It’s time for another installment of our library staff’s newsletter Calliope! This new issue covers the months of May and June of 2016. Be sure to download the full version Calliope-May-June.
In this month’s download you will find wonderfully written articles about the origins of Mother’s and Father’s Day, students in the community, local events and more!
Below is just one example of the many articles included in Calliope for May/June.
The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree…
Platt Alumni Shairi Engle is the great-granddaughter of the famous Art Deco painter, Alexander O. Levy
By Nicole Lewis, Librarian, Instructor, Platt College San Diego
We are all familiar with the saying “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” meaning that often children are similar to their parents. In the case of Shairi Engle, a talented student at Platt College, IT’S TRUE. She is very similar to her famous great-grandfather Alexander O. Levy. Alexander O. Levy was an American Art Deco painter as mentioned in the article to the left. Shairi herself, is a skilled painter and writer. Last year, we featured a few of her paintings at our student showcase at the Lyceum Theatre downtown.
In a casual conversation with Shairi about art and life she divulged to me who her great- grandfather was. Shairi recalled stories passed down to her through her father about her great-grandfather. She spoke with glimmer her eyes,“He was very romantic towards her great-
grandmother and wrote her beautiful illustrated love letters. You should have seen how beautiful they were. Nicole, you would love them.” she told me. In addition, Shairi explained that her great-grandfather did a lot of work and illustration during the Great Depression.
Love and Art
Shairi shared the story of how her grandparents on her father’s side met. Simply put, they met through art. Shairi’s grandmother was an apprentice to Alexander O. Levy. During that time it was very rare for a woman to be an apprentice under an artist but her grandmother was very gifted. Her grandfather was the son of Alexander O. Levy but he was not an artist. Naturally he met her grandmother while she was working under his father and instantly fell in love with her! The rest is history. Their union created Shairi’s father and that is how Shairi came into existence. She thrives today as a talented painter who blossoms through the seed planted by her Great-Grandfather! The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree!