As we approach our winter-spring semester, ATOA is reflecting on some significant changes including, most
notably, the passing of our board president, artist George Rada (see his obituary below).
But, in the wake of
that passing, other changes have occurred as well that I would like you to know about. Lynne Mayocole,
artist, long time member and corporate secretary of the board has been elected its new president. Taking
her place as corporate secretary is Donna Marxer, a former executive director. And, joining the board is
Jacqueline Sferra Rada, George's widow and an accomplished artist in her own right.
The winter-spring
series is a fantastic one. See our calendar for details of the panels that Molly Barnes and her
programming committee have adroitly organized.
This fall was marked by a rare fundraising letter campaign that many of you answered by making donations or
by renewing or purchasing season's passes for the first time. The net result of your generosity was that we
can move forward again with the confidence that, despite tough economic times, ATOA will survive. And,
with it not just the panels, but important initiatives such as the artist's health insurance plan. Thank you all.
With our 30th season looming not far off, we feel relieved to still be here and at the same time, proud of
the accomplishment to which such longevity speaks. Nonetheless, we haven't let that go to our heads. We
remain dedicated to being as grassroots oriented and relevant to the community of artists as we ever were.
Doug Sheer
The Passing of George Rada
George Rada, president of Artist Talk On Art's board of directors, and an artist of significant accomplishment, died
December 8, at age 67, in New York. A graduate classics scholar who switched to making art in the 1950s, George
entered the Art Students League with fervor and rapidly began a long career as a painter and printmaker, marked by
numerous one-person and group shows, as well as entry to major collections. He has been written about and
reviewed in publications throughout the country.
Known both as a portrait artist and landscape painter, George earlier had rejected Pop and other trends for a more
traditional path. As a student of Frank Reilly at the League, he was able to blend his love of the classics with his
talent for aptly depicting representational scenes. Cityscapes were a particular strength for which he was well
known and collected. Nonetheless, his portraits are what earned him a string of prizes and a long list of prestigious
commissions. Among his more famous subjects were James Beard, Chapman Barnes, William Allen and Mrs. Paul (Jo)
Hollingby. Recent work has featured inanimate objects, such as dolls, in the hands of live models giving those
compositions a strange sort of surreal, even haunting, essence.
For many years, he also involved himself in community-oriented activities as well including, obviously, ATOA.
Additionally, he served for nearly twenty years as chairman of Multicultural Visions Through the Arts, a not-for-profit
organization. It ran a program designed to raise teacher awareness of the importance of culture and the arts so
that they could, in turn, use art as a vehicle to teach their particular discipline and to create art classes in their
New York City schools. He was a lecturer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Frick Collection and other art
institutions. Throughout his career he served either as an officer or founding member of a number of arts
organizations including the Lenox Hill Artists Forum, the New York Portrait Painters Society, the Figurative Alliance
and the Artist's Choice Museum. George was married to Jacqueline Sferra Rada, also a painter. She has just been
named to our board of directors. He also leaves two children, George Jr. and Kevin and two grandsons, George III
and Sean.
A memorial service was held January 10th at which more than 300 friends, colleagues and family gathered to
remember him. ATOA is planning to devote a panel to his art and memory next fall. Among the many speakers were
myself, Myron Heise, Molly Barnes, Ed Adler and Donna Marxer.
The ways that George helped Artists Talk On Art are many. He was a major source of administrative strength in our
ongoing projects such as the artist's family health insurance plan and gave many hours to fundraising and to the
promotion of the series. Additionally, he was a hands-on panelist and panel moderator and helped to plan many ATOA
events. He was the consummate gentleman and a great friend.
He will be truly missed.
Farms on Mekox Road, oil on canvas by
George Rada
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