Art

Home is Where the HeART is: Time Out and IN with Evan Lorberbaum

November 13, 2020 by Jennifer Drubin Clark

Artist at Home: Evan Lorberbaum @elovisualart on Instagram PHOTO By Donna Mueller

Please, let us take this time to dive into the heart of your home; where the art is (not?).

Did you know that having art in your home is just as important as having breathable air within its walls? Have you considered that your children require bright colors and creative visuals to inspire and encourage innovative thinking (especially now that they are stuck at home with you most days)? Could you allow yourself to be vulnerable and understand why an artless home-office could actually be making it harder for you to do your job?

The home, where you’ve been spending more time than ever before, craves the ability to fill its inhabitants with personality, originality, mood, color, culture, inspiration, empathy, and character. What you hang on your walls, stand on your floors, or loop thru your exposed rafters, speaks volumes about you. Loud volumes.

So, now that the base is bumping, allow me to introduce you to a fellow Armonkian, Evan Lorberbaum. Evan is a visual artist who creates under the moniker ELO, which is short for his movement “Encourage Life Originality”. ELO aims to inspire others to reach their full potential in life through embracing their own individuality. ELO’s artistic style and vision is influenced by graffiti, abstract expressionism and his own relationship with time, personal growth and pop culture. Armonk is art savvy–thanks to the Armonk Outdoor Art Show–a great place for him to call home and office.

Evan has an interesting story to tell of how his journey all began. He also gives you this feeling that things can take off really fast, really quickly. He is a natural artist. I believe this is why his art speaks; even when left wordless.

“if art could talk”

With the new(ish) demand for a home office and some space for your kids to be schooled at, Evan has started working directly with decorators, realtors, and homeowners. He is bringing air to suffocated places, lifting walls beyond their 2D-selves. Suddenly you find your brain functioning differently, better, and you hear your kids talking to each other with vigor about the difference between teal and turquoise.

If art could talk, I think it would ask, “why am I here?” Maybe, “why the heck am I hanging on YOUR wall?”

Meeting an artist and pursuing a unique, personable buying experience affords you the opportunity to have these answers. It allows you to tell your friends and family why the piece exists when they come over for dinner and ask you about it (once you can have company again). It comes with a story. Your story. No one else could tell that same story because it’s your art that you bought and no one else was there. And then the art hangs and tells its’ own story. Even as you sleep. No dialogue is needed.

Throughout our interview, I made a few internal chuckles (maybe some slipped out) when I realized we had some similar thoughts about art and life and knowing that his mother and I both attended the same college (Bear down!). But there was one thing that really stuck out to me. Evan muttered something that made me feel ok about something I never really thought was ok. As so it goes “never be afraid to move art around your house.”

Folks, the purple flower doesn’t HAVE to stay on THAT white wall and the whimsical sculpture doesn’t HAVE to be stuck in a corner of the laundry room. Breathe in. Breathe out.

“something meaningful”

I encourage you to reach out to Evan for whatever reason you feel so inclined. Don’t overthink it or second-guess yourself. If you find yourself envious, go get inspired and pick up a can of spray paint on your way home. If you want to commission Evan to paint meaning ON something meaningful or help you upcycle and bring life back to your grandma’s old vanity, he is up for the opportunity and purpose. Whether you want someone to paint your silhouette on a surfboard, or design custom sneakers, or you just want to visit his studio, he will welcome you and your spirit. You will leave feeling refreshed, enlightened, and surprisingly, listened to. Perhaps he’ll even loan you a collector’s piece to try out in your space.

You need art to survive. Your children need art to thrive. The world needs art to breathe. And you can’t have a heart if you don’t have any art.

Evan’s journey includes travel, graffiti, musical inspirations, and collecting his own sort of oddities and collectibles. His art is displayed in libraries, office buildings, hotels, commercial spaces, residences, and outdoor areas all throughout the tri-state and his residential collectors are country-wide. Evan also hosts other artists, collectors, designers, and realtors, at his home studio.

Some interesting nuggets about Evan:

• One of his childhood camp counselors owns numerous pieces of his art (and so do a handful of other buyers).

• He is a graduate of the NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study where he focused on the Business of Art & Entrepreneurship, and was recognized as an Honor Scholar.

• This is his 4th year participating in the Armonk Outdoor Art Show.

• ELO, in collaboration with Garrixon Studio, created a 1/1 New York City inspired Nike SB Dunk that incorporates his original artwork, as well custom printed leather that pays homage to the city, named “What the NYC”.

• Throughout the pandemic, Evan donated proceeds from his paintings to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco.

To learn more about Evan’s work or to inquire about a private tour, visit www.elovisualart.com

Organic Wine and Cheese Social at Life Energy Art Gallery

December 6, 2019 by The Inside Press

YOU ARE INVITED!

Where: Life Energy Art Gallery, 11-13 Main Street, Mount Kisco

When: Saturday December 7, 6-8 p.m.

Cost: Free!

Relax and make new friends in the beautiful, healing environment of our Art Gallery. Featuring a special demonstration in using art for healing, and of course organic wine and cheese, healthy snacks. Come and hang out! Bring friends and family.

Click here to RSVP

Artists Share their Passion via ‘Art Around Town’

November 13, 2019 by The Inside Press

The Northern Westchester Artists Guild is a nonprofit organization of artists whose mission it is to share art by the community for the community. This was the genesis of Art Around Town.

Art Around Town has become an annual tradition in the hamlet of Chappaqua. It is “a vibrant celebration of art, music and community” per Julia Bialek of the Inside Press.

Merchants and artists are matched and the anticipation of the event begins. The annual art festival opening night celebration is held at the end of May/early June during the golden hours of spring. Food and libations abound. The town becomes alive with activity. There is singing in the streets. Work stays exhibited for the month of June at the host shops and restaurants. Downtown Chappaqua miraculously morphs into a strolling art gallery! Art invigorates our communities, our town and our merchants.

Art Around Town inspires the imagination of every community member, from child to senior. It brings the community together in charming downtown Chappaqua. nwartistsguild.org.

Courtesy of the Northern Westchester Artists Guild

Draw for Paws & Scarlett’s Rainbow Rescue: More Than $25K Raised for SPCA of Westchester To Date

August 24, 2019 by Stacey Pfeffer

“The Scarly Squad in Scarlett’s Garden shot on location at the Chwatko residence”. (L-R): Grace Frieder, Annabelle Fisher and Tate Shalov with Chwatko’s pets Ollie (dog) and Winnie (cat). PHOTO BY CAROLYN SIMPSON, DOUBLEVISION PHOTOGRAPHERS

Besides Scarlett Chwatko’s love of reading (see Bookmark Buddies story on page 27), she had a passion for art and animals. In fact, she often said “If I could, I would adopt every animal in the world I would”. Scarlett grew up with rescue animals and most recently had a beloved dog named Ollie and cat named Winnie.

Her love of animals and the SPCA of Westchester was set an early age. In fact, for her fourth birthday, she wanted an animal party and her mother, Robin Chwatko, inquired if the SPCA of Westchester in Briarcliff Manor could help with that request. Sure enough, they did and several rescue puppies and kittens were brought to the party so that her friends could play with them. Instead of gifts, Scarlett asked all guests to make a donation to the SPCA of Westchester.

Scarlett’s relationship with the local SPCA only deepened over time. She often served as a cage captain during adoption events held throughout the year at the shelter. Cage captains accompany the pets in their cages during adoption events and help keep them calm and comforted.

Scarlett with her dog, Ollie
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBIN CHWATKO

Draw for Paws: Scarlett’s Idea

“Scarlett loved art and drawing and animals more than anything,” explains Robin. Scarlett came up with the idea of Draw for Paws. She was hoping that people would donate $20 to this SPCA of Westchester and in return she would draw their pets or favorite animal with the proceeds going directly to the organization. She created the original sketches, the concept, the Draw for Paws logo and the color scheme. She also wrote the mission statement for the organization at a “business meeting” with her mother at Starbucks.

Turning a Dream into Reality

For the holidays this past winter, Robin bought Scarlett the domain name for the website, drawforpaws.org and hired a graphic designer to help finetune her Draw for Paws logo sketch. “We have tried really hard to keep everything as close to her vision as possible,” said Robin.

Naming the Transport & Adoption Events

The SPCA of Westchester has a special relationship with an organization based in Mississippi called Homeward Bound. The SPCA works with them to transport hundreds of puppies a year from high kill shelters in the South to bring them to the SPCA here in Westchester to find their forever homes. These puppy adoption events held several times a year at the SPCA are hugely popular with many successful adoptions taking place but they are costly-roughly $50,000 a year to rescue, spay/neuter, transport and adopt out 300-400 puppies.

“When we knew Scarlett wasn’t doing well, I knew that people in the community would want to honor her. Although there are wonderful organizations that help kids with cancer, I knew that she would not want that to be her legacy,” explains Robin.

As Scarlett’s condition worsened, Robin reached out to the SPCA. Together they thought that naming the transport/adoption events in her honor would be an ideal way for the community to help an organization that Scarlett loved and was truly passionate about. Scarlett was always thinking about how she could help the animals at the SPCA. “She would donate all the blankets she received during hospital stays to the animals,” Robin recalls.

Cage captains, (L-R) Bryce Gell, Annabelle Fisher and Maddie Weiser at the inaugural Scarlett’s Rainbow Rescue event
Photo courtesy of Robin Chwatko

Brainstorming A Name for the Transports

When Robin and Scarlett first conceptualized Draw for Paws, Scarlett said she wanted to create every picture on her own. Robin suggested that Scarlett “employ” a few of her friends to help with the artwork. So she asked three of her friends, Annabelle Fisher, Grace Frieder and Tate Shalov (all rising fourth graders) to join her on this endeavor. These girls are all founding friends listed on the drawforpaws.org website.

After Scarlett’s passing, her friends came up with the name “Scarlett’s Rainbow Rescue” for the transports and decided to call themselves the Scarly Squad, but their involvement didn’t stop there. The Scarly Squad looked through Scarlett’s artwork and chose pieces that appear on the Draw for Paws website. They, along with Scarlett’s friends, family, and teachers also helped serve as cage captains at the inaugural Draw for Paws/Scarlett’s Rainbow Rescue adoption event held this past June at the SPCA in Briarcliff, which helped to raise more than $25,000 with funds that the community made in her honor at spca914.org/Scarlett and from contributions made on drawforpaws.org since the program launched. At this time, all contributions made on the Draw for Paws website will directly fund Scarlett’s Rainbow Rescue transport/adoption events.

Anyone Can Be an Artist

“We knew Draw for Paws was a way to directly involve Scarlett’s friends and family,” explains Robin. Robin admits that she was a bit hesitant initially and was worried that the people would not like the portraits drawn by the child artists but the response has been overwhelmingly positive from both the artists and the recipients of the artwork.

In order to become a Draw for Paws artist, an artist profile is needed. Artists are required to fill in an outline of a bunny that Scarlett drew named the Scarly Bunny and add a few details about themselves on the website. “Her friends are literally drawing WITH Scarlett- immersing themselves in her art by filling in this sketch. It is such a beautiful and special way to support her, remember her, and connect to her. It is also very therapeutic for so many of these kids who are feeling her loss.”

What’s Next for Draw for Paws

Robin hopes to expand the reach of Draw for Paws. Right now, the majority of the artists are local but they have had requests for portraits from Texas, New Jersey, Florida and California. “While our campaign will continue to fund Scarlett’s Rainbow Rescue, we encourage kids anywhere to start a Draw for Paws Campaign to help animals. For example, if an artist based in Florida wants to protect sea turtles, we will promote their campaign on our site and help them get up and running,” explained Robin.

Beyond Puppy Portraits

“The portraits are really incredible. People love them and want multiple drawings by different artists to collect them.” And the artists aren’t only drawing dogs, they’ve made portraits of cats, chickens, hamsters and dophins.

Currently, the artist is chosen randomly. “You can get a 5-year-old or a teen drawing your portrait,” said Robin but she is working to get celebrities and well-established artists on board in the future. “My favorite day of the week is sending out the orders – I feel Scarlett every time I send a portrait to a recipient. It is amazing to be able to honor her vision and spirit exactly as she wished.”

Draw for Paws at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival

Draw for Paws will have a special presence at this year’s Chappaqua Childrens Book Festival. Several illustrators will raffle original art as well as hold live “how to draw” demonstrations at the Draw for Paws booth.

Draw for Paws Portraits

German shepherd created by Rex, age 9, Manhattan

Celebrating Beauty and Community Through Art

June 3, 2019 by Julia Bialek

Art Around Town Creates a Strolling Art Gallery in Our Backyard

After what seemed like a week of never-ending rain, the sun came out on Friday and shone brightly on the town. On this beautiful evening, Chappaqua was packed with members of the community as they enjoyed the opening reception for the fifth installation of Art Around Town, an event hosted by the Northern Westchester Artists Guild (NWAG). Pairing artists with merchants and transforming Chappaqua into a strolling art gallery, Art Around Town gives artists the opportunity to install their work in local shops for the month of June. A vibrant celebration of art, music, and community, the opening night kick-off included receptions at the participating merchants with wine, food, and the artists to discuss their work, which is all for sale via NWAG. All over town, community-members excitedly observed the artwork and engaged with the artists, entering stores and mingling with merchants in the process.

The Art Map, featuring the artists’ locations around town.

The “Art Around Town” balloon arch, blown partially upside-down in the wind.

Between the beautiful weather, the breathtaking work of the 29 participating artists, and the live music from Jimmy Tate, it was a truly lovely evening. “Art Around Town is a great event that provides artists with an opportunity to showcase their work while bringing our community together to support our local businesses. Our merchants need and deserve our support and it was great to see so many residents doing just that,” stated Robert Greenstein, Town Supervisor.

When asked about the inspiration behind the idea for Art Around town, Peg Kafka Sackler, Co-Found of NWAG, adds: “There was a group of us trying to find something that could put Chappaqua on the map, and re-engage our community as a hub for visual arts. We are a typical small town, surrounding NYC and looking to capture some of the vibrancy that the arts can infuse into a community. This collaborative event connects the artist, the merchants, the town governance and the community members with a sense of pride and town spirit.” And for everyone in attendance, the electric spirit of the event was palpable. From Randi Childs’s beautiful photographs, to Jessie Rubin’s striking pop art which many described in awe as “happy art,” to Rhonda Hurwitz’s paintings inspired by her daughter’s jewelry line, town was saturated with art of every kind. The talent possessed by these artists is nothing short of spectacular. If you find yourself in town during the month of June, you won’t regret taking the time to walk through the stores and appreciate the artwork hanging proudly on the walls.

Rachel White, whose impressive equestrian paintings are up for display in town, shared with me the most important thing she learned from her transition from a corporate career to her art career, stating: “What I have learned from all of my experiences is that it is important to surround yourself with things that you find beautiful.” In saying this, she perfectly captured how the event transformed our town: it surrounded us with beauty. But beauty wasn’t just found in the incredible artwork. With the juxtaposition of lively conversation and silent thought, beauty could also be found in the way our town came together to appreciate art, celebrating local artists and the beautiful things they create in the process.