This and That by JL

    Next week, we will be celebrating philanthropy. Derived from the Greek words “philos,” which means loving, and “anthropos,” which means humankind, philanthropy is just that: a love for humankind. It is centuries old and crosses cultures. Conceptually it is not simply about “giving” but about improving the well-being of humankind. Each year, ArtsWestchester presents […]

There’s something to be said for freezing a moment.  That’s what photographers do. One Westchester photographer I know has been freezing many moments as the construction of the new Mario M. Cuomo bridge has been underway. David Rocco, a retired civil service carpenter, is happy when he is photographing construction projects. For the past few […]

Recently, I have been thinking about walls….not the Berlin wall, the Pink Floyd wall or even Robert Frost’s Mending Wall, but the ironic oppositional interpretations which love walls or hate them depending on their purpose. In this case, I am watching with excitement the new exhibition and partition walls going up in our gallery thanks […]

    Was it by chance? Or, was it ordained… that I would meet the extraordinary widow of James Van Der Zee, the noted Harlem Renaissance photographer at an ordinary gathering of the Mt. Vernon Arts Council. As we went around the room introducing ourselves, I was pleased to meet Donna Mussenden Van Der Zee […]

Comedy has historically been a male-dominated pursuit. But of course, there are some very notable exceptions. Just remembering (I Love) Lucy’s antics can send me into stitches. What was so endearing about Lucille Ball was her ability to laugh at herself. One lady who has that same fervor will be taking the stage at ArtsWestchester […]

History is a powerful teacher. I don’t know who, but someone must have said that. And isn’t it also true that history repeats itself? I was reminded of this when I received an invitation to an event taking place on Saturday, February 16, 2019.  It is a re-enactment of Lincoln’s brief visit to Peekskill more […]

Westchester’s Copland House is on a hot streak with three national broadcast appearances in just the last four months. For those of you who may have been distracted by the countdown to the holidays, whether it was the last-minute shopping or the long list of year-end to-dos, here’s what you missed—Aaron Copland on CBS.  Well, […]

    Beat the winter blues at “Fab. Fun. Feb.,” presented by ArtsWestchester in our downtown White Plains gallery. Start by celebrating the Year of the Pig at an afternoon of traditional Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese music, dance, crafts, games and food at our Lunar New Year Festival on Saturday, Feb 2, 2019. Enjoy an […]