The recent celebration of the life of E.L. Doctorow helps remind us that New Rochelle has been home to a great many influential and admired figures in the arts, sciences, athletics, media, politics, and more. If you haven’t visited the Walk of Fame at Ruby Dee Park on Library Green, it is definitely worth a look, or take the lazier approach and view this on your screen.
Sculptor Derek Chalfant, Noam Bramson, Helen Doctorow, Amy Paulin, and Steve Otis
E.L. Doctorow was among the most admired and influential American authors of the past century, and it is a source of great pride to New Rochelle that he called our city home. Yesterday, joined by Helen Doctorow and the Doctorow family, we stood on North Avenue at New Rochelle High School to unveil a statue in his honor. My sincere thanks to the volunteer committee which organized this tribute and to Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, who secured invaluable funding.
Sandra Torres and Charlotte Muth of The Moth, with Noam Bramson and Angela Derecas Taylor
A sell-out crowd of hundreds for The Moth’s Westchester StorySLAM debut here in New Rochelle, a wonderful kick-off to this weekend’s ArtsFest and a sign of our community’s growing cultural dynamism. Thank you to themoth.org for alighting in New Rochelle, and thank you to my colleague Angela Derecas Taylor — herself a storyteller who has appeared on the Moth MainStage and been featured on The Moth Radio Hour — for making this great event happen.
ArtsFest is back this weekend! Enjoy exhibits, open studios, music and dance performances, spoken word events, film showings, and great food — a celebration of New Rochelle’s creative and cultural energy. Here’s a full schedule of activities.
The Moth is coming to New Rochelle on October 19, kicking off this year’s ArtsFest. If you don’t already know, the Moth StorySLAM is a super-popular open mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute tale. Bringing the Moth to our city is a big deal — hat tip to my colleague Angela Taylor. Tickets are $15, and this is likely to sell out quickly. Learn more or reserve tickets here.
This Saturday, experience the energy of one of New Rochelle’s most vibrant neighborhoods and enjoy some of the best food anywhere in the region at our second annual Taste of Union Avenue, in the heart of the West End. Vendors, activities, and performances run from noon to 6:00pm.