MeeMee The Arts!

TUMBLING HOME

2021-08-08T01:56:00.000-07:00

From the age of three years throughout becoming a young woman I danced all the time. Ballet, Tap, & Jazz, anything that moved with music attached to it, I was in the middle. From cartwheels to being lifted overhead, using my body as personal expression was a wonderful & powerful freedom I experienced. It was like tumbling...

When circumstances changed, I got what I call a "real" job. The aesthetics of beauty & style remained as I used a degree in Art with training in Gemology to launch a career in fine jewelry, selling antique & estate jewels along the way. If I were a rock, I was being tumbled through some knocks & blows as I matured into a bonafide, professional salesperson.

Recently I have tumbled again, being nudged by circumstance & the solitude of the Covid19 lockdowns in California. I studied my way through the Real Estate exam process with the remembrance that I have always loved architecture, the older the better. So I have fallen or tumbled my merry way into going home.

Website Morphing from Arty Interests into Lifestyle offerings

2020-08-29T12:52:00.004-07:00

I have my baby, my website entitled: BrandingByPeg.com (now under construction, yes I am morphing again)

I had known all along that I intended to include affiliate marketing, but once it happened & I was getting approved right & left as a host, it hit me that I need to revamp the whole thing!

I understood that the companies that were approaching me with their approvals all represented my own way of thinking & shopping. Having created an opaque lifestyle sampling. I coined "a lifestyle emporium for the independent creative"...like it?

For the majority of the lines, I went through Rakuten Affiliates.

I could be assured they companies were all legitimate & well-established. I grouped the product lines into the following tabs with links to each company:

Be Artful: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Marimekko Design

Be Happy: Moroccan Oil

Dr. Martens

Be Thoughtful: Franklin Planners

RocketLawyer

Be Well: Boomer Naturals

KULCBD

MenoLabs

Be Hydrated: Buddha Teas

Pegalomania: Paper-dolls

Peg's Legs Handknit Dancewear

Video Archive

Pegalomania Presents

2020-08-04T09:18:00.007-07:00

In 2004 I finished writing, or so I thought, my original play with original music thus creating a musical in the traditional form.

My place in time is located in NYC in the 1970s, so although I have written bits & pieces of music, the music I have chosen for the sound-bed, is actually historical rock, pop, & folk. I was living with a classical musician, with Bach fugues & guitar scales as a constant, being peppered with temper tantrums & sulking that only the truly brooding artist can admire.

When I did go to college, later in life than most, I was tasked with a homework assignment to write an experience that we had where we lived in a culture other than our own. Since I had grown up in a small logging town in California, & had married into an old money New York family, I asked my instructor if that would suffice to satisfy the assignment criteria for my "Ethnography". She said sure, so I began. Twenty years later I had put the meanderings, comments, scraps of memory & movement, I had been a serious dancer, into a four part script. I did this to present to TV producers, but now this format is irrelevant, an easy fix, so one with the show!

Fortunately, today there are means of notating music that do not require 20 years of study, but a computer program will do. For an amateur as myself, with only melody lines & lyrics to put forth, I will happily hire an audio wizard to mix the classical ballet scores, Bach fugues, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix & my own songs into something rather fabulous. Yes, alas, this is where my "gofundme" rests.

Because of my antiquity, I can no longer do my grande battements or pirouette on pointe, but I can choreograph & direct my show. Small cast, big ideas, no in person audience, due to Covid19 this has led me to the realization, I could cast & produce my show in a video format...back to "gofundme".

If any of this interests the reader, my best email address is: Molloy.Marketing@outlook.com

I prefer email so that we both have a paper trail that time-stamped, any money discussed is documented, & any grievances notated. I use Paypal for any money exchanges because they have an excellent record keeping function.

Below is my gofundme account link. Should you be so kind as to read through my account description, that would be great. I did the digital stage scene drawing.

Thank you & God bless.

https://www.gofundme.com/manage/pegalomaniapresents

Real Estate Exodus & Regulation

2020-07-20T10:18:00.001-07:00

Carson Mansion Photo Converted by Peggy Molloy

Real Estate Exodus & Regulation

I have begun to study Real Estate for a salesperson license in the state of California.
No sooner had I signed up & begun the coursework, but the state was locked down for the first time, due to the Covid19 Pandemic.

Due to the Pandemic, the state exam offices have been shut, then re-opening to backlogs of exams to be scheduled. Long story short, I insist on making lemonade out of lemons, & since the exams must be taken in person, I consider this time to wait as an opportunity to excel, to study harder & longer, to enhance my knowledge of the Real Estate industry in general.

Looking around, it appears to me there is an avalanche about to happen. People have been months without work, thus becoming delinquent on their mortgages & rents. This domino effect will end up in the laps of the bankers & real estate investors. Now what?

Let's pretend I am an urban dweller with fantasies of a small, real dirt garden, & a fixer-upper with low overhead except for the building materials, & a personality from a previous era. What would I do? In fact I have stumbled upon a website with wonderful information if a person is resourceful & has an interest in history. My suggestion is to visit: https://circaoldhouses.com/
Circa Old Houses is a fabulous find to dig through from mansions to modest homes, all over the country. You can choose your state, your era, your budget, sign up for newsletters, & in general have a lot of fun creating a new future for yourself & your beloveds.

I want to complain about regulations for builders & contractors. It is a privilege to own property & have building skills & budgets, however, when such persons of good faith are confronted with government entities, city, county, state, federal, it is a nightmare of forms, many being redundant.
Yes, we have a serious homeless problem, but yes, the population of California (for example) has doubled in the last 30 years. The zoning laws & regulations were created in a different social topography. I cannot fathom how many percentage points of increase there has been in rules & regulations for the average builder/contractor in the last 30 years, in California! Next series of creative, perhaps silly ideas.

Let's convert old fashioned outdoor movie theaters into tiny house communities. They are set up with equal spaces, electricity is running to each space & most have a common building that could be used for group meals, laundry & washing rooms, cyber communication stations, etc.

Let's convert empty malls & office buildings into temporary housing for people to have immediate shelter & safety. Many have empty restaurant facilities for serving food & bathroom facilities for personal grooming. Not ideal, but better than having people living on the sidewalks.

I do not have a crystal ball. I do want to be optimistic about facing the future because I know we have so many talented, smart, young people in our midst who will help us understand. Between the preppers settling into Victorians with large pantries & boomers reducing their square footage because the family has basically moved away, jobs are lost, or beloveds are seriously ill, take heart that many others are also facing these new trials. New answers will be created for old problems.

Once I pass the California Real Estate exam, I will gladly entertain more serious property buying & selling, but in the meantime, I am watching with eyes wide open, fingers crossed, hoping for the best.
Blessings everyone & stay safe.

Public Art Brings Urban Renaissance

2019-09-21T03:54:00.002-07:00

ILLUMINART.COM.AU

Public Art Brings Urban Renaissance...

One of the many urban renewal projects is reclaiming billboards such as:

Https://www.goodtoseo.com/reclaiming-billboards-to-promote-public-art

Murals bring color, life, creativity, & a sense of ownership to a sometimes vapid existence in a concrete mass of rectangular structures. Engaging with the huge amount of talent & vision to enhance our cities & towns is a trend that goes from Eureka, CA (eurekart.org) to Australia, as shown above in the above painting, to all over Europe. Art, no longer shuttered behind museum walls with formidable entrances & sometimes entrance fees, public art is to be enjoyed everywhere, all the time!

As a public art enthusiast, I wanted to make note that there are investment angels awaiting to alight once contacted by artists seeking funding to create projects (creative-capital.org) This organization in NYC has a vast network of ideas to see artistic projects to be well-funded, understanding the long term value art has on our communities.

Amidst the sad & bad news about urban decay, just like the tiny flowers growing out of the crack in the sidewalk, urban murals & the cities that embrace concepts of public art, are doing more that decorating utility boxes, although that can be perceived as a miracle in itself.

Public art engages the business community for funding, the city councils for allocating resources, communication between groups of people who may, or may not have reached out to one another under different circumstances. It increases the real estate value for those areas that are riddled & enhanced with public murals. Tourists along with locals, are eager to share stories, take photographs, laugh & enjoy positive changes in our society.

MEN & HIGH END JEWELRY

2019-09-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

MEN & HIGH END JEWELRY

King Henry VIII portrait by Hans Holbien 16th century

"Men are increasingly choosing to adorn their outfits with jewellery & bracelets are still dominating in the men's jewellery category, with stacking and layering being a continued trend in this sector of the market" - Duke Du (link below)

https://blog.silverbene.com/weekly-top-5-news-in-the-jewelry-industry-sept-6-2019/

Of immediate interest as well is that the September Hong Kong Jewelry Fair will be held as planned.
This is despite continuing protest & confrontations within the city.

The political turmoil could give some business persons pause about attending the jewelry show, as well as other international events held in the city. With the advent of the Internet, all governments are more careful about how they treat the citizenry.

In the many years that I sold fine jewelry, I sold mostly watches to men & personal jewels to women, or to men to give to women. Handsome jewelry for men Louis Vuitton designed a new high end collection, which triggered my choice of King Henry VIII's portrait, designed by Francesca Amfitheatrof, inspired by medieval heroines. Let us not forget, how much King Henry VIII loved pearls, you can see his daughter wearing a famous pearled strewn gown which took multiple servants to help her get into & out of, but also to march about for festivities.

Mikimoto is famous for its beauty pageant crowns as well as maintaining strong traditions of classic beauty. In 1893, Kokichi Mikimoto began his production of blister pearls. This method of seeding or nucleating, was the basis for this Japanese jewelry industry. (PEARLS OF CREATION by Marge Dawson)

Another designer, Tom Ford, is actively showing on the runways with a padlock theme, done in necklaces as well as earrings.
There are so many interesting & insightful news items in the jewelry industry covered by The Silverbene Blog, check it out.

Grateful Dead, former days of...

2019-02-25T09:31:00.000-08:00

GRATEFUL DEAD Ex-Groupie Recalls lifestyle...

Geezer Planet

I found an article about Groupie Revisionism from THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE from the year 2000.

"In December 1992, culture critic Ann Powers wrote about Pamela Des barres and the groupie phenomenon in The New York Times. Girls like Pamela, Powers wrote, 'transformed hanging out into a form of creative expression', the groupie lifestyle was 'one of the rock era's liveliest, unofficial conceptual art projects."

"Groupies' presence 'was never considered legitimate,' but Powers nonetheless took their side, noting they not only 'embody the contradiction of rock's sexual allure,' but were representative of 'the most extreme example of women's attempt to fashion a space within rock's manly arena'.

I asked a friend of mine, Tammy Newcomb to comment, as we had had some conversations about her days as a GRATEFUL DEAD groupie, back in the day...

MOLLOY: What led you into the famous lifestyle of being a Grateful Dead groupie?

NEWCOMB: When I was twelve, my mother moved into an old Victorian in San Rafael that had once been the offices of the Grateful Dead in the late 1970's. The kitchen had been decorated beautifully with intricate and colorful inlaid tile design. I had started, even at this young age to enjoy the Grateful Dead vibe. Every morning I would get up, look around at that intricate kitchen and hope, one day, to be able to see the Dead, live. I was an innocent ivory white skinned girl with strawberry blonde hair who liked to dance barefoot...

MOLLOY: When did you join in a caravan?

NEWCOMB: I got my chance at 19 years old. I was invited to join a caravan when partying on a yacht in Sausalito. I had come to Laguna Beach from San Rafael with a group of friends and fans who caravanned together. I joined the other in my van. There were maybe 25 of us pulling together to the show. We had vendor permits and spent most of the day selling pipes, costume jewelry and small trinkets with a Grateful Dead theme. Others in the caravan sold clothing, camping tools, blankets and musical instruments.

MOLLOY: Where were you headed?

NEWCOMB: We drove up in a line onto the old dried up lake bed. Laguna Seca (built in 1957) was about showing that even in the face of possible arrest, we were a people, a system, that we could come together and support each other without the need for police. All 25 of us pulling in together and setting up our tables next to each other. It was a hot day, people would walk around the raceway checking out the tables and stirring up the dust. I had never been to a Dead show before. I had never seen such a large group of people in person...There was an estimated 16-20 thousand people who joined together for the show.

MOLLOY: Was this around the time of the Irvine show?

NEWCOMB: The memory of the infamous show at Irvine, where 75 people had been arrested, was fresh in people's minds, having only happened months before. The hard core travelers would tell stories of following the Dead. There was constant music playing from people strumming guitars and beating drums. I would learn about playing drums and guitar. I would stand out in front of the table and dance around to the musicians playing music in an attempt to attract interest to the table. I knew the caravan people I had come with watched over each other and many an eye was watchful over me.

MOLLOY: You mention the "vibe", can you illuminate that for me?

NEWCOMB: I enjoyed the "vibe", hanging with people who followed the policy of self-reliance. I myself, owned my own van and didn't allow anyone to stay with me. I help sell other people's pipes but I myself didn't have a product to sell. I was there to enjoy the "vibe".

MOLLOY: It was a unique time in our social fabric as I recall...

NEWCOMB: For me, it was a time of independence. A moment of freedom and self-

reliance. I felt safe around the caravan folks. I was not trusting of the other thousands of people around me. I remember Laguna Seca as a real marker for my freedom. I danced, learned to play the guitar, inspired others with my beauty and wrote poems about my experiences.

MOLLOY: I feel a rude awakening approaching soon, correct me if I am wrong.

NEWCOMB: A year after attending my first Grateful Dead show at Laguna Seca I followed the Dead to Berkeley on their "Downhill From Here Tour" at the Hearst Greek Theatre. The Dead had played the Greek from October 1, 1967 until August 19, 1989.

After a year of following the Dead across California I found myself in a well know flop house on San Pablo in Berkeley. The host was a Vietnam Vet named "Trans" who had been writing a book about the alternative culture of our times.

I walked to the Greek Theatre with Trans from the flop house. He introduced me to a large group of carnies, vendors, Dead Heads and others milling about selling trinkets and playing music as we waited for the show to start. Unlike Laguna Seca, which was a big, flat raceway, the Greek Theatre was an amphitheater and each ticket had an assigned seat. The music was amazing with echoing acoustics. Trans was showing me around and we met several people who had set up camp for the night at "People's Park" just down the road.

After the show, I realized the BART was no longer running and I would need to stay over the night. I had lost sight of Trans. I followed some new friends to People's Park for an overnight sleep. When we got there the police had hosed down everyone's tents and bedding. People began gathering, banging on drums, bells and voices rang out as the crowd began marching down Telegraph yelling and banging on things. Everyone was furious with the police for ruining their bedding. We marched to the foot of Telegraph, reached the University, then swung around and marched back down towards the park.

The police had set up on the campus, as we approached they used a megaphone to tell the crowd to breakup and go home. Many folks stood milling about as the police began preparing to chase people back down the street. It started with tear gas then the police with batons and shields started marching towards us. People began to rush down the street, pushing and shoving and trampling on each other.

We couldn't get back to the park, with everyone's things all wet and the presence of police there. It was late, no buses, BART, no real way to get home...I was left out in the cold for the night. Someone said there was a place to sleep out at the Universal Lutheran Chapel. I went up to the church following the group but once I got there I had no one around that I knew.

There was this large oak tree that I felt driven to check out. I climbed up the tree and watched people filing by. At some point, a fellow came by and said, "Hey, are you OK? Come on down and get some rest..." I had felt so alone, it was a real welcome to hear a friendly voice even if it was from a total stranger. He gave me a blanket, and I slept under the church awning with just the stars and the chill to comfort me.

After this protest, the Grateful Dead never again played the Greek Theatre. The people were depicted as rabble rousers in the press. Those of us who were there knew it had all been orchestrated by the police. In the end, that didn't matter, the Grateful Dead was banned from playing Berkeley, the place they had been playing since 1967.

The next day I went home across the bay. The Grateful Dead show would never be the same for me.

I was choking on tear gas, chased by police, and left alone to fend for myself in a group of total strangers. Lucky for me, one person cared enough to give me a blanket for the night. The independence I enjoyed at Laguna Seca became a real sense of worry and fear for my safety at the Greek. It was the first time I had been chased by the police, but it wouldn't be the last.

MOLLOY: Thank you for your candor and willingness to tell your story.

SALZMAN INTERNATIONAL artists' representative

2018-07-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

SALZMAN INTERNATIONAL has been providing the most professional & talented illustrators in the world

for over 30 years...

www.salzmanart.com

Partial List of Clients Include:
Conde Nast, Adobe, American Airlines, Electronic Arts, Stanford University, Mother Jones, Anheuser Bush, Purina, Simon & Schuster, Bayer Corporation, Discover Magazine, Playboy, Publicis, Nickelodeon Channel, Hyatt Hotels

MOLLOY: Did you ever consider a career as an artist yourself & speculate on your own self- promotion?

SALZMAN: No, never. From an early age I've frequently been accused of having a creative approach to life, but I have neither the aptitude nor the inclination to endeavor a career as a creative myself. Electoral politics is my avocation and maybe the skill set that comes most natural to me, but 35 years since choosing this career, I still find my role as an agent for some of the world's greatest commercial illustrators extremely rewarding.

MOLLOY: You've mentioned that you currently represent, almost exclusively, European artists.
I understand in the 80's, you were repping primarily NY artists..how do you explain this shift?

SALZMAN: While our publishing and advertising clients were, and still are predominantly based in New York City, the majority of the artists I started with in the early 1980's (living at that time in San Diego, very much a secondary market in our industry), as well as the additional artists I signed during the heydays of the 1990's (after having relocated to San Francisco), were mostly based on the West Coast. While I have had a Manhattan phone number since 1984 I've never lived in New York. Near the end of that decade and into the early 2000's there was a precipitous drop in business for freelance illustration (as well as commercial photography), which I attribute primarily to the impact of readily available stock image libraries that technology made greatly more efficient and practical as searchable digital databases of images -- fed in large part by creators without the foresight to see they were selling the farm for a year's worth of seed money by providing an entire careers worth of images to these stock houses, the very worst of which include those selling royalty free images, which is to say, turning an artist's work into the equivalent of clip art.

There was a significant exodus and/or merging of Reps and Repping firms industry wide during these economically lean times in the communicating arts. Many who thrived (or at least survived) grew to be mega-Reps with up to several hundred artists each. Others who choose to stay boutique operations such as myself went all but dormant over the following decade. It was in 2000 during these economically difficult times that I relocated to Humboldt County, Trinidad to be exact. The height of the dotcom boom on San Francisco housing prices came just as my landlord in The City decided to sell the house I'd been renting from him since 1990. Luckily the advents of technology also meant it no longer mattered where any of us were located. While the industry downturn of the late "90's" and into the early aughts was very real, I compounded a bad situation by declining to sign any new artists during this time. I based my reluctance to enter into new contractual relationships based on the accurate but misguided fact that since I was no longer able to keep the artists I was currently Repping, and had been for the past twenty years, at sustainable income levels, it would be irresponsible of me to commit to taking on additional artists. When you are an artist's exclusive Rep, and they are unable to make a living, it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on you and your conscience.

During this time, technology was making it less and less relevant where an artist lived in relation to where the clients were located and more and more of the artists who were soliciting me were from outside the USA. By 2009, I'd signed Mark Smith, who lived in Exeter, England. I decided at that time that I would let any foreign artist keep all the business from their home country as "House Accounts". My logic being that a successful artist should already be making a living from their domestic clientele relieving me of the self-imposed stress if I was unable to secure them additional work in The States, or other markets outside of where they lived. Mark Smith had an immediate and meteoric rise in the industry and from that point on I decided to focus primarily signing artists based outside the USA and have signed fifteen new artists from Italy, England, Spain, and Israel among other countries. During the last decade my business has rebounded to beyond where it was at it's height in the mid "90's". I still have about ten illustrators in my group that are a combination of specialist and legacy artists, many of whom I've Repped now for over thirty years. Ironically, the very newest artist I've signed: Jeff Hinchee, is my first New York based artist. So there are no hard and fast rules here. More than anything it is about the personal relationships between the artist and myself.

MOLLOY: It sounds like you have been able to successfully use your own creativity to adapt to the changing markets.

SALZMAN: One lesson I learned is that while the volume of original illustrations being assigned had dropped precipitously at the end of the "90's", I had not taken into account that for some artists, even though they may well have been at the top of their game as to the mastery of their style, that style may also have faded in popularity. Meanwhile these younger artists I was signing from around the world had more contemporary and popular styles. So while it is true that fewer clients were commissioning freelance illustrators, even fewer were commissioning the ones I was Repping whose popularity may have peaked decades earlier.

The day to day is pleasant enough, but the real rewards come on those occasions when I can get a chance to get an artist the compensation they deserve on the highest profile assignments. Less appealing, and thankfully less often necessary I also find it rewarding when I'm required to exercise my responsibility of protecting the best interest of an artists from any attempt of exploitation or otherwise being taken advantage of them contractually.

MOLLOY: Thank you for your time & insights.

Using the Canoe for Analogy

2018-06-28T08:28:00.003-07:00

Jango.com is a wonderful venue for composers.
http://www.jango.com/profiles/48567078?ft=1

Getting Older is not easy, so some confessions of an older gal...

https://www.linkedin.com/post/edit/leaving-my-spirit-canoe-behind-peggy-molloy

Reinventing oneself is a task that no one is prepared for, but for me it is a daily ritual.

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In addition, as long as I am confessing, I have a play for sale...I lived it in the 1970's, then began writing about my experiences in college, as an older student.

stageplays.com/products/miss-placedcategorycyberpresscode333

In terms of production, the biggest hurdle would be the music, which I added mostly as reminders of history. The wonderful & creative sounds available to the ears of the public during that era continue to resonate with those of us of a particular age.

Combining the ballet scores & ballet class exposure to the classics, mixed with a partner who was playing Bach on a concert guitar, I think the soundbed for the show could be stunningly beautiful, as a backdrop to some uncomfortable truths about a souring relationship.

Use of Affiliate Marketing/ THE ARTS

2018-01-28T08:24:00.000-08:00

Hello!
I have a new project to experiment with.

Pegalomania: Blue Piano

I am going to begin listing art related businesses that I have found to represent as an affiliate.

Just in case you like the blue piano, it also comes in vibrant yellow. Prints $100.00
available here!

1) Learn Piano & Keyboards! (click link below)
http://3b7946ser3-l-n0knzt9d1-a1s.hop.clickbank.net/

2) Award winning music production software! (click link below)
http://1630e2vkn37fsue32t4b0l0xbx.hop.clickbank.net/

3) Learn to quickly shoot video! (click link below)
http://232979vsjb2frq74velmvp0m15.hop.clickbank.net/

Pegalomania: Vibrant Yellow Piano

4) Podcasting Pro Course! (click link below)
http://232979vsjb2frq74velmvp0m15.hop.clickbank.net/

clipground.com

Any comments, purchase requests on prints or feedback welcome:
Email me at theartsqueen@gmail.com
Have a wonderful, productive, & creative workweek!

WEARABLE ART HAND-EMBROIDERED COAT

2017-10-22T15:21:00.001-07:00

IN THE 1970'S THERE WAS A NEW TREND GOING ON FOR FIBER ARTISTS.
THIS TREND WAS CALLED

COAT by Peggy Molloy (Pegalomania)

"WEARABLE ART".

When I first began participating I was living in Boston, & someone suggested I send in some slides of my work to the American Crafts Council Fair Competition that would be held in the summer in New Paltz, NY.

I was as unsavvy as a business person could have been, but the talent was recognized & several fair goers told me to go to Henry Bendels on 57th in NYC. I took my paillette sequined sweater cardigans & did get an order for three.

I rarely wore my coat, but when I did it always garnered attention. I was dancing then so I had a size 8 figure, which helps the coat hang well when worn.

One such outing, I was offered $3000. on the spot. I declined, but always thought if I were ever to sell my coat, that is where I would begin negotiations, now being 40 years later.

I have stored my coat in heavy plastic & I am thrilled to announce the coat is in fabulous condition.
I did spray it with vinegar & water to freshen it up, & it has a new life. I will include more pictures.
If anyone is interested in purchasing this sample or having a commissioned coat made just for them, please email me: theartsqueen@gmail.com

It it pretty tough to get the rich & varied colors shown with anything other than 100% wool. I used wool embroidery thread, letting the patterns design them selves or "grow", on a pink cotton velveteen fabric. It is unbelievably rich looking.

Ballerina KIMBERLY GRAVES-HAMM Now Coaches Ice Skating Competitors

2017-07-15T11:08:00.001-07:00

Marco Berg & Kimberly Graves-Hamm

Decades ago, while performing in a touring company from San Francisco called "Ballet Celeste"...

I met a young girl named Kimberly Graves. She was the lead in all the dances, had exquisite taste in clothes, & held an uncommon authority in her craft. No wonder then, that she soon went off to become a Soloist with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

While in Winnipeg, she spent four seasons. Graves then moved to NYC where we once again became acquainted. She joined the METROPOLITAN OPERA BALLET where she was a Principal Dancer for 17 years. I looked her up recently now that we are both living in different parts of California, only to learn her vision & talent have extended to new horizons in ICE! To follow is an interview she graciously gave to me amidst her many professional obligations.

(Photo Above Right) Kimberly Graves-Hamm in Nashville, Tennessee, with talent Marco Berg, in costume for competition in the National Showcase Parade Champions, Silver Medalist 2016. The National Showcase is a competition in theatrical skating. It is sanctioned under the U.S. Figure Skating Rules

MOLLOY: What triggered your decision to transfer your artistic skills & vision to ice-skating?

GRAVES-HAMM: After years of admiring Figure Skaters & watching the Olympics, I saw a need for the artistic finish that a dancer has. The musicality & artistry was missing.

MOLLOY: Your protege' participated this year in Nashville with the National Showcase Parade Champions?

GRAVES-HAMM: I went with Competitor Marco Berg.

MOLLOY: I wish you only the very best in your artistic endeavors. How would like to be contacted?

criticaldance.org

GRAVES: The best contact method would be to email:
Kimberlygraceonice@gmail.com

Kimberly Graves-Hamm offers off-ice instruction that complements the on-ice activities of skating professionals.

For dance enthusiasts please check out the website linked below Kimberly's photograph.

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Link to voice lessons: <a href="http://46625-tjkadawj7gtq4cvkvq8i.hop.clickbank.net/" target="_top">Click Here!</a> Try it to become a triple threat!

Pegalomania Paper Dolls now available in one dozen lots!

2017-04-26T19:15:00.002-07:00

Pegalomania Paper Dolls by Peggy Molloy

Dancer/ Designer Peggy Molloy
dba: Pegalomania
proudly presents 34 designs to color & cut out for pleasure...kids of all ages who need to relax & enjoy themselves while listening to ballet scores on the machine of your choice.

Details:
one dozen lots @ $6 per book
= $72.00 ; plus shipping & handling = $7.00 Total = $79.00

Just send your email for invoicing to theartqueen@gmail.com. THX!

Eureka CA has new Certified Craft Distilled Spirits being created!

2017-03-02T11:11:00.004-08:00

CERTIFIED CRAFT DISTILLED SPIRITS

being created in Eureka, CA! by Peggy Molloy

www.humboldtcraftspirits.com

For "Shrove Tuesday" I went to our church's pancake supper.
I was given some raffle tickets from a friend who could not stay for the entire event. It worked out that by the end of the evening, I had won some fabulous spirits! Perfect for an evening devoted to spiritual thoughts...

Living in remote northern California, nestled deep within the Redwoods, we do need our entertainment. Apparently the owners of Humboldt Craft Spirits is ahead of the game with their concoctions of gin, vodka & rye, but also some terrific recipes. I can tell these are tested to the finest detail! I will set them up for the reader below.

In general I dedicate this blog to the arts, but it could be argued that making fine spirits is an art form.

Here are some recent awards:

HAVE FUN!

SATLOF RENAISSANCE @ FERNDALE REP

2016-06-27T08:45:00.001-07:00

THE WHITE SNAKE LIVES AT FERNDALE REPERTORY...

ILLUSTRATION: Kim Hu-jeong

My introduction to Leira Satlof was one summer, many summers ago when she & James Floss were auditioning for “1940’s Radio Hour” for a production being put together for the Ferndale Repertory Theatre. Having been cast, we shared extensive rehearsals for a 26 member cast and by all accounts, the show was a success. I was aware that her mother Jane Hill was a co-founder of Dell-Arte, another local company I had worked with, for a Christmas show.

When Gloria Montgomery telephoned me late Saturday afternoon for going to the theatre that night, I was thrilled. It is always wonderful to accompany such a talented and well-known actress as Gloria. We went to see the current production of THE WHITE SNAKE at the Ferndale Repertory Theatre with bells on.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival Photo

First staged at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival by Artistic Director Bill Rauch, this Chinese fable has had updates by such notables as the Brothers Grimm. I found the show brimming with talent, excellent casting, tasteful music written by Brian Post, with loads of excitement riveting the audience between fight scenes, dance scenes, love scenes, and scene changes, with drama and a driving story.

I particularly enjoyed watching the mercurial temperament of Hanah Toyoda, playing the role of the monk Fa Hai, along with playing the parts of Narrator #4, Canopus, plus working as the Make-Up Designer. The other leads were very good, keeping the show at a good pace, and developing their character depth as the Second Act unfolded. I always look for those with a dance background, always noticeable.

I loved the poetic elements held within the production decisions that could be compared to Cirque De Soleil. Growing up in the Dell-Arte world fashioned Satlof’s vision for how staging could and should work. I thought the positivity of the teamwork expressed itself by the energy and creativity demonstrated by the cast throughout the uniquely timed and detail oriented blocking.

I want to close with an official congrats! to Leira Satlof and the committee for having chosen her. It’s a new day in Ferndale. It is my hope that the community will rally by attending the final two weeks of the show. It is a good method to relax, especially with relatives possibly visiting, or the children needing some entertainment for the Fourth of July weekend. You are in luck, July 3 and July 10, 2016...both days have 2 pm matinees so you can take in the show with your family.

www.ferndalerep.org (707) 786-5483

Julie Fulkerson Goes To NYC!

2016-04-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

CIVIC LEADER & ENTREPRENEUR JULIE FULKERSON TRAVELS TO DISCOVER WHAT IS GOING ON IN NYC THIS YEAR...

interview by Peggy Molloy

Photo: Julie Fulkerson NY Set

MOLLOY: When was your most recent visit to NYC?

FULKERSON: March 2016

MOLLOY: Do you go there often?

FULKERSON: We make every effort to go once a year.

MOLLOY: When did you first begin going, i.e. with your parents maybe?

FULKERSON: Actually, first trip was with my parents when I was 12 and on the way to Europe. We left Eureka on a six-day Greyhound bus trip across country and ended up on the docks of Manhattan to take the Ryndam on a ten day trip across the Atlantic…a story in itself.

MOLLOY: What was your favorite show at the theater?

FULKERSON: This time, it had to be Waitress because of Sara Bareilles’ role in writing the score. It is always tough to pick one, because all are terrific an diverse experiences. This trip we also saw Father with Frank Langella, Eclipsed with Lupito Nyongo’, Boy and Michelle Williams and Jeff Daniels in Blackbird; NYPhil rehearsal, Sondheim review, Paul Horn and Judy Collins at St. John the Divine, numerous chamber concerts and a ballet….street and subway musicians!

MOLLOY: What was your favorite concert?

FULKERSON: Solo cellist in Trinity Church.

Photo: Julie Fulkerson NY Concert

MOLLOY: How has visiting NYC shaped your ideas about our local cultural offerings?

FULKERSON: It is a reminder that there is unlimited material and talent in the world. It is important to show up in person. "Hamilton" will bring in over $1 billion in ticket sales. That is important to me because it means actors, musicians and technicians will be employed for years to come, just on this one show. Much bigger impact than a block-buster movie. And, there is a very different visceral response with live theatre than art in a can.

MOLLOY: There is an upcoming auction with your thumbprint on it to support a local school & social programs currently being held at that school. Details on poster below.

poster art by Augustus Clark

MOLLOY: I want to thank you personally for being an outstanding example of civic leadership & supporter of the Visual & Performing Arts in your community of Humboldt County, CA.

Major Shifting Reflected By Global Art Structuring

2016-03-30T04:20:00.000-07:00

I have a premise for most of my thinking about art:

"Art Is Our Ancient Global Language".

This is reflected by many arguments about whether the Mother of the Arts is dancing or the creation of music? Both dance & music hold equal merit in my mind, but I want to discuss a bigger idea.

There is the phenomena of mega-museums, the diminishment of the local galleries, the huge global

impact of the Internet, & the destruction of many centuries old sites representing older civilizations.

Blouinartinfo.com

"Rise of the Mega-Museums"

world-arts.com

From the Whitney, NYC to museums all over the country,... renovations, facelifts, & extensions are stretching the minds & corridors of art institutions all over the world. Couple this with the deterioration of the smaller, home-town art galleries all over the country. Again, when we go to the theater, we understand the multi-media concoctions on stage are part of the new experience.

Here is my question...As the art world becomes more bold globally isn't this affecting the market at its core? I define "core" by those in small towns & city lofts creating their own art, be it choreographers, musicians, painters, sculptors...No one is happier than I am to have the arts & artists flourish, however, I feel I am witnessing basic business nuts & bolts. There is a glut in the market so to speak, galleries now charge the creative artist from 50-70% commissions, so therefore, who is making any money? Dare I compare this to the oil market? We are dabbling with basic constructs of luxury, class, & values.

At the same time, we record the loss of sites. We can begin in the Middle East where so many religious/ cultural structures are being destroyed as acts of WAR because they are reminders of civilizations & religions of ancient societies from long ago.

Blouinartinfo.com

Just saying...I personally have great affection for the Old Masters, but clearly I view their study as a stepping stone, much as I appreciate the training of classical music for vocalists or composers. Most dance people can tell instantly if a performer has had ballet training, by the ease of movement, the central strength, & lift of the physique exhibited by the actor. Let's not spend our precious time & dollars re-inventing the wheel. I view it as a tragedy to lose the artistic marvels of the world because they represent so much of cultural thinking & expression of the human experience.

JON VOIGHT IS A PRINCE claims co-actor on new TV movie Dave Gatzke

2016-02-21T18:39:00.001-08:00

Dave Gatzke recently worked on a film with Jon Voight in Kentucky for Hallmark Family TV.
The truth be told, I went to Arcata Union High School with Dave, & we actually went to the same movie house in the 50's.
He has high praises for the film's star, Jon Voight.
Always involved in choirs, drama productions & talent nights, little did he know his talent would be called upon in Kentucky.

autographed script for Dave Gatzke

MOLLOY: Your first exposure to film was in Arcata, CA at the Saturday matinees?

GATZKE: I remember going with my folks to see "Snow White" and/or "Bambi".

MOLLOY: I know you like the early Disney characters including Donald Duck. I would go to the matinee at the same theater with my older sister & her friends. You sometimes post vintage cartoon runs on your facebook.

GATZKE: Yeh, I love those guys.

MOLLOY: As a young adult to moved to Europe. Can you tell me about that?

GATZKE: I joined the Army & was stationed in Germany. I loved being so close to Switzerland so I could go skiing, or so close to France that I could take off & go out to dinner.

MOLLOY: Who is your favorite actor working today?

GATZKE: By far, that would be Jon Voight.

MOLLOY: Who would you say is your favorite all time actor?

GATZKE: That would have to be Humphrey Bogart.

MOLLOY: Do you think your military experience changed your outlook about films?

GATZKE: The military structures your life. Whenever I would watch movies the actors seemed to be authentic, or "off-duty". I loved that.

Dave Gatzke (Left) Jon Voight (Right)

MOLLOY: Why do you love Kentucky?

GATZKE: Kentucky is a great place to live. We are centrally located here, with easy access to trails for horse-back riding, lakes for fishing, it's just great.

MOLLOY: It was your horse-back riding environment that led you to being cast in the film?

GATZKE: My friend's farm was being used as the set for the movie. The Director, named Charlie, telephoned to explain they wanted a conversation with "Hippie Dave". Jon Voight explained they needed a couple of characters like me to be in the film. Once at the set, we were told to say anything you want to....(this is while the Director is taking notes), now their words have become part of the script.

MOLLOY: Would you like to pursue a professional acting career?

Dave Gatzke

GATZKE: It was a pleasure.

MOLLOY: Final comments?

GATZKE: There were other big stars, Melanie Griffith & James Caan, but Jon Voight stood out to me. Jon & Charlie made my movie experience the best I ever had. Jon Voight is a prince.

MOLLOY: When is the movie due to be out? And the title please?

GATZKE: The film will be titled "JL Ranch". It is expected to air in July 2016.

MOLLOY: Thank you Dave, great to talk to you again after all these years.

World Traveler Offers Insights on Art, Orphans, Trust...

2016-02-03T10:29:00.001-08:00

Photo: Haj Sophia, Istanbul TURKEY 2008, Stan & Cindy

MOLLOY: I remember when we were teenagers together in dance class, you had told me that you wanted to pray for peace in churches all over the world. How close have you come to that girlhood dream?

SAVAGE-HINO: I am not counting, but I do maintain & update a journal with our trips. It remains an important task for me as a person.

MOLLOY: What has surprised you the most about traveling to so many foreign countries?

SAVAGE-HINO: One surprise is to understand how much travel changes a person as you evolve with your experiences.

MOLLOY: Can you tell me in a nutshell how you manage your trips for pleasure with your travel for Adoption Horizons?

SAVAGE-HINO: Initially I was taking multiple trips to escort potential adoptive families into Vietnam & China, this was in the 90's. At this time I did have my assumptions destroyed about what the criteria is for "good" & "bad" people. I began to understand how much alike people are.

MOLLOY: Of your church experiences, is there one that stands out?

SAVAGE-HINO: In the city of Abidjan on the Ivory Coast of Africa, we were escorted by the military police who took our cameras. We traveled to a Yamoussoukro Basillica which was absolutely huge & gilded inside with real gold. It was larger than St. Peter's Basilica with a large stained glass window featuring the President of the country. Ironically, the local poor hovered outside the gates.

MOLLOY: Where have you witnessed the greatest ballet?

SAVAGE-HINO: When we were in St. Petersburg, RUSSIA, Stan thought I owed it to myself to see the classic "Swan Lake" at the Hermitage Theater. It being a classic was worth the experience. Russia maintains the great balletic history in their culture.

MOLLOY: Theater?

SAVAGE-HINO: An outdoor theater in Rome, ITALY with a performance of "Tosca".

MOLLOY: Rock Concert?

SAVAGE-HINO: Candlestick Park with my son, he managed to get some Paul McCartney tickets.
It was fabulous. Incidentally, when I was in a social situation in Vietnam, I was pressed to sing karaoke, so I chose a Beatle Song, it was a great hit, everyone in the audience knew it well.

MOLLOY: Museum?

SAVAGE-HINO: I have three that would be neck & neck, all gorgeous. The Musee d' Orsay, Paris, FRANCE, the Prado, Madrid, SPAIN, & the Gulbinkin, Lisbon, PORTUGAL. I want to mention also that there is an island called "Berlin Island" where they have seven major museums, all fabulous.
In Mexico City, there is the Museum of Anthropology featuring an Aztec calendar stone.

MOLLOY: Food?

SAVAGE-HINO: I have had the very best Indian food at an Indian restaurant in Paris.

MOLLOY: Hotels, do you book within a chain?

SAVAGE-HINO: We choose hotels by how close they are to our particular trip destination, near trains whenever possible, but mostly we want to experience the culture & society of the country we are in. We prefer unique quarters, heavy on cultural character.

MOLLOY: Final thoughts?

SAVAGE-HINO: Mostly I want to share that all cultures & people want to love & be loved all over the world. People want the best for their children.

MOLLOY: Future travel plans coming up?

SAVAGE-HINO: We have tentative plans to go to Cuba & spend Christmas in Israel with a former exchange student.

MOLLOY: Thank you, I am proud to be able to call you my friend.

SAVAGE-HINO: Thanks, I am proud to be your friend as well.

MONACO: ARTS DESTINATION

2015-10-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

On my bucket list is to enter a grand casino in Monaco wearing a screaming red sequin gown.
By the time I get there, my hair shall be white but alas, my ducks will be in order.

Jeannette Getrost Gown

I subscribe to a newsletter called MONACO WEALTH MANAGEMENT because I am constantly attempting to learn how to manage money. It just so happens I don't have any to manage so I am purely in the speculative stages, but I do not consider it evil, in fact a smart person could do a great deal of good with money. I am thinking specifically of donating to the the Salvation Army for example...now that's what I call social security! Please note: http://www.salvationarmy.org

Along with the yachts, operas, casinos, & such, comes the idea of supporting the arts. Boy, does Monaco support their arts. It's a beautiful thing. Recently Monaco Wealth Management developed a partnership with an online art service & the results have been fabulous. Founded in 2010, MWM decided to focus on international contemporary artists. The company represents artists in Monte-Carlo & Berlin.

Plenty more about this topic: http://www.artnet.com/galleries/monaco-wealth-management

In addition to selling, the newsletter has articles revolving around the artists perspective in terms of business. Recently there was an article with a User's Guide of Dealers with steps itemized.
1) Pay your artists on time
2) Don't call artists "crazy" or "unreasonable"
3) Don't ignore their phone calls or emails
4) Go to art fairs, & bring your artists
5) Sell their art to the right collectors
6) Have relationships with museums or influential board members
7) Be their advisor as well as their dealer
8) Get them things the can't (or don't want to) get themselves
9) Get decent wine or beer for the opening.

Heck, this could be a guideline to how to stay married to an artist as well. Good tips!

"METROPOLIS" is alive & well living on Youtube!

2015-07-19T03:38:00.000-07:00

1927 was definitely a good year in German FILM...

PUZZLE: HOW TO SELL THE ARTS

2015-07-19T03:37:00.001-07:00

I placed this video onto my blog because it features an important idea about marketing the arts.

I was told the best way to view a video was on youtube because it offers various formats so that whatever the user needs, youtube is already there.

I love the arts & artists. Creativity is the greatest strength we can offer the global audience.

Unfortunately, many art people think it is wrong to make money, that they will be viewed by others as greedy, & I think this inhibits their ability to be true to themselves & their message.

Let's take off the politicizing of our work. If we don't want to be judged by narrow minds I think we need to exhibit open-mindedness about money.

Throughout history it has been the elites who determine success. Be it the aristocracies, the churches, the governments...but today that has changed. The Internet has changed all of our voices to a new idea of seeking symbol.

Art is our ancient global language. Communities have always communicated with music, symbol, fiction, thoughtful garment making, dance, & ritual.

Puzzle how to sell the arts on Youtube.com

I created this video while take courses with Full Sail University, which I loved. They are ahead of the curve with their coursework and method of reaching out to their students across the world. I succeeded in attaining a Masters Science in Entertainment Business...meaning I was seeking how to market the classical arts, opera, ballet, symphony, drama....which fell under the umbrella of entertainment.

Beloved Actress Bonnie Halverson is role model to musician daughter Sara Bareilles...

2015-02-03T12:26:00.003-08:00

Bonnie (Bareilles) Halverson

"Ye shall know them by their fruits"
-Matthew 7:16 KJV

MOLLOY: Could you tell me when you first became interested in drama?

HALVERSON: As a Junior High School girl I was greatly inspired by having been taken to a production of "Oliver" featuring Davy Jones of the Monkees. This took place at the Circle Star Theatre and I was in love with Davy Jones. I was so drawn into the musical I forgot who he was.
A great life lesson about really getting into character.

MOLLOY: And your first performance?

HALVERSON: Always being a "ham", my first play was in 8th grade. I had a part in "Our Hearts Were Young And Gay". I will always remember Miss Valla, a local community theater actress who insisted we always behave professionally.

MOLLOY: At this point, can you estimate how many plays you have participated in?

HALVERSON: I would say between 40-50 stage shows overall in my lifetime.

MOLLOY: Did you receive formal dramatic training?

HALVERSON: I studied for a Drama Major at Cal. State University at Hayward.

MOLLOY: Do you have a favorite style of performance?

HALVERSON: Drama.

MOLLOY: Your daughter Sara Bareilles is known as a musician. Did you study music as a child?

HALVERSON: I did not study Music but when the girls were growing up we always had a piano.
We had many happy hours with performances upon the coffee table, from comedy to music shows.
Stacey is an actress/ singer/ mom who was very strong on stage. Jennifer is working in Improv in NYC.

MOLLOY: What are your plans for working your talent?

HALVERSON: At this time I am "on hold" with family to care for. Long-term I will share the joys of Stacey's children and joyful singing, Jennifer's Improv shows, and Sara's concerts.

lasvegascritics.com

sarabareillestours.com
Tickets: 844-316-8220

Personal Goal To Convert Creativity into Social Positivity

2014-12-20T03:43:00.001-08:00

Google Images Illustrations File

I just loved this illustration.
Very Vintage & Nostalgic.

This is the Season to be giving in the optimum, shake off some mental ruts, look around us.

I am taking some personal responsibility this year to involve myself with the Salvation Army.
Since 1868, people have been taken off the streets, hungry, tired, discouraged, homeless, addicted..yet whatever their belief system or world model, the only question asked is "are you hungry?"

Since my involvement, many people have taken me aside to tell me of how the Salvation Army had helped them during difficult times earlier in their life. One fellow put a $20 into the bell-ringers kettle explaining how he had once run out of gas. A stranger had picked him up at the side of the road, gas hi gas money & took him to a local gas station. When the stranger was asked how he could be repaid, he was told, "Just out a bill into the kettle at Christmas"...

On an intellectual level, it is my intent to figure out how to convert the Creativity of Artists into a prosperous culture. I am not political so I avoid making suggestions about changing society or blah blah. No, I mean at a very personal level, each of us has a great deal of power within our own minds, hearts & souls. The concept is simple but I think our society has neglected the emotional intelligence in each opus. Well, get it back!

The hunan condition is full of sorrow. This is how we grow. To grow strong we need something to reach up to. Thus, the value of the Salvation Army. It is a vehicle to reach out of our comfort zones & either get some help or give some help, & really it is the same thing. It is the emotional honesty & willingness that focuses the transition.

I urge you as an active, creative, highly functioning individual to count your blessings, then listen up to the tiny bell being rung by a Salvation Army volunteer. Go ahead, reach up on the Angel Tree & find a child that needs a gift. The gift is a reminder that Jesus loves them, so what's wrong with that?

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!
Peg

Weaving Giving Communities With Art Venues

2014-10-29T03:08:00.000-07:00

There are many resources for
Businesses & The Arts
I want to suggest an equally important method of collusion by setting the stage for Fund-Raising in an Arts Venue.

Swedish National Museum Stockholm, Projected Grafetti

Giving requires imagination, purpose in life & the ability to function at a level that goes beyond our own immediate needs.

Metropolitan Museum NYC Chinagate/Cariter Exhibits

What better place that a location that already features the human imagination, creative beauty & the need to communicate with others?

The Sewell Gallery is offering its space for the Salvation Army to feature its upcoming Red Kettle Fund Raising Event in Eureka, CA. There will be a portrait artist to accept commissions, part of those final payments to be donated, a Guest Speaker to welcome the guests & give a brief history of the Salvation Army, & an auction for a piece of art that had been donated for the purposes of Public Relations. This is an excellent opportunity to make comfortable some members of the public who may not otherwise visit an art gallery, & give exposure to the local artists currently showing their work.