This and That by JL

There’s some holiday cheer coming our way from Washington D.C. The federal budget appears to be all wrapped up with no government shutdown in sight. The good news is that federal cultural agencies such as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) may see increases in their 2020 […]

    There are many ways to remember Ralph Martinelli.  As an entrepreneur, Ralph purchased Spotlight Magazine from Susan Meadows and turned it into Westchester’s version of New York Magazine, a monthly compendium of everything Westchester. But that’s not all.  As Westchester Magazine publisher, he delighted in singing the praises of folks in Westchester, who […]

Winding my way down from Troy, New York, I reflected on the conference I had just attended and what I learned from my colleagues around the state. One eye-opener was how many arts organizations own their own spaces. True, we were a small group, but a somewhat mighty one, members of the nearly new ArtsNYS, […]

Judy Matson was a friend to me, to ArtsWestchester and to the entire Westchester community. Her passing is a loss to all of us, and I can say with great affection that she always gave generously of herself to many worthy causes. I think of Judy Matson as a quiet force who worked with ArtsWestchester […]

What’s it like to have a river in your backyard? It’s inspirational, according to Masha Turchinsky, the Yonkers native and Executive Director of the Hudson River Museum. Perched at the Museum, one can look out and gaze at the mighty Hudson, whose presence continues to fuel the museum’s mission. Up until the 16th century, the […]

    People around the world over watched in horror and disbelief as the beloved monument Our Lady of Paris crumbled under intense fire. I too was riveted as I watched, hoping that this Cathedral of Notre Dame would survive. And it did. So swift and strong was the outpouring of concern and support, that […]

    If you remember the handle “Samo(c),” then like me, you hung out in the East Village in the ’70s where Jean-Michel Basquiat was doing his graffiti-style thing. You can visually stroll the streets of “the village” at the Jacob Burns Film Center in May through “FrameWorks 2019: Art on Film,” a curated series […]

Walking along a busy NYC street and amidst the hustle and bustle, one may be reminded of the purest human emotion … Love. So many questions, thoughts and memories are often ignited at the mere mention of this powerful word. Witnessing this emotion is a reminder to stop, to reflect, and to feel. “Public art […]