Diamonds Are Forever

Happy New Year.

Stardust Memories, 2016

So far so good. Last night I checked out the Savoy Soul Club--the premier soul night (a la Northern Soul) in the Capital Region. The other day we caught the movie La La Land-- one of the best films I have seen in some time... bring back the musical!

Speaking of music, WEXT will be re-airing my David Bowie tribute this Monday, January 9, at 11 p.m. ET. It's slotted one day after his birthdate and one day before the anniversary of his passing. I remember my dismay at hearing the news a year ago, and I have been thinking a lot about his musical influence ever since.

With this My Exit special, I tried to pick songs by the artist that had an immediate and lasting impact on me. I only had an hour, so I had to give it a good deal of thought (hard to narrow down). 

As I mention on the show, the first I remember being truly aware of him was during the Live Aid concert in 1985, performing with Mick Jagger in that silly "Dancing In The Street" video. That song was catchy enough, but the tune that really caught my ear was a year later-- his theme song for the British film Absolute Beginners, which he also starred in. 

At the time I actually wondered if he was a retro artist, since that lead me into the 1950s-styled Let's Dance album. 

Digger deeper, I found myself captivated by such moody tracks as "China Girl," "Cat People," and "Ashes To Ashes"-- I was beginning to discover the weird, artsy Bowie, and there was no turning back.

My wife's museum, The Albany Institute of History and Art is currently showing a really nice exhibition of rock and roll photography (Bowie included!) by local artist Patrick Harbron. In conjunction with the show, they held an open mic night tonight. We weren't sure what the turn out would be, so I brought my electric guitar just in case. I have been taking guitar lessons for a couple years now, still struggling to find time and motivation to practice, but I decided to give it a shot. Now I have no problem getting up and singing/performing in front of an audience, but playing the guitar and singing adds another level of complexity. Oof... I probably should have sat it out, but I gave Bowie's "Starman" a try. Coincidentally, the line "that weren't no DJ that was hazy cosmic jive" has some relevance with the current news about the discovery of mysterious radio waves from outer space. David, is that you? "Ground control to major Tom..."

Best In Show: "Diamond Dogs" 2016 Memorial Edition.
©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

More successful for me at Albany Institute was my taking part in a recent album cover design contest (also tied in with the rock photography exhibit). Again I chose Bowie as the subject, and reinterpreted his 1974 album Diamond Dogs. 

I had the perfect model: our dog Trixie. My illustration took things quite literally-- I sprinkled diamond shapes across the vinyl sized design, and Trix was decked out in full Bowie "Ziggy Stardust"-era glam (even the shoulder pads from the "Ashes To Ashes" video). The assemblage was mixed media, with elements of collage, colored pencil, paint, and glitter, as well as type created on the museum's old printing press. You can view some photos of my creative process in this Facebook album.

In addition to David Bowie, the through line for these projects is that they were about me focusing on artistic projects. I wish I could master the fearless creativity that Bowie had--I guess that's a big reason I admired him so. The other attractive part of his legacy is that his work transcended--as if he was the conduit for its creation. Although he is gone, his songs remain... and I think he understood, whatever his obvious fears and demons, that he should get out of the way of being creative. 

My Diamond Dogs reissue ended up winning the cover design contest! I know... it may seem a little fishy with my wife working at the museum, but this was entirely voted on by the public. I even saw a couple of people admiring the work when it was on display (even taking photos). So "bully for you, chilly for me..." I'll try and keep David Bowie in mind, and keep out of my own artist's way in the new year.

Listen Live: exit977.org

In The Name of Progress

It’s been an interesting week.

From viewing beautiful photos of women and their children voting, and paying respects to suffragette pioneer Susan B. Anthony in my hometown (Anthony might have been proud to learn that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote); to learning about racist graffiti sprawled across public property, just miles away, following the election.

The divide in America seems greater than many of us thought, yet I’m not entirely surprised.

As someone who campaigned hard for Bernie Sanders, I sympathize with the struggle of the working class (hell, you could say that I am part of that class). I understand that in addition to fighting for equality, we need to work to improve the standard of living for all Americans. Unfortunately, many people have felt left out of the conversation, and perhaps voted to send a message. I just hope those voters took time to consider the more troubling aspects of this past election, and what might lie on the horizon.

During the election season, I found perspective in an unexpected source. Last spring I started gathering materials again for the Google Arts & Culture, centered around the theme of American Democracy. Trying to come up with a suitable online exhibition for Norman Rockwell Museum seemed a no-brainer for me, as we were just preparing to open an exhibition at our Western Massachusetts site on the art of Thomas Nast. The 19^th century political cartoonist was known for his great influence in affecting the outcome of presidential elections, and his biting commentary shined a light on issues that remain important to this day—from political corruption to imperialism, inflation, and civil rights (his political cartooning career began right alongside the presidency of Abraham Lincoln).

My work on the Nast online exhibit was primarily an exercise in graphic design and layout (I did not create the text or, unfortunately, even the video attached), but I also appreciated the increased knowledge it provided me, to better understand the events that shaped our national identity and politics (how fascinating that the platforms of the Republican and Democratic parties were essentially flipped over the course of a century).

Google was generous enough to allow me to create two online exhibitions for their American Democracy forum. The second idea I had was to repurpose materials from the Museum’s 2008 exhibition, Norman Rockwell: Illustrator in Chief. That show, which we presented during another historic election year, looked at the many portraits that Norman Rockwell created of presidential candidates during his lifetime.

Working at the Museum for over a decade, I was already aware of the great number of presidential portraits that Rockwell created—from President Dwight D. Eisenhower to John F. Kennedy to Lyndon B. Johnson to Richard Nixon. We have a great number of reference and candid photos of Rockwell with these presidents, and I included them in this new online exhibition titled Norman Rockwell:Presidential Elections Illustrated (also included: old video clips I conducted with my friend and the Museum's former archivist, Corry Kanzenberg).

Photo of Norman Rockwell, looking a little weary after illustrating
the election of 1968. Photo by Louie Lamone. Norman Rockwell Museum
Collection. ©Norman Rockwell Family Agency.

What I knew less about were many of the candidates who challenged these politicians during their respective presidential primaries: Adlai Stevenson, Barry Goldwater, Nelson Rockefeller, Eugene McCarthy, and Hubert Humphrey; the latter three names, in addition to Robert Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, were all candidates during the election year of 1968—it’s ironic that an artist who strove to illustrate the “best of America,” found himself commissioned to paint one of the most turbulent and tragic elections in modern U.S. history.

I had been hearing a lot about 1968 during this year’s presidential election. They say it was a year that really heightened the divide between Democrats and Republicans. The dissatisfaction that many voters were expressing during this year’s primaries, and surprising rhetoric espoused by Donald Trump, made me curious to learn more.

my "light" summer read

My research lead me to a wonderful new book called American Maelstrom. Author Michael A. Cohen covers the events and each of the candidates (by chapter) that were major players during the ’68 election. At the beginning of the year, if you had told me that a thick tome devoted to national politics would be my “summer read” I would have called you crazy…. but I could not put it down.

What I read surprised me. President Johnson’s Great Society, which sought to eliminate poverty and racial injustice, seemed a noble and humane plan, but many Americans felt we were moving too fast on these platforms, and that their own concerns were being left behind (sound familiar?). Growing up in the Reagan era, I never would have imagined that the south once identified more closely with the Democratic Party. Cohen’s book explained the “southern strategy,” which Nixon utilized that year, preying on some of the fears that white voters had in that region of the country. Nixon preached “law and order,”  and his TV commercials further tapped into those fears and uncertainty. Again, many parallels to 2016.

Beyond that, I learned about such divisive figures as George Wallace, who did nothing to hide his racism while running as a president during both the 1968 ad 1964 elections; what is interesting to learn is that he ran as a Democrat during the 1964 election (and 72 and 76, for that matter!).

Barry Goldwater also ran in 1964. He was another polarizing figure, who planted the seed for a new conservatism, which eventually won out in the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan. But in the early 60s, it appeared that liberalism was favored by most Americans.

Lyndon Johnson is really a tragic figure. He could have been a “great" president. The book explains how his unyielding support of the Vietnam War was really his undoing. As today, many liberals opposed tough military intervention in regards to foreign affairs, and you saw figures like Eugene McCarthy and Robert Kennedy voice opposition and eventually enter the election as candidates.

"A More Perfect Union" exhibit, Tang Museum. Photo: Jeremy Clowe

But nothing is “black and white." Although Kennedy, who along with Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated that year, was a champion of civil rights, he hardly connected with working class voters. McCarthy, one of the most vocal opponents of the Vietnam War, otherwise ran a rather ineffective campaign on domestic issues.

On the other side were Republican candidates like Nelson Rockefeller and George Romney, who the book called “moderate Republicans.” Again, having grown up in a much more conservative era, I was surprised to learn about Republicans who favored some form of government assistance on social issues (are they, essentially, modern Democrats?). I guess you would include President Eisenhower in this camp, who warned, among other things, about the growing military industrial complex.

Artist Steve Brodner illustrated both the Democratic and
Republican convetions this year. This particular cartoon haunted me.
Courtesy and ©Steve Brodner. All rights reserved.

Anyway, this past year has been an incredible learning experience for me. As I have written before, I have a newfound wariness of the mainstream media, seeing how they handled the candidacy of Bernie Sanders (the Associate Press, of all things, went so far as to basically call and influence the Democratic primary, even before all voting had even started in the last couple states). And as troubling as internet hacking is, I was not surprised (and somewhat vindicated) to learn of the content of emails presented by Wikileaks. Fortunately, the two party conventions did not end up like the violent 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, but I must admit that I appreciated some of the delegates' protest within the halls this year (particularly on the first day).

Talking Four Freedoms with scholar Harvey J. Kaye.

It seems obvious we can learn as much from history, as we can from the unfolding present. I have been very interested in the writings of Thomas Frank, author of Listen Liberal. Like Sanders, Frank has presented a critique of the current Democratic Party, which he states has become too comfortable with Wall Street, money in politics, and the idea of meritocracy. People are hurting, and for all the great social good they have done over the last decade, it’s ironic that the Democratic Party has not connected more with the working class. Author/scholar Harvey Kaye, who I helped interview this past year for the Museum, has been pretty vocal about the idea that the United States has, in fact, a proud history as a progressive nation, fighting for equality, that we should embrace—that’s what President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was all about and expressed in his "Four Freedoms speech," later painted by Norman Rockwell, which still resonates 75 years later.

Looking for unity."A More Perfect Union" exhibit, Tang Museum.
Photo: Jeremy Clowe

I’d like to think most Americans are tolerant—of race, gender, sexuality, and different beliefs—however, some of the hateful displays since the election really disturb me. Even before the election, I picked up Strangers in Their Own Land by Arlie Russell Hochschild. In this new book, professor Hochschild leaves her liberal hometown of Berkeley, California, to venture deep into the Louisiana bayou—a stronghold of the conservative right. The book presents an understanding of the plight of fellow citizens who come from different backgrounds, and some hope in the form of common concerns. I have tried to remain open-minded to my own friends and acquaintances, who hold different beliefs. There have been some tense exchanges over the past week, but I’d like to keep the dialogue open and hopefully realize some common ground.

That being said, I remain committed to fighting back against discrimination. We have come too far as a nation to go backwards (similar resistance, in fact, happened following both Reconstruction and the civil rights era of the 1960s). My plan is to remain vigilant; continue this pledge of solidarity through peaceful demonstration and thoughtful discourse.

On that note, it’s funny how suddenly everyone wants to know what Bernie Sanders thinks; this quote, given during a speech he gave here in the Capital Region this summer, says it all:

“Never lose your sense of outrage… democracy is not a spectator sport… and when we stand together, we can transform this country.”

Explore: Google Arts & Culture online exhibitions - Norman Rockwell Museum

Interview: "Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge partners with Google to share presidential portraits, artifacts," Springfield Republican, July 20, 2016

Recommended Progressive Resources/Thought Leaders:

Senator Bernie Sanders
Senator Elizabeth Warren

Professor Robert Reich

Consumer Advocate Ralph Nader
Harvey J. Kaye
Democracy Now!

Peace Action New York State

Auld Lang Syne

Wow. It's hard to believe that I started this blog a year ago today, and still managed to meet my challenge of creating a post EVERY DAY to document this significant year! 

Looking back, moving forward! Photo by John Whipple. 
All rights reserved.

To be honest, this was also meant to be a way to get my name out there on the inter-webs (while I work on a professional website), and there were times when I literally groaned at the thought of having to come up with some creative, coherent post by the end of a long day... seriously, it's difficult to talk about yourself all the time! But I did manage to pull it off (often to the late-night chagrin of my patient wife), and must say that it's nice to have a real-time record to look back on the events from the past year. I think there is also something to the idea of putting myself out there to the "universe" because there were some truly great moments and opportunities that came my way. Without further ado, here is my personal Top 10 for 2012 (hey, I told you I liked creating these things!):

10. Connected (Writing's On The Wall)

NYC's Spoken Word Almanac Project (with visuals by yours truly).
Photo by Jonathan Weiskopf. All rights reserved.

As I mentioned, the goal of this blog (in addition to giving my Mom some daily morning reading material) was to get my name out there− seemed to work! A few professional contacts I made this year mentioned finding this site, or asked− out of the blue− about such endeavors as my improv group that they could have only read about here(!). I also continued my work with the Spoken Word Almanac Project earlier in the year, creating visuals for their "news in review" style format of performance poetry. 

"Troy Record," April 26, 2012

2012 also saw further work with Peace Action New York State, where Sarah and I helped out with a July peace march to commemorate the World War II era victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and I videotaped special lectures for the group on such topics as the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. 

I continued to land other interesting, independent video projects, although I had to be conscious of biting off more than I could chew up to and around the time of my July wedding. I didn't come as far as I had hoped this year in terms of advancing my career, but it was a year that saw me making significant strides and remain in the game.

9. King of All Media

Well, it was certainly a year where I stepped it up in terms of my outreach towards the media. 2012 saw me interviewed by such outlets as The Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, The Springfield Republican, The Schenectady Gazette and New England Public Radio in regards to various exhibitions and programs at Norman Rockwell Museum. I took my Manager of Media Services title to new heights by leading the effort to launch our own page on the Google Art Project, and twice appeared as a guest on The Roundtable, produced by the Albany NPR station, WAMC. This past month I even went international with an interview for TV Tokyo's Bi no Kyojin Tachi, regarding the career of artist Norman Rockwell. It felt good to be able to use my experience and knowledge gained on the job in a creative way... after more than a decade of working at the Museum and in TV news, I certainly feel confident in my abilities.

8. We Are Family

  

Updating Norman Rockwell's "The Runaway" with
my nephew. ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

My family grew this year, and part of what made this year so memorable was being able to help celebrate their own milestones and achievements. First off, I became a uncle again... times three! Sarah's two nephews ushered in the new extended family by being the ring bearer and master of butterflies at our wedding. And although she was pregnant and couldn't attend our big day, my sister gave birth to another beautiful little girl weeks later... apparently she hasn't stopped smiling since she arrived! The smiles continued in October as my mother-in-law received a special honor for her ongoing efforts for peace.

Proving that weddings are contagious, my two twin cousins announced their own engagements this past fall, and my sister-in-law just got engaged... I was happy to lend a creative hand in the planning of the latter, where my future brother-in-law took me up on my idea of proposing to his girl during the previously mentioned Japanese TV shoot that my nephew took part in... now THAT was a Norman Rockwell moment.

7. The Art of Improvisation

Another RBIT-ing performance. ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

At the beginning of this year, my friend/groomsman Frank announced that my old improv group was going to start performing in South County of the Berkshires again, which is where I continue to work. "How can I get in on this?" I wondered aloud, and suddenly found myself "back on the boards," playing gigs with The Royal Berkshire Improv Troupe at the beautiful new Spectrum Playhouse, located in my old hometown of Lee, Massachusetts. It has been a wonderful experience reconnecting with these old and new friends, and challenging myself with some performing again... the late night karaoke after-parties were pretty great too.

6. I Am The DJ, I Am What I Play

Broadcasting live from the WEXT studios!
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

I was fortunate to return to another favorite activity this year− during and after college, I had enjoyed being a music DJ (including a stint with independent rock station WBER in Rochester, New York).... well, thanks to Capital Region station WEXT, I found myself doing my best Casey Kasem on a couple of occasions this year: first during an hour playing some of my favorite songs on their MyExit program, and also earlier this month as I recorded a tribute show to the Norwegian band, A-ha. The latter program was in celebration of the band's 30th anniversary (and knighting in their home country!), and should be airing at the beginning of the new year. Hopefully there will be more on-air opportunities... did I mention that I'm a bit of a "ham" radio operator? 

home sweet home.
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

5. New Digs

After an extended "transition" period, which included apartments in the Berkshires, New York City, and the Hudson Valley, I finally settled into a lovely old, renovated home in downtown Schenectady with my wife Sarah. In addition to enjoying the resources of "The Electric City" and Capital Region, it is just nice to finally have some room to spread out, get organized and creative again (bonus points for this past week's clean up). Yes honey... "feels like home."

4. Mr. Ed

One of the most satisfying moments this past year was the opportunity to continue furthering my education. I FINALLY took another graphic design course, which is something I have been wanting to do for some time now and made possible by the excellent Arts Center of the Capital Region. The class helped me understand key design principals, come up with ideas for creating a logo and website for my business, and learn the ins and outs of Adobe Illustrator. I also utilized some of this newfound knowledge in the design of our wedding invitations and thank-you cards... turned out beautiful (thanks to instructor Taylor Gillis of Troy's Design It Together for sharing his own knowledge and insight).

Invitation only... by design!
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

The Arts Center also gave Sarah and I a chance to brush up on our swing dancing during a course timed perfectly ahead of our wedding, and offered me a chance to play around with a DSLR video camera during two weekends of their video art course. This was a great, creative exercise... the DSLR takes a little getting used to, but the picture quality is fantastic. 

Extra kudos to the Center for letting me take the camera out on yet another afternoon (outside of class) to further acquaint myself with one of the newest tool for filmmakers, and continued appreciation for my friends at CTSB-TV in the Berkshires for letting me try out a number of other new HD video camera models for various projects. As they say: learning is fundamental!

3. Four More Years

Promo for Darian Dauchan's Obamatry,
a spoken word remix, featuring multimedia
design by JC. Courtesy Darian Dauchan.

The fiscal cliff, Obamacare, gun control... it was a tense 12 months, made more so by the fact that this was an election year. Although I don't approve of everything that unfolded during his first term (read: drones), I still supported President Barack Obama, and felt that he held the conviction and intelligence necessary to lead this country back to greatness. I felt a little guilty that I could not actively help his campaign as I did four years ago, and for a while it got to be a nail-biter... Republican candidate Mitt Romney made some last-minute strides this past fall that had many of us wondering if the country would be heading in another direction. What a relief it was to wake up on November 6th to the news that Obama had won a second term, and that many of the initiatives that progressives had been working so hard to advance (health care, marriage equality, immigration, etc.) would be saved. It's hard to believe that the state of the union was swaying precariously in the balance just over a month ago. Of course we've still got a long way to go, and I wish President Obama the best of luck over the next four years... forward!

2. Hero Worship

Interviewing acclaimed comic book artist Alex Ross
in his Chicago studio. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

2012 found me getting back in touch with my "inner comic geek," and thrilled at the arrival of our new exhibit, Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross, at Norman Rockwell Museum. I have been a fan of Ross' work since 1994's Marvels, so it was a great thrill to meet the artist again and see his stunning, original art. The icing on the cake: the chance to travel to Chicago and interview Alex Ross for a new exhibition video. I had to push for this one, but it felt great to utilize not only my video production skills, but also knowledge of a medium that I, like Ross, grew up with. 




(Above is a movie trailer I also created for the exhibition− good fun!)

Yours truly... your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights resereved.

Another idea I had was for my colleagues and I to dress up like our favorite superheroes for the exhibition opening and related programming... my childhood dreams came full-circle as I walked around in my own Spider-Man costume, with several admiring youngsters following in my footsteps! Did I mention the billboard?

By the end of the year, I had reconnected with an aspect of my youth that I have sometimes felt embarrassed over the years to admit to enjoying. However, the success this past year of such films as Spider-Man, Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, and especially The Avengers (♥) made it seem slightly less geeky to proclaim my superhero/comic book love... I even proudly represented the Museum's exhibit at the Albany Comic Con in October, and have become a frequent visitor to the area comic book stores... Bazinga! (must-read of the year: Sean Howe's Marvel Comics: The Untold Story). 

1. Our Big Day

Mr. and Mrs. Clowe!
Photo by John Whipple. All rights reserved.

Of course the highlight of the year was finally getting married to my long-time love, Sarah. The first part of the year was great fun, planning all the various details for the ceremony and reception− we both certainly got to use our creativity. It was challenging at times... I admit, it took me longer to find a tux than I would have expected, and it was tricky to figure out some aspects of an interfaith ceremony. However, the sheer joy of planning for our new life together made it an exciting adventure...

The big day arrived fast and was not only emotional, but a little surreal... to have so many of our loved ones surrounding us (and our friend Tom co-officiate the ceremony), and find myself standing at the alter as my new bride walked down to the aisle to The Beatles' "Here Comes The Sun"...

At that moment, the skies opened up on our beautiful outdoor ceremony, and it began to rain. I certainly wasn't expecting this, although it came as some relief to the summer's extended dry spell and intense humidity... but on my wedding day? 

Dance away... Photo by John Whipple. All rights reserved.

As a spiritual person, I couldn't help but wonder what the sign was... I struggled even more when one of my close family members had a bit of a health scare following the ceremony. The day could have taken a dark turn, but luckily things recovered, and we had an absolute blast during our reception (never seen so many people out on the dance floor at a wedding!). I should point out that the ceremony was also truly beautiful, filled with friends and family reading, singing, and even bubbles and butterflies... the intermittent rain showers let up towards the end of the ceremony, and we were treated to two magnificent rainbows later in the day. 

We followed the wedding with an absolutely magical week in Montreal and Quebec City, chasing after more waterfalls, and enjoying getting lost in Canada. Married life has been great! It's good on the other side, and I wonder why I waited so long...

***

As with any year, 2012 was filled with many highs and lows... laughter and tears... I sometimes found myself questioning my faith, wondering how a higher power could allow such tragedies to unfold as the summer shooting in Aurora, Colorado; the destruction from Hurricane Sandy; and the recent fatal shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, and Webster, New York (near my own hometown)... I made a point of going to church on Christmas Eve to have some time to reflect on this past year's events, and try to come to terms with some of my own personal anger at events that took place in my own life this year, which I felt I had little control over...

***

So, I literally just opened today's mail (snail not e), and found a late Christmas letter from my friend Tom, the reverend. At the top of his own yearly review, he noted our wedding and how beautiful it was to take part in the service... in describing the previously mentioned downpour, he referenced one of the scriptures Sarah and I had chosen for the ceremony, from Song of Solomon 8:7: "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it..."

"All You Need Is Love."--The Beatles. Photo by John Whipple. All rights reserved.

What a fitting way to end this memorable year: hearing these lines again and truly taking them to heart... because it's the end of another year, yet my love for life still burns bright. Thanks to friends and family who have joined me during this past year's journey, and here's to a happy and prosperous new year ahead...

Updated Soundtrack for 2012:

Port of Morrow, The Shins

Signs & Signifiers, J.D. McPherson

The Lumineers, The Lumineers

England Keep My Bones, Frank Turner

Laura, Diego Garcia

Django, Django, Django, Django

Boys & Girls, Alabama Shakes

Wrecking Ball, Bruce Springsteen

Delta Spirit, Delta Spirit

A Thing Called Divine Fits, Divine Fits

Making Mirrors, Gotye

There's No Leaving Now, The Tallest Man on Earth

Out of My Hands, Morten Harket

Love Is All You Need

Feeling much better, thank you. Finally got a good night's sleep, and enjoying some green drinks and healthy fruit and veggies today. 


Most of the day has been spent working on our wedding program--I'm really happy with the way it turned out! Again, I feel a certain calling to be a graphic designer... it was also fun to collaborate with Sarah again. The programs reveal a secret that we won't share until the wedding. Good fun.


We're off to a graduation/birthday party... there are several celebrations happening this weekend and through the week... it seems only fitting.

Rock the Post- Part II

Back in February I wrote about the coolness that is 1960s rock poster designs−it looks like The Museum at Bethel Woods shares my interest, and earlier this month opened up a special exhibition, Byrd/Skolnick: A Tale of Two Posters. The exhibition looks at the work of David Edward Byrd and Arnold Skolnick, who were both commissioned to create posters for the original Woodstock Festival. It turns out that Byrd, a designer with the Fillmore East, was originally approached, and came up with a classic, Art Nouveau design, featuring a nude "Aquarius" pouring water from an urn; when the festival had to be moved from Woodstock mere weeks before it began, the organizers tried to get Byrd to do a redesign, but he was on vacation in the Caribbean. This lead to a last minute request to Skolnick, who turned around and created the much simpler graphic of the bird and guitar, which has become iconic.

Here's a fun video that looks at the development of '60s rock posters, and the influence from Parisian advertising posters of the late 19th to early 20th century... of course! I love Alphonse Mucha, Henri de Toulouse-Latrec, et. al−it's interesting to see how that art influenced the later designs:

Both Byrd and Skolnick will be in attendance at Bethel Woods this Saturday, April 28, starting at 2 p.m., for a special conversation with my colleague Stephanie Plunkett, Chief Curator and Deputy Director of Norman Rockwell Museum. The talk will be held in conjunction with a rock art poster fair being held at the Bethel Woods museum that weekend, where collectors, vendors, scholars and print-makers will share their enthusiasm for the iconic art forms of rock posters and prints. It sounds like great fun, and the weekend kicks off with a screening of the film, American Artifact: The Rise of American Rock Poster Art: 

 This film looks great... I was not previously aware of it, but it seems to encapsulate everything from the classic '60s to modern-rock poster renaissance. I'm also intrigued by the look at DIY printmaking... I saw a bit of this technique at Wilco's Solid Sound Festival last summer−I believe it is part of the footage that I will include in my video profile on the event (coming soon!).

It was around the early '90s that you started to see the return of these vibrant, rock art posters... I remember it being in full-force by the time I was DJing at WBER-FM in Rochester, New York. That resulted in lots of cool promotional materials that complemented the edgy music scene.


Anyway, hopefully I'll get to see the exhibition at Bethel Woods and this documentary... and maybe I'll try my hand at designing a modern-rock poster at some point? I used to experiment with such things back in high school/college... it would be fun to try and "rock out" again.


(I know, I promised some modern examples... watch this, er, post...)


Bethel Woods Center website: www.bethelwoodscenter.org