Before we reveal the final interview in our Women’s History Month series (yes, a roll-over from March ,but worth the wait!), we want to shine a spotlight on the excellent reader nominations we received but weren’t able to connect with in person for interviews. These are some Greenpoint women we should all know about:
Jennifer Fiore & Nina Lalli, MONDAYS Projects
Nominated by their friend Nicole, Jennifer and Nina originally met in a Monday night ceramics class and now share a studio in Greenpoint where they make beautiful pieces by hand. MONDAYS ceramics can be found at Joinery, Warm, Spina, Mrs. Robertson/Gabriela de la Vega, and at BRIKA. Jennifer and Nina have also crafted custom plates and cups for the dining room at Blue Hill at Stone Barns.
Agatha Kulaga & Erin Patinkin, Ovenly
Nominated by an adoring stranger, who shared: “I’d like to nominate Agatha Kulaga & Erin Patinkin from Ovenly. It’s one of my favorite places in the neighborhood, and I’m happy to support local businesses. I actually don’t know them, so this is not a very personal nomination…but I enjoyed reading about their business and love visiting their little bakery.” Note to that reader: they were honored to hear of your nod to them!
Regine Polenz
Nominated by her friend Jennifer, who told us that “Regine is a Greenpoint transplant from Germany. She has lived in the neighborhood for 15-plus years. She is quite an accomplished painter who was schooled in Germany and has had residencies at Yaddo and Governor’s Island. In addition to recommending Regine as an amazing artist, Regine recently had a son with Down Syndrome. Rather than abort the fetus, which is now common, Regine decided that motherhood was something she wanted to pursue. The result is a darling boy, Leon, named after the painter Leon Golub. As a disability activist, I find this story amazing. One thing I have always loved about Greenpoint is the diversity and acceptance of all folks.”
Ava Capote
Also nominated by the same Jennifer who brought Regine to our attention; Jennifer wrote that Ava “is a writer for the BQ Brew and maintains a blog at Blue Collar Mama. She is a stay-at-home mom and political activist. Ava grew up on Eagle Street where she still lives. I want to nominate Ava because I think it is important for people who have always lived in Greenpoint to be able to tell their stories and keep the history of Greenpoint alive. Ava’s story is particularly poignant to me because she remains an activist and is highly involved in the area. She attended PS 31. Her son Gio graduated from the same school!”
Thank you again to all these thoughtful readers for their nominations. As mentioned above, we have one interview left to share – stay tuned!