Richard Budman To Present A Special Exhibition

With Alzheimer’s Research In Mind

MONROE — Artist Richard Budman isn’t a doctor, which he admits, but he worries nevertheless about his aging mind.

As many as 5.3 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s Disease, a progressive and fatal brain disease that was first described in 1906 by the German physician Alois Alzheimer. Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking, and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies and social life.

Alzheimer’s only gets worst over time, and it is fatal. Today it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The disease is the most common form of dementia, which is a general term for the loss of memory and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s accounts for 50 to 70 percent of dementia cases.

All of this information comes from The Alzheimer’s Association, and it is of concern enough for Sandy Hook resident and painter Richard Budman that he has decided to get proactive.

“I’m an artist, not a doctor,” Mr Budman said. “I have no medical knowledge nor even a theory of any kind for that matter. All I have is a belief that I feel has been of some benefit to me.

“Several years ago I finally had to admit that my memory isn’t what it once was. It felt like I had too little capacity for all the images I’d collected over the years. It felt like trying to find something in an attic full of junk.

“At one time nothing in that attic was considered junk. It was saved because it meant something. But in its disorderly overcrowded surroundings, its beauty is hidden by chaos. Looking for something in all that clutter is a sure way to get frustrated,” said the artist.

With all that in mind, Mr Budman began cleaning out that attic. Although he has recently done many of his bright acrylic paintings depicting canines and felines, the new collection — called “Perceptions of Reality” — offers portraits of men and women, which he has done for much of his career. Whether he is painting critters or humans, Mr Budman’s work is bold, vibrant and colorful, punctuated with oranges, blues, and yellows.

“Perceptions of Reality” will be on view at Creative Framing, 150 Main Street in Monroe, for the entire month of May. An opening reception will be hosted by the gallery on Saturday, May 2, from 4 to 7 pm.

“I knew it was time to clean out my attic,” said Mr Budman. “If after 50 years of being an artist I didn’t know what a nose, hand or any other body part looked like, I couldn’t have been that good. I stopped using models so I could use some of my mental images and ease the overcrowding in my mind.”

The good news was, Mr Budman said, “it felt like all of a sudden I had some room to grow.

“Not using models give me much better clarity,” he continued. “I can reach into my mind and pull the image I want, plus it eases the overcrowding.”

Mr Budman has exhibited his unique artwork at galleries and museums throughout the United States and Canada. During the 1980s, he was the featured artist at the River Gate at the World’s Fair in New Orleans and was awarded a solo show at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Through his art, he has recently raised thousands of dollars for animal rescue shelters. This time his efforts are for another group.

“At this time there is no cure for Alzheimer’s,” Mr Budman said in explaining why he selected the Connecticut chapter of The Alzheimer’s Association as the beneficiary for “Perceptions of Reality.”

“As the population ages more and more of us are being touched by members of our family and friends who are afflicted with [Alzheimer’s], each one of us must use our creative skills to help find a cure,” he said.

“Art is my way. There is no need to convert it through an alphabet or musical scales. It is direct from my mind,” said Mr Budman. “It is the most primitive of all the arts, and certainly the most direct.”

Creative Framing is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 7 pm; Monday and Thursday from 9 am to 7 pm; and Sunday by appointment. For additional information call 880-9125.