Colin McEnroe Show: Political Endorsements, Ambition And Portraits

EMAIL FROM JAN:

Your show today regarding the lack of funds for commissioning a portrait of the governor caught my interest. First, let me say that straying from a beautiful, classically done portrait of our governor would be a mistake. Tradition is important and in rapidly changing times such as we live in, forging a connection with the past is of grave importance for the continuity, stability and confidence citizens need to feel for their elected officials and the governing bodies in the state. Second, I would like to call your attention to my business partner and very good friend, portrait artist Claudia Post. Through our business representative Lou Zucchi we have already been in contact with Governor Malloy's office this year regarding a portrait commission. Claudia Post is a Connecticut native and has been a contributor to the arts in Connecticut for almost fifty years. She is eminently qualified to paint the governor's portrait having painted many official portraits of retiring judges in Connecticut and retiring deans from Yale University. Her professional credentials are impeccable including being designated a master pastelist from the Pastel Society of America, and an elected member of Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Salmagundi Club, NYC, American Artists Professional League, Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, NYC, Academic Artist Association to name a few.

Regarding Governor Rell's portrait I would suggest that Claudia Post is the artist of choice. Although Gov. Rell was not Connecticut's first woman governor she is still a trailblazer for professional women, and Claudia Post would be the first woman to paint a Connecticut governor's portrait breaking new ground for women in the arts in Connecticut. Both Govenor Rell and Post are close in age and have lived through the struggles women faced to achieve career opportunities and professional recognition, a struggle present in politics as well as the art world.

One thing that especially caught my attention during your show was the amount of money, (approximately $50,000) spent on previous portraits. Perhaps it is simply an unfortunate feature of government spending, (to spend more than necessary), but I can assure you that there are qualified Connecticut artists, like Claudia Post, who could paint a portrait of a governor for a price that is more realistic for the tax payers of Connecticut. In fact, given the current economic crisis, the public's anger over wasteful government spending and the need to create jobs in Connecticut, I would think that creating a job for a woman, who is a life long Connecticut resident, a senior citizen who is still working, is experienced and qualified and would offer up a fair price to her fellow Connecticut tax payers, $10,000 to complete an oil painting of a governor (past or present) would be a fiscally responsible and sensible thing to do.

Carrying on an important tradition of the state, creating a job for a woman artist, a senior citizen and a Connecticut native who has contributed to the arts in Connecticut for five decades, and allowing the state to acquire a beautiful work of art everyone in Connecticut can enjoy for a fair and reasonable price during a time when government spending is out of control seems like something that should be embraced.

To view examples of Claudia Post's work please visit www.PrestigeArtandPortraits.com and Claudia Post's own website www.ClaudiaPost.com

I would be deeply appreciative if you would pass this email on to those you have spoken to through your program, in Hartford, who are tasked with commissioning portraits for Governor Rell and Governor Malloy.