Who We Are – Susan Litowitz

New to the Board of Trustees this year, Susan Litowitz is no stranger to the Danforth Museum and School of Art. Just over three years ago, Susan was taking classes at the deCordova and was looking for different class offerings and a place that would be more convenient to her home in Sudbury. Someone mentioned to her the Danforth and she enrolled immediately.

As a Director of the Litowitz Foundation, Susan has been able to sponsor Over The Moon for the past two years. When Susan had her own graphic design firm, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her products went to support arts programs for children. “I see supporting the Blumer fund as an extension of that effort. I think the Danforth Museum and School is an amazing asset to MetroWest.”

Susan is an avid student who takes multiple classes every session. “The school is everything to me. The instructors are fantastic and the classes are inspiring, supporting, and engaging. I love the fact that the classes are mixed by gender, age, and experience.” The Danforth Museum and School of Art is committed to providing an atmosphere for creating and experiencing the expressive qualities of art. According to Susan, the Danforth School of Art has “a spirit and energy that enables you to express your own vision and share with others.”

This year, Over The Moon will be held on Saturday, March 24. Susan says, “The [event] itself is wonderful fun. The art activities engage people and give them an idea of what art-making is all about.” For the last Over The Moon, Susan brought several friends, some who hadn’t done artwork since they were children. She couldn’t get them to leave the art room.

Susan’s philosophy is that “Art is an expression of who you are, and a statement of who we are.” Thanks to the generous support the Danforth receives each year for Over The Moon from numerous supporters, the Museum can continue its mission to present and create expressive art. As Susan sums up perfectly, “It is through art that expression is made visible.”

Meet Dale Hamel
Danforth Museum of Art Trustee

Dale Hamel is a Needham resident and currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Administration, Finance, and Information Technology at Framingham State University. Dale has spent nearly twenty years in senior policy and finance positions at a number of Massachusetts higher education institutions. In addition to his duties at Framingham State, Dale is also the President of the Board of the Framingham Downtown Renaissance and is a Trustee here at the Danforth.

According to Dale, “At the time of the museum’s founding, the then president of Framingham State College played an instrumental role in starting the Danforth. The University and the Danforth have enjoyed an ongoing relationship since that time.” Dale’s positions both at Framingham State and here at the Danforth only strengthen the ongoing relationship between the two institutions.

Dale is also the President of the Board of the Framingham Downtown Renaissance (FDR), a coalition of business and community leaders focused on supporting a vibrant center for business, social, and cultural activity. Dale is proud to recognize the economic and cultural benefits the Danforth Museum and Museum School provide to the town of Framingham.

Recently the Danforth Board of Trustees completed a strategic planning process that made clear the close relation and benefit of the museum and the museum school. Dale says “With the direction articulated in the strategic plan, we have a unique opportunity to create future museum and museum school programs that will enhance the experiences in creating and enjoying art.”

Dale has undergraduate degrees in business administration (B.A.) and computer information systems (B.S.), master’s degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and Higher Education Policy Planning and Administration (Ed.M.), and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration (Ph.D.)

Meet Jill Weber
Children's Book Illustrator

Danforth member, Jill Weber is a children's book illustrator and designer, who has published with many major publishers. She began her education at the Rhode Island School of Design and completed her BFA at The New Hampshire Institute of Art.    

Her newest work, The Story of Hanukkah, is currently on display at the Danforth Museum. Jill has worked for Holiday House for the past fifteen years and has worked on Even Higher: A Rosh Hashanah Story (Holiday House 2009) and The Story of Esther: A Purim Tale (Holiday House 2011).

Jill comes from an artistic family. Her father, an artist, has been encouraged to be creative since the moment she could hold a pencil. Now Jill mostly works with water-based materials as books vary from gauche to acrylic. Her style is abstract with a little bit of naiveté so that she doesn't "render objects, but rather stylizes them."

The Story of Hanukkah (Holiday House 2011) by David Adler is Jill's most recent title. When asked about what sets this book apart from the other Hanukkah children's books, Jill says that "others focus mostly on the festival of lights, but not what led to the festival." The Story of Hanukkah looks at the historical events behind the Hanukkah celebration.

Jill currently teaches at her alma mater, The New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester, NH where she instructs children's book illustration courses and senior studio courses. Jill and her husband Frank live on Frajil Farms in New Hampshire. The Story of Hanukkah and additional titles are available for purchase at the Danforth.     

Meet Danielle Silva
Development & Marketing Associate

After her incredibly successful first fundraising event (A Matter of Taste), Danielle Silva is hard at work gearing up for the Danforth's Annual Appeal. New to the Danforth Museum this year, Danielle started as the new Development Marketing Associate in September.  

A Massachusetts native, Danielle grew up in Marshfield and earned her Bachelors of Arts in Fine Arts and Art History at Bridgewater State University. She also studied abroad in Florence, Italy focusing on art history and oil painting. Danielle enjoys multiple mediums of art including painting, printmaking, and sculpture.

Prior to the Danforth, Danielle was a Development Associate at the St. Philip's Academy in Newark, NJ where she worked in fundraising. While at St. Philips, she single-handedly raised funds to help a displaced family of St. Philips who had lost their home. She also managed morning day care, tutored second grade students and was a substitute teacher for second grade art classes.  

Most recently Danielle was the Coordinator of Stewardship and Donor Relations at The College of New Jersey. Danielle's background in art and development has made her a perfect addition to the Danforth Museum family. Be sure to say "hi" at one of our next events.  

Meet Dr. Jeremy J. Nobel, Danforth Overseer  
Founder and President, Foundation for Art & Healing

This fall many have enjoyed panel talks and discussions sponsored by the
Foundation for Art & Healing, which have come as a result with our long standing collaboration with Danforth Overseer Jeremy Nobel.  Although a medical professional by trade, Dr. Jeremy J. Nobel is also a committed and active participant in the arts. In addition to serving on the Faculty of the Harvard School of Public Health, Nobel is an art collector who has lent work for exhibitions at the Danforth and other museums.  Serving on the board of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company of New York City since 1997, he is also on the Board of Overseers both at the Danforth and the ICA, Boston.  As Founder and President of the Foundation for Art and Healing, he pursues his parallel interest in the fields of art and medicine in a unique way that benefits many.

Following events of 9/11, Nobel noted that, “for a lot of people (especially children), creative expressionism allowed them to better manage the storm of emotions.”  This observation led to the creation of the Foundation for Art and Healing in 2003, an organization with a mission to “bridge” the gap between the clinical side of medicine with the expressive and healing powers of the arts. As Founder and President, Nobel works to demonstrate the significant impact the arts have on the ability to cope with an illness, both emotionally and spiritually.  “We see an expanding role for our Foundation to raise awareness of art’s healing potential,” says Nobel, “as well as design and develop programs that can bring forward the benefit of art and healing in practical and sustainable ways.”

A  graduate of University of Pennsylvania’s medical school, as well as Princeton University’s Science and Human Affairs Program, Nobel holds Master’s Degrees in Epidemiology and Health Policy from the Harvard School of Public Health.  In addition to his active interest in the visual arts, Nobel is also a published poet and recipient of numerous poetry awards, including the Bain-Swiggett Prize from Princeton University and the American Academy of Poets Prize from the University of Pennsylvania.  These creative pursuits have allowed him to see new and different relationships between the external world and personal experiences to gain a better understanding of the healing process overall.

To meet Dr. Jeremy Nobel in person and discover more about the Foundation for Art & Healing, please come to the Danforth Museum on Sunday, October 16 at 3 pm when will Nobel lead a panel discussion with health care professionals entitled Creative Expression, Health and Wellbeing in which noted health professionals discuss the critical role art and creative expression play in the health and wellbeing of those living in today’s fast paced world. To learn more about the Nobel’s work with the Foundation for Art & Healing, and to sign up for their e-newsletters, please visit www.artandhealing.org.

Framingham Co-operative Bank
Corporate Sponsors for the Danforth
and the community

Framingham’s only community bank proudly supports Framingham’s only community art museum!  Serving individuals and businesses since 1889, the Framingham Co-operative Bank is a small community bank able to provide an unexpectedly wide array of customer service—and has provided long-time corporate supporter for a community museum that is nationally recognized.  Actively supporting cultural, educational and human service organizations within Metrowest, it ranks as one of the Town’s most modern and progressive financial institutions. For three consecutive years, the Bank has supported the Danforth Museum’s free Fall Family Days, providing children and adults’ access to museum exhibitions as well as docent tours and hands-on activities.  Past grants from the Framingham Co-operative Charitable Foundation have enabled the Museum to make much needed renovations to the Danforth Building and provided support for Drop Into Art, a year long program of free art activities for children and their families.  Please join us in applauding their efforts to improve lives of children and adults within the immediate community and beyond.

Free Fall Family Day
Sunday, September 11, 1pm - 4pm
Sponsored by Framingham Co-operative Bank

Meet Artist Janine Schmitt

We proudly present in the Museum School Gallery the work of Janine Schmitt, an advanced student, who specializes in abstract painting. Janine's large oil-painted canvases shine with the brilliant colors of her native Brazil.

Originally a New Yorker who frequented local museums and galleries, Janine moved to Westborough two years ago where she began a search for similar venues, artists and new friends. A friend's suggestion led her to the Danforth where she immediately knew she had found a special place. She describes the Danforth as "opening a new door in my life."

Enjoy her vivid Portrait of the Mind exhibition on view during Danforth Museum School hours through Friday, May 27th.  These thirteen works feature very rigid grid constructions layered with soft edges, dancing shapes, imaginary writings, images of the mind's need for order, and a visual story of the soul's quest to break boundaries.

We hope you enjoy this dynamic show and hope it ignites inspiration for your own artwork.

Learn more at www.janineschmitt.com

Meet Our Sponsors
BellaCakes

BellaCakes is not any ordinary cake shop. Located in Marlborough, MA this unique cake boutique specializes in making cakes and confections with a couture approach.

Opened in 2008 by award-winning pastry chef, Kristen Livoti, BellaCakes gives customers the opportunity to have their own unique edible piece of art. Each creation is carefully designed to reflect the customer’s individual tastes and personality. Their cakes and confections are not only aesthetically pleasing, but are deliciously handcrafted using only the finest ingredients with innovative flavor combinations. Flavor offerings range from green tea buttercream frosting to vanilla bean pound cake. For the customer’s with special diets, BellaCakes is a strictly nut-free shop and provides dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan options so that everyone can enjoy their treats.

We asked owner, Kristen Livoti, to comment on BellaCakes partnership with the Museum.

“Katherine French originally contacted me in 2008 after we first opened and asked us to provide baked goods for a charity auction at the Museum. I was happy to help and enjoyed participating in the events. We are proud of our partnership with the Danforth because we like to the support the local art community. BellaCakes is on the cusp of something different in regards to cakes, we treat it as an art form, which partners well with the Museum and their mission. I think it’s nice to have an art museum so close to home and many people may not recognize the benefits of that. It is wonderful for people to have a place to explore and learn rather than go all the way into Boston.”

BellaCakes will be featured at the Museum's upcoming benefit event Over the Moon on Saturday, March 27th from 8pm – 10pm. Come experience their original creations for yourself!

Learn more at www.bellacakes.net

Meet Corporate Partners
Kaeding, Ernst & Company

Kaeding, Ernst & Company is a leading provider of employee benefit solutions serving the employer market for the past 30 years.

With a specialized working knowledge and understanding of the mission and challenges in the non-profit sector, the Kaeding Team assists New England based businesses in the design, and management of core employee and executive benefit programs.

We asked, Executive Vice President, Tricia Mackoff to comment on their corporate partnership with the Danforth Museum of Art:

“We are proud of our alliance with the Danforth Museum – both in promoting the success of the employee benefit programs as well as the success of this fine organization. It has been our pleasure to support exhibits and events, to enhance outreach into the community as well as to raise awareness of the hidden treasures of this local Museum with many of our clients and friends!

When you first enter the door, you are introduced to extraordinary artistic talent but equally welcomed and impressed by the talent and commitment of  the entire staff under the direction of Katherine French.  These personal touches transform the building into a relationship- a trait we believe key to both of our successes.”

Visit Kaeding, Ernst & Company at www.kaedingco.com

Meet the New Board President
Colleen Rolph

Colleen Rolph joined the Danforth Museum of Art Board of Trustees in 2008 after receiving training through the Massachusetts Arts & Business Council Business on Board Program. She will take over as acting Board President at the October 27th Annual Meeting.
 
Colleen received her BS from Villanova University and her MBA from Babson College.  She has been with Fidelity Investments since 2002 and holds the position of Director, Online Channels, responsible for the workplace participant web strategy.  Prior to Fidelity, she held several management positions with International Data Group and two entrepreneurial ventures. Colleen has two children in elementary school. In addition to her board service, she coaches and plays indoor and outdoor soccer, is a volunteer in the Hopkinton school system, and is an active member of the Hopkinton, Villanova, and Babson Alumni Associations.

We asked Colleen to give us thoughts on her vision and goals as incoming Board Chair:

“The Danforth is at a critical juncture in our history.  We’re an organization on the cusp of greatness.  We’ve withstood the doom and gloom of the past 12 months and have flourished despite all the economic obstacles—a strong, positive indication we’re delivering a valuable art experience to our customers, constituents, and community.  As my daughter always proclaims when attending classes at the Danforth “I love this place, it’s the best!” 

With our 35th anniversary approaching next year, it is my goal to build upon the momentum and success of our past board chairs. We’re in a position to make our vision a reality and it starts with a permanent home in Framingham for the museum and school.  We need to listen, collaborate, and work together with the town to make it happen. Our passion remains focused on the celebration and creation of art where Boston Expressionism is center stage and a keen eye on emerging and established, living artists.   Delivering engaging and influential exhibits coupled with outstanding programming is key to sustaining soaring attendance and classes filled to the brims.  Finally, it’s my intent to leverage social media to build national awareness and support for the Museum’s vital role in the local community and art world.  I feel privileged and thrilled to be appointed President of the Board of Trustees during this significant time in our future.  We truly appreciate your past contributions.  I want to thank each of you ahead of time for your continued patronage, engagement, and financial support in the years ahead as we make art a part of everyone’s lives.

Meet Corporate Partners
Damianos Photography

Damianos Photography is an award-winning creative team specializing in photography of architecture, products and people for business. They create distinctive images for architects, general contractors, graphic designers, web designers and companies that want to promote their products or services.

Founder Lynne Damianos and Associate Jeremy Graves also teach a variety of photography and Photoshop-related classes and workshops to students, professionals and organizations. They are faculty members of the Danforth Museum of Art, Worcester Art Museum, The Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University, Boston Architectural College and Keefe Tech. Lynne earned her BS in Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology. Jeremy earned his BA in art with a concentration in photography from Salem State College.

They are active members of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), Commercial Industrial Photographers of New England (CIPNE), the Boston Society of Architects, the Society for Marketing Professional Services and Fountain Street Studios. For more information, visit www.DamianosPhotography.com and www.FountainStreetStudios.com.

We asked Lynne, as a corporate partner, working artist and Museum member, What does the Danforth Museum of Art mean to you?

"I am continually amazed by the diverse selection of high quality, intriguing exhibits the Danforth brings to the MetroWest. The Museum provides a venue for those who may be intimidated or don’t want the “event” of heading to Boston to see great art. The Museum also does a tremendous job of reaching artists throughout the region with exciting shows like the Off the Wall Annual Juried Exhibition, and the New England Photography Biennial. Artists can connect with the community through the opportunities like the upcoming Small Works Exhibition & Sale and Student Holiday Sale."

Lynne and Jeremy have generously donated their services to capture the many exciting things happening at the Museum. Look for their work throughout the year.

Museums are vital resources to our communities. They are places where the cultural conversation is protected and enhanced. They are essential to our understanding of art. You only need to go to places where there are no museums to realize how easy it is to become impoverished, that the cultural vitality can so easily be lost. The Danforth Museum of Art, located in the downtown area of Framingham, is a local treasure.

Museums are great protectors of the most delicate things to survive in the history of the world; subtle line drawings, fragments of 5th century jewelry, thousand year old fabric are protected and shared in Museums. The great privilege of being an artist is to be in conversation with the great artists of the past. You can encounter them in books, but there is nothing like meeting them in a museum where you come upon the work of artists past. What we call culture is very often that conversation across time. Museums like the Danforth Museum of Art make this conversation possible.

Niho Kozuro North Shore Pine Cones, 2007 Cast Rubber 60 x 12 x 1 inches Collection Danforth Museum of Art Gift of Murray Dewart

Murray Dewart has built large public and private sculptures across the United States in his thirty-five year career. Called “one of Boston’s premier sculptors” by Sculpture Magazine, he has work in twenty collections, including the Boston Athenaeum; the Danforth Museum of Art; the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park; The Harvard University Art Museums; The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and The Rose Art Museum of Brandeis University. As a founding member of Boston Sculptors, a cooperative gallery, Dewart has worked with and supported other sculptors by collecting their work and sometimes donating this work to area museums. This past year Dewart donated North Shore Pine Cones by the artist Niho Kozuru to the Danforth Museum of Art’s permanent collection. His own work is also represented in our collection in a small maquette for a piece entitled Memory’s Gate. The final work was featured throughout Boston and Massachusetts for several years, including spans at Harvard University, the Weston Library, and on Boston Common for two years during the Millennium. The completed sculpture is now permanently installed at a community center on Martha’s Vineyard.

Dewart has been commissioned by two Chinese cities, Beijing and Fuzhou, to build large bronze and granite sculptures for their international sculpture parks. His park project for the city of Cambridge, MA has been described by critic Marty Carlock in Landscape Architecture Magazine as a “landscape gem hosting three small but world class sculptures." His bronze Sun Gate was purchased by Harvard University for the Leverett House courtyard. Dewart is one of many who make up the community of artists here at the Danforth Museum of Art. To learn more, please visit his website at www.dewartsculpture.com.

Meet New Corporate Partners,
David Murphy & Richard Siegel of
Stanhope Framers

The Danforth Museum of Art is dedicated to supporting New England’s vibrant arts community by showing the very best in contemporary art and strives to collaborate with business partners who share our vision.  This month, we welcome new Corporate Partners, Stanhope Framers.

We asked David to comment on the Museum’s place in New England’s contemporary art scene, as he sees it.  “The Danforth Museum of Art under the direction of Director Katherine French, has demonstrated an interest in not only showing older New England artists, but contemporary artists as well. As a collector and arts supporter, it is so interesting to visit the Museum and see a show by a Boston painter from the 40s alongside a contemporary artist like Jo Sandman. This creates a wonderful exciting contrast and a conversation that gives the Museum a level of depth that is very unusual for a regional Museum.

Stanhope Framers works to think strategically about how to expend our philanthropic resources; what we can afford and what organizations are important to us personally as well as professionally.  We believe that supporting Museums like the Danforth is vital to our business.” 

Founded in 1972 by David Murphy, Stanhope Framers has over 32 years of experience in making fine, classic and contemporary frames for leading museums, art galleries, corporate collections, discriminating collectors and artists alike.  Stanhope Framers is a privately-owned company with a retail store in Boston and a framing facility in Somerville where an extraordinary selection of over 2000 frame styles are custom made using environmentally-sensitive materials. Partners David Murphy & Richard Siegel are committed to providing quality service and supporting a variety of philanthropic causes throughout New England.

Stanhope Framers in Back Bay Boston

David Murphy is a respected business owner, collector and supporter of New England’s artistic community, having donated artwork and framing services to fundraising events and regional arts organizations, including ARTcetera and the Danforth Museum of Art.

Richard Siegel brought his training as a printmaker to Stanhope Framers after the company merged with the Old Cambridge Company in 1993. His twenty six years of experience has helped make Stanhope Framers a leader in the industry.

Visit them on the web at stanhopeframers.com.