CLEARWATER, Fla. — The rare portrait of Lakota leader Sitting Bull (1831-90) that was up for sale at Blackwell Auctions sold for $67,100 on March 18 to a private purchaser from the northeastern United States.
The portrait was one of four paintings of Sitting Bull created by New York artist and activist Caroline Weldon, and is thought to be the only one still in private hands.
April 9, 2023, 6:00 AM HST
Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives – a National Historic Landmark in downtown Honolulu – has named a new executive director among several staff changes.
New executive director Erin Shapiro, a museum professional who most recently served as deputy director of community engagement at the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia, will now lead the historic site and archives.
“I am so honored and excited to be back in Hawai‘i and to be a part of this organization,” Shapiro said. “I look forward to continuing to grow HMH’s digital outreach capacities and am excited to see the expanded impact the collection has on our local, state, national and global communities.”
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions sent 12 companies of missionaries, support staff and teachers, who landed at the Hawaiian Islands between 1820 and 1848. Hawaiian Mission Houses seeks to share the uniqueness of the relationship that occurred in the mid-19th century between the missionaries and Hawaiian aliʻi (chiefs) to cooperate on introducing literacy, Christianity, constitutional government, polyphonic music, Western medicine and the living legacy of that cooperation.
The Hawaiian Mission Houses library and historical archive holds over 80,000 digital pieces and is home to one of the largest collections of Hawaiian language printed material in the world.
“Collecting is an intrinsic part of humanity and asking someone what they collect is an insightful way to get to know who they are on a deeper level. Institutional collections function in a similar manner; they are a blueprint of what the organization’s mission and focus is,” Shapiro said. “The Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives has a remarkable permanent collection spanning material culture, books, letters, illustrations and more … Access to and engagement with an institution’s collections has been a priority throughout
my career and will be a focal point as executive director.”
Other staff changes at the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives are as follows:
For more information visit Missionhouses.org.
SEATTLE — “We are saddened to share that Brent Young, 54, lost his battle with prostate cancer, Friday, March 10, 2023. Much loved by all, Brent was a devoted son, brother, husband and uncle.”
He is survived by his wife, Leanne; mother, Diana; brothers, Darren and Jonathan; two nieces and three nephews. He reunites in heaven with his father, Bill, and his infant daughter, Josie.
Born in Pennsylvania, Brent spent his childhood in Youngstown, helping his dad run the family pizza shop and engaging in all kinds of shenanigans with his two brothers and many neighborhood friends. A graduate of Youngstown State University, Brent went on to live in Minneapolis, Chicago and his most recent home, Seattle. He had a career in sales and marketing in the parking industry, but most relished his time spent in pursuit of art, music and having fun with friends.
As a founding member and guitarist for the Youngstown band The Februarys, Brent and his buddies entertained throngs of fans with their alternative rock and shirtless riffs on the guitar. He also produced numerous works of art that were exhibited and sold in neighborhood establishments, many of which featured his favorite subjects of elephants and flags.
Wherever he lived, Brent embraced the home sports teams with unrivaled enthusiasm and enjoyed rooting them on at local pubs, dressed head-to-toe in team memorabilia. With his contagious laugh and talent for putting others at ease, he was surrounded by good friends and good times throughout his 54 years. Generous and big-hearted, Brent was known to gift Garrett’s popcorn, throw a BBQ with his award-winning ribs or lighten the mood with a corny joke. He loved to go camping and fishing, never turned down a game of golf and cherished Christmas more than the average 6-year-old. For the less fortunate, he kept a stash of socks and beef jerky in the back of his beloved Mini Cooper so that he could hand them out to anyone in need.
Brent found comfort in attending church and demonstrated his faith by loving and helping others. His life was too short, but he was able to enjoy his final years by traveling the world with his wife and spending quality time with those who were precious to him.
“He brought joy to so many, and we will miss him dearly.”
A celebration of life will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 20, 2023, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2012 W. Dickens Ave., Chicago, Ill.
(special notice)
Casey William Milbrand’s Ellicott Street mural Greetings from Buffalo has been celebrated as a symbol of Buffalo’s tourism and a made-for-Instagram backdrop.
Artist Casey William Milbrand works on his colorful new “Greetings from Buffalo” mural on the south side of the Washington Market building at 461 Ellicott St., Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016.
But nearly seven years after the mural’s creation, Milbrand faces criticism for sending invoices to businesses and institutions requesting sums from $5,000 to $180,000 for alleged copyright infringement. In two of these letters and invoices shared with The Buffalo News, Milbrand includes screenshots that show images of his murals used in businesses’ marketing, promotional and branding materials without attribution to the artist.
If organizations do not meet the asking price within 10 days, the documents read, the invoice offer is moot and Milbrand writes that he will contact his attorney. Because Greetings from Buffalo is protected by federal copyright – a copy of which he also includes in the letter – Milbrand could through U.S. Copyright Law pursue up to $30,000 for each infringement and $150,000 for each if he can prove his work was intentionally reproduced for profit.
Get your selfie-sticks ready, Buffalo. There’s a new mural in town, and it is almost ready to compete for your Instagram-fueled affections. Casey William Milbrand expects to complete his picture-postcard mural on the south wall of the Washington Market at 461 Ellicott St. this week. The piece, funded with $6,500 in crowd-sourced donations, practically glows with Buffalo pride. It depicts a
The News has confirmed that since 2021, Roswell Park, the University at Buffalo, 43North, Welcome 716 and Buffalo Bike Tours have all received invoices from Milbrand alleging copyright infringement. The invoice sent to UB asked for $180,000, confirmed university spokesperson John Della Contrada, who said UB removed the images immediately from its website and photo archives. The university had no further comment due to ongoing litigation, he said. Milbrand is a 2003 UB graduate, according to the school’s website.
Greetings from Buffalo has “become the go-to place for tourists and residents alike who are looking for the perfect selfie to show off their Buffalove,” reads a blurb on the artist’s website. Milbrand said Tuesday that copyrighting protects his artistic rights while emphasizing the community value of his work.
“Beyond my own art, I want to inspire other Buffalo-based artists and artists across the country how to value themselves, how to respect themselves, and most importantly, how to protect their work as working professionals,” Milbrand said in a statement. “Copyrighting every single mural design is necessary if you want to be a professional artist.”
Some of the targets of Milbrand’s invoices – and even some who originally supported his endeavor – have spoken against the method the artist employs and the funds he demands to protect his copyright.
“This was meant to be a city beautification project,” said Jason Rothschild, vice president for Signature Development, which owns the building adorned with the Greetings from Buffalo mural. “We offered that wall up free of charge to the artist.”
Rothschild said he is weighing options on the future of the mural.
“It’s antithetical to the idea of community,” said Marc Moscato, owner of Buffalo Bike Tours and a target of Milbrand’s invoicing.
Unique, colorful murals are popping up around Western New York. Take a look at some of them through the camera lens of The Buffalo News’ photographers.
Two small businesses impacted
Moscato, who describes his bike tour business as a “side hustle,” said he never corresponded with Milbrand before receiving a letter from Casey Milbrand Design Inc. last Monday.
The letter included five screenshots from Moscato’s business website, BuffaloBikeTours.com, a few of which showed bicycle riders posing in front of the Greetings from Buffalo mural, including one with a “Book Now” link for his guided history tour. Moscato said he did not know Milbrand’s artwork was copyrighted.
The invoice attached to the letter requested $5,000. Moscato said Wednesday that the amount is greater than his tours’ total revenue from last year, and that the image of the riders in front of Milbrand’s mural represents a “Kodak moment” from one of about a dozen stops along the history tour. Moscato said he has removed the images from his website and no longer plans to stop at Milbrand’s mural on the tour.
“It’s bizarre behavior,” said Moscato of Milbrand’s approach. “It’s not how I’d conduct myself or my business.”
Moscato said he holds a master’s degree in arts administration and stressed that he believes artists should be fairly compensated for their work. He wished Milbrand would have called him or even sent a cease-and-desist order to give Moscato a chance to remedy the situation by means other than paying $5,000.
“That more than anything else is the upsetting thing,” Moscato said.
After he posted from his personal Facebook account asking for advice on how to respond to the invoice, Moscato said he received an email from Stuart B. Shapiro, Milbrand’s attorney, threatening a defamation suit.
Casey William Milbrand, the artist who launched a thousand Instagram selfies and wedding proposals with his photogenic “Greetings From Buffalo” mural on Ellicott Street, is at it again. Milbrand’s new mural, a blast of bold color and ’70s-era typography, on the side of CRÄVing Restaurant at 1472 Hertel Ave., will bear a simple message about the surrounding neighborhood in lower-case
Justin DeLuca, president of Welcome 716, which produces a hotel guide and website, confirmed his business was billed by Milbrand for $80,000 on Dec. 3. The invoice alleged Welcome 716 used the artist’s murals in promotions and advertising. DeLuca declined to speak in detail about the situation, but he said the issue represents a significant burden to his business.
Neither Moscato nor DeLuca said they received a cease-and-desist order prior to being invoiced.
Asked how he would respond to angry business representatives to whom he has alleged copyright infringement, Milbrand pointed to his growth as a professional artist.
“As an artist you must become an expert on things you never dreamed of,” he said. “Copyrighting, licensing, contract negotiations, project management, proposal writing and project fundraising are all new skills that I learned from teaching myself how to run my own art business. My mural designs have raised thousands of dollars for the community beyond the painting of my murals.”
Milbrand explained that, in working with promotional site Step Out Buffalo, his Greetings from Buffalo design raised $25,000 for five nonprofits to deal with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, while the design for his Lookin’ Good mural on Hertel raised $5,000 for the Pride Center of WNY and MOCHA Center. The artist said he also donated the design for his Let Hope Shine Through mural to Family Promise of WNY, raising about $2,000 toward the organization’s emergency homeless shelter.
Executive director Lu Firestone, right, and muralist Casey Milbrand, with his painting called “Let Hope Shine Through” in a hallway at Family Promises of WNY facility on Hickory Street in Buffalo on Wednesday, April 14, 2021.
Attorney: Lack of public knowledge about copyright law
When organizations don’t comply with his financial requests for alleged infringement, Milbrand has been willing to take them to court. Shapiro, his attorney, has filed legal complaints alleging copyright infringement in U.S. District Court for Milbrand at least twice, against Roswell Park in 2021 and 43North last month.
A Roswell Park spokesperson confirmed this week that the cancer center settled for a “modest amount” out of court, and legal documents show Milbrand voluntarily dismissed the case last April. The case against 43North, a business startup incubator, is active, however, and Shapiro declined to share specifics.
The Kenmore-based attorney said he is also an instructor at SUNY Fredonia, where he teaches copyright and intellectual property law. Shapiro said he advises students, if faced with a notice of copyright infringement, to apologize, acknowledge compensation for the work is needed and suggest a reasonable counteroffer to the amount invoiced. He said there’s a lack of public knowledge about copyright law.
In a notice of copyright infringement, the initial approach is up to the artist, Shapiro explained. Some may send a cease-and-desist order, which usually requires removal of all reproductions among other remedies, while other artists may request direct compensation in an amount they believe to be appropriate.
If an infringement case reaches court, U.S. Copyright Law dictates a range of $200 to $150,000 in statutory damages can be awarded for each infringement, depending largely on whether the infringer knowingly reproduced copyrighted material for profit. A court can cancel damages if the reproduction is deemed fair use, a hot topic in a U.S. Supreme Court case involving Andy Warhol’s artwork of musical artist Prince.
Mural a ‘source of community pride’
Visit Buffalo Niagara was “thrilled” by the idea of Milbrand’s Greetings from Buffalo mural in 2016. The tourism organization supported Milbrand’s crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the downtown project, which received $4,640 total from 70 donors.
“Murals are a big part of an engaging urban landscape and Casey’s contribution is sure to make downtown Buffalo an even more stimulating experience for visitors – one we’re sure they’ll share with friends and family via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter,” read Visit Buffalo Niagara’s statement in 2016. “If you want to be a part of the New Buffalo we urge you to make a contribution to Casey’s Indiegogo campaign.”
Visit Buffalo Niagara’s tune has recently changed.
“Visit Buffalo Niagara respects the right of artists and creatives to protect their intellectual property,” said Patrick Kaler, president and CEO of the tourism bureau, in a statement. “That said, we regret that the Greetings from Buffalo mural has become a source of dispute and hard feelings after being so warmly embraced by the community who helped to make it happen.”
Kaler noted that the mural was “conceived of as a goodwill gesture intended to welcome locals and visitors to downtown Buffalo.”
“The fact that it is now the subject of legal action is entirely contrary to the spirit and intent of the mural and why Visit Buffalo Niagara helped facilitate its creation in the first place,” Kaler continued. “We hope that any disputes over the mural will be settled amicably and that it once again becomes a source of community pride.”
Hertel Alley, a public art festival in 2019, featured dozens of murals, including this one by Nicole Cherry.
Joel P. Feroleto, Buffalo Common Council representative for the Delaware District, expressed concern about potential ramifications for public art in Buffalo.
“I’ve worked with several local artists and had wonderful experiences,” Feroleto said Thursday, citing previous collaborations with Philip Burke, Chuck Tingley and Eduardo Kobra. “I hope this doesn’t deter building owners from allowing public art projects on their properties in the future.”
Aaron Ott, curator of public art for the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, commissioned Shark Girl, the Freedom Wall and several other projects as part of the gallery’s Public Art Initiative with Erie County and the City of Buffalo. He said his organization has not worked with Milbrand and is not involved in the disputes. For public works commissioned by Albright-Knox, the gallery’s website dedicates an entire section to clarify copyrights and usage.
In recent weeks, families went on neighborhood “hunts” for rainbows and teddy bears. Beginning May 10, there’s a new hunt in town: a walking/driving tour of works displayed by local artists outside of homes and two galleries. Installations are mostly in Buffalo but also Snyder, Tonawanda, Kenmore and West Falls. The event, “Proximity: In Search of Signs of Life
“We believe that public art is inherently for public enjoyment,” Ott said in a statement. “We and the artists we work with expect and celebrate public engagement with the artworks. We do not believe that threatening unnecessary litigation and monetary demands is aligned with the spirit of public art.”
The backlash has not deterred Milbrand.
“I love that as a creator I get to choose what uses work for my corporation and the highest good as I see fit,” Milbrand said. “Every day I wake up I am filled with joy because I get to create from the purest place in my heart and I love what I do.”
A project by the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area features four new text-based murals on a stretch of Main Street in Niagara Falls.
Ben Tsujimoto can be reached at btsujimoto@buffnews.com, at (716) 849-6927 or on Twitter at @Tsuj10.
STODDARD, Wis. (WKBT) – Nature lovers got to hear some expert advice on all things nature and photography this Saturday.
At the Focus on the Flyway event, expert photographers and naturalists shared helpful advice with the public.
By 6:30 a.m. Saturday, about 100 people gathered at California and Gough Streets in San Francisco, completely blocking traffic.
“Is this it? Is it happening?” one woman whispered excitedly to a friend as the sun began to peek over the top of California Street.
The crowd, a mix of people with just phones, with multiple cameras and tripods, and even one with a drone, had flocked to the area to capture the moment the sunrise lines up with California Street, shining between San Francisco’s buildings and over the Bay Bridge, a biannual phenomenon known as California Henge.
As people jockeyed for the best angle — most were aiming for the middle of the street — traffic laws were forgotten, forcing cars, faced with a wall of people, to turn around. Drivers and passersby, seemingly unaware of the rare photography opportunity, took their own photos of the people gathered before moving along. Neighbors leaned out of windows and over balconies, some looking toward the crowd, others toward the sunrise.
Dozens gather to watch and photograph the biannual phenomenon when the sunrise aligns with the Bay Bridge over California Street in San Francisco.
Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle
“I can’t believe we blocked the street. That’s nuts,” one photographer said to a friend. “And they let us!”
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
The sun rises in the biannual phenomenon where the sunrise aligns with the Bay Bridge over California Street in San Francisco.
Moments before the biannual phenomenon where the sunrise aligns with the Bay Bridge over California Street in San Francisco.
While many people chatted, exchanged photography tips and sipped on coffee, when the sun came into view between 6:45 and 6:50 a.m., the chatter subsided, replaced by the sound of cameras clicking.
While the clouds didn’t totally block the view of the sun, as many who came for the event worried might happen, it didn’t quite go as hoped either. Rather than being perfectly in line over the Bay Bridge, the sun was just to its right, making for a nice, but imperfect photo.
“The sun didn’t line up, and the clouds obstructed it a bit,” said Annette Bugno, who had come with a group of friends who all had professional cameras. “A lot of people are going to try again tomorrow.”
The sun aligns with the Bay Bridge over California Street in San Francisco in the twice-year phenomenon known as California Henge.
Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle
While Bugno lives in San Francisco and said she might come back Sunday, some of her friends had traveled from the East Bay and South Bay, waking up well before 5 a.m. to get to the city for a good spot.
“My advice would be to get here at 6 or earlier,” Bugno advised anyone hoping for another chance at the rare image Sunday.
A man uses an iPad to photograph the Bay Bridge over California Street.
Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle
Dozens gather to watch and photograph the biannual phenomenon when the sunrise aligns with the Bay Bridge over California Street in San Francisco.
Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle
Others were happy to see it at all. Friends Annette Angeles-Hagarty of Half Moon Bay and Maureen Sachs of Napa came to the city Friday for the Giants’ home opener. After hearing about California Henge on social media, they decided to check it out because they were staying in the city overnight.
“We really came for Giants opening day,” Sachs said. “But we heard about this. We thought we’d come see it.”
They were surprised at how many people were doing the same. When they arrived at 6:40 a.m., Angeles-Hagarty said, they didn’t expect to see the intersection filled with people.
Dozens gather to watch and photograph the biannual phenomenon when the sunrise aligns with the Bay Bridge over California Street in San Francisco.
Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle
“It was like, oh, this is really a thing!” she said.
While they weren’t thrilled with the quality of their photos — each came with only her phone to catch the moment — they said the early wake-up call was worth it.
“It’s pretty cool to be here,” said Angeles-Hagarty, who teaches transitional kindergarten. “I’m going to show this to my students.”
Reach Danielle Echeverria: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @DanielleEchev
Imagine the marketing challenge of updating a restaurant where a cult movie about a cannibalistic family was filmed.
But Simon Madera and his fellow investors saw an opportunity when they bought the Grand Central Café, a Central Texas restaurant that was one of the settings for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).
Embracing the building’s past, they renamed the Kingsland restaurant Hooper’s, in honor of Tobe Hooper, the late Texas filmmaker who directed the horror classic. He died in 2017.
“We’re absolutely, 100% leaning into it,” Mandera said. “There’s a lot of delicate pieces that we’re adding to the place to pay homage to the movie.”
Madera, who was behind the Taco Flats franchise chain in the 512 area code, joined with his wife, Hobie Sasser, and Courtney and Mike Rhodes, all from Austin, in acquiring the Grand Central Café in November.
At first, Madera wasn’t familiar with the century-old Victorian-era house’s cultural heritage. In the movie, a group of teenagers falls prey to a clan of cannibals, including the notorious chainsaw-wielding Leatherface. Hooper, an Austin native, filmed some of the more gruesome scenes in the house.
The house originally stood near rural Round Rock. In 1998, as Round Rock was seeing development, the structure — a pattern-book house that could be broken into pieces — was disassembled into nine parts and transported about 60 miles away to the Antlers Inn resort in Kingsland. It was reassembled with a white porch and other finer touches.
The Antlers Inn, a former railroad inn, is a Texas Historic Landmark. The property includes a red caboose where guests can spend the night. The grounds also have space for reunions, parties and meetings.
Before the owners started any changeover, the movie’s history at the place was minor, maybe posters at the bar, Madera said.
“There was no real nod to it,” Madera said. “One of the things that we wanted to do is become a little bit more respectful [to the movie]. Part of it is Hooper’s, the last name of Tobe Hooper.
“It rings like a really Southern-type approach.”
Obviously, as a family restaurant, guests aren’t going to see any blood-splattered décor, bleached bones, fresh roadkill, chicken feathers or guys dressed as Leatherface cutting your chicken fried steak with a chainsaw.
Expect a clean and wholesome experience, good for a weekend getaway, Madera said. The menu features breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails.
To lean into the movie even more, Madera said his wife had the idea of engaging with neighbors by asking for donations of old chainsaws. The tools would be turned into art installations and kept at the restaurant for one year with the owner’s name and each saw’s backstory.
Madera wouldn’t disclose the exact cost of the seven-acre-plus site, but he said it was in the seven-figure range.
Renovations are continuing and should be completed by summer.
“We’re going to put a little shrine upstairs where people can kind of come in, go up the stairs and see fun interesting movie shots from originals that we purchased from the company that has the licensing,” he said.
