Bethpage-Tribune_1974-02-28

              BETHP/GE $fe mm.
6T RS
BETHMOC LIS
47 POWELL AV
8CTHPA0E NY 11714
OLDBETHIN3E
also serving ISLAND TREES
PLAINVIEW PLAINEDGE SEAFORD
VQILJWMO. 15 Thursday, February 2 8 , 1 9 74 10 bents per copy
Photos - In - The - News SpMtol f,atun
For Art's Sake
Proudly appearing with the eight graduates from Nassau Hospital's
School of Radiography is Bethpage resident Mrs. Kay Gaynor, R!T.,
L.XT., (standing third from right) Educational Supervisor of the x-ray
technology training program, to the left of Mrs. Gaynor is Dr.
David Faegenburg, Medical Director of the School. The two-year
training course i y ^ j j j f ^ j ^ ^ of
ioiogy and graduates are
qualified to take New Vork State licensing and American Registry
examinations.
Two second generation builders are welcomed Into Long Island
Builders Institute activities at a recent general membership
meeting. Timothy J. Mclnerhey, Executive Vice President of the
Institute, left, greets Andrew Rafuse, son of Calvin Rafuse, veteran
builder of single family and apartment houses, and, right, Edward J.
Speno, Jr., son of the late Nassau County State Senator, who is af­filiated
with WEN Management Company, headed by Alvin Ben-
. jamin. Rafuse is a student in the LIBI Builders Training Course now
in progress. He also attended the recent convention of the National
Association of Home Builders in Houston, Texas, with his. father.
Both are active in the Apartment House Council of the Institute.
FOR SERVICES RENDERED: Oyster Bay Town Receiver of Taxes
Solomon Newborn (left) and Deputy Receiver Carmen Cataliotti
present a certificate of merit to Florence Cinque of Bethpage in
recognition of her 20 years of service to the Tax Receiver's Office.
Mrs. Cinque, who is soon retiring, was honored at a small party given
by her co-workers.
1974....A time of stress, un­certainty
and CRISIS.
In the past decade, Americans
have participated in innumerable
CRISIS of varying dimensions
and intensity. We have proven
again and again that we have the
ingenuity to cope with material
shortages and runaway inflation.
Yes...we can improvise....yes, we
can tighten our belts....and yes,
we can cringe collectively as we
die of embarrassment for
creating the situation which has
allowed the Watergate CRISIS to
develop. We wait patiently on
line, and make the best of the
energy CRISIS. We accept...We
hope. ..We huddle together and we
cry a lot. At a time when it seems
we have just about: had it all-
There is yet another CRISIS to
which we cannot remain in­different;
and to which we must
give considerable space if we are
to understand the significance of
the circumstances of our time.
We can no longer afford to un­derplay
the real struggle of the
arts and artist in America today.
Since we are reminded daily of
the art's explosion (another
fasionable phrase in '74), and the
abundance of arts activities, it is
difficult to understand the reality
of the ARTS CRISIS: The ARTS
CRISIS is a multi-level problem
which must be resolved if we are
to continue the humanizing
presence of the arts in our
communities at a time of great
doubt and frustation. There are
many who are uncomfortable and
confused about the need for
dramatizing the importance of
the arts at any time, and in these
chaotic times would prefer to let
the artist continue to subsidize
his art. We must be cognizant of
the fact that society is never an
entity separable from the in­dividuals
who compose it, and no
individual can develop his
potentialities without a society in
which he participates. Art,
therefore is relative to politics,
religion and all areas of human
destiny. Art cannot be imposed
on a culture like, a certificate of
respectability. Actually it ignites
spontaneously between the in­dividual
and Society. Art began
in primitive society with the
caveman recording images of his
world. From the magical power
. attributed to the early artisan, to
the arts in the great mas* Society
today, art. is trying to tell us
something: something about the
universe, something about man.
Artists create something that
reflects and transcends the at­titudes
and conditions of then-time.
Like our political and social
life, today's art can be charac­terized
by extremes, and it's
direction in relation to art history
is not clear. Artists are not sure
of what is needed at this time of
change, but they are accurately
depicting the chaos we are in, and
by Ann White
by defining it, suggesting that we
avoid submerging ourselves, into
total oblivion.
Filmmakers are focusing
sharply on the emptiness and
vacumn in American life, and
the feeling in the industry is that
it is going to be a great period in
American films if conditions stay
chaotic long enough. The
American orchestras are
probably the best in the world,
but few have added new
American compositions to their
17th through 19th century
repertoires. Since there is no
musical life without serious
musical composition, orchestra's
may be more in danger of ob-solence
than bankruptcy.
However most orchestra's are
trying to; broaden the base of
financial support; and ironically,
the need to broaden the base is
the argument used to justify the
familiar 19th century repertory.
No new creative sounds appear in
the pop music scene either, yet»
pop music is big business
promoting and reflecting
disillusionment with American
values. Because classical music
is austere and pop offers the
entertainment, Jazz (the art of
paradox) has its past preserved
and its future assured, with many
prestigious grants given to Jazz
musicians organizations.'
The famous invalid, the
theatre, is not only alive and well,
but flourishing in professional'
regional theatres in every area of
the country, while Broadway,
once again, is hurting badly. Off
and off off Broadway still per­sists,
but without the powerful
energy it generated in the 60's.
New York producers blame the
rising costs of production, which
makes it impossible to finance
even an Off B'way show for less
than $250,000, plus the physical
deterioration of the theatre
district. John Houseman N. Y.
City Center Acting Co. producer,
perceives the problems: "We
have allowed people to become
purely speculative about going to
the theatre. They decided that
they would go to see "Hits" or
else nothing. They completely
lost the habit of going to the
theatre regularly. The task of
successful theatrical enterprises
is to build continuity and habit."
"" 8fr: iIoAi^m^*i(fe^\lR)ioB is»4b»
"philosophy behind the develop­ment
of professional regional
theatre. And another most im­portant
advantage is that
regional theatre makes it
possible for serious young writers
to have their work produced,
leaving B'way theatres
dominated by Neil Simon, tired
revivals of old musicals and
English imports to find receptive
audiences who are willing to pay
exhorbitant prices for "hits".
Today the popularity of the
dance is a joyous sign because
dance in all its diverse forms
represents the unity of body and
soul. There has been a boom in.
regional Ballet Companies, and
American dance companies and
choreographers are held in great
esteem throughout the world. Is it
not incongruous then, to learn
that The Alvin Ailey dancers
must pause in the midst of a
program to plead for survival
funds?
The painter Robert Motherwell
wrote in a letter to Frank O'Hara
"The world cannot endure that
artists money comes from so
much pleasure!" How much
longer can we expect the artist to
accept a lower scale of living for
the privilege of giving artistic
pleasure to us? Eric Larabee, the
executive director of the N. Y.
State Council on the Arts, put it
bluntly, "Artists as professionals
continue to be underpaid almost
beyond belief, at levels which
would horrify a self-respecting
• garbage collector."
Support from private
patronage and the business
community has always been
problematic. However, the
politics and economics of the art
systems are beginning to change,
and additional approaches to
close the ever-widening gap
between what it costs to bring art
to the public and what the public
can afford today are being sought.
We need to impress on govern­mental
agencies our concern for
the arts and to request that the
arts receive' Government sub­sidy,
(twenty years ago, I
stressed the need for Goverment
subsidy, and was told that it was
a dirty term). Today, the
question is no longer whether to
give to the arts, but bow much.
A recent poll by the National
Research for the Arts revealed
that 61 per cent of the American
public would be willing to pay $5.
a year in taxes to keep cultural
facilities operating. Before it is
too late...before we are deprived
of our valuable cultural ex­periences,
let us - seek the
cooperation of politicians, culture
boosters, the business com­munity,
union representatives in
addition to local, state, and
federal subsidy for the arts. ...
To keep tfie Art's alive in New
York State^WjSerthe pace for
recogniton of the importance of
the arts—write your Assem­blyman
and State Senator asking
them to vote for general support
to our arts organizations and the
arts appropriation of $30.5 million
as provided in Governor Wilson's
current budget.
Be a Concerned Citizen for The
Arts—
Help meet the CRISIS THIS
CRISIS IS NOW.