Blog No. 277: The Portland Museum, We Share the Same Sky Podcast, Poem by Hannah Stephenson

April 11, 2026

The Portland Museum of Art

I planned an outing to the big city (Portland, Maine) this past week with my friend Anne, a dear dear friend who I have known for a lifetime but only met a year and a half ago. It was on the occasion of her 70th birthday. We had the idea of going to the Portland Museum of Art and a lunch at one of her favorite restaurants in Portland, The Honey Paw.

I was so pleasantly surprised about the Portland Museum. In fact, I don’t think I have ever had a bad visit there. The curators are good at choosing!

Photo courtesy Ming Smith and the Portland Museum of Art

There were so many pieces of art I loved that I can only write about a few, starting with the special photography show Ming Smith: Jazz Requiem—Notations in Blue. I hadn’t heard of this artist before but at 78 she is finally getting some of the recognition she deserves for her innovative photos, often of the jazz world but not restricted to that, sometimes combining drawing and interesting aspects of light. “Her photographs pulse with the same energy and spontaneity that define jazz, reflecting her deep admiration for the music and its leading figures, whom she photographed with intimacy and respect.”

Handpainted photograph Courtesy Ming Smith

Then I went straight up to the fourth floor and visited my old friends, the raw animal sculptures of Bernard Langlais. Made from found objects, mostly old blocks of wood, Langlais shares his whimsy and pure joy in these raw, strong representations of birds and other living things. And on the same floor going down the steps are the paper maché birds of artist Christopher Patch, featuring 37 distinct species. Colorful, playful, this collection is a perfect complement to Langlais' work...

The museum is a nice size with lots more to see (and write about--maybe next time). I will mention that the shop is also a great place to buy unique gifts...

We Share the Same Sky Podcast

This is a really great, moving podcast.. Click image to listen

Hana Dubova and her granddaughter Rachael Cerrotti. Click image to read about Rachel’s grandmother in an historical context

Down the rabbit hole! Researching Özlem Cekic, the Danish Muslim parliament member from last week’s blog, it lead me first to hear about the head Danish Rabbi Bent Melchior, a fascinating figure unto himself and then onto Hana Dubova, the subject of Rachael Cerrotti’s outstanding podcast We Share The Same Sky (also a book with the same title). The seven episode podcast chronicles Rachael’s attempt to know her grandmother in a deeper way by retracing her steps as a holocaust survivor, (based on writings her grandmother left as a guide). The story began with Hana Dubova's birth in Kolín, Czechoslovakia and encompassed her long journey through multiple countries in her quest for freedom from the Nazis during World War II and eventually ended up emigrating to the United States after the war. Throughout the podcast Cerrotti weaves the story of her own life, living in the places of meaning to her grandmother and interacting with future generations of people her grandmother knew who helped save her. This intimate story transcends the personal to become living universal history and shows us the indomitable human spirit and that kindness can reverberate over time and through many generations.

Cerrotti’s podcast really touched me in a deep way, partly because of my own family’s history of the Nazis, her connection to Denmark and the losses she endured during her own life.

If you would like to know more, here is a talk by Cerrotti on the occasion of her book publication We Share the Same Sky at the Jewish Museum. Very worth the listen!

Hannah Stephenson Poem

Pam Smilow Black Tree. 60” x 22”. mixed media on paper. $4000

My friend and yoga teacher Molly always starts her sessions with some words of wisdom, some different kinds of breathing exercises and often a poem. As I am a big lover of trees, this one by Hannah Stephenson really struck me.

ANCIENT LANGUAGE
by Hannah Stephenson

If you stand at the edge of the forest
and stare into it
every tree at the edge will blow a little extra
oxygen toward you

It has been proven
Leaves have admitted it

The pines I have known
have been especially candid

one said
that all breath in this world
is roped together

that breathing is
the most ancient language

Pam Smilow Turquoise Tree 60” x 22”. mixed media on paper

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow. mixed media on canvas 46” x 76” $8500

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Book of the Week

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...