Art is wherever you find it. For some, inspiration can stem from looking to the past – putting new twists on the old while preserving the spirit of the bygone. Meet a handful of New York artists – ranging from an old-school mortician to a singing telegram specialist – embarking on their own serpentine paths even as they follow the shadows of predecessors’ footsteps.
Harlem funeral director Isaiah Owens’ mission is to "make people look like they are all in heaven."
Bronx craftsman Calixto Rivera’s cowbells have helped put the sabor (flavor) in salsa music for 40 years.
April Brucker believes music and comedy can unite the world. She practices her creed, one singing telegram at a time.
Amir Vahab, who left his native Iran shortly before the revolution, strives to keep traditional Persian and Turkish Sufi music alive.
When sculptor Marsha Trattner discovered blacksmithing, she combined the crafts to create her own Brooklyn studio: She-Weld.