Last night, good friends Todd and Kathy Galitz stopped by the studio for the unveiling of their recently completed portrait--the 5th completed in my collaborative Make a Portrait project series with photo partner Michael O’Shea. Look for forthcoming shots of visits with Karen Brooks Hopkins (#3), Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel (#4), and Marjorie Kuhn (#6) in the series of 15.

When thinking of the quintessential hard-working New York City arts couple- Todd and Kathy immediately came to mind.

Todd- a dedicated development/fundraising professional for the arts in New York City--from Lincoln Center to Asia Society and now currently at Pratt Institute where he holds the titles of VP for Institutional Advancement and My Former Boss. Todd is as honest, sincere, and caring as they come--which is absolutely essential in the world of fundraising--and he often casts aside the overrated concept of “rest” and “sleep”, all for the greater cause (see Todd at work on his laptop...at home...in this piece- 110% dedication.

GO HERE NOW TO SUPPORT TODD’S/PRATT’S EFFORTS

Kathy- is a true arts lover- when she sees work, she gets giddy with pure happiness and excitement- and that energy is seriously contagious. As an art historian at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she is wildly knowledgeable- the fusion of her happy spirit and encyclopedic mind make each encounter a real joy. I tried to capture Kathy’s warm personality and infectious smile within this piece...which was a tall order, because Kathy knows her smiles in portraiture!

LISTEN TO KATHY DISCUSS SMILES IN PORTRAITURE ON THE MET’S WEBSITE HERE

Together, Todd and Kathy are helping to grow and sustain the arts for all of us to enjoy. Thank you for letting me pay tribute to you two in paint on canvas!