Matter and memory: The mixed media art of Sophie Eisner

Sophie Eisner in her studio in Kingston, New York.
Hannah Vaughan
Sophie Eisner in her studio in Kingston, New York.
Sophie Eisner is a mixed media artist working in steel, fabric, concrete, silicone and other materials. Her solo show “Holding Patterns” at the Norfolk Library will be on view through July 1.
Thematically, “Holding Patterns” explores the energy of potential and how the human body holds emotional experience. Her work often depicts empty vessels and uses negative space to explore tension between objects.
Inspired by the memory of a traumatic childhood injury at her family home in Norfolk, Eisner remembers how her father took care of her.
“When I was three years old, I fell and cut my knee badly. My dad picked me up and put me in the kitchen sink. I think about that in terms of objects and the relationship between space, feelings and memories. Physical space and emotional quality are very merged,” she said.
Perhaps due to this experience, sinks and empty vessels figure frequently in Eisner’s work. She has a fondness for the smoothness and utility of their design as well as empty bowls. But Eisner explores other ideas and works in different mediums, often welding metal coils.
“If we take that into the metaphorical range, it’s like a human where we’re not all made at once but who you are grows out of this accumulation of experiences and events that sort of mark you over time. So, that’s another way that I’ve explored ideas of memory,” she said.
While Eisner’s work deals with personal experiences, it is open to viewer interpretation, often in a non-linear fashion.
“It is like when you have a dream, you forget about it and then you remember it later. There’s enough logic or structure there that it feels familiar or like it could be known, even though it’s not necessarily nameable,” she said.
Blue velvet is one of Eisner’s preferred fabrics, which she uses to convey value. She was attracted to the material after seeing an empty violin case and was struck by the beauty of the velvet as well as the absence of the object, which is as of much interest to Eisner as what is present.
“Building those narratives, the loose idea of how one thing starts to ‘talk to the other’ and that vibration between them can change really dramatically depending on where they’re placed. The sweet spot between harmony and tension as I’m working in the studio is an opportunity to do more of a meditative practice,” she said.
Up next, Eisner will be showing at the new O+ Headquarters in Kingston in July and August. O+ is an organization that facilitates artists getting healthcare in exchange for their work. She will also be part of a pop-up exhibition at Atlas Studios in Newburgh, New York for Upstate Art Weekend July 17 through 21.
This story has been corrected to fix the end date of Eisner's solo show at the Norfolk Library (July 1) and that she works with many materials, including silicone.
An artist’s rendering of what a pool and poolhouse in Eddie Collins Park in Millerton could look like.
Sometime this month the Village of Millerton will meet with regulators to learn more about what is needed to proceed with construction of the pool at Eddie Collins Memorial Park. As we reported last week, the Dutchess County Board of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation are reviewing the project regarding septic placement and wetland buffers.
It has been a long time coming, but worth the wait, and the Village has the money! That’s a big accomplishment, and the lion’s share of the credit goes to the Millerton Community Park Committee chaired by Stephen Waite. As Mayor Jenn Najdek said last week, the project is now “99% funded,” with $7.56 million secured from three separate New York State grants.
Located on North Elm Avenue in the Village, Eddie Collins Memorial Park was originally used as a turntable for trains, a ball field and a horse racing track. In 1916, the village was left a sum of $15,000 by William G. Denney for “the benefit of the young people,” and by 1963, a committee was formed to name the ball field after former resident and Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Collins.
Since then, the park has seen several additions, including the now defunct Denney Pool.Mayor Najdek has a lifelong connection to the park — swimming and lifeguarding at the pool and running the camp as a teenage counselor.
Waite also has fond memories of Denney Pool. “I spent a lot of time at the old Denney Pool as a kid and made many friends there, some I still keep in contact with,” he said in an interview last year.
Even today, The Millerton News invokes memories of Denney Pool in its ‘From the Archives’ column that appears on this page every week. Written by Kathleen Spahn and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the NorthEast-Millerton Library and reprinting news from the past, the column frequently mentions stubborn cracks in Denney Pool or news about lifeguard lessons. Announcements back then of night swims for the community also suggest an inviting recreational activity during these hot summer days.
Built in 1966, the Village closed the pool in 2015 — due to those cracks and structural problems.
In 2019, as members of the Eddie Collins Memorial Park Revitalization Committee, Waite and Jeanne Vanecko presented tentative plans for the park’s re-imagining to the Village Board. They explained the committee ultimately decided to complete the project in four phases. Waite and Co-Chair Vanecko have volunteered their time, energy and talents to help renovate the aging Eddie Collins Park into a recreational resource for the 21st Century.
The bequest more than 100 years ago by William G. Denney now has been succeeded by state grant money and significant funding raised by a steering committee and the entire revitalization committee.
As a community we owe much to these selfless volunteers for making it possible not only for Millerton to have a pool, but a first-class park for all of us to enjoy.
So let’s do the meetings, however long it takes.
The following excerpts from The Millerton News were compiled by Kathleen Spahn and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the North East-Millerton Library.
‘$2,315.69 Earned By Clerk’s Office’; The Dutchess County clerk’s office turned over to the county treasurer last week a check for $2,315.69, this amount representing the earnings of the county clerk’s department during the month of June. Of this, $917.42 was earned by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and the balance represents fees received for filing and recording papers and other services, Besides this, a check was also transferred to the county treasurer in the amount of $758.36 for mortgage tax collected during the month of June.
Making a comparison with last year, it is found that the earnings of the clerk’s office are about $300 higher than last June.
Frederic A. Smith, county clerk, also announced that in accordance with a new law passed by the Legislature at its last session, the automobile bureau will be closed at four o’clock during the months of July and August.
‘About Millerton’; Worthey J. Pulver and family and Mr. and Mrs. Fred B. Keller left Saturday for a two weeks’ stay at Silver Beach, Milford, Conn.
Mrs. E. S. Simmons is spending a few days at Port Chester, N. Y.
Mr. and Mrs. Frederic A. Smith returned to their home here Sunday after a wedding trip to Essex on Lake Champlain.
‘Passenger Trains’ Return Certain, Officials Say’; Passenger trains definitely will return to Millerton, Lettie Carson, president of the Harlem Valley Transportation Association asserted again this week.
Mrs. Carson cited renewed and detailed assurances from New York State officials to support her statement.
Separately Assemblyman C.D. “Larry” Lane of Chatham stated Monday that reports that he doubted passenger service would return to Millerton were inaccurate. Mr. Lane’s letter appears on page A-4 of this issue.
Mrs. Carson and Assemblyman Lane were both responding to a story in this paper last week which reported widespread difference of opinion on the revival of Dover Plains—Millerton passenger traffic. No passenger trains have made the 16-mile run since 1972. Even Mrs. Carson is now quoted as expecting their return may not come before early fall, 1976.
Though the New York State Assembly has budgeted only $100,000 specifically for restoration of the Dover - Millerton tracks, an estimated $2.5 million will be provided for the work, Mrs. Carson said Tuesday.
The New York State Department of Transportation has $250 million to spend for upgrading of rail service statewide. Dutchess, Columbia and Putnam counties have applied to the State for $4.5 million in all to upgrade the tracks, signals and stations north at least as far as Millerton, and if matching Federal funds are forthcoming, all the way north to Chatham.
Several officials interviewed last week had expressed confidence that passenger service would return to Millerton in “12 months or so.” But Lane was quoted as saying DOT Commissioner Raymond Schuler “told me it does not include passenger service,” in reference to the $100,000 set specifically set aside for track restoration.
In his letter this week however, Lane said that Mr. Schuler had assured him that passenger service to Millerton was definitely in the DOT program. John Tone, director of Commuter Services for the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which operates passenger service to Dover now, was also quoted last week as being skeptical that $100,000 would be adequate to restore the 16 miles of track.
‘Flea Market Slated For July 15’; MILLERTON - The NorthEast-Millerton Library flea market will be held Saturday, July 15, on the lawn of the library.
The flea market includes a tag sale, book sale, bake sale and the raffle of a hooked rug and handmade baskets.
Refreshments of coffee, doughnuts, hot dogs and cold drinks will be available.
In case of rain, the flea market will be held Saturday, July 22.
‘Foursquare Gospel Tent Vandalized’; MILLERTON The Millerton Foursquare Gospel Church tent in Railroad Plaza was vandalized both Monday and Tuesday nights this week, said the Church’s Pastor, Floyd Rosini.
According to Mr. Rosini, vandals threw material around the tent, which is normally left unattended after 9:30 p.m. Nothing was stolen.
The vandalism was reported to the Dutchess County sheriff, but there are no suspects.
The church issponsoring a week-long series of speakers and Bible study with the theme “Unity in Our Community.”
‘Millerton Townscape Continues Parking Crusade’; MILLERTON — Millerton’s Townscape continued to push forward the agenda for parking in the village and for the Rail Trail at its meeting at the North East Community Center last Monday.
One of the priorities this summer is getting parking spaces “striped” on Main Street, John Street and Century Boulevard. Village trustee John Scutieri said a striping machine could be rented inexpensively, and that the village crew probably had the resources to do the work. The issue will be brought up at the next Village Board meeting, Monday July 17, and Townscape members figure to be there to ask the village to move forward on the plans.
One of the advantages of striping out spaces is that it would make Main Street look narrower, which might encourage truckers and other traffic to slow down while passing through. Also, without markings, Century Boulevard, while providing plenty of space for parking, can be chaotic as cars pull in and out near the post office with nothing to guide them.
Traffic patterns in the village were also an issue. Townscape Chairman Renee Vollen asked whether the Village could set up a committee to be in regular contact with the State Department of Transportation about the intersection of Route 44 with Route 22, among other things. Two possibilities that are currently being pursued are a left turning lane southbound at the light, as well as markings to distinguish a parking lane from a driving lane at the turn onto Route 22.
The Harvey house to the south of the Rail Trail and behind the Brick Block building has attracted considerable interest. Townscape has had its eye on the property for its value as a potential parking area, or as a park for Rail Trail users. There appears to be at least one other party interested in purchasing the house for commercial purposes.
A list was circulated of some 200 potential members of the Millerton Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s imperative to get the chamber reinstalled,” said Ms. Vollen. Among the priorities is choosing a slate of officers.
Townscape meeting was set for Monday July 17 at 6 p.m.
On June 23, Governor Ned Lamont (D) vetoed a contentious bill that would have significantly altered state policy on affordable housing; responses from local municipal leadership and housing advocates have run the gamut from gratified to frustrated.
“I’m disappointed by the result and I’m just disappointed by the process,” said State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64), positing that Lamont’s decision was influenced by naysayers who refused to find middle ground.
“Middle ground isn’t a glade in the forest that you suddenly come across,” she said. “Middle ground is something that you work at energetically.”
The bill in question was one of the most high-profile bills to be passed during the recently closed session, with the CT Mirror describing it as “the most significant piece of housing legislation to cross [Lamont’s] desk since he became governor in 2019.”
After being passed in early June, the bill was left in limbo for weeks as Lamont weighed outcry from a contingent of municipal leaders, reportedly particularly in Fairfield County, who claimed it would strip autonomy from town governments and interfere with zoning discretion.
Known as House Bill 5002, the omnibus proposed law called for a number of policy reforms regarding affordable housing, among which were the “fair share” housing and “Work, Live, Ride” models which saw large-scale pushback from Republicans and even drew a few nays from a handful of center-leaning Democrat lawmakers.
The “fair share” framework provides incentives for communities to install a minimum number of affordable housing units, while “Work, Live, Ride” prioritizes certain infrastructure improvement funding opportunities for towns that build affordable housing near public transit stations.
After Lamont’s veto, for which the Governor cited local autonomy as a primary reason, state Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding (R-30) issued a statement that referred to the bill as “anti-local control legislation,” saying that “our towns and cities deserve a seat at the table – not a mandate from Hartford.”
Several of the Northwest Hills Council of Government’s first selectmen have similarly voiced concern that the legislators who crafted the bill are out of touch with the needs of small towns, and that the approaches to affordable housing that it calls for would divert much-needed funding away from their towns, many of which don’t have any access to public transport options.
Proponents of the bill have repeatedly claimed that the strategies outlined are for planning purposes rather than mandates, and that other types of funding will not be replaced by housing-focused grants.
At the June meeting of the COG, Betsy Gara, executive director of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, argued housing plans should be developed by the COG and its members themselves rather than have a “flawed methodology” foisted on the towns.”
COG Chair and New Hartford First Selectman Daniel Jerram agreed, as did Kent First Selectman Marty Lindenmayer, who advanced that an “economic development piece” needs to accompany housing legislation in small towns: “Are we going to send our middle-income residents to Danbury for jobs?”
Lindenmayer was pleased at Lamont’s decision to veto the bill. Speaking at the July 2 BOS meeting, Lindenmayer described the bill as stripping municipalities’ power to govern their downtowns. “I think the Governor recognized it could be done in a better way,” he said.
Back at the COG meeting, Cornwall First Selectman Gordon Ridgway took a different stance, stating that any push towards housing reform that would allow more people to live in town is welcome – and the need is urgent. He mentioned that there were five graduates from Cornwall Central School’s eighth grade this year, and he knew of more families who wanted to move to town but couldn’t because of housing costs.
In an interview after the veto, Ridgway doubled down that housing needed to stay front and center in legislators’ minds: “It’s critical to these towns that we keep working on this and not pretending it isn’t real.”
For his part — “We keep plugging away at it,” he said.
Horn similarly advocated for tenacity amongst housing advocates and urged lawmakers to try to find common ground as the bill comes back around, which it is expected to happen in the fall or spring. “Like any difficult piece of legislation,” she said, “you’re not going to suddenly discover nirvana.”
She added that though she had voted against an earlier iteration of “Work, Live, Ride,” fearing that her constituents would miss out on essential funding opportunities, housing leaders in the Northwest Corner had ameliorated those concerns regarding the newest version of the bill.