Town Column : West Tisbury
By Hermine Hull
Published: October 8, 2009
We've gone from tee-shirts to turtlenecks and back again. Typical fall weather. Sunday morning when Mike and I walked our dogs at Sepiessa, the landscape sparkled and the pond was high over the beach.
The Island Children's School is collecting bottles and cans as part of learning about recycling and environmental awareness. For the month of October, designated receptacles are in place in the school's parking lot at 5 Halcyon Way. Director Julie Immelt asks that donations be dropped off weekday afternoons between 4 and 6 pm.
Julie Keefe was excited to see her three children, who have been living in San Francisco for the past several years. Hannah came to visit last week before moving to Berlin. She has been working as an artist's assistant; the artist, Paul Siestma, will be working in Berlin for the next six months. Friday, Julie and Simone DeSorcy headed up to Boston to see Joe and Sebastian Keefe perform with their band, Family of the Year, at a sold-out concert, chosen by Keith Lockhart and Ben Folds as the opening act at Symphony Hall. Fellow West Tisburyite Ben Smith was there, too, in charge of sound.
Karen DiMaura is October's artist at the West Tisbury Library. She is exhibiting photographs, beautifully painterly photographs. To me, they are what the art of photography is: making something more of itself, making the viewer see in a new way. Rust on a boat's surface, the edges of eggs, the texture of wood.
On Saturday, we headed to Chilmark to hang Leslie Baker's show at the Chilmark Library. Karen was waiting for us at the door, and three pairs of hands and eyes made the work go quickly. (Karen works with Leslie at Shaw Cramer Gallery.) It is a beautiful collection of landscapes, artfully arranged, glowing colors layered one over the other as only oil paint can do. They will be on display through October.
Sunday afternoon, we (Leslie, Mike, and I) were invited to see the completed studio of our friend and fellow-artist, Marie-Louise Rouff. Marie-Louise and her husband, Paul Levine, moved back to West Tisbury this year, buying Kenny and Jean Francis's house across from Chilmark Pottery. Geoff Borr was at the party, as were Bob Woodruff and Molly and David Finkelstein from the neighborhood, Paul's daughter Matthea and her family, and artist Nancy Furino all the way from Edgartown. Mike has spent most of the last two months turning Kenny's knife-sharpening shop into Marie-Louise's studio. It is bright and airy with skylights, big windows, two storage closets, and a porch that wraps around two sides. The paintings and monotypes were arranged as if in a museum, with lots of room for contemplation. They are non-representational, richly built-up textures and colors, mark-making, and brush strokes to enchant the viewer and entice him/her into the artist's made-up world. I hope Marie-Louise will show her work on the Island so everyone can see what she does. Meanwhile, she has a beautiful studio to work in.
October is Scary Movie Month at our library. The classics, "Frankenstein," "Bride of Frankenstein," and "Dracula" will be shown on Monday nights at 7 pm. The knitting group that also meets Monday nights invites anyone interested in learning, finishing a long-ignored project, or just looking for good company while working to join them. Ellen (French) Bunch, daughter of Mary and Jim, joins our staff this week. We couldn't be happier. P.S.: The library needs paper bags, please.
Marcy and Bob Patillo of Glenwood Springs, Colo., spent part of last week here as guests of Sue Hruby. There was lots of fish for dinner, as Bob and Jared Hull, both avid fishermen, spent lots of time on the beach. They had hoped to go out on Kurt Freund's charter boat, but the weather was uncooperative. Good times, nonetheless, fishing, eating, and reading for the guys, while Sue and Marcy visited friends on the Island and caught up on each other's news. And tried out new recipes for bass.
Falmouth Academy announced that Clea Baumhofer has qualified as a 2010 National Merit Semifinalist. Clea is the daughter of Mark and Kim Baumhofer. Lily Cronig, daughter of Jo Weinberg and Donald Cronig, and Lagan Trieshmann, son of Beth and Stephen, are Commended Scholars. Congratulations.
I am sad to report that Jacqueline Pimental lost her battle with breast cancer last Friday. She was an amazing person who made the world around her sparkle. Her interest in art history made for many conversations, now treasured in memory. There will be a service this Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown.
While working at the library, my husband lost his favorite hammer. It is a 16-ounce, curved claw hammer, with an octagon shaped wood handle with "Hull" incised into it, and a bead of hot glue around the base of the handle. We have all looked everywhere for it, to no avail. I believe things always turn up, so if anyone sees it, please leave it at the circulation desk. Thanks.
