Occupation: Fashion Designer Birth: July 5, 1946
The class situation [at Art Institute on Elmwood Avenue] was such that one would be very much on their own to paint or draw. The faculty was roving t….
Don't dress for fashion, dress for yourself.
In a social studies class I did a paper on the history of Attica, which ended up being a little book that I created..
Charles Burchfield would look at what you were working on and not say anything for several minutes. Then he would very sensitively respond - "Well, h….
Fortunately, I had cousins who lived in Buffalo and would often go to visit them, which I loved to do because I liked Buffalo as it was a big city. E….
The first important [step] one was going to school. There was an advantage as there was a one-room schoolhouse that was within walking distance of my….
My parents' names were Florian and Mabel Smith. My mother's maiden name was Dersam. They were of German heritage and were part of a family community ….
In thinking back, not having any experience in any other elementary school, there may have been an advantage of being with different age groups to be….
Being born in '31 was during the Depression and in my earlier youth World War II took place - so it was not the best of times, and yet I don't recall….
It was only when I got to high school and was in the art program that my artistic talent was recognized. The art program was directed by a wonderful ….
I developed friends in the community that were in walking distance or a bicycle ride away, so that I socialized and did a lot of things that children….
My parents never prevented me from doing anything, but they didn't have the knowledge of the arts that Mrs. Ranger had..
Great stories happen all around you every day. At the time they’re happening, you don’t think of them as stories. You probably don’t think about them….
I became a bit of a teacher's pet, and it became known in the school by both faculty and students that I really excelled in the arts. So that recogni….
I was painting furniture, learning to stencil, and explore all kinds of traditional techniques of decoration. I learned from books that I picked up..
The pastors and ministry leaders came away energized to have voter registration drives at their churches and motivated to encourage their congregati….
I was there [in school] the full time with one teacher, and the student body was never more than 10 or 12 students of all ages..
The environment itself was culturally a vacuum, in that there was simply nothing that would inspire me in the arts. But my parents were always very s….
When life closes a door, God opens a window..
I know that I was conscious of all the aspects of the war, having had cousins who were in the army, who would send me notes and memorabilia. I began ….