ARTIST'S STATEMENT

I’ve been an artist since childhood. I’ve continued to produce and exhibit my work throughout a career in education in the Kenmore Schools (starting as an art teacher, then supervising the district art program, serving in a variety of Central Office positions, and eventually becoming the Interim Superintendent). Throughout that time, I was working in a variety of media and exhibiting widely in the Western New York region. Over those years, my work has addressed a variety of themes and subject matter.  

Why, as an artist and not a Jew, have I produced a series of art work responding to the Holocaust? Why did I then decide to publish my efforts as a book? 

The story of my long journey would start with the May 1945 issue of LIFE magazine when I first saw those images of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps. How could that possibly be true- how could we never have known or acted? 

It would also go back to my late wife Mary and her Uncle Fred- a German Jew who left Germany in the early 1930’s. Upon moving to Buffalo after we married, Mary and I had many Jewish friends. Though not Jews, we attended many Jewish services and events- we even held Seders in our home. Mary was a religion teacher in a Catholic high school and included units on Jewish religion and culture in her courses. She was long dedicated to Holocaust education serving as a member and Vice President of the Board of the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo. 

Then I lost Mary, and her untimely passing in 1996 left me even more committed to responding to the Holocaust- almost a moral imperative. I came to accept, as one of all who remain (my title), the challenge of responding to the Holocaust. How do we honor the victims and survivors? How do we remember the Holocaust and work to prevent history from repeating itself? I became a member of the Board of the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo, and I currently serve as a Vice President. 

Upon my retirement (1995), I had already returned full time to my studio and found myself again needing to address the Holocaust. Even before losing Mary, I had begun art works responding to it. These eventually became my “Banality of Evil” series (from a Hannah Arendt quote- see my later comments on this). 

From the beginning I was sensitive- as a non-Jew- to how my work might be viewed. I had also long sought to visit Poland to research these concerns and to confirm whether my work reflected what I would encounter in the death camps. That chance came in 1999 with an Elderhostel program (Jewish Culture in Poland) that included visiting four camps. I didn’t know how I’d handle what could be a very emotional experience. Nevertheless I felt compelled to do it. That trip confirmed that I was on the “right path” in my efforts and additionally provided me with a wealth of visual and cultural material. And it was there also that I met the person who was to become my current life partner- Dr. Lee Katz. Truly beschart! 

In my return full time to the studio in 1995, I had begun to explore Golden Mean relationships- perfect shapes. One day I had a striking visual epiphany- I found my perfect rectangles appearing in the exact proportions of that infamous Auschwitz railroad entrance. They also morphed into flags, nationalistic emblems, death camps, railroad cars, graves, barrack bunks, crematoria, and more. The series had begun. From that insight I also knew that the only way for me aesthetically to deal with the Holocaust- that which defies description and its unforgivable enormity was with abstract and minimalist means. I’ve tried to do that while still evoking an emotional response. The series is ongoing, as is my challenge.

ACHIEVEMENTS

BFA Bradley University, Peoria, IL
EdM University of Buffalo & Albright Art School
Further graduate work: SUNYAB, SUCAB

EXHIBITS (INDIVIDUAL)
- One Man Show @ Canisius College (March ’04)
- One Man Show @ (both) Jewish Centers (spring ’00)- Holocaust Series (Banality of Evil & Related Works)
- 4 other One Man Shows in Buffalo, Seneca Falls, Philadelphia- (‘70s thru ’01)
- 1 Two Man Show @ Gallery West- Buffalo (spring ’73) 

AWARDS
- Carnegie Members (’03)- Honorable Mention
- Buffalo Society of Artists (fall ’02)- 4th prize
- 9th Annual Regional- Art Dialogue (’00) - Honorable Mention
- Buffalo Society of Artists (fall ’00)- 2nd prize
- Hooray for Humanities (’99)- 2nd prize
- Western New York Exhibition (’59)- 2nd prize
- MacAlpine Religious Arts- Best of Show
- Other Best of medium awards and numerous prizes in graphics in area shows 

COLLECTIONS
- Charles R. Penney Foundation
  (Burchfield-Penney/SUCAB)
- Village of Kenmore
- Bradley University (Library & Art School)
- Medaille College (Library)
- Poets House (New York City)
- M & T Bank (Buffalo)
- Graphic Controls (Buffalo)
- Roswell Park Cancer Institute (Buffalo)
-  Holocaust Resource Center of Greater Buffalo
- MacAlpine Church (Buffalo)
- numerous personal collections
  (Western New York, Westchester County)

OTHER
- “The Shore You Reach”- book, a collaborative effort of art work by Robert Freeland and poems by Loren Keller (’05) 

EXHIBITS (GROUP)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (spring ’13)
- Art Dialogue 20th Regional (2011)
- Members- VACI- Chautauqua (2011)
- Members- Art Dialogue (’97-’04, ’06, ’10, ’11, ’13)
- Members- Carnegie Art Center (yearly ’98-2012)
- Members- Rye(NY) Art Center (yearly ’06- ’12)
- Members- Hallwalls (’97, ’99, ’00, ’06, 2012)
- Members- Big Orbit (’97-’03, ’05)
- Members Burchfield-Penney (’07-’08)
- Bradley University Alumni Art Shows (’99, 2002)
- Albright-Knox: Collectors Gallery (1959-2003, 2006-09)
- Albright-Knox: numerous Western New York Exhibitions (’59-‘80s)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (spring ’09)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (fall ’08)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (spring ’08)
- My Best Work: Art Dialogue (Jan. ’08)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (fall ’07)
- Buffalo Society of Artists 110th (fall ‘06/Jan. ’07)
- Buffalo Society of Artists 108th (fall ’04)
- Art Dialogue Regional (fall ’04)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (spring ’04)
- Mini-Show @ Art Dialogue (fall ’03)
- Fashion Statement: Clothing with Content- Rye (NY) (fall ’03)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (fall ’03)
- Art Dialogue Regional (summer ’03)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (spring ’03)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (fall ’02)
- Art Dialogue Regional- (’02)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (spring ’02)
- Market Gallery- Color (’02) 
- Buffalo Society of Artists (spring ’01)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (fall ’00)
- Art Dialogue Regional (’00)
- Buffalo Society of Artists 103rd (spring ’99)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (fall ’99)
- Hooray for Humanities (fall ’99)
- Art Dialogue Regional (’99)
- 30th Niagara Frontier Exhibit (’98)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (summer ’98)
- Take a Seat- Studio Arena (’98)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (spring ’98)
- Art Dialogue Regional (’98)
- Art Dialogue Regional (’97)
- Erie PA 74th Annual (’97)
- Buffalo Society of Artists 101st (’97)
- Buffalo Society of Artists (fall ’96)
- Art Dialogue Regional (’96)
- Erie PA 73rd Annual (’96)
- Buffalo Society of Artists 100th (’96)
- Rochester NY Religious Arts Show (mid ‘60s)
- numerous regional exhibits (late ‘50s to ‘80s)