Events & Programs
Lectures & Exhibits
In keeping with its mission to foster an awareness of the village's architectural, artistic and cultural heritage and to further the understanding and appreciation of the history and current life of the village of Bronxville, New York, the Conservancy hosts presentations, lectures and special events throughout the year. Champagne receptions and presentations on Bronxville’s early artists, their studios, the Conservancy’s growing collection of Bronxville artists’ works, and readings from literature written by historic village authors are some of the many events held in the Conservancy's first decade.
May 2010
A Salute to Those Who Served
The 3rd Annual Bronxville Veterans Memorial, an initiative co-founded in 2008 by local residents Cindi Callahan and Jane Staunton, was hosted this year once again at the Bronxville Women’s Club to celebrate the true spirit of Memorial Day by saluting those in our community who have served our country.
The exhibit featured the Scroll of Honor, a list of more than 1,400 service men and women, along with personal and civic memorabilia from Bronxville veterans and residents.
The Bronxville Veterans Memorial is funded by a special grant given by the Bronxville Historical Conservancy.
Spring 2009
Architect Peter Gisolfi: Graceful Connections between Buildings and Landscapes
Architect Peter Gisolfi, whose concern for the relationship of architecture to its setting translates into graceful connections between buildings and landscapes, was the featured speaker for the Conservancy's 2009 spring event. His lecture, “Finding the Place of Architecture in the Landscape,” included examples from his work in our village, most notably the recent library and Village Hall renovations.
Mr. Gisolfi used these examples as well as several other projects to illustrate his approach to design which includes the fundamental recognition that the most successful architecture will be creatively responsive to its natural and man-made setting. With Mr. Gisolfi’s engaging style and beautiful photographs, the audience learned how the various types of landscapes, broken into five categories including Townscape, Campus, Landscapes and Buildings, Gardens and Houses, and Transformation shaped his approach to each projects’ challenges.
In the opening remarks for his book, Mr. Gisolfi states that, “Architecture, of all the arts, should be the most tied to its place.” His objective “to build something that belongs where it is and belongs to the people who use it” was perfectly illustrated during this special Bronxville Historical Conservancy event.
Fall 2008
Bronxville Artists: Legacies Past & Future
“Scenic hillsides, a meandering river, stone bridges, and picturesque buildings…" -- it’s easy to understand why artists have long been attracted to Bronxville. The art colony that was established here in the late-19th century is well known to many, but less familiar is the fact that earlier notable artists as well as art patrons have been part of the village almost since its inception.
The artistic legacy Bronxville so enjoys is just one of the many cherished parts of our past that the Conservancy has embraced over the past ten years, and it seemed only fitting to celebrate our 10th anniversary surrounded by some of the finest works of Bronxville's artists at the OSilas Gallery’s recent exhibit: Bronxville Artists: Legacies Past and Future.
Curated by Art Historian and Conservancy member Jayne Warman, the exhibition was a gathering of privately owned works of art by Bronxville artists, both past and present. Because the art was on loan from the collections of private individuals (the majority of whom are Conservancy members), it was a singular presentation of artworks that probably will never appear together again.
As Conservancy Co-chair Nancy Vittorini noted in her welcoming remarks, this celebratory event was a delightful partnership for the Conservancy and Concordia College. With the OSilas Gallery mission of integrating the visual arts into the cultural and educational life of Concordia’s campus and community, and the Conservancy’s quest to bring Bronxville artists' work back home, it was a perfect marriage!
Marilynn Hill, who, with Bob Riggs, has served as Tenth Anniversary Co-chairs, presented members with copies of an art catalogue that was published by the BHC in honor of both the anniversary and the exhibition. Warman followed with a talk in which she shared insights into the lives of the Bronxville artists and their canvases -- elaborating on remarks she had given at the exhibit’s Concordia opening a week before. Members were able to enjoy a festive champagne reception while viewing the collection, thanks to the efforts of BHC events chair Mary Thaler.
Spring 2008
Remembering the Past with Presents
ÿ“A resounding success” and “simply marvelous” were just two of the phrases used to describe the official unveiling of the paintings by Bronxville artists which were acquired by the Conservancy and are now on permanent loan to the Village. Over 150 members and their guests attended the reception at Village Hall on May 18th to view the art collection and admire its new home in the recently renovated building.
Under the direction of art historian Jayne Warman, the Conservancy was fortunate to assemble a group of paintings by local artists such as Bruce Crane, George Smillie, Henry Hobart Nichols, Mary Fairchild Low and her husband, Will Low. Over thirteen of these paintings grace the walls of the Trustees Room, front hall and the Mayor’s Office, thus regaining much of Bronxville’s history to be enjoyed by all our residents.
To further enhance the building, vintage postcards and photographs of Bronxville scenes were enlarged and framed to be hung in its various offices and public areas. The portraits of former mayors were reframed to line the two major hallways on the first floor. Finally, contemporary photographs of Bronxville taken by Judith Watts Wilson were enlarged and framed as a permanent exhibition for the lower level of Village Hall.
As Jayne Warman noted that day “Some extraordinary works slipped away from us” when “the contents of Masterton-Dusenberry house at 90 White Plains Road were put up for sale.” Nonetheless the Historical Conservancy has made great strides in ensuring that work by Bronxville’s artists slowly find their way back to the village for permanent display.
Spring 2006
Gates-keeping: The art of brothers Gates
A capacity crowd gathered on Sunday afternoon, April 30, in the Yeager Room at the Bronxville Public Library. The reason -- a rare exhibit of the works of two early-twentieth-century Bronxville artists, brothers Francis and Richard Gates. The exhibition and program were presented by the Bronxville Historical Conservancy and made possible through the generosity of the collection’s owner, Roland Britch, of Newport, Vermont, an heir of Richard Gates’ daughter Frances.
The two-day exhibition of 37 pictures, several of which were landscapes painted along the Bronx River in Bronxville, opened on Saturday, and a special introduction to the artists was presented Sunday afternoon by Dale Hanson Walker, a great-granddaughter of Edward Morange who, with Frank Gates, established the scenic design firm of Gates and Morange in 1894. Walker’s talk included a brief history of the firm’s achievements in theater scenic design, including their work with producers such as Florence Ziegfeld, Arthur Hammerstein, Harrison Grey Fiske and the Schuberts. She also discussed the backgrounds of the artists and their connection to Bronxville. Morange followed Frank Gates to the village shortly after the turn of the century, and the two became partners with others in the development of Sagamore Park. Each built five houses located on Park Avenue, Leonard Road, Avon Road, Plateau Circle West and Sagamore Road. Their houses often included art studios on the second floor.
In preparing her remarks, Dale Walker interviewed Richard Gate’s granddaughter, June Kirby, and used primary sources from the scenic design firm that are now held by her family. A letter written by Frank Gates to Ed Morange five years before Frank’s death, along with Ed’s response, highlighted the strong bond of friendship between the men and the respect they had for each other’s talents.
More than 100 people visited the exhibition, and many commented on the beautiful colors and fascinating brush work of the Impressionist-influenced works. Scenes included landscapes from Bronxville, Westchester County, Cold Springs (NY), and Europe, as well as a stunning portrait of a young woman. One of the paintings, Split Rock (San Francisco), had been shown in the 1915 exhibition of Bronxville artists held at the Gramatan Hotel. While largely undated, the paintings were most likely executed between 1910 and 1950. Frank Gates died in 1952; his brother Richard died in 1964.
Spring 2004
Art-to-Art Talk
On May 16th, Art Historian Jayne Warman drew a packed crowd at the Yeager Community Room as she presented works of art the Conservancy has acquired as a part of its effort to bring the creations of early Bronxville artists back to our community.
Among the works presented were two winter scenes by Sheldon Parsons who captured the beauty of the Bronx River and surrounding woods; a spring landscape by Walter Clark that reflects this artist's enthusiasm for painting the local scenery, particularly the woodlands along the Bronx River; a beautifully painted watercolor by Will Hicok Low that epitomizes his mastery of allegorical subjects; a charming scene of toy sail boats on the Bronxville pond painted by Will Low's wife, Mary Fairchild Low, and bought in memory Jean Bartlett; a large and splashy still life of peonies by Spencer Baird Nichols; an allegorical scene donated by Charles Hinton, Jr., painted by his father and given to him as a wedding gift; and the most recent acquisition -- a striking portrait of William Van Duzer Lawrence given to the Conservancy by Bob and Sarah Underhill. Bob is the great-great grandson of this Bronxville founding father.
Spring 2002
An Afternoon of Prose and Poetry
On Sunday, April 7th, villagers gathered at the Bronxville Library for a very successful “Literary Afternoon of Prose and Poetry” co-sponsored by the Bronxville Historical Conservancy and the Bronxville Public Library. Jayne Warman conceived of this literary occasion to shed light on the writings of Bronxville’s earliest residents.
Mayor Nancy Hand, Marilynn Hill, Patricia Owen, John Barr, Denise DeGiaimo, Guy Longobardo and Robert Riggs joined Jayne in reading from such illustrious poets and authors -- and village residents -- as Alice Wellington Rollins, Elizabeth Bacon Custer, Tudor Jenks, Louise Beebe Wilder and more.
Many of the early village authors enjoyed evenings at a clubhouse known as the “Casino” that stood on the hillside just above the village tennis courts. It was built as a gathering place for the artists and literati and for the general enjoyment of the colony members. There were many events there including readings, entertainments, musicales, lectures and simple social gatherings.
Surely many afternoons of poetry and prose would be enjoyed there if it were still standing today.
William Van Duzer Lawrence, though known to most as a developer and a founding father of Bronxville, was also an author in his own right. Mayor Hand read from his work, “A Diary and Reminiscences Portraying the Life and Times of the Author.” (1922) When Lawrence decided to purchase the 86-acre Prescott Farm, he envisioned a unique community where artists and writers as well as upper middle class professionals and businessmen would live in close proximity and share their abundant talent. Lawrence lured them to Bronxville by subsidizing their rents and painting an idyllic view of a life of serenity for the writers and a landscape filled with subjects for the artists.
Brendan Gill later wrote, as only he could, “The houses in the Park are joyous, are playful; it makes one feel good simply to look at them. They do not shut themselves away from passersby....With their verandahs and bay windows and dormered towers and carved bargeboards and many patterned shingles and occasional exterior sculpture, they reach out and gather one in and prompt one to share their manifold felicities.
Fall 2002
Legacy at Risk: Artists Homes and Studios
Stephen May, historian, preservationist and expert on historic art studios, visited Bronxville on October 27, 2002, a program organized by Conservancy member Eloise Morgan to share insights into Bronxville’s historic art studios, the artists who built them and the art work they created.
Bronxville’s extraordinary collection of studios was built between 1894 and 1919. Scattered throughout Lawrence Park, these oversized spaces usually incorporate large northern windows or skylights and serve today as living or play areas or storage space.
Bronxville’s surviving art studios include: 24 Prescott (William Henry Howe); 25 Prescott (Mary Fairchild Low and Will Hicok Low); 26 Prescott (William Smedley); 6 Lookout (Lorenzo Hatch); 8 Park (Herman Schladermundt); 28 Park (Milne Ramsey); 32 Park (Anna Winegar); 67 Park (Charles R. Knight); 55 Summit (Spencer Baird Nichols) and 60 Summit (Max Bohm).
June 1999
Preserving the Heritage of Bronxville Artists
With a backdrop of 19th and early 20th century paintings gathered by Objects and Images Gallery, combined with works lent from several villagers’ private collections, villager and art historian Jayne Warman painted a magnificent landscape of Bronxville’s early art and its ever-increasing value in the current market in the first gallery event in the spring of 2000.
Ms. Warman noted that the earliest known Bronxville artist was William R. Hamilton (1795-1879), a Scotsman by birth who is best know as a portraitist. He painted the individual likenesses of one of Bronxville’s first families, the Mastertons, in formal settings as well as in bucolic scenes such as Masterton’s at Play Along the Bronx River.
Other artists featured in the exhibit included George Smillie, Otto Bacher and Will Hicok Low, the latter probably the most famous of the colony’s residents. “They were well-established painters with various aesthetic concerns, all basically conservative and seeking a quiet, relaxed but elegant life within easy reach of Manhattan,” she said.
Architect Peter Gisolfi
Art Historian Jayne Warman
