Interview with After-School-Enrichment Coordinator Abby

Interview with Abby Munro-Proulx and Peggy Molloy, Moderator

Abby Munro-Proulx

MOLLOY: Are you traveling to Thailand again this summer?

PROULX: Yes. We have contacts at three schools where we will visit and teach or work with teachers for a least a week each. Last year we worked on one school with a visit to another.

MOLLOY: does an outside group organize this?

PROULX: Because of AFS (www.afsusa.org) we have many contacts in Thailand. We also have contact with an organization, which helps rural Thai students get educations.

MOLLOY: Are you seeking more volunteers to join you?

PROULX: The organization actually looks for teachers for three months or longer positions. The local coordinator is Sandi DeLuca of Coldwell Bankers.

MOLLOY: What is your educational background?

PROULX: I have a teaching credential and have worked in a variety of settings, often in a supervisory role. I am a graduate of HSU, BS in Fisheries Biology. I have lived in Humboldt County since 1964. I have student taught at Jacoby Creek School. in Bayside.

MOLLOY: How do you think your faith as a Quaker have manifested in your efforts as a community member?

PROULX: I think that it means I am self directed and my actions are what is an example of my religion. I do not attend Quaker meeting but I still have connections with the group.

MOLLOY: How long have you been active with the after-school enrichment program at Jacoby Creek School?

PROULX: I started the After School Enrichment Program when my younger daughters were at JCS.  I started, as a parent volunteer and later became a paid employee. Valerie Bourne remains as the only instructor of the original group.

MOLLOY: How many children have you and your husband Michael Proulx “fostered”?

PROULX: Our family was involved in foster care for many years and has adopted two of the children who were placed with us.  We have six children total, and five grandchildren.

MOLLOY: When did your interest in the international student community begin?

PROULX: In about 1995 we began to host with AFS and have been doing that ever since, either by hosting a student or teacher, or hosting an HSU international student. We now have an international family and keep in contact with these family members around the world. We also have AFS volunteer and staff friends around the nation and the world.

Proulx has been a stellar community member and her efforts echo in the lives of many children and adults throughout our county. Speaking from personal experience, Proulx is patient, sincere and resourceful. The educational realm is better because of her efforts within the school framework and her support of the arts.

Abby Proulx Journaling Photo Thailand

Self-Interview with Peggy Molloy

Self-Portrait of the Artist

 Self-Interview by
Peggy Molloy



I thought it would be fun to interview myself so here goes!
The questions are from Monster's website written up by a Monster Staff Writer.


ROLE OF HEADHUNTER: Tell me about yourself.

MOLLOY: I just finished a Masters of Science degree with Full Sail University in Business Entertainment. Review of coursework http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AKQ9_56xcE
I live in a hamlet surrounded by Redwood trees, with a wonderful elderly parent and a very loving Great Dane. I am a lifelong learner, I am always taking classes somewhere and I  am an industrious worker.

ROLE OF HEADHUNTER:   What are your strengths?

MOLLOY: I am resourceful, independent, artistic and brave.

Molloy with pet Dane

ROLE OF HEADHUNTER:  What are your weaknesses?

MOLLOY:  I get bored easily and I enjoy talking too much.

ROLE OF HEADHUNTER:  Why do you want this job?

MOLLOY:  I want to work with others on projects that enlighten & educate via the visual & performing arts.  The strength of our society is its ability to problem solve and create new technologies and artistic methods, currently we are having a digital renaissance in the film and music industries.

ROLE OF HEADHUNTER:  Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?

MOLLOY:  Producing operas & ballets, creating special events for charities, embarking on my efforts as a philanthropist.  I highly value the individual voice, and treasure the live performing skills some people are blessed to have. The arts are our ancient global language. My new website features the
idea of how high tech meets high touch. www.artcommerceonline.com

ROLE OF HEADHUNTER:  What's your ideal company?

MOLLOY:  Being an entrepreneur since I was a child, I plan to begin marketing the arts online. However, I have witnessed many fine leaders in my life, including my dad.  I once worked for Tiffany & Co., I thought they did an excellent job of customer service through manifesting enduring relationships. I  I loved the minimalist window displays and high quality of merchandise. (2002, Palo Alto store) www.shoppaloalto.com/tiffany

In my youth, which I lost to the ballet studio...I spent a summer with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, as a "dancer-on-the-green". In retrospect, I can say it was a great experience and I met such wonderfully, talented people. (1972, Margaret Davis, married name)  www.osfashland.org
 
ROLE OF HEADHUNTER:  What did you like least about your last job?

MOLLOY:  My last "real job" (I currently have two part-time jobs) was tedious in that I was being micro-managed. I recall stating that "I manage myself" when it was disclosed that there was no acting manager. There was an owner, and a busy-body, and they would gossip with the rest of the staff.
I hate gossip on the job, I hate being micro-managed having worked for some of the finest jewelry firms in the country, so it was difficult for me to be in an environment where there were no clear boundaries of responsibility, no policies in place for problems, and a general lack of education and lack of respect for education, about how contemporary business is run. I only give advice when I am asked.  I was not asked, so I finally wrote a resignation letter, or two, or three, and made a gracious exit. I did not respond with rudeness and I did not leave immediately, I gave a month of notice, and did my best to maintain respectful relationships throughout the engagement.  (Trained in pearl & diamond grading, colored stones, gems & metal identification, 1996-2001) www.gia.edu/alumni

ROLE OF HEADHUNTER: If I were your supervisor and asked you to do something that you disagreed with, what would you do?

MOLLOY:  I would perform the task requested and if I didn't appreciate how I had been treated, meaning I believed I had been set up for failure to make the "superior" look good, I would stealthily watch to see if this were a single incident or was this behavior going to become a pattern. I would not confront. As my dad would explain, "Honey, you can't change people, just do your best to get along and not make things worse".  I might discuss it privately with my supervisor behind closed doors. 
Newsflash, some managers just don't listen, even to themselves! If fraudulent or immoral, I would resign.  I feel no obligation to change anything, except by being a role model. I do not evangelize...
I have discovered many people in authority positions are often thin-skinned and cannot accept criticism no matter how well intended it is, therefore, unless someone asks me for my opinion, I keep it to myself.  In general, my professional and personal behavior is based upon principles. So few people think like this, I have given up attempting to communicate it, except of course, in my own blog.

ROLE OF HEADHUNTER: How do you respond to romance on the job?

MOLLOY:  I abhor this new "friends with benefits" routine.  I was taught to never fish off the company dock, if you need this explained to you, I'm sorry for you. I will sometimes socialize with co-workers, but in general I keep to myself,...besides there is always a novel excerpt to be written, a song to be captured on a napkin at a restaurant, or a new artist to speak with about their work. In sum, I am very square, particularly about married co-workers. If they are willing to cheat on their spouse, i.e. their best friend, then they will certainly cheat on me! I am old-school, I dress very modestly, and believe women will be treated the way they dress. If you want men to respect you, then behave like a mini Queen Elizabeth. If you want women to respect you,  I don't know what to do. 

ROLE OF HEADHUNTER:  Why did you not pursue a musical career?

MOLLOY:  I found the music industry environment very sexist. Whenever I explained I composed music or had music in my head that I needed help with to notate,  I was basically laughed at and/or dismissed. There were no women professors in music departments that I could see, and the young men I knew in the musical field, usually wanted a secretary or baby-sitter. I would end up being married to a musician who ignored my talent. I do not smoke mariujana or nicotine, and I never auditioned on the couch, so I knew I would never fit in with the "scene"...It is very different now, and I am happy to see young women excel within the music industry. Female composers may have a new role in the future. I hope so.

ROLE OF HEADHUNTER:  Do you think your state of chosen isolation helped contribute to your composing efforts?

MOLLOY:  My songs came out all at once in the middle of the night, forgive me, like a burp. It was totally involuntary. It began when I was living in Montreal, Quebec in a former Lord's manor, then a convent with quarters for out-of-town girls. I was studying dance at the time. We were also being given piano lessons as part of our dance teacher curriculum. There was a piano in a small library above the chapel. "Singing With Myself" is how I describe my studio work creating my own songworks in the 70's. MeeMee & Mee & Mee reflects the many faces of Peg. I cannot read or write music so the only way to archive the songs was to sing them, then harmonize with myself.  I have participated in many choirs throughout my lifetime, but I learn auditorily, matching the pitch vocally and memorizing  musical sequences. I love formal, classical choral works. The Requiem Mass in particular. I love the opera and once toured the northeast with the Opera Company of Boston, now defunct.

Having written a musical that is seeking production "Miss-Placed: The New York Years".
www.stageplays.com/products/miss-placedcategorycyberpresscode333  
My budget is $247K, having created a gantt chart to detail the costs in terms of time and money. When considering the opportunity costs, I chose another route to work within the framework of the arts. That was a rude awakening! Perhaps someday my piece will be considered historical commentary.
It is to be danced, so it really is a dancers show, I have my dear friend Clover Mathis engaged as the choreographer. We worked together in Boston in the Danny Sloane Modern Dance Company.
http://www.jango.com/music/Miss+Placed?l=0
 

Bigfoot Hunter offers insight into digital publishing

 BOBO FAY: THE BIGFOOT HUNTER


The local post office guy asked me if I would like to interview his friend who hunts Bigfoot.
I said "sure", and soon met up with Bobo Fay, the Bigfoot Hunter and pursued my interview for the local newspaper, THE ARCATA EYE. He was kind enough to bring over a card board box full of plaster of paris Sasquatch footprints. Since that time, I have occasionally been able to catch up with Bobo, although he is a tough cookie to catch up with himself.

Bobo Fay is the second from the right in this photograph about one of his many projects on ANIMAL PLANET.  He is unassuming, honest, funny and blunt. This is refreshing...

Bobo had just flown back from Hollywood where he finished a shoot for Comedy Central. He was on his way to Chicago for a dinner date with the Animal Planet significant executive, yet somehow, the message from Peggy who knew Brian at the Post Office rang a bell in Bobo's being and he called me. Yay!

He had been negotiating a book deal, and this is the point of this article. He was offered 2/3 less this year than last year, due to the high levels of piracy that publishers are experiencing on the Internet.

http://teamcoco.com/category/tags/finding-bigfoot

I have heard radio talk show hosts use Bobo's rendition of Bigfoot's call on the air as a joke. I think it is terrific. Bobo has been infatuated with Sasquatch since he was five years old. 
http://www.bfro.net/  Always dedicated and scientific in outlook, Bobo Fay is sincere and enthusiastic about his research. How great is this when we are surrounded by those who do not know what to do with themselves!
Bobo is "handled" by APA agency in Hollywood.

Discovery Network is one of Bobo's projects, and he is being approached for a reality show. He has had offers from A&E and MTV, and has shot pilots for Monster Quest. He does not look the part so his success is all the more wonderful.

Multi-Talented Writer tells about transitioning

Esmeralda Santiago

MULTI-TALENTED & BI-LINGUAL, ESMERALDA SANTIAGO
DISCUSSES HER TRANSITION FROM BEING AN ACTRESS/DANCER TO MASTERPIECE THEATER WRITER...

I met Esmeralda in an Indian Dance Class at the Harvard Summer Dance Center in the last century. As soon as she found out that I could knit anything without using a pattern, we began sharing time at the yarn shop in Cambridge. One thing led to another, she & her wonderful husband Frank Cantor, founded Cantomedia Films.  We  have been in and out of touch ever since. 

MOLLOY:  Your career expands from being an actress/dancer to a writer for Masterpiece Theater. How was that transition for you?

SANTIAGO: By my mid-thirties, it was obvious that my body resisted the demands of Indian Classical Dance, but I needed a form of expression that provided the same level of emotional engagement, discipline and focus. I turned to writing as a way to explore my fears, insecurities and preoccupations.

MOLLOY:  Becoming a mother is always a challenge for the artistically inclined.

SANTIAGO:  Writing was something I could do by and for myself, on my own schedule, wherever and whenever I could set pen to paper. It was freeing.

MOLLOY:  You began to nurture you own talent, but somehow you sent out those scripts, always at the mercy of possibly unscrupulous editors.

SANTIAGO:  When I began to send my work out the unknown editors, I realized that I'd developed the thick skin necessary of a performer. I Took criticism seriously but not personally, and tried to differentiate helpful criticism from snarkyness and envy.

MOLLOY: Envy is such a powerful emotion, yet it is difficult to discern.

SANTIAGO: Because I missed the physical aspects of dance, I turned to yoga as a way to keep my body strong and flexible. The lessons and practices on countless studio floors has been transferred to the discipline and focus necessary for expression on a page rather than on a stage.

MOLLOY:  Would you suggest using an agent or manager?

SANTIAGO:  I strongly suggest an agent or manager because it's difficult for artists to agent/manage ourselves. It takes time and special skills to seek opportunities, to promote, to follow through with contracts, travel coordination, etc. Artists need to spend their time in creating. Agents/managers free us so that we can use our time more efficiently to do what we do best.

Please visit Http://www.esmeraldasantiago.com

Book titles include: WHEN I WAS PUERTO RICAN, THE TURKISH LOVER, ALMOST A WOMAN, AMERICA'S DREAM, A DOLL FOR NAVIDADS, LAS CHRISTMAS, LAS MAMIS, CONQUISTADORA.

 

iGavel Art & Antiques owner Interview

www.iGavel.com

While living in Atlanta at the turn of the last century, I was employed by H. Stern's Fine Jewelers from South America.
My manager at the time is a relative of Lark Mason, who at the time was working for Sotheby's with a specialty in Chinese Furniture. Knowing the family, I was aware that he and his siblings grew up behind the scenes watching it all happen at their  mother's antique shop.

MOLLOY: What was the time span of your careerat Sotheby's in New York?

MASON: My career at Sotheby's extended from 1979-2003, approximately 24 years. During that time I had a range of responsibilities and roles and was well-prepared to embark on my own future.

MOLLOY: How did the shift to and from digitalizing the auction house process affect your decision?

MASON: When the opportunity arose with the closing of Sothebys.com, the time felt right to start off on my own and iGavelauctions.com was the result.

MOLLOY: Do you consider art as a good investment?

MASON: Art can be a good investment under the right circumstances but in most instances, it is not.
Like all investments, art requires a specialized knowledge and time commitment. Most people lack one or both, and as a result, purchase items and them forget about them, with poor results.

MOLLOY: How would you advise an investor?

MASON: For individuals who watch the market closely, diversify their holdings, and choose objects based on quality and value, the results can be good. Ultimately however, art is not easily convertible into cash, this lack of convertibility comes with high transaction costs that cut into the results.

MOLLOY: Can you help out with the person that considers art an object of pleasure and delight, and just happens to have some disposable income?

MASON: My advice for people is to buy what they like while being aware of the broader market. If they like what they purchased, then when or if the market declines, at least they will have objects that remain to be enjoyed.

Http://www.iGavelAuctions.comHttp://www.iGavelAuctions.com
 

Lark Mason can be reached at (212) 289-5588, with his office in the east side of NYC. 

Another source for the auction buff is Http://www.christies.com.
Slow to the Internet era, due to a wide variety of concerns, the dealers in art and antiques have valuable inventory and advanced knowledge for high-end pieces.