Steve Martin in Morristown: A wild and crazy banjo player

By Ed Silverman

What would you say if someone offered you a chance to see Jerry Seinfeld perform songs he wrote especially for the bassoon? Would you consider such a concert to be a must-see event? Or blow it off as the misguided musings of a self-important comedian?

Well, stranger things do happen. Consider that Steve Martin is touring with his banjo — yes, a banjo — and a bunch of his own songs backed by a genuine, down-home bluegrass band from North Carolina. And his show is both a hoot and a hootenanny.

Taking the stage at Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center on June 28, Martin peppered the two-hour performance with his delightfully goofy sense of humor, but also had the sold-out crowd clapping along to songs that sounded as if they came from a West Virginia holler, not the hills of Hollywood.

While it may be tempting to dismiss Martin as an Earl Scruggs wannabe, the silver-haired jokester knows his way around the instrument. And thanks to the Steep Canyon Rangers, his five-piece backing band, Martin turned in a display that might have made Bill Monroe just a little envious.

Despite a natural tendency toward silliness between songs, Martin has found yet another way to please the fannies in the seats. He and his ensemble delivered a consistently strong set, playing a mix of songs from the two bluegrass albums Martin has recorded, including the recently released Rare Bird Alert, which was their first collaboration.

They paced themselves nicely, veering from the rollicking title song of the new album to a sweet ballad about fatherhood called Daddy Played the Banjo, which was sung by Steep Canyon Rangers guitarist Woody Platt.

But this was a Steve Martin show, after all, and he had no intention of disappointing anyone. From the moment he stepped on stage, he was wisecracking. To start things off, he told the audience the band would begin the show by playing – what else? – its first song. And since there was no intermission, Martin decided they had to drop one song, which was entitled The Water That Flows. Naturally, that got everyone thinking about the bathroom.

This between-song banter never let up. At one point, he recounted driving to the concert and seeing a highway billboard that had “Sold Out” stamped in huge letters across his face. You could see the punch line coming, but you still had to laugh when he reacted by thinking “how rude” it was to describe him that way. Later, he spent some time fidgeting with an electronic tuner and recounting its marvels, such as allowing him to get his email while on stage.

His charm, of course, is in his delivery, not just what he has to say. And like a vaudevillian act, Martin has also managed to shape the band into his partners in crime. Mostly, they played his loyal straight men, shrugging and mugging as funny lines rolled off his tongue. But in one memorable exchange, Martin wished out loud for a beer, prompting stand-up bassist Charles Humphrey to twirl his instrument around and open a special compartment in back to pull out a bottle.

There were also some numbers that displayed his penchant for the ridiculous. In particular, Atheists Don’t Have No Songs, an old-time gospel-like tune that laments how different religions may have their hymns and chants, but not atheists – at least, not until now.

And Martin’s propensity toward being sharp-tongued was clearly evident in Jubilation Day, which was about his sheer joy that a lover has left for good. “I’m walkin’ away, my best friends all had warned me. I’m walkin’ away, even your mom said you were nuts. In my dreams, you wore a red cape and a pitchfork. I’m walkin’ away. Jubilation Day.” As he noted, bad poetry can make pretty good country songs.

Just the same, Martin proved he has not only mastered the banjo, but he accomplished something perhaps few others could do – he widened the audience for bluegrass and offered the genre the sort of exposure it might not receive otherwise. He may be a beloved funny man, but Martin takes the banjo seriously and is rightfully proud of his accomplishments, even as he uses this as fodder for his routine shtick of making fun of his own big-headedness.

Toward the end of the evening, Martin recalled his early love for Flatt & Scruggs, and wanted to honor them, but not so much that he would honor them and play one of their songs. Why? “I don’t want to have to pay royalties,” he guffawed. Nonetheless, the encore was a blazing version of Orange Blossom Special, a bluegrass standard that has been recorded by everyone from Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys and The Stanley Brothers to Johnny Cash and Flatt & Scruggs. But Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers managed to place their own signature on the tune, especially thanks to fiddler Nicky Sanders, who offered a slightly deranged performance and went off on several musical tangents.

By the time they were done, the audience was standing and letting out whoops. The comedy club laughter had been replaced by the rhythmic clapping and shrieks of joy one might find at a jamboree. Steve Martin and his fans may have a symbiotic need for goofy one-liners, but this was no Hee-Haw. Better to file them under honest-to-goodness hoedown.

Ed Silverman, a former reporter at The Star-Ledger, now runs a web site called Pharmalot, and has previously written about music for Living Blues, Jazziz and Dirty Linen.

N.J. DOT engineer, accomplice charged with bribery, tried to scam state out of $700K

Ed Murray/The Star-LedgerAttorney General Paul Dow at a press conference in March. The state office has charged a former N.J. Department of Transportation engineer and an accomplice for trying to scam the state $700,000. MORRISTOWN —A state Department of Transportation...

This is it! St. Peter’s youth group heading from Morristown to Minnesota

Welcome to our blog everyone! It is Thursday, June 30th and the countdown has begun! I am Katherine the Youth Group Leader for St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown, taking these youth to Red Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota.

We are very excited about this and hope you enjoy our blogging! You can also follow us on twitter – username: St_Peters_Youth. We invite you to comment so we can know if you are enjoying our blogs and also if you have any advice on our way.

First stop tomorrow (after Starbucks) is the Philadelphia Airport where we fly out at 11:15 am. We land in Minneapolis around 1 pm (central time).

Who is on the Trip? Four Adult Leaders — Katherine, Melissa, Dee and Jody

And 14 youth (all girls) – Amber, Emily S., Emily L. Katherine, Layston, Nina, Hannah, Leslie, Nataliya, Jenny, Ally, Kelsey, Morgan and Sophie.

Look forward to hearing from each and every one!

Thanks and wish us luck!

N.J. state worker, accomplice are indicted in $325K bribery scheme

Pair tried to convince a Morristown company to inflate the cost of repairing the Eagle Rock Railroad Bridge in Roseland and scam the state out of $700,000.

Independence Day Weekend 2011 in Morristown (the place where it all began)

By Barbara Snyder

Well, it’s the Fourth of July weekend in the (Twice) “Military Capital of the American Revolution.”  I’ll say no more; just read on for a list of just some of the many patriotic (and other) events going on this weekend.

Don’t forget to check the calendar for the full rundown of what’s happening around town – and don’t forget to add your own events.

THURSDAY, June 30

Join educators at an Open Art Workshop from 3:30 – 6:30 pm at the Morris Museum.  Create your own work of art and have some fun.   Drop in anytime during the session to participate.  Cost is $2/child for members; $3/child for non-members, and museum admission is included in the price of the workshop.  At 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown; call 973-971-3718 for more.

FRIDAY, July 1

The Jean Rohe Band appears at the Minstrel, with opener Amandala starting the evening at 8 pm. Jean Rohe, a Folk Project regular since the age of 8, is now pursuing her own career.  She sings and plays multi-lingual original music of the Americas, North and South. Jean plays mandolin and percussion, and will be joined by Skye Steele (violin) and Ilusha Tsinadze (guitar); check out her unique style at her website – there’s some gorgeous stuff there.  Opening act Amandala is a 13-member all-female, student-directed global a cappella group from Highland Park High School.  At the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown.   Admission: “$7 on your way in plus the balance of what you think the show was really worth on your way out.”

SATURDAY, July 2

Enjoy a walking tour of the wonderful Willowwood Arboretum starting at 10 am.  The Morris County Park Commission’s Horticultural Program Specialist leads the tour and discussion about the history of Willowwood Arboretum, the significance of its plant collections and enjoy the seasonal blooms.  No pre-registration required.  Please note: this is an outdoor program and will not be held if the weather is inclement.  Cost is only $2 per person; please bring exact change.  Willowwood Arboretum is at 300 Longview Road in Chester Township.

Just down the street from Willowwood, at 170 Longview, a walking tour of Bamboo Brook starts at noon.  This tour will focus on the history of Bamboo Brook and recent renovations to the site, and leaves time to enjoy the seasonal blooms.  No pre-registration required for this tour, either — and again, it will not be held in bad weather.   Cost: $2 per person; please bring exact change.

Did you know a president spent the winter at Jockey Hollow’s Wick House? Join a Park Ranger at the Wick House starting at 1:30 pm to discover who it was, as well as the impacts he made during the American Revolution.   Free; call 973-539-2016 x 210 for more information.

SUNDAY, July 3

Hurrah for Independence Day! That’s the theme from 1 – 3 pm at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown.  Observe the 235th birthday of the USA:  Pack a lunch to enjoy at the picnic pavilion, ride in the horse-drawn wagon, play games that were popular long ago, and help make and sample hand-cranked ice cream!  Admission to the farm is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors (65+), $4 for children ages 4 – 16 years, and $2 for children ages 2 and 3 years.  Free for children under 2 and Friends members with a valid membership card.  Call 973-326-7645 to find out more.

Today there’s another patriotic event at the Wick House:  Hear eyewitness accounts of the battles of Connecticut Farms and Springfield from a (re-enactment) soldier just back from the battles as he rests at the Wick House. From 1:30 – 4 pm; this one’s free, too.

At 8 pm it’s the Opening Convocation of the American Guild of Organists’ 2011 Convention in Morristown,  at Calvary Episcopal Church, 31 Woodland Ave., Summit.  The Rev. Victoria Sirota will speak, and the Harmonium Choral Society will perform.  This event is free and open to the public; be sure to check out some of the other things going on during this week’s convention.

MONDAY, July 4

Of course there are lots of July 4th Festivities at Morristown National Historical Park; the celebration kicks off at noon at Washington’s Headquarters (30 Washington Place, Morristown) and include an inspection of the troops.   At 1 pm, the “Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence” will commence; attendees will be given a copy of the Declaration, and encouraged to cheer along with park rangers and re-enactors as they denounce tyranny and praise liberty.  At the conclusion of the reading, members of the 2nd New Jersey Regiment, Helms’ Company, a volunteer re-enactment group, will fire a feu de joie (musket salute).  Following the reading of the Declaration, the Ford Mansion will be open for tours with a number of re-enactors in period dress bringing life to the mansion once again.  Visitors are asked to bring water to drink and a chair or a blanket to sit on, and are reminded to dress appropriately for the weather including wearing a hat and sunscreen. Due to limited parking, guests are encouraged to carpool or walk to the event.  All other areas of the park, including the Wick House and the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center will be open throughout the day.   Admission to all parts of the park is free all day, and all events will go on rain or shine.  Call 973-539-2016 x 210 or 973-543-4030 for more information.

The first of the AGO Convention Organ Recitals — fittingly titled “Americana” — will be played by Carol Williams today from 11 am – 12:30 pm at The Presbyterian Church at 57 East Park Place in Morristown.   Admission is $5.

Then, from 2 – 3:30 pm, Drew University’s Mark Miller leads “A Post-Modern Hymn-Sing Revival” at the Church of the Assumption (91 Maple Ave., Morristown).  Admission $15/$10 Seniors/Students; find out more at the AGO Convention website.

Celebrity Musician Eric Hayes and Friends host a “Monday Night Jam Session” tonight at the Dark Horse Lounge from 7 – 11 pm.  It’s an open-mic jam session at the club, including a full stage, performance lighting, a new sound system, and comfortable lounge seating.  Guitarists, bassists, drummers, singers, harp players, sax players, etc., are all welcome to join in, at  4 Dehart Street, Morristown.

And there’s still more organ music, from 8 – 9:30 pm at the Morristown United Methodist Church, at 50 South Park Place.  It’s “Music for Organ and Instruments,” with Marilyn Keiser, organist, and the Shanghai Quartet (harp, flute, and oboe).  Admission $15, $10 Seniors/Students.  See the AGO Convention website for more, including a PDF of the programs for all recitals this week.

TUESDAY, July 5

James Hicks, organist of The Presbyterian Church in Morristown, will give a workshop on Organ Music from Nordic Lands, tracing development of music in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland with emphasis on 20th century and contemporary composers. The presentation will include examples from his recent “Nordic Journey” album, recorded on historic Setterquist organ at Linkoping Cathedral, Sweden. Admission: Free.

The U.S. Army Field Band will play a free July 5 concert at Ginty Field in Morris Township tonight starting at 7 pm.   This is the the premier touring musical representative for the United States Army, and they travel thousands of miles each year throughout the nation and abroad. Since its formation in 1946, the Field Band has appeared in all 50 states and in more than 30 countries on four continents.

AND MORE

The AGO Convention is in town through Wednesday, so do check out their website for a list of all concerts and recitals.  And a reminder that Music Without Borders returns to the Green at noon Wednesday with music from the Balkans,  and Dickey Betts is in town for a concert on Wednesday night at the Mayo.

Tandem tandems from Seeing Eye will add special twist to Gran Fondo in Morristown

Teamwork.

It’s what creates so many success stories at The Seeing Eye.

What makes this particular Seeing Eye story different is that no guide dogs are on the team.

A blind husband and wife will bicycle in New Jersey’s first Gran Fondoin August, led by a married couple with sight.

“It’s like any team sport. You and your teammate really have to know each other and what you’re going to do,” said Jim Kutsch, president of The Seeing Eye, after pedaling to Marty’s Reliable Cycle in Morristown on Wednesday to register for the Gran Fondo NJ.

Gran Fondo is Italian for “big ride,” and there will be three of them--103 miles, 63 miles and 43 miles– starting and ending in Morristown on Sept. 18. Two of those loops will include timed hill-climb competitions with prizes for King and Queen of the Hill.

Please click icon below for captions.

Jim, who is blind, rides in the second seat of a tandem, a position called the “stoker.” Up front is the “captain,” Seeing Eye volunteer Rob Steidlitz of Morristown.

Jim’s wife Ginger, also blind, rides as stoker for Rob’s wife, Kirsten Hotchkiss. Kirsten describes the terrain and calls out commands to pedal harder or signal a turn. Occasionally, Ginger gives the instructions.

“‘Can you shift into an easier gear?’ That’s my favorite command,” Ginger said.

The two teams are not likely to stick together during the 43-mile Piccolo Fondo in August.

“They’re much faster than we are,” Rob said of the wives.

Proceeds from the Gran Fondo will benefit The Seeing Eye, Grow It Green Morristown and Homeless Solutions Inc.

Fundraising is difficult these days, Jim said, and he is glad for the chance to showcase The Seeing Eye, which pairs nearly 300 blind people and guide dogs annually at its headquarters in Morris Township.

“What we do makes an incredible difference in the lives of blind people,” Jim said. The Seeing Eye will host a rest stop on ride day.

Marty Epstein of Marty’s Reliable Cycle has patterned the Gran Fondo NJ after European Gran Fondos. His courses, which head west from Morristown into hilly terrain, are deliberately tough.

“It’s not an easy ride,” Marty said. “But people who do Gran Fondos do not want easy rides. This is a ride that will challenge people, and it will go to places other rides don’t go to.”

About 500 people have registered so far. Prices range from $79 to $129, depending which ride you choose and when you sign up. Marty also seeks volunteers. A green expo, local rides, kids activities, and the Fourth Annual MorristownGreen.com Film and Music Festival are among the festivities planned for the Gran Fondo NJ weekend of Sept. 16-18.

The Seeing Eye teams were cheered at Marty’s on Wednesday by Morristown Councilwoman Rebecca Feldman; Simon Gallery owner Harry Simon and Lala, the seventh puppy Harry has raised for The Seeing Eye; Stephanie Litwin and Peggy Grow, area volunteers who also raise puppies for The Seeing Eye; and Bill Ruddick, who competed last month in the first Marty’s Commuter Challenge.

“Many other towns get tremendous economic benefits from being a cyclists’ destination. Morristown offers cyclists much more than a destination, but a dream home-base,” said Rebecca, who plans to ride the same loop as the Seeing Eye teams. She was excited to help “three of our fantastic nonprofits.”

Cyclists also used the occasion to appeal to motorists to share the road.

Linda Wells, a Dover resident who rides in a tandem club called Doubles of the Garden State (DOGS), brandished a bandaged hand. A motorist veered in front of her bike a few weeks ago in Denville, sending Linda and her husband to the pavement.

Kirsten chimed in with stories of close calls with motorists on her training rides with Ginger.

“The biggest issue is cars trying to beat us, making right turns in front of us, passing us on the right. They don’t gauge how fast we’re going,” said Kirsten.

There are other hazards for Kirsten and Ginger. Like tree branches.

“She ducks, and I get it,” Ginger said with a laugh. “But she breaks all the bugs.”

MORE ABOUT THE GRAN FONDO

BLIND CYCLISTS GEAR UP FOR GRAN FONDO IN MORRISTOWN, TO BENEFIT SEEING EYE

GRAN FONDO NJ OFFICIAL SITE

HOW TO SUPPORT THE SEEING EYE RIDERS

Rose City Steppers prepares for July walks through town of Madison

This summer, the Rose City Steppers walk through Madison each Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. During the month of July, the Steppers will meet at the Summerhill Park parking lot on the hill between Central Avenue and Ridgedale Avenue. The...

Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Hosts Benefit Performance For the College of Saint Elizabeth Friday, July 15, 2011

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and the College of Saint Elizabeth celebrate their 10-year collaboration with a benefit performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the College’s outdoor Greek Theatre, Friday, July 15, 2011, 8:15 p.m. All proceeds from the event will benefit CSE student scholarships. Tickets can be purchased by calling 973-290-4449. Prices are $33 for adults; $17 for teen agers; $10 for children under 12; and free for children five years old and younger. The play opens June 22 and closes July 31, 2011. The College is located at 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J.
CSE Outdoor Greek Theatre Provides a Unique Venue for Performances
Created in 1932, the CSE Greek Theatre was a labor of love. Constructed by College employees using stones gathered from the campus under the supervision of Sister Marie Victoire Corr of the Latin Department, it is modeled after the Theater of Dionysius in Athens. Throughout the following decades, the theatre has become a favorite destination on campus and the site of many plays and concerts.
Play is One of the Bard’s Most Popular Works
Boy loves girl … girl loves boy … boy doesn’t love girl … It is an old story, but when Shakespeare doses his characters with a love potion, and adds the antics of fairies, the story becomes magical. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, filled with hilarious situations that will delight audiences of all ages. It is the perfect play to see under a summer moon.
Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.

College of Saint Elizabeth Hosts Poetry Reading Related to Water, Water, Anywhere Art Exhibition, July 14, 2011

Several poets will travel to the College of Saint Elizabeth July 14, 2011, to read their water-themed works as part of cultural program coinciding with the College’s current art exhibition, Water, Water, Anywhere. The reading of water poems will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Upper Lobby of Annunciation Center, on the CSE campus, 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J.
The exhibition, which opened June 23 and closes September 10, looks at H2O in all its states through a variety of paintings, sculptures, photographs, conceptual pieces, and mixed media art works. It is located in the CSE Therese A. Maloney Art Gallery, also in the Annunciation Center.
These events are free to the public. The gallery is open Tuesday-Sunday, 4:30 to 8 p.m. and is closed Mondays and major holidays. For more information, contact CSE at 973-290-4315; www.maloneyartgallery.org.
Artists from Several States Participate in Exhibition
The Water, Water, Anywhere art exhibition presents works from the following artists:
Rob Barth, Lafayette, N.J.
Shimmer Column, Aluminum ball chain, machined ceiling panel
One In Eight People Lacks Access To Clean Water, Glass pitcher, 8 oz. drinking glass, sand, pedestal, table cloth
Leak, Plexiglas
Bette Blank, Madison, N.J.
The Diver, Oil on canvas
Jean Burdick, Yardley, Pa.
Spanning, Acrylic on panel
Elaine Chong, Summit, N.J.
Description not available
Doug Depice, Secaucus, N.J.
The Water Front, Acrylic paint on paper
Train Car in the Rain, Acrylic paint on paper
Freight Yard, Acrylic paint on paper
Todd L. W. Doney, Gillette, N.J.
Trees, September 12, 2010, 6:41 PM, Oil on canvas
Trees, February 2, 4:55 PM, Oil on linen
Donna Faranda, Ossining, N.Y.
Northern Exposure, Digital ink-jet print
George Garbeck, Township of Washington, N.J.
Contrasts, Photograph
Adel Gorgy, Baldwin Harbor, N.Y.
January 31, 2001 7:25 am, (from the Portfolio “I and the Sun”), Archival Pigment Ink Print
Sister Anne Haarer, Morristown, N. J.
Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Charcoal, ink and gold leaf on paper
Barnegat Bay, Oil on Canvas
Valerie Huhn, New York, N.Y.
110223-2BK-f_K_2, C-print
Untitled, Running time: 2:05 minutes
Terral Jordan, Cockeysville, Md.
Doubtful Sound, photograph
Salk Institute, photograph
Stewart Island, New Zealand, photograph
Ranchos de Taos, photograph
Taj and Bike, photograph
Marietta Patricia Leis, Albuquerque, N.M.
Molten Reflections, 1-6, Oil on wood
Marla Lombard, Long Beach, Calif.
Untitled 7, Acrylic and ink on clay panel
Untitled (water, sepia), Acrylic and ink on clay panel
Maria Lupo, Roseland, N. J.
Book of Life, Topsoil and mixed media
So Yoon Lym, North Haledon, N. J.
Great Falls of Paterson, Acrylic on paper
Claire Marcus, Bethlehem, Pa.
East River, Digital photograph
Russ McIntosh, Vienna, Va.
Woman Reclining, Digital photo manipulation
Arlene Gale Milgram, Trenton, N. J.
Mist (from the “Energy Map” Series), Graphite, alcohol, acrylic on canvas
Storm (from the “Energy Map” Series), Graphite, alcohol, acrylic on canvas
River Rocks (from the “Energy Map” Series), Graphite, alcohol, acrylic on canvas
Stream Side (from the “Energy Map” Series), Graphite, alcohol, acrylic on canvas
Bascha Mon, Long Valley, N.J.
From the Ruins, Encaustic and collage on paper
Searching for Paradise (Lost?), Watercolor, graphite, collage and encaustic on paper
Maelstrom # 2, Encaustic and collage on paper
Disintegrating (Double Portrait), Encaustic on paper
Loss: Roadkil, Mixed Media Installation: wooden artist’s easel, acrylic on wall board
Found objects, paper, encaustic, plastic child’s chair, wood, metal
car parts, mirror, foam, lace telephone wire, feather, deer antler,
and plaster
Irmari Nacht, Englewood, N.J.
83Atlas1960, Recycled book, wetted, painted, distressed
Cade Pemberton, New York, N.Y.
Oil on Water, Acrylic on paper
Wave, Gouache on black paper
Frank Pietrucha, Basking Ridge, N.J.
The Frigate and the Wave, Watercolor
Ben Pinder, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Atlantean/Pirate War, Ink, inkwash, watercolor on paper, wooden and gold frames, Variable Dimensions
Lahary Pittman, Callicoon, N.Y.
Icefall, Gelatin silver print
The Undercast III, Gelatin Silver print
Lauren Rosenthal, Lambertville, N.J.
Middle Delaware – Musconetcong River Watershed, Hand-cut watercolor paper
Raúl Villarreal, Verona, N.J.
Memories of a Voyage Never Taken, Oil on canvas
Sue Zwick, Summit, N.J.
Dwelling, Chettinad, India, Archival Inkjet Print
Public Laundry, Mumbai, India, Archival Inkjet Print
Family Laundry, Chettinad, India, Archival Inkjet Print
Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.

Panoramic scenes from the Giralda festival, from photographer Sam Awad

Here are some sweet panoramic shots of Sunday’s Giralda 2011 Music and Arts Festival from architect/photohrapher Sam Awad:

Please click icon below for captions.

We met Sam at our MG Cartooning 101 night at the Morristown EcoCenter last month. Sam and his companion, artist Agnieszka Solawa, have a zest for life that is fun to be around.

Sam’s photography exhibition, Being There, has its formal opening on July 9 at the New Providence Memorial Library. The reception is from 2 pm to 4 pm; the show runs through Sept. 16.

Here is how Sam, native of Lebanon, describes his approach to photography, and to life:

I grew up with the love of the Arts in my heart. I was sketching from the day I could hold a pencil in my hand and put down on paper the images in my head. As long as I remember I was captivated by imagery and its power, and photography was naturally something I wanted to be a part of. You would imagine that I will grow up to be a professional photographer but the day I drew the plan of my parents’ house I knew I was destined to be an architect. Nevertheless the love of photography never left me and still lives in me stronger than ever. Architecture only helped bring structure and detail to my photography.

The pictures I took with my first camera are lost now as well as all the pictures I took later in life. The award winning photographs as well as the few commissions that I had are nowhere to be found, left behind in a country at war.

I immigrated to the United States in 1985 to start a new life away from the horrors of war. Survival kept me away from my passion: I had to work and photography was not on my priority list. But it kept calling me patiently to come back and I did. I exhibited in several juried shows in New Jersey and it was quite a feeling to have my photographs displayed for all to see.

I believe that photography is a magical way to capture one’s emotions and share them with others. “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

The Artist Statement

I always found it fascinating and mystical to have the power to capture and freeze emotions in time! Our senses are surrounded by a world that moves us with beauty, joy, laughter, sorrow or pain. Some will last and some will flee. Only photography can give us power over time and can stop the clock so we can relive the moment after it is long gone.

When did my love affair with photography begin? I cannot remember. My first camera was a “make believe”: A camera without a lens or even a film, a box which I made out of cardboard with a makeshift hole as a view finder plus a pencil and some paper to draw my “photographs” on. It was not until I was 10 years old when I got my first real camera. Little did I know that the magic of pressing the shutter was a commitment for life. My journey took me from a bulky rudimentary camera to a single lens reflex camera, from “black and white” to “color” and from a darkroom to a computer monitor. Technology changed and equipment evolved but the magic remains the same and it still takes your breath away.

I find emotions everywhere! They lie across the ocean in the majestic Alps or sitting right in my own backyard. But what I can see no one else can. Photography is my way of sharing it with others.

Please click photo to enlarge.

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