Marianne Campolongo, Author at Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk: The Magazines for New and North Castle

Armonk House Rock and Roll is Here to Stay

December 1, 2016 by Marianne Campolongo

If you’re looking for a place where you can not only listen to live music, but also get up and dance, then check out Armonk House.

The bar and restaurant has live music most Friday and Saturday nights, and DJ’s on Thursdays. Owner Connie Petrovich, a warm, friendly woman who goes out of her way to make sure all her guests feel welcome, said she “grew up in the restaurant business” starting at age three when her parents bought George’s Lounge in Pelham. The former owner of the Parkway Grill in Yonkers, Petrovich acted as the general contractor when designing the space and even had a hand in dismantling the 200-year-old barn whose wood adorns some walls. Her sister Terry Petrovich helped pick out the antique fixtures which give the restaurant its eclectic charm.

Exit 5, described by the band’s drummer Jeff Silverman as “a bunch of dads from the Bedford area playing five decades of rock,” was on tap for the bar and restaurant’s first anniversary bash in November, playing a mix of classic rock covers, pop, punk, and current indie favorites spanning the 60s through today. When they started their set with Van Morrison’s “Brown-Eyed Girl,” our favorite, my husband and I knew we’d come to the right place. Joining Silverman were lead singer-guitarists Brian Belfiglio and Lee Davis, bassist Dave Wills, and Dan Paige on keyboard.

As on other nights when there’s music, while diners are still eating, they kept their ballads mellow, but then the center tables were pushed aside so the crowd had room to dance.
Cal Kramer, the drummer from Blond Ambition, another band that plays there, was at the one-year celebration with his wife. A realtor in his day job, Kramer has been a musician for 50 years as have most of the members of his group. “When I play music I feel like I go on vacation for three hours,” he said. Blond Ambition’s repertoire includes a wide range of classic rock “from Tom Petty to Fleetwood Mac and a lot of eclectic stuff,” he said. He looks forward to their next gig there scheduled for the night before Thanksgiving. “I like Connie, she’s getting good bands,” he said.

Petrovich said she loves how the people of Armonk have embraced her.

Sam Sorentino, a musician who has played there and who helps schedule the bands, said that “word got out” and bands are now calling them to play.

The December lineup: Dec. 1 and 15 Dance Party Meetup group with DJ Joe, Dec. 3 Innuendo, Dec. 9 Night Train, Dec. 16 Bookends, Dec 17 The Little Black Dress, Dec. 22 Duke and Damien, Dec. 23 Group Therapy. There’s also a fundraiser for the Heavenly Production Foundation on Dec. 18. The music generally starts at 9:30 and there is usually no cover charge. Check the website www.armonkhouse.com for additional information and New Year’s Eve announcements.

Chappaqua Station Bringing Jazz to Your Doorstep

December 1, 2016 by Marianne Campolongo

Looking for a cozy bistro with small romantic tables, farm fresh food and inventive cocktails where you can hear jazz on a Saturday night? Then head down to Chappaqua Station, opened by restaurateurs and jazz aficionados Erin and Peter Chase last year.

Like me, you may be surprised to learn that the place many see as the newest breakfast and coffee spot in town takes on a totally different persona at night, drawing on prime local talent as well as top musicians from Harlem and other parts of the city.

Wander in nearly any Saturday night at 7 p.m. when the lights go down low, replaced by the warm glow of candles and tiny twinkle lights on the ceiling, and hear the sultry tones of the latest jazz ensemble. Whether you are a jazz lover or simply a romantic, it’s the perfect date night venue.

The Chases transformed the timeworn 1902 Chappaqua train station into a beautiful eatery, restoring the old scarred interior so that the wooden walls, benches, and ceiling gleam much as they must have at the turn of the last century. The benches around the perimeter still serve as some seating and the former ticket office has become a full-service bar, with light from the train platform streaming in behind, adding to the atmosphere.

And that beauty is more than skin deep. “We built out the space with music in mind,” says Erin Chase, installing a mixing board and speakers “perfectly equalized for jazz.”

Hiroshi Yamazaki, whose Hiroshi Yamazaki Trio performed the night my husband and I discovered this charming jazz venue, confirmed that their efforts have paid off, citing the excellent acoustics as one of the reasons he enjoys playing there. Yamazaki, a classically trained pianist who studied jazz in New York as well as his native Japan, has performed all over the world, as have his bandmates bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Tony Jefferson.

There’s a $10 per person cover charge for tables (no cover at the bar, which is first come first served), with tickets available via www.eventbrite.com or at the door. Reservations are suggested.

Upcoming talent in December includes the Daniel Lauter Jazz Quartet who will play at a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity “Homes for the Holidays” on Dec. 3, 7-10 p.m. to raise money for four homes being built in New Castle. Tickets are priced between $50-500. Dec. 10, Latin percussionists Emedin Rivera and Ken Kresge Quartet. On Dec. 17, Erik Lawrence and Mala Waldron Quartet. See www.chappaquastation.com for additional events.

Marianne A. Campolongo is a professional photographer, freelance writer and jazz lover who lives in Chappaqua. Early on in their life together, she and her husband Rob used to haunt The Blue Note, The Village Gate, and other notable jazz venues, and they are both thrilled to live so close to this little gem.

Art Shows in Armonk & Beyond

October 21, 2016 by Marianne Campolongo

Autumn is a great time to see art close to home. From legendary French artists to some of your very own neighbors, there is much to enjoy in the local art scene this fall.

Armonk Outdoor Art Show

Perfect fall weather greeted the 55th annual Armonk Outdoor Art Show, a two-day juried event featuring paintings, drawings, sculpture, printmaking, photography, ceramics, jewelry, and other tactile arts by 185 artists. Ranked among the top art shows nationally, the event draws established and emerging artists from across the country. In recent years, the show has hosted a tent for local high school artists, who, like other participating artists, must be juried into the show, giving them a glimpse of the professional art world.

Painter Rosalind Oesterle has participated since moving to Armonk the 1970s. Her paintings have changed over the years from delicate florals to pastel and jewel-toned nonrepresentational paintings, winning her the nod each year from the jury, since even long-time participants must re-apply and have their work evaluated each year.

Award-winning artist and Armonk resident Judi Offenberg returned to show her luxuriously colored silk paintings this year for the fifth time at the Armonk Outdoor Art Show, on September 24, 2016. Photo © 2016 Marianne A. Campolongo.

Oesterle, a member of the American Watercolor Society and a veteran of countless art shows across the country says her favorite is close to home. “The [Armonk] show is fabulous. It’s the best show.”

Armonk resident Judi Offenberg returned to show her luxuriously-colored silk paintings this year. Originally a textile designer, she fell in love with silk painting when her daughter Melissa did a high school project. She “bought supplies, read books, and taught myself,” she said. Her work has been exhibited widely, but “winning a prize at the show two years ago, was the biggest honor of my life,” she said.

Armonk resident Lana Sidoti, who exhibited her bold and beautiful enameled jewelry and wall pieces for the fourth time this year, and Luis Perez, a longtime show volunteer who entered his watercolors and drawings for the first time, are both members of the Northern Westchester Artists Guild (NWAG), which has been an important catalyst for many local artists to begin showing their work.

Long time Armonk Outdoor Art Show volunteer and Armonk resident Luis Perez showed his drawings for the first time at the Armonk Outdoor Art Show, on September 24, 2016. Photo © 2016 Marianne A. Campolongo.

The winner of this year’s first $1,000 Sylvia Rogers Best New Artist prize at the show is another NWAG member, Natalya Aikens from Pleasantville. Her amazing quilts based on her photographs use reclaimed fabric and repurposed plastic bags to make a beautiful environmental statement. Debra Graham, an NWAG member from Scarsdale, won 3rd prize in the Printmaking, Drawing and Pastels category, the second time she has won a prize for her intricately detailed drawings.

Northern Westchester Artists Guild

The Northern Westchester Artists Guild (NWAG), has several treats in store locally. Their show collective expressions at Art and Sound Gallery in Greenwich, Conn. runs through the end of October. When that show ends, the Guild will also be sponsoring a pop-up show at Art and Sound Gallery featuring drawings, paintings, mixed media, and photography on the walls as well as tactile art. It is scheduled for November 12 through December 23, Tuesday through Sunday and by appointment. Check the website artandsound.com for more information.

Byram Hills High School seniors (l to r) Juliana Zepf, a ceramicist and paper sculptor, Gabrielle Kleinberg, painter, and Allegra Samsen, photographer, hold up some of their art on display at the Armonk Outdoor Art Show outside a tent dedicated to the work of 24 student artists primarily from Armonk but also from surrounding towns, whose work was juried into the show, on September 24, 2016. Photo © 2016 Marianne A. Campolongo

Art In Rye: Armonk artist Perez and prize winner Aikens are among the 16 Guild artists exhibiting their work at a unique show sponsored by the Strong Oestriech team from the Armonk Real Estate office of Douglas Elliman. Each artist will showcase their work in a separate room of a spectacular new $7 million home coming on the market at 135 Highland Road, Rye. The show opens October 28 with morning (8:30-11 a.m.) and evening (6-8 p.m.) receptions and continues October 29-30, 2-5 p.m. A portion of the proceeds benefit Rye-ACT, which helps battle underage drinking and drug use.

Katonah Museum of Art

Matisse Drawings: Curated by Ellsworth Kelly from The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation Collection opens at the Katonah Museum of Art, October 23. The exhibition features 45 drawings by legendary French artist Henri Matisse, curated by Ellsworth Kelly before his death in 2015. Works from Kelly’s own large-scale Suite of Plant Lithographs (1965-66) accompany the show. Kelly earned an international reputation by the early 1950s as one of the most important Minimalist artists in the United States.

“There are many ways to look at and appreciate art, but seeing through the eyes of one artist onto another can be both transformative and illuminating,” says Museum Executive Director Darsie Alexander. The show, organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum in collaboration with the Matisse Foundation, runs through January 29, 2017.

Bruce Museum

Her Crowd: New Art by Women from Our Neighbors’ Private Collections, which opened at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn.` in September and runs through Jan. 2, offers a singular opportunity to view art from the walls of some of America’s most influential contemporary art collectors living in Fairfield and Westchester Counties. Themes specific to women such as motherhood, beauty, gender, and sexuality are in evidence, as are works from both established artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Tara Donovan, and up-and-coming artists. Kenneth E. Silver, Mia Laufer and Zvi Grunberg curated the exhibition.

A film series and lectures by scholars and show artists Alessandra Expósito and Margaret Lee compliment the exhibition. See www.brucemuseum.org for the schedule.

ArtsWestchester

Armonk resident Lana Sidoti returned to the Armonk Outdoor Art Show for a fourth year to exhibit her bold and beautiful enameled jewelry and wall pieces, seen here on September 24, 2016. Photo © 2016 Marianne A. Campolongo.

Remedy, which looks at the healing power of art, opened at ArtsWestchester in White Plains this month and runs through Jan. 14. “The artists in this exhibition engage with the relationship between arts and healing on a number of levels,” says Gallery Director Kathleen Reckling. “Some are inspired by the methods, instruments, and institutions that diagnose and treat our ailments. Others remind us that art is a remedy in and of itself.” The artists from across the country work in many media. “The work is provocative, it is humorous, and it is also poignant,” says Reckling. For example, works such as Laura Splan’s “Prozac, Thorazine, Zoloft,” oversized “pill-ows,” soft and welcoming, offer a humorous take on the comfort provided by the prescriptions they represent while “Asylum,” haunting photographs by Christopher Payne, document abandoned mental institutions across the country.

Gallery hours: Tuesday-Friday 12-5 p.m., Saturday 12-6 p.m. Free events during the show’s run include a Healing Drum Circle, Saturday, October 22, 1 p.m.

Marianne Campolongo is a professional photographer and freelance writer from Chappaqua. A member of the Northern Westchester Artists Guild and other arts oriented organizations, she enjoys exploring new ways to use Photoshop and other digital magic to see where her imagination can take her photographs.

MARIANNE A. CAMPOLONGO PHOTOS