The Demise of Art Supply Stores in Manhattan

The Demise of Art Supply Stores in Manhattan

There was a time when an art supply store was a destination of peaceful refuge and an incubator of dreams.  In these once revered halls of colorful wonder, the sales people were quirky but knowledgeable and eager to help.  I remember long conversations about the pros...
Photographing Wigstock in Tompkins Square Park, 2003

Photographing Wigstock in Tompkins Square Park, 2003

Back when digital cameras began to outsell film cameras, I was still doing street photography with my Leica M4 and developing the film in my apartment.  I have thousands of negatives in storage that document life in Manhattan since I moved here in 1984.  All the...
Life and Art at the Bowery Gallery

Life and Art at the Bowery Gallery

Philip Sherrod shows off his collage of found objects.   In my years as a physician at St. Vincent’s Hospital in the West Village I became friends with many artists who lived and worked in this neighborhood, and getting to know them opened up new worlds for me. ...
Plein Air Oil Painting in Central Park

Plein Air Oil Painting in Central Park

The first sunny weekend in June I set out to do plein air oil painting in Central Park.  My equipment included my Open Box M easel, a basic array of primary colors, and one of my home-made panels surfaced with primed cotton.  The park gets really crowded with...
Another Art Supply Store Closes

Another Art Supply Store Closes

It was with sadness that I went downtown to Jerrys New York Central on 4th Avenue to grab what was left at the closing sale.  Jerry’s was one of the last remaining art supply stores in Manhattan that had salespeople who know about the inventory and a friendly...