A Life in Art

Aaronel deRoy Gruber

I recently had a birthday, and my good friend Jamie deRoy gave me this wonderful gift.  A documentary about Aaronel deRoy Gruber, who just happens to be Jamie’s mother. I am no art aficionado, but like the theatre, I love Art, and the many forms it can take.

I knew Jamie’s mom was an artist.  Her apartment is full of her mother’s incredible work, but I unfortunately, never had the chance to meet her.    This made seeing the documentary all the more special, because not only did I get to see Aaronel at work, I got to hear her speak, and to hear the story of this very accomplished “female” artist.  I  highlight the female, because at the time of her glory not many women took a title beyond devoted wife and
mother.  Which by the way, Aaronel did too.  She was a devoted wife to Irving “Irv” Gruber for 70 years (I checked the math several times. Mind-boggling!), which is another amazing story in itself; Irv spent his life supporting and helping her in her journey.   And there are also three very accomplished children, Jon Gruber the oldest, a San Francisco Money Manager, Jamie deRoy, whose art flows in Cabaret, a Cable TV show, a Talk Radio Show, Production of Broadway and Off-Broadway plays, and endless support of the Theatre, and the youngest Terry Gruber, an accomplished Artist in his own right, who inherited his mothers artistic eye and can see the magic through the lens.  Each of the children is interviewed in the film talking about their mom and her work. You get the sense of a life of growing up in a very exciting world surrounded by love.
 

Aaronel left us on July 6, 2011 at the age of 92, but she will continue to live on in her art and in lives of the many people she touched.

If you are a lover of art,  or just a lover of humanity, I’d strongly suggest you check out this beautiful story about a woman and the things she loved most.  Art and better yet, her Family.

 
You can buy the documentary at www.humanitydocs.com or I’d be happy to lend you my copy. Also visit http://aaronel.com/ to see more about Aaronel and her work, and links to her children: 

Award winning photographer, Terry Gruber’s website at  http://www.gruberphotographers.com/ to
see the how the apple does not fall far from the tree, and hire him!

And Tony Award winning Producer, Jamie deRoy’s website at www.jamiederoy.com and get tickets to her next cabaret show on September 22nd at Birdland Jazz Club