arts culture
Written for Marinites
and their friends who love the arts
Dear Readers
We launched Marin Arts & Culture last
month, because we believed that Marin
needed a new magazine that would
showcase the vibrant arts and culture
of this wonderful county. We hoped
that you would agree, and actively
participate in helping us celebrate our
diverse community of artists, patrons
and nonprofits—and you did! We are
most appreciative, and want to say
thank you!
In this month’s issue, we continue our
mission of presenting interesting and
innovative stories about people in
Marin. The feature story, Cross Stitch
Meditation, is about Rick Banghart,
a local engineer-turned-artist, who
reinvented this fascinating art form by
marrying technology and needlepoint.
Who knew? The idea for this article
came to me through a new friend
who just happened to be Banghart’s
neighbor.
At my presentation for the launch of
the first issue, I ended by picking a
theme song, The Impossible Dream,
which was a natural, because I had so
long dreamed of creating a publication
that would serve and celebrate the
softer side of life: music, art, poetry,
dance and all the rest. The premiere
issue reflects those dreams. As a former
New York City rat, I naturally sought
out Richard Kiley’s rendition; I saw him
play Don Quixote in the original Man
of La Mancha on Broadway. In the
search, however, I came across the long
forgotten version, which Jim Nabors
sang on his TV show, Gomer Pyle. How
could I not feature Gomer? We continue to get submissions and
suggestions for stories from you …
and sometimes from the most
interesting sources. We encourage you
to continue submitting ideas for articles
in Marin Arts & Culture. Maybe you
have a neighbor or a friend who does
something really interesting that would
be worth writing about.
I also asked the audience: “What is
your theme song?” and someone
was listening. A few weeks later,
photographer Mitchell Marriott sent
me his. I loved the sentiment in the
song he chose, so we featured it in this
issue. The lyrics are printed . . . so sing
along at your desk! Or dance! And now
I am asking you—What is your theme
song? Finally, we made the decision this
month to go nonprofit and offer the
magazine for free, because we want
Marin Arts & Culture to be accessible to
everyone. Many years ago, I worked at
a high-tech publication with an editor
who had created a software program,
which he sent out by request to anyone
who wanted it, asking that they just
make a donation in any amount they
felt comfortable with. Sort of the KQED
4 MARIN ARTS & CULTURE
Also in this issue is a video interview
about a local artist who reveals his
insight into the life of a creator. Take
a short journey with him to experience
what it is like to live a life of passion.
The video was created through a
partnership with the Community Media
Center of Marin.
Meredith Griffin,
Founder and Publisher
approach. That sounds right to me; no
deep pockets here. We will flourish
only if the community feels we deserve
their support. And since we are a fiscal
project of MarinLink, any donation you
make will be tax-deductible.
Marin Arts & Culture is designed to
bring joy, thought and reflection.
We’re a community—let’s create
this magazine together. To
subscribe, sign up on our website,
marinartsandculture.com.
So, what is my theme song for May?
I pass the baton to Mitchell Marriott.
You’ll find me dancing at my desk.
Speaking of dance, thank you Parov
Stelar! MA&C