Seeing Spots

Larry with Spots

Last week I did a brief Chelsea  gallery walk with my friend, Larry.  While at the Damien Hirst exhibit, 
Gagosian Gallery    , the guard informed me that I could  take a photograph of the exhibit only if I had someone posing in front of the work. This rule was to protect the art from being copied. Hummm ????

Jewel on the Lower East Side

Eldridge Street Synagogue

In early December I visited the Eldridge Street Synagogue,  a wonderful Moorish-style building,  rich with history and architectural detail. The synagogue first opened its doors on Sept 4, 1887, just in time for the High Holidays.  Hundreds of Russian and Polish immigrants prayed and worshiped freely here for the next fifty years.
From 1920-1940's the membership began to dwindle and the building deteriorated. In the early 1980's a group formed to save this treasure.  In 1996, the building was made  a national historic landmark, Since then, 18.5 million dollars have been raised and The Eldridge Street Synagogue has been restored to its original grandeur. A crowing element of the restoration is a stain-glass window designed by artist Kiki Smith and architect Deborah Gans.

I'D RATHER BE OUT OF THE STUDIO

For the past several several years I have been in my studio, organizing, reviewing, editing and staring at the computer screen. I have become bored and stuck. It is time to get out of the studio !

So I have packed up my laptop, camera, and a variety of black clothing and headed up to Northern California for a few days.

Napa Valley, November, 1010