Earlier this summer the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly approved state legislation that enables the town to lease out our tennis courts at Anthony Veteran park to a private company. The town expects to receive significant revenue from the lease and tennis enthusiasts will be able to enjoy tennis year round since a tennis bubble will be built (at no expense to the taxpayers). An updated tennis bubble RFP will be posted on the town website: www.greenburghny.com. This morning an applicant meeting and site tour was attended by 5 possible vendors. They all requested that the town extend the tennis bubble RFP submission to September 4th , the day after labor day. I am very pleased that there is so much interest in this proposal. Contact Gerry Byrne or Joe Lucasey for more info: 693-8985 about the RFP process or e mail gbyrne@greenburghny.com.
Pink Flamingos on exhibit in Greenburgh Town Hall—an amazing sculpture in the lobby of Town Hall
Many creative artists find inspiration in dreams. For wood sculptor, Theodore Carrozza of Butler, NJ, dreams have been the primary source of his art. “I just dream these things up,” he says, “in full color! One morning, I woke my wife Liz and said, Honey, I dreamt about a sunflower.” That particular dream inspired “La Tournesol,” a four by four foot wall sculptured sunflower with 240 individual, hand-carved and brightly painted petals. Another dream produced “Flossie and Her Friends,” four, 6-foot-7 inch tall, pink flamingos standing beneath two 13-foot-tall palm trees. Carrozza’s three-dimensional exhibit has turned Greenburgh Town Hall’s lobby into an art installation. Three flamingos stand in varied repose while one seems poised for flight.
Carrozza’s love for wood sculpting comes from his grandfather, an Italian immigrant who set up a wood shop in Manhattan. His grandfather created the proscenium arch that frames the Great Stage of Radio City Music Hall. “As a child, I spent countless hours in my grandfather's wood shop (a converted basement in the Bronx) watching him hand craft unfinished wood into amazing works of art. I was also blessed to have a mother who was a painter. My artistic self blossomed in my early 30's when I began to create unique wood tables. I challenged myself to go farther and set out to perfect one-of-a-kind wood sculptures. While some wood-workers might consider knots and uneven grain as imperfections, I see their beauty and try to accentuate them in my work. I devote a portion of every day to my craft and look forward to fulfilling my dream of carrying on my grandfather's legacy.”
Carrozza started out in theatrical lighting and has worked as a professional photographer with his own studio for 30 years. Yet, he says that he is phasing out of photography. "It used to be a special profession to be in. Today, everyone picks up a digital camera and calls themselves a photographer."
Carrozza regularly participates in the St. Catherine of Bologna’s Photo, Art and Poetry Exhibition where his sculpture “King Cobra” won the People’s Choice Award in 2011. He also has exhibited at the Riverdale Art Center, Ringwood Manor, and at Wyckoff. Last September, Carrozza exhibited “Flossie and Her Friends” at the three-week ArtPrize Festival in Grand Rapids, MI.
“Flossie and Her Friends” and “La Tournesol” will be on exhibit in the front lobby of Greenburgh Town Hall until September 5th, 2012. Stop by and visit, but please don’t feed the birds. Sarah Bracey White, head of our arts council, arranged for this spectacular exhibit. Sarah has turned the Town Hall into a museum! The art is spectacular.
PAUL FEINER
