All That Jazz

Happy weekend. Just a few odds and ends to share here on this sleepy Saturday morning.

Yesterday, The Springfield Republican printed a lengthy interview I conducted about Norman Rockwell's Stockbridge studio, which is located on the grounds of Norman Rockwell Museum, and right outside my office window. As I mention in the article, having Rockwell's original workspace "is an extraordinary gift to understanding the artist’s process and literally being transported back in time to the space where he created some of his most iconic works,” You can read more here.

A peek at the beautifully-designed Hopper exhibition.
Photo by JC for NRM. All rights reserved.

Speaking of visiting another time, the Museum's new exhibition, The Unknown Hopper: Edward Hopper as Illustrator is an interesting show, showcasing a little-known aspect of the realist master's career; truth be told, Hopper despised the time he spent working in illustration—contrast that with a young Norman Rockwell, who was just starting his career around the same time (early 20th century), and always aspired to follow in the footsteps of such visual storytellers as Howard Pyle and J.C. Leyendecker. I appreciate that the Museum is not shying away from these facts, as the contrast is an interesting note to share, as I pitch the story to members of the press. This past December both artists set records at auction for American painters, showing how their art endures in popularity a century later.

Now that's an entrance! Photo courtesy B. Docktor Photography.
All rights reserved.

For the opening of the exhibit and to celebrate our 45th anniversary, the Museum presented a gala party, which was quite successful. The theme of the party was the "Roaring '20s," and many of us dressed the part. I have to say, Sarah made a lovely flapper, and I enjoyed playing my best Jay Gatsby, as I hopped around the party, photographing and engaging the various guests.; we even made the "society pages," as our photos made it on to two fun, Berkshire culture sites. You can view some of my own photos on the Museum's Facebook page.

Puttin' on the ritz! Photo courtesy Amy Krzanik. All rights reserved.

The 1920s are a fascinating era, full of change and new ideas for society—I watched a couple fine documentaries earlier this month to research the styles of the period, and it raised my interest to learn more about how American culture transitioned from World War I to a more modern age (and right before the big crash!). After the gala, the wife and I decided to finally check out a real-life speakeasy that we had heard about in Albany—the directions were to leave a reservation on their website, which was followed up by a phone call from their staff to confirm; we arrived at the appointed hour to a mysterious, red-lit entrance and after identifying ourselves, were buzzed in by a bearded man who seemed transported from the era! The interior decorations and wait staff furthered the vintage feel, and I have to say the Prohibition-era drinks seemed all the sweeter. We attracted several approving smiles as we found our way to our table, and settled in to enjoy a three-piece jazz combo. It was a wonderful way to cap off the evening. 

Lee @ night. Photo by JC. All rights reseved.

Speaking jazz, I heard good things about the rest of the Berkshire Gateway Jazz Weekend—my documentary on George Shearing was aired once again following the June 6 concert by members of Shearing's original Quintet, and both members of the audience and band were amused by the anecdotes captured by the jazz pianist's wife, Ellie Shearing (many inquired about buying copies of the video). Copacetic, as they say... and certainly nice to bring home a little extra bacon.

Related Links:

"Studio exhibit showcases Norman Rockwell's studio," Springfield Republican, June 19, 2014

"Norman Rockwell Museum Toasts To Two Masters" (photos by Amy Krzanik), Rural Intelligence

"Norman Rockwell Museum 45th Anniversary Gala" (photos by B. Docktor), Berkshire Style

"Norman Rockwell Museum's 45th Anniversary Gala" (photos by JC and Walt Engels), Norman Rockwell Museum Facebook page

"The Unknown Hopper: Edward Hopper as Illustrator" (exhibition photos by JC), Norman Rockwell Museum Facebook page

So Vain. Probably Think This Song Is About Me...

Sigh... out again looking for tuxedos. There are elements I like in each I place I have checked... but not sure I have found "the one..." Damn, it's hard to be so vain!

Anyway, we'll get there... ZZ Top-mobile or not. 

We also had a chance to walk around the artsy Lark Street area of downtown Albany, which was nice... ducked into Washington Park and over for some Indian food again. We also walked past the old spot where we first met. Time for some more dance lessons too... can we still squeeze those in? 

Sigh...

Dressed for Success

I've been feeling a bit of the "heat" this past week, so I decided to take the day off from the Museum today. It gave me a chance to catch a breath, save some cash from my hour-long commute, and do my "homework"... as Sarah puts it.


I started the day by working on some visuals for the Spoken Word Almanac Project's mid-year show... Trayvon Martin, freedom of speech, and Obama are just a few of the many topics being covered so far. Fortunately, the group has narrowed it down to a definite list of at least one poem by each artist that will be included in the show. This will help me to focus in the next week on laying something down before I need to hand it off to the show's producers to finish. Unfortunately I won't be able to join the group for the show that is scheduled to take place on June 30th... that's the day of my bachelor party, and I'm not sure I should even try and pre-visualize that!


Around noon I switched my attention to the wedding, and hit the town to visit a few tuxedo shops. Sarah was working, and I have to admit that I felt a little "lost" without her... I know what looks good, but it's hard to remember all the details regarding what will complement the bridal party... plus, it's just more fun to have her around. However, by the end of the day I stumbled upon a place that might just work in terms of outfitting me and my groomsmen. Sarah met me at the shop late in the day, and then we walked up to the road to grab a meal at one of our favorite Indian restaurants. An hour or so later it was off to the gym, and back home to watch the finale of Glee... the running theme of the day seemed to be about changes and style... maybe it's better to not stray to far from what works... classic with a modern twist.


On that note, here is a video my SWAP colleague Darian Dauchan just released today with his hip-hop group The Mighty Third Rail: