"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." With deference to Charles Dickens' novel compiled from 31 weekly writings in 1859 (maybe the world's first blogger) depicting the treatment of the poor by the aristocracy in London and France before and during the French revolution, there is a story line in our own present day city to which this title might also be applied. Specifically, I am thinking of the condition of certain neighborhoods south of I-630 between University Avenue and Woodrow Street and the environment of the citizens who live there compared to their counterparts north of I-630. For some in our city it is the best of times. For others, it is the worst of times.
Just this past week it was reported that an initiative is presently under way by a local entrepreneur to rehabilitate one particular neighborhood in the above sector of central Little Rock which has been plagued with numerous abandoned and boarded up houses, and provide affordable housing in the process. I applaud that effort and wish him well, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Just go one city street map section over from that area to the west, drive south on Pine Street to Asher and then serpentine back north between Maple and Washington Streets and you will be overwhelmed by the vast number of burned out, abandoned and boarded up houses.
On the plus side, at least the City of Little Rock recognizes that this problem exists. Through the various city agencies like Housing and Neighborhood Programs, CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Programs, Little Rock Housing Authority, and the newly established Little Rock Land Bank Commission it is attempting to address this blight by partnering with Habitat for Humanity, Black Developers, Inc. and private developers like the one mentioned above to chip away at the problem. In fact the City Board will be voting next Tuesday night to condemn 14 such structures scattered around the city, which is a good thing. But I wonder what would happen if one or more entire city blocks were targeted for complete redevelopment not unlike the Madison Heights Apartments project of several years ago, rather than pursuing a shotgun approach.
Obviously, the sheer scope of such a comprehensive project would create a whole host of legal, logistical, financial and practical obstacles inherent in such a well-intentioned major initiative like this. Oddly, though, similar limitations never seem to stop us from constructing sports facilities and entertainment venues; building pedestrian dams, bridges and bike trails; erecting and extending trolley lines; creating wetlands and expanding parks; subsidizing various city operations; and granting tax incentives for corporate development, all noble endeavors, but another example of a "two cities" dichotomy. That's where having the collective political will among our elected city officials to make this, as well as homelessness, a top priority in our community is essential. Another element to ensure success would be to engage those citizens and organizations with sufficient money, influence and resources to attack this issue on a massive scale and make it happen. Then and only then can we begin to transform Little Rock from a "tale of two cities" into a tale of one city, in my view.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Barry Thomas exclusively at Ellen Golden French Antiques in the Heights
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
"Grandi Madri"
As we celebrate Mother's Day today, no doubt the thoughts of many, like mine, will naturally turn to his or her mother, whether living or not, and the influence she had on our lives, values and personalities. My early memories of my mother were that she was very strong willed, active, talented and fun. Like most women of that generation she smoked cigarettes, drank socially and played bridge (think "Mad Men"). In addition she loved playing golf and prided herself on knowing some of the great women golfers of that era. Her great fanciful boast was that she could take a seven iron and putter and beat anyone around. But it was her talent at the piano that probably brought her the most joy and recognition. She was totally self-taught, played by ear and could play almost anything upon request, which made her a standout at parties where there was a piano. If an evening with friends ended up back at our house, as a youngster I was often rousted out of bed to be her dancing partner, much to Dad's chagrin. That was all before the loss of a child and chronic illness befell her, after which things were never the same.
But that is about a mom from the past. I would much rather focus on the moms of the present and future. It really amazes me how mothers do all they do in this fast paced, have-it-all world. Unlike my mother who played the traditional role of just caring for the home front, many of today's moms work; write; create art; pursue professional careers which cause them to be away from their families; take care of the children, including transporting them to day care, school, music lessons, soccer and their many other extracurricular activities; perform household chores; care for aging parents; engage in their own outside activities; attend civic functions; and be a loving wife. Then, there are the very special moms who are single and, while doing many of the above things, also attend school to make a better life for themselves and their families. Lord knows how all of these "great mothers" do it, but fortunately many support groups and websites exist that help our modern mothers cope with their many challenges, one such local website being at http://littlerockmamas.com. Go there and you will find many other links to related subjects and blogs about mothers who deal with these and many other challenges every day including my friend, Cindy Murphy, who is a local, highly respected journalist who has her own blog "Mom On A Wire" at http://wire.littlerockmamas.com.
On a more personal note, I would like to salute and honor the existing mothers in my life. First, there is my wonderful wife, Nancy, the adoring mother of our two children who deserves an entire blog dedication of her own, if for no other reason than putting up with me for almost 45 years.
Then, there is our beautiful, smart and multi-talented daughter, Phoebe, who is married to a successful screen writer, Mike, lives in New York and has two beautiful future moms, Alice and Maggie. And, finally, there is our most accomplished writer and public speaker daughter-in-law, Kelly, who has her own website at http://kellycorrigan.com, is married to our son, Edward, lives in California and also has two beautiful future moms, Georgia and Claire. So, there you have my thoughts on this Mother's Day 2010. If you are fortunate enough to still have your mother, go share your love for her today because all too soon those days will be gone. To all of you "grandi madri" out there, "Buona festa della mamma" or Happy Mother's Day!
As my list of local artists and galleries continues to grow with today's addition of Matt McLeod, I want to also thank Rita Miller, another very talented artist and friend, for making me aware of the Artist Council's Artists Registry website at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx which contains a treasure trove of talented artists statewide, and will be an added listing from now on. And, finally, I want to mention Ellen Golden French Antiques at 5701 Kavanaugh in the Heights, as she exclusively carries the artwork of well known painter Barry Thomas.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
But that is about a mom from the past. I would much rather focus on the moms of the present and future. It really amazes me how mothers do all they do in this fast paced, have-it-all world. Unlike my mother who played the traditional role of just caring for the home front, many of today's moms work; write; create art; pursue professional careers which cause them to be away from their families; take care of the children, including transporting them to day care, school, music lessons, soccer and their many other extracurricular activities; perform household chores; care for aging parents; engage in their own outside activities; attend civic functions; and be a loving wife. Then, there are the very special moms who are single and, while doing many of the above things, also attend school to make a better life for themselves and their families. Lord knows how all of these "great mothers" do it, but fortunately many support groups and websites exist that help our modern mothers cope with their many challenges, one such local website being at http://littlerockmamas.com. Go there and you will find many other links to related subjects and blogs about mothers who deal with these and many other challenges every day including my friend, Cindy Murphy, who is a local, highly respected journalist who has her own blog "Mom On A Wire" at http://wire.littlerockmamas.com.
On a more personal note, I would like to salute and honor the existing mothers in my life. First, there is my wonderful wife, Nancy, the adoring mother of our two children who deserves an entire blog dedication of her own, if for no other reason than putting up with me for almost 45 years.
Then, there is our beautiful, smart and multi-talented daughter, Phoebe, who is married to a successful screen writer, Mike, lives in New York and has two beautiful future moms, Alice and Maggie. And, finally, there is our most accomplished writer and public speaker daughter-in-law, Kelly, who has her own website at http://kellycorrigan.com, is married to our son, Edward, lives in California and also has two beautiful future moms, Georgia and Claire. So, there you have my thoughts on this Mother's Day 2010. If you are fortunate enough to still have your mother, go share your love for her today because all too soon those days will be gone. To all of you "grandi madri" out there, "Buona festa della mamma" or Happy Mother's Day!
As my list of local artists and galleries continues to grow with today's addition of Matt McLeod, I want to also thank Rita Miller, another very talented artist and friend, for making me aware of the Artist Council's Artists Registry website at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx which contains a treasure trove of talented artists statewide, and will be an added listing from now on. And, finally, I want to mention Ellen Golden French Antiques at 5701 Kavanaugh in the Heights, as she exclusively carries the artwork of well known painter Barry Thomas.
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Stuck in the Middle
With the celebration of May Day on May 1st now behind us, several conflicting thoughts went through my head yesterday as I read and watched the news accounts of the wide spread protesting related to the recent passage of Arizona's new immigration law now in effect. To learn more about this law and its many current ramifications just Google "Arizona Immigration Law".
My first thought was how as a child in elementary school the celebration of May Day was a really big deal for both students and teachers that was widely anticipated and involved a great deal of planning and organization. Not only was there the English tradition of moving around a maypole to which we were tied with streamers, we were all encouraged to assume a different cultural identity complete with associated costume. As I can best recall, one year I was an Indian with war paint and feathers, another year I was a Chinese man, complete with black beanie cap and attached pigtail, and then another year I was a Mexican with a sombrero. Now, of course, the accepted descriptions are Native American, Asian and Latino respectively, but the prevailing attitude even back then was to learn about, accept, embrace and celebrate the various cultures in our world as a positive and welcoming experience. That's what our May Day circa 1950 was all about.
Today, however, I get the nagging feeling that yesterday's May Day demonstrations highlight a prevailing trend toward a most unwelcoming attitude about a whole host of cultures not just limited to illegal aliens. Granted, there is no way I can fully appreciate what our southwestern border states, including Arizona, are having to contend with as hundreds, if not thousands, of people flow into our country on a daily basis with no legal right to be here, not to mention the added demands and costs that their presence creates on these states. And then there are the obvious national security concerns that this tidal wave of people raise in this precarious and frightening time. So, I understand and agree with the concept of protecting our national borders at all costs. The question is how do you do that and not sacrifice the very personal freedoms which so distinguish our country and have helped create this magnetic attraction for people from all over the world? This is where the conflict arises for me. On one hand I want strict and unwavering control of our borders. But on the other hand I want that control applied with a measure of fairness and equity. I guess my quandary is best expressed in selected words from that great Stealers Wheel song from 1974, I'm "Stuck in the middle....with Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right, here I am". Enjoy the entire song at http://youtube.com/watch?v=jpWzbZGk3eA&feature=related. On second thought, maybe my subject should be about "mayday, mayday, mayday", not May Day!
Continuing with my artists and gallery recognition, the current list includes:
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
My first thought was how as a child in elementary school the celebration of May Day was a really big deal for both students and teachers that was widely anticipated and involved a great deal of planning and organization. Not only was there the English tradition of moving around a maypole to which we were tied with streamers, we were all encouraged to assume a different cultural identity complete with associated costume. As I can best recall, one year I was an Indian with war paint and feathers, another year I was a Chinese man, complete with black beanie cap and attached pigtail, and then another year I was a Mexican with a sombrero. Now, of course, the accepted descriptions are Native American, Asian and Latino respectively, but the prevailing attitude even back then was to learn about, accept, embrace and celebrate the various cultures in our world as a positive and welcoming experience. That's what our May Day circa 1950 was all about.
Today, however, I get the nagging feeling that yesterday's May Day demonstrations highlight a prevailing trend toward a most unwelcoming attitude about a whole host of cultures not just limited to illegal aliens. Granted, there is no way I can fully appreciate what our southwestern border states, including Arizona, are having to contend with as hundreds, if not thousands, of people flow into our country on a daily basis with no legal right to be here, not to mention the added demands and costs that their presence creates on these states. And then there are the obvious national security concerns that this tidal wave of people raise in this precarious and frightening time. So, I understand and agree with the concept of protecting our national borders at all costs. The question is how do you do that and not sacrifice the very personal freedoms which so distinguish our country and have helped create this magnetic attraction for people from all over the world? This is where the conflict arises for me. On one hand I want strict and unwavering control of our borders. But on the other hand I want that control applied with a measure of fairness and equity. I guess my quandary is best expressed in selected words from that great Stealers Wheel song from 1974, I'm "Stuck in the middle....with Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right, here I am". Enjoy the entire song at http://youtube.com/watch?v=jpWzbZGk3eA&feature=related. On second thought, maybe my subject should be about "mayday, mayday, mayday", not May Day!
Continuing with my artists and gallery recognition, the current list includes:
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Sunday, April 25, 2010
PSST: "GO GREEN"
Years ago the story was told of a mother who would whisper in her son's ear each night she put him to bed "Be a dentist", with the fervent hope being that such a repeated subliminal message would become a reality. Whether true or not is unknown, but the method is one that has been used effectively by advertisers for ages, and is still worthy of applying to other more timely messages. While not whispered, the message I repeatedly received this past week was "Go Green".
First, this past Thursday former President Bill Clinton spoke to the Downtown Little Rock Partnership (http://arkansasonline.com/video) on a variety of subjects but it his remarks about the environment on which I wish to focus. Since one of his foundation's missions is to address climate change (the subject of a previous blog), he was promoting the concept of going green as not only being good for business but also helping revitalize urban areas. In fact he cited his own Presidential Library which enjoys a platinum rating under the LEED's design rating system as being a prime example. In addition he mentioned another initiative between his foundation and the State of Arkansas that will retrofit state buildings to improve their energy efficiency. His message came within the same week I received a catalog from Office Depot devoted exclusively to GROW GREENER products. Next, I caught the appearance of Josh Dorfman on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program who was promoting his Lazy Environmentalist movement. For anyone seriously interested in the environment and learning more about what part he or she can play to protect it, I strongly urge you to go to his website at http://lazyenvironmentalist.com. I think you will be very impressed with the breadth of topics it covers, as well as the numerous links it contains to other interesting and relevant sites.
For instance you can link to a March 8, 2010 U.S. NEWS article by Maura Judkis entitled "10 Ways to Save by Going Green". I won't list them all, but three of my favorites were Flip the Switch, Get Paid to Recycle and Conserve Water. Picking up on the second point, another great link was to http://gazelle.com which specifies what products destined for the dump you can actually sell (e.g. cell phones, printers, etc.), calculates the prices and gives all shipping instructions. And then there was a totally separate website I stumbled on at http://tightenuparkansas.org that gives a whole host of information about what one can do to make his or her home more energy efficient, and at the same time benefit from some immediate incentives to do so. Finally, on a personal note, I want to mention a very special website http://brightbuiltbarn.com which chronicles the amazing story of a friend and her husband who joined with a group of other environmentally committed individuals in Maine to construct one of the world's only carbon neutral buildings that produces more energy over time than it consumes. We all could learn from this cutting edge project, so please visit their site and begin your education now. In short, it was a very "green" week for me.
Coming full circle, there is a ton of information out there to improve the environment just for the asking, but none of this is going to happen until the awareness level is raised in everyone's mind about the environment and what we can all do individually to make it better. In other words, consider this week's blog my whisper in your ear: "GO GREEN".
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at gregthompsonfineart.com
First, this past Thursday former President Bill Clinton spoke to the Downtown Little Rock Partnership (http://arkansasonline.com/video) on a variety of subjects but it his remarks about the environment on which I wish to focus. Since one of his foundation's missions is to address climate change (the subject of a previous blog), he was promoting the concept of going green as not only being good for business but also helping revitalize urban areas. In fact he cited his own Presidential Library which enjoys a platinum rating under the LEED's design rating system as being a prime example. In addition he mentioned another initiative between his foundation and the State of Arkansas that will retrofit state buildings to improve their energy efficiency. His message came within the same week I received a catalog from Office Depot devoted exclusively to GROW GREENER products. Next, I caught the appearance of Josh Dorfman on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program who was promoting his Lazy Environmentalist movement. For anyone seriously interested in the environment and learning more about what part he or she can play to protect it, I strongly urge you to go to his website at http://lazyenvironmentalist.com. I think you will be very impressed with the breadth of topics it covers, as well as the numerous links it contains to other interesting and relevant sites.
For instance you can link to a March 8, 2010 U.S. NEWS article by Maura Judkis entitled "10 Ways to Save by Going Green". I won't list them all, but three of my favorites were Flip the Switch, Get Paid to Recycle and Conserve Water. Picking up on the second point, another great link was to http://gazelle.com which specifies what products destined for the dump you can actually sell (e.g. cell phones, printers, etc.), calculates the prices and gives all shipping instructions. And then there was a totally separate website I stumbled on at http://tightenuparkansas.org that gives a whole host of information about what one can do to make his or her home more energy efficient, and at the same time benefit from some immediate incentives to do so. Finally, on a personal note, I want to mention a very special website http://brightbuiltbarn.com which chronicles the amazing story of a friend and her husband who joined with a group of other environmentally committed individuals in Maine to construct one of the world's only carbon neutral buildings that produces more energy over time than it consumes. We all could learn from this cutting edge project, so please visit their site and begin your education now. In short, it was a very "green" week for me.
Coming full circle, there is a ton of information out there to improve the environment just for the asking, but none of this is going to happen until the awareness level is raised in everyone's mind about the environment and what we can all do individually to make it better. In other words, consider this week's blog my whisper in your ear: "GO GREEN".
ARTISTS
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at gregthompsonfineart.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
