Hope for the Future

Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

One of the most memorable events for me this past year was taking part in the People's Climate March in New York City on September 21. The largest climate march in history, an estimated 400,000 people took to the streets to show concern and support for measures to combat the threat of a changing climate. 

In addition to the good will, there was an incredible amount of creativity on display. Enjoy the slideshow (below) of some of my photos from this historic day, which I was proud to take part in. 

Related Links:

"2014 Brought Lasting Action on Climate Change Policy," NPR, December 30, 2014

Remembering The Father of Video Games

Photo of Ralph Baer in his Manchester, NH, home,October 2011. 
Photo by Jeremy Clowe for Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

I was sorry to hear about the recent passing of Ralph H. Baer (1922-2014). Considered "the father of video games," Baer held over 150 patents in the U.S. alone, and was responsible for the creation of such early games as Ping-Pong in the 1960s; and Odyssey, the first home video game console, in the 1970s.

As someone who was obsessed with video games in middle school/early high school, I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to travel to Manchester, New Hampshire in October 2011, to meet Baer and conduct a videotaped interview in his home/studio for Norman Rockwell Museum (where he had been an art donor). Then 89 years old, Baer seemed as active as ever, still tinkering in his studio and trying out new ideas. He was also quite generous with his time, offering a quite thorough interview and explanation of his early experiments in television engineering, which lead to the idea of interactive video gaming. Here is a quick edit I created yesterday of some of the footage: 

Yes, that's Baer trying out Simon, which he also created. I remember being quite taken with that musical toy as a kid, and it's pretty wild to realize that this pioneering engineer also advanced the electronic toy and greeting card industry—I enjoyed having the opportunity to literally see his creativity at work during our meeting. 

Photo by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Five decades later, video games are a billion dollar industry (today it's my pre-teen nephew hooked on such games as Minecraft). It's nice that Baer had the opportunity to see just how far his ideas had come; it was an honor for me to spend some time getting to know him.

Related Links:

"Video game designer Ralph Baer invented your childhood," Washington Post, December 8, 2014

"Portrait of a Game-Changer," my 2011 article for Norman Rockwell Museum

Holiday Special

This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas weekend, inspired by Norman Rockwell's beloved holiday portrait of the town where he lived and worked, coincidentally, for 25 years. Stockbridge is also home to Norman Rockwell Museum, so the holidays are always a busy time for us as well. 

Welcome to Main Street- Photo courtesy Time Warner Cable News

One of the highlights of the town's annual festivities is a recreation of Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas, which is part of our permanent collection. The Museum receives it's fair share of press requests connected to the event, and last Friday was especially busy throughout the day--I found myself taking part in a photo shoot in the town's historic Red Lion Inn for Italian National Geographic, and conducted a video interview about the celebration for Albany's Time Warner Cable News. I'm anxious to see the shots from the talented photographer, but you can already watch the TV interview (which has been airing this weekend) here. A nice change of pace from all the depressing national news lately.

Related Links:

"Stockbridge Main St. Turning into Rockwell's Christmas Painting," Time Warner Cable News, December 5, 2014

Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce

Norman Rockwell Museum

I Can't Breathe

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Humanity not brutality: joining the Albany, NY protest over NYC grand jury decision 
regarding the death of Eric Garner. December 4, 2014. Photo by Sarah Clowe.

Creativity on Display

Still from "AHA! A House for Arts" segment on NRM.
Photo by Jeremy Clowe for WMHT Educational Telecommunications.

Tonight is the debut of my
latest segment for WMHT-TV's new arts show, AHA! A House for Arts. The video takes a look at Norman Rockwell Museum (you could say I had a little inside knowledge), utilizing footage I filmed onsite this past summer/fall with the Museum's new Sony HD camera (extra footage will be used for a planned Museum promo video as well).

This production was not without it's challenges, since I was still figuring out how to operate the camera and coordinate it with my editing software... talk about learning on the job! I have to thank the thorough Sony Pro Video tech support, as well as several of my contacts in the video/film business (you know who you are), who helped me troubleshoot until I got it right. The segment airs tonight at 7:30 p.m. on WMHT, and will be rebroadcast this Sunday, November 16, at noon (those outside of the area can watch it online here).

In other Norman Rockwell Museum news, we have just opened a new exhibition on the art of illustrator/historical artist, Mort Künstler, with an opening event planned for this Saturday, November 15 (with artist in attendance). Meanwhile, in Rome, Italy, the Museum's traveling exhibition, American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell has opened at the Fondiazone Arte Musei Roma--this European debut seems fitting, as Rockwell paid several trips to Rome after his youngest son Peter moved to the city.

Peter Rockwell still lives in Rome (where he works as a sculptor), and was able to attend this week's opening at the Fondiazone, along with our Museum Director. A few years back I actually created a video about his own artwork (for NRM's 2009 exhibition, The Fantastical Faces of Peter Rockwell). Sadly, the interview was not conducted in Italy (instead, outside of Boston), however I was quite happy with the results (Peter seemed pleased as well, remarking that "you are really very good at doing videos"). I have to thank my production assistants and a supportive supervisor, who helped me chip away at that one: 

Related Links (updated 9/13):

AHA! A House for Arts episode featuring Norman Rockwell Museum

"Norman Rockwell Celebrates a Century of Norman Rockwell Exhibitions with European Debut," Norman Rockwell Museum press release

House for Arts

Hi there, long time no blog... I'm back with the news that this Wednesday, November 12, I have a new segment that will be airing on WMHT-TV's weekly arts show, AHA! A House for Arts. Produced for WMHT Educational Telecommunications, the segment looks at the history and mission of Norman Rockwell Museum, and this time out I  researched, interviewed, filmed, and edited the entire piece. Of course I had a certain level of knowledge and expertise to bring to the table about the subject (since the Museum is my full-time employer); nevertheless, it was still a challenge... and I'm happy with the results and education it provided. 

Albany Barn promo / courtesy www.albanybarn.org

This past week I made some promising new connections in the Albany, New York arts community, in the areas of both film and theater. One of the highlights was a visit to the Albany Barn, a unique creative arts incubator and community arts center in the city's Arbor Hill region. I had heard good things about this grassroots organization, offering studios, community, and affordable housing for area artists, and was impressed with both the space and artwork on display. During our visit, my theater friend and I happened upon the opening night of A Steady Rain, a drama that is being produced by Creative License, a new theater group in the area—we decided to stick around. Written by playwright Keith Huff, the show is essentially a duologue, with the two actors playing long-time friends and fellow cops presenting alternating monologues, as if under police interrogation. Even though the acoustics of the stage made it hard to hear at times, I thought the actors, Aaron Holbritter and Ian LaChance, did a fine job and kept my attention (I recognized LaChance from Schenectady Civic Players' recent production of Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, where he delivered an equally commanding performance as Dr. John Watson). The striking, minimalist set caught my interest immediately upon entering the venue: just a couple of chairs framed by purple-hued window sills, which cast a moody, rain-soaked tone. We also had a chance to speak with the show's director, Casey Polomaine, before and after the show—I appreciated meeting another talented, creative individual in the area, as I further explore the Capital Region's arts scene (the play is on view at Albany Barn through November 15).

While we're on a theatrical note, one of my last segments for AHA! was a look at Albany's long-running equity playhouse, Capital Repertory Theater. For some reason, not all the transitions in my edit translated successfully to the final segment, which aired on the program last June; so here is a look at the version that I intended (pre-color and audio correction):

AHA! A House for Arts airs Wednesdays on WMHT-TV at 7:30 p.m. And for me, creatively speaking, the show goes on...

Related Links:

AHA! A House for Arts, WMHT-TV

www.albanybarn.org

"'Steady Rain' a gripping cop tale," Albany Times Union, November 7, 2014

Bonus Round

Members of the "Jeopardy!" Clue Crew reading clues about 
Norman Rockwell at Norman Rockwell Museum, December 2013. 
Photos by Jeremy Clowe for Norman Rockwell Museum.
All rights reserved.

Norman Rockwell Museum is back as a category on TV's Jeopardy! this Thursday, October 9th. This marks the third time we have appeared on the show in recent months, utilizing footage shot at the Museum last December. The outreach certainly paid off... if I do say so myself—you can read more about it in my blog post from last April.

On a related note, I read some Jeopardy-style clues myself recently: As Schools Match Wits, a long-running high school TV game show, stopped by the Museum to film some clues about the subject of Norman Rockwell, and I was asked to read the clues. I put on my best "Alex Trebek," which was fun. Produced by Westfield State University and airing on Springfield's WGBY-TV, the show is entering its 54th season... quite impressive. When I hear about an air-date, I'll let you know... or, as they say, check your local listings.

www.jeopardy.com