This and That by JL

Now that it’s over – past history, at least for this year – let’s talk about the 15th annual Pleasantville Music Festival. What a great all-day event, featuring 18 bands such as Everclear, Soul Asylum and Aimee Mann. But, let’s not get too distracted by the music, or for that matter the food, which was […]

“History got under my skin.” That’s the way Waddell Stillman explains his 27-year stint at Historic Hudson Valley (HHV), first as CFO and now as President and CEO. It’s what led him and his team to develop a groundbreaking education program about slavery in the Colonial North. People Not Property is an interactive website and […]

    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 […]