Lucie Castaldo, Amy Butterworth,Brielle Rizzotti, Hope Sullivan, Dina Noto, Ben Evans. Not present was Cecila Hirsch
Art school wools and tools
and draw on occasion and as a teen I played music, bassoon actually, for youth orchestras. That was a great way to travel – go on tour! I’ve also got a drum kit in the basement and can play a couple Pogues tunes on the harmonica. So… I’m conversational in many artistic media but not an expert. Makes me all the more appreciative of the talent I get to interact with every day!
When do you take a break? Do you like to travel? Hope: I get vacation time but since having my daughter (she’s two and a half now) I haven’t managed to figure out significant travel other than family visits. I love travelling so my wish list of places to go is pretty long… Top of mind at this moment, some cities I’d like to explore include: Buenos Aires, Stone City, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai. Closer to home beach time, ski time and woods time every year is really important. Day to day I try to find ways to just get outside, get fresh air, sunlight and MOVE. That’s the best way for me to recharge. In warm months I garden, swim and play with my daughter; hike and run with my dog; during the colder, darker days I turn to skiing and hot yoga.
What NEW thing would you consider getting involved in? Hope: Language! A longstanding ambition of mine is to be multi-lingual, but I’ve only managed to develop a facility with French. I’d love to find ways to immerse myself in other languages here at home. I’d also like to expose my daughter to
12 • March 2013 THE ArTFuL MInD
different phonetic sounds – Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, and Hindi, as many as possible. The world is getting smaller in so many ways and being able to communicate with each other, to understand one another seems like a critical first step to being a member of the global community.
Communication in many languages is almost as important as knowing how to use a computer. Honestly, do you miss the city? Hope: I miss new York and other cities from time to time, the clutter and mess and noise and hubbub and accessibility of it all. But, I don’t have a lack of stimulation in the Berkshires, far from it. Instead, I feel like I don’t have anywhere near enough time to see and experience all the great things going on here, all year round. And, activities aside, I love the air and space and community in-it-togetherness of our region. The only thing I wish I could import from an urban area is the ability to live car-less most of the time. I still feel strange zooming back and forth all day - commuting by automobile to work and fun. I am one who does not miss public transportation, Hope! How has it been for you being a mother and director of an art school? It gets easier as our children get older, but I am wondering how you have managed balancing out these two huge responsibilities! Hope: Like most parents my schedule is pretty tight. I’m very
fortunate to have a job that is flexible and understanding if my daughter needs me and a childcare solution that she loves and that covers most of my work time. Day to day our schedule is pretty consistent - up toddlerearly, some time for play and rocking hugs before getting dressed and heading out. My daughter gets dropped off at childcare and I’m off to run the dog, ideally, and then get to work. At the end of the day we have a little more time but it’s pretty much the same schedule in reverse, less the dog run. At 8pm, when she’s asleep, that’s my daily moment to breathe out and just appreciate. On busy, stressful days that moment can feel amazingly luxurious. Balance has been easier for me as I get older and gain more perspective. I’ve learned some great lessons from my daughter actually, in particular that every single action or activity can be an adventure if you look at it from the right angle. That approach is amazingly liberating and joyous. Even tedious chores can transform into fun if you think/say/sing/shout “YES!”, “BLAST OFF!” or “rEADY FOr ACTIOn!” before getting started. Although… if I could get out for dog runs more frequently that would be great. And I’m still trying to make myself exercise more consistently! 6