Branch News, Fall 2024
Santa Clara County Shines Spotlight on NLAPW
By Dorothy Atkins, Outreach Chair
Fifteen members including an artist from our Diablo Alameda Branch highlighted all their creativeness on a sunshiny day in a lovely setting at the Headen Inman Museum House in Santa Clara in August. Artists, writers, dancers, and entertainers introduced Pen Women to the community.
Under canopies filled with artwork and books of all kinds, visitors were able to meet and greet each artist while shopping and learning more about NLAPW. Inside the vintage house, Pen Women displayed their latest books and art while chatting with guests.
The day was filled with friends of Pen Women who entertained with a sing-along, guitar music, vocalist, an on-the-spot sketch artist, and, to top it off, a visit from Mae West. Our writers were invited outdoors to read passages from their latest books to the delight of the audience. A free raffle rounded out the day and attendees were invited to hang out for a complimentary lunch provided by the branch.
Participating Pen Women were Kathryn Tyler, Mary Miller Chiao, Jude Tolley, Gerri Forte, Carol Woodard, Carol Greene, Ariel Smart, Dorothy Brown, Luanna Leisure, Gail Lockhart, Elizabeth Hack, Dorothy Atkins, Lorraine Gabbert, Elvira Rascov, and Pat Fisher. Much appreciation to the husbands and sons of Pen Women who did our setup and takedown and to the many members who contributed their support. It may have been a hot day, but it was certainly a joyful day.
Pensacola Showcases Artists and Writers in ‘Hai-Art’
Pensacola’s show, “Hai-Art: A Fusion of Art & Haiku,” graced the Suzanne Robbert Gallery inside Artel Gallery in downtown Pensacola Aug. 6-Sept. 13. The 38 pieces of art were each accompanied by a haiku, with 19 artists and 10 writers participating.
Working on the monthslong project were Anne Baehr, Lou Mitchell Courtney, Karen McAferty Morris, Heather Mitchell, Vivian Spencer, and Andrea Walker. A haiku-writing workshop took place in June; artists submitted two pieces, and the writers composed haiku inspired by the pieces. See a video of the show created by Anne Baehr.
A collaboration by Claire Massey (poet) and Gaylene Brotherton (artist) ‘Gardens of Babylon’
man-made Eden
the world wonders . . .
God’s oasis or desert mirage?
— Claire Massey
All Cities Exhibits at Bayard Cutting Arboretum
By Lisa Hermanson
Members of the All Cities Branch on Long Island in New York state exhibited artwork and had a poetry reading at the lovely Bayard Cutting Arboretum, the former summer estate of William Bayard Cutting and his family in Great River, New York. The exhibit, titled “Impressions: The Artist’s Eye,” was shown from June 20 through July 7, with a well-attended reception and poetry reading on July 7.
The gallery space overlooks the Connecticut River and the gorgeous grounds of the arboretum. It is set in the gracious rooms of the manor that has a Tudor influence, with colorful Tiffany windows throughout. This gracious home was built at the turn of the century.
Our exhibit focused on works with a connection to the natural world, romantic paintings of land and sea by Eleanore O’Sullivan, lyrical botanical drawings by Patricia Giancontieri, stunning photos of flowering plants in their natural habitat by Lisa Hermanson, and poetic interpretations of flora with a bit of magic in watercolor by Dina Fine. Poet Anna Di Bella, a past national NLAPW president, entertained the assembled audience with a lively reading from her several published books as well as from her new poetry works.
The event was quite successful in bringing new and former patrons to the exhibit and the festive reception.
Diamond State Back in Action After Busy Season, Break
By Mary Lou Griffin, Diamond State Branch President
The heat and humidity of the summer months has given way to some cooler temperatures, which is a sign that fall is near and it’s time to get back to our regular monthly branch meeting schedule. We are looking forward to reconnecting with our sisters and starting a new creative season.
A Musical Farewell by Evelyn Swensson
NLAPW performance.
Our branch meeting season ended in May with a farewell musical performance of Gershwin tunes by our distinguished music and letters member Evelyn Swensson in the Terrace Room at Stonegates Retirement Community.
She is an accomplished singer, musician, conductor, and composer, and a 27-year member of NLAPW. Swensson has been a soloist and conductor with the “Brandywiners,” Opera Delaware, Delaware Symphony, and the Aldergate United Methodist Church choir director. We wish her well in her retirement as she ends her public performance career and leaves Pen Women. She will be missed.
The Grand Challenge Is Underway
author Anthea T. Piscarik with her husband
at the Palette and the Page.
At our April meeting, our Diamond State Branch launched a new challenge project. Arts and letters members were paired with partners. The pairs had the summer months to exchange jpgs of existing paintings and written work. The existing work will be inspiration for a new creative piece. The new project is called The Grand Challenge and will result in an April 2025 show at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware. What an exciting venue to showcase our branch artists and writers and to educate the public about NLAPW.
Traveling Show and the Page Reopening
The artwork and writing pieces from our From Inspiration to Expression 2023 challenge project was featured at the May 3 reopening of the Palette and the Page in Elkton, Maryland. It was the weekend of Cinco de Mayo in the streets of downtown Elkton, so an opportunity to meet other writers and artists at the venue and to educate them about Pen Women, who we are, and what we do.
Fall Exhibit Planned
The branch will again be keeping our “creative week at the beach” tradition and heading down to Rehoboth Beach from Sept. 21 to 28. This creative time will hopefully inspire some new artwork for our exhibit at Rodney Pratt Gallery Old New Castle from Oct. 25 through Nov. 17. After all, we are what we create!
Greenwich Pen Women Get All Shook Up
By Linda Hortick
April 5, 2024, was the monthly meeting of the “Letters” group of Greenwich Pen Women writers. Anticipating an interesting, intellectual morning at Deborah Weir’s beautiful home, some members arrived early.
Critiquing each other invariably is a learning experience. It is productive to discuss our manuscripts and new concepts as a group.
We began discussing our submissions and were ready to move on to the next member when suddenly, out of the blue, we felt tremors. The table started vibrating as the tremors escalated. The house began shaking and the dishes rattled. All hands went to the table to brace ourselves. We looked at each other in fear and wonderment. What the heck was happening?
Alarmed, we all stayed seated as the tremors continued. Our hostess said, “This must be an earthquake.” When she said that, I looked at the person across from me and as our eyes met, she looked as fearful as I felt.
Then, as quickly as it began, the tremors stopped. The group was relieved, and it was quiet for a moment. Then the shaking resumed, but not as strong. “It must be the aftershock,” someone said. More rattling ensued, but this time it was only for seconds.
Diane Morello, always quick to research something and fill us in, was on her iPad in a flash. She told us it was a 4.8 earthquake that began in Lebanon, New Jersey, and spread to several states. She showed us the fault lines on her iPad.
Everyone began talking all at once about the earthquake and how they felt. I said, “It was like a seance in the vintage movies. The walls would rattle, and a ghost would appear from the dead.” I don’t know if anyone heard me because of all the excitement around the table.
I later thought to myself, “What a great experience! No one hurt, minimal damage, and our letters group will forever be bonded because of this experience.”
Other members in attendance to witness this phenomenon were Rosemarie Anner, Barbara Ehrentreu, Anita Keire, and Alma Rutgers.
Can’t wait for the next letters meeting. It’s at my home, but I can’t top this experience!