Let them eat Coney Island cake! And other delicious memories from Harold’s Tribute Party!

The summer is just zooming by and things are very busy in the studio! We’re preparing for the retrospective show in Moscow, and another one in November with Lumiere Gallery in Atlanta (more on that later) continuing to print editions in various sizes, meeting with curators, and hosting our friend, filmmaker Andy Dunn from the BBC who took Harold to Coney Island a few weeks ago (more on that in the next blog)! At the same time Harold had another brief hospitalization in early July. So it’s been a busy time.

That’s my explanation as to why it’s been almost two months since Harold’s fantastic tribute party and I’m only now finally sharing some pictures from it! But memories of it are still fresh in everyone’s minds as friends and family from throughout the country gathered and are still sharing their great memories of the day — as well as some of their photographs!

On June 7, about 45 close friends and family gathered in the beautiful home of Chuck and Gillian Griffin in Newburyport, Massachusetts to toast, roast and celebrate Harold. The idea sprung from his immediate post-hospitalization and hospice tenure. We realized that it’s all well and good to eulogize people once they’re gone, but better to celebrate them when they can truly appreciate it!

Our lovely afternoon included the mellow Brazilian jazz of singer/songwriter (and great friend!) Greta Bro with guitarist Luciano, an abundance of food courtesy of all our friends, an incredible Coney Island cake (thank you Eat Cake! in Newburyport) a 20 minute video tribute and a 111 page celebration book produced by neice extraordinaire, Sarah Walsh Kotkowski.Contributors to the book and video spanned the globe and the decades, including former students, family,friends, and colleagues. Harold was dazzled and it would be safe to say that a gloriously good time was had by all!

Here are a few photos from the party and from the book. Stay tuned for clips from the tribute video, which will be posted on YouTube sometime in the near future!