blog no. 22: Studs Terkel, River Songs,Flash Fiction

May 29, 2021

Heather Cox Richardson continues to be my go to person for American political analysis and I found something very interesting and encouraging in her newsletter of a few days ago. I have been thinking how hopeless our situation is if 53 percent of Republicans actually believe Donald Trump was the winner of the 2020 election. However, she pointed out something which I hadn't realized and which I have not heard mentioned at all in mainstream media. That is: "A new Gallup poll today finds that 53% of Republicans think that Trump won the 2020 election. But only 26% of Americans identify as Republicans. Journalist Richard Hine crunched the numbers and notes that those percentages boil down to about 14% of Americans who think Trump is still president. They are a minority, but they believe the former president, who continues to insist that he won the 2020 election despite all evidence to the contrary."

three things we love

Many of us will have probably forgotten or never known the name Studs Terkel, (1912-2008), author, actor, historian who practiced a form of what he called "guerilla journalism" through oral history--by listening to people tell about their lives and experiences. Born in the Bronx of Russian Jewish descent, a progressive blacklisted during McCarthy times, it is no surprise that he was one of my dad's favorites. Through interviews on his long running WFMT Chicago radio show and through his many books (among them Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression; The Good War: An Oral History of World War; and Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, he gave voice to both famous and ordinary people, providing us with down to earth, rich and interesting accounts of life in America through the 20th century. "If they think you’re listening, they’ll talk. It’s more of a conversation than an interview.” While researching Studs Terkel for this blog, I came across what I consider an absolute treasure trove for anyone interested in history--an enormous archive of Terkel's life's work: recordings of conversations organized by subject matter over the years on anything from civil rights and advocacy, feminism, dance, to education, jazz, Chicago, you name it and he has material that will transport you back in time and give you insight into where we come from and where we are now. I invite you to visit it. As Theodore Roosevelt put it: "The more you know about the past, the better you are prepared for the future."

In the tradition of sharing some of my favorite music, I thought I would pick a theme and feature some songs I like on that subject matter. Do you know the Joni Mitchell song River? She does a beautiful rendition of it but I was awestruck when I heard Robert Downey Jr.'s version (who knew he could sing too!). Tina Turner's version of Proud Mary has been described as one of the all time great concert performances and is guaranteed to get you going whatever time of the day it is. Many Rivers to Cross brought us college roomates back to our Jimmy Cliff The Harder The Come album days. Down By the Riverside, here sung by Grandpa Elliott, brings me back to my camp days, where I learned many protest songs. Bruce Springsteen did a great rendition of his song The River, Arlo Guthrie does the beautiful American classic Shenandoah, and I love Bob Dylan's Watching the River Flow. Last but not least (I could go on and on) and going back in time to my friend's player piano, (and maybe the geriatric ward), here is an old classic sung by Andy Williams: Moon River.

I have spent the last two weeks with my college roommates in a little artist cottage on the coast of Maine. We met 47 years ago (could it really be true?) in Alice Lloyd Dorm at the University of Michigan. They are both mental health professionals but one of them, Jan Elman Stout, has become a very successful “flash fiction” writer. I hadn’t heard of this genre before she introduced me to it and from my lay perspective, it falls somewhere between poetry and short stories. Brevity, precise word choice, rhythm and tight writing are key. The writer must get right to the heart of the story and get out of the story just as quickly. Jan has won a number of honors for her flash fiction writing and I share with you a short piece below called Stained Lips, first published in the journal 100 Word Story and included in Best Microfiction 2020. If you would like to read more of Jan's work, My Year Inside A Mask is one of my favorites, originally published in Pidgeonholes. And if you want to explore more of flash fiction in general, the SmokeLong Quarterly is a good place to start.

Stained Lips

She dabs her lips with Faithful Fawn. He hovers behind, runs his fingers through his graying hair, eyes fixed on his reflection. How do I look? Her mouth forms a perfect “O,” presses shut. Handsome. He points. When you move your mouth that way you look like a fish. Her mind recedes light-years to their rehearsal dinner. The baby photos her mother had blown up. Adorable, she’d said when she saw his. Your forehead’s so high, he’d responded. She drops her stained tissue in the toilet. Flushes. What’s that lipcolor? he says. Fawn, she answers, and flashes her broad smile.

painting of the week

Pam Smilow, Felt with the Heart, mixed media on canvas, 54” x 80”, $8500.

Sometimes I begin a painting by finding a quote I like and scrawling it across the canvas as underpainting. Much of it disappears as I pile on layer upon layer of paint to reveal the subject matter of the emerging painting but I know the quote is there. In this case, I started with words attributed to Helen Keller: "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched--they must be felt with the heart."

This week's featured charity: ACLU

Please Donate. They do such important work protecting our democracy.

Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created 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, check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

blog no. 21: Animals,Here Now, Alewives

May 22, 2021

three things we love

Crows are known to be among our most intelligent birds.

Pam Smilow/Gert Mathiesen Animal Prints 8 x 10 in. (over 100 different animal images available).

It used to be that we thought we were the only beings capable of using tools. And that our intellect was way beyond any other animals in the animal kingdom. And we were the only ones who had feelings and the ability to self-reflect. Dismissing of animals as inferior to humans was a myth we told ourselves (not sure why that would make us feel good). Well, take a look at these crows! And elephants, whom Aristotle remarked as "the beast which passeth all others in wit and mind". Not to mention gorillas, see Koko here. Jane Goodall and Krista Tippett reflect on this subject in an interview in Orion Magazine. These days, I venture to say that animals might just be smarter than us humans…think QAnon...

Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish in the new film Here Now.

Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg & Robin Williams, best of friends.

I am a big fan of Billy Crystal and am still missing him as emcee of the Oscars, even though he hasn't hosted them in nine years. I don't think there has been a better host (or a better comedian for that matter). So I was very excited to hear that Crystal has a new movie out with Tiffany Haddish called Here Now. I haven't seen it yet because I am still a little skittish about going into a movie theater but the preview and the reviews look really promising and I plan on seeing it soon. The reviews look good and any chance to laugh out loud is always a good thing!
I can't think of Billy Crystal without mentioning his best friends Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg. Click here for an interview that Whoopi did with Billy about Robin, soon after his death. If you still want more, here is the Best of Comic Relief, the comedy festival these three founded in order to raise money for charity.

Alewives swimming from the ocean to lay their eggs in the fresh water of Damariscotta Lake, Maine.

Alewives are the primary bait for lobster fisherman in Maine.

The first time I saw the run of alewives up to Damariscotta Lake I was with my husband, Gert, and we stopped because there was a crowd gathering around a bridge and we were wondering what they were looking at. We got out of the car, walked over and looked down—and saw nothing. What was taking all their attention? And then we realized we saw nothing because in the stream below it was a solid blanket of fish. Alewives are in the herring family and each spring, the adult fish migrate straight upstream from the salt water of the ocean to the fresh water of rivers, streams, ponds and lakes to spawn. ... Some die in the process but the majority make their way back to the ocean shortly after laying their eggs – to do it all over again the following spring (if they have escaped being eaten along the way up by seagulls, eagles, herons, osprey or other sea birds or captured by humans to be used for bait in lobster traps).
I am not exaggerating to say this truly was one of the most exciting things I have witnessed in nature. The amount of strength it takes for these small fish to combat such strong currents and waterfalls over quite a long distance is truly a sight to be seen. One of the true wonders of the world!

painting of the week

Pam Smilow, Maine at sunset, mixed media on canvas , 54 x 54 inches.

Continuing on the Maine boat theme, this is a painting I did after one of my previous trips, this time with the sunset on fire.

This week's featured charity: The Jane Goodall Foundation

blog no. 20: abcV, Leslie Kean, Love Songs

May 15, 2021

If there has been a silver lining to Covid-19, it is that it has forced me to take a good hard look at what my life is comprised of. And I realize I don't want to go back to exactly how it was before our lockdown and business (busy-ness) as usual. I found this video on instagram, created and performed by Charly Jaffe, illustrated by Heather Scheider and asked permission of the filmmaker to post it here. I do think reentry will pose challenges for many of us as we take stock and reevaluate what we want our days to look like.

And as it turns out, I found out that Charly Jaffe also organizes the COVID Grief Network (providing free support to young adults bereaved by COVID) and she just released a Seasons of Love COVID Grief Tribute with the Broadway cast of RENT, young adults in our network and home videos of those they've lost. For more information on this project, please contact Charly Jaffe.

three things we love

Beautiful interior design of abcV, Jean Georges’ vegan restaurant located in the flatiron section of New York City.

Large variety of delicious offerings featured at the restaurant abcV in NYC.

Now at least in New York City, restaurants are beginning to open up and I for one am starting to wonder what it feels like to go out about the town. And the first place I think of (because it is always about the food) is abcV, one of my all time favorite eateries in NYC. Housed as one of the three Jean Georges restaurants in the ABC Home building in the Flatiron section, this vegetarian restaurant (and I am not a vegetarian) is not only delicious, but an aesthetic experience that involves all your senses. The decor is so simple and pure, the dishes zen like (if ceramic plates and mugs can be considered zen) and who would ever think that one of the foods I look most forward to is carrots! Check out this somewhat amusing review from the NY Times here: here and consider going the next time you are searching for a wonderful and delectable dining experience.

Leslie Kean’s book on UFOs published in 2011.

Leslie Keane is a powerhouse of an investigative reporter. I have written about her here before, in reference to her book and subsequent TV Series Surviving Death (I thought the TV series didn't come close to doing her very scientific and thorough book justice) . I admire her in so many ways but mostly because she dares write about subjects that risk being ridiculed by the mainstream and yet she methodically and seriously goes about her business of thorough research, objective exploration and is always way ahead of her time. Her book on UFOs entitled UFOs:Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go On The Record published in 2011, is a must read for anyone interested in "paranormal" phenomenon. There she generally offers us a complete review of literature in this field, including international governmental and military papers including reports from the United States and France. And now, the staid New Yorker magazine has come recently out with an excellent article on the subject of UFOs that often cites expert Keane among other sources. Even Scientific American has gotten in on the game.
I remember as a kid hearing the story of Betty and Barney Hill, who claimed they were kidnapped and subject to experiments from alien beings--seemed totally far-fetched and crazy and yet, ever since I was a kid, I have always had a deep interest in unexplainable things like the Bermuda Triangle, Atlantis, animal intelligence, UFOs, ghosts, past lives, reincarnation, etc. I have received many rolled eyes when bringing up these subjects over the years but I am happy to report, these things may just not be as far fetched as we once thought...

Hearts are a common theme of artist Jim Dine’s work.

Here is a small selection of some of my favorite love songs to uplift you this morning--if you can, take the time to just sit back and listen: Willie Nelson and his son's rendition of Just Breathe, written by Eddie Vedder, Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely,, written at the birth of his daughter Aisha, Bob Dylan's Make You Feel My Love, Elton John and Bernie Taupin's Your Song, Schumann's wedding gift to his beloved Clara and finally, one near the top of my list, Louis Armstrong's rendition of What A Wonderful World, written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss.

painting of the week

I always loved this painting, which hangs in a beautiful home in Berkeley, California. The shades of green are all around us now, as spring has finally sprung here in Maine. I love the way a big green painting can bring the outside in and I also love the way the deep brown wood and the colors of the painting bring out the best in each other in this particular client's dining room.

This week's featured charity in honor of Jacques D'Amboise:

National Dance Institute, founded in 1974 by Jacques D’Amboise and now in its 45th year, transforming the lives of children through the love and joy of the arts. May it live on for years and years to come. Please consider a donation by visiting their website at https://nationaldance.org/support-us/.

blog no. 19: Bernstein, Ferlinghetti, d'Amboise

May 8, 2021

three things we love

Seymour: An Introduction. A film by Ethan Hawke about pianist/teacher Seymour Bernstein

Ethan Hawke sat next to pianist and piano teacher Seymour Bernstein at a dinner party in New York City at a time when Ethan was soul searching about the meaning of his life. They struck up a conversation that turned into a deep friendship and eventually ended up in a collaboration on this documentary film Seymour: An Introduction. If you love piano music as much as I do, and you want to hear about the life of this very talented, recognized pianist and the reasons why at the age of 50 he gave up a hugely 'successful' career to pour all his energy and soul into teaching, and you want to learn more about what makes Ethan Hawke tick, this is a little gem of a film for you. It is full of wisdom, joy and ruminations on art, music, the meaning of success, and the components on what goes into a rich life...I highly recommend it! If you want more, here is a review of Seymour: An Introduction and a very interesting Q&A session with an audience at Lincoln Center after seeing the film.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet, founder of City Lights Bookstore in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, died on February 22, 2021 in San Francisco, California at the age of 101. — **Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet, founder of City Lights Bookstore in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, died on February 22, 2021 in San Francisco, California** at the age of 101.

This is definitely going to date me but my first boyfriend introduced me to poetry (and most specifically the beat poets) when I was 16 in 1972. Lawrence Ferlinghetti, founder of City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco was always one of my favorites. Here is a funny poem he wrote about painter Marc Chagall and one of his paintings from Ferlinghetti's book Coney Island of the Mind.

DON'T LET THAT HORSE . . .
By Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Don’t let that horse
eat that violin
cried Chagall’s mother
But he
kept
right on
painting
and became famous
And kept on painting
The Horse With Violin In Mouth
And when he finally finished
it
he jumped up upon the horse
and rode away
waving the violin

And then with a low bow gave it
to the first naked nude he ran across

And there were no strings
attached

The Falling Angel, painting by Marc Chagall

Last week the world lost one of its true greats and a national treasure. Much has been said about Jacques d’Amboise (1934-2021) as a legendary dancer, member of the New York City ballet and about his relationship with George Balanchine, who choreographed many ballets with him in mind. But what I want to focus on here is his extraordinary contribution to children and arts education. Through his non-profit organization National Dance Institute, Jacques has had an incredible influence on literally millions of children throughout the United States and the whole world, which I have had the great privilege of witnessing firsthand. Founded 45 years ago, NDI began as a way for Jacques to teach his son and a very small group of his friends dance and it blossomed into a program that is currently in forty four schools in the New York area as well affiliate programs across the country and beyond, including a robust program in Shangai, China. Much more than just teaching dance, NDI's mission and belief is that the arts have a unique power to engage children of diverse backgrounds, abilities, and socio-economic positions, and motivate them toward excellence in all aspects of their lives. I still remember my first encounter with NDI--it was a class in P.S. 183, and it didn't take more than a few minutes for me to realize that what I was observing was so powerful and unique, intellectually challenging yet so fun and joyful, and it was evident that the result was kids that felt engaged, successful and confident as they strove towards excellence. My daughter had the good fortune of NDI as part of her fourth grade curricululm and she went on to become a member of the SWAT and Celebrations teams. Her Saturday mornings were spent in rehearsals at LaGuardia High School and I went along for the great ride: sitting and watching every weekend in awe. Jacques' pedagogy engaged the children, made them life long appreciators of the arts, and at the same time taught them the value of practice, discipline, collaboration and hard work. Aside from the In-School program, they produced an Event of the Year based on different themes related to school curriculum every June, which was one of the real cultural highlights of my year and I know many others. They also run an internationally acclaimed teacher training methodology program that goes way beyond dance. Jacques will be sorely missed by so many, but he made sure that the baton was passed years ago, through the brilliance of his "heir" Artistic Director Ellen Weinstein and the incredibly dedicated teaching artists that will keep him alive and continue to represent him and his vision so beautifully for generations to come.

painting of the week

Pam Smilow Maine Series 2 mixed media on canvas 52” x 80”

The second in a new series based on things I have observed during my stays over the years in Maine. I am sure you can see the inspiration from my photograph, taken at the little gem of a harbor around the corner from where I sit.

This week's featured charity:

blog no. 18: Samantha Power, Chocolate, Teaching

May 1, 2021

three things we love

Samantha Power and her Pulitzer Prize winning book: The Education of an Idealist

I am almost done with the Pulitzer Prize winning powerful memoir The Education of an Idealist written by Samantha Power, which showed up in my mailbox one day as a gift from an old dear friend and I can't tell you how much I am enjoying every page of it. Power is a master storyteller in the Irish tradition and living testament in defiance of the statement "you can't do it all." Beginning as a gutsy war correspondent during the Bosnian war, she became a champion against ethnic cleansing and went on to Harvard as an expert in genocide prevention. She subsequently played various roles under the Obama administration including senior and trusted special advisor to the President, member of the National Security Council and ultimately United Nations Ambassador. The memoir takes us through her whole life up until now (she is only 50), beginning with her birth in Ireland through a real behind the scenes look at the workings of journalism and governmental agencies as seen from the inside. We travel with her throughout her world, meeting with all types of people, leaders and civilians alike, sharing her references and mentors, and we are at her side as a mother, wife and human rights activist. She recounts her life story in a very personal manner, writing with humor and humanity, and I loved the many interesting and intimate details of her relationships, most notably her deep friendship with Barak Obama and her poignant connection with her father.
Icing on the cake: Ms. Power has just been confirmed this week to head up USAID, and in that huge role, will oversee the distribution of billions of dollars in foreign humanitarian aid. All the power to this committed, passionate, determined, and compassionate individual.

Samantha Power is a mother, wife, human rights activist, civil servant, marathon runner, and author.

Delicious chocolate dessert recipe made with dark chocolate and saltine crackers (or matzoh) courtesy David Lebovitz and Marcy Goldman

You can count on my favorite niece Maia to bring our family’s favorite dessert to all our holiday and social gatherings. In fact it is so good and so addictive that it goes by the name “Crack.” Here is the recipe from the highly acclaimed pastry chef David Lebovitz. (Please note that you can substitute saltines for matzoh.) Make this recipe if you dare. Or as they say, just rub it directly on my thighs…

And while I am on the subject of family recipes, here's one more favorite from my wonderful cousin Joanne Kahn. It will get us preparing for the warmer weather, and it is definitely a lot better for the waistline:
GAZPACHO SOUP
(serves 8-10)
combine 3 garlic cloves, pressed
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 cups tomatoes, chopped (about 4 tomatoes)
2 cups cucumbers, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4/cup fresh chives, chopped
1/3 cup veg oil, chopped (just kidding)
1-2 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon tabasco, depending on how spicy you want it
1 32 oz. bottle of clamato juice.
Chill and enjoy.

And for those who are not purists, here are a few variations on the Gazpacho theme from the website Brit + Co.

Gazpacho Soup has its origin in southern Spain

Teacher teaches a valuable lesson to students about kindness

This is making the rounds on facebook. Thought it was worthy of posting here:

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments. No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin. As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked. She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.' After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher. 'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.' Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. 'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said. 'As you can see, Mark treasured it.' All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.' Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.' 'I have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary' Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists' That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again. The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

painting of the week

I love the long horizontal format. It has an elegance to it that attracts me. I have been working on this series of bird scrolls for a number of years in various iterations, originally loosely inspired by an exhibit of Chinese calligraphic handscrolls I saw at the Metropolitan Museum quite a few years ago. And since my husband, Gert Mathiesen's passing, red birds have a special meaning for me.

Featured Mother's Day gift and one of our top sellers: Cutting board that doubles as a Cheese Board. Available through our artSHOP

Vintage Contemporary Green Botanical Cutting Board/Cheese Board

Egyptian Series Cutting Board/Cheese Board

Yellow Dandelion Botanical Cutting Board/Cheese Board

blog no. 17: Best of Enemies, Hockney, Chast, BLM

April 24, 2021

Screen-Shot-2020-05-28-at-9.51.56-AM.png

Many of us have probably seen the press release above, issued on May 25, 2020, by the Minneapolis Police Department to explain the "incident" around George Floyd's death. At the risk of sounding like a preacher, I wanted to explicitly show it again here to stress the all important and key point: one person, one teenager no less, by the name of Darnella Frazier, had the courage to go out on a limb and got involved when she saw something she considered an injustice. By filming Derek Chauvin with his knee on George Floyd's neck for 9+ minutes, she might well have changed (we hope) the trajectory of policing in America for years to come. Other bystanders played their important parts too. Since I was a kid, I had this drummed into me, my mother being a victim of Nazi Germany: standing by is not an option for any of us if we want to see a just and better world. That lesson over and over again: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” ― Edmund Burke.
This is how we change the world.

three things we love

I can't believe I missed this movie The Best of Enemies when it came out in 2019. I am usually up on these kinds of things, especially when it involves a movie with a subject like civil rights. But a mention by MSNBC's announcer Ali Velshi last Sunday morning thankfully led me to it now and I am super excited about its potential as a solution to so many of our problems in the United States today. Suffice it to say that it involves a man named Bill Riddick who had a vision of getting opposing sides together in an intensive way (called a charrette), meeting every day all day for a period of two weeks to solve a problem together. In the case of the movie, Durham, North Carolina was a very divided and volatile town that had to come up with a solution of what to do with black students when their school burnt down. Sometimes the best solutions are the most obvious ones that we have overlooked. If anyone knows someone with deep pockets like Bloomberg or Bill Gates who could fund an initiative like this, or any police chiefs or any government officials, I think this charrette thing, done on a massive scale, is both doable and potentially life changing for us Americans. Please watch the movie and tell me what you think.

The real Community Activist Ann Atwater and former Ku Klux Klan member C.P. Ellis

I always liked David Hockney but preferred his earlier work, paintings that were a little more raw in feel. (He got a little too prissy for me at times later on). But he defintely has wowed me with his digital drawings made on an ipad (using an app called Brushes) which are deceptively simple. I remember seeing a video of him creating a New Yorker cover many years ago, soon after the ipad just came out. I have seen this video countless times but never get tired of it. So cool to see the process of the layers piling up on each other, transforming into a beautiful, rich still life. Here too is a another process video of him sitting in a cafe at the Louisiana Museum outside of Copenhagen drawing a Calder sculpture (I recognized this wonderful favorite place of mine right away--aside from great art and a great building, they have a wonderful buffet lunch there too!). I also saw a show of his Yosemite Series at the Pace Gallery in Palo Alto a bunch of years ago and these ipad drawings were blown up to a height of eight feet--very impressive!

David Hockney Yosemite Series ipad drawing

Roz Chast and Steve Martin (top) and cartoon by Roz Chast

Because this is kind of a serious blog this week, I decided that it would be good to try and provide some comic relief also, as laughter is one of the best things I know. I am bringing back one of my old time favorite funny people: cartoonist Roz Chast. Here she is being interviewed by another really funny guy, Steve Martin, at the New Yorker Festival back in 2014. What I like most about this conversation is that Chast really gets a kick out of herself and it is so fun and contagious to watch her laugh at her own jokes and cartoons.
It is possible that this type of humor might not be your cup of tea, as humor can be very personal, so if that is the case, go out and find something else to laugh about like I Love Lucy or these harmless kids mishap videos or an old, stupid family favorite: National Lampoon's European Vacation. Because laughter is the best medicine! If you won't take it from me, then trust Audrey Hepburn:

painting of the week

This series above, which I call my Childhood's End Series, is originally inspired by old vintage school charts and the drawings my parents saved of mine when I was a kid. Bits of these drawings are incorporated into the collage elements of the painting. What appeals to me is the order--I always liked lining things up so neatly. I am really getting into these light blues, lavenders, and soft greens these days. And yes, finally, more nature in my daily life!

Mother's Day is around the corner. Below are links to Smilow + Mathiesen ArtSHOP products. Please consider us when in need of a special gift.

blog no. 16: Covid-19, Missing Art, Homelessness, Democracy

April 17, 2021

On Wednesday, April 14th, a two page ad was placed in the New York Times with a big heading entitled: WE STAND FOR DEMOCRACY: A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE.... It was signed by over 700 individuals, corporations, law firms and non profits, all in support of voting rights, stating clearly that "Voting is the lifeblood of our democracy and we call upon all Americans to join us in taking a nonpartisan stand for this most basic and fundamental right of all Americans." I call attention to it here because I believe in the power of the purse and because I think we all should be aware of where our spending dollars go and what companies we choose to support (or not). The list is too long to quote here but signatories include such companies as SalesForce, Starbucks, Nordstrom, American Express, Cisco, Apple, American Airlines, General Motors, Harry's, United Airlines, and Target to name a few. Walmart, McDonalds, Home Depot, and Pepsico were notably absent from the list. Here is the full ad and some additional information that might be helpful in making our choices: courtesy the New York Times, courtesy Deal Book Newsletter from the New York Times and courtesy Fortune.

three things we love

Do you recognize these people? Odds are you don't but I can tell you they are in your life right now and you actually owe them a lot! These free thinkers are four of the most instrumental scientists behind the mRNA Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Starting with Kati Kariko (top left), immigrant to the United States from Hungary, Kariko has painstakingly been working her whole career on the technology of messenger RNA, never making more than $60,000 in a single year. She had a lot of trouble getting funded--her research was considered too farfetched--and therefore had to work in the labs of others instead of her own. But she believed in herself and the potential for mRNA and did not give up. Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are based in her research and we are all profiting big time from her hard work and determination. Next is Dr. Ugur Sahin (top right) and Dr. Özlem Türec (bottom left), a husband/wife team working in Germany, both immigrants from Turkey. First and foremost doctors, they met in medical school and went on to eventually form the company called BioNTech, where they initially focused on drugs to treat cancer. They then moved on to other technologies including mRNA, realizing that that might be important in vaccine development. Already collaborating with Pfizer on a flu vaccine, both companies pivoted upon hearing of a new virus in Wuhan, China and together with Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer (bottom right), it became all hands on deck. The fruitful partnership between Pfizer and BioNTech is now history.

Being a researcher is not exactly a glamorous life. These scientists have been plodding along for years, working extremely hard and are more than dedicated and passionate about their field. What they have in common is that they are modest immigrants who share a love of science over business. There is little fanfare for these scientific hardworking souls--upon hearing of the success of their mRNA vaccines against Covid-19, Kati Kariko went home to celebrate by eating a box of goobers (chocolate covered peanut candy for those non-Americans). Dr. Sahin and Dr. Turec went home and drank a cup of Turkish tea to applaud themselves. That same couple went straight back to the lab on their wedding day--no honeymoon for them!

Missing panel of the Jacob Lawrence series The American Struggle that hung unsuspectedly in the home of an Upper West Side nurse in New York City..

Jeff Neal, one of the brothers pictured in Alice Neel’s portrait above.

There are a lot of mysteries in the artworld because it is a field that is anything but transparent on so many levels. And there are many, many stories about lost paintings, stolen paintings, missing paintings, forged paintings. It seems to be a captivating subject for many of us and is currently the subject of a new netflix documentary entitled This is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist about the billion dollar heist at the Gardner Museum in Boston. Everyone loves a good detective/crime story. I am far into the series and it is defintely holding my attention and well worth watching.

Another interesting missing art story involves the work of African American artist Jacob Lawrence and an unsuspecting nurse who discovered that the painting she had hanging in her hallway for years, one that she had purchased at a local school auction years before for next to nothing, was actually worth a lot more than she could have imagined. In fact, it was a long sought out missing panel from Jacob Lawrence's The American Struggle series that many in the art world had been searching for over the period of quite a few years. To read how she came about acquiring the panel and her full story, click here.

And finally, here is another fun tale involving the portrait artist Alice Neel whose work is currently on view at the Metropolitcan Museum of Art (through August 1, 2021). Fifty some odd years ago she painted a portrait of two brothers from Harlem, Jeff and Toby Neal (no relation, different spelling). The boys sat for several sessions but never got to see the finished product. Years and years went by and they always wondered what had become of the painting. Fast forward fifty years, both Alice Neel and one of the brothers no longer on this earth, and the remaining brother gets word that the painting he has been trying to find has surfaced....Click here to get the New York Times article that details the whole story.

Piedmont and Oakland California are right next to each other but couldn’t be more of a Tale of Two Cities…

With the enormous homeless problem in our country, I thought I would include this video about a wealthy Piedmont, California businessman living in the extremely wealthy, lily white suburb of San Franciso, whose heart goes out to a homeless couple who have been living on the street for ten years in Oakland, California. He decides to invite them to come live in his big sprawling home. Although this is just one story of three people whose lives happen to intersect, it reveals some of the complexities of the homeless problem and the difficulties of finding simple solutions. It is also a love story.

painting of the week

Pam Smilow, New Harbor Series, mixed media on canvas, 54” x 80” $8500.

So many of the elements in this painting are in my wheelhouse already, even before arriving in Maine and observing the local scenery here this time around. I have been coming to this area for most of my life and my vocabulary has always included ladders, windows, houses, houses and ramshackle shacks, moons and birds.

Beautiful land and seascapes and a change of scene are always a good idea for any artist. This ain't New York City! I am getting a lot of work done up here...

Mother's Day is around the corner. Below are links to Smilow + Mathiesen ArtSHOP products. Please consider us when in need of a special gift.

Silk Blend Scarves

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Tea Towels

Phone Cases

Cutting/Cheese Boards

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Art

blog no. 15: Jose Andres, Amanda Gorman, Paper Clips

April 10, 2021

I have watched almost every minute of the so far 10 day trial of police officer Derek Chauvin, taking place right now in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Some people might call me a masochist, but I somehow feel a duty to bear witness and understand the case inside out. Dr. Martin Tobin, a well respected pulmonologist and critical care physician was a truly expert witness and knocked it out of the park on Thursday for the prosecution in my opinion. He disputed definitively, in a very systematic and clear manner, every single argument the defense is making. In the process, he also set a new benchmark for witness testimony, questioned many aspects of the use of lethal force, and raised important questions regarding certain crime laboratory practices that he considers misleading. On the latter point, he cited one lab in San Diego that seems to be the go to place for many police departments across the country when they are trying to make a case for justification of their use of lethal force. Not sure this particular California lab has anything to do with this case (to be determined this coming week), but I hope an investigative journalist will look further into these practices more deeply.

three things we love

Chef Jose Andres started off making paellas with is dad in his native Spain.

Who said one person can't change the world? Listen to the story of Spanish American chef Jose Andres, who started his illustrious career as a teenager in Barcelona, Spain when he enrolled in culinary school at the age of fifteen. He went on to work for three years at what was known as one of the most celebrated innovative restaurants in the world, El Bulli in Roses, Spain before ending up in the Big Apple New York City, at the age of 21. From cook, to chef, to head chef to restauranteur himself, Andres is now the head of Think Big Group, owner of multiple notable restaurants across the country and whose mission is, in their own words, to "change the world through the power of food." But Andres has a major philanthropic side, inspired at first by DC Central Kitchen (whose mission is to train ex-cons in the culinary arts at the same time recycling food in the DC area and providing it to service organizations where it is most needed). Spurred into action after the Haitian earthquake of 2010, Andres then founded his own organization to combat hunger throughout the world: World Central Kitchen. Through this nonprofit, he and his team have provided sustenance to hungry people in the wake of disasters all over the globe, serving countless meals to needy citizens in such countries as Peru, Nicaragua, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Uganda, Zambia, Cambodia, and the United States to name a few. If you are interested in learning more about this fantastic humanitarian and how he sees the role and future of restaurants, here is a recent interview with him and Trevor Noah. And as a little aside, all the more power to Jose Andres for standing up to one of my least favorite people: right wing Ann Coulter who recently conducted a diatribe against him quoted by Joseph Choi in the Hill of Dec.17,2020.

Art by Brenda Barrios @bbbarrios—check out her instagram to see more of her amazing artwork.

Do you know the song by Alicia Keyes, "This Girl is on Fire? I think these words were written to describe Amanda Gorman, the young woman who has literally taken the world by a storm after reading her poem The Hill We Climb at Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2021. (It was Jill Biden who suggested her)....She started off as a bookworm with a speech impediment, daughter of a single mom with an equally talented twin sister. If you have any doubt that I am overstating her power, intelligence and determination, listen to Amanda on Moth Radio in 2017 speak her truth, recounting her story of trying out for the Broadway's Lion King in New York City. Gorman has racked up so many accolades by now that I won't even venture to list them but suffice it to say that because of her, we now have a U.S. Youth Poet Laureate and she is it. She has her own organization as founder and executive director of One Pen, One Page, which promotes literacy through creative writing programming for underserved youth, is a published author and has a children's book coming out in September 2021 which is already ahead of time on the bestseller list (not sure how that works). I don't think this 15 minutes of fame rule will apply to her--she is going places and I'm willing to bet that she will not stop at anything short of the White House...

Is there anything this woman can’t do?—Look for Amanda Gorman and illustrator Loren Long ‘s new children’s book, Change Sings, to be released in September of 2021.

In honor of Holocasut Remembrance Day, I decided to look for a documentary that so moved me a number of years ago entitled Paper Clips. In order to teach the Holocaust and what happens when prejudice goes unchecked, three teachers in one school in an unlikely town in rural Tennessee got together and decided on a novel and creative approach. They realized that the kids could not imagine what 6 million looked like--when it gets to such big numbers, it is very hard to picture. So to signify the death of six million Jews during the Holocaust, the teachers and students of Whitwell Middle School decided to write letters and appeal to anyone and everyone to help them gather 6 million paper clips, inspired by the Norwegians who wore paper clips to defy Nazi occupation during World War II. They ended up getting much much more than actual paper clips--their letters led to incredible experiences that changed the kids and transformed the town. Don't want to spoil the story but I guarantee you it is a good one...which ended up in a Children's Holocaust Memorial Museum on school property that stands to this day. The woman behind the whole story is a woman named Linda Hooper, interviewed here by Rabbi Mark A. Golub for Jewish Broadcasting Service. And if you want to hear a wild and quirky story that touches on the Paper Clip Memorial story, check out this documentary about a bunch of British bikers touring the south of the United States: Jews on Bikes-Visiting The Paper Clips Project

painting of the week

Vegetable Garden, mixed media on canvas, 50” x 80” Painting I donated to the Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, California—the school that hosts Alice Water’s pioneer program The Edible Schoolyard.

I originally painted this canvas in the dead of winter in New York City, figuring the closest I would get to spring at that time would be to paint it myself. In 2010, enamored with the incredible Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame, I decided to donate it to the school that hosts her community garden project The Edible Schoolyard. To date, this progam has changed the life and eating habits of so many middle school students at the Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, California and her philosophy has grown into a nationwide movement of teaching healthy eating, vegetable gardening and community spirit in many of our children's schools across the country. To learn more about its creator, Alice Waters, and how she got into cooking in the first place, PBS American Masters series has a wonderful documentary about this amazing woman and the simplicity of her cooking-- where fresh and local food and the farmers are the stars. If you ever get a chance to eat at her restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, what a treat you will have.

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blog no. 14: Heather Cox Richardson, Stanley Kunitz, Ragnar Kjartansson, Black Lives Matter

April 3, 2021

A lot going on in my week and I have to confess I have been glued to Courttv.com much of it, watching the George Floyd trial. It has been heart wrenching to see and a lot of the time I had to shut my eyes and ears but somehow I think it is important to witness our justice system up close and personal and how it does (or doesn't) work.

If I weren't an artist, I think I would have chosen to be a journalist or lawyer. I always admired my dad for using his art to express a political opinion. My art though, I thought, was more abstract and all about just adding some more beauty to the world. Until the pandemic that is...I was isolated and had a dream about my late sister, Judy Smilow (1958-2018) who I missed terribly. I painted a 7-foot portrait of her and it was as if she was still with me somehow. It gave me comfort and that began a whole series of 20+ larger than life portraits of living and deceased friends and family to hang out with. Then came the Black Lives Matter movement and instead of attending the protest marches (I was too scared of Covid-19), I decided to make portraits of some of the victims of police brutality. Together with an old dear friend from Chicago who happened to be a graphic designer (Barbara Cotterall Murphy of Murphy Design), we made the images into posters and for those brave enough to go out and march, we would donate the high res images for people to print on their own. If you know anyone who might like to receive these free high res images of any of these posters, please let them know where they can get them.

Some political art by my father, Mel Smilow, made during the 1960's civil rights movement:

three things we love

Boston College History Professor and Historian Heather Cox Richardson (photo courtesy The New York Times)

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Famous words we have all heard over and over again but do we heed it? We are so fortunate to have history professor Heather Cox Richardson in our lives during this particular time in history to educate us. I have written about her before but feel compelled to include her again in my blog. This very recent 49 minute interview I feature here from Maine Public Radio is a must listen for anyone interested in where we find ourselves today in the U.S. of A. I cannot say enough about her, her storytelling abilities, her ability to make American history come alive and to put so many issues of the day in context. I also wake up to her daily email every morning. Subscribe here to her Letters from an American" if you want to also. And don't take my word for it--I am not the only one who finds her so crucial to our zeitgeist right now. Here is an article about her in the New York Times .

Two time U.S. Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz (1905-2006)

This blog gives me an opportunity to delve deeper into things I have loved but not necessarily known that much about and in this case, the featured poem below hung on my wall over my desk for many years but I really knew very little about its writer. April is National Poetry Month (who is the one who designates these things?) and I am no poetry expert but The Long Boat by Stanley Kunitz (1905-2006) struck a deep cord with me that continues to this day.

The Long Boat

When his boat snapped loose
from its mooring, under
the screaking of the gulls,
he tried at first to wave
to his dear ones on shore,
but in the rolling fog
they had already lost their faces.
Too tired even to choose
between jumping and calling,
somehow he felt absolved and free
of his burdens, those mottoes
stamped on his name-tag:
conscience, ambition, and all
that caring.
He was content to lie down
with the family ghosts
in the slop of his cradle,
buffeted by the storm,
endlessly drifting.
Peace! Peace!
To be rocked by the Infinite!
As if it didn't matter
which way was home;
as if he didn't know
he loved the earth so much
he wanted to stay forever.

The poem speaks for itself but if you would like to know more about this man, twice U.S. Poet Laureate, avid gardener , winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry and many other prestigious accolades, I include his New York Times obituary here, a shorter National Public Radio piece on him and also a longer in depth interview he gave with the poet Gregory Orr.

Ragnar Kjartansson is not a household name but in The Visitors, an immersive, nine-screen video art installation, he has created a remarkable art piece that is truly one of the best museum shows I have ever seen. I bring it to your attention in case you can still get a chance to see it. It has been around for quite a few years but it seems to still be making the rounds and as we open up from the pandemic. It is currently on view in Boston at the Museum of Contemporary Art through August 15, 2021, at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia through May 9, 2021; and at the Reykjavik Art Museum in Iceland through September 19, 2021. I first stumbled upon it in San Francisco at SFMOMA in 2017 quite by accident since I rarely had any use for video and usually just walked by (my bad). The Guardian literally puts it at number one “best art of the 21st century.” It is almost impossible to describe but by way of preview, here is Kjartansson himself describing the piece, the ideas behind it, his experience making it and also a "doesn't do it justice" version you can experience on your cell phone with headphones.

painting of the week

For more information on these free Black Lives Matter posters, please contact me.

blog no. 13: Gert Mathiesen

March 27, 2021

Gert Mathiesen used to time his annual visits to Denmark to correspond with the blooming of the anemones.

Gert, Hanne and Palle Mathiesen (Gert was the youngest), Esbjerg, Denmark, cerca 1954

One of the good things about dying is that your aging gets stopped dead in its tracks (no pun intended). Hard to believe that my late husband, Gert Mathiesen, would have been 70 years old today! In the words of Bob Dylan, he will always remain forever a young 62 in my mind...

People handle grief in different ways. My way of coping with his loss (and it has already been eight years) is to celebrate him and his art and by keeping him present in all of our hearts and minds. I dedicate this issue of my blog to him.

three things he loved

A suntanned Gert Mathiesen in front of a series of his linocuts.

Click here to read a wonderful essay about
Gert Mathiesen and his art.

It is hot off the press, written by Frank Matheis as part of his new Hammond Museum essay series entitled In Other Words. Upon reading the essay, our daughter Morgan stated excitedly, "This is by far the best piece of writing I have seen on Gert--he really "got" him!"

In addition to his other excellent writings on artists and their art, Matheis' first love is music. An expert on the blues. Matheis has published over 600 music articles, produced an award winning radio blues documentary (that aired on three continents) and spent nearly a decade on the radio in New York/Connecticut hosting wild blues and roots shows. He has a new book out about the blues tradition in our nation's capital entitled Sweet Bitter Blues – Washington DC’s Homemade Blues, which he wrote in collaboration with the harmonica player Phil Wiggins.

Gert working on our Mexican bark paper animal pieces in his studio on East 64th Street

Gert had a band called The Black Witches.

Playing the drum set in a client’s home in the middle of an appointment to show art.

Sit back and enjoy this compilation of Gert's FAVORITE MUSIC by clicking all the links below. He always told me he wanted an American girlfriend so he could learn all the words to the songs he loved. Starting off as a young boy listening to Radio Luxembourg with the radio under his pillow, Gert acquired an eclectic taste in all types of music. Here are some of his favorites: Hotel California, which propelled him to drive across the country soon after arriving in New York to visit his brother and was probably his theme song in the early days. Bob Dylan was no doubt top of his list and it would really be hard to choose a particular album or song but if I had to, it might be the Time Out of Mind album and the song It's Not Dark Yet. John Prine defintely spoke to him and he got a kick out of the song In Spite of Ourselves. among many others. Of course, as a European of a certain age, he grew up with Leonard Cohen and absolutely loved him although he really liked Jennifer Warnes renditions of Cohen's songs on the album Famous Blue Raincoat best. He loved Johnny Cash, especially Ring of Fire and he loved Johnny's daughter Rosanne too, playing Tennessee Flat Top Box and other songs from the album King's Record Shop. He went crazy over The Travelling Wilburys when their record came out and he definitely had a special place in his heart for Tom Waits, especially Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You and Jersey Girl. He loved so many songs of Otis Redding and shifting gears, if you want to spend a leisurely morning listening to his favorite classical piece, here's Mozart's Jupiter Symphony. P.S. His mom always thought he would have made a great rock star...

Gert made al lot of music posters and close to forty theatre posters over the years.

This column would not be complete without writing about the third most important thing in Gert's life after art and music (and his family)--he loved to eat. He ate a slim breakfast, if at all a croissant and a cup of tea. But it was up from there. Many of his favorite foods were comfort foods he grew up on in Esbjerg, Denmark and I include some of those recipes here: smørrebrød--black bread with his favorite toppings like leverpostej, gratin dauphinois, and his favorite midnight snack biksemad (the Danish version of leftovers, topped with an egg). He also liked more gourmet foods and loved to eat out although he never liked a restaurant with a stuffy atmosphere, preferring to sit at the bar. His favorite restaurants in New York were his beloved neighborhood Bistro 61 (now defunct) and probably top of the list for special lunches, Il Buco in downtown Manhattan. He also loved Picco Restaurant in Marin County, California.

And now finally, a few more random things he loved, always passionately: loafers, the ocean, swimming, rosé wine before it became fashionable, fishing, flowers, harbors, potatoes (we were married on the beach between two potato fields), Puerto Rico, old episodes of Ozzy Osbourne, history, Tuesdays (which was the day he dedicated solely to reading), the films Shawshank Redemption and Forrest Gump, and of course ceramics, printmaking and painting.

We were married in Bridgehampton, New York in 1992

Gert’s pride and joy—his children and grandchildren: Toran, Jonathan, Rocsi and Morgan Mathiesen

painting of the week

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Catalogue $45 Heerup Museum

Mathiesen Book $50

Animal Prints $150

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