This month's pop-off queen is Dr. Mattie Alleyne, dentist and glass bead artist extraordinaire.
One thing you'll notice upon meeting Mattie is her grace and poise. For regular readers of this blog, you won't be surprised to find out that Mattie, like most of my friends, started out as a Mansawear customer. We met about 8 years ago when she ordered a made-to-measure garment. Since then, my admiration, respect, and love for her have resulted in a blossoming friendship, which has grown and strengthened over the years.
Since Mattie retired as a New York State Department of Corrections dentist, where she was in charge of dental services at a regional correctional facility, she has focused on exploring various arts and crafts. Her days are filled with activities such as attending meetings with senior Stitch groups (making hats to donate to the local Veterans Outreach), taking art workshops at the Jewish Community Center and Flower City Arts Center, and participating in interesting endeavors wherever they happen. In addition, she has her own studio where she indulges in making glass beads, metalsmithing, and ceramics. She also spends a lot of time gardening, tending to her strawberries, blueberries, okra, peppers, and tomatoes, as well as flowers.
Au contraire to the image of a retiree or pensioner (as they say in Ghana) sitting at home or in coffee shops eating donuts, Mattie, I believe, is busier now than during her dentistry days. She is involved with and supports various cultural and arts institutions in the community. On any given night, one is sure to spot Mattie wearing one of her gorgeous Mansawear outfits, her silver mane coiffed to perfection, at: a Members Only Opening at the Memorial Art Gallery; a movie screening at the Dryden or The Little; a play at Geva or The Auditorium; or dining with friends.
But most important is Mattie’s love and dedication to her wheelchair-bound daughter, Veronica. For Mattie, Veronica is her “handbag,” and she doesn’t leave home without her. She even turned down a Fashion Week ticket because there wasn’t accommodation for a wheelchair.
I’m so blessed and grateful to have Mattie as friend and Mansawear devotee. Here’s to the Dentist in the house for being you!
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