PINE PLAINS — After a lengthy discussion regarding the need for both a middle school and high school principal, as well as a dean of students, the Pine Plains Central School District’s Board of Education voted to keep its current administrative layout and unanimously adopted a 2011-12 budget for voter approval next month.A special meeting had been scheduled at the end of the board’s April 6 meeting, after Trustee Todd Bowen suggested having two principals in the district’s Stissing Mountain Middle/High School, as well as a dean of students, was unnecessary. At that meeting several board members criticized the late timing of the proposal, but agreed to hear the logistics of what those reductions might mean to the district before making a final decision.For further discussion, a special meeting was called for Wednesday, April 13, and in the week leading up to the meeting district administrators prepared a lengthy presentation, which included a history of the school’s administrative structure dating back to the 1980s, cost estimates of the administrative positions in question and a list of principals’ responsibilities. That presentation was made by Superintendent Linda Kaumeyer.Since the late 1980s, Pine Plains has used a variety of administrative configurations including disciplinary assistants, principals, assistant principals, department chairs and administrative assistants. The costs (converted into 2011 dollars by Kaumeyer for the presentation) followed little pattern from year to year, from a low of about $121,000 during the 1987-88 school year to roughly $271,000 in the 2005-06 school year. Currently the administrative layout for Stissing Mountain Middle/High School (two principals, two department chairs for health and physical education and one dean of students) costs the district $261,625.60.One of the prominent configurations back in the 1970s and ’80s, school board President Bruce Kimball recalled (he retired from teaching in the district after more than 30 years) was having one principal for the middle school and high school, and seven department chairs that were responsible for the “vast majority” of observation and evaluation of teachers. Those chairs, who were full-time teachers in the building, were paid a stipend as chairs and were relieved of one class duty, which was covered by another teacher for an additional stipend.When the department chairs were eliminated because it was discovered that they weren’t legally allowed to evaluate teachers, Kimball said that a middle school principal was added.“Rightfully so, I believe, because one individual could not cover all the responsibilities that seven people were doing,” he said.As Kaumeyer explained, if the board were to eliminate a principal’s position, high school Principal Tara Horst would have to be let go under education law’s “last in first out” layoff procedure. Horst’s annual salary is approximately $99,000.The dean of students position was only recently created; disciplinary matters were previously handled by two teachers. Pine Plains was able to employ retired teacher Dennis Malloy as dean of students. Malloy is paid on a per diem basis, with a $30,000 maximum salary and no benefits.Kaumeyer went through a detailed list of a principal’s duties in the district, ranging from instructional responsibilities to issues involving building and student management. A majority of the discussion was spent on the teacher evaluation process, which Kimball called “the most important responsibility of a principal, because that’s what affects your kids in the classroom.”Under several subheadings, Kaumeyer also illustrated how the legally-mandated responsibilities of principals have increased since the ’80s and are scheduled to increase again in the near future.For example, under evaluations, the superintendent pointed to the APPR (Annual Professional Performance Review) processes mandated by the state starting in the 2000-01 school year, as well as a new system that is currently under development.To illustrate the amount of time evaluations can take, Kaumeyer pointed to an estimate from the state, regarding the forthcoming new evaluation system, that estimates the proper evaluation of each teacher taking 29 hours per year. If there are 63 staff members and only one administrator, that administrator would spend 36 of the 52 work weeks in a school year (at 50 hours a week) completing evaluations. Even if those estimated hours are exaggerated, cutting the hours in half would still account for an enormous workload, Trustee Helene McQuade pointed out.Also provided to the board were comparisons between the administrative layout in surrounding school districts, which were not listed by name. Although some of the six districts were less comparable to Pine Plains because of higher student populations, only one district did not have both a high school and middle school principal and that district had several hundred fewer students.When Kaumeyer’s presentation was finished (it took nearly an hour), the board retired to its main meeting room. Bowen, in his first year as a board member, said that the information provided that night was new to him.“I can only base my opinion on what I know,” he said. “If I don’t have all the information …”As the issue of principals and dean of students was the only concern voiced by board members at the April 6 meeting, Kimball entertained a vote to adopt the 2011-12 budget at $27,943,145, which is just under a 4 percent budget-to-budget increase. Under those figures, the tax levy would increase an estimated 4.61 percent.The board voted unanimously to adopt the budget without cutting any administrative positions. Under the board’s current schedule, there will be a public hearing on the budget at the May 4 board meeting. District taxpayers will vote on the budget and several other propositions, including the purchase of school buses, on May 17.
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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.
L. Tomaino
“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.
Provided
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
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