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The Art of Politics

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While the Supreme Court is deliberating the fate of partisan gerrymandering, artists are depicting the practice as an art form. In her abstract ink drawings, artist Ann Lewis mirrors the actual voter districts to show their randomness. For the uninitiated, partisan gerrymandering is the practice by lawmakers of manipulating the size and shape of electoral districts […]

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Growing Up Around Music

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As a kid, I was a musical disappointment. My mother, a proud teacher, tried every pedagogical tactic–first, of course, piano lessons; later the clarinet, then the saxophone and finally a bass clarinet, hardly a lady-like choice. Then there were the Saturday young people’s concerts at Carnegie Hall under the baton of Leonard Bernstein.  At the […]

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State of Voting Rights Inspires a Call to Artists

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Isn’t it ironic?  We are getting ready to celebrate the Centennial of the legislation that gave American women the right to vote, and yet… there are still barriers to the ballot box for many Americans. That’s the subject of “Give Us the Vote,” ArtsWestchester’s compelling fall exhibition. To celebrate the suffragettes, and to gauge the state […]

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“O Romeo, Romeo…”

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“O Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore art thou Romeo?”  His answer: “Here, I am in Turnure Park at 7pm on the evening of July 13.” So I’ll be tailing Juliet to the White Plains performance, which this year is presented with Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.  Once again, ArtsWestchester is partnering with the City of White Plains, thanks […]

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Overheard at ArtsWestchester

This week’s blog is a story overheard and shared with me by my executive assistant Megan Thomson Connor.  Artist Evan Bishop had a grand idea. He brought it to ArtsWestchester and was awarded an Arts Alive Individual Artist grant for his “100 Words of Wisdom.” It is a “body art” project in which Bishop is […]

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The Folk Arts of Hip Hop

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This week’s post is by guest blogger Elena Martinez, Guest Curator for ArtsWestchester’s Folk Arts program. Graffiti is only one component of what has come to be called hip hop. Most people agree that the graffiti writer is one of four main “elements” of hip hop’s aesthetic expression. There is also the MC, who “raps” […]

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It’s Worth Remembering

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Hard to believe that tonight is the 18th year ArtsWestchester is hosting its popular ArtsBash. But, it’s worth remembering that in 1998, we had just purchased a nine story old bank in “as is” condition. For the uninitiated, “as is” means everything is on its last legs in a building that has been vacant for […]

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From Outlaw to Cultural Trendsetter

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    Not much was working between the city and the community when John Lindsay became mayor of New York in 1965. He wanted the city to be known as “fun city.” Yet, it was a tough lift at the time, even for the popular Lindsay. Working for the Mayor in the early 70s, I […]

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