Branch News, Fall 2022
Central New York Visits Historic House
Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation and House received Central New York Branch Pen Women in May. Gage Foundation artist-in-residence and Pen Woman Vanessa Johnson conducted a lively tour through the house for the Pen Women in attendance.
The Matilda Joslyn Gage House in Fayetteville, New York, features some original materials from the supreme feminist and suffrage writer Matilda Joslyn Gage. The house showcases little known aspects of the Underground Railroad in Central New York, as well as historical documents and papers written by Gage or about her activism. A highlight of the tour was the exact re-creation of one of Gage’s rooms, down to the stuffed owl in the center of the room.
Another highlight was the Underground Railroad room with the names of people who escaped from slavery written on the ceiling and the floor mat. “We made sure it was impossible not to notice,” said Johnson, pointing to the painting of life-size figures on the floor.
The Gage House also has a gift shop with a wonderful array of books and other material relating to suffrage and human rights. Branch President Judith McGinn said the Gage Home always offers something new in this evolving historical museum.
“The displays have changed just since the last time I was here,” she said.
Before leaving, Pen Women Karen Pastorello and Nancy Dafoe signed their co-authored books in the book shop.
Diablo-Alameda Installs Officers
By Winifred Thompson, Branch President
Diablo-Alameda Branch artist, writer, and musician members participated in the Visions of Spring reception on April 2 at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore, California. We also installed our 2022-24 officers on June 25 at our Garden Party in Castro Valley:
- Winifred Thompson, president
- Julie Cohn, co-membership VP
- Mary Fine, co-membership VP
- Patricia Doyne, program VP
- Debra Collins, secretary
Anika Yadav is our first student member. She lives in Iowa and is a dual member of the Iowa Branch.
Yucca Celebrates 70th Anniversary
Yucca Branch, Albuquerque, New Mexico, celebrated its 70th anniversary this year. Two meetings, in February and March, were dedicated to the celebration. For these gatherings, President Janine Wilson updated the Yucca Branch history and encouraged members to create new art pieces memorializing the branch, Pen Women, or the iconic owl.
It seemed fitting that the February kickoff coincided with our first official “in-person” meeting since the start of the pandemic in 2020. (Yucca members met via Zoom during the pandemic with programs such as book reviews, poetry, and paintings based on paint chips, interview with Anne Hillerman, and holiday trivia games). Fourteen current members and two former members attended the February luncheon at El Patron, a local restaurant. Sally Bryant, a scrapbook aficionado, created owl favors filled with chocolate for each attendee.
Janine Wilson presented Jane Maclean with roses for her outstanding service: past Yucca Branch president, 5th vice president at the national level, and editor of the Yucca Branch newsletter for 10 years. She also won first place in the newsletter category of the 2020 National Federation of Press Women and New Mexico Press Women Communication Contest for the newsletter.
Owls prevailed at the March meeting as members expressed their creativity in paintings and verse to celebrate our ongoing supportive fellowship. Sally Bryant presented the 70th owl painting to Janine Wilson.
Golden Gate-Marin Supports Local Students for 20 Years
By Debbie Patrick, Scholarship Chair, and Catherine Bohrman
For the past 20 years, the Golden Gate-Marin Branch has awarded funds to deserving female high school seniors who plan to pursue the visual arts at the college level. We are pleased to announce that Abby O’Sullivan from San Marin High School in Novato, California, is our 2022 recipient of the $500 award.
After the award committee reviewed all applicants, Abby was the unanimous choice. Her artwork is a mixture of fantasy, whimsy, gothic, and steampunk, with a focus on hidden meaning and character design. Her media of preference is digital, but she is equally skilled at hand-rendering.
“Abby has the courage to stick with the ambiguity that sometimes comes with making art and ends up approaching new concepts in surprising ways, making them her own,” her Advanced Placement art teacher wrote.
She will attend the University of California at Davis in the fall.
Denver’s Interviewing Activities Inspire Book Creation
By Linda Reiss Volin, Denver Branch President
“Who We Are” is a book resulting from an exciting interview project undertaken by members of Denver Pen Women. Each of us was randomly provided a member’s name and contact information. The assignment was to communicate with that person, gathering details about the subject’s background. Each interviewer was to creatively place the information in written words and/or in an art form.
The project, suggested by Ann Klaiman, was encouraged by Past President Diane Chambers and enthusiasm reigned supreme as the undertakings proceeded. Results were successfully presented at two consecutive Zoom meetings.
Then came the final step of our project, compiling the interview results into a book. Accomplishing this goal were layout editor Linda Reiss Volin, research editor Juliana Adams, and cover designer Sue Luxa.
Members of Denver Pen Women are excited to have this printed memory of our creative friends so we can reread about their wonderful achievements and interests and once again see the truly creative techniques of the interviewers.
Branch News, Summer 2022
Cape Canaveral Raises Funds for Scholarships
By Donna Puglisi, Branch President
The Cape Canaveral Pen Women co-hosted our 2022 Music Scholarship Fundraiser on March 25 at One Senior Place. This year’s $1,000 music scholarship winner, Colleen Jordan, a junior at Sebastian River High School, entertained the crowd with her beautiful singing. She plans to continue her singing career and is currently performing in local restaurants and other artistic venues.
Pen Women donated amazing raffle baskets for the event and also displayed their artwork, jewelry, and books for sale.
Cape Canaveral Pen Women’s outreach programs include a close relationship with One Senior Place. We provide author talks and workshops for the community. It is so rewarding for our Pen Women to interact with the seniors in Brevard. Not only was the fundraiser a huge success, but the smiles on everyone were priceless.
Our Scholarship Luncheon took place on May 1.
We continue to interact with our community to educate them about who we are and what we do. The scholarship fund every year enables worthy young women in the arts to pursue their careers and dreams for the future.
Sarasota Honors Local High School Seniors
By Wilma Davidson, Branch President
Over 30 years ago, Sarasota Pen Woman Betty Altman began an outreach program — a competition among high school seniors talented in art, music, and letters. When she died, the Altman family decided to continue her legacy through funding the art awards. The program, now called “Launching Leaders in the Arts,” has grown to include 17 high schools. Our Performance Luncheon, where we present the awards and where the students display their talent, is the highlight of every spring.
This year, we were able to celebrate, recognize, and reward five talented artists, five take-our-breath-away writers, and three musical composers who stepped outside their comfort zones, but not outside their capabilities, to share their talents with us.
We start early in the fall connecting with the schools and teachers to encourage student participation in the yearly competition. And we also start early raising money to reward each winner in every category with prizes ranging from $1,250 to $2,000. It’s hard and dedicated work, but each spring, when we gather at our luncheon and see the students, their teachers, and their families, we know we are doing what the National League of American Pen Women, Inc. is all about: keeping the arts alive.
Southwest Florida Attends Artful Feast
By Cornelia S. De Dona
The cheers were unanimous at a recent Southwest Pen Women luncheon hosted by “Artist In The Kitchen” friend Stephen Blancett. Thank you to artist member Honey Costa for organizing a visually stunning and equally tasty, by-invitation-only gourmet event. Blancett and his husband, James Ritter, decorated their Alva, Florida, home for Easter with a plethora of bunnies, and we all oohed and aahed at the decorations, not to mention their private art collection, including a few pieces painted by our own Cheryl A. Fausel, branch president.
We toured their home while sipping mimosas, later feasting on hashbrown and sausage casserole, cinnamon blueberry monkey bread, and strawberry-blackberry parfait.
Clearly in his element, Blancett ascertained that some of our lively members possessed rather discriminating tastebuds, yet all cleaned their plates and several members cradled cookbooks upon leaving. Finally, we posed for a group photo in front of a life-size Marcus Jansen painting.
“Artist in the Kitchen Culinary Masterpieces Made Easy” is available on Amazon and features more than a hundred of Stephen Blancett’s recipes, photos, and art. A few personal favorites are Mussels in Wine Sauce, Coconut Curry Soup with Shrimp and Mussels, and a Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust. He regularly donates to Arts for Act (a nonprofit owned and operated by Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc. in downtown Fort Myers).
April’s event marked the highlight of the season. Next year promises new leadership and perhaps a few surprises. Our snowbirds are headed back north and other members are summering in Europe. Time for a change of scene, renewed inspiration, and creativity.
Santa Clara County Hosts National Student Poet
By Dorothy Atkins, Branch Outreach Chair
On March 26, the Santa Clara County Branch Outreach hosted a special presentation, Celebrating Youth. Sarah Fathima Mohammed delighted our members with her poetry, goals, and a very mature outlook on life. She is also interested in Pen Women and what it stands for.
Sarah was among the five winners named as National Student Poet, chosen out of 19,000 students around the country, and will serve in her position for one year as a literary ambassador.
A first generation Muslim-American, she is a rising junior at Harker Upper School. Poetry has become a world where she can speak freely, holding her voice in her hands while excavating the histories of the women in her family.
She writes poetry sourced in grief, faith, and longing because for her people, these emotions are inherited. When Sarah travels back to her hometown — a small fishing village in Kumbakonam, India — she sits in circles with the girls at the mosque, introducing them to poetry. Together, they read and reread Safia Elhillo and Fatimah Asghar’s lovely anthology of Muslim voices, “Hala If You Hear Me.”
Sarah hopes to share with fellow immigrant women from conservative cultures how storytelling can be activism and how poetry can turn “otherness” into power.
When she is not writing, Sarah loves long morning walks with her family and listening to music by Yuma.
Boca Raton Raises Scholarship Funds, Installs Officers
By Carol White
The Boca Raton Branch has been holding in-person luncheons since this past December. Sheila Firestone, our membership chair, has added eight new letters members to our branch.
If you were lucky enough to be at our April 27 closing luncheon featuring our Annual Art Auction, you had the chance to bid on amazing works of art donated by our talented members. Art work, worth so much more, went for a fraction of its actual value.
The room became a gallery of color with easel-topped paintings, a quilt, and even supplies with which to paint to your heart’s desire. Artistic cards, also donated by our members, sold in small packages. All proceeds go toward our scholarship program.
Thanks to our art co-chairs, Fran Mann Goodman and Phyllis Elrich, for organizing the auction, and to all who donated and bid so we may continue to help young women pursue a career in the arts.
We also held our installation of new officers at this meeting. Other elected officers are:
- Michelle J. Putnik, President
- Brenda Dressler (PhD), 1st vice president, Programs
- Sheila Firestone, 2nd vice president, Membership
- Lea Hope Becker and Barbara Bixon, co-treasurers
- Dayle Herstik, recording secretary
Long Island Celebrates Exhibit
The Long Island Branch’s opening reception on April 2 at B.J. Spoke Gallery in Hungtinton, New York (a member owned and run, not-for-profit gallery of professional artists), was welcomed by 70 people attending the exhibit. This was the branch’s first exhibit since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
There was a joyous feeling in meeting member artists of B.J. Spoke and Pen Women members’ families. The work ranged from collage to acrylics to oils, and from abstract to realism, and also included poetry.
Pictured are Long Island Branch members Chris Greene, Audrey McHugh, Dolores Caporale, Kay Ray, Diane Hawkins, and Selma Stern. Not pictured and also exhibiting were Phyllis Coniglio, Joan Israel, Karen Kirshner, Min Myar, and new member Claudia Bedell.
Modesto Honors Student Artists and Writers
By Lynn M. Hansen, Branch Letters Chair; and Nancy Haskett, Letters Membership Chair
After a two-year pandemic pause, the Modesto Branch, in collaboration with Modesto/Stanislaus Poetry Center (MoSt), hosted the Aileen Jaffa Memorial Youth Poetry Contest in April. This contest is conducted in memory of Aileen Jaffa, a longtime NLAPW member.
Entries were received from students enrolled in kindergarten through high school in Stanislaus County. The celebration was hosted at the Carnegie Center for the Arts in Turlock, California, where student winners read their poems to an audience of admiring parents, friends, and teachers. Cash awards for first, second, and third prizes and honorable mention certificates were provided by MoSt Poetry Center while two grand prize cash awards were provided by the Modesto Branch.
The grand prize winner for grades 7-12 was David Hendon, grade 12, for “Grief,” and the grand prize winner for K-6 was Farrah Borba, grade 5, for “Gooey Gooey Little Glop.” Branch President Jennie Chadwick presented the two winners with certificates and the cash prizes.
As part of Youth Art Month, the branch also presented honorariums to several students, ranging in age from elementary to high school. The first event took place on March 24 at the Stanislaus County Office of Education for the “Student Art Showcase.” Branch President Jennie Chadwick and Arts Program Chair Henrietta Sparkman presented the honorariums to Aaliyah Villalobos, Alex Aranda, Theo Lapeña, and C.J. Vincent. The reception also included a dance performance and readings by the Poetry Out Loud recitation champions.
On March 26, a “Young@Art” reception and exhibit were hosted at the Mistlin Gallery in Modesto, where Chadwick once again gave out honorariums to Paris Reyes (age 17) from Central Valley High School in Ceres for an ink and watercolor titled “A Place Away From…” and to Zoe Gheen (age 8) from Sacred Heart Catholic School in Patterson for her watercolor, “Tiny Coqui Frogs.”
Connecticut Pioneer Hosts Art Exhibition
By Carol Nipomnich Dixon
It was a pleasure to have our members artwork on view and literary readings and music at the Gertrude White Gallery of the Greenwich YWCA in May after not being able to meet in person for almost two years. Six of our artist members had six works each on the gallery walls — many of them celebrating the beauty of spring landscapes. The exhibiting members were Lucie Anderes, Vivian Bergenthal, Carol Nipomnich Dixon, Grace Le Ve Vander, Marcia Preston, and Elizabeth Vazquez.
The reception on May 6 featured a program that highlighted our letters and music members. The program began with a tribute to three members who recently passed away. Kerry Orlich read a poem titled “Into Forever” by her mother, Virginia Hagen, who was a longtime letters member. Then pianist Justine Macurdy read a tribute to Patti Preiss-Harris, a renowned music member. Branch President Carol Dixon paid tribute to art member Janet Coughenour, known for her watercolors and collages.
We were privileged to hear letters member Elvira Sisca read her poems, “My Dog” and “His Town,” the first seen on the NLAPW website and the other on the poetry page of the 2021 summer issue of The Pen Woman. She also read two very short poems, “Can We See” and “Another Look at Freedom.”
As a final treat, Marcia Preston spoke about her four piano compositions in a series titled “Mystical Journey,” which Justine Macurdy then performed on the piano.