FEATURING TALENTED LOCAL ARTISTS
A Writer Writes and Gives Back
“Thank you, Mrs. Smith.”
Sally Cook is quick to give credit to the second grade teacher at Crystal Springs Elementary School in Roanoke, VA, who offered the decisive bit of inspiration that set her on the career trajectory of being a widely published and eagerly applauded author.
“It was Mrs. Smith who not only encouraged me to read … but gave me a purple journal and set me on my way with the words ‘There’s a story everywhere you turn.’”
A dual resident of Cornwall, CT, and New […]
This Really is a Love Song
“One of my first memories was being in my father’s studio – music playing – him working on a large canvas.” Bruce Smith has fond memories of his childhood, underscored by the experience of being the son of widely celebrated abstract painter Hassell Smith who, himself, was quoted as saying “I am concerned I’m bringing the painting into much closer relation with music…”
It was music, notably percussion, that captured Smith’s interest, from using his mother’s knitting needles to tap out rhythms to volunteering to play […]
Living at the Edge
“My father was a blacksmith and a carpenter. I learned at his side.”
Chelsea Miller is looking at an elegant carving knife of her own creation, remembering how she moved from New York actor to celebrated creator of highly sought after knives all within the sphere of family influences and support. As she so succinctly sets the stage, “I was home schooled by my mother and life-schooled by my carpenter-blacksmith father.”
“I had moved from Vermont to New York City to study acting and pursue it as […]
Storytelling without Words
Amber Maida does not simply enter a room. Fully aware of her surroundings and sensitive to the energy found there, she moves like the dancer she was trained to be. As an artist, her work is fully reflective of her spiritual and physical journeys, the triumph she had over what could have been debilitating disease and an intense connection with her Native American heritage.
The rhythm of routine
“My work begins with a spiritual ritual of Chi-cultivation, grounding me deeply into the earth; embodying its energy and […]
