April 4th: Maggie Price, (NRA-2009). See The Universe Smiles, Painting Partners

March 20th: Ellen Esposito, (NRA-1981). See Recordonline.com, Poughkeepsie Journal

February 20th: Christopher W. Singleton, (RL-1986). See New York Times

The Salmagundi Club sadly notes the passing of Chris Singleton on February 20th, 2013. Although extremely ill, Chris made it to the club for last month’s Presidents Dinner on the occasion of his sister Pam receiving the Salmagundi Medal of Honor.

Chris joined SCNY in 1986 and has been a loyal supporter of the club ever since, especially the auctions, frequently bringing outside friends to bid on artwork. Among the artists he collected were Richie Lithgow, Ed Brennan, Al Barker and Louis DeDonato.

More to come.

See: NYTimes

(By Mitch Kahn)

An invited group of family, friends and colleagues, including several prominent Salmagundians, gathered at the Art Students League to honor Will Barnet (H-2003), who passed away this past November 13th at 101 years of age. Speakers included ASL President Ira Goldberg, Ray Kinstler and Will’s eldest son, Peter. A large-screen slideshow of Will’s work as well as candids taken throughout his lifetime was projected in the background.

See: New York Times

See: Washington Post

The family and friends of Thomas Taffe gathered at the club on Saturday, December 8th, 2 PM, to celebrate his life. Just a few photos to memorialize the afternoon.

A toast to Tom and club memories. L-R: Liz Taffe, Del Bach, Bill and Sharon Howard.

Liz Taffe and Claudia Seymour

Del-Bouree Bach regaling us with a few “Tom” stories

Crowd of family and friends

Family and friends

(By Mitch Kahn)

The Salmagundi Club is sad to announce the loss of Emeritus member, Thomas Taffe. Tom suffered a massive stroke on Tuesday evening, October 30th, his second serious stroke in as many years, and was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center. From Einstein he was transferred to Calvary Hospital where he died peacefully on November 14th, 2012 at 12:25 PM, surrounded by family.

Thomas Taffe was born on August 5th 1935  in the Bronx, New York and remained a proud lifelong resident of the borough. His career as an artist began only upon his retirement from the phone company. He was accepted into the Salmagundi Club as a resident artist in June, 1992 and immediately became an active member, not just as an exhibiting artist, but serving multiple terms on the Art Committee (including Vice-Chairman), the Board of Directors as Vice-President and on the Auction Committee as one of the Club’s most popular and successful auctioneers.

In January, 2011, recognizing his years of service, the Board voted Tom Emeritus.

He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, his and Elizabeth’s children and their grandchildren.

A memorial is scheduled for Saturday, December 8th, from 2:00-4:00 PM at the Salmagundi Club.

Very late notice was received by the club on October 15th that longtime member Malcolm N. MacKenzie passed away July 7th, 2012.

Malcolm’s tenure at the Salmagundi Club began as a Scholarship applicant in 1971, rising through the ranks to ultimately occupy a seat on the Board of Directors as Chairman of the Art Committee. Stepping down from that position after a number of years, Malcolm continued his participation in the club’s activities as both an exhibiting artist and volunteer staffer on auction nights.

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1948, the son of a physician, Malcolm moved to New York City in 1966 to study with Frank Reilly. Reilly was known for his broad knowledge of the basic tools of art and his ability to simplify his composition, making him one of the most sought out teachers on the New York art scene.

Artistically, Malcolm developed his own voice using the fundamental formulas of classical training to interpret New York landscapes and environs in his own way. Looking at Malcolm’s oil paintings, one can immediately identify his work. He painted what few artists would select as a subject: discarded images in one’s local setting, a computer station, a television set, a bottle of whiskey or an unassuming neighborhood bank branch.

Sought out by museum galleries in New York and elsewhere throughout his lifetime and the recipient of many awards, Malcolm was never driven or motivated by the need for recognition. It was always about the art.

A 2010 retrospective exhibit in the Patron’s Gallery provided a detailed look at Malcolm’s body of work.

November 29th: Margaret M. Martin, (NRA-1983). See The Buffalo News, Buffalo Rising, Burchfield Penney Art Center

November 14th: Thomas Taffe, (RA-1993, Emeritus). See Memorium in The Salmagundian (Hail & Farewell).

November 13th: Will Barnet, (H-2003). See New York Times, Washington Post, Wikipedia

July 21st: Vivian Bell, longtime guest member; widow of the late Ulrich Bell (RA-1956).

July 10th: Capt. Lester Jay Stone, U.S. Navy, retired, (NRA-1968, Emeritus). See: Hagerstown Magazine, Tribute.com, Legacy.com, YouTube.

July 7th: Malcolm N. MacKenzie, (RA-1971). See Memorium in The Salmagundian (Hail & Farewell).

March  27th: Mary Evelyn (M.E.) Whitehill, (NRA-1983). See: White and Venuto Funeral Home.

March 14th: Katinka P. Coleman, (NRL-1989), wife of Loring W. Coleman (NRA-1941, Emeritus). See: Legacy.com.

February 13th: Margaret Cassidy Manship, widow of the late John P. Manship (NRA-1984). See: Gloucester Times, Grondin Funeral Services.

February 6th: Frank E. Zuccarelli, (RA-1968, Emeritus). See: NJ Star Ledger.

Mary Evelyn (M.E.) Whitehill in July, 2011 (at age 91) on the parlor balcony of SCNY during one of her last plein air excursions to New York City to participate in a musical paint-out in Washington Square Park.

Mary Evelyn Whitehill
Mar. 9, 1920 – Mar. 27, 2012

Town of Newburgh, NY.

The art world was changed with the death of Mary E. Whitehill of Newburgh, New York, on Tuesday, March 27, 2012. Born on March 9, 1920 to David J. and C. Evelyn Pope Perrott, she was a Newburgh resident all her life. At her 80th celebration she observed that her life had so far been divided into stages of twenty years each: student, parent, librarian, artist. And the next stage? “A successful artist.”

As a child Mary Evelyn (M.E. as she liked to be called) was set on becoming an artist; her great grandfather was the Hudson River artist, Thomas B. Pope. She attended Quassaick Hall, Abbott Academy and Wells College, where she said she chose watercolors “because this German professor was doing very abstract free-for-all American watercolors, totally different from the European style.”

In 1941, M.E. began work at Burgers’ Furniture Store where she met her husband W. Hugh Whitehill. Married in 1943, she stayed at home to care for her four children and do local volunteer work. “I’d belong to everything – become president – League of Women’s voters, Girl scouts, Sunday School – you name it.”

In the 1960’s she took advantage of New York State’s Title II program to receive her masters in Library Science from SUNY Albany. She then worked at The Newburgh Free Library and the West Street School Branch.

Upon her retirement in 1985, M.E. began her art career in earnest. A prolific painter, her art has preserved forever much of the beauty of the Hudson River Valley. “When I first started to paint they were tearing down Newburgh and everything was disappearing. I really wanted to record some of the buildings.” Many of her images are found today on greeting cards she started as a donation project. She truly enjoyed depicting florals and landscapes. She loved painting outdoors, believing the world needs its nature and the world needs its art.

M.E. exhibited an enthusiastic love of life. People who met her didn’t forget her; she made a vivid impression in her purple hat. Always interested in learning about people’s lives and new ideas, at 70, M.E. bought her first computer, created her own website (www.mewhitehill.com- even writing her own “html” code), joined Facebook but not Twitter because “you were always told to avoid twits.”

At 89 Mary Evelyn realized her dream of opening her own gallery, combining her marketing and business skills with her love of art. On her 90th birthday she arranged a celebration and benefit to help preserve Bannerman Castle, a scene she had painted many times. Her art will continue to inspire and share the joy Mary Evelyn had in creating her paintings.

Mary Evelyn Whitehill is survived by her sons Walter Whitehill of Newburgh, Brian T. Whitehill and his husband David Domedion of NYC, daughter Joan Roth of Katonah, NY.

September 17th: Elizabeth T. Ryan, (RA-1977, Emeritus) 

July 8th: Yves Parent, (NRA-2003) See: The Christina Gallery

June 15th: Domenic B. DiStefano, (NRA-1975, Emeritus) See: Legacy.com

June 6th: Marion Andrews, (RA-1973, Emeritus) See: Norton Patch

May 28th: Patricia M. Sprouls, (NRA-2004) See: Knox News

May 6th: William Herbert Smith, (NRA-1983) See: Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

March 13th: Mortimer Slotnick, (RA-1999) See: NY Times

February 2nd: Clark Hulings, (H-2007) See: NY Times, Santa Fe New Mexican, Wikipedia

Raised in Norton, Massachusetts, Marion graduated the Worcester Art Museum School, continuing her education at the Massachusetts College of Art, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Art Education. Marion also attended the Yale University Summer School of Landscape Painting and her interest in calligraphy led her to the University of California at Santa Cruz and Imperial College in London where she studied calligraphy and illumination. She also studied watercolor with Edgar A. Whitney, Edmond Fitzgerald and Rex Brandt.

Marion was among the first group accepted when the Salmagundi Club opened its membership to women in 1973, serving on the Board as well as numerous committees. She also had memberships in the Pen and Brush, National Arts Club, Jackson Heights Art Club, National Association of Women Artists, American Artists Professional League and Audubon Artists. Marion exhibited in all of the major juried group shows in the New York area garnering in excess of 100 awards for her watercolors. Her keen eye and sensitivity to design also served her well as a juror of countless shows including the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit.

An artist and pilot, she was commissioned by the U.S. Air Force to paint the Blue Angels Exhibition Team at Pensacola, Florida and by the U.S. Navy to memorialize the 1976 Bicentennial’s Operation Sail in New York Harbor. A member of the “Ninety Nines”, Marion designed the gold pin awarded to those who flew the transcontinental “Power-Puff Derby”, a race she competed in 3 times.