The Kids Are Alright

2016? With the exception of my family, friends, and Bernie(!), it was a frequently trying year. What else do you say about a year where Gen X-ers like myself lost such cultural icons as Bowie, Prince, Mohammad Ali, George Michael, and Carrie Fisher, and can look forward to being Trump-ed in the new year? Makes you want to turn the lights out and pull the covers up for a looong nap.

Photo: Jeremy Clowe

There were, however, a couple projects that I was involved with this year that raised my spirits. They involved the next generation - Millennials and Generation Z, if you will.

Last February I spent some time working from home in New York's Capital Region, and decided to document a group of local high school students who were busy preparing work for an exhibition reinterpreting President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Four Freedoms (which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year). The show was to be presented at Norman Rockwell Museum, where we own and display Norman Rockwell's original 1943 paintings that famously interpret Roosevelt's speech. It sounded like an interesting project, and I was curious to see what freedom meant to young people in the 21st Century.

"Freedom of Speech," one of FDR's original ideals, was perhaps the most popular, and was interpreted in some interesting ways--as a form of protest; in being able to express yourself through dress, music, or the visual arts; and speaking up for your rights as a young person. The other freedoms (want, religion, and fear) were less frequently illustrated, with these studio art students deciding to expand on the original concept.

Not surprisingly, one of the biggest concerns was privacy--in this day of social media and smart phones, young people had mixed feelings about the freedom to share information, but also the need for it to stay protected. Others addressed the idea of equality for people of all genders, races, and sexual identities. I enjoyed working with and finding the common threads between the three schools that I visited, and telling the students' story; several were looking at issues that seemed far beyond the typical high school concerns. The students pleasantly surprised me with their generally polite and thoughtful nature.

From there, I helped the Museum cover a number of other interesting education initiatives during 2016. One of the most unique was a group of students we had been working with from Edward A. Reynolds High School in New York City, who learned that Norman Rockwell was born just a few blocks from their school (206 West 103rd Street). After learning more about the artist and how he illustrated humanitarian themes right through and including the civil rights era, they decided to form a committee to see about renaming the corner near Rockwell's birthplace (West 103rd and Broadway) in the artist's name. On Election Day, November 4, 2014, the students canvassed voters at their school, a polling location, and picked up 300 signatures in favor of the idea.

Civics - the Norman Rockwell way.

With support from the Museum, the effort became a useful lesson in civics for the students, involving them directly in the political process. In February 2016, New York's City Council voted to officially rename the corner, and a special signing ceremony, officiated by Mayor Bill de Blasio, was held at New York's City Hall on February 25-- I was on hand to film the occasion, as well as the official unveiling of "Norman Rockwell Place," which took place on June 9, with City dignitaries, Museum officials, Rockwell family members, and fans in attendance. It was a meaningful day, and I was again impressed by the perspective and determination of these young people.

This past June we held our annual gala, which celebrated our education efforts. Former First Lady Laura Bush, who was an educator, was on hand, as well as children's book illustrator Jerry Pinkney, who was honored as our new Artist Laureate (I had previously interviewed and created a video for our 2009 exhibition of Pinkney's work). The night of the gala we also premiered a video I created to highlight several of our education initiatives, including the Four Freedoms and New York City student efforts. Again, I found it be an involved project, sorting through tons of footage to find the through line to tell an effective story. However, all the work paid off and the video was quite well-received, helping us raise considerable new funds to continue our education efforts.

As I mentioned, it was a trying year... easy to get discouraged... but thinking back about these projects and talented teens I met along the way, I continue to find hope for the future. 

Reimagining The Four Freedoms exhibition photos- NRM Facebook

Freedom For A New Generation - photos by JC- NRM Facebook

"Manhattan Street is Renamed After Norman Rockwell," New York Times, June 8, 2016

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

It's Not Easy (Being Green)

DCComics.com

I had trouble sleeping last night, so I decided to read some more of an interesting collection of comics I picked up recently. DC recently published a paperback collection of classic tales of its characters Green Lantern and Green Arrow that were created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams back in the early 1970s. I had heard great things about these stories, both in the art and the way they were written, so I thought it was high time I checked them out. 

The series does not disappoint--especially with the art. Adams was the king of dynamic compositions, with characters literally jumping from panel to panel in the comic book format. Alex Ross cites the artist as an influence, and I can see why--he makes great use of dramatic perspectives and details in his work.  There is an intensity alongside the clear graphic lines he uses, and I can see how he revitalized such books at Batman and The Uncanny X-Men around that time. 

The stories are unique in that they deal with many of social, political and cultural issues happening at the time. O'Neil's story arc really starts off in the fashion of the film, Easy Rider, with the two super heroes trekking across the country to learn more about America's conflicted state. This is right around the time of Vietnam, the civil rights era, and the Woodstock generation, so you have plenty of then-topical issues like drugs, racism and trust in authority being addressed in a unique way. Some of the material seems a little heavy-handed at times, but then again... these were comic books. So the approach was something new and daring, and quite possibly taking a cue from Marvel Comics' more timely approach.

Having said that, with all my current comic book research for the exhibition, I just learned of a new book that was to published today called Marvel Comics: The Untold Story.  Apparently it goes into great detail about the ups and downs of one of the biggest comic publishers around (and always my favorite). I read a little about the company's evolution in the 1970s, and way they picked up on everything from drug culture to blaxploitation to kung fu... and there was plenty of weirdness happening behind the scenes with the company's creators! 
I definitely look forward to reading the book at some point.

I am continually fascinated by the 1970s... I was just a toddler in the early part of the decade, but it sounds like so many crazy things were happening, and pop culture was not immune. I have seen plenty of films from that period, and there is a real darkness about them... from the story lines to the way they were produced. It really is interesting... reflections from a country that was doing a lot of soul-searching... and I guess comic books were not immune either... Alex Ross would be proud of me for noticing.  

P.S.- The character Green Arrow is being reintroduced with a new TV series this week on the CW. It's called Arrow... looks somewhat promising... at least the design of the costume... I have always kind of dug archery. Here's a link to the trailer.

Related Links:

www.nealadams.com

www.cwtv.com/shows/arrow

"First Serial: Marvel Comics, The Untold Story," Grantland, October 3, 2012

"Sean How on Stan Lee, Jack Kirby..." CapitalNewYork.com, October 9, 2012

One more spoon of cough syrup now...

I have a confession to make: I kind of like the TV show Glee. I know... in many ways, this Emmy Award-winning series is the antithesis of what I look for in music, consisting as it does of somewhat canned, soulless renditions of popular songs, past and present... I think my old Britpop fave, Blur's Damon Albarn said it best in an interview to Q's Jian Ghomeshi: 




So maybe Damon and the Gorillaz aren't going to "sell-out," but it never ceases to amaze me how many other respected artists have allowed their songs to be covered by the cheerful, "would-be Broadway performers" on the program. 

Ok, for those not familiar, Glee is a musical comedy/drama about a group of students taking part in a high school glee club. Aimed at younger viewers, the show looks at what it takes to be a performer, as well as some of the prejudices and issues facing high school students today. The cast is lead by the club's director Will Schuester, played by Matthew Morrison; other cast members include Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn), Curt Colfer (Kurt), and Jane Lynch, who plays the conniving cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester. All the actors are quite charming and personable, and when the series started I was eager to give it a chance--sounded like something I would have enjoyed watching as a teen... artist that I was.

Initially, I found the show a little rough. It definitely did not shy away from important issues--relationships, sexuality, social--that all teens certainly deal with, but I wasn't prepared for it being so "in your face." I thought it was  trying to be a little too crass/edgy at start, and worried about the influence it might have on younger viewers. And some of the music... sounded like we had reverted to the 1950s, when Pat Boone recorded neutered versions of Little Richard rock numbers. Sarah seemed to enjoy it though, so I gave it another chance when we were looking for shows to kick back with online... 

I think the turning point for me was watching an episode where the gay student Kurt comes out to his "sporty" father, and was concerned about the reaction--it was really touching and real, with the father showing concern yet absolute support for his son. I began to think there might be more to the show than initially met my eye... and ears.


The cast really is great, and the subjects have been interesting--it definitely sucks you in, and you start caring for the students and their story. Last week we watched a back episode that really caught my attention, as it dealt with another student dealing with social pressure. The character, David Karofsky (played by Max Adler), is a member of the school's football team, and was "outed" by several of his teammates with cruel taunts. What is interesting about this storyline is that the character first appeared a bully to the gay student Kurt, who he later expressed interest in. Karofksy couldn't handle the abuse (along with the very modern-day issue of online harrassment), and tries to kill himself. It was pretty wild, and was actually intercut with a performance by one of the other glee club members, performing an actually pretty decent cover of Young the Giant's recent indie-hit "Cough Syrup". View the clip here, and here is a performance is the original song, which already packs a pretty emotional wallop (it has been stuck in my head ever since we watched the episode): 



So, I had no idea how they were going to continue this show after such a heavy, heavy subject. It turned out later in the episode, that Karofksy's father rushed in at the last minute and caught his son as he tried to hang himself. The character is seen later on in the hospital, as Kurt (one-time victim of his harrassment), stops by to pay him a visit. 

Glee has never shied away from such teen issues, which must be one reason for its immense popularity. But this particular episode took things even one step further... at the end of the show, the characters Finn and Rachel have decided to get married, and are seen trying to rush through a quickly put together ceremony. One of the other glee members, Quinn (played by Dianna Agron), is on her way to the wedding, and is seen texting back and forth with Rachel. The last shocking moments of the program show a truck crashing into Quinn's car. Wow. Who saw that coming?...

To me this is Glee's moment of truth. I'm not a hater of any of the characters, but they would do a real service to their viewers by having Quinn die. A teenager's life is tough enough, but one of the other truly frightening realities of modern-day culture is the number of accidents resulting from texting. I know a thing or two about being distracted while driving, and I'm actually quite terrified by this latest trend. 

All of us can relate to adolescence and the high school years, and I'm sure most of us have experienced the unexpected death of loved ones or friends. I remember back in my high school days learning that a popular classmate had been killed while skiing... later, it was a car carrying two students who were speeding around the time of prom. It definitely wakes you up, and puts things in perspective--particularly your day-to-day high school experience, which sometimes feels like it will never change. Now Quinn is a fictional character, but by this very tragic example, Glee could be offering students a chance to "feel" what this could be like--to them, their family, friends. Here is actress Dianna Agron herself, appearing on The View this week:



I think I was initially wrong about Glee (even if the music can still be a little schmaltzy)--I commend the show for its efforts to raise awareness about all of these delicate issues--I think we have all been there. Above all, the show has presented a sympathetic look at how it feels to be "different"... it can be a challenging road from adolescent to adulthood, and it's still pretty tricky once you reach the later years. Don't stop believin'.



Related Links: 


www.fox.com/glee


"Teens still texting while driving, survey says," Detroit Free Press, April 10, 2012