Shiff’s Nostalgia Looks to Future

arry Shiff is sitting at a table in Parisienne Bakery on Main St., drinking a cup of hot tea with honey. The Fort Lee Artist Guild used to hold its meetings in the library but could not actually paint there, Shiff explains, because of the carpets.

"We meet in the rec center now," Shiff says, "which means we can bring paint in."

For emphasis he points to the bakery's floor now, which is clean, tiled and white.

"It's this kind of floor; you can easily wipe it up," he says.

Shiff, a native of Dedham, Mass. saw his artistic career prosper in Fort Lee, where he has lived since 1976. His favorite subjects are railroad trains and sailing ships, but his chief success has been with images of train depots as they looked in the early 1900s—a collaboration he undertook with his late partner Mary Kingston. Using vintage postcards, magazines and books to aid in capturing authenticity, Shiff would craft the mechanical and structural elements, while Kingston added costumed figures and other intricate period details. Before long, locals began to respond to the work. Former residents, too, inquired about the scenes, and continue to contact Shiff for paintings and reproductions.

"What happens is people move away and get nostalgic," Shiff said. "I'll hear someone say, 'I met my husband here,' 'my father was an engineer,' or, 'I took that train to school!'"

These days, as Fort Lee-based customers become more familiar with Shiff's art, he travels further afield to garner new interest … and gather new train stations to paint, though he continues to do paintings of ships as well. A January show at the Cresskill library is next, and he is pleased with the results of a recent show in Whitehouse Station.

"I even sold one of my aircraft carriers," he said—a watercolor of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

The professional and personal life Shiff shared with Mary Kingston ended with her death in 2005, though he continues to think of the project as a joint endeavor, signing her name to each new railroad-station scene along with his as before: "MARY/BARRY." Eager for ways to stay busy after she passed away, Shiff participated in a number of hobbies—among other involvements, he enrolled in professional culinary classes at Bergen Community College and became more active in the Fort Lee Historical Society, of which he is a member.

Eventually, Shiff found a sympathetic group in the Fort Lee Artist Guild and has since become the Guild treasurer. He invites emerging artists in town to reach out to him via email for information on how to join. Heading into 2011, Shiff says the group is excited by the prospect of welcoming a younger crop of artists to the fold because new membership, he claims, will help "improve the offices" and also drum up enthusiasm for events such as the autumn Art in the Park celebration and the Guild's art show currently on display in the Fort Lee library.

A major perk of Guild membership each year is the Fort Lee Art and Music Fest, the annual art and craft fair that turns a large section of Main Street into a party for a day in June. Though Shiff says he prefers the calm of a stand-alone art show for his own pieces, he agrees that the outdoor fest is beneficial for anyone who wants to raise public awareness of his or her work. Best of all though other artists contribute a fee for a table to sit behind, selling their wares, Shiff says, "Artist Guild represents for free."

More of Barry's artwork can be seen here:

http://www.artnostalgic.com

For more about the Fort Lee Artist Guild:

http://www.hackensackartclub.com/flag/index.html