Editta Sherman.

Photography exhibit showcases her photos of the famous

Editta Sherman, dubbed the Duchess of Carnegie Hall, lived and worked in the Carnegie Hall Artist Studios for more than 60 years, until residents of the unique artists’ community were evicted in 2010 to make way for expanded rehearsal space. Sherman, a photographer and sometimes model best known for her portraiture, met and photographed dozens of famous actors, models, politicians and other celebrities throughout her career.

In celebration of her 100th birthday this month, a collection of Sherman’s photographs and personal memorabilia are on display at 25 CPW Gallery on the Upper West Side. The exhibit, called Editta 100, is free and open to the public through July 29.

What inspired you to move to Carnegie Hall in the first place?
When I moved to Carnegie Hall, it was May 1949. During the war, my husband was getting ill, I had five children and we had a farm. I was looking for a place to live because it was getting to be too much work for me with the five children and all the cows and pigs, so we moved to New York. I was looking for a place to do my photography and I saw this ad in the paper, the New York Times actually, and it said, “Live and work in Carnegie Hall.” So we moved into Carnegie Hall and it was beautiful. It had a beautiful skylight from one end of the room to the other and it was just right for me to use for my photography.

How was it raising such a large family in an artist’s studio?
They were short on studios for classes, so when I moved in with my five children, I would put mattresses on the floor at night for them and we tried to get adjusted to Carnegie Hall. The manager of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts used to rent my studio for two or three hours a day, so in the morning I would have to get the kids out of there, go to the playground, things like that. One morning I was running late and he saw me getting them all together and he said to me “I couldn’t believe what you do with your children, what a wonderful little mother you are.” I was just so pleased.

How did you get your photography career started in New York?
During the war, soldiers were coming to New York and they opened up this little casino where they would have sandwiches and coffee and they would have a star, whichever star was famous at the time. So my husband thought they could send some of these stars over to Carnegie Hall to have photos taken, make prints to sell and give to charity. Sure enough, he spoke to the manager of the casino about me photographing some of the stars and he said, “Oh, what a wonderful idea, Mr. Sherman.” Next thing you know, I was busy photographing. So that’s how I happened to have all these portraits of different stars, like William Buckley and Angela Lansbury. I did some very famous people; one was Paul Newman, who was crazy about my photography.

You lived above Carnegie Hall for most of your life. How did you feel when you and the other artists were evicted?
I lived there for 60 years; we just moved out two years ago. All my years there I never thought about moving out; it was a place that I found very convenient. But then we had to move—they were going to redo the building; it’s so old and the studios needed renovation. They didn’t have enough room for new, young people coming in to study. Some tenants moved out and some were paid to move out.
I decided with a friend of mine who was in the building to try and save Carnegie Hall. She was very good at getting signatures on the street for a petition, the thing went on for many months. We’re feeling very badly about it, because we had that beautiful skylight where I did my beautiful portraits, and it’s not the same now. But now with new talent moving in, in another year or so the building will be completed. I’m kind of sad about that, but this is the way it is and we have to go along with that. But every time I see the building, of course, I get a little sad about it.

It was just the first of many such extravagant gowns meant to catch the eye of the night’s honoree, New York Times lensman Bill Cunningham who was being honored by Carnegie Hall with the Medal of Excellence. “First off, I’m not fond of photographing parties where women borrow dresses,” he would later state when accepting his award. “I’ve been to parties where women spend their own money and wear their own dresses. The other doesn’t tell me anything. “

Looking around the room it was clear that ensembles had been carefully chosen and purchased. AnnaWintour turned out wearing a white fur stole, Linda Fargo was perfection in a red column dress, Chiu-Ti Jansen wowed in a gingham number, Mercedes Bass looked heavenly in white feathers and Alexandra Lebethal was decked in a blue Douglas Hannant, throwing the long chiffon tail cheerily over her shoulder when walking.

“With Bill you can wear something twice. I wore it last year but he loved it so I thought it was the perfect thing when they said come dressed for Bill,” Alexandra confided to AVENUE, her sister Claudia joining her to add how much of a friend and family member Bill has become over the years. “Behind this legend there’s actually an amazing person.”

Gayle King, who was wearing Oscar de la Renta and seated at the designer’s table, also had kind words for Bill, calling him a legend and marveling at the way he continued to photograph the crowd even when being photographed himself. “There he is,” she pointed, but it was just a life-sized cardboard cutout of the fashion chronicler.  For any others, and there were surely many who made the same mistake from far across the room, the real Bill had replaced his signature blue jacket with a tux and bow tie for the evening.

His outfit wasn’t the only thing different. Taking the stage to accept his award following an introduction by Annette de la Renta, the normally quiet photographer spoke for almost 20 minutes, visibly tearing up three times.  He thanked those in the room for their charity work, lauded the kindness of Brooke Astor who gave “not only her money but also her time” to philanthropy, regaled in stories like the time Citigroup’s former CEO Sandy Weill had gravy spilled on him by a waiter and noted how while he used to photograph women going to lunch, he now runs outside early to catch them heading to work.

“A lot of people think [New York] was much better years ago. Well, I was around then, and it’s much better now. You go down Broadway, and it’s turned into a garden. You go to Union Square, and you see Wisteria trees. I mean, c’mon: The city in its golden period.”

To read the full piece at AVENUE Insider click here.

Annabella Gonzalez Dance started its 35th season on March 16.

Despite being best known for her feet, Annabella Gonzalez first came to New
York City on a Greyhound bus. The Mexican-born founder of Annabella Gonzalez Dance Theater, which is celebrating its 35th year with a weekend-long program March 16 and 17 at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, came to New York one summer ostensibly to study theater, but left—returning to the University of Minnesota to finish a degree in art history—with a new creative obsession.

“I was taking classes at HB Studios and one of the theater classes was called Movement for Actors,” she said. “When I came out of that class, I knew that I was in the wrong school. I knew that what I wanted was dance.” After completing her undergraduate degree, Gonzalez moved to New York to work on a master’s degree in art history at Columbia and continued to study dance on the side. Eventually, having a taste for the international, Gonzalez moved to Europe.

“I danced with a modern dance company in Geneva—it was very interesting,” she explained. After nine years in Europe, Gonzalez moved back to New York determined to form her very own dance company, dancing as well as choreographing. “I’ve always wanted to choreograph more than dance,” she said. “Dancing, for me technically, is a big challenge. But I hear Mozart, who is my god, and I thought, do what you love. Do what comes easily rather than auditioning all over the place.”

Starting a brand-new company, however, was not a simple task. “It was really difficult,”
Gonzalez said with a sigh. “I had a couple of friends in a ballet class—most of my dancers
have strong ballet training— and in these classes I would do whatever I could to ask these other dancers to work for nothing at first. I started out wherever I could, in crummy little studios that I could afford. There were dozens of those studios. I also worked out of my apartment, which has a mini-studio.” Gonzalez’s tactics worked. She managed to cobble together a team that worked for her until 1977, when she was able to gain nonprofit status for the group and began auditioning dancers and working on fundraising.

“Our first series, in 1977, was really the beginning of solid work. And then we performed a great deal in schools and senior centers and libraries—everywhere. We also tour nationally and we have been performing in Mexico for four years now.” Since that initial performance, Gonzalez and her troupe, who are based out of her Upper East Side home, have stayed active in New York, performing everywhere from Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors Festival to Carnegie Hall and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Gonzalez says that developing relationships with her dancers has been the most rewarding part of her job.

“I’ve gotten some into teaching dance in public schools, one because of her presentation, [one who] joined Cirque du Soleil. Another subsequently moved upstate and started a new company. Another named his only daughter in my honor! Looking back, the human contact has been the most rewarding.”

To celebrate those relationships, the program Gonzalez is offering in celebration of her company’s anniversary is fittingly unique, including a Gonzalezchoreographed piece for six dancers called Pastoral Latino, a solo piece called Days of Sunshine by guest artist Mazine Steinman, a revival of Gonzalez’ Adam and Eve-themed piece, The Fall? and more. It’s a program that the choreographer hopes encourages participation from longtime fans as well as new ones.

“I’m discouraged to see people staying home instead of attending live music and dance,” she said. “It’s a challenge to attract young people and get them to enjoy live dance. That’s really something I want to get involved with and overcome.”

HOSPITAL APPOINTS LGBT HEALTH LEADER
Beth Israel Medical Center announced this week the appointment of nationally recognized LGBT health expert Barbara E.Warren, PsyD, as director of its newly established LGBT Health Services program.
Warren will work to develop partnerships between the hospital and local LGBT organizations and continue to advance Beth Israel’s nationally recognized efforts to meet the health care needs of New York’s LGBT community in a respectful and compassionate environment.
“Beth Israel Medical Center has embraced a unique opportunity to lead the way in establishing and sustaining LGBT affirmative hospital-based and outpatient care,” Warren said in a statement.
Warren served most recently for two years as director of the Center for LGBT Social Services and Public Policy at Hunter College. Prior to that she served for almost 20 years in progressively responsible positions at the LGBT Community Center in the West Village, the last seven as director of government relations, planning and research. She also consults on a number of federal, state and citywide initiatives to eliminate LGBT health disparities and to establish health equity throughout the health care system.
One of Warren’s principal assignments in her new position at Beth Israel will be to develop and implement ongoing, in-house educational programs to ensure that the hospital staff is attuned to the particular health care needs of the LGBT community.

UES RAPIST SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS IN PRISON
Kentrel Whitaker, 33, was sentenced this week for the assault and attempted rape of a 73-year-old woman on the Upper East Side. Whitaker attacked the victim last summer as she was walking on the East River promenade near East 111th Street at 6:40 a.m. He approached her from behind, threw her to the ground and hit her repeatedly before attempting to rape her. A passerby helped tear Whitaker away from his victim, but police were still able to collect DNA evidence they used to achieve a conviction. Whitaker was sentenced to 22 years in prison, followed by 15 years of post-release supervision.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY AT CARNEGIE HALL
This Saturday, March 17, Carnegie Hall will host a St. Patrick’s Day concert featuring Irish band The Chieftains with Paddy Moloney accompanied by folk-rock band The Low Anthem. The six-time Grammy Award-winning ensemble will be performing as part of their Voices of the Ages 50th anniversary tour. As Ireland’s musical ambassadors, The Chieftans are credited with bringing traditional Irish music to the world’s attention. The event will take place in the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at 8 p.m. Tickets are from $29 to $88, and are available by calling 212-247-7800 or visiting carnegiehall.org or the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 W. 57th St.

SENIOR ROUNDTABLE ON CARETAKING
The next session of State Sen. Liz Krueger’s senior roundtable discussions will be held Thursday, March 22 from 8-10 a.m. at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House. The topic, “Beginning the Conversation: Redefining Aging and How We Care for our Elders,” will cover how seniors can begin asking questions about their future care and planning who might be able to help care for them if the time arises when they need assistance.

Ahigial Lee Zhou plays chess at the P.S. 6 Chess Tournament 2012 on March 11.

Alice Fisher, Krueger’s community outreach director, and Frederic Riccardi, director of programs and outreach at the Medicare Rights Center, will be on hand to lead the discussion and answer questions. A light breakfast will be served. 331 E. 70th St. RSVP required at 212-490-9535 or by emailing doremann@gmail.com.

GROCERY STORE AIDS TORNADO VICTIMS
All Fairway locations are continuing a donation and matching drive through this Sunday, March 18 to aid those affected by recent violent storms in the Midwest. At any Fairway in the city (the Upper East Side store is at 240 E. 86th St.), customers can make cash donations of $1, $3 or $5 or purchase a case of water to aid families devastated by the tornadoes that ripped through Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina, Illinois, Nebraska and Missouri. Fairway will match all money donated up to $25,000 and coordinate shipping truckloads of water, canned goods and other nonperishable items to distribution centers in the affected states.

CATHEDRAL HIGH STUDENT VIES FOR POETRY PRIZE
Cathedral High School student Dionne Muyalde is among the top 10 finalists in the Poetry for Peace contest, a competition that has used the power of social media to gauge the power of student poetry. The contest asked students to respond to the stories of atomic bomb survivors from Japan, known as hibakusha, by writing verse poems. In the monthlong competition, 741 poems were submitted and people voted for their favorites on social media sites.
Muyalde’s poem, entitled “Hiroshima Hibakusha,” was selected as a finalist based on criteria, including the poem’s connection to a hibakusha testimony, its relaying a message of peace, the structure of the verse, the overall impact of the poem and the number of “likes” the poem received.