Now that I have spent the last ten years trying to improve creative education around the world, I find myself constantly thinking about what makes our brains tick? I never had the science skills to become a doctor but somehow I wound up earning a doctorate in human observation. And, at the center of my…

Todays Mets are cool! How did this happen??? Young, free spirited and built with the real conviction that comes with being fearless, this newfangled form is an amazingly better, millennial version of this franchise. Talk about brand reinvention…The Mets are cool…how in the world could this be???  I am not a Mets fan even though…

In the past few years, I have become a collector and friend of the artist Alexander Tovborg. This past Saturday Alexander taught a master class for our Advanced Teen Artists @ One River School. Watching Alexander work with our teens took me back to the very premise I had four years ago when I conceived…

Isn’t it funny that simple things resonate the most with us? When our senses of touch, taste or smell are activated, they elicit the most primary of responses. These are informed by the earliest responses you had as a child and your brain’s wiring drives this. So, what is it about the Supermoon that seemed…

Yes it does! So does Music. And Dance. This Sunday, we bring you all of these live in Englewood at Veterans Park (across from One River School @ 49 N. Dean Street), from 11AM to 5PM. There will be free art & photography workshops, live performances from the talented House Band @ School of Rock Tenafly, free dance workshops from Bergen…

Now that I am post 50, I find myself starting to think more about how precious time is.  Part of the problem is the litany of choices are excruciating: do I watch the game or get caught up on Season Four of Breaking Bad (yes only 4), do I do some work or sort my…

Uh oh, I have a subtle feeling that the winter blues are around the corner.  How do I know?  Well, it generally starts with a few signals: sleepier in the AM, drinking way too much coffee, nesting at home on Sundays and finding ridiculous chores to accomplish, sitting in the man cave and watching too…

During summer camps at One River, I have a chance to meet new students who are here for the first time and I often walk away completely inspired by them. Sometimes it is their energy, sometimes it is the artwork, sometimes it is their intellect and sometimes it is all of the above. I walked…

I saw the movie about Brian Wilson’s life and it is really worth seeing.  There are lots of stories built into the overall theme that shares the struggle Brian Wilson faced dealing with mental disease. It is fascinating how many people with exceptional brilliance also deal with overcoming exceptional personal challenges.  There is something about…

I am often asked “what is the best way to create a great portfolio?” To which my typical answer is “make great art.” It may sound trite but the fact of the matter is, whether it is for high school (Bergen Academies), college or the professional level, the process of creating a portfolio ultimately comes…