The Art of Larysa Myers

It was totally through happenstance that I met artist Larysa Myers. Longish story short, we were introduced by Julie Curtiss, an artist featured in the wonderful book "Get the Picture" by Bianca Bosker. Myers is now local, so I finagled an invite to visit her studio. What a treat to have the opportunity to see a wide range of Larysa's work and to talk with her about her artistic journey. 

Larysa didn't begin her working life as an artist. Far from it, in fact. Although art was her passion, Larysa opted for a more practical career path. She studied finance in college and worked for a time in investment banking. It was a way to pay the bills. When she took a new job and moved from Chicago to New York, her world shifted. Yes, she was still doing work that felt like drudgery. But art was everywhere, and it was like oxygen. She spent her free time exploring the City's many galleries and museums while continuing to create her own work. The time had come to follow her passion. She took a deep breath, jettisoned her corporate job and headed to art school.

Cast painting

The Grand Central Atelier provided Larysa with a deep foundation in classical art training. You have to be very serious about developing your skills to enroll in this type of program. Larysa shared that the students spent three hours a night for months doing cast and figure drawings. This ochre grissaille painting, for instance, took a month to create. (In case you're not familiar with the term "grissaile," it's a painting technique in which shades of a single color are used to create an image.) 

If you enlarge the picture, you should be able to see why it took so long to make this work. It was created using incredibly precise strokes -- mere touches, really -- with the smallest dabs of paint. The detail and the shading are spectacular. This type of classical training doesn't suit every aspiring artist. But the methodical process wasn't wholly new to Larysa. It actually bore some resemblance to the disciplined approach required in her former profession. While the subject matter in her work today is quite different from a classical cast, the same precision can be seen.

Larysa's training didn't end at the Atelier. She also studied textile design at FIT (the Fashion Institute of Technology). I hadn't realized that FIT offers a wide range of programs beyond fashion design, from animation to fine arts to spatial experience design. Very cool. It was an opportunity for Larysa both to hone her skills and to be in the midst of an energetic creative environment.  

Finally, the time came for Larysa to use her training to make her own art. Her work has an aura of mystery about it. The spirit of Henri Rousseau, one of Larysa's favorite artists, can often be felt. In fact, she has an image of Rousseau's "The Snake Charmer" tacked up in her studio for inspiration. Still, you can clearly see the impact of Larysa's classical studies in the detail of her work. And of course there are patterns that bring to mind her time spent in an environment in which textiles reign supreme. 

One of the things I like most about Larysa's work is that I experience it a little bit differently each time I look at it. Take, for instance, the first work in this post. Sometimes I connect with it as a representation of the way I want to approach today's political landscape. Can I please just stick my head in the sand until it's over? Having said that, I woke up this morning thinking that perhaps the woman is not hiding but seeking. Hmm. Then there are the other questions that come to mind. Why is the woman naked? When coupled with her position, she is doubly vulnerable to the dangers of the world in a way that makes me slightly anxious. But perhaps she is naked simply because she's wholly comfortable with her body and goes about her life being one with nature. Maybe she lives in a time before people wore clothing. Then there are the dots of light across the landscape. For me, they call to mind fireflies waiting to illuminate the way for our woman when she's done with whatever it is that she's doing. But they could of course have a deeper meaning, perhaps about the transient nature of life. (Okay, I admit it -- I looked up what fireflies can represent in art and am going with this interpretation.) But they might not be fireflies at all. As you can probably gather, I enjoy both the beauty in Larysa's work and thinking about what it might mean. It's much more satisfying than just looking at a pretty picture. 

A big thanks to Larysa for generously opening her studio to me. To explore more of Larysa's work, click here. And for a great interview with Larysa in maake magazine, click here. Happy viewing!

Human Form: a Body of Work from the Basch Glass Collection

"Reverence" by Martin Blank

The 16th Annual Basch Glass Exhibit is now on view at Ringling College and, as always, it is spectacular. I had the pleasure of attending a tour of the exhibit with Barbara Basch during which she spoke about every piece on display. Hearing about both the artwork and the artists truly brought the works to life.  

For me, Martin Blank's "Reverence" most epitomizes the theme of this year's show. I mean, hello! The chiseled physique of Blank's figure is beyond gorgeous. It's no surprise that the work is on display in the window of the gallery, along with Blank's "Demeter's Song." The latter sculpture is an homage to the Olympian goddess of the harvest. Both works are examples of hot sculpted glass. Creation of this type of piece involves "gathering" molten glass from a furnace with a steel rod and then sculpting its form without using molds or blowing techniques. Wow.

Blank was on hand to open this year's exhibit and gave the keynote address. His passion for art and life was on full display. He's a guy I can easily imagine sitting down and chatting with over dinner. In addition to works that can be displayed in a (very spacious) home, Blank has created large scale public art works. As a fan of public art, I'd love to see one of those works, perhaps his 210 foot "Fluent Steps." If you happen to be in the Tacoma, Washington area, "Fluent Steps" is on permanent display at the Museum of Glass. For more on Blank and his art, click here. 

"Ship of Fools" by Stanislaw Borowski (2005)

Stanislaw Borowski's "Ship of Fools" is a work that could be studied for days. The title comes from a book written in 1494 by Sebastian Brant about people moving from their home countries to the "Land of Fools." The satirical novel was illustrated with woodcuts thought to be the work of Albrecht Durer. While the Land of Fools is a fictional place, you might recall that Columbus set sail for America not long before before Brant penned his work. Perhaps the timing isn't coincidental. For more on the book, click here. But back to the art.   

"Ship of Fools" is a type of sculpture known as hot worked glass. This means Borowski "worked" the glass into shape using a 3D mold. You might notice that this sculpture is not as luminous as Blank's "Reverence." That's because Borowski acid-washed portions of the work to dull the patina. Each panel was then painted and/or etched with figures heading off to their new homes. If you look carefully, you'll see that the five human figures sitting abreast on the ship are morphing into birds. Basch explained that this transformation represents the release of the human spirit as the individuals embark on their new lives. It's a very interesting work. For more on the artist, click here. If you scroll down in the link, you'll find better images of work from Borowski's "Ship of Fools" series. 

"Tango series" by Leah Wingield (2003)

Leah Wingfield's "2 A.M." is from her "Tango" series, but I'm betting you could have figured that out on your own. Trust me when I say that the way in which the woman is holding her leg is not a move for beginners. Our tour group took a short tango lesson in Buenos Aires last fall, and it was all most of us could do to walk around the room to the count of three. A video revealed that we looked more like zombies recently risen from the dead than dancers. But I digress.

Winfield has said, "Tango is about attraction...tension...  energy... surrender. Tango expresses the rhythm of a love affair." You can see each of those feelings in this work. I love the way the partners lean into each other to create balance. You can sense the trust between them. To see other other works in this series that are more sensual, click here. I like them. 

Wingfield's work is an example of lost wax cast glass. The first step is to create a wax model of the desired form. Next, a mold is made around the form. Both delicacy and a sure hand are required for the next step as the wax has to be removed in order to create the cavity into which molten glass will be poured. I appreciate that Basch shared the different techniques with the group as it helped me conceptualize -- to a small degree -- how they were created. 

These are just three of the 38 works on display that showcase the creativity and skill of 20 very different glass artists. The exhibit runs through March 28 and is definitely worth a visit. For more information, click here. 

Greg Rumph Talks Illustration

Greg Rumph with his portrait of "Peaches" 

As Assistant Vice Principal at Booker High, Greg Rumph oversees the school's visual and performing arts (VPA) program. The school prepares students focused on all forms of art -- from dance to drama to visual art -- to leave home and go out into the world. In addition to the standard high school curriculum, students spend three hours each day working in their field with top notch professionals guiding their practices. It's no wonder students with creative goals happily commute significant distances to attend the school. But the topic at hand at a recent Arts Advocates' luncheon wasn't Booker's unique program but Rumph's own artistic practice as an illustrator. 

"Miles Davis"

In case you're wondering what differentiates an illustrator from other types of visual artists, it's the intention of the artist to create images that convey a message rather than being "merely" for personal expression. Sometimes Rumph leans into caricature in his works. He often exaggerates the hands of the people he portrays as a means of depicting stress and intensity. Even a quick look at Miles Davis' muscular -- but somewhat gnarled -- hands in this illustration yields information to the viewer about the life Davis led. And that's what Rumph is trying to achieve in his art -- capturing individuals at their core instead of just superficially. 

"Sarah Vaughan"

I was particularly interested in learning about the disparate artists who have inspired Rumph. You might be surprised, as I initially was, to learn that Gustav Klimt is one of his major influences. (Click here to see "The Kiss," one of Klimt's most famous paintings.) But when you look at Rumph's paintings with this influence in mind, you can see the connections. Despite their different styles, both artists lean into patterns, shapes and verticality in their images. Very cool. 

The impact of Egon Schiele's work on Rumph's style made more immediate sense to me. Schiele was best known as an Expressionist. It's a style of art whose followers were known for leaning into their feelings about the subject of their work rather than creating an objective image. Schiele would frequently use angular lines to express exaggerated emotions. If you're thinking, "That sounds similar to a caricature," you'd be right. You'd never look at a Schiele -- or a Rumph -- portrait and mistake the work for a photograph even if the subject is identifiable. And here's a fun fact about Rumph's artistic influences: Klimt served as a mentor to Schiele. 

"Sweet Thing" 

Rumph went on to share the specific inspiration for his paintings of "Peaches" and "Sweet Thing." The works are from a series depicting the characters in Nina Simone's "Four Women." In the song, "Peaches" is a woman born into slavery who was forced to become tough. She is not someone you would want to mess with. When Rumph heard these lyrics, he immediately related the character to Harriet Tubman and her work as a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad.  If you look carefully, you can see Tubman's face in the painting shown above. (For a better image of "Peaches," click here.) 

"Sweet Thing" in Simone's song is a woman who walks the streets for a living. In Rumph's portrayal, she welcomes her "patrons" with open arms. I get the feeling, though, that they walk into that embrace at their peril. To read the song's lyrics, click here. I hope I get the opportunity to see Rumph's series in its entirety. 

A big thanks to Rumph for sharing his time and his art. For a great piece on WEDU PBS in which Rumph talks about his work, click here. And to see more of his work, click here. 

Sarasota Library Foundation Presents Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett

You could practically feel the tremor of excitement across Sarasota when it was announced that Ann Patchett would be the speaker at this year's Library Foundation luncheon. The tickets -- not inexpensive -- flew out the door in record time. Some friends and I were among the 500+ readers who listened raptly as Patchett talked about a variety of topics, including three book-related people/experiences that changed her life. 

The first occurred when Patchett was just 26 years old. Already divorced and waitressing at TGI Fridays, she received a fellowship to the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts. She arrived late and missed the orientation. So there she sat in her cabin on her first night, alone and feeling a bit lost and out of sorts. Patchett called her boyfriend who made the best suggestion of their short relationship -- go out and knock on doors until you find a friend. The third door she knocked on was answered by fellow author Elizabeth McCracken. Decades later, the women are still both best friends and each other's first readers. Patchett said with a laugh that she doesn't need to actually give her pages to McCracken to know what she'll say. And a note of interest: Patchett's "Patron Saint of Liars" (now a banned book in Cook County, Florida) was the product of that residency. 

Fast forward to 2011, when Patchett was introduced to Karen Hayes. Hayes wanted to open a bookstore in their hometown of Nashville. Would Patchett be interested in participating in the endeavor? Not really, was the truthful answer. But all the bookstores in Nashville had closed, and Patchett didn't want to live in a place without one. So she said yes, thinking she would be the checkbook and Hayes would do all the work. It hasn't turned out as anticipated. 

Patchett confessed that she had always been a person with a "wall and moat." Her drawbridge would be raised when someone asked for something that would require a significant commitment of her time. After all, those books don't write themselves. To Patchett's surprise, her involvement with the store has expanded both her life and her writing. 

Like most bookstores, Parnassus hosts authors who have new books coming out. And while I'm sure the store welcomes its fair share of local authors, you can also find big names there. Patchett does some of the interviews herself and said the person she has most enjoyed talking with was Harlan Cobin. The mystery author might seem a bit of an unlikely choice, but Patchett said he was both nice and funny. She also shared that back in her college days she'd dated two of Cobin's classmates at Amherst and was kind of curious to find out what she'd missed. (Yes, Patchett is funny too.) If you want to check the series out, the store has a YouTube channel called "Parnassus Presents." 

It's also worth noting that Parnassus has a book of the month club of selections that Patchett carefully curates. She's found that the more she reads other authors, the more she wants to read. Go figure. For a list of those books, click here. 

The final transformative event (so far) took place at Parnassus when Robin Preiss Glasser, a children's book illustrator, arrived on the scene to promote one of her Fancy Nancy books. The women got talking and -- surprise, surprise -- it turned out that Glasser was a big fan of Patchett's books. And so she gamely asked Patchett, "Would you write a book for me to illustrate?" 

Patchett didn't have to think about it. The answer was "no." Having no kids of her own, she knew nothing about children's books and didn't have much interest in learning. But Glasser wore her down, and the pair have just finished their fourth collaboration. ("Lambslide," shown here, was their first.) 

What has been life changing for Patchett wasn't her pivot to writing the occasional children's story. It was what happened when the pair went out on tour. They would go to three or four schools a day, with books being distributed to the students (who, she noted, had paid the $19.95 purchase price). It didn't take Patchett long to figure out the demographics of the schools they were -- and weren't -- visiting. And so the Parnassus Books Foundation was created. The mission of the Foundation is to put books in the hands of children who attend Title I schools in the Nashville area. The Foundation is funded by the fees Patchett is paid for speaking at events like the Library Foundation luncheon. Learning this made me even happier to have attended this event. 

For more about Ann Patchett, click here. And for info on Parnassus Books, click here. If you're in the Nashville area, make sure to leave time for a visit to the store. 

Embracing Our Differences in 2025

"If They Only Knew" by Kenneth Cjay (Nigeria) 

It's the time of year once again for one of my favorite events -- the Embracing Our Differences exhibit in Bayfront Park. The exhibit - now in its 22nd year -- celebrates kindness, respect and inclusion. As always, the selection process must have been incredibly difficult. This year's art and quotation submissions numbered more than 10,000 and came from participants in 122 countries, 46 states and 511 schools. It was great fun to tour the 50 billboard--sized works, picking our favorites while listening in on the thoughts of other visitors. 

As you enter the exhibit, "If They Only Knew" by Kenneth Cjay greets you. The figure -- starkly posed in front of a monochromatic background -- brought to mind the work of Amy Sherald, the artist who painted First Lady Michelle Obama's portrait. The paired quotation, submitted by Canadian Raemus Castelino, reads, "People remember you for how you stood out, not how you fit in." In a video made for the project, Cjay shared that his work is a response to divisions caused by tribal discrimination arising from stereotypes. He went on to say, "Each person is unique and carries his own talents....Art is not just about creating, it's about connecting." 

"A Glimpse into the Future" by Claudia Balbuena (Sarasota)

Then there was "A Glimpse into the Future" by Claudia Balbuena, a senior at Sarasota High School. The related quotation came from Bradenton resident Dena Sturm and reads, "Aspire to inspire. Make your aspiration your inspiration." I love the idea of kids looking into a mirror and imagining their future selves, whether it be as a judge, a farmer or a chef. 

I suspect this work will be a favorite of the many students who see the exhibit. Embracing Our Differences does more than hope that kids will make their way there. Expenses for school field trips, including the cost of transportation and a guide, are covered by the organization thanks to the support of sponsors and donors large and small. Virtual field trips are also available for school groups outside the Sarasota area. Last year 278 teachers took advantage of this opportunity, enabling more than 14,000 students to experience the exhibit. 

"Right to Speak and See" by Aleh Barouski

"Right to See and Speak" jumped off the billboard at me. How could it not? This disturbing work was submitted by Aleh Barouski from Belarus. The related quote reads, "Be the voice of freedom in a world of silence" and was submitted by Carina Araujo, a seventh grader from Maryland. 

I will admit to not being conversant on human rights issues in Belarus, but a quick search revealed that the far right retains tight control of the government there. One of the "highlights" about Belarus in Amnesty International's 2023/2024 summary notes that the justice system continues to be abused to suppress dissent. It goes on to say that refugees and migrants suffered abuses at the hands of the authorities. These statements ring too close to home in our current world. 

"Stolen Spring" by Alena Grom (Ukraine) 

I'll leave you with a heartbreaking photo that contains a ray of hope. Artist Alena Grom lives in Bucha, Ukraine, a city destroyed during the Russian invasion. In her series of photographs taken amidst the rubble, Grom reveals a spirit of determination and perhaps even hope for the future. Instead of merely showing the devastation, her work features women affected by Russia's invasion posed in front of a colorful backdrop. 

Grom's series honors the resilience of the Ukrainian people who are striving to restore their lives. It is also an homage to the work of Michael Nash, a Polish photographer. During WWII, Nash photographed people standing in front of a bucolic backdrop with the war-torn city of Warsaw in the background. To see an example of his work, click here. The related quote, penned by Sarasota resident Craig E. Ullom, reads, "We must have the commitment to care, the confidence to dream, the will to act, and the courage to persevere." 

Embracing Our Difference's exhibit will continue at Bayfront Park through April 13th. The exhibit can also be seen at St. Pete's Poytner Park from March 1 - March 31.  For more information about the show and Embracing Our Differences' other initatives, click here.  

"Becky Suss: The Dutch House" at The Baker Museum of Art

"The Dutch House (Drawing Room)"

If you're a reader of Ann Patchett's books, you might be thinking, "What a coincidence!" when you read the title of this post. After all, Patchett wrote a novel with the same name a few years back. It turns out it's not a coincidence at all. 

A few years back, Chatanooga's Institute of Contemporary Art approached artist Becky Suss about doing a show that incorporated some aspect of Tennessee or the South. She began to think about the books of writers from the region. It didn't take long to land on Patchett's "The Dutch House," a book Suss had read and enjoyed. Patchett is from Tennessee, so that base was covered. Suss' work explores issues of domesticity and memory, which are big themes in the novel. So there was a second checkmark. And it just so happens that the novel is set in the town where Suss grew up. Point, set, match. Before long Suss was at her easel creating a series of paintings depicting the fictional mansion that plays such a big role in "The Dutch House."  

When creating her work, Suss did more than just look to the descriptions of the Dutch House in the novel. Patchett's story is set in Elkins Park, a tony suburb of Philadelphia. So Suss did a deep dive into the architectural and domestic details of Lynnewood Hall, a Gilded Age mansion in Elkins Park. The Delft tiles around the fireplace in Suss' "Drawing Room," for instance, were popular in that era. For her portraits of the Van Hoebeeks (the original owners of the Dutch House) that hang above the fireplace, Suss looked to portraits of James Buchanan "Buck" Duke and his wife. Duke was a particularly apt choice because both he and the fictional VanHoebeek were 19th century tobacco magnates. Didn't all those guys look more or less alike? 

"The Dutch House (Observatory)"

The painting that most summoned the book to my mind was Suss' depiction of the study/music room with its full wall of windows. When we first meet Maeve and Danny, they are living in the Dutch House with their widowed father. The children are introduced to Andrea, the woman who becomes their evil stepmother. Spoiler alert: Dad and Andrea get married, and when he passes away Maeve and Danny are summarily ousted from their home. Over the course of the novel, the Dutch House becomes an obsession for the siblings, and in many scenes they sit in a car outside the home and lament their lives. In the book, the front of the home also has a wall of windows, allowing Maeve and Danny to see into the world from which they've been ejected. It is inexorably sad.

Suss went beyond creating depictions of the house in her series. She also gave a nod to some of the books the novel's characters are reading. The inclusion seemed apt (and clever) in an exhibit inspired by a book. In the story, Danny and his wife-to-be Celeste meet on an Amtrak train where they are ostensibly studying for their classes. And so the backdrop in Suss's paintings of Organic Chem and Adrienne Rich's Necessities of Life recalls Amstrak upholstery from the 1970s. It was much groovier than the worn burgundy upholstery I remember from my days of commuting via NJ Transit a couple of decades later. I liked it.   

You might wonder, as I did, whether Patchett has heard about the exhibit. Indeed she has. Suss wrote Patchett before she undertook the project to obtain the author's permission. Patchett happily agreed on the condition that she have the option to purchase one of the paintings. It could have been a bit awkward if the author said "thanks, but no thanks" after seeing Suss' work. But Patchett reportedly exercised her option, although I haven't been able to learn which of Suss' works now hangs in her home (or, perhaps, her bookstore). Maybe we'll have a chance to ask her when she speaks at Sarasota's Library Foundation luncheon next week. 

"Becky Suss: The Dutch House" has moved on from the Baker to Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in Nashville, where it will run through March 16th. If you happen to be in the area, check it out. For more on Suss and her work, click here. 

Habatat Gallery Art Glass Exhibit Shines

"S'mores" by Eriko Kobayashi (2023) (Hot sculpted fused)

This year was the tenth anniversary of Habatat Gallery's Glass Coast Weekend in Sarasota. Based in Detroit, Habatat is the oldest and largest gallery in the United States devoted exclusively to artists whose medium is glass. And so the annual exhibit is a showcase of creations by the finest artists working in the field, with many of those artists on hand to talk with people about their inspirations and processes. 

While I've come to expect the unexpected at the show, I was still surprised to happen upon Eriko Kobayashi's "S'mores." My mouth started watering at a distant memory of toasting marshmallows over a fire until they reached that perfect level of gooeyness to layer on some chocolate and slip the delicious mess between two graham crackers. Yum!  And that's exactly the reaction Kobayashi is going for in her work. In her artist statement, she talks about how creating mundane objects triggers feelings of nostalgia and deepens her relationship with the object. I personally want to avoid having an ongoing relationship with s'mores, but I appreciate the sentiment. For more of Kobayashi's work, click here. 

"Little Bit" and  "The Roaring 20's" by Jen Blazina (cast glass and bronze)

These gorgeous little evening bags also caught my eye. Like Kobayashi, artist Jen Blazina is inspired by everyday objects and the memories they carry. She often works from old family photos or objects found in secondhand stores. 

In this case, Blazina's work was inspired by her grandmother, a fashionista who had a large collection of handbags. Blazina inherited the bags when her grandmother passed away and has continued the family tradition by collecting purses of her own. So she has lots of inspiration close at hand. Blazina shared that there's been some talk of using her creations in fashion shows. They are certainly beautiful enough for the runway.  

Blazina also made the bronze trays on which the bags sit as an homage to her grandmother's vanity tray. Hearing that made me think of my own tiny grandmother sitting at her vanity and brushing her surprisingly long hair. The similarities to Blazina's grandmother end there, though. In her worn country clothes, Grandma Mary was the furthest thing from a fashionista that you can imagine. But I digress. For more on Blazina and her work, click here. 

"Visionary #7" by Tom Scoon (2024) (cast glass and granite)

I was immediately drawn to Tom Scoon's stunning pieces made of cast glass and granite. There's something about their faces -- featureless yet full of expression -- that reminded me of the moai I recently saw on Easter Island. 

Scoon sources his granite from a quarry in New Hampshire, looking for stones that speak to him. Here he imagines the cleft of a chin, there the shape of a torso. Back at his studio, he cuts the granite into the desired shape with a circular saw. Then he pours molten glass into a plaster mold to make the balance of the figure. His goal is to create a work in which there's continuity between the stone and glass components. To my eye, he does that beautifully. But it's the contrast between the textures of the granite and the glass that makes these works special. I particularly like the figure with the legs crossed at the ankles. 

For a wonderful video of Scoon creating one of his works, click here. 

"A Feeble Light Glimmered" by April Surgent
(2020)(fused and engraved glass)

I'll leave you with "A Feeble Light Glimmered...Cautious Gray Thoughts" by April Surgent. (Apologies to the artist that my photo doesn't quite capture the contrast.) Surgent engraves her fused glass to capture images of people and places she's photographed in her journeys. While glass engraving is traditionally considered a decorative art (think cameos and fancy glassware), Surgent's work is distinctly contemporary. 

I happened upon an Instagram post in which Surgent shared her thoughts behind this piece. She wrote, "Social ecologists argue that climate change is as much a social crisis as it is an environmental one, and in order to adress one, you must address the other. The shadowy figure in this piece teeters on the threshold between who they have been and who they are becoming. Reimagining who they are and how they might adapt to our changing planet." It's an interpretation I wouldn't have come up with on my own, but I can see it. The figure seems to be fading away just as the health of our planet is. What can I add except a link to Surgent's website? 

If this post has given you a hankering to see some glass, don't miss the 16th Annual Basch Glass Exhibition at Ringling College. This year's theme is "Human Form: A Body of Work." I managed to snag a slot for a tour with Barbara Basch in March and will report back after that. I did sprint (very carefully) through the exhibit on opening night, and it's spectacular as always. And if you happen to be in the Detroit area, make time for a stop at Habatat Gallery. I'm already looking forward to next year's exhibit.