Category Archives: Art

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Culturally World Class

Chris Wu

Back in April of 2015, I posted about what it takes to be world class. That post was about world class athletes and what it takes to get to the top.. Recently, I watched a couple of documentaries on Netflix about the PGA and the upstart LIV Golf Tour. Also watched a documentary about the ATP Tennis Tour. Both documentaries gave an intimate look what it takes to be successful. Definitely worth the watch. The intensity of these athletes was very visible and the sacrifices that are made to get to that level are astounding. They don’t take the elevator to the top- they take the stairs, as they like to say.

Like many of us, I have seen world class athletes in action. I have seen several World Cup ski races as well as golf tournaments, tennis tournaments, baseball and football, and the one thing that is consistent with all of those athletes and all of those sports is drive, determination, dedication, and passion. If you don’t have those, you are not successful.

World Class is a term that is not limited to athletics though. Recently, Pete and Sandi Hilton, and Janet and I were invited by Chris and Annette Wu to be their guests at the Pittsburgh Symphony presentation of works of Beethoven and Wagner at Heinz Hall. Chris is one of the principal violinists for the orchestra and is currently on sabbatical until May. It was interesting to sit next to Chris in what was a rare chance for him to see his orchestra perform without him. Chris has been with the symphony for 35 years and has performed all over the world. He is on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon among other achievements and is truly what I would call a world class musician. To hear him play is mesmerizing as he performs regularly at our church and at other local venues. He sent us a musical Christmas card that was particularly moving as you watched him play with intensity, passion, dedication and determination- all of the above mentioned qualities of being world class.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performing at Heinz Hall.

But being world class sometimes involves some of the darker segments of personality as seen with volatile athletes. You don’t see that in the symphony world. It seems that their passion, determination and drive is bottled into their practice and performances on the stage. It was interesting to hear Chris give me some insight to the world of the symphony orchestra. I asked, for instance, how many practices does it take to prepare for a concert? He said usually about four and I was amazed. He said,” Pat- you have to understand that we all come to the performance like a football team. We all know the plays, we just have to practice them together a little bit before the performance.” Imagine what is swirling around in Chris Wu’s brain if he knows all the plays to all of the performances of the PSO? That is amazingly world class in my mind. Chris is truly worldly as well in that with all of his experience and worldwide travels, who he interacts with, and his general sphere of influence, he has amazing practical knowledge. We all went to dinner at the Yuzu Kitchen in downtown Pittsburgh and Chris did all of the ordering. He knows the restaurant, he knows the food, and we were perfectly happy to have him “orchestrate” the pre-concert dinner. Great restaurant and happy to have a guy who knew how to get around.

But what is truly outstanding to me is that there is another part of being world class. That is being a world class person. Chris dedicates a lot of his time and resources to charitable causes and also his church, as well as other churches in the area. He is not selfish with his talent and cheerfully spends time with lots of causes and people. His wife Annette says that he has sacrificed a lot with performances with the symphony on weekends and with his touring schedule. But he is always considerate of his family and will think about that for his future plans. He loves performing but also loves his wife and family and has to achieve a balance after 35 years of playing with the PSO. He will figure that out, but in the meantime, we will all enjoy him performing wherever it is.

Character is another piece of the puzzle of being world class. Watching those documentaries shows you who has character and who does not. Some people say you have to be tough and step on a lot of toes to get to the top. You smash racquets, throw clubs, and passionately make your way through life thinking of only getting to the top. There are no thrown violins or cellos in the symphony world, but there is passion for sure. It all depends on the person as to how that passion plays out. Chris and Annette are strong Christians along with their kids and it shows that passion, determination and drive can be blended with values to make a truly world class person. Google Chris and hear some of his performances and see him live if you can. You will be as amazed as I always am. You may not have the talent that Chris has, or Mikaela Shiffrin has, or Raphael Nadal has, but you can certainly be a world class person with values. Thanks for reading.

Trying to be a musician- way off the mark. LOL!!
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A Natural Cause

A number of years ago, my wife Janet and I were strolling through Sausalito, California when we came upon a gallery featuring the artwork of Grace Slick. Now, I was a huge fan of the Jefferson Airplane when I was younger and Grace fronted the band with her sultry yet powerful voice. I was pleasantly surprised to see that she was also a very talented painter held in great esteem in the Bay Area. People surprise you. Not that you think they are not capable, but it is a pleasant surprise to see folks from one genre of accomplishment, move into another with relative ease. Case in point- my friend Angelo Ross.

I first met Angelo while we both were ski instructors and he was making his way up the PSIA ladder to his current position as a Development Team member of the Educational Staff. Angelo always took ski instruction seriously along with his main line of work as an Environmental Science teacher at Greensburg Salem High School here in Western Pa. I also ride mountain bikes with Angelo and on a recent trip to West Virginia, he told me about yet another passion that has turned into a very interesting business.

You see, Angelo is a talented artist whose work has developed over the years and now is featured on athletic and casual wear.

The story goes that Angelo became acquainted with the equally talented folks at Commonwealth Press in Pittsburgh who saw the value of his work and mentioned to him that they should begin the process of marketing Angelo’s art work on casual and athletic wear. Thus was the birth of http://www.naturalcause.org One of the interesting things about this is that Angelo is marketing his art work through the medium of clothing, but he has another cause in mind besides pure mercantilism. You see, he lives Environmental Science – his passion, and therefore is dedicated to furthering the goals of local environmental causes like the Youghiogheny Defense Fund. This is part of the Mountain Watershed Project http://www.mtwatershed.com which preserves the environmental integrity of the Youghiogheny River among other waterways in our region. Whitewater rafting and fishing are prominent in these waterways and Angelo is dedicated to preserving these for generations to come. A portion of all proceeds that he generates through Natural Cause goes to organizations like these. Another cause for his generosity and passion is the Mt. Davis Challenge bicycle race, run in conjunction with the Confluence Tourism Association which promotes recreational activity in the Laurel Highlands. Jim Sota runs the event and it has been a successful race for many years. Angelo supports the cause. The man walks the walk and does not just talk the talk.

I am continually amazed by people. You know them through one area of your life and then you realize that there is much more to this person than you thought. People have abilities that cross over in their lives and it is refreshing to see that a young guy who you know from skiing and mountain biking has such a passion and such a talent and that he is creative enough to market it and donate to causes that reflect his passion.

I love hearing the stories like Natural Cause. I like to hear how they were created and how the business is doing. There is a lot of negativity swirling around these days and I make it my business to always be positive and encouraging. It is great when I see positive attitude and generosity come from others like Angelo. Natural Cause is a breath of fresh air to our local environmental causes and I hope that you all will go to his website http://www.naturalcause.org, view Angelo’s art work, and order some product. You can wear it with pride knowing that your money has been well spent and that the beneficiary of your generosity are the watersheds, trails, and events that make our region so special. Well done Angelo Ross!!! Thanks for reading.

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Security in an Unsure World.

A long time ago, I rode my road bike through the Netherlands. A wonderful trip which included a visit to the eclectic city of Amsterdam. Resplendent with its canals and cafes it had an interesting vibe and an integral part of my visit was to the Rijksmuseum and the van Gogh museum. Now the sad thing was that I knew nothing about art as I took in the Rembrandt paintings and the students of Rembrandt on display in the Rijksmuseum. Making my way to the van Gogh museum I also felt extremely inadequate when I took in the art there. Although I have heard that art appreciation is in the eye of the beholder, it would have been nice if I had some semblance of understanding of what I was viewing in two of the most famous art museums in the world. What a rube I was. I was determined from that point that I would learn more about art.

Fast forward light years, I found myself last weekend in Charleston,South Carolina in yet another famous art community for the wedding of my friend Nathan Durfee.

Now I have known Nathan most of his life and as a young guy, he always impressed me with his love for the arts. He played the guitar and the cello and was very musical at a young age. It was apparent early on that he was talented and when he matriculated at the Savannah College of Art and Design, we all knew that this could be the start of something big. Little did we know how big! Among his achievements are Best Local Visual Artist – four years in a row by Charleston City Paper, Charleston Portrait Slam winner, and The Teatrio Cultural Association book award for his children’s book entitled “Hello My Name is Bernard”. Nathan’s paintings are an expression of his personality in that his subjects are whimsical characters who are faced with tough, universal decisions, conveying a sense of security in an unsure world to the viewer. Again, I felt inadequate as I wandered the Robert Lange Studios http://www.robertlangestudios.com for Nathan’s rehearsal reception. Nathan is one of the featured artists for Robert Lange and I made it a point on the trip to investigate more about Nathan’s art.

Another interesting part of the wedding journey to Charleston for my wife and I was our stay at The Vendue http://www.thevendue.com which is touted as Charleston’s Art Hotel. Among the many galleries within the hotel, there is an artist in residence studio where you can visit and see the creation of oil paintings currently by Fred Jamar.

Now Fred was born in Belgium and had a very successful career in the financial world. He has since retired and has taken up residency in The Vendue and is a very engaging person who is more than willing to show you his works and let you view his artistic ability as he paints. Janet and I were in awe as we saw Fred touch up a beautiful Charleston scene on his easel. The colors were magnificent and along with our marvel at the art work of our pal Nathan Durfee, my education in the world of art took a more modern turn as we made our way through the art community of Charleston. We learned about collaboration where two artists share their strengths and combine their art into one painting. Typically Nathan either paints a central part of a work or finishes the work of another in these collaborations which are wildly popular and sell out even before the works are started. The more I learned, the more I realized how much I didn’t know about the art world. But it sure is interesting when you take the time to appreciate the talent of others.

Charleston is a wonderful town on the water. It’s history is well documented but little did I know what a vibrant art community it has. In my quest to be “Younger Next Year”, continuing education must be part of the plan. I have decided to know more about art. I also have decided to try to resurrect any talent I had in playing the piano. Janet had our piano tuned and I need to use my mind and start to play again. It is great to stay in shape, ski the steeps, ride the good trails, but in order to stay relevant, it is a must to continually educate ourselves. Nathan and his lovely bride Michelle have shown us a glimpse of what that entails. Thanks for welcoming us into your world.

Paintings displayed in this post are all by Nathan Durfee.  www.robertlangestudios.com/nathan-durfee/