Polly’s Art
Her work is always whimsical, be it constructed of paper and wire, batik, or wool, and always brings a smile to the observer. She was also a loyal Woods Hole Public Library visitor and borrower, and could always be counted on for wry and perceptive comments about books or current affairs. Her intelligence and ready wit were always appreciated. She has been greatly missed since her death in 2013, and this show will be a way of bringing her memory and presence back into one of her favorite places.
She was born in New York City in 1917, and first came to Woods Hole in the early 1940’s with her future husband Raymond Montgomery to meet his mother, MBL Librarian Priscilla Montgomery. After they married, Polly and Ray spent a few years in Woods Hole in the late 40’s and made many summer visits, eventually building their own house in the Gansett Woods. They retired here in 1977. Ray was an oceanographer, involved with WHOI all his life. Polly was an artist, and entered her seemingly ephemeral sculptures in the Woods Hole Art Show every year.
The Library is very pleased that private owners of Polly’s work are willing to loan it for this show, a time when many people can view and be delighted by it. Polly’s daughter Kate will be curating this exhibit. The work will be on view during regular Library hours.
Thanks to Nancy LaSalle, life-long Woods Hole summer resident and avid supporter of dance, we will be offering a fourth summer season of lectures about dance in America. The talks will be held on four Tuesday evenings in July and August, starting July 18.
July 18: Ford & Melinda Evans & Ara Fitzgerald, Dancers of a Certain Age, The Challenges and Joys of Late Career Performing.
July 25: Nellie Kurz: Tutu much! Inside the Boston Ballet Costume Shop.
August 8: Raphael Xavier, Break Dancer Extraordinaire.
August 15: Ragamala, Classical Indian Dance.
As the Library’s director, Margaret McCormick says “We are so lucky and honored that Nancy Lassalle, with all her connections in the world of dance is helping us with this program.” In planning each year’s lectures, the goal of the advisors for the dance lecture series is to provide evenings that are not only enjoyable, but also educational, expanding the audience’s perception of the wide world of dance. They hope to provide context for viewing dance performances, making them even richer experiences. This summer’s speakers include dancers, choreographers, and even a costume designer, enabling the audience to appreciate things on stage that they might not have noticed before.
The start of the Lassalle Dance Series is on July 18 with an evening titled “Dancers of a Certain Age: The Challenges and Joys of Late Career Performing.” Three committed and active senior dance artists, Ara Fitzgerald, Ford and Melinda Evans, will be coming from New York City and New Hampshire for an evening of conversation about their long and remarkable artistic lives. The audience will be delighted by these three brilliant, witty, and engaging dance theater artists. Ara Fitzgerald creates dance theatre as a choreographer, writer, improviser, performer and professor. She was an early explorer of choreography with original text. Her current repertory includes: Slow Dancing Is Easy; Heavenly Display, Everything I Know About Astrology: A Short Dance; On Looking Back (Eurydice’s point of view), Words for Music Perhaps (poetry by WB Yeats, music by Wall Matthews. Life of a Flower and Conversations With An Ant- historic reconstructions of compositions by Lotte Goslar.
In addition to her own company, she was a member of Daniel Nagrin’s seminal, The Workgroup and The Entourage Music and Theatre Ensemble. She has choreographed on and off Broadway and taught at Connecticut College, The National Theatre Institute, Trinity Square Conservatory, and served as Director of Dance and Theatre at Manhattanville College.
Ford Evans was faculty member in the Theater Department at Dartmouth College from 2002 to 2014. From 1998 through 2012, he directed Hopkins Center Dance and the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble, which he founded in 1998. He was Professor at the University of Utah in the Department of Modern Dance from 1985 through 1997. As a professional dancer with the Repertory Dance Theatre from 1978-1985, Ford performed an extensive range of works by historical and contemporary masters of modern dance throughout the U.S. and Europe. University and professional companies have performed his choreography both domestically and internationally. He has become an avid woodworker and cyclist.
Melinda Evans’ life in dance includes professional performance and guest artist and faculty positions in modern dance. She has a degree in dance from the University of Colorado and a MA in Liberal Studies in creative writing from Dartmouth College.
From 1981-1995, Melinda performed an extensive repertory of contemporary and classic modern dance with Repertory Dance Theater. She was guest dance faculty at the University of Utah in 1995 and at Brigham Young University 1995-1996.
At Dartmouth College Hopkins Center from 2001-2012, Melinda taught modern dance classes, directed rehearsals for the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble and performed as guest artist with the Ensemble. Currently she is a Lecturer in the Theater Department at Dartmouth College and teaches a course in Creativity and Collaboration.
Melinda has collaborated with choreographer Marina Harris spanning three decades. She has also become a felt fiber artist and grows flowers.
Both Ford and Melinda, who are husband and wife, live on a small farm in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and are members of Company X, an intimate, portable, theater project combining puppetry, animation and dance, touring in Nova Scotia, Vermont and Cape Cod.
The other four presentations in the Lassalle Dance Series will be: Tuesday, July 25, “Tutu Much! Inside the Boston Ballet Costume Shop” with Nellie Kurz; Tuesday, August 8,“Raphael Xavier, Break Dancer Extraordinaire”; and Tuesday, August 15, “Ragamala: Classical Indian Dance” The Library looks forward to continuing its relationship with professionals in the world of dance.
Talks will be held in the lower- level meeting room.
Free and open to the public
Donations wanted for August 5th Accessories & Adornments Sale
We are seeking donations for our third annual Accessories and Adornments Sale of new and gently used jewelry and accessories for men and women. The Library would like women’s jewelry, scarves, hats, belts, and sunglasses. They are also accepting donations of men’s ties, belts, sunglasses and hats (but not baseball caps).
The Accessory committee is also looking for a few very special items which will be used in a silent auction. Last year, a dramatic cashmere shawl was featured, as well as a solid gold earring and necklace set.
The sale will be held on Saturday, August 5, from 10 AM to 1 PM, but donations can be dropped off at the Library at 581 Woods Hole Road before then, whenever the Library is open, which includes all afternoons after 3, as well as Wednesday mornings. For a complete list of open hours or for questions, call the Library at 508-548-8961.