THE STORY OF MAIE

I met Maie last summer and was struck by the deep wisdom in her face. After taking her photograph, I created this portrait with spray paint and acrylic and framed it with recycled wood.  To me, she represented so many of the immigrants who have passed through the Rust Belt. Maie’s daughter, Eva Ruutopold told me a bit of her mother’s history:

"Maie’s world was turned upside down when WWII came into her fishing village on an island in the Baltic Sea. She was only thirteen-years-old when she left her home with her parents and siblings. Huddling together in a small boat, their only thought was to escape the brutal fighting that was taking over their country. Maie spent the next 6 years as a refugee in Displaced Persons (DP) camps in Germany. Even when the war ended, their country’s border was closed. They could not return to their home. In 1949, she was given the opportunity to immigrate to the United States. American companies were offering jobs to many of the displaced persons. She landed first in New Jersey, then in 1954 she moved to Buffalo. She lived on Maryland Street as a young bride and then as a young mother. She did not make it back to visit that small fishing village until 1990 when Estonia finally gained its independence again. Western New York was her home until 2011".

Maie’s portrait is part of the Buffalo Society of Artists Exhibition opening on March 28 in the Buffalo Arts Studio. The opening, part of the M&T Fourth Friday series, will be from 5 to 8 pm. Buffalo Arts Studio is located on the fifth floor of the TriMain Center at 2495 Main Street in Buffalo. Parking and admission are always free.  Come visit Maie and see the work of over 30 other artists.

A “COMMUNITY IN A GALLERY” – MERIDIAN WEST

The Meridian West Gallery opened in November, 2012, with a special mission. As co-owner, Nancy Clarke Mariani, expressed it, “collecting art is an investment, and Buffalo is filled with so many talented artists…it’s incredible how fortunate we are to live here amongst them. Normally a gallery is located in a community – here at Meridian we have a community in a gallery.” This beautiful, multi-use space, will host the EYE SYMPHONY Exhibition, with an opening on Saturday night, March 22 from 6 – 9 pm. Meridian Gallery is located at 1209 Hertel Avenue in Buffalo, New York.

Three of my “Discarded Ancestors” collages will be part of EYE SYMPHONY. These pieces began after I found photo albums thrown out to the curb in front of a demolished house. There was apparently no one left to care for all these mementos and no way of finding out who these discarded ancestors were. The photos were so precious that I wanted to preserve them in some form. To me, they represented all the millions of people who have passed through this city. Each picture is unique and yet so universal that it could be from almost anyone’s family. I took a group of the photos out of the albums and surrounded them with bits and pieces of abandoned Buffalo – graffiti, empty houses and decaying landscapes. They are framed in recycled wood with its own story to tell. It is my attempt to put the past and present together and to honor these unknown people. I hope their spirits are happy being part of this art and not just discarded as trash.