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It's the Great Pumpkin Interview

11/22/2017

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Saxton Freymann and His Objet Trouvé Approach to Pumpkin Carving

A little prologue before I get to the post today because Thanksgiving is an obvious time to take stock and to enjoy pumpkin -- which I hope you all will.  I am very thankful to live in Bloomingdale and be part of a wonderful community that continually surprises me.  And I am particularly thankful to have a perch from which to celebrate that neighborhood, my muse for purposes of the Block Association blog, where the opinions expressed are my own.

I am also very thankful for this Block Association and to its board and volunteers for doing what they do.  You only had to be in the street on October 31st to appreciate how much joy can come from a volunteer initiative.  If you weren't, you'll get another chance with Solstice Caroling coming right up on December 21st.

To continue to knit the community and share news with neighbors, here on the Block Association blog December will be "Spread the Blove" month.  If you've been enjoying these occasional posts, won't you share this with a nearby friend, family member or neighbor? The blog is a great way to stay in touch all year long with the W. 102nd & 103rd Streets Block Association. So tip off someone nearby. Send them the blog's address or point them to a favorite post. To receive news as it goes online directly to your email, just fill in the "Subscribe" box below. You'll receive a request to verify your subscription.  And voilà!
  Just sit back and the next post will arrive to your inbox.

Love the Blog?  Spread the Blove.   Thanks for reading!  And Happy Thanksgiving    ~ Caitlin


By Caitlin Hawke
PictureThe Great Pumpkin of 2017 by Sax Freymann
Most kids around here already know Saxton Freymann's work. For the past many years, Sax has donated a gourdgeous sculpted pumpkin to the Halloween festivities put on by the Block Association each October 31st.  While compiling photos from this year's parade, I kept wondering who this pumpking was.  And then Jane Hopkins -- who does such a wonderful job producing the event -- clued me in.

I decided to ask Sax a few questions and hope you'll enjoy this interview with a talented, generous neighbor. He's also provided some shots of past sculptures.  And for you poodle lovers, my lagniappe is Sax's Broccoli dog.  He's good and good for you.

Enjoy!

Q&A with Saxton Freymann


Caitlin: Are you a neighbor?  How long have you lived in Bloomingdale?
Sax: My wife Mia Galison and I have been in Bloomingdale for 27 years. Our kids grew up here and loved the parade and the block festivities at Halloween.

Caitlin: How did you come to be involved in the annual Block Association Halloween event?
Sax: I don’t remember how many years ago or who originally asked me if I would contribute a pumpkin, but I have continued to do it ever since. When my books were coming out 15 or 20 years ago, I had a slightly higher profile.
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Eye seed you, heh heh heh. Pumpkin carved by Saxton Freymann
Caitlin: You carve a mean pumpkin.  What's the secret? Are eyes the window to a pumpkin's soul?
Sax: When I started doing books based on transforming fruits and vegetables, of course I had to include pumpkins.  My approach is to use the natural form and do as little as possible to nudge it towards something it already resembles.  This of course means that the stem is a nose…with some of my favorites I did not add eyes at all -- they are already implied in the wrinkles of the surface.
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Out of my gourd! Pumpkin carved by Saxton Freymann
Caitlin: I understand you are fairly agnostic when it comes to vegetable carving, you'll carve anything! How did you get into food carving? 
Sax: Many years ago my wife met a book designer and packager named Joost Elffers who wanted to do a book showing interesting things that could be done with food. He had already done a book in Europe along these lines and was looking to develop something more in sync with an American market.  I got some produce, made a variety of things and sent him a bunch of pictures.  That led to Play With Your Food, and the success of that book led to a series of children’s books with Arthur Levine at Scholastic.  

Caitlin: Are you a vegetarian?
Sax: I am omnivorous.
 
Caitlin: So you eat the seeds!
Sax: I try to eat as much of the “waste" from my edible work as I can. When I was doing all the books my family would eat a lot of the day’s work.  When I work with pumpkins, I often do not even cut through to the interior… so they last a bit longer.

Caitlin: How long do they last?
Sax: They generally do not last long, although I remember one that lasted for months! Most of what I do is about the final photographs.

Caitlin: How long does your traditional pumpkin take to carve?
Sax: It varies. I probably spend an hour or so on a pumpkin.  

Caitlin: Jack O' Lantern or Pumpkin?
Sax: Pumpkin!

Caitlin: OK, but do you ever light your pumpkins from inside or is it all about the face?
Sax: My pumpkins are not lanterns. They are much more about the surface and the organic form.

Caitlin:  Is there such a thing as carve-offs in the pumpkin sculpting world?
Sax: I have seen all sorts of competitive pumpkin carving over the years, featuring work with much more patience than I have. I am a very uncompetitive person, so that’s not for me.

Caitlin: Do you have any pumpkin trivia you'd like to share?
Sax: I don’t know if it still exists, but years ago there was an annual race on Glimmerglass Lake in Cooperstown, New York, in which competitors hollowed out and rowed enormous pumpkins.  It was a remarkable and hilarious spectacle.  

Many thanks to Sax for his indulgence here and for the many years of pumpkins at our tables.  Readers curious to see more of Sax's work will also find his books How Are You Peeling? and Food Play in print.  Also, scroll down for a short video with Sax. (If you are reading this post in your inbox, you need to go to the following link to see the video: www.w102-103blockassn.org/blog.
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Fresh Poodle - sculpted by Saxton Freymann

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Ghoul's Gold -- The Way to the Gallery

11/19/2017

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Dear Readers,

Because of the way the blog's subscription is delivered, certain elements like videos and embedded galleries don't make it to you inbox.  When possible, it's always the safest bet to read the blog directly on the site at www.w102-103blockassn.org/blog. Remember, too, that you can always get to the blog post via your email subscription by clicking on the title of the post.

So if you missed it but want to see yesterday's Halloween gallery, go here or click on the image below, if you dare!

Yours, ghouly,
Caitlin
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Ghoul's Gold

11/18/2017

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A Night Out in Boo-mingdale

 By Caitlin Hawke

The Winter newsletter will soon be out and you can read the full recap of the hallowed eve of All Saints Day, vintage 2017.  But while we're all waiting for the print version, here's a little gallery of what went down when the ghouls came out.  I missed a lot of the munchin' munchkins, but you'll see in the empty platters and pans in the gallery that feast they did!  A big thank you to the Block Association volunteers who worked on the Jane Gang this year, and to St. Luke's Addiction Institute's staff and residents who baked up a storm and helped pull it all together.  This is a Jane Hopkins joint (red hat below).  But she would be embarrassed not to share the spotlight with her fête accomplices -- some pictured, some not.
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Block Association volunteers working on the Jane Gang, a hat tip to you all.

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Hyperlocal Listening

11/2/2017

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The Bloomingdale School of Music is Just One Go-To Source for Nearby Concerts

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by Caitlin Hawke

Yes, it's a neighborhood institution especially if you are looking for lessons, but did you know that the Bloomingdale School of Music also has a nonstop series of concerts, most of which are free, that are just waiting for you?  The concert schedule is here and some of BSM's November offerings are below.

In fact, there are lots of musical options nearby.  Columbia's Miller Theatre has free pop-up concerts such as one on November 21st by Regional de NY, a Brazilian choro band.

St. Michael's Episcopal Church at 225 W. 99th Street offers choral, organ and piano concerts as well as the occasional opera (not to mention an interesting film series). There's a concert on November 26th, but it isn't free!

And don't forget Vita and Ishmael Wallace's Orfeo Duo!  Their local concerts are here.

And finally, keep an eye out for Julia Spring's "Meet Your Talented Neighbors" column in the Block Association newsletter.  Often, it features other musicians and their upcoming gigs, though not necessarily right nearby.

Obviously, there's much more if you dig. I've written about Bloomingdale's musical roots before...they run deep.

Enjoy!


Selections from the Bloomingdale School of Music

Friday, November 3rd

7pm - 8pm Virtuosic Voice of the Violin: As part of Bloomingdale School of Music's FREE concert series, faculty artist Claudia Schaer presents a concert of virtuosic violin music spanning the years from 1893-2017. Two of the works were commission specifically for Claudia and will have their debut in violin/piano arrangement on this day. Bloomingdale School of Music (323 West 108th Street).


Saturday, November 11th
7pm - 8pm Bernstein Brass Bash: As part of Bloomingdale School of Music's FREE concert series, BSM celebrates Leonard Bernstein's 100th anniversary in a concert featuring rarely heard works for brass instruments including a brilliant arrangement of music from West Side Story. Bloomingdale School of Music (323 West 108th Street).


Friday, November 17th
7pm - 8pm Roots and Branches: Jazz Explorations on World Music Traditions: As part of Bloomingdale School of Music's FREE concert series, voice faculty member Jocelyn Medina and a quartet present a diverse program of music from India, Africa, and Brazil incorporated into her original jazz-based compositions. Bloomingdale School of Music (323 West 108th Street).


Saturday, November 18th
3:00pm - 5:00pm Jazz Discovery Day Open Workshop: Learn to play jazz in a free, no-pressure group setting. All instruments, ages and abilities welcome! No prior experience or knowledge required. Performances by BSM faculty members, reception to follow. RSVP to [email protected]. Bloomingdale School of Music (323 West 108th Street).

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