JULY 2012 artswestchester update


NEW ARTSWESTCHESTER OFFICERS by Ann Fabrizio


At its June annual meeting, Jacque- line Adler Walker of Harrison was elected to succeed Joseph P. Oates of White Plains as President of the ArtsWestchester Board, it was an- nounced by the not-for-profit organiza- tion. Also elected were Froma B. Ben- erofe of Purchase as Executive Vice President, Joseph P. Oates as Trea- surer, and David V. Ring of Yorktown as Secretary. John Peckham of Wac- cabuc continues to serve as Chairman and Vice Presidents are Glenn Bianco of Peekskill, Robert Roth of Amawalk, and Lawrence Salley of White Plains.


Mrs. Walker, a board member since 2002, is a tireless advocate for the arts and for ArtsWestchester, work- ing closely with fellow board members on the grants, education, and arts committees. She brings to her role as President insightful guidance and judgment along with her experience in banking, business and education. Mrs. Walker served as a director of human resources at American Express


and Lever Brothers, and specialized in commercial real estate at a promi- nent savings bank. She received her Masters in Teaching from Columbia University and her BA from Elmira College. As a youngster, Mrs. Walker was steeped in the arts through her family background which included international travel and education in Switzerland. Her boundless energy enables her to serve on the boards of the Scarsdale Adult School and the Neuberger Museum of Art, besides her increased responsibilities as Presi- dent of ArtsWestchester. Along with her husband, Arthur, Mrs. Walker’s passion for the arts is reflected by her own words: “the arts…there is no living without them.”


Froma Benerofe, an ArtsWestchester board member since 2008, was elected as Executive Vice President of the Board of Trustees. Mrs. Benerofe is a dedicated Clinical Social Worker, also serving on the board of United Jewish Appeal Federation. She is an


Westchester County Business Journal • ARTSWNEWS


A7


Jacqueline Walker


Froma Benerofe


avid arts supporter who serves on the boards of Dance in Education and the Parsons School of Dance, as well as ArtsWestchester where she chairs the Grants Committee. Mrs. Benerofe was instrumental in implementing signifi- cant changes to streamline the grants process and maximize the funds that are available to local arts organizations. Her service as Executive Vice President is a further reflection of her commit- ment and dedication to the arts.


Joseph P. Oates, Senior Vice President at Con Edison, served a two-year term


Joseph Oates


as President of the Board of Trustees of ArtsWestchester. As President, Mr. Oates led the organization through a strategic planning process, making long-term fiscal decisions that pre- pared ArtsWestchester for the “new economy.” In his role as Treasurer, Mr. Oates oversee the financial health of ArtsWestchester, the driver of the county’s arts community.


David Ring, President, New England Region, First Niagara, continues as Secretary of the Board.


ARTSWESTCHESTER’S NEWEST EXHIBITION SWIMS INTO SUMMER by Kathleen Reckling


There’s something fishy happening in downtown White Plains this summer.


Schools of rainbow-colored bass and perch are swimming through the windows of ArtsWestchester’s historic Mamaroneck Avenue gallery. Inside, a weeping willow, made entirely from the metal trash found in the Hudson River, swirls sky-high. Fish made from salvaged fence posts circle overhead while a six-foot copper turtle keeps watch over the gallery. Upstairs, a life-sized, fully-outfitted fisherman’s shack offers visitors a glimpse into the life of a Long Island Shore fisherman.


All of these unique scenes can be caught hook, line and sinker in Fish Tales Around Westchester, an educational exhibition that marries art and science to raise awareness about the health of Westchester’s vital waterways.


The exhibition is the culmination of a year-long collaboration with curator


La Benida Hui, an artist and educator who founded the nonprofit R.A.R.E (Rare Animals Really Endangered) which uses art to raise awareness about earth’s endangered wildlife and ecosystems.


Knowing that art is a galvanizing force, Ms. Hui was inspired to use the histories and species of the Hudson River and Long Island Sound to activate artists in the community.


“I was driven to bring together communities, artists/educators, environmentalists and organizations under one roof to tell a single story in order to inspire and educate those involved and eventually inspire the public viewers,” she says.


The result of Ms. Hui’s effort is an exhibition on a grand scale. Featuring the work of twenty eco-minded artists, Fish Tales Around Westchester is a narrative and interactive exhibition


that features artwork in all media: animation, sculpture, painting, installation and printmaking.


While coordinating the exhibition, Ms. Hui and the participating artists collaborated with more than a dozen schools and institutions to gather and create work for the show. The wrap- around window installation filling the panes of the gallery windows is the product of in-class workshops led by teaching- and exhibiting-artist Joe Mullins (Croton, NY) who taught students the Japanese art of gytoku, or making prints directly from the body of a fish. He assembled the students’ work into exuberant window coverings that reference the various species inhabiting the Hudson River.


EXHIBITION@ArtsWestchester FISH TALES: Around Westchester


A collaboration between ArtsWestchester & R.A.R.E (Rare Animals Really Endangered)


On View: June 8 - August 11, 2012 Opening Reception: Thursday, June 7, 6-8:30pm


Fish Tales Around Westchester marries art and science to create a memorable exhibition that will engage visitors and inspire action.


The show is organized into two parts – with the street level focused on the history of man’s interaction with the Hudson River and the second floor highlighting the aquatic life of the Long Island Sound. To enhance families’ experience, ArtsWestchester will offer interactive role-playing and art-making workshops on Saturdays throughout the run of the exhibition. For more information, visit: www.artswestchester.org/fishtales.


Mama Fished, Ann Ladd


Curated by La Benida Hui Presented by Con Edison and Westchester Magazine


Mama Tried, Ann Ladd


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17