What's Happening!
Celebrating 20 years of the African Women's Education Fund. We held a special reception on Sunday, February 25. If you missed it, let us know if you have any questions about this phenomenal organization created by Croton locals! Or go to Awef.org
Carol Bash
Carol Bash is the Founder and President of Paradox Films, a media production company based in Peekskill, New York. She is an award winning documentary filmmaker with over 20 years of experience. She has worked with various established documentary production companies—most notably Blackside, Inc. and Firelight Media– as a freelance Producer, Director, Cameraperson, Archival Researcher and Production Coordinator. Before her career in independent film, she worked at CBS News as a Broadcast Associate.
Currently, Carol is the Programming Coordinator at Black Public Media. She is also a Peekskill Arts Alliance Board Member and an Organizer/Programmer of the annual Peekskill Film Festival. Carol is a former Black Public Media artist-in-residence and a Firelight Media Documentary Lab fellow.
Carol Bash
Cole Rivers
Cole Rivers co-owns Croton's Black Cow Coffee with his wife Faith. A practicing Buddhist, coffee expert and chief roaster, Cole has worked at the Black Cow for almost 17 years. He is serious as a scientist when he roasts the beans, often consulting his computer to check on the vital signs. He got into the coffee business through his first love, poetry.
Faith and Cole Ri vers
Zach was one of the winners of our Fantasy Art Contest, and we are featuring his work for a week on the back wall beginning February 14. Come and check it out!
Reception Saturday, Feb. 17, 3-4. Everone is invited.
Lavinia's workshop was a blast, pictures soon to be posted.
Visitors at the gallery enjoying the Origami Workshop by Yoshimi Arai
A Special Tea Workshop at the gallery
Frank Kwei above, explains the harvesting and geography of teas of India and China to a rapt audience in the gallery.
White, Green, Oolong & Black: TEA 101
Get ready to dive into the ancient world of TEA as we explore the flavors and traditions behind teas of India, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan and Japan. This in-person event will take place at Croton River Artisans Gallery in Croton, Lower Hudson Valley's renowned artist enclave.
Whether you're a tea connoisseur or just starting your tea journey, this guided tasting and talk led by expert Frank Kwei will feature classic regional representations of loose leaf teas, highlighting production methods, cultural traditions, preparation suggestions, as well as the health benefits of tea. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to expand your knowledge, indulge your senses, all the while surrounded by beautiful artisan creations. Grab your friends and join us for a tea-rrific time!
About Frank Kwei
Frank is the Special Projects Liaison and Tea Expert at Grace Farms in New Canaan, CT. He welcomes the public with a simple cup of tea and invites them into a deeper appreciation of the intentionality of SANAA’s architecture and the impact of Grace Farms Foundation’s work to advance good in the world.
Before joining Grace Farms, Frank was the co-owner and COO of a boutique tea company based in Brooklyn, New York. He spent over a decade managing the operations and sourcing fine teas and herbals from around the world, and now he hosts a wide variety of tea education programs focusing on not just the leaf, but the history, culture, and the modern-day concerns of ethical sourcing and sustainable production of tea.
A son of a diplomat, his childhood was spent across three continents, spent over a decade exploring the underwater caves of northern Florida. Frank currently lives in Wilton, Connecticut with his wife, two daughters and their beloved Westie, Bari White.
For the month of August we had a special guest artist, the accomplished sculptor Bob Marona.
About Bob Marona, Sculptor
Robert Nazareth Marona says that the goal of his sculpture was to create forms that capture not the look, but the spirit of the subject. He has been sculpting since the age of 8.
Marona received his master’s degree in Industrial Design at Pratt Institute,
where he also taught design after his discharge from the United States Army
Artillery. His evolution as a sculptor was greatly influenced by his diverse career in the fields of industrial design entertainment, which took him around the world
countless times.
The publicly-visited facilities he designed were all conceptually based on his belief that the audience is truly experiencing “3-dimensional sculptures that people could actually enter, view and explore from within!”
Marona founded his design company in 1962, with the goal of creating a firm
“that could assist clients with all of their communications needs” – which he
referred to as “Total Communications”. Over 40 years his firm created
trademarks and logotypes for countless clients and also developed consumer
packages. He is very proud of his daughter Mary Elisabeth, who was his model
for his design of the ”Morton Salt Girl!" She was 11-years-old at the time, and this version of the trademark has been in use for 50-years!
He personally consulted on and designed exciting thrill rides and ‘Live’ shows for
Universal Studios - “Back to the Future”, “King Kong” and “Beetlejuice’s
Graveyard Revue” to name a few.
Included among the public museums and entertainment experiences Marona and
his team designed;
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5 permanent exhibits and films at The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton
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The design of the museum, dark ride, exhibits and films for The Petronas Science and ArtMuseum, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
He is very proud of the large bronze sculpture he created of the founder of the educational facility for under-privileged women of India which stands at the main entrance to greet them! He also produced an epic award-winning 70mm film for The Washington State Pavilion – “The Significance of You” - one of the five World's Fair Pavilions he and his talented team designed.
Marona and his staff created three Presidential Libraries: The Lyndon Baines
Johnson Library in Austin, Texas, The Richard M. Nixon Library in Yorba
Linda, California, and the George H.W. Bush Library in College Station,
Texas. His Team selected the architects, who were retained by the client, but
responsible to the Team for their designs.
He expressed that he has enjoyed working in many sculptural mediums – but
especially loves the ‘forgiving’ quality of clay, and the ‘unforgiving’ quality of
wood, that was ever reticent to reveal its hidden secret
Introducing Emma Castro
Emma was our talented summer intern! Her work showed last August to rave reviews!
About Emma Castro
A cognitive science major, among other things. I always hesitate to call myself an artist.
My artistic roots trace back to Croton-on-Hudson, NY - a tiny town about an hour north of New York City. Despite growing up in a family of hobbyist artists, I never thought my artistic abilities could extend far beyond my mandatory middle school classes.
On my first day of high school, I was mistakenly placed in a studio art class. It was only then that I discovered my affinity for drawing. The remainder of high school consisted of branching out into painting, further exploring materials and techniques and finding my voice through visual arts. Like most high school art students, this exploration culminated in my AP Art portfolio, which focused on investigated various manifestations of discomfort.
Now a sophomore at Tufts University, I'm dedicating my Friday afternoons to my second studio class. I plan to complete a studio art minor by my graduation in 2026.
FANTASY ART COMPETITION
Paint or draw Fantasy Art?
Check out FANTASY SEPTEMBER at the Croton River Artisans Gallery.
Images were submitted in three categories:
60 and up
25-60
18-25
We will announce the Fantasy competition winners soon, along with winners of the Comic contest!
Abe Birnbaum
Abe Birnbaum was an illustrator for over 40 years and created more than 200 "New Yorker" covers. He also illustrated children's books, including Green Eyes which won a Caldecott Honor in 1953. He lived in Croton on Hudson.
Some of Abe's "New Yorker" Covers:
For sale at the Gallery:
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"Family at Radiator"
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"Rock, Paper, Scissors"
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"Baby Carriage"
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"Mom with Child at the Beach"
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"Haircut"
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"Boys with Globe"
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"Boy with Airplane"
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"Baseball Players"
"Rock, Paper, Scissors"
"Mom with Child at Beach"-SOLD
"Boy with Airplane"
"Baseball Team"
Phil Taylor's Glassworks
Phil has generously given the Croton River Artisans Gallery three of his beautiful pieces to support the gallery. This stunning green and red vase is the last of the three, and will be up for a raffle during the holidays.
Bowl with winning ticket.
