This and That by JL

I usually describe myself as “just a kid from Far Rockaway.” It’s sort of a salute to the modest beach town on the Rockaway peninsula where I grew up. A few blocks away from our house in the Bayswater area was the Gustave Hartman Orphan Home. The kids who lived there were homeless. They had […]

Somewhere between first and second grade at P.S. 104 in Bayswater, Queens, we kids Iearned that George Washington as a boy chopped down a cherry tree. With pre-made stencils, we all crayoned an ax to bring home to our mothers. Later, perhaps in third grade, we learned that George Washington could not tell a lie. […]

ArtsWestchester has embarked on a creative journey to stitch together yards and yards of donated fabric into a monumental work of public art. Sewers and stitchers from all around the county are remembering their Home Economics classes and volunteering their time at some 30-odd Public Sewing Sessions. Others with broader skills in tailoring, designing and […]

Is art in the workplace just a nice distraction? Or does it have more subtle powers? Studies on this subject seem to infer that art in the workplace boosts both creativity and productivity. With the premise that good design and artful surroundings are positive motivators, Developer Martin Ginsburg launched his latest creative project at City […]

    The count is on toward the 2020 U.S. Census, and we’re all invited to participate. Information sessions are being hosted all over our county. In fact one happened last night at ArtsWestchester. And there is are concerns afloat that many people will not be counted. I, for one, will be counted, but I […]

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 […]

If you’ve been walking to or from The Westchester mall en route to do your holiday shopping, you may have noticed some painterly action on Hale Ave., Maple Ave and South Broadway. For sure, things are beginning to look a lot more colorful in this neighborhood. In fact, three artists are outside painting new murals […]

    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 […]