Architecture and Design Film Festival

The Architecture and Design Film Festival is something I look forward to every year in the fall in New York City. I used to go all the time with my sister Judy. I also know the festival's founder, Kyle Bergman, who along with Ultan Guilfoyle, considered making a film on Usonia, the Frank Lloyd Wright community where I grew up.

Once a year, ADFF puts their highly curated selection of architecture and design related films online for everyone to see, especially if you are not near any of the scheduled venues (which include NYC, DC, Toronto, Chicago or Vancouver).

From February 8 - 17, 2023, you can see this year's festival selections which include a film about Maija Isola, one of the original designers of the Finnish design house Marimekko, learn about Alice Street and how two artists in Oakland California help their community adjust to gentrification, and learn about the life and work of Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza, to mention just a few of this year's offerings. I missed it this year because I was in Maine so I for one look forward to this online viewing.

Bergman describes this festival as a celebration of "the unique creative spirit that drives the industry. With a curated selection of films, events, and panel discussions, ADFF creates an opportunity to entertain, engage, and educate all types of people who are excited about architecture and design. With well-attended screenings, legendary panelists, vibrant discussions, and events in six major cities, ADFF has grown into the largest film festival devoted to the subject. The ADFF also programs international film festivals at cultural institutions and private venues.

Astrologer Leslie McGuirk

Leslie McGuirk is a renowned astrologer, artist, author, product designer, who I met a couple years ago at Rancho La Puerta, a health spa in Tecate, Mexico. She was there lecturing on astrology, her longtime love and passion since she was nineteen years of age. Leslie is very genuine--she connects with people and animals in a deeply authentic way without pretense. She has spent years studying the science of the planets and stars and is incredibly knowledgeable. Before I attended the lecture, I naively thought astrology had just to do with horoscopes and birth signs. (Little did I know that this field has been around for millennia and is much deeper than I ever thought). And I never knew that Carl Jung insisted on seeing the charts of his patients before working with them as he found them so useful in understanding a person's psyche.

I hired Leslie to do my own chart and it was an amazing experience. Human beings, like all things in nature, have a design and unique patterns that make them who they are. It was exciting to learn mine through her... and so much of what she told me rang true...

To learn more about McGuirk, you can listen to Traci Stein interview her on her podcast , listen to McGuirk's Ted Talk and visit Leslie's own website, where, if you feel so inclined, you can book a session with her to do your own chart...

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

I don't usually like to mix politics with this blog but this short speech given by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez needs to be heard. It was given on the floor of the House of Representatives this past week on the occasion of the GOP led ouster of Muslim representative Ihan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee. Ocasio-Cortez is one gutsy person who speaks out for what she believes and I for one, in this day and age, find this incredibly refreshing.

Products of the Week

Marla Sukoff is an excellent yoga teacher and a friend of mine. Please feel free to contact her directly about her in person and online yoga classes at marla@presentwisdom.com

Charity of the Week: Hudson Link

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.