A few weeks ago, I was working behind the counter at our school in Englewood, NJ, when one of our regular members came in. After chatting for a while, I asked her “how are things going here for you and your kids”? She said “they were in love with One River” and then she hit…
This past Saturday, I went to our Millburn, NJ school to be a part of their first student show. Late morning before the opening, I ran into an adorable little girl who was searching for her artwork among a sea of objects. I could tell she was sad and I was committed to helping her…
Yesterday, I walked around the lower east side of New York visiting galleries and looked at some of the most compelling emerging art in the world. This dense and cool part of Manhattan is one of the most important proving grounds for contemporary artists worldwide. And, there we were! One River School Teen Students from…
One of the things that I have been studying, which also happens to be a substantial part of the book I am writing, is “why do some people in middle age thrive while others decline”? There are countless theories and a lot of obvious elements that make up the general health and well-being snapshot for…
For 30 years, Tyree Guyton has shared his Heidelberg Project and tried to shed some light on the urban blight of Detroit and the role art can play in creating hope. Now the artworld is sharing back. The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit has celebrated Tyree with an exhibition this fall that runs till January 9th and this past…
Twelve years ago I shifted my career after 20 years in the media business and I invested in a School of Rock franchise. At the time it was part of a major career shift for me where I also joined School of Rock as the CEO and committed myself to building an arts education business.…
When I started One River, in addition to teaching in our classrooms, I wanted our schools to show work from contemporary artists so that anyone walking in our doors could view something current and compelling. I felt strongly that this would allow us to extend our educational process so that people in our local communities…
Thanksgiving may be the most universally loved holiday for Americans. It comes with no quid pro quo, just a simple pause to hang with family and friends and to share a moment of gratitude. To this point, I want to take a moment to share some gratitude of my own. Last week we opened our…
Introducing “ART SESSIONS” for Adults For six years we have been studying the impact art making has on adults and there is no doubt that we have made a difference. Having said that, we are about to launch a revolutionary new art program for adult students of all levels called ART SESSIONS that is simply…
My wife and I spent the weekend visiting my son Jason at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. I don’t know how we got here, but my boy is on the precipice of turning 21 and his maturation into his adult self makes me so proud. Skidmore has had a lot to do with it and…