SALISBURY — Noel Sloan asked a visitor if he wanted to see the shrine: photographs in his Salisbury home of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, including a couple from when Sloan actually met the legendary “Iron Lady.”Sloan, who holds dual citizenship in the United Kingdom and the United States, is an unapologetic Thatcher fan and has been asked several times to deliver a speech he wrote, “Margaret Thatcher: Britain Transformed,” about Thatcher’s accomplishments and legacy. The talk was presented locally as part of a series sponsored by the Reagan-Thatcher Forum (Sloan’s presentation was the inaugural one in the series, last year). He will be speaking at The Hotchkiss School in April (at a date to be determined). Sloan attended Hotchkiss as a young man and fell in love with the Northwest Corner. He is now a banker in New York City but has been a weekender here for the last 13 years. He has been involved in the school’s Portals music program and is a trustee for the Scoville Memorial Library.Sloan gave The Lakeville Journal an informal version of his remarks in his Smith Hill home last Sunday, Jan. 8.Why he admires ThatcherThe United Kingdom was a pretty miserable place in the 1970s, he said, with high inflation and frequent strikes contributing to a malaise that began in the late 1960s.“England was known as ‘the sick man of Europe,’’’ Sloan said (looking very English in aged corduroy trousers and an open-collared tattersall shirt peeking out from a pullover). “It was seen as ungovernable, by either Conservative or Labor governments.”“What was exciting about Margaret Thatcher is she was absolutely convinced she could solve all these major problems. And as the years unfolded, she did.”According to Sloan, under Thatcher the U.K. went from high taxes and labor unrest to low taxes and very few strikes — and re-eestablished itself as a world power.The most dramatic event in Thatcher’s premiership was the coal miner’s strike in 1984-85. Much like Pres. Ronald Reagan’s defeat of the American air traffic controllers union in 1981, Thatcher’s actions had long-lasting effects.Sloan explained that in 1984 state-owned coal mines were losing money. Thatcher’s government announced “pit closures,” — closing the less-productive mines — and the national coal miners union began a strike.A 1974 miners strike during the government of Prime Minister Edward Heath had resulted in widespread power outages and the introduction of the “three-day week,” in which power was only on for three days of the week.The Thatcher government stockpiled coal prior to the 1984 action, which deprived theNational Union of Mineworkers (NUM), headed by Arthur Scargill, of some leverage.“And a fair number [of miners] stayed on the job,” Sloan said, adding that the well-publicized conflicts between police and miners began initially with police trying to prevent violence between rival factions of miners when a separate union, the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers, striking miners formed pickets to try and prevent other miners from going to work.And support for the strike was not unanimous within the NUM, either, with the Nottinghamshire branch mostly staying on the job and eventually forming its own union.The strike formally ended in March 1985, after almost a year, with the NUM in disarray.Public sympathy turned against the NUM, Sloan said, when it was revealed it had received financial support from the Soviet Union and, oddly enough, Libya.“I guess they just wanted to stir up trouble,” Sloan said of the Libyan angle.The significance of the broken strike was that it “marked the end of militant trade unionism” in the U.K.Changing Britain’s outlookBetween the miners strike and the 1982 Falklands War against Argentina, Thatcher became quite popular — and powerful.“It was apparent that taking on this woman was not a good idea,” said Sloan. And, he added, the national mood improved markedly. “All [post-war] British prime ministers had been presiding over the orderly management of decline. She didn’t believe in decline. She didn’t subscribe to the consensus. It was a very, very bold belief.”Sloan said that Thatcher’s tenure (she resigned in 1990) changed the country’s politics completely, to the point where Labor politicians publicly said their party was wrong to oppose reining in the unions, and allowing citizens to purchase their public housing units.The Labor government of Tony Blair “changed to much more of a Thatcherite government. She changed not one, but two British political parties.”“She’s still controversial, but in the last few years there has been a distinct reassessment. The changes Thatcher made were, in the long run, good.”Sloan said the current government of David Cameron is cutting public spending so aggressively that even Thatcher might pause.And Thatcher resisted privatizing the coal mines and British rail. “John Major’s government did that.”Also under Blair, tuition fees for university students were first instituted. Under Thatcher, tuition was free.“Both Conservative and Labor governments have taken her agenda a little further.”Sloan said that the new film about Thatcher, “The Iron Lady” (starring Salisbury resident Meryl Streep) is a sympathetic and accurate portrayal — and an irresistible story.“Her life is made for a movie,” he said. “She was the daughter of a grocer, raised in very modest circumstances. When she became a member of Parliament in 1959, there were 25 women out of 625 MPs in the House of Commons.“It took enormous ambition just to be an MP.”In 1973, Thatcher said publicly that she did not believe there would be a female prime minister in her lifetime, Sloan said.And he described Thatcher’s tenure as a cabinet member (for education) as unremarkable.But in a short period of time she became a powerful and convincing leader of the opposition in Parliament, and went on to become the most successful peacetime prime minister since World War II.“How is it someone who was just competent became someone of such importance?” Learning and leadingSloan said that Thatcher, deciding that the Heath government was “a complete disaster,” spent her time learning, especially about economics.And she worked on her public persona, eventually becoming as effective as Reagan in her ability “to distill complex issues into simple, almost homely phrases.“She’d make the comparison to a housewife looking after a family budget. She explained things succinctly. “And like Reagan, she hated jargon.”But unlike Reagan, who had the advantage of his acting experience, “she relied more on sheer force of personality.”Asked if Thatcher is a nice person, Sloan said as prime minister Thatcher was “nice to people who didn’t have a high position.”Sloan told an anecdote of a waitress at a reception spilling hot soup on a dignitary at an offical event. “Thatcher helped the waitress clean it up; she knew the waitress would be upset.”“The people who worked for her liked her, and the scene in the movie [with the staff crying after her resignation] is accurate.”Perhaps the most telling moment of the film, Sloan said, shows Thatcher, in tears, writing letters to the families of soldiers who died in the Falklands War.But with cabinet ministers, “she could be extremely tough. To people who could talk back, she was tough, even unpleasant.”As to Thatcher’s reputation as a somewhat unlikely sex symbol to a certain percentage of British males, Sloan quoted French leader François Mitterrand, who described her as having “the eyes of Caligula and the mouth of Marilyn Monroe.”Another time, Thatcher, who had a cold, made a speech. Her voice was husky, and afterwards someone told her she sounded sexy.“What makes you think I’m not sexy all the time?” she is said to have retorted.
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Textile designer Justine Valla sits in her father’s chair, which she painted, alongside her husband, illustrator and muralist Victor Valla, in their Atelier Valla studio.
“I was always drawing as a child,” Justine recalled. Victor dreamed of illustrating magazine covers like those of the “Saturday Evening Post.”
Victor studied design and illustration at Rochester Institute of Technology, then received a fellowship to study painting and printmaking at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigne. He graduated in 1967. The following year, he received a grant from the Tiffany Foundation to study printmaking in Paris at Atelier 17, an experimental graphic arts workshop founded in 1927.
“What a great experience that was!” he recalled.
Returning home after the Paris uprisings of 1968, he discovered that the magazine covers he’d hoped to paint had largely given way to photography. His agent suggested trying record covers, which he pursued along with illustration and graphic design.
He also began teaching at Kean University in New Jersey.
“Kean had a wonderful graphic design and illustration department. I loved teaching Graphic Design, even though I never thought I would.”
He later taught at Syracuse University and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
In the late 1980s, he decided to stop teaching and concentrate on his own art. He moved to Falls Village, to a house on the corner of Minor and Prospect Streets.
“I used to call the studio ‘Minor Prospects Atelier,’” he said.
He continued working in illustration and graphic design, creating book covers for stories by H.P. Lovecraft and other authors, along with magazine covers, logos, advertising and murals.
Justine and Victor Valla in their studio with a painting of Victor’s,”Jonah and the Whale.” Robin Roraback
His local commissions include the green and gold Noble Horizons signage and wall murals for the Stockbridge Inn, the Spa at Norwich Inn, Orchards Hotel in Williamstown and the David M. Hunt Library’s children’s section.
Justine grew up in the Bronx and studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After graduating, she took on whatever work she could find, including designing toys and novelty items for Russ Berrie. But her true calling was textile design.
She moved to Los Angeles to pursue that calling, where she learned silkscreen printing from 1960s design icon Corita Kent.
“I was in her program at Immaculate Heart College. All fabric design at that time was silk screen. My first job in textile design was in L.A., creating wallpaper for Bob Mitchell Design.”
Justine returned to New York City, where the advent of computers required her to learn new design techniques. She enrolled at Parsons School of Design, studying Photoshop, Illustrator, Lectra U4ia and Kaledo.
Around this time, she met Victor online and moved to Falls Village.
A recruiter found her a job in Arkansas at Dillard’s, a department store chain operating in 30 states and known for its exclusive designer collections.
“They had the best equipment I’d ever seen,” she said.
She became a senior computer-aided design designer there, designing fabric and preparing purchased designs for production.
The Vallas left Falls Village for Little Rock.
“It was a big move,” she said. “It was a different culture, but Little Rock was very progressive.”
The originally planned to stay in Arkansas for five years but ended up remaining for nearly 10.
Then Justine was hit by a car. She suffered injuries to her leg and head and required four years of rehabilitation.
“I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.”
The Vallas returned to Connecticut, this time settling in Salisbury, where they’ve lived since 2013.
After leaving Dillard’s, Justine had planned to sell her work through Printsource in New York City, an international showcase for surface and textile design. But after the accident, she no longer had the mobility or energy to travel back and forth to the city.
Instead, she began selling her work locally at craft shows, including clothing, hand-printed tea towels and floorcloths.
She is currently working on selling her collection of textile designs.
In December, Justine will have a show of her tea-themed watercolors at the NorthEast-Millerton Library.
Victor recently exhibited “The American West: A Pictural History” at the NorthEast-Millerton Library. The series, created in the early 1990s, was part of a commission from the Postal Commemorative Society for which he completed 100 paintings in two years.
He hopes to place the series in a museum and has created books from its images, complete with text. Over the years, he has designed many other books that are ready for publication, including “Looking In, Looking Out,” a cosmic view of the universe.
Reflecting on his career, Victor said, “It’s about doing what you love”.
Justine agreed.
To see, purchase or commission work, contact Justine at justinevalla@gmail.com or Victor at victorvalla@comcast.net, or call 860-596-4282.
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Jane Herold’s beautifully simple dinnerware.
Cornwall ceramicist Jane Herold explained that there’s quite a lot of enthusiasm for Clay Way among the region’s ceramic artists.
“We all need work space, which is hard to find or afford in urban areas. The wood-fire crowd needs lots of wood and outdoor space. This area is great because it’s rural enough for us, but has a wonderfully enthusiastic and supportive population of pottery [patrons].”
While many of the artists are returning from previous years, the loose collection of unofficial organizers likes to keep the event manageable for the public, limiting the number of artists and studios each year. A direct drive from the southernmost point at Ann Heywood’s studio in Wingdale to Herold’s big barn in Cornwall is under 40 minutes. But if you want to catch it all, plan for a full day’s worth of art exploration along some of the most beautiful roads in New England.
Starting at its northernmost point, Herold’s studio will host Matin Malikzada of Afghanistan, whose polished, modern interpretations of traditional forms are instantly recognizable. They’ll be joined by wood-fired ceramicists Steve Johnson, with his raw, organic forms, and Harry Levenstein, whose works relate closely to Johnson’s while making even more direct references to nature.
Herold herself creates work that is both beautiful and utilitarian. Her prolific output of objects is intended to be used by everyday people as part of their daily lives.
Moving south is Todd Piker of Cornwall Bridge Pottery. Piker has been making pots in his giant wood-fired kiln since 1971. The kiln looks more like an ancient blast furnace than something designed to transform clay into ceramics, but over the years, he’s mastered its intricacies and produces an impressive amount of fine work.
A ceramic vase by Kathleen Heidemann.Provided
Piker will host Sanah Peterson, who works at Cornwall Bridge Pottery and draws inspiration from both her time with Piker and her time traveling the globe as a child. They’ll be joined by Stephanie Haines, whose vibrant, eye-catching work features underglaze illustrations of birds, fruit and the bounty of nature.
Further along in Warren, Jessica Dubin’s pieces will be on display at the studio of Christine Owen. Both artists seem to appreciate the chaos and unpredictable nature of clay but find ways to refine it all using their own unique methods.
Heading east to Washington, Conn., Will Talbot’s creates intricate work while allowing for the unpredictable nature of clay to play a role. His studio will house Tom Knox and his wide variety of textures and forms, as well as New York City-based Alex Lebedev, who lets music and the nature of improvisation guide his work.
There will be two studios participating in South Kent. Alison Palmner, whose page on the Clay Way website states she “strives to achieve a lighthearted meld of human forms, animals and the vessel.” Her studio will host Ben Eberle, who trained under the guidance of legendary potter Toshiko Takaezu; James Guggina, whose intricate work can appear both deliberate and whimsical; and Paula Shalan, who blends rough, unrefined surfaces with polished precision in individual pieces.
Joy Brown’s delightful ceramic sculptures.Provided
Nearby is Joy Brown, whose work have become a staple of the area, with her figurative sculptures dotting the Northwest Corner. Brown’s studio will also feature Bonnie Levine, who taps into the beauty of chaos and destruction in her work, and Brendan Moore, whose more utilitarian forms are perfect for everyday use.
Finally, the tour crosses the border into Wingdale, New York, where the studios of Drew Montgomery, Ann Heywood and Amy Brenner will host Jackie Sedlock, Lynn Behrendt,and Kathleen Heidemann.
Brenner creates some of the most colorful and vibrant pieces on the tour, while Behrendt’s work is among the most studied and precise. Heywood creates carefully considered, intuitive forms, while Heidemann moves from simple minimalism to intricate textures. Montgomery and Sedlock both find new ways of playing with traditional forms, producing delightfully distinctive pieces.
To learn more about the artists and download a map of participating studios, visit clayway.net
Matteo works as the ever-enthusiastic auctioneer, and he puts on a real show. In just a few hours, he presents and sells hundreds of items, from antique furniture and rugs to art and decorative items, even taxidermy, jewelry and other odds and ends you probably wouldn’t expect. Community is part of the show, with Matteo joking around with regulars. Attendees congratulate each other on their purchases, and even educate each other about the items as matteo keeps the momentum going. If items aren’t moving, Matteo will remind the room that he’s got alimony to pay, and it’s up to everybody in the room to help him raise the funds.
For the past 15 years, this has all happened in that highly visible building at the main intersection in North Canaan. Now, Mattea, Kolbacher and their Stateline Auctions crew have moved off the beaten path. For some frugal bidders, this might seem like a good thing. After all, the fewer people who know about the auction, the fewer people they have to bid against when their lots come up.
Hundreds of items at Stateline Auctions, including a candy-apple-red Crosley pickup truck.D.H. Callahan
Unfortunately for those who consistently show up, the competition these days is less in the room and more online. Stateline has been running simultaneous auctions through the real-time auction website and app LiveAuctioneers.com, where the entire event is streamed live. Throughout the eight-hour event, the online viewership rarely, if ever, dips below 600 individual users. This technological development creates more potential buyers for Stateline and also allows busy bidders to keep an eye on their lots while out and about.
The new space, still in North Canaan, just barely south of the Massachusetts border, is a sizable warehouse packed to the ceiling with precious finds. It’s bigger, brighter and has ample parking.
The auction on Oct. 11 featured all kinds of lots, including three cars. A candy-apple-red Crosley pickup truck grabbed every eye in the room and even more attention online. Amid all the enthusiasm, it was heartwarming to witness the entire audience erupt in applause as young bidder Molly Seitz burst into tears after winning the truck. The beautiful vintage vehicle had belonged to her grandfather, who had given her driving lessons in it before he died.
Between resellers, collectors and the casually curious, the performance that is a Sunday at Stateline Auctions is a delightful way to breathe new life into old items. There’s rarely a set date for the next auction, but it generally takes about six weeks before they’re ready with their next round of goods. This time, Matteo predicts a sale after Thanksgiving, but if you want to be safe, follow their auction on liveauctioneers.com.
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