Niagara-on-the-Lake

How great is it to live just under a 2-hour drive from an incredibly gorgeous town in another country? This was my third time to Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL): the first was in 2009, as part of a “Maggie Tours” bike trip (Charlie’s least favorite bike “organization,” since it means he schlepps the bikes…), and the second was in 2014 after an overnight at the Inn on the Twenty, where we met up with my other regular bridge partner and her husband. 

NOTL can be done as a day trip from Rochester, and when Nanette planned her recent visit north around going to the Shaw Festival, we almost did that, but ended up spending two nights there, to give us time to wander around the town and also play in a regional bridge tournament in St. Catherine’s. 

Nine years ago, the “tour” included an extremely forgettable play at the Shaw Festival, but I chose it because it fit with our biking schedule. This year, Nanette chose two shows, again, based on what would be playing the Wednesday of her visit. Neither one of the shows was forgettable, although The Baroness and the Pig was truly awful. As we sat in the park, recovering from the blistering heat and admiring the view of the Niagara River meeting Lake Ontario, we shared our personal reviews before Nanette checked professional ones on her phone. We were spot on! 

The other show, Oh What a Lovely War, was an intriguing and powerful revue loosely telling the story of World War I from a distinctly Canadian point of view. Although it was written several decades ago, it included some personal stories by the actors, as well as references to current events (my favorite – the Russian official telling the British, American, and French officials that they were all puppets!). There were pointed references to the slights to indigenous people, Negroes, and women (suffrage in Canada was achieved piecemeal, starting in 1917, but wasn't fully inclusive of Asians and Inuit until the 1950s), and more than one jab at America (e.g., always arriving late to the war). There were multiple acknowledgements of the "First Nations peoples," thanking them for their "stewardship of these lands" and "their ongoing and important roles in the caretaking of the lands beneath our feet" (lands which were stolen from the indigenous people in Canada and the United States...).

All of the actors displayed great versatility as they quickly changed characters from sketch to sketch. Nanette and I occasionally had trouble with the French and Russian accents, but we got the gist of it. 

The most moving part of attending the Shaw Festival was the playbill message from Artistic Director Tim Carroll. Definitely worth reading in full, rather than me quoting an excerpt. 

one of my favorite dress shops!

We also did our bit to help support the local economy – we both bought some lovely Canadian clothes and assorted other trinkets, and we had some delicious meals. I mustn’t wait another 4-5 years before going back next time!

Memorial Art Gallery

When a friend visits you in Rochester for the fourth time, it’s a challenge to come up with something new for her to do. Luckily, even though I’ve taken Nanette to the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) several times, it isn’t a static museum – there’s always something new to see. Plus, they like to rearrange the regular collection, so it’s fun to wander around trying to find our favorite works of art…

This time, my goal was the Josaphine Tota exhibit, which unfortunately closes this coming Clothesline Festival weekend. Tota was a Rochester resident who started painting very late in life. She took classes at the MAG, and evolved from traditional still life and landscapes to her own surrealist expression in egg tempera. Her works are primarily untitled, since she painted for her own enjoyment and therapy. 

a dress form made from
Rota's own body

I loved the irregular shapes of many of her paintings

According to one of the wall panels, “Josaphine Tota rarely discussed her work and left no letters or papers. Nonetheless, this lack of direct knowledge of her artistic intentions does not diminish the formal or psychic potency of her work. Viewers of Tota’s paintings are made privy to the private communications between the artist and herself; no answers are forthcoming.” Nevertheless, the exhibit, curated by Jessica Marten, does provide helpful clues along the way into Tota’s medical ailments and state of mind, which help the viewer understand much of the symbolism.

"Prelude to the Final Solution"

The exhibit that wasn’t my primary goal had a much greater impact on me. “Fabric of Survival – The Story of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz,” curated by Marlene Hamann-Whitmore, is the powerful illustration of the artist’s experience of Nazi occupation of Poland and her survival of the Holocaust through needlework and fabric collages. Each panel is incredibly detailed in its depiction and description of a particular memory, and is intensely moving. Nanette and I watched bits of the 30-minute video with interviews of the artist that accompanies the exhibit, but I really want to go back and use one of the museum’s portable chairs so I can sit and truly appreciate it. This exhibit runs through December 2, so I have time. There will also be a talk on Sunday, September, 16, by her two daughters. 

This is an exhibit not to be missed.

"Coming to America" - I found the last line of the text particularly moving in light of current events: "My dear child, this will be your America!"