Last week, I spent a wonderful afternoon with Jean Steubing Maggrett, whom I've known for something over nine years, and Willard Bond, the father of my friend Gretchen. They met for the first time last week, but both of them lived and painted in the heady creative days of Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side in the late 1940s, 50s, and early 60s, and Gretchen and I got to listen to them share memories.

Jean lived in the Village, in a loft studio on East 9th Street, opposite the building that became the site of the 9th Street Show, which introduced the work of the New York School to the world. Jean, a member of the Art Club, and a student of Hans Hofmann's, suggested the space, and collected the money to rent it, and on opening night a floodlight from her studio lit up an enormous canvas sign Franz Kline had painted to announce the exhibit, which hung from an upper floor above the show. 

Willard Bond lived and worked in an old synagogue in the Lower East Side, where he painted large contemporary nudes and created painted ceramic murals, including the one at the entrance of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. He played the drums too, often with other jazz musicians, and Gretchen shared with us a photo of him playing onstage in the production of a Bertolt Brecht play.

Today, Willard is known for his marine paintings, which you can see at http://www.annapolismarineart.com/WillardBond.html, and which you see in the book on the table in front of them.

What wonderful stories I got to hear, from two people who lived hearty creative lives, and who still live life heartily and creatively! I'll post more later....

I drove to Monterey for a quick trip this weekend, and saw the show of a friend of mine, Mari Kloeppel, at the Monterey Museum of Art. In the museum building on Pacific Street, in Monterey, California, it is a wonderful show. It's rare to see so many of Mari's paintings together in one place, because each one takes her months to complete, and they are generally sold soon after.

Her paintings are reminiscent of old master paintings. Her subjects, all animals, glow with a quality of light and attention to detail that only comes after many layers of thin washes, painted with tiny, tiny brushes.

If you're in or near Monterey between now and July 10th, when the show closes, it's well worth a stop. If you'd like to see and learn more about Mari's work, or read an inspiring story of art, determination, and miracles, you can find Ben Bamsey's article, "Mari Kloeppel," at http://artworksmagazine.com/2009/03/mari-kloeppel/.

For more information about the show, you can go to http://www.montereyart.org/current-exhibitions/montereynow-mari-kloeppel/, the website of the Monterey Museum of Art. It's a wonderful exhibit!