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It was a beautiful, if a bit warm, day yesterday. It was the occasion of the first Raritan Bay Arts Festival held on the grounds of the Conference House on Staten Island. There were displays of crafts, some food, demonstrations of Kayak making and, in the afternoon, live music performances.

Steve Nutt, of Friends of Fire, organized the artisan part of the festival; he’s the founder of Friends of Fire which has been an association of artisans, mostly potters, for over 10 years. I recently joined the group and we (a few members of the group) have opened a brick and mortar store in the Stapleton section of Staten Island. You can see the store on it’s faceBook page.

Here are some photos of the event. When I took the photos I was focusing mostly on the participants who are members of the store rather than the entire event. I was there mainly to show my work and couldn’t leave my table for very long.  This is a wide shot of the Crafts area, my ‘tent’ is in the right side of the photo in the back. Steve  is the guy in shorts, his head is framed by the second tent from the right.

Toni, who started, who Casterbridge Fair store in Stapleton, is sitting with her hand made pillows. Janice, another store member, is in black sunglasses with her hand dyed silk scarves near Toni.

This is Judith,  she makes charming ceramic teapots and tableware.  You can see them on the  Friends of Fire at Casterbridge Fair  faceBook page .

Me with my display. I’ll put shots of the whole display up at the bottom of this entry.

Here’s Steve with his new line of majolica on display.

Our friend Christy, another potter, with her New York  ’Delft’.

This guy makes Kayaks. I like the model with pontoons and  a mast. It looks like it should come from Hawaii.

These painted kayaks were on display. I like the one with the three eyes. I think of it as insurance that  you won’t lose your way if the boat is carefully watching your drift.

Here are the shots of my work, from one end of the table to the other.

Colman spent most of the time water coloring.

New earrings in dichroic glass on the left side of the board with a collection of Pearl and Stone  sets. Earrings from an earlier ‘Glass Period’ on the right.

I’ll open this entry with a shot of my display for Art by the Ferry  which took place the first two weekends of  June. The photo was taken by  our friend Sarah Yuster. It turned out to be a successful show. It was on the tail of that energy that I made the following new pieces for the upcoming show this weekend at the Conference House on the southern tip of Staten Island.  It is to be the first Raritan Bay Arts Festival.  Wish us luck and temperate weather.

I have just finished this long silver chain with faceted, polished aquamarine nuggets and hammered silver rings. I loved these stones the minute I saw them, I have others that will be wired together in the byzantine style as the summer progresses. 

Here’s a close up. The hammered silver rings flash and sparkle when the chain moves.

I finished this chain of triplets at the beginning of the week: a choker made of  polished aquamarine stones in a freeform cube shape with large round freshwater pearls, there are matching earrings.  The hook works in all of the large rings and the piece could probably be worn doubled as a bracelet.

This is a collection of earrings and a few pendants in stone and glass that I put together for summer and evening wear.

I also worked on the Lion Cup this week, It will take a little longer  than I expected getting it finished and ready for wine. There’s a lot of polishing to be done on the inside and on the lip. Here’s a photo of the cup as it came from the electro form mold.  We have ordered another one.

On the 14th of this month we went to an opening at the College of Staten Island to attend the opening for an exhibition of Tracey Jones paintings. I was attracted by the invitation image and knew I had to go to see the work. I was not disappointed.  When we arrived there were a number of people already there and a photographer was shooting the show.

Tracey was talking with her friend and I asked if they would stand for a picture.  Colman likes the painting ‘Table’ behind Tracey’s friend.

Here are some shots of the gallery during our visit.

The blue canvas titled ‘Etruria’ was on the invitation.

Behind this trio, the gray canvas, ‘Large Fence’.

Colman talking with Craig Manister, also a painter and supervisor of this gallery at the college.

One of the paintings that I enjoyed seeing,  ’Sign 5′.

As we were leaving, a final shot of the gallery.

The sun was beginning to set on a beautiful Spring day.  These photos were taken just outside of the Center for the Arts buildiing.

This will be a first for me, getting an entry online the evening of an event’s occurrence. I’m already two openings behind, something I hope to fix tomorrow.

Today was also the day Tysen Street held it’s Spring Yard Sale, after I packed most of the remaining stuff up, we headed down toward the terrace  to a show opening. The CPG Gallery is only open weekends from 1 – 5 PM.

The Creative Photographer’s Guild held an opening for their group featuring the work of Virginia Ross. Colman and I were not quite the first to arrive but we were early. We met our friends Joanne and Richard and had time to talk before other friends started to arrive.

Here’s Joanne, Steve Nutt had just arrived and is behind her looking at some of the photographs, Colman is talking to Richard.  Four of the guys there are named Steve, isn’t that an unusual occurrence for a small group of people?

Virginia was the behind the desk greeting people as they arrived, she’s in the white blouse.

Our painter friend Sarah Yuster arrived and introduced us to her friend Gail Middleton.

Willie Chu, a member of the group, with Regina on our left and Nan on our right.

Richard Capuozzo, Joanne Homsey and Flint Gennari.

Another shot of Gail before we left the gallery.

Flint framed  in the doorway as we headed back up Tysen Street.

Helen Levin has opened in a show with Gene Bocknek at the Ezair Gallery on Madison Avenue,  Helen is showing paintings and Gene is showing sculpture.

Helen invited me to the opening that took place on April 7th, it had been a long time since I went to an opening above 28th street.

Helen is on the right with Hedy in the middle and Joan on the left.

Gene Bocknek with a friend  by one of his sculptures.

I can’t resist a mirror, sometimes it’s the only way I get into one of my photos.

Here I am with Helen and  Ed, another friend from the Staten Island arts community.

Helen talking with another painter.

Leaving the opening, I headed  back toward Lexington Avenue. I passed by a closed but elegantly lit Chase Bank and took these shots through the windows.

On Lexington Avenue looking south, I was surprised by the way the new tower was lit. It was very hard to get the tower, Chrysler Building and some street into my camera.

Star lights in a shoe store window.

The silver leaf caught my eye here.

Chinese fruit shaped ceramics.

The guys at Plaza Flowers always have  beautiful windows, I like the pots shaped like poppy seed capsules.

I’m about a month late posting this and the show has probably come down by now. (The evening of March 9, 2010)  I took almost a hundred photos and it’s taken time to put this posting together.

We were invited to the opening our friend, Gwen Strahle, (she lives in Connecticut) who was selected for this exhibition. It’s been a long time since we were in this neighborhood, 20 years ago Colman and I had an apartment a few blocks from the Museum of the American Indian and the Hispanic Museum complex. Since then, the Museum of the American Indian has moved downtown to the old Customs House near Battery Park.  The Academy exhibit is in two of the buildings in the center of the museum complex near 158th street on the West Side. The photo above is of some of the grand sculpture in the passage between the museums on the way to the academy  exhibition space.

This is the central area of  the first  building.  The exhibition is in two buildings with a small courtyard in between.

Taybin and Kat were on the same train, we met them as we were getting onto the platform at 157th street.  Taybin is in this shot.

This is Laura Battle with some of her work.  It turns out she knows Gwen. Laura battle info.

This is Lisa Sanditz with one of her paintings.  I thought I would try to get as many of the artists with their work as I could find.  I was only able to pair four with their work all evening. Other images by Lisa.

One corner of the gallery.

Our Friend, Gwen Strahle with one of  her paintings.

Some more Gallery shots, the next few are taken in the second building.

Gwen talking with Anja, Austin and Colman.

I like this large sculpture. It was very difficult to get a good angle on it, you can see how wide it is in a photo above of the whole room. It’s called Fold  by John Grade.

Kat, Taybin, Anja and Austin talking with Colman

I thought these were particularly strange.

Laura Battle talking with  some of her friends.

I was surprised to see two friends from Staten Island, Mitchell and  Lorraine.

Alexi Worth with a couple of his paintings.

This is where we came into the show first, a very large room with a really high ceiling and enormous skylight.

The courtyard between the buildings, looking toward  Broadway.

This is an update on the Art in Madison Square. Last time I was there there were only 4 of  Anthony Gormley’s statues in place. Now there are more than a dozen visible form the square and surrounding streets.

I was walking with my friend Kirsten and she took these photos of me with two of the statues that are mounted in the street and in the park.

He just spoke to me. . .

Here are some shots of other newly places statues from street level. There are three figures in this photo looking South toward the Flatiron Building.

A little zoom to get closer.

There are two in this shot looking East.

Some zooming to show you the subtle placement.

Looking northEast across the park.

looking north toward the Empire State Building.

Looking Northwest toward 27th Street.  So, my question is, Is this Art  or a  static form of street theater?  It was interesting to see people react as they passed the  statue on 26th street, but most just passed by not paying much notice.

Kat commented in  FaceBook about this Summer Art Event that has some potential for causing the 911 people some extra stress. Here’s the article about  Antony Gormley’s work. ( And another article and photo about the madison Square conservancy.) I had seen a poster in the bus Shelter at thre Staten Island Ferry Terminal announcing the show, the poster showed nothing and I had no idea what it was. Passing through Madison Square, I saw nothing and thought there was a delay in the installation. Little did I know that I was supposed to look up at the skyline to see it. Passing through the square again last Friday, I stopped to look up and out of the square. Sure enough there were naked men standing on the roof tops. Here are some photos, first at street level and then the same statue with the telephoto.

Looking North along  5th Avenue up Broadway.

Looking South where 23rd Street crosses  5th Ave.

Walking up toward 27th Street there is a third statue on top of the pentagram building.

There are two visible from this angle.  Others are supposed to be placed all over Midtown, some on ground level and some on other skyscrapers. With all the distance involved between the art and the spectator, I don’t know how successful this is or will be. This may be closer to street theater than art simply because of the separation.

Coming back to the train from shopping at Metalliferous, I crossed on 46th street and was confronted by an enormous, lively animated billboard for American Outfitters.

I made a couple of videos, when I shot the first one, the animation slowed for awhile.  I moved up the street and the camera made a better exposure of the billboard but there’s not so much street life.

I know it’s late and the show has closed. The New Landscape was only open for a week from the 10th to the 18th of December. There was a really well attended, pleasant opening reception and I have a batch of nice photos of the event and people who attended. The  first and last photos in this entry were taken by one of the people who work at the Canal View Gallery.  Colman and I arrived early, I’m in the center of the photo talking to Anja, Matthew Jensen and Colman. It was an interesting show of photos, digital prints and video by four artists,  Georgie Friedman, Matthew Jensen, Austin Kennedy and Rufus Lusk.

Colman, Anja and Rufus Lusk.

I think this is the owner of Canal View. I didn’t get to talk to him so I don’t know for sure.

Georgie Friedman , her website has photos and clips of her videos. I especially like  a piece called Spiraling Water.

Georgie and Rufus

Two visitors in front of one of Austin’s installations.

Russell, Anja and Neal.

More people arrive.

Colman talking with Jesse Baker of NPR.

Matthew Jensen

Anja and Austin.

It’s getting more and more crowded.

Gene, Peggy and Colman.

Kat, Taybin and Russell with one of Matthew Jensens’s installations behind them.

A final shot of the crowd catching me with my camera in the air.

November 7, 2009

It was the first time the Friends of Fire held a Wearable Art Show. I was showing my jewelry along with 13 other crafts people who made jewelry, hats, knitted garments and silk scarves among other things. It was held at the Unitarian Church in their Fellowship Hall for the whole day. An easy walk for us from Tysen Street, I was able to set up with little effort. Here’s a view of the hall. I had the table in the lower left. 

Our friend Irma had the table near mine.

Here’s what a part of my table looked like.

It was a successful day. We saw a lot of friends and met some new people. I sold a number of pieces.

November 21, 2009

Last night the annual fund raising auction was held at the Noble Collection in Snug Harbor. I had donated two prints of my wine cup drawings as this is largely an auction about prints.  John Noble was a print maker who lived on a barge in New York Harbor producing nautical images.  A part of this Museum is the completely restored barge-studio that he built in the 1940’s. The link on his name will give you a short  history.

Elizabeth Egbert of the staten Island Museum is on the left in the photo below.

Marc Zimetbaum, sculptor and contributor to the auction.

Rudolph Montanez, in the center another artist contributor.

Anita Cimino, and artist and collector who contributed  some of her vintage prints.  The wall behind her is hung with John Noble lithographs.

Anita with her husband Frank, our framer from  Staten Island Arts, Tim is between them.  The restored barge is in the hall behind them.

More of the crowd getting ready for the auction.

The auction has begun.  Colman and I left before all the items had been taken to the auction block.  It was a pleasant evening with friends, cvonversation and very good food.

November 22, 2009

This morning I joined Steve Nutt at the Jewish Community Center for the SINY Culture Fair. He was there to represent the Friends of Fire and promote next month’s Culture Walk. I joined him in support of the group. He had some of his ceramics on display and I showed a portion of my jewelry as a preview for the next event. The JCC is a beautiful, large new building. Here are a couple of shots of the entrance side of the complex.

The building has an indoor pool and outdoor pool, a cafe, an auditorium where the culture Fair was held, an enormous beautiful new Gymnasium and a lot of other amenities I didn’t have time to explore. I think there’s a large theater there too. The impressive thing about all of the spaces I saw was that the ceiling seemed to be at least 30 feet high. A very unusual occurrence in the city.

Here’s a photo of Steve with some of his wares. We both sold some pieces and had a good time talking all day.