Art Enlivens Scarsdale Village
- Details
- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 5091
The fifth annual Westchester Festival of the Arts took place in Scarsdale on May 17-18, bringing artists from far and wide to the Village to display their art and chat with locals about their work. We stopped by on Sunday – when the clouds had rolled in and foot traffic was somewhat slow. We spoke to a few of the artisans, photographed their work and here are a few shots of what was on display:
Thomas Long (pictured at top) came north from St. Augustine Florida with brilliantly- colored blown glass – assembled as wall hangings or to be displayed as solo pieces. Brightly toned in turquoise, purple, gold, chartreuse and deep orange these translucent pieces are both original and eye-catching. See more at www.createglass.com.
Master Pastelist Donna Grande and her daughter were on hand from Montclair, NJ to show Donna's lovely pastels under glass. Check out these alluring images. http://www.donnagrande.com/Paintings.html
Photographer Loren Fisher seeks out the simplicity in his environment and has taken photographs in 49 states. At home in Woodstock Vermont he photographs covered bridges and snow covered vistas. Check out his depictions of nature at www.LorenPhotos.com.
We caught Barbara Kemp modeling one of the original millinery designs from Della's Hat Box! Lovely, one of a kind hats. See more of Della's fashionable work at https://www.facebook.com/DellasHatBox.
Ernest Porcelli, a glass artist from Brooklyn creates fused glass but also does stained glass commissions and restorations for homes. See his work at www.ErnestProcelli.com.
And Domenico Belli uses recycled metal and Rustoleum paint to create a fanciful outdoor flower garden that doesn't require mulch or water. www.domenicobelli.com.
Fox Meadow's Ira Starr brought his camera and standard poodle Gracie to see the show. Some baby!
What a Day for a Carnival
- Details
- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 5438
Creative Scarsdale parents launched impressive carnivals at all five elementary schools on Saturday May 10 – and fortunately Mother Nature did her part. Under sunny skies, kids enjoyed games, rides, crafts, jumping castles, climbing, swinging, pie-eating, performances and even getting dunked. Greenacres and Fox Meadow went Hawaiian, while the circus came to Edgewood, skateboarding to Heathcote and Quaker Ridge was launched into outerspace.
Carnival Chair Jocelyn Gross said, "Quaker Ridge families had a blast at their Outer-Space-themed carnival. In addition to inflatables, games, prizes, crafts, and face painting, highlights included relay races and tug of war provided by Backyard Sports and a Marvels of Motion show provided by Mad Science." At Greenacres, where the theme was "Aloha," they held a Hawaiian luau. Chair Amy Nadasdi said, "We had an AMAZING turnout, and a professional hula and fire dancing troupe."
Here are just a few of the wonderful photos we took and received from readers around town. Send your carnival photos to [email protected] and we will add them to the slide show.
Photo Credits: Thanks to Carly Glickenhaus, Amy Nadasdi, Ottolie Jarmel, Tracy McCarthy, Amy Frank and Stephanie Klingsbe
Tour Scarsdale's Premier Garden on May 18
- Details
- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 17898
(Update May 12) This tour has been cancelled. On Sunday May 18th from 10 am to 12 pm, garden lovers will have the chance to tour one of Scarsdale's premier gardens and meet the landscaper who envisioned it. Garden Dialogues is offering a tour of Southlawn, a magnificent nine-acre property in Scarsdale, composed of numerous elements that collectively create an enchanting journey through a lush, beautiful and functional garden. The estate's design incorporates a driveway, motor court, great lawn, swimming pool and summer garden, stone stairs, cryptomeria circle, woodland areas, ravine, stumpery, white garden, paddock, meadow and turn out pasture, orangery and tennis court, and rill and pond.
Landscape architect Jorge Sanchez of SMI Landscape Architecture and the property owner will discuss their collaboration and the give and take that resulted in the site's creation.
Attendance is limited (usually no more than 30 people), the environment is relaxed, the event is informative and the cost is $45. Click here to register. Here's a link to the registration page. Registrants will be sent the address and other details a few days before the event.
The tour has been arranged by Garden Dialogues, a three-year-old program organized by The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a Washington, DC-based non-profit foundation, that is part of a broader network of programs designed to provide people with the tools to see, understand and value landscape architecture and its practitioners, much as people have learned to do with buildings and their designers. Here's a link to the foundation's website.
The Big Galut(e) and More at Shaarei Tikvah
- Details
- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 5743
The Big Galut(e), a klezmer band whose repertoire also includes Jewish classical and folk music by Jewish composers from Italy, Spain, and Turkey will present two concerts at Shaarei Tikvah, the Scarsdale Conservative Congregation, on Sunday, May 18th.
The main concert at 2:00 pm will feature the Big Galut(e) band, who in addition to the usual klezmer instruments, will perform on some unique instruments such as the dumbek, the baroque guitar and the theorbo (a lute over six feet long). And the group will be joined by Cantor Cohen of Shaarei Tikvah for several special numbers.
At 11:30 the band will offer a free concert for children eight years old and younger called "The Li'l Galut(e)". Young families are encouraged to bring their children to hear some traditional music and see the instruments up close in a concert specifically geared towards young
children.
Between the two concerts, there will be a barbeque lunch to celebrate the holiday of L'ag B'Omer.
For information about concert and/or lunch tickets please call Shaarei Tikvah at 914-472-2013, ext. 300 or email [email protected]. Shaarei Tikvah is at 46 Fox Meadow Road in Scarsdale, NY.
Interfaith Holocaust Commemoration:
On May 1st at 7:00 pm Shaarei Tikvah, the Scarsdale Conservative Congregation will be hosting the 23rd Annual Communal Interfaith Holocaust Commemoration.... "Never Again .... Again: Rededicating our commitment to Human Rights and Diversity".
Houses of worship from Scarsdale, Bronxville and Eastchester will be participating.
Students from Eastchester High School will be speaking about their trip to concentration camps in Poland. Music and songs will be performed by students from Bronxville High School.
All are welcome, there is no admission fee.
Service Awards:
On May 14th two members of Shaarei Tikvah, the Scarsdale Conservative Congregation, will be among those presented with the Distinguished Service Awards from the Westchester Jewish Council.
Michal Kellner, a high school senior,has done great community servicework on behalf of USY, including being instrumental in planning and executing the teen fundraising dance for pediatric cancer research. She was president of the Shaarei Tikvah USY chapter and is now on the regional board serving all of Westchester and Rockland Counties. She also volunteers in the synagogue Hebrew School. She encourages other teens to get involved.
Wendy Hollander has been a volunteer in many organizations all her life. At the Jewish Council of Yonkers she created and is a mentor in the SMART program and gives workshops for the mentors. She serves on the JCY Holocaust committee which services students in the Yonkers area, and is a member of the JCY scholarship committee. She is a Vice President of Elana Hadassah and is a volunteer at Westchester Hospice & Palliative Care.
You Know You're a Scarsdalian If...
- Details
- Written by: Deborah Skolnik
- Hits: 9466
Columnist Deborah Skolnik is out of town this week, but even down south she's got Scarsdale on the brain. Skolnik says, "Sitting here poolside, trying to enjoy the hibiscus flowers and instead wondering whether my daffodils are blooming at home, made me realize that you can take the girl out of Scarsdale, but can't take Scarsdale out of the girl. Which made me think you might enjoy this item...
YOU KNOW YOU'RE A SCARSDALIAN IF...
* You understand that the best stuff in life is free, but spend hundreds of dollars at Great Stuff every season.
* You spend summer days burning off 500 calories in the town pool in an attempt to lose weight, then consuming a 600-calorie Tornado Wrap at the snack bar.
* When someone in your office shouts out, "What does 'WRT' stand for?" You shout back, "Westchester Reform Temple!" before realizing the correct answer is probably "With Regards To."
* The phrase 'million-dollar home' brings to mind a 50-year-old, 3-bedroom ranch with avocado-green appliances, rather 
than Downton Abbey.
* Actually, though, you heard that that ranch house just got assessed for $1.7 million.
* You pity helicopter parents. They can't afford a hovercraft?
* You care, you really do, about Democratic and Republican platforms, but you care just a little more about platform tennis.
* When you hear someone mention The Homestead Act, you think of angry people sulking in luxury apartments rather than hearty 19th-century settlers plowing 40 rocky acres in Idaho.
* You've visited Salzburg and sampled Italian Village delights in a single day, without spending a dime on airfare.
* You know that being on the right track means working hard, being honest, keeping your goals in sight. Oh yeah, and running super fast up and over a covered bridge when Metro North gives you 30 seconds' warning that the city-bound train is coming in on the White-Plains-bound side.
Greenacres resident Deborah Skolnik is the mother of two and cops to doing at least 50% of the stuff listed here.
