Kimberly Butler Spotlight
I would spend years going to places all over the FSU (the former Soviet Union). Then there was Chechnaya. It started like every other airlift at the airport. People crying, saying goodbye, and excitement for the freedom from persecution that was to come. Our Israeli contact told us he was taking these people to Jerusalem, and would be back in 2 days. In the meantime, my assistant and I would stay with these 2 local bodyguards, and one Israeli who was stationed there.
“We want to take you to a privately owned Restaurant! They have great oxtail soup!” One of them said. Bells and whistles started to go off in my head. I wasn’t touching the soup. The guy next to me asks why. “I’m a vegetarian.” He sticks his hand, with his long dirty fingernails into the bowl, takes it out, and says, “Now, it’s vegetarian!”
Ok, this isn’t going to be as easy as I thought. My assistant and I both sensed the danger. I am going to skip a lot of frightening details, and just say we managed to get back to the hotel. We holed up through the night and escaped at 5am. A taxi got us to the airport. “Ok, who’s going to Moscow?” I yelled out in this tiny waiting area. A Pilot came over, I “gifted him appropriately, and off we went.” Wheels up, and I could breathe. There’s a lot more to this story, including an Israeli Commander who kept denying he was a spy. This was followed by a romantic interlude that would stretch from the ice of Russia to the romantic desert winds of the Middle East. But you’ll have to wait for the memoirs.
Artexpo NY 2022
The full spectrum of visual arts was on display, from photography and painting to sculptures of all kinds. Some of the artists created new art in the aisles, like Ohio Mike creating single line portraits of visitors to his booth and Jorge Torrealba doing what he does best. The artists were very enthusiastic about finally being able to display their work, discuss with attendees and sell in person. There is a certain satisfaction you get when giving a client a piece of art they just bought as opposed to shipping to an unknown person from an internet sale.
As a publisher of www.longislandportfolo.com (in addition to exhibitor helping John Dowling, Jr.), I had access to art and artists during a press preview period as well as throughout the show. Attendees had great access to the gallery owners and artists alike, meeting in booths as well as a lunch and snack area open to all participants. I especially enjoyed discussing the art, processes and decision making involved with the creation of many of the pieces.
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M Frank Gallery
Long Island’s newest art gallery, M Frank Gallery, just opened their doors for a premiere first exhibit in Syosset in Nassau County. When I interviewed Maya Frank, artist and gallery owner for our premiere issue, she told me it was her dream to open a gallery to showcase her work. She is hoping to support fellow artists, businesses with a place for networking and charities for a place to host fund raisers of all kinds.
M Frank Gallery opens with walls adorned with Maya’s work, sized from small drawings to bigger than life sized paintings. The gallery also features fashionwear and accessories like beautiful handbags designed by Maya, with her art featured in the design.
Born in Russia, Maya has lived in various countries, including Israel before moving to the US. In addition to painting, Maya has performed in ballet and acts in TV in NY based series. A lover of cars, Maya also has a few classic cars that are featured in movies and TV.
And Action!
there is tremendous talent available for Long Island Projects. Christmas VS the Walters had actors ranging from veteran journeymen Jack MaGee and Bruce Dern to up and comer Paris Bravo. Well known stage, tv and movie veterans include Shawnee Smith, Dean Winters, Joseph D’Onofrio, ( https://longislandportfolio.com/joseph-donofrio-featured-artist/) Nate Torrence, Richard Thomas, Caroline Aaron, Betsy Beutler, John Farley, and Chris Elliot.
Gabrielle Baker – Artist Statement
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currently living in Harlem, NY. My journey as an artist began at age ten at the Art Students’ League in New York City in a watercolor class led my Mrs. Ethel Katz. I used my portfolio of paintings I created there as my entrance application to Music and Art High School. Unfortunately, as I approached college-age, I was discouraged by “well intentioned” adults in my life from pursuing art as a vocation. I eventually lost interest in painting and chose other career options, however, there was always a gnawing question in the back of my mind “why aren’t you painting?” Along the way, several people pushed and prodded me to get back to painting, but I only went as far as dibbling and dabbling as a hobbyist.
Three things reignited my passion to paint after a thirty plus year hiatus. To re-immerse myself in painting, I took a course at Parson’s School of Design and I was encouraged by one of my instructors to “get serious” about my art. Second, during a meditation course called “Finding Your Purpose,” I had a vision of a Native American woman who told me that my purpose was to “bring beauty to the earth.” Third, I entered my first abstract painting of Copper Metal into a 2015 Montclair, NJ exhibit just for the experience. To my surprise – it was purchased! I took this as a clue from the Universe that I should keep going and I quickly got back on track.
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Don Most – Even Happier Days for our Featured Artist.
…I started off doing some jazz clubs out here in LA, and they went great. I did some in New York before The Cutting Room, like 54 Below and Iridium jazz club. From there it just started growing in other parts of the country as well.
I cut a CD called “D Most Mostly Swinging,” with this great 18-piece band of wonderful Los Angeles jazz and studio musicians, studio musicians, and our great producer and trumpet player, William Ario. And so that’s out. It’s been hard to grow because the live performance thing is almost impossible during COVID.
I’ve been dying to get back into doing live performance, more films and television. I just did a short film, which is called When George Got Murdered, and it’s a really interesting film about the George Floyd incident. I don’t know when that’s coming out, and I did some TV prior to that, a pilot called Puck Heads, where I play the owner of a minor league hockey team, so we’ll see what happens with that. Hopefully, that gets picked up. And I’m supposed to do a couple of other films that got put on hold.
Sandy Gennaro – Grateful Drumma
…Shortly after touring with Cyndi, I was asked to do a record in Frankfurt Craaft, a German band. Subsequently after that record came out, they wanted me to do the tour. And in a similar situation, it was in an opening act. You know Cyndi Lauper explodes, we were were playing arenas several nights a week, the biggest thing on MTV, blah blah blah, and I’m asked to go to Germany. I got paid very little to do it, but as a favor to a friend of a friend, and I went ahead and did it. Because my theory is, it’s like, if somebody wants me to play, I’m flattered. If somebody wants my drumming on their record, or on their gig, or on their live date or whatever, I’m flattered. Man, they like me. All right, so anyway.
The highlight of my Craaft association was the tour, opening for Queen. So from Craaft, I did The Monkees tour. I was actually doing it, again, as a favor to a friend. I filled in for a drummer that bailed out on him, and about a year later he gets the Musical Director gig with The Monkees. Based on, “Hey, Sandy, you bailed me out that night. I want you to do The Monkees tour, they’re reuniting.” So I did not only that Monkees tour, but almost every reunion tour subsequently.
Antiques and Auctions
…Adam: If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that the unfolding of life events can be utterly unpredictable. Even the best-laid plans for our personal well-being, for that of our families, and for our finances can abruptly, and dramatically, be altered almost overnight. In the most stable of times, the management of our personal estates, or those of our parents, grandparents, or other loved ones, can appear intimidating, mysterious, and overwhelming. In times of greater uncertainty, all of those feelings can be even more intense. This is especially true when — as is often the case — estate issues arise because of unexpected life transitions or illness. The good news is that understanding in advance the process of dealing with potentially valuable estate items, in particular antiques, can take a lot of the pressure off of managing an estate. It can also put the estate owner or their heirs in the best possible position to see the financial benefits that can come with the successful liquidation of physical items in an estate, such as furniture, jewelry, and art.
Suzanne Sheran – Featured Artist
…After I finished up commissions I had on my list, I was basically just painting… One day I pulled up a random photo online, decided just to paint a random dog, and I noticed this dog is a shelter dog, and it was a light bulb that went off where I said, “You know what, why don’t you, during Covid, when I’m home, why don’t I reach out to some local shelters and paint some of the long-time dogs and see if I can post them on social media, get them noticed and hopefully find them homes….
Edwin Vazquez – Featured Artist
…Edwin: I’m really excited about sharing my music with everyone, and I appreciate the opportunity to have you and everyone allow me to borrow your ears with an open heart to give my music a try. I feel the adversity in music is very needed and if I could bridge our human connection through my music I’d feel like I’ve fulfilled a dream of mine. I believe everything we do is about communication and human connectivity. The goal is to for me is to create Ann effective way to bridge that connection in a healthy way that offers us a reflection of just how similar we all are. This type of openness connects us all, all different ethnicities, all different races. I want the branches of my music to offer a message about that love and unity. After all that’s what I’m about, that’s the philosophy I try to live by so While I’m here that’s what I’d like to achieve while I’m alive. It’s what I want to leave behind when I finish the book of my life. As each page turns I want to look back at the end of my days and know that I made some kind of an impact, I want to know I reached you all, and that maybe I made it a little bit possible to make you all see how beautiful life is. Life is an amazing gift, and as an artist I personally believe in everything that calls us to awaken to ourselves and to each other. If you really think about it, if we live in gratitude of this amazing gift called life we can actually learn to respect, empower and carry each other even through these trying times….
Joseph D’Onofrio
ALEX: Tell us about Gravesend?
JOSEPH: It’s a great show. It’s about the 1980s, early ’90s, in Brooklyn, New York. So if you were there in that era, you’re going to love the show. Gravesend season 1 is airing on Amazon Prime right now. With actors William DeMeo, me, Paul Ben-Victor, Louis Lombardi, James Russo, and a great cast, that also includes Nick Turtorro and Peter Gaudio (a local Queens guy), it truly feels authentic. The show is unbelievably good, the cinematography, the story.
ALEX: Everybody now knows about it who didn’t know about it before. Our primary audience is Montauk to Manhattan with Brooklyn being very strong. I have already shared with the people on The Brooklyn Open, a Facebook page and group for artists. They’ll be thrilled that there’s something local for them to watch. I love to watch programs where I can say “Hey, I grew up there.”
Distanced Learning For The Arts
Sandy Gennaro
…In the early days of quarantine, Sandy embarked on a quest to make virtual drumming lessons a reality. He loves his tried-and true-method of playing with his students using the two drum sets in his studio but found that adjusting the sound and synchronization over zoom was too great of a challenge. Instead, he provides a demonstration and discussion, then asks the student to play. Sandy tweaks the speaker and microphone settings so both he and the student are satisfied with the sound. …
Jan Guarino
…“The results from the video classes are in some ways better than in person classes. (Simultaneous demonstration and working time) pushes the students to try new things and to work faster,” says Jan. “I will continue to use this method of instruction in my classes when we can meet again in person. While nothing replaces actual in person classes – and I want to resume them as soon as possible – this has been a saving grace, not just for me but for of my students as well. Some of them were alone and feeling overwhelmed. It gave us all a sense of purpose and belonging. And I am so excited with the results!” …
Premiere Issue of Long Island Portfolio
Long Island Portfolio magazine publishers Alex M. Wolff and John Joseph Dowling, Jr. are thrilled to be able to support and showcase such great artists and their art in our first issue, Fall 2020. Enjoy the art and stories of Steven Calapai, Billy Mira, Maya Frank, Jeffrey Steele, EDward Steven Katz, Mike Gomes, Tony DeCaprio, Lenny Stucker, and our cover artist Robyn Bellospirito.
Long Island Portfolio magazine is on a mission to help artists of every kind promote themselves and their work from Montauk to Manhattan. We create great content to build and amplify artists social media presence. Nominate your favorite artist to be a Featured Artist and help improve their recognition and reach in our region.
In this issue we have painters, photographers, a jazz musician, country and rock singer song writer, and even stories around food, fashion, cars, cosplay and fantasy, with to poets!
All The World Is A Stage
“For me, I started cosplaying about 5 years ago. I started with pretty easy costumes. I’ve progressed to a little more elaborate ones, but nothing that costs a fortune. After I did my first cosplay, which I think was Elektra from Daredevil, it was just so much fun bringing a character you love to life. I was hooked after that. My favorite cosplays were The Bride from Kill Bill and Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter. It’s cool when people want to take your picture because they love the character. For me, In some ways it’s like being a kid again and “playing dress up”, and getting to nerd out at the same time. It’s more fun than I thought it would be.”
Which characters show up often depends on what’s popular. I used to think cosplayers choose a character because they have similar looks and build to a character, but I quickly learned that was not always the case. I ran into and photographed “Jessica Jones” and thought how lucky the cosplayer was to look just like her. But the next day, she was someone else and pulled that off without a hitch. Ghostbusters, and the usual superheroes are always represented, and the last few years Game of Thrones and Guardians of the Galaxy have been super popular. Cosplayers often form into groups that will become the whole cast of a show, such as Northeast Watch, when the group does Game of Thrones.
Barbara Zipperer – Simple Artist Statement
…Barbara studied under the late Kitty Klich for one year and then for a year with Bonnita Budysz, a world-wide artist. Barbara’s work has an impressionist aire to it. She has had her paintings accepted into juried shows in NE Wisconsin. She has been part of several group exhibits with the Water’s Edge Artists and the Green Bay Arts Unlimited groups. Last year her work was in a co- exhibit with another artist; she had her first solo exhibit in August & September of 2020 at the Steele Street Trading Co. & … …through wooded areas. Not everyone lives where there is access to natural beauty, so I like to share with others through my artwork. I believe that when I help others, they will in turn help me directly or indirectly. So I give back in these ways. …