability to communicate through movement, wordsor painting.”

Work featured in the show includes a variety of media such asgraphite and charcoal, acrylic paint, chalk and oil pastel, and papermache, and includes abstract and representational paintings anddrawings as well as some sculpture. All work will be for sale, withproceeds supporting both the artists and CATA programs in the vi-sual arts.

CATA’s visual arts faculty members are artists in their own right:Jeff Gagnon, Pat Hogan, Leslie Klein, Marlene Marshall, JaniceShields, Stefanie Weber, and Michael Wolski.

“I Am a Part of Art” runs through August 23 and is made pos-sible through the generosity of The Coolidge Hill Foundation, BethMaher, Frames on Wheels, and Canyon Ranch.

Community Access to the Arts (CATA) - www.communityaccesstotheARTS.org

Artwork by Laurie

THE ARTFULMIND JULY 2014 •3

museums & galleriesART ON MAINGallery at Barnbrook Realty, 271 Main St., Gt. Barrington, MA413- 528-2446Mia Munzer Le Comte’s exhibit: “Somewhere Over the Rain-bow” will be on display June 28 – Sep 4, reception Sat, August30, 5-7 p.m.

CATA “I AM A PART OF ART”www.communityaccesstotheARTS.orgCelebration & opening reception, free and open to the public, isThursday, July 24 from 5- 7. The month-long exhibit at Berk-shire Museum features over 100 works of art created by artistswith disabilities from Berkshire County.

510 WARREN STREET GALLERYHudson, NY • 518-822-0510 July artist Peggy Reeves, “More Drama”; August artist John Lip-kowitz. “Paris Giverney and the Loire Valley: Personal Impres-sions”. Reception Aug 9, 3-6pm

FRONT STREET GALLERYFront St., Housatonic, MA • 413-274-6607 / 413-528-9546, orcell at 413-429-7141Housatonic Gallery for students and artists. Featuring watercolorsby Kate Knapp (Saturday and Sunday 12-5pm or by appointment)

GOOD PURPOSE GALLERY40 Main St., Lee, MADuet in Color, an exhibit of works by Charles Steinhacker &Linda Clayton, thru Aug 10.

INNER VISION STUDIOFurnace Rd, corner of Cone Hill,West Stockbridge, MA413-232-4027 / InnerVision-Studio.com"A magical place for art" Watercolor, photography, drawingOpen Sat & Sun 12-4 pm, June 21 thru Aug 31Sunday Paint-Ins at the Studio & West Stockbridge VillageCall for details

LAUREN CLARK FINE ART25 Railroad Street, Great Barrington, MA• 413-528-0432 / www.LaurenClarkFineArt.com; [email protected] “Pops” Peterson, New Frontiers in Pop Art, receptionon Sat, July 12, 4-7pm

MARGUERITE BRIDENUarts Studios, Studio #9, 311 North St., Pittsfield, MAmargebride-paintings.com • 413-841-1659Original Watercolors, house portraits, commissions, lessons

NEW MARLBOROUGH MEETING HOUSE GALLERYNew Marlborough on Rt. 57, close to the Inn on the Green Showcasing eleven artists working on a large and small scale whowill combine their exper-tise to create an exciting exhibition usingwood, metal and stone.

THE MORRISON GALLERY208 Old Barn Road near the inters. Rts 7 & 341 in Kent, CT.• 860-927-4501 / [email protected] / www.morrisongallery.com Featuring a new exhibition of encaustic paintings by RaphaëlleGoethals and sculpture by Gwynn Murrill through July. For moreinformation visit

NO. SIX DEPOT ROASTERY AND CAFÉ 6 Depot Street in West Stockbridge, MA“Mongolia”, photographic exhibit of work by Damon Vrettos, rec.Fri, July 11, 5:30-ypm.

NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUMRte 183, Stockbridge, MA .8 413-298-4100American Masters: Rockwell and Hopper, thru September

SANFORD SMITH FINE ART13 Railroad Street, Great Barrington MA • 413-528-6777 Exhibit of new paintings by Karen LeSage, August 8 - September14. Rec. Sat, Aug 9, 4-6pm. (11 – 6, Fri.& Sat. til 7)

SCHANTZ GALLERIES3 Elm St, Stockbridge, MA • 413-298-3044 www.schantzgalleries.com A destination for those seeking premier artists working in glass.(11 - 5 daily)

SOHN FINE ART GALLERY69 Church Street, Lenox, MA and 6 Elm Street, Stockbridge• 413-551-7353 / [email protected] / www.sohnfineart.comSeth Resnick exhibition, public artist’s presentation at The RedLion Inn, Stockbridge, MA, on July 19, 2:30pm. Reception atSohn Fine Art Gallery from 4 - 7. The exhibition features con-temporary landscapes, all photographed in 2013. Resnick willalso teach a one-day artist led workshop ("Lightroom Live") July20, 9 - 5 at Red Lion Inn.

SPENCERTOWN ACADEMY ARTS CENTER 790 Route 203 in Spencertown, N.Y518-392-3693 / www.spencertownacademy.orgKris Gali, one woman show: Dreams and Digressions, June 28 -Aug 10.

ST. FRANCIS GALLERYRt 102, South Lee, MA (2 mi. east from the Red Lion Inn)June 20 - July 27...The Complexity of Experience Engaging Re-ality

THOMAS COLE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE218 Spring St., Catskill, NY • 518-943-7465 / www. thomascole.orgJuly 16 - Oct. 2: Thomas Cole's Honey, an exhibition by StanleyMaltzman. Pastels, watercolors, drawings of nearly 200 year oldhoney locust tree planted by Thomas Cole after the house com-pleted in l815. Open Wed. - Sun., 10-4

music/theatreASTON MAGNA MUSIC FESTIVALAston Magna Music Festival announces its 2014 season of famil-iar and rarely-heard early music from the 16th-19th centuries, onfive Saturdays in Great Barrington, June 21-July 19. The pro-grams are also presented Thursdays at Slosberg Auditorium,Brandeis University, and Fri nights at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson.Saturdays at 6 p.m. in Gt Barrington at the Daniel ArtsCenter, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, & July 12 at 8pm at theMahaiwe Performing Arts Center

BARRINGTON STAGE CO.Box Office: 58 Union Street, Pittsfield• 413-236-8888 / barringtonstageco.org“From Prague to Havana”, “Breaking the Code”...see completeschedule.

BERMUDA AVENUE TRIANGLE - summer theatre time!!!!POINT OF VIEW PLAYERS, Director Iris SingerJuly 17, 18 & 19 @ Elk’s Lodge, Albany, NYEasy drive from the Berkshires - Google it!A sexy comedy about the mishaps of two women and one manwho find eachother through the most surprising circumstances.Annette Fabree and Laney Kazan were in this on Broadway andwas a major funny hit. Think your ready for some tumul and mishagas!?

HELSINKI CAFE405 Columbia Street, Hudson, New York 12534518.828.4800 / [email protected] 13: The Lone Bellow; Stephen Merriit, July 25,The VoodooOrchestra North, Aug 4, see complete schedule.

JACOB’S PILLOW358 George Carter Rd, Becket, MA • 413-243-0745Dorrance Dance July 17-27; Mark Morris Dance Group andMusic Ensemble, July 23-27; Circa, July 30-Aug 3

MAHAIWE THEATRE14 Castle St., Gt. Barrington, MA • 413-528-0100July 5, 8pm: NATALIE MERCHANT and her band

TANNERY POND CONCERTS

Darrow School, New Lebanon, NY • 888-820-1696July 12: Jasper String Quartet; Aug 2: Gleb Ivanov; Sept 6: Ji, piano. 8pm.

THE EGG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS1 Empire Plaza, Albany, NY • www.theegg.orgSat. Aug 16, 7:30-9pm: LA FILLE MAL GARDÉE, Comedy Bal-let

eventsBERKSHIRE WOODWORKERS GUILDThe Berkshire Botanical Garden, Routes 183 & 102, Stockbridge,MA / www.berkshirewoodworkers.org15th Annual Fine Woodwork Show at on Sat, July 19 and Sun,July 20, l0-5pm. There will be Handcrafted Fine Wood Furniture,Boats, Garden Items, Art and Accessories from 18 area craftsper-sons who will be on the premises. Saturday will feature a demon-stration and two Berkshire Woodworkers Guild Scholarships willbe awarded to the recipients.

NORFOLK ARTISTS & FRIENDS Battell Stoeckel Gallery, Ellen Battell Stoeckel Estate, Rtes. 44and 272 • 860-542-5095 / www.norfolkart.orgAugust Arts Weekend group show sponsored by the NorfolkChamber Music Festival featuring 26 area artists who will beavailable to discuss their work. August 8, 5-7:30 p.m. (openingreception); August 9, 12-5 p.m.; August 10, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.25% of sales to go to the Music Shed Restoration FundTANGLEWOOD

THE OTIS CULTURAL COUNCILThe Seventh Annual Otis Arts Festival, on Saturday, July 26,9am-3pm. FREE admission, indoors, at Farmington River Ele-mentary School, 555 No. Main Road (Rte. 8), Otis. Over 50 ar-tisans and craftspeople of pottery, leather, fiber, water and oilpaintings, photography, quilts, jewelry, wood crafts, much more.Musical entertainment by Moonshine Holler, traditional Ameri-can music, 12-2pm. Info, call 413 269-4674.

THE VANDERBILT HOUSE161 Main, St., Philmont, NY • www.murdercafe.netSat. July 12: Comedy, Murder & fine dining. Doors open at6:30pm, dinner & show at 7pm. Make reservations!

TRiARTS SHARON PLAYHOUSE49 Amenia Rd, Route 343, Sharon, CT • 860-364-7469July 24-27: Nine Wives; Aug 1-3: Spring Awakening; Aug 13-24:Disney’s The Little Mermaid

workshopsSABINE VOLLMER VON FALKENPHOTOGRAPHIC WORKSHOPS • 413-298-4933 www.sabinephotoart.com, [email protected] Light with a Critical Eye - explore the beautiful light of theBerkshires by taking a weekend photography workshop. Dates:July19 and 20, 2014

filmVENTFORT FILMS: A BERKSHIRE CONNECTIONVentfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age MuseumThursdays, July 17 – August 28, 7 pm.$10 free-will donations

Send in your calendar submissions by 10th of the monthprior to publication ...

see us on ISSUU.COM

Look up The Artful Mind Artzine and read past to present issues.

JULY 2014 calendar Artful Fun in the Summer!

4 • JULY 2014 THE ARTFUL MIND

FRONT STREET GALLERY

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

413-274-6607 413-429-7141 (cell) 413-528-9546Gallery Hours: Saturday and Sunday 12-5 or by appointmentFRONT STREET, downtown HOUSATONIC, MA

Saint Francis Gallery1370 Pleasant street. route 102 LEE. MA (next to fire dept.)

complete schedule: www.saintfrancisgallery.com413.717. 5199 open fri-mon 11-5:30pm

June 20 - July 27

The Complexity of ExperienceEngaging Reality

MANHATTAN Oil and Watercolorsby KATE KNAPPJuly through August

Reception: August 5, 3 - 6pm

Phil Dolmais

JOHN LIPKOWITZ

PARIS, GIVERNEY AND THE LOIRE VALLEY:Personal Impressions

AUGUST 8 - AUGUST 31, 2014ARTIST’S RECEPTION: AUGUST 9, 3 - 6 PM

510 WARREN STREET GALLERYHUDSON, NEW YORK

HOURS: FRIDAY & SATURDAY 12 - 6, SUNDAY 12 - 5

THE ARTFUL MIND JULY 2014 •5

Workshops are for everyone! Beginner and advanced alike.

I am offering one and two day plein air painting and drawing workshops starting Spring into Autumn.

For more information and to sign up contact [email protected]

WWW.ANNSCOTTPAINTING.COM

Ann Marie Scott, Byrdcliff Shed, 8 x 10, oil on paper

K a r e n L e S a g e

new workAugust 8 - September 14

Reception: Saturday, August 9 4:00-6:00

Sanford Smith Fine Art13 Railroad Street, Great Barrington, MA

413.528.6777 Open 7 Days

Let’s get outside and paint!

MUSIC STOREIn the era of superstores, internet and catalog shopping, an

old fashioned, boutique-style music store nonetheless nestlesin the heart of the Berkshires. Located at the end of GreatBarrington, Massachusetts’ Railroad Street, The Music Storewelcomes the delights of making music in the SUMMER!

Specializing in fine handmade guitars and one of the widestselections of ukuleles in the Northeast, The Music Store offersfine, folk, orchestral and unusual instruments, both new andused, along with a wide array of music motif gifts and musicalaccessories including possibly the widest range of profes-sional level strings, and reeds in the Berkshires.

A large assortment of traditional and international percus-sion, including African Djembes, is available. And unusualinstruments including locally made walking stick bambooflutes and Dr. Easy’s Sonic Boxes (extraordinary acousticelectric Cigar Box Guitars), the amazing and almost inde-structible Composite Acoustic Cargo Guitars (made entirelyfrom Carbon Graphite), Catania Cat’s Paws and Kalimbas,Serenity Bamboo and High Spirit hardwood flutes, and thenew Steel Singing Drums nestle happily next to their moretraditional cousins.

Student violins from $179 to $2800 share the stage withguitars for all ages and abilities including locally and interna-tionally luthier handmade guitars.

While many of our prices meet or beat Musician’s Friendor Guitar Center and our other super-seller competitors, thepersonal service, expertise, kindness and availability of ourfine family of staff offers priceless service to the already mag-ical musical experience waiting for everyone at The MusicStore.

For musicians and music lovers seeking gift ideas, ourarray of clothing, housewares, stationary, jewelry, mousepads, clocks, key chains and knick-knacks will interest andamuse, as will a full line of harmonicas, tuners, stands, sticksand even an odd Washboard Tie!. Visit our wickedly won-derful CLOSEOUT CORNER for the best bargains. Experi-ence our 2 for $5.00 guitar strings and name brand guitars.Add some sheet music and the marvelous, magical, musicalexperience of The Music Store awaits.

The Music Store, 87 Railroad Street, Great Barrington,MA, 413-528-2460. Open Wednesday through Sunday.Closed Monday.

6 • JULY 2014 THE ARTFUL MIND

New Marlborough Village AssociationA Conversation with Elizabeth Lombardi

Harryet Candee...8

Planet Waves for JUNEEric Francis.....18

Contributing Writers and Monthly Columnists Eunice Agar

Richard Britell ( will be back in August)Eric Francis

Sasha Seymour (will be back in August)Amy Tanner

Photographers Jane Feldman

Sabine Vollmer von Falken

PublisherHarryet Candee

Copy EditorMarguerite Bride

Advertising and Graphic Design Harryet Candee

Box 985, Great Barrington, MA [email protected]

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http://issuu.com/theartfulmindartzine/docs/artfulmind_may_issue2014

413 854 4400ALL MATERIAL due the 10th of the

month prior to publicationFYI: ©Copyright laws in effect throughout The Artful Mind for logo & all graph-ics including text material. Copyright laws for photographers and writersthroughout 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 unfore-seeable circumstances beyond our control, advertisers will be compensated ona one to one basis. Disclaimer rights available upon request. Serving the Artcommunity with the intention of enhancing communication and sharing positivecreativity in all aspects of our lives.

JULY 2014

Sculptor Don GummerPhotography by Jane FeldmanInterview by Amy Tanner ...10

“Let’s do something, let’s make art”

THE ARTFUL MINDARTZINE

POP UP ART GALLERY NOW THROUGH LABOR DAY

With downtown Pittsfield continuing to evolve as a culturaldestination, Union Street is experiencing a mini-renaissance ofits own, coming alive with a new gallery. Four artists from theNUarts Studios at 311 North Street have taken over 25 UnionStreet and have converted it into a seasonal “POP UP Gallery,”a temporary site to serve summertime visitors to the UpstreetPittsfield Cultural District.

Berkshire artists Marguerite Bride, Debbie Carter, JoanieCiolfi and Scott Taylor have filled the intimate gallery spacewith a selection of original watercolors, oils, mixed media andacrylics. To maintain variety and establish return visits, the ex-hibits will be refreshed every two weeks with new art; the artistswill also rotate their location in the gallery, maintaining a con-stantly fresh view. The four are personally staffing the gallerythroughout the summer.

The arts have played a critical role in the revitalization ofdowntown Pittsfield. However, the artists noticed a void: withthe recent departure of Mary’s Carrot Cake —and Gallery 25along with it—, and the untimely closure of Wild Sage, the “cul-tural corner” of the short street was lacking a destination tocomplement Barrington Stage, which is across Union Streetfrom the new POP UP Gallery. Even with the closure of othergalleries in town this past year, Pittsfield is still a “happeningplace” and the four artists wanted to make sure no one forgotthat. So, the artists banded together to organize new gallery.

Acknowledging the importance of the theater-going crowd,POP UP Gallery will have hours that are compatible with andconvenient to Barrington Stage’s main-stage performances.

An official grand opening with all four artists will be heldon Saturday, July 5, 6-8 pm. The gallery will also be open atother times by chance, and by appointment with any of theartists.

Pop UP Art Gallery - 25 Union Street, Pittsfield; visit Pop-UpUnionSt.wordpress.com, and Facebook page “Pop UP ArtGallery on Union Street” for hours and more information.

Cover – model for piece for Doha Airport in Qatar. The finishedpiece is still untitled, but, will stand 35 ft. tall x 95' x 75', bronzestainless steel and Stained glass. It will be in a Persian Gulf la-

goon at the entrance to the New Doha International airport.

“Great art picks up where nature ends.”-Marc Chagall

20 YEARS! ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! THE ARTFUL MIND JULY 2014 • 7

8• JULY 2014 THE ARTFUL MIND

Harryet Candee: Elizabeth, you must work very hard onpulling together three super shows for this season. What aresome of the tasks involved in making this all come together?And… what portion of the work is all in your hands? Howdid you and the New Marlborough Village Association andarts team come up with these three venues?Elizabeth Lombardi: While the New Marlborough Village As-sociation primarily looks after the welfare of its historicalchurch building and the village green, the Meeting HouseGallery is the result of the combined efforts of several artistsand an art appreciator. We begin meeting in January to thinkfirst of themes for the shows and then which artists that weknow from the past, or have been recently brought to our atten-tion, would work well together. I probably take the most respon-sibility for the first show as some of the committee divide theirtime between New York and New Marlborough and are not yetup for the summer then. Otherwise, we each have a niche. Thegraphics artist Holly McNeely does invitations and posters; pho-tographer Lee Backer prints labels, etc. As many as possiblehelp to mount the shows.

The idea “Wood-Metal-Stone” took off from the game Paper-

Scissors-Stone with the idea that we would fea-ture 3D artists using these materials. Last year wemounted a very popular show featuring fabric andfiber artists. “PORTALS”, after much tossingaround of possible themes, was chosen as some-thing which could be literal or a motif for some-thing more abstract and allegorical. It willinclude, for instance, small sculptures made ofshrapnel by Joe Wheaton. It also includes stun-ning work by our local astronomer, Rubin Kier.“New Marlborough Artists” is an annual, rotatingshowcasing of our local talent, which this yearwill include paintings by Ann Getsinger, and un-usual pottery by Cookie Coyne.

What is the common goal for the Gallery, andwhat might make it unique?ELL: As the gallery is a non-profit with no paidcommittee members, its goal is to showcase re-gional talent, provide themes which can stretchartists’ imaginations, and be a cultural center forNew Marlborough and surrounding communities.The Gallery is perhaps unique in its 17 yearlongevity and increasing popularity.

You are an artist, too! How wonderful is that. Tell me howyou became part of the Berkshire art scene and involvedwith this group? Who did you initially connect with?ELL: My husband and I started being a part of the commutingfolks in 1970—first from Long Island, and later from Princeton,NJ. I was very active as a painter and a teacher in Princeton, aswell as chair of the Garden State Watercolor Society. Initially, Ishowed with the Sheffield Art League. When the Mill RiverGallery opened in the 1980s I was invited to exhibit. There, Imet the sculptor Robin Tost, who was also exhibiting—lovely,humorous figures. That gallery closed when the owners movedto the Arizona art scene. As full time residents in 2004, I recon-nected with Robin and became part of the Gallery Committee.When I forgot a meeting a couple of years later, I was votedchair. It’s really a popular position …..

How does the board select its’ artists for showcase? Howdoes one get to show in the Gallery?ELL: In the last several years, as the Gallery has become betterknown, artists have come to us, hoping to be included in shows.As we begin forming shows in January, we get in touch withthese artists and ask them for samples or photos of their workin order to judge their suitability.

Who were the founders of this association, and are they stillactive?ELL: Ann Getsinger, a well-known artist in her own right, tookup the cause of creating the Gallery 17 years ago. She was ini-tially helped by Suzie Hardcastle, who has since passed on. Annand other early helpers including , Robin Tost and Larry Wal-lach, are still participants in shows and occasionally lend a handwith the hanging of an exhibit. I should mention that the Galleryis delightfully cool during hot summer days as a part of it isbelow grade (with appropriate de-humidification). The Galleryconsists of three well lit spaces.

Are you working on next years yet? What would you like tosee in the future that would make the shows even more spec-tacular? I guess, a wish list is what I’m looking for as an an-swer.ELL: Actually, since the Gallery is a seasonal affair (parking islimited in the winter) and we are all volunteers, we take a vaca-tion between the last show and the beginning of January—keep-ing our eyes and ears open, just in case ….. We especially hopethat new folks will discover the beauty of New Marlboroughand this unusual gallery. We are easy to find by following Route23 east 4+ miles from Great Barrington, and turning right ontoRoute 57 for 5+ miles. Look for the Meeting House on the vil-lage green. G

NEW MARLBOROUGH VILLAGE ASSOCIATIONA Conversation with Elizabeth Lombardi

PHOTOGRAPHER HONEY SHARP

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VIEW

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ANN GETSINGER, IT’S A SHELL

ELIzABETH LOMBARDI, JULIANA HEADMISTRESS, WATERCOLOR

THE ARTFUL MIND JULY 2014 • 9

AMY TANNERTHE BIRTH OF A VIRGIN

“When I started down the road of writing a novel, I wantedit to be pure enjoyment. For me, the writer, and for whomeverread it. Actually, I wanted it to be impossible to put down, abrain candy, an intellectual sugar high that created a vast, lim-itless addiction. To more. Turned out that my original plan ofchurning this literary confection out in six months took morelike six years. Never mind that. It was worth every minute. “

Here’s what Kirkus Reviews has to say about it: “What doimmortal presences, a hardened war correspondent, a fugitivehead of state and a masseuse have to do with one another?Maybe nothing, maybe everything...Despite the novel’s increas-ingly outré events, Tanner keeps her characters firmly rooted,treating them as real people with real thoughts and motivations.As a result, the central characters emerge as complex, believ-able entities, no matter how odd things get around them, whichmakes every bit of both humor and pathos earned. Tonally, Tan-ner’s debut follows in the footsteps of Terry Pratchett’s warmlysympathetic humanism...[she] does an admirable job of jugglingcharacters, events and emotions, fitting them into a satisfyinglyscrewed-up story with crack timing and solid footing.”Welcome to my world.

Amy Tanner - visit www.amytanner.net for news & other un-likely stories. The Virgin of Hopeless Causes is available atAmazon.com

BERKSHIRE WOODWORKERS GUILD

15TH ANNUAL SHOWBerkshire Woodworker’s Guild is having it’s 15th Annual

Fine Woodwork Show at The Berkshire Botanical Garden,Routes 183 & 102, Stockbridge, Massachusetts on Saturday,July 19 and Sunday, July 20 from l0am to 5pm.

There will be Handcrafted Fine Wood Furniture, Boats, Gar-den Items, Art and Accessories from 18 area craftspersons whowill be on the premises. Saturday will feature a demonstrationand two Berkshire Woodworkers Guild Scholarships will beawarded to the recipients.

There is plenty of Free Parking and only a five dollar ad-mission which may be applied to the entrance ticket to the gar-dens.Berkshire Woodworker’s Guild - for further information con-tact Jim Law at: [email protected] or 413-229-5935,or go to our website at: www.berkshirewoodworkers.org

CHICAGO ALBUMEN WORKS

Since the invention of photography in the 1830’s, photo-graphs have served a vital purpose in preserving memories, con-veying information, and moving viewers with their beauty andimagery. At Chicago Albumen Works, we are trusted expertsin the photographic processes of the past and present, and areleaders in preserving and digitizing photographs, manuscripts,and two-dimensional art for future generations.

Among the specialized services that we provide are scanningand photographing works of art to produce digital files, digitallyrestoring damaged or deteriorated photographs, rehousing col-lections in archival storage materials, and digital printing usingarchival inks and papers. In addition to these services, we arealso experts in handmade nineteenth century or “alternative”processes including albumen and platinum/palladium printing.

Since 1976, we have provided photography, exhibition print-ing, and preservation services for institutions with rigorous stan-dards including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA,Guggenheim, Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Insti-tution. We have also provided services for many local institu-tions including the Berkshire Athenaeum, Jacob’s Pillow,Berkshire Historical Society, and the Norman Rockwell Mu-seum. Allow us to bring our many years of experience to yourproject or collection.

Founded in Chicago, our studio has been located inHousatonic’s Monument Mills for 32 years.  Pick-up and drop-off within 150 miles is frequently available.  Members of theAmerican Institute for Conservation – Photographic MaterialsGroup, Berkshire Creative, and the Society for Imaging Scienceand Technology.

Chicago Albumen Works studio, 174 Front Street,Housatonic, MA; 413-274-6901, Monday thru Friday by ap-pointment. www.albumenworks.com

10 • JULY 2014 THE ARTFUL MIND

interview by Amy Tannerphotographs of Don Gummer and his work taken at his NYC

studio by photographer Jane Feldman

On a sublime autumn day this past November I drove intoConnecticut to interview Don Gummer, one of the premierAmerican sculptors of our time. His work was on display at theMorrison Gallery in Kent, Connecticut, and I had taken the op-portunity to view his technically precise, strangely beautifulpieces. After strolling amid bronze disks spinning in space, di-vided boulders held in infinite free-fall, and bewitching geomet-ric shapes lifted to new heights by an active, lyrical structure, Imet him at his studio...

I park beside the exterior of the industrial gray studio. A fewsculptures placed to either side of the building tease, drawingyou in, and you see that on the other side of the building asweeping emerald lawn flows down to the intensely green lake,perfectly reflecting the pine trees rising across the water. The ef-fect is magical—the bronze and silver sculptures on the grassappear to almost dance.

The studio interior is stark with geometric drawings stuck tothe walls—some drawings are sketched directly onto the wall.There are two tables—one for construction, one for computerwork. A sliding glass door opens to a deck and a delicious viewof the lake.

Don himself is deceptively unpretentious and plain-spoken,but the depth and grandeur of his vision establishes itself earlyin our conversation. We talk (he does; mostly I just listen) aboutcreativity—alchemy, really—the process of moving ideas fromtheory to substance. We also discuss inspiration, the practice ofcreating public sculpture, and what it takes to suspend a rock inspace.

Here is what we said:

Amy Tanner: Such a gorgeous view.Don Gummer:Yeah...(smiles)

Incredible drive out here. What brought you to this part ofthe country?Don: Well, first we moved to Millerton—we had aweekend/summer place there—and then this place came on themarket, and we made an offer and bought it...Lived here full-time for fifteen years, but now we’re in the City.

You like it because of its proximity to New York City?Don: Sure, you can get there easily from here...it’s far enoughaway, but close enough...I didn’t know this area before we cameup here in ’79, so nothing really said I had to come up to theNorthwest corner [of Connecticut]...it just sort of happened.

You’ve mentioned how important it was working with otherart students in school––do you have that kind of connectionwith any artists in NYC?Don: I maintain my friendships in the City...you meet newfriends, artist friends in the art world, the film world, all thoseplaces...basically it’s just a bigger playground. And it’s a differ-ent kind of fun.

When you make large pieces, the concept is yours, but it re-quires a lot of assistance to make it a reality. What do youenjoy most about that collaborative effort?Don: It just seems like a natural way to work. I mean, the scaleof things you see right here...to make things that large is so muchwork, I couldn’t do it myself. I don’t weld, I don’t cut steel. Iused to do everything myself before I started making very largepieces, but now I make things that are very durable, out of

metal...I like working with a foundry, talking to the guys there,seeing how the work is going...it’s part of the process.

Sometimes I’ll make something small, and then make it big-ger...but to answer your question, I like the process, I like work-ing with other people after I’ve done all the conceptual work.You get to see it in different stages—you finish something andthen it goes through another process and then it gets finishedagain. You know—twice as much fun!

Fun is what it’s all about.Don: Well, it’s gotta be. Otherwise you wouldn’t do it. Iwouldn’t.

Do you have a favorite part of the creative process?Don: Hmmm...The very beginning, when I don’t know what I’mgoing to do. And then towards the end, when I know that I havea day when I’m going to complete something and I know specif-ically what that thing is. I also like that sometimes you go backand forth: treading water...not treading water...

In a bit of a limbo?Don: Yeah, when you doubt that what you’re doing is any good,wondering if you should continue...But if it’s for a specific proj-ect then you have to continue. If you’re just working for yourselfyou can stop and abandon something. But then, even if you’reworking for someone else, you can still stop what you’re doingand start something else...I like doing commissioned work, butyou do everything for yourself, basically.

Do you have a preference for commissioned work?Don: I like commissioned work because you know it’s going tobe out in the world, people will see it, and I prefer that...But ifI’m not working on a commission I can spend time on my ownpieces, so there’s always something. Either you’re making some-

THE ALCHEMY OF DON GUMMERDETAILED SHOT OF 12 12 12, STAINLESS STEEL WITH BLUE STAINED GLASS, 9 1/2 FT. TALL PHOTOGRAPH BY JANE FELDMAN

THE ARTFUL MIND JULY 2014 • 11

thing for a show, or doing something on commission—basicallythose two things.

Why did you start making public art?Don: I was asked, Could you make something for this space?And I did, and I like doing it. It’s just something you kind of fallinto, if you’re a sculptor. I like large outdoor sculpture, site spe-cific.

I imagine there is great satisfaction in tailoring the piece tothe space.Don: Yeah, well, you don’t really tailor it to the space, but thespace gives you some sort of clue as to the scale, or what thearea implies—the purpose of the piece—which carries you whileyou’re in the studio working on a conceptually-based, abstractidea.

What are you working on now?Don: I’ve got four or five commissions I’m working on. A largepiece for Doha, Qatar, in the Middle East, for a new airport. I’mworking on a series of sculptures for the Broadway mall thatgoes along 59th Street to Columbia. I’m going to do somethingfor the American Embassy in Moscow, and a piece for IndianaUniversity. It’s gonna be near a new music building.

That’s quite a lot.Don: The piece for Doha is done, but it has to be realized, andI’m just in that stage now.

Nuts and bolts.Don: Yeah. (smiles) Signing a contract first.

So you may be dreaming about one piece at one point, andbe in the finishing stages of another piece at the same point,juggling the various projects and their processes simultane-ously. That’s something you probably had to grow into—multitasking on that scale.Don: I’ve just always made things...I’ve been an artist since––whenever––high school––or before. And after a lifetime ofworking you get a large body of work in different styles. I can

go to certain parts of my past and take something that could havebeen improved upon, maybe, for the next piece. A particularspace might call for something linear and lyrical, so I can reachback to something I did, even a photograph, that might inspirean idea. For the Indiana University piece I might do somethingin that way, but it’s not clear, because I don’t want to get tieddown to a specific idea yet, too many ideas are floating around.Some places I haven’t even seen yet—I’ve been to Moscow, but

haven’t seen the embassy, so I don’t want to start think-ing about the new piece until I see the space. The workin Doha is a large boulder, a suspended boulder...

Which is similar to your early piece Primary Separa-tion...Don: Right, that’s at MASS MoCA now, fully real-ized...So I have a lot of ideas to draw on for projects,you know...

Is it fun to delve back into the past and say,Hmmm...let’s explore that idea a little further...?Don: Yes, but there has to be something new comingout of it...not repeating old work. It’s like a cable: there’sa set of wires coming out of the cable...a blue one, a redone, black—you pull on everything during your journeythrough the art life...I’ll do wall pieces, more geometri-cal kinds of things, for a while, and then I’ll do some-thing different—more lyrical kinds of stuff...Or I’llpaint. There’s what I’m doing (he shows me a photo ofthe Doha maquette on his laptop). These drawings(points to drawings on the wall) are just to get the divi-sions of space in the cube—it’ll be stained glass, andlet’s see...in this version they’re putting it in this lagoonat the airport. Originally this was seven tons, then itgrew to eleven tons, then they wanted something thatwould be 22 tons, and now...

So you’re working with engineers?Don: I have to have an engineer; for public work youpretty much always have to have one. So the span is al-most a hundred feet, and [the boulder] is 35 feet abovewater. I’m getting a big boulder and having it digitallyenlarged and made in exact replica and cast in bronzeso it’s hollow, it’s lighter...

Clever!Don: Because to find a boulder that size and shape with

no cracks running through it would be really tough...So now I’mjust working on details.

Does it have a name?Don: Not yet. But for where it is—I think it works really well atthe airport. It’s facing Mecca, it’s in a beautiful location.

It’s suspended above a pool of water?Don: It’s all in water.

You must enjoy a challenge like that.Don: I do. I like...I guess one of my goals would be to havesomething always in the sunlight, you know? Have work allaround the world, so there’s always something...

So the sun never sets on your work!Don: Right now there’re some gaps. (smiles) It’s just good tohave permanent work. If you’re not happy about the piece itcould be a nightmare, but most things I feel good about.

Is there anything you don’t feel good about?Don: That exists out in the world and has my name on it, youmean? No. Some things, maybe, I like more than others—they’re more successful—but no. I feel okay about everything.I mean, if I didn’t, I wouldn’t put it out in the world...I havemaybe three or four sculptures I probably would melt down, butthe bronze isn’t that good when you melt it down and reuse it...

When you were a child you wanted to be an illustrator forWalt Disney...Don: I thought that would be the coolest job you could have. Itprobably would have been. Great job. He was the first artist Ireally thought: This Was An Artist. You could never be as goodas this guy. And now—I don’t dismiss him, but he’s not a majorfigure in the art world.

And how did you find your way from idolizing Walt Disneyto Constructivist sculpture?Don: I started drawing first, then painting, and then graduallygot into sculpture...There’s no one way to describe the journey,exactly...It’s a process of learning, educating yourself, being cu-rious, discovering what the real challenges are in art, how totruly express yourself, what the value of that is, versus the valueof drawing for somebody else...It happens in art school, when

DON GUMMER PHOTOGRAPH BY JANE FELDMAN

DON GUMMER, UNTITLED (DOHA MAQUETTE), 2013, ALUMINUM, STEEL, STAINED GLASS, SAND & STONE, 51 x 55 1/2 x 42 1/2 INCHES

Continued on next page....

you get exposed to fine art, and even before that.In high school I had a great art teacher, and I wasthe school artist—for the newspaper, for decora-tions, for painting signs, all those things. When Igraduated I went to art school and met some artistsfrom New York and heard about Rothko and otherserious names. And you start looking at otherthings...I try to figure out what it is about me thatresponds to certain types of work and not others.It’s just that need to express yourself.

And you found that abstract art fulfilled thatneed better than realism?Don: Yes. I think realist stuff is good too. I like re-alism, I like literal things, but there’s just so muchyou can’t do as a figurative artist, it’s just too lim-iting. Especially if you’re doing monumentalwork, you’re limited to just doing a big figure inorder to make something big. But I like all kindsof varieties in art. I just need to make things...

Would you say there are themes you are ex-ploring through your art?Don: Themes?

Yes. If your work is a discussion with yourself,what are you discussing?Don: I think if you look at them, they all have todo with a beginning, a middle and an end. Eachpiece is a journey. It starts from the bottom and Iwork vertically. I just think: This is the bottomand I’m working my way up. I never work fromthe top down. For a while I was doing work thatwas more horizontal, more architectural, and Ikept wondering: How do I get to a place where Ican just create vertical work? Because I wasthinking in those architectural terms, and thereare a limited number of things that can happen ifyou just use, say, wood, glue and screws or nails.I mean, there’s only so much you can do. In asense, everything is limited in this way, but if youwant to put something out in the world that isgoing to last, you have to think about all thoseother factors...The things that I do are usually

larger at the top than they are at the bottom. It’s about expan-sion, growth.

That is exactly what I thought when I was looking at yourpieces at the Morrison Gallery. How they grow from a still,static point into an expanded, evolved place. Don: Mmmhmm. The earthwork pieces that I do are not quitelike that. Built like they are, they’re a statement, just a state-ment...

Earthwork meaning similar to the Doha sculpture?Don: Yes. When I was a student I did the model for the [earth-work Primary Separation] that’s at MASS MoCA. It was 1969and everything seemed to be splitting apart: the Beatles, therewas Vietnam, assassinations, my relationship at the time wasending...everything was just splitting and I kind of split frommy home. I left home, and I was just into that concept of a break,a split, and that piece was the most direct way I could expressthat. I did a series of pieces, thinking that they would be greatto see really large, but I couldn’t, as a student, do that. That wasjust the idea. And now, after all this time, I’m finally getting toa place where people are starting to want to see them, pay forthem, and have them realized large-scale. It’s taking somethingfrom an earlier time to see what makes sense, without makingsomething silly or pat.

Stones and large boulders are powerful things, you know.Just the feeling of them.

Seeing them in the air, out of context, is shocking and createsa tension.Don: The curator, the head of MASS MoCA said that his son,when I installed it and he just literally saw it for the first time,said, “Dad, it’s really kind of stupid. It’s kind of stupid becauseit’s just a rock, but it’s kind of great because it’s just a rock.”

There’s something primordial about big boulders...

Where did you find your boulder?Don: Well I’ve only realized two earthwork pieces so far, and Ifound one boulder in Blandford, Massachusetts, in a quarryowned by a man named Chester Grand, and I was lucky becausehe’s not too far from here, and he’s the one who cut the boulderin half [for Primary Separation]. Some things are just luck, youknow? A lot of things that happen in life are just serendipitous.I was lucky that he was here with that saw and had the boulderI was looking for, and I was lucky that Joe Thompson (curatorof MASS MoCA) came by the studio and saw the model [ofPrimary Separation] and wanted to make it. And somebody sawthat, and they had a boulder at their property they wanted me todo something with, and I had a look at it and I said, I’ll do some-thing with it, and that led to another piece...

Where is that one?Don: In Greenwich, Connecticut, at a museum called SevenBridges.

I was wondering if you could take us through the creationof a piece from conception to completion. How about AfterRome?Don: After Rome. Well, a lot of times I’ll start something with-out knowing what it’s going to be. I just start putting ideas to-gether, and that one I think I started by drawing the arcs andcurves and making the shapes and making the first few verticallines and then putting them next to each other.

Was this working in plywood?Don: No, cardboard. I was here [in Connecticut] for a couple ofyears and couldn’t walk—I had some leg issues and I couldn’t walk into the middleof the room. I had to make things smaller, on a table, so I couldlean in and stand myself up, working that way. Some things I’lljust start...my high school teacher always said, Start by starting.

DON GUMMER, TOWERS, 2006, STAINLESS STEEL, 136” x 60” x 30” PHOTO BY JANE FELDMAN, NYC

DON GUMMER, BASIC ACTION, 2011, STAINLESS STEEL & BRONzE121 x 90 x 53 INCHES

PERMANENT INSTALLATION AT THE CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE BUILDING, UNIVERSITY OF INDIANA, BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

12 • JULY 2014 THE ARTFUL MIND

DON GUMMER, SOUTH TOWER, 2008STAINLESS STEEL, 61 x 16 x 14 INCHES

DON GUMMER, REACHING LEVEL, 2013CAST BRONzE, 72 x 32 x 27 INCHES

THE ARTFUL MIND JULY 2014 • 13

So you sit around and you hate yourself until you start working.So I have to begin putting things together and one thing leadsto another, and then there’s a moment when you think, Aha, nowI know where this is going...and what you want it to do, andwhether you can really do that or not—you know, get it all right.It just becomes a process of trial and error, and adding, and thenknowing when it’s finished.

When you’re finished with the cardboard model, what doyou do?Don: Well, see these wooden structures (points to models in stu-dio). The one on the left is After Rome. I just made these nicecurves that I liked, and put them together. Obviously they can’tjust stay there without a top, so you go to the next step and thenext...and it takes on a look and a movement, and then you sortof just fight for the resolution until it’s finished. That’s not to-tally resolved. Theoretically, it could continue. Using thismethod, looking at it, you see the next step is to add more[curves or lines], and it could continue, like Brancusi’s EndlessColumn. I started [After Rome] without knowing, picked up de-bris from the top of my table. Most of the stuff you see aroundhere is that way.

Some things you have to know what you’re doing before youstart, so I do a lot of drawing in my sketchbook—just ideas.Then I have an idea about what I want to do, and then I startmaking it. You have a vague idea, but nothing too specific. Youneed to be flexible, for changes and change of direction, if some-thing comes up. You can’t be too rigid. You have to let thingshappen in the work, because when you put something physicallyin space and look at it, it either works or it doesn’t.

So the [After Rome initial model] I had cast and re-enlargedto make the big one at the Morrison Gallery.

(Showing me another piece called Basic Action) This is theone for the president of Indiana University...but that one I knewfrom just a few quick sketches what I wanted to do. He was aphilosopher and an engineer, and he wrote books about actiontheory—one thing leading to another—so I made an inside-outstructure from bronze and surrounded it with stainless steel, soit has an inner life and an outer life...or the beginning of an idea,

and then the idea, which morphs into an even bigger idea, youknow...perpetual motion.

Are there any pieces in your City studio that you’d like totalk about?Don: This is something in my studio...something I started for aphotography company and decided to finish...there’s a lens-likeaperture...It’s a Japanese company, so the effect is like a lotusblossom opening up...

I was asked to do a commission for a state-of-the-art buildingfor eye research [Open Eyes]. I wanted something oval-ish, likean eye, and colors of an eye, blues and browns and greens andgrays...When people went into the building, I wanted some-thing...not happy...but my work is always ‘up’...The effect is liketaking a coin and flipping it around, but all the disksincrease...that idea of taking an explosion and grounding it...

Your piece Anniversary looks like a bouquet of fireworks.Don: That’s one of those pieces that began when I was cleaningoff my tabletop after finishing something, because it was full ofstuff. I’ve made sculptures out of empty paint tubes! But in thiscase, I just started putting things together. If you put two thingstogether you have a beginning, and if you add a third thing youhave a direction.

I can make something, and people look at it and they eitherlike it or they can think about it, and it’s a good thing. But some-times you do things and they’re worthless...and they take a lotof money...but you have to have faith that what you do is goingto come back to you and it will work out...

Who buys your work?Don: All kinds of people...I have work in many different coun-tries. Sometimes you don’t know who they are. People inter-ested in art, who have money...

I know I’m not explaining the process very well, because tome it seems so, well, obvious and simple...In a way it would benice to see art or sculpture the way a non-artist sees some-thing...But I’d like people to be able to feel what I was thinkingwhen I created a piece, just by looking at it...you hope that’s the

case, whoever’s looking at it, if they like it, that they feel thesame way about the work that you did...But once it’s done, yougo on to the next thing...so describing the whole creative processis impossible, in a way, because you can make it sound as banaland stupid, or as complicated, as you want. I have a certain sen-sibility, and when I ‘m working on something, I carry that in myhead when looking at things in the world. I know what it’s goingto be like...it’s like having a sort of object in my head...thinking,Well, what if I had that here or this there, or this? I wish I couldbe more specific, but it’s just a feeling a lot of times, and sculp-ture has weight, gravity, standing support, expanse, physical ex-panse to bridge the way...

You’ve been described as ignoring trends in your work.Don: Well, I don’t ignore trends. I’m interested in what’s goingon, but I’m more interested in setting a trend than in followingone. You can’t get away from them, really. You have to live inthe world you live in, and be aware of what’s going on in it, andwhat people are doing. I think just being capable of makingphysical things has kept me going, and having some success,and sometimes a whole lot of success, but I want to be part ofthe dialogue at the same time. You can’t just bury your head inthe ground, because it helps your art to be aware of all thosethings...

While staying true to your own particular vision.Don: Well, you have to. Otherwise it’s not your vision. It’ssomebody else’s. But it’s interesting how somebody else cantackle the same issues in a totally different way. You think, God,from just a black square—the beginning of Constructivism—[Kasimir Malevich] got it down to just a black square, that wasin 1915...But still, you know, he came up with new geometricpainting that could be interesting, showing you things in certainways...Now there’s a lot of irony in work, which is kind of acool thing to a certain point...The idea’s more psychological...Right now my main thing is, I want the Doha piece to be done.Yesterday I went along the stone wall of my studio, trying tofind the perfect stone...

CONTINUED on next page....

ON ROOFTOP, NYC, DON GUMMER WITH ESCAPE, 1995, CAST BRONzE, 90 x 72 x 84”, BACKGROUND, OFFSPRING, 2003, CAST STAINLESS STEEL AND STAINED GLASS, 109 x 40 x 40” AND...DOG IN THE MIDDLE! PHOTOGRAPH BY JANE FELDMAN

14 • JULY 2014 THE ARTFUL MIND

To make the model from?Don: To enlarge into a cast.

Approximately how big will it be?Don: It’ll be about nine feet high, about twelve feet long...

Do you work with the same foundry all the time?Don: Yeah. Polich/Tallix Fine Arts Foundry. They’re near New-burgh, New York. They make stuff all over the world. Artistsfrom everywhere go there, they install work all over the place—it’s a real specialty. They’re good.

At one point we were living in LA, I was making wall pieces,not pieces in bronze. I met this guy who owned a small foundry,and he asked me if I wanted to have work cast there, so I madesome things just as an experiment and had them cast. From thenon, I’ve been mostly making these kind of sculptures. If I hadn’tmet this guy, I don’t know what—maybe I would have foundmy way there eventually. I mean, I did do one before, a smallone—by the window, there—a model for a piece I did at the UNplaza...then I sort of forgot about it. I went to LA, got a studio,and started that one outside the window—that’s the third[bronze] piece I did—just cutting up random pieces of foamcore and making something with it, then I took it to these guys,and it was like putting bread in a toaster...

So recently I’ve been going back and finding these old drawingsfor wall pieces, and I started to frame some of these older draw-ings—I have some in my City studio as well—and then some-times I’ll go back and do a few more...

You make reliefs every so often...Don: Wall reliefs, yes. For a while, during a whole conceptualperiod I’d been reading about architecture because it made a lotmore sense than reading about art, it was just more meaty...SoI recently, about four years ago, started taking floor plans, com-bining floor plans, say a Vermont building with the floor planof a Japanese house...just laying them together. That is like pop

art to me, it’s something thatexisted, and I make my ownfloor plans with thesepieces...So I have no idea whatit will be like next year. Noidea. Sometimes you get tiredof doing certain kinds of thingsand need change. I can do morein the line of variety with mywork. There’s a lot of variety.

Which keeps you from getting bored.Don: Yeah...but there’s still the same sensibility through eachpiece. I think they’re thoughtful, meditative. It’s all aboutsearching for yourself; you’ve got to find a way to express whatit’s like to take a breath of air. Sometimes [the pieces] are morelike nouns, sometimes they’re more like verbs...more action.Sometimes they’re just a statement...and right now I’m doing aseries of haiku sculptures...they’re five-seven-five; they’re likenumbers, there are three levels; visually it’s like the lines...Do you ever write haiku?

Yes.Don: So I like the simplicity—how much you can do with verysimple things if you’re given structure, boundaries...So you canhave five things together, then seven things, and put anotherlayer on top of that; you can write a haiku about that piece, anddo the sculpture after. I just did one two days ago and I like it alot...it’s a model, a lot of louvered, cut-out shapes...planes, ma-terials that have slices cut out...openings...but it’s like...you feelalmost a breeze going through this thing...and then, at one pointwhen you’re looking at it you sense it has a lot of openings andspaces cut out of it—is it a wall or is it diaphanous, what is it?And you can see behind it, but it’s strong...There’s a lot of va-riety available within just that simple structure.

I wanted to make things that are not too costly to make large,that are pretty straightforward, and that’s what I’m thinkingabout for the Broadway project...

The haiku sculptures are for the Broadway mall?Don: From 59th Street North. It’s a divided road from LincolnCenter, where 59th Street becomes one way...But it would bereally cool if I did eight of these things on a twenty blockstretch, and tie them together with a theme...and that theme isthe haiku...simple...I can make ones with solid planes, somewith windows, little rooms, endless variety, but now I’m already

getting a little bit bored with it—not bored, but needing to getout to another place with it, which is kind of fun...And the firstone I thought was pretty good, then not so good, so...we’ll seewhere it goes.

Somewhere interesting, I’m sure.Don: I hope. But now I have four acceptable ones that are abasis to work from. I mean, I could do twenty fast enough...fin-ish one in a couple of days––not the full size, but the model...

I guess I got into doing commissions through a professor atYale, because he did commissions, and I was his assistant, sohe and I would go travel around a bit, build things, install pieceson site. Through him I learned quite a lot...not so much theory,but the real working artist perspective. You just learn by doing.Everything you do in life relates back to that. You either use itfor your work or it informs your work. I got a pilot’s license.During that whole process it shifted my work, just visualizingpaths in the sky...It’s numbers...flying is a lot of numbers...an-ticipation...anticipating what to expect, so you get there andeverything is right. You know what I mean?

That little head, that portrait (points to Art Nouveau sculptureof a young girl)––I got that in Great Barrington. It was in a box,in pieces. I asked if I could have it. I glued it back together...Ido figurative stuff too...(smiles) If you get too much in a comfortzone you have to get out of it occasionally, but it’s very nice tohave one.

After a few more minutes of chatting, he tells me he has alunch date with his daughter, across the lake. I take the hint andhead out to my car, steeped in the making of art, and the processof alchemy.

That this interview happened at all is due to the Artful me-diation of William Morrison and Sarah Laser of MorrisonGallery in Kent, CT, where Don had a major solo exhibition thispast October. The Artful Mind is extremely grateful for their in-valuable assistance. His work is currently on permanent displayat Mass MoCA in North Adams, MA and Seven Bridges Museumin Greenwich, CT. For more information about Don Gummerand his work, visit www.dongummer.com.

Amy Tanner is a writer and inquiring mind for The ArtfulMind. Her new novel, The Virgin of Hopeless Causes, is avail-able at Amazon.com. Visit her at www.amytanner.net for furtheradventures.

DON GUMMER, TOWERS, 2006, STAINLESS STEEL, 136 x 60 x 30 INCHESPHOTOGRAPH BY JANE FELDMAN, NYC

ENTRANCE, STAIRS:SUMMER SANCTUARY,1981, PAINTED WOOD,79 x 105 x 17 INCHES

PHOTOGRAPH BYJANE FELDMAN

NO. SIX DEPOT GALLERYMONGOLIA

“MONGOLIA” a photographic exhibit of the work ofDamon Vrettos will be on display July 1- July 31 at No. SixDepot Gallery. An artist’s reception will be held on Friday, July11th: 5:30-7:00pm.

Damon Vrettos is a traveler, photographer, musician andowner of The Abacus Imaging Group. Inspired by the highdesert mountains of  his southern California childhood,Damon’s love for photography grew as his family left themountains behind and moved east. His subject matter shiftsfrom natural wonders, to family, friends and strangers in hisnew community. Traveling the world with his large-formatcamera on his back, Damon’s journeys have taken him toChina, Nepal, Thailand, Russia, Philippines and Australia.

And so why Mongolia? “I was inspired by an article aboutKazakh eagle hunters I read way back in high school. My mis-sion was TO GO. To not give in to the excuses NOT to do it.To arrive in a foreign country and feel very much out of place,and feel thankful for that. To stay with a family that speaks noEnglish, and wait 3 days before taking out a camera. To usefilm because, well, why wouldn’t you? To think through eachphotograph, to pause every time I look in the back of my 4x5Speed Graphic and consider how amazing the world is. Toshare those pictures with the world.”

No. Six Depot Gallery is located in historic train station inWest Stockbridge, adjoining No. Six Depot Roastery & Café,serving house-roasted coffee, breakfast and lunch and hostingFriday night events.

MORRISON GALLERYThe Morrison Gallery is featuring a new exhibition of en-

caustic paintings by Raphaëlle Goethals and sculpture byGwynn Murrill through July 20.

Drawn to aspects of the natural environment and the com-plex beauty of wildlife, Gwynn Murrill’s principal subject isthe animal form. Early in her career as a student at UCLA,Murrill began constructing sculptures with wood as her mainmedium. In the mid-1980s, after receiving several prestigiousgrants, she transitioned to casting her work in bronze.

Murrill has shown her work in galleries and museumsthroughout the United States and abroad and her sculptures arerepresented in many public collections, including those of theLos Angeles County Museum of Art; Norton Simon Museum,Pasadena; and the American Embassy, Singapore. Her awardsinclude a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, a National En-dowment for the Arts Individual Artist Grant, and a Prix diRoma Fellowship from the American Academy in Rome. Re-cently Murrill’s work was featured in the inaugural exhibit ofoutdoor sculpture along Avenue of the Stars in Los Angeles.She lives and works in Los Angeles.

Raphaëlle Goethals work morphs the expressive and theminimal and her signature surfaces have turned increasinglyrich and psychologically compelling. The work may be seenas referring to minimalism and the fundamentality of Light andSpace, yet reformulate the “question of Painting” in the classi-cal sense.

Goethals’s work is represented in numerous private and cor-porate collections in the United States and Europe, and hasbeen exhibited in international art fairs in Miami, Chicago,Seattle and San Francisco. Her work is in permanent collec-tions including the Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, theScottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, the New MexicoMuseum of Fine Art, the Boise Art Museum,Hewlett Packard, the Millennium group, TimeWarner, Paul Allen, and numerous corporate andprivate collections in the United States and Europe.Goethals lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mex-ico.

Opened in 1999, the soaring, modern gallery of-fers on going exhibits of sculpture, painting andother media under the direction of owner WilliamMorrison.

The Morrison Gallery is located at 8 Old BarnRoad near the intersection of Routes 7 and 341 inKent, Connecticut. For more information visitwww.morrisongallery.com 860-927-4501 or email:[email protected]

SABINE PHOTO ARTA master of the subtleties of lighting and the nuance of

background, sabine’s eye for detail provides imagery to betreasured for a lifetime.

Assignments are tailored to meet her client’s needs- a re-membrance for a special occasion or a logo image, whichcreates an authentic professional online presence. It is to nosurprise that she is a sought-after documentary and editorialphotographer with the talent of both: interviewer, provokerand image-maker.

The Artful Mind showcases sabine’s work since 1994, thevery beginning of the monthly Berkshire Artzine. Still youngat 20 something, sabine's studio has become a brand for con-temporary, unobtrusive, relaxed photography in the Euro-pean style. It might be just the time for you to book your firstsitting.

Photographic workshops are scheduled for this summer: VIEW LIGHT WITH A CRITICAL EYE:

Explore the beautiful light of the Berkshires by taking aweekend photography workshop. In this workshop partici-pants learn how natural light can create drama and fine dis-tinction. Designed for serious learners who are interested inimproving their artistic eye. All participants are asked tobring a digital SLR camera. Dates: July19 and 20, 2014.

Photo Art Prints and signed books “WOODLANDSTYLE” and “ SHELL CHIC “, published by Storey Pub-lishing, author Marlene H. Marshall, all photography bysabine can be purchased from your nearby book stores. Printsare directly available through sabine’s studio.

For more detailed info please contact Sabine Vollmer vonFalken Photography Studio at www.sabinephotoart.com /[email protected] tel. 413-298-4933.Sabine is a member of The American Society ofMedia Photographers asmp. The International Cen-ter of Photography ICP and the Wedding Photo-journalist Association, WPJA.

510 WARREN STREET, HUDSON, NYWWW.510WARRENSTREETGALLERY.COM

THE ARTFUL MIND JULY 2014 • 15

ArtistEleanor LordOne of many at...

16 • THE ARTFUL MIND JULY 2014

THOMAS COLE’S HONEYEXHIBIT BY STANLEY MALTZMANThomas Cole’s Honey, an exhibition of watercolors, pastels

and drawings by Stanley Maltzman, is on view at the ThomasCole House in Catskill, NY, July 26 to October 2, with an open-ing reception on July 26.

Thomas Cole, the founder of the Hudson River School ofAmerican landscape painting, built his beautiful Federal stylehouse above the west bank of the Hudson River in Catskill NYin l815. It was his home and studio from l833 until his death inl848. Shortly after the house was built he planted the honey lo-cust tree now looming over the entrance porch. The giant, bat-tered by nearly two hundred years of winter storms, is a majesticsilhouette against the side of the house, and guests look into itsravaged surface from the entrance porch. With its trunk andbranches of roughened bark, its gnarled surfaces of fissures,knots, volunteer shoots, it is a rich subject for an artist.

Stanley Maltzman, whose work was published in the April2013 issue of The Artful Mind, has had years of experiencedrawing trees. He wrote and illustrated a book, Drawing Trees,published by North Light Books in 2000.

His work for this show emphasizes all the wonderful com-plexity of an ancient survivor in close-up studies, and there is alarge view of the tree against the house. The event is a specialhonor because the Cole House features the work of Cole and hisnineteenth century followers and has seldom, if ever, shown thework of a contemporary artist.

Maltzman is a leading artist in the Hud-son-Catskill region and across the country,with a long list of museum and gallery ex-hibits, books, teaching assignments and com-missions to his credit. He is a veteran of theSecond World War. He and his family cele-brated his 93rd birthday on July 4, 2014.Maltzman is a widower after 58 years of mar-riage; he and his wife Rachael knew eachother for 65 years. He paints and and drawsregularly, still drives, for years has run aweekly life drawing studio in the GreenvilleNY Library, teaches week-long workshops,curates shows.

Stanley Maltzman is an inspiration for allthe artists who read this publication.Thomas Cole House, 218 Spring St., Catskill,NY. Open Wed. - Sun., 10 – 4; 518-943-7465;www. ThomasCole.org

DENISE B CHANDLERFINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

When I look into the eyes of an animal I do not see an animal. I see a living being.

I see a friend.I feel a soul.

"Eyes on View" is the current show being exhibited on thewalls of Stockbridge Coffee & Tea, on Elm St. in Stockbridge,Massachusetts. The exhibit is a solo show of one particularbody of work of Denise B Chandler titled "Eyes On View" andwill run through the first week in September. "This is an ongo-ing body of work that is my examination of the soulfulness ofthe eyes and our own humanity" Chandler says. Ten images arecurrently hanging and will be changing regularly over the next3 months. The exhibits starts with horses and a few dogs andwill throughout the summer change with elephants, tigers, lions,alpacas, wolves, and equines from a rescue farm also joiningthe exhibit.

Chandler says, "My ears are always open and that is how Ihave found the most unusual places to photograph the animalsI have. Two years ago, I heard of a private rescue for a pair ofelephants in mid-coast Maine. I contacted the owner, made adonation to the foundation being created for the elephants, andwas granted a private behind the scene photo opportunity withthese magnificent animals. Then came the lions and tigers 3months later and again in Maine. This time at the home of acouple whose actual living quarters are in the middle of theiranimal’s cages/runs . This past winter a friend shared with mea place where I could walk with wolves. In -9 degree weatherI walked with wolves, through the woods, in Lake Placid. Theseare a few of the most unusual moments and then there are theordinary moments when you're driving down the road and younotice a beautiful being either human or animal. All these mo-ments are what make "Eyes On View."

Chandler's photographs are signed archival limited editiongiclée prints that have a Certificate of Authenticity with eachone. Each image is also available unframed and in differentsizes by contacting the artist directly or Sohn Fine Art.

Denise B Chandler is represented by Sohn Fine ArtGallery located in both Stockbridge and Lenox, Massachu-setts. www.denisebchandler.comwww.sohnfineart.comEmail: [email protected]: [email protected] 413-298-1025

SOHN FINE ART GALLERYSohn Fine Art Gallery is expanding and moving to a new

location at 69 Church Street, Lenox, MA opening June 21. Anexhibition of works by artists the Gallery represents will be onview through August 18, with a Grand Re-Opening receptionon August 16 from 3:00 - 7:00.

Sohn Fine Art Gallery’s Stockbridge, MA location (6 ElmStreet) will also remain open through August 30. The exhibi-tion currently on view through the end of August at the Stock-bridge location is  One Hundred Sixty Thousand Miles ofColor: One year of photographic work shot in 5 continents andover 20 countries by award winning photographer SethResnick, as part of the 2014 Master Artist Series Program(MAS). 

In conjunction Resnick’s exhibition, a public artist’s pres-entation will be held at The Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge, MA,on July 19th at 2:30pm. The presentation will be followed bya reception at Sohn Fine Art Gallery from 4:00 - 7:00. The ex-hibition features contemporary landscapes, all photographedin 2013, when Resnick traveled 160,000 miles, visiting 5 con-tinents and over 20 countries including Antarctica, Greenlandand the Arctic, Iceland, and destinations like Rwanda,Botswana, Tanzania, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, and Bo-liva, to name a few. Resnick will also teach a one-day artist ledworkshop (“Lightroom Live”) July 20th, 9:00 - 5:00 at RedLion Inn.

Sohn Fine Art Gallery, Printing, Framing & Workshops -69 Church Street, Lenox, MA and 6 Elm Street, Stockbridge,MA; 413-551-7353; [email protected] / www.sohnfineart.com

CROPPED PHOTOGRAPH BY SETH RESNICK

PHOTOGRAPHYWWW.JANEFELDMAN.COM

[email protected]

JANE FELDMAN

DRAWING BY STANLEY MALTzMAN

THE ARTFUL MIND JULY 2014 • 17

SAINT FRANCIS GALLERY

Oliver Sacks, the famous neurologist, once asked “How dowe think?”. Can any of us really know how? But it seems tobecome clearer when we have to interact with world around us.

The power of the imagination is awakened by art. There isa struggle for concepts, form, and meaning. All the powers ofthe self are called upon. At this level our experience dissolves,transforms, unifies and creates.

What is visual, what is image, what is language, what is in-tellectual and what is emotional all become fused together.Without this experience we really cannot “see” anything orcome to know ourselves.

Our next show, beginning June 20 will continuing thru July27, will have a major selection of abstract art by celebrated areaartists. It is work that talks to your inner self with both answersand questions simultaneously. These works are described aspowerful, capricious, idiosyncratic, light hearted,….a delight,and an inspiration.

These artists, Karen Domanisth, Gail Downey, Mark Ol-shansky, Dennis Wheeler, and others will present this visual di-alectic. Their work demonstrates the fascination they have forthe way the world unfolds before them. Their art is like haikupoetry, meandering meditations that present a picture “seenclearly for the first time” but then again feeling familiar as ifseen before as well. These creations present what cannot be saidwith beautiful simplicity and yet with depth, representing a fas-cination with the shapes of life itself, simultaneously surfacingin both its simplest and most elegant form.

The art work in this show is an invitation, an enticement, aninvocation, and in a bold way it transforms. It also proves thatyou cannot truly “see” without this reciprocal process and theart’s ability to manipulate images within the mind and expand“mental space”. We invite you to the gallery experience; rein-vigorate your visual imagination, an essential to enriching eachother’s worlds and feeling alive.

St. Francis Gallery - Rt 102, South Lee just 2 miles east fromthe Red Lion Inn, open from 11am to 5pm Friday, Saturday,Sunday and Monday.

KAREN LESAGESANFORD SMITH FINE ART

Sanford Smith Fine Art will host an exhibit of new paint-ings by Karen LeSage, August 8 through September 14. Areception will be held on Saturday, August 9 from 4:00-6:00.Her show in 2013 sold out.

Gallery director Laura Reid comments on the wide appealof LeSage’s work: “Her glowing canvases reflect the terrainof our region but offer something universal as well. Theyare wildly well-received. We are excited to be part of that.She has been our number-one selling artist for the last fouryears.”

The new exhibit continues LeSage’s tradition of large,atmospheric, minimal landscapes in vivid, luminous colors.Of them she says,  “This work explores the territory betweenlandscape painting and minimalist color-field painting. TheBerkshire Mountains continually inspire. They provide colordisplays that change by the season, the day, the hour.”

LeSage was born in eastern Connecticut and studied atMassachusetts College of Art in Boston. She lived andworked in New York for over a decade then moved to thehills of Litchfield, CT to raise her son. She has since becomea noted artist with a growing national following.

When asked about the success of her Sanford Smithshows, LeSage said: “Their clientele loves the same regionthat I do.” Then adds with a smile, “It doesn’t hurt that thegallery is open 7 days a week.”

Some preview paintings are currently at the gallery toview on request.

Sanford Smith Fine Art, 13 Railroad Street, Great Bar-rington MA, 413-528-6777; open daily 11 – 6, Fri.& Sat.until 7.

JOHN LIPKOWITZWARREN ST. GALLERY

Paris, Giverny and the Loire Valley: Personal Impressions.The official artist’s reception will be Saturday, August 9, from3-6 at the 510 Warren St. Gallery, 510 Warren Street, Hudson,New York.

John Lipkowitz, a retired New York City attorney, now liv-ing in Great Barrington travels and photographs at every op-portunity, fully engaging two of his most significant passions.An initial interest in wildlife photography and related travelhas morphed into a broader spectrum as his wife, Nina, alsohas a loud voice in selecting travel destinations. John, learningflexibility as an opportunistic photographer, constantly adaptsto new places and subjects, hopefully broadening his techniqueunder these circumstances.

A recent trip to Paris provided just such an experience. De-ciding on a single destination for a two week period gave themthe chance to more broadly explore a fascinating city they hadboth visited several times over the preceding fifty years, butnever with such potential depth. A couple of days trips by trainto Monet’s home in Giverny and to the medieval city of Rouenand a one night overnight to the Loire Valley provided varietyand breaks from the city itself.

With three cameras of the new micro four thirds mirrorlessvariety, one converted for infrared capture, and several lenses,and a camera bag weighing only 20 pounds, possibilitiesabounded.

John will be the featured artist at the 510 Warren St. Galleryduring the month of August 2014, but he plans to have a selec-tion images from Paris, Giverny and the Loire on exhibit be-ginning in July and expanding in themes and numbers inAugust. 510 Warren St. Gallery - 510 Warren Street, Hudson, New York.

GAIL DOLMANISTH, WHITE MOUNTAINS

“The job of the artist is always todeepen the mystery.”

-Francis Bacon

Planet Waves Eric Francis July 2014ARIES (March 20-April 19)In France, in the United States and in your life, July is the monthof independence — when you start to crave emotional independ-ence and start to make moves to design that for yourself. Well,design may be exaggerating a bit; it looks more like emotionaljolts that prompt you to invent something new on the spot. Thekey is to go forward, even if you don’t think you can see the fu-ture. Take any unexpected development as an immediate promptto get yourself in motion. You don’t need to know where you’regoing. You just need to orient on one point so that you don’t goin circles. As you do this, all kinds of opportunities are likely toappear, including several from recent months that you were cer-tain you missed. As they appear, you will see them more clearlyfor what they are.

TAURUS (April 19-May 20)Your solar chart has become increasingly complex in recentweeks, which is another way of saying you may be less sure aboutwho you are and what you want. It would, however, be far betterto pause and not know than it would be to let someone decide foryou. I am sure you’ve noticed the human tendency to want othersto make our decisions. It saves mental effort and it saves respon-sibility, but in the end, you sacrifice choice. Or rather, you choosenot to choose, in a passive way. I suggest you get underneath thispsychology if you’re noticing that it exists. Clearly, you want toexpand your horizons; you want some new energy in your phys-ical space; you’re tired of a life that is so obsessively focused onwork. If someone is offering you something that you see is ap-pealing, and you want it, take full credit for your choice.

GEMINI (May 20-June 21)With Mercury direct and Venus moving through your sign, youhave the presence of mind and the charm necessary to resolve anymisunderstandings that may have emerged during the recent Mer-cury retrograde. One particular disagreement may have beenabout an emotional attachment you had to a value or opinion thatdoes not seem so compelling as it did a month ago. In fact youmay be wondering why you cared so much. Without that attach-ment, you’re in a more conciliatory mood, and someone you careabout will welcome your willingness to admit that you may havemisjudged or over-communicated, or if appropriate, that you werea bit of a jerk. People move on from these things when they’rehandled honestly. You have no need to hang onto the past with somuch to look forward to.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)You have been under a lot of stress the past six months. It’s almostlike you’ve done everything right and yet you cannot get the re-sults that you want. It’s good you subscribe to the motto “when

you’re going through hell, keep on going” — even if it wasn’t allthat bad. Yet so many factors change this month that you havereason to remain not just optimistic but also motivated. In fact Isuggest you remain especially motivated on all of the things thatyou want the most but seem to have been slogging along the mostannoyingly. That might include some mix of sex, money, rela-tionships and your career — you know, all the big stuff. Past per-formance is not an indicator of future returns. Yet the thing thatmight be the very most dependable indicator is your drive andpassion, which will be running with full heat within one monthfrom today. Tap that energy — it’s all yours.

LEO (July 22-Aug. 23)July arrives with the one-and-only Leo New Moon conjunctJupiter, at least till 2026 (and that one is not nearly as amazing asthe one on July 26 of this year). So — this is the one, and to meit translates to a cosmic I Ching hexagram along the lines of GreatGood Fortune. Make the most of it. The main variable seems tobe understanding what you want to accomplish. You have a lotof small goals — and you must arrange them in such a way thatthey add up to something significant, or combine into one basicobjective. Said another way, you have the winds of fortune blow-ing you in any direction you want — and you must focus that di-rection. It’s likely that you don’t have a name for the thing youwant the most. If that is true, then call it “the nameless thing” andstart to describe it, and refine your description till you know ex-actly what you’re talking about.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)You may have to adjust your strategy in light of unexpected de-velopments, though that is another way of saying that plenty isbrewing behind the scenes that you may not be aware of yet.Don’t mistake this for nothing happening. Mercury’s recentchange of directions in the house associated with your profes-sional ambitions is a reminder to pick up the threads on whatevermay have been sidetracked about six weeks ago. Reassess thatparticular goal — you may want or need to revise it, or you maywant to fold it into a new plan that has emerged more recently.Either way there is something valuable involved that will helpyou advance your work and your reputation. I was about to write“if you’re interested,” though I see every reason to be interested,and to get yourself there if you’re having the least hesitation.

LIBRA (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)Whatever enterprises you get involved in could work out verywell for you — if you remember what you’ve learned during thepast couple of seasons, and if you keep a positive view of what ispossible. Those two conditions might be difficult to hold in onethought or gesture, mainly due to so many persistent challengesthis year. I know how this can be, when you expect adversity be-cause you’ve experienced it, then you create it by expecting it.

Do what you can to get out ofthis cycle. By the last week ofJuly so many factors will havechanged that you will be con-vinced far more is possible thanyou’ve experienced any time re-cently. Between now and then,you may have your doubts,though I suggest investing yourenergy in something more cre-ative or pleasure-oriented ratherthan on regrets or worry.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)For most of the month Mars ismaking its way across the lastdegrees of Libra, on its way intoyour sign. Think of this as some-thing trying to break through tothe surface of your awareness —

something that might feel edgy in a way you don’t understand.What you’re feeling is likely to be different from your experi-ences since Mars entered Libra last December, which was the be-ginning of a long odyssey. Now, change is imminent. You justmay not be sure if you really want it. This is, of course, a themeof its own for you. This would be a good time to ponder whetherany element of the past you’re attached to is really worth keeping.There are many new passions and ambitions coming into yourlife — I suggest you make space for them, which means for your-self.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)This month may go down in the history of your life as the momentyou set yourself free. This is the quest of Sagittarius, and it’s eas-ier in thought than it is in reality. Yet you’ve been releasing your-self from various bonds one at a time. Something that happenedback in April comes to mind, and had that development not oc-curred you would be in a different situation right now. Yet thatmerely prepared the ground for what is possible. The real step isthe one that you must take on your own, because you recognizethat it’s possible and because you know that you can. Your chartssuggest that anything you do will work out, as long as you feelgood about it. That’s a suggestion to do the thing that you feel thevery best about. Note, making one choice does not necessarilypreclude another. Start with what you want the most.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)You seem ready to let go of some of the responsibility you’vetaken on, though I suggest you do it in an orderly and structuredway. You have a right to make decisions that serve your best in-terests, and it’s also good to remember that your reputation fol-lows you. So I suggest you make this a conscious process ofexchange, based on several core lessons you’ve learned duringthe various adventures and misadventures going back to yourbirthday. All that experience was there to teach you somethingabout yourself, though it’s possible to forget even the hardest-learned lessons. These you want to remember, because that’s themost likely way you’ll be able to prevent them from happeningagain — and the most likely way you will recognize somethingdifferent and much better when you see it.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)Over the next four weeks cosmic activity moves into the signsLeo and Scorpio, which I would say is excellent news for you.Mars and Jupiter, who were star players in the grand cross of2014, change signs within a few weeks of one another. It’s oftendifficult for people to get the relationship aspect of their lives intoharmony with the professional aspects; in fact this creates moretension than just about anything. Yet Jupiter in Leo will open upthe possibilities in nearly all of your relationships. Mars in Scor-pio will focus your drive and ambition. This is a dynamic mix ofenergies — though if you stay open-minded and open to change,what could be a clash will be more like a starburst into anotherworld of possibilities. Let every step you take be a step in that di-rection.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)Water signs are sensitive to their environments — I believe moresensitive than any other kind of sign, and Pisces is the most del-icate among them. It helps to have the Sun and planets in any ofthe water signs, and it helps when other elements provide someadditional vitality. Later this month — I wish it were sooner, butall in good time — Jupiter and the Sun move into your house ofvitality and wellbeing. This will ease some of the stress you’vebeen under at work, allowing ideas rather than work to carry somemore of the effort. Then Mars exits your house of contracts(Libra) and ingresses your house of faith in yourself (Scorpio).On Aug. 1, the two make contact, which looks to me like you willbe getting just the infusion of energy and passion that you need.Till then, easy does it — as easy as you can, anyway.

~ Read Eric Francis daily at PlanetWaves.net18 • JULY 2014 THE ARTFUL MIND

THE ARTFUL MIND JULY 2014 • 19

AMELIAHOLISTIC FACIAL REJUVENATION

Amelia’s holistic facial rejuvenation is the unconventional,organic alternative with real-time results. A one hour sessioncombines focused energy and a carefully developed system ofpatterned massage strokes to activate the twelve major nervecenters of the face, neck, shoulders and head.....for a soothing,psyche-nourishing, stress-releasing, revitalizing result.

This is a highly effective method of redefining facial features,improving muscle and skin tone awakening your beauty, and re-newing your inner self.

The session includes massage of the head, neck, shouldersand upper arms; warm herbal compresses, cleansing and anorganic mask to draw out impurities. 

Look and feel as though you just enjoyed a two-week vacation… without the airfare.

Amelia ia a licensed aesthetician in practice for 20 plus years.Formally at the New Age Health Spa, Neversink, N.Y. and TheHealing Place, Lenox, Massachusetts, Amelia is famous for her“Home Visit Spa Days” for gathering friends, birthdays, bridalparties and Me time. A gift Certificate for a new mother ora mother-to-be is a welcome gift.

In a past life, (the 60’s) Amelia owned a unique restaurant onBleecker Street in NY’s West Village, introducing Haagen Dazsto the City. “I search for and enjoy offering the best.”Amelia’s Holistic Facial Rejuvenation - Rte. 23, Hillsdale, NY

(near the Rte 22 intersection). For appointments and gift certifi-cates call 518-320-8314 or [email protected]

COLLINS/EDITIONSformerly

BERKSHIRE DIGITALAfter seven years of working for artists and photogra-

phers as Berkshire Digital, we have changed our name tocollins|editions. We are a fine art reproduction service thatoffers the highest quality digital photography & reproduc-tion of paintings as well as Giclée printing on archival pa-pers and canvas with sizes up to 42” x 90”. Artists &photographers use us to create limited editions of their im-ages. Private collectors and galleries use us to documenttheir collections. Whether the reproduction needs are forarchiving, printing, books, magazines, postcards or internetuse, BD adheres to very strict color controls along with de-livering stunning detail by using either a large format cam-era with a Better Light™ digital scanning back for makinggiclee prints as well as the best DSLR cameras for publi-cation & internet uses.

In addition to the photography and print-ing services, collins|editions also offersgraphic design, enabling clients to createshow announcements, post cards andbrochures. The website, www.CollinsEdi-tions.com has a complete overview, lots ofinformation and pricing.

The owner, Fred Collins, has been a com-mercial photographer for over 30 years hav-ing had studios in Boston and Stamford. Heoffers 20 years of experience with Photo-shop™ enabling retouching, restoration andenhancement. The studio is located in MtWashington but dropoff and PU can bearranged at other locations.Collins|editions studio, 220 East St, MtWashington, Massachusetts; 413-644-9663,www.CollinsEditions.com

ANN SCOTTAnn Scott just moved to the Berkshires after many years

in Boston. Her passion for nature and all the beauty of theBerkshires made for a very easy transition.

Scott has exhibited and has traveled extensively through-out the US and Europe. She is currently represented by theLyman Eyer Gallery in Provincetown and is an exhibitingartist at the Southern Vermont Art Center, Salmagundi inNYC and the Provincetown Art Association Museum.

If you are interested in taking plein air painting workshopsplease contact the artist for more information. Also see moreof her work and on her website read about her adventures onher blog.

Ann Scott – email: [email protected];www.annscottpainting.com and read up on her adventuresat http://annscottpainting.blogspot.com

ANN SCOTT, YELLOW BUSH, 11 x 14”, WATERCOLOR

Advertise your art!Be Seen!!!

[email protected]

“The position of the artist ishumble. He is essentially

a channel.”- Piet Mondrian

20 • JULY 2014 THE ARTFUL MIND

Denise B ChandlerFine Art Photography

Eyes On View

Denise B Chandler Fine Art Photography is represented by Sohn Fine ArtGallery located in both Stockbridge and Lenox. www.sohnfineart.com

Private studio and gallery visits by appointment 413. 281. [email protected] www.denisebchandler.com

“ When I look into the eyes of an animal I do not see an animal.I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul.”

photographs by Denise B Chandler

Limited Edition Photography

Solo ExhibitionOn view until September 5th

Reception with ArtistJuly 17th 6:30—8:00 PM

StockbridgeCoffee & Tea

6 Elm St. - Stockbridge, MANew images will be added throughout the summer

Stanley Maltzman

Thomas Cole’s Honey

Exhibition of watercolors, pastels and drawings

July 26 — October 2

Opening Reception on July 26

THOMAS COLE HOUSE218 Spring St., Catskill, NY. Open Wed. - Sun., 10 – 4;

518-943-7465

Bermuda Avenue TriangleLaughter and comedic schtick

Two widows, one Jewish (Fanny Saperstein/Candee) and the other an Italian Catholic (Tess LaRuffa/Brauth), are set up in an upscale Las Vegas retirement condo by their career

oriented daughters. Trapped by years of unhappiness, Fanny weeps like the Trevi Fountain and the unsmilingTess does nothing but complain. But that all changes when these two ladies cross paths with the charming

scoundrel, Johnny Paolucci (Perilli) who rocks both their worlds. Thurs July 17, Fri July 18 & Sat July 19 • 8pm

Albany ELKS LODGE (tix at door $15)25 South Allen Street, Albany, NY

by Renee Taylor & JoeBologna

Directed by Iris Singer / POINT of VIEW PLAYERS Stage Manager Nick HimmelwrightOriginal Play written by Renee Taylor & Joe Bologna

Sorelle Brauth • Harryet Candee • Tracy Hynes • Tracy Henry • David Marcil • Frank Perilli

Must see while summering in the Berkshires!!!

THE ARTFUL MIND JULY 2014 • 21

22 • JULY 2014 THE ARTFUL MIND

THE ARTFUL MIND JULY 2014 • 23

LAUREN CLARK FINE ARTNEW FRONTIERS IN POP ART

Lauren Clark Fine Art opens a month-long solo exhibitionfeaturing the work of Maurice “Pops” Peterson, with a receptionon Saturday, July 12, 4-7 PM. Lauren Clark Fine Art is locatedat 25 Railroad Street.

”New Frontiers in Pop Art” reflects Peterson’s distinctivestyle of Giclee canvas art, which is colorful, whimsical, and fullof joy.

In addition to his life as artist, the multi-faceted Peterson isco-owner of Seven Salon and Spa in Stockbridge. He has beena producer and project manager with years of fashion-relatedwork in television and the Internet. He was writer and producerof the international television series, Models, Profiles and Fan-tasies, where he shot segments and interviewed such fashionicons as Gianni Versace, Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks inNew York, France and Italy.

Peterson’s artistic and design talent were on display duringhis tenure as executive producer at RDA Interactive and ACGCommunications, where he produced major websites for Niveaskin care, designer Todd Oldham, and Cosmogirl magazine. Hedeveloped award-winning sites for Pfizer, Biersdorf’s Futurosports products and the original web portal for Hearst Maga-zines, HomeArts.com. He continues his work as a freelancewebsite producer.

The show runs from July 12 through August 3.Lauren Clark Fine Art - 25 Railroad Street, Great Barrington,

Massachusetts; 413-528-0432; www.LaurenClarkFineArt.com;[email protected]

HOUSATONIC VALLEY ART LEAGUE

ANNUAL JURIED SHOWThe Housatonic Valley Art League will open its’ annual, “Ju-

ried Art Show” on Thursday, July 3 with a reception from 4:30to 6:30 P.M. It’s called a “Juried” show because all the artworkentered are judged by two judges and only the ones that meetspecific criteria make it into the show. The judges will also pickthe most outstanding paintings in the show, which will beawarded certificates. This show, which had been held since themid 1980s at Dewey Hall in Sheffield, has had a change ofvenue this year and has moved to Jenifer House Commons, 420Stockbridge Road, in Great Barrington.

The HVAL has close to 150 members comprised of amateurand professional artists from the Berkshires, and neighboringNew York and Connecticut. The League puts on several exhi-bitions for members throughout the year including it’s huge“Member’s Show” which just concluded at the same locationduring the month of June. It also invites distinguished artists tohold workshops for member and non-member artists.

All are welcome to drop in for refreshments and help cele-brate the arts at the Juried Show’s opening reception on Thurs-day, July 3 from 4:30 to 6:30 P.M. The show will be openeveryday, except Wednesdays, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., (until7 on Fridays and Saturdays) and run from July 3 through July27. Housatonic Valley Art League - www.hvart.org

ASTON MAGNATURBULENCE, VICE AND MUHLY

Aston Magna Music Festival spans July with three concertsof early music and a new work, Aston Magna — by virtuosoNico Muhly, a young new composer whose Met Opera premieris much in the news.

Artistic Director Daniel Stepner presents pre-concert talksone hour before each event (Daniel Arts Center and MahaiwePerforming Arts Center), and a wine and cheese reception withthe artists follows.

On July 5, “Music from a Turbulent 17th Century England”offers galliards, laments and sonatas before and after the EnglishCivil War, with music by Dowland, Lawes, Lanier, Purcell andBlow, with Deborah Rentz-Moore, mezzo-soprano; David Rip-ley, baritone; Peter Sykes, organ; Catherine Liddell, theorbo andlute; Stepner and Danielle Maddon, baroque violins; LauraJeppesen, viola da gamba.

July 12 at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, the ensemblepresents “Vice Squad: Baroque Skirmishes with Alcohol, To-bacco and Love.” Bach’s Coffee Cantata; Purcell’s Songs ofLove and Drink, Tobias Hume’s Tobacco and more; soloistsTeresa Wakim, Frank Kelley, tenor and Jesse Blumberg, bari-tone join the Aston Magna ensemble.

The season concludes July 19 at Daniel Arts Center with Ital-ian Trio Sonatas and a New Work — Aston Magna — by NicoMuhly. Works by Corelli, Vivaldi and others, with Stepner andJoan Plana, baroque violins; Laura Jeppesen, viola da gamba;and Michael Sponseller, harpsichord.

Aston Magna - Tickets at astonmagna.org, or 800-595-4849.

NICO MUHLY

HANS HEUBERGER,WORKTIME, GREAT BARRINGTON

MAURICE “POPS” PETERSON, FLIP FLOPS

24 • JULY 2014 THE ARTFUL MIND

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