IMPORTANT PERSON....GONE!

"The arts are not a frill and they are not an enchantment and should not be considered as such. They are an essential part of life, part of the human spirit."

Wow!

That's the philosophy and the spirit that put New Jersey on the map where the arts....all the arts...are concerned!

This state is mourning the recent death of incredibly talented Lillian Levy, Chairwoman of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts since 1985, whose quote, above, energized more wonderful arts programs, for all ages and of more types than this column can begin to list.

Some people make a difference. Some make a huge difference. Without Lillian Levy's decades of dedication Southern New Jersey would only be beautiful seashore and rich farmlands. Now, in addition, it sparkles with life! Enduring, enriching life!

A Julliard graduate, Ms. Levy had been a professional pianist, painter and music teacher but put her own artistic aspirations aside to stimulate the interest of young people in the arts. The list includes:
Coordinator of NJ Symphony Orchestra
Coordinator for the NJ Teen Arts Festival
Chairwoman of the County Cultural & Heritage Advisory Board
Southern Jersey Regional Theatre
Atlantic City Community Concerts
VP of County Allied Arts Council
Treasurer of the Atlantic City Historical Museum
Etc., etc., etc. The list goes on!

The richness of the arts in New Jersey gives its heartfelt thanks to this amazing and dedicated woman. My website, artonanisland.com, starts out with the "father of modern art", Picasso, saying: "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." I'm sure Lillian would have agreed.

MODERN ART? Ugh!

Isn't art supposed to be beautiful?? Well, it would be lovely if it all were. But as you know, art...all forms of it...music, dancing, painting, sculpture, writing, etc., comes in all styles, shapes, sizes and evokes all sorts of emotions. Maybe that's all it's supposed to do....bring forth a response of any kind...a burst of life from the viewer/listener. The artist, after all, is only expressing what's in his mind/heart/soul at the moment, hoping it will find an understanding home somewhere out there. Quite legitimate.




Much as I love paintings and photographs of places I love, and have them on my walls, if we're talking about decoration, I have always been struck by the simple, completely abstract 20th century painting and sculpture seen almost entirely in galleries and museums only. These designs also often look quite stunning in a large and very contemporary home.

Whether it's the soft blending of shapes in these Eric Balint paintings or the stark, and famous, lines and rectangles of Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian (who died in NYC in '44 after decades of his work creating quite a stir)...my fascination is the way these shapes and colors relate to one another to form pure design. Design with no other agenda than to be.

Here's part of a window design at a beautiful church in my town of Beach Haven, NJ. Doesn't it evoke joy?


And here are some of the jewelry pieces I'm been creating to add to my Web site, Art on an Island. The polymer clay inspires wonderful textures and the shapes fit together with peace and simplicity.



See them soon on artonanisland.com.