Museum

The Whaling Museum & Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor, in partnership with TBR News Media of Setauket, has announced the launch of a Sea Glass Fiction Contest. This exciting competition invites students in grades 3 to 12 from Nassau and Suffolk counties to unleash their creativity by crafting stories inspired by a piece of sea glass.

Students are asked to craft a story inspired by the above sea glass fragment.

The contest, which kicked off this month, challenges participants to imagine a unique journey for the selected sea glass fragment chosen by The Whaling Museum and to weave a captivating tale around it. The winning stories will have the chance to be read at the museum’s annual Sea Glass Festival, a prestigious event celebrating sea glass and its significance in maritime history. 

“Sea glass has a way of capturing the imagination, and we can’t wait to read the imaginative stories that come out of this unique contest,” said Nomi Dayan, Executive Director at The Whaling Museum.

Entries must be submitted electronically through the submission form on The Whaling Museum website by April 30, 2024. The contest is free to enter, and all works must be original and written solely by the author. Only residents of Nassau and Suffolk counties are eligible to participate.

“We look forward to the opportunity to celebrate and highlight the creative tales of students in the area,” said Daniel Dunaief, a journalist with TBR News Media. “Entrants can envision ways a piece of glass, shaped by water and time, provides a clue in a compelling narrative.”

Winners will be notified on or about June 1-7, 2024, and select winning entries will be eligible for publication in TBR News Media and on The Whaling Museum’s website. TBR will also highlight the winners in a weekly podcast. In addition, contest winners will receive complimentary tickets to The Whaling Museum’s Sea Glass Festival, held on July 21, 2024, where they will be recognized with a certificate.

“We are grateful to TBR News Media for partnering with us on this contest and helping to bring these young writers’ stories to a wider audience,” added Dayan.

For more information on the Sea Glass Fiction Contest, including guidelines and submission details, please visit cshwhalingmuseum.org/seaglasscontest.

Student painting in classroom

Join the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook for a Second Saturdays in the Studio event on March 9 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. This new series welcomes families to drop in one Saturday a month to join LIM educators in the studio and participate in a hands-on activity or art project inspired by exhibitions on view. Other dates include April 13, May 11 and June 8. Free with Museum admission of $15 adults, $10 seniors and children ages 6 to 17. For more information, call 631-751-0066 or visit www.longislandmuseum.org.

The concert featured a lecture about Charlie Parker and a tour of The Jazz Loft’s new exhibit. Photo from The Jazz Loft
Chris Donohue holds an example of the saxophone Charlie Parker played at the Feb. 22 event.  Photo from The Jazz Loft

It was all things Charlie “The Bird” Parker recently as The Jazz Loft presented “Charlie Parker 101”, a lecture, followed by a concert and tour of the Loft’s new Charlie Parker exhibit on Feb. 22.

The “all things Charlie Parker” celebration included a lecture by Dr. Darrell Smith, who spoke about the amazing achievements and highlights of the jazz saxophonist’s career, while surrounded by actual artifacts from his life.

The new exhibit at The Jazz Loft, which includes more than 50 memorabilia items from Parker, was recently procured by founder Tom Manuel, who traveled to London, England for an auction of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watt’s extensive jazz collection.

A concert of Parker’s music was presented by Tom Manual on trumpet; Darrell Smith on drums; Mala Waldron on piano; Dean Johnson on bass and Chris Donohue on alto saxophone.

This kickoff event will be followed by two performances of “Charlie Parker with Strings,” on April 4 & 6, 2024 and a special performance at The Staller Center on April 5. For more information about the exhibit visit: https://tbrnewsmedia.com/the-jazz-loft-acquires-charlie-bird-parker-memorabilia-collection/

By Tara Mae

Perspective and reality merge in imagination, creating art that is tethered to truth and yet unfettered from realism. Finding Hidden Treasures: The Art of Sam Adoquei, a retrospective of the artist’s oil paintings, explores the scope of such interplay.

On view at the Long Island Museum (LIM) in Stony Brook through June 2, the show features 25 oil paintings of various sizes as well as an excerpt of The Unseen Beauty (2012), a film written and directed by Gabriel de Urioste about Adoquei and his work.

The entire exhibit is a milestone for Adoquei. 

“It is the first time in my life to have my large figurative works and small paintings, my traditional pieces and my outdoor oil paintings, my still lifes and my figurative pieces come together in the same room. It is also interesting to see some of my earliest paintings next to some recent canvases,” he said in an email. “Same with technique/approach: there are paintings that were approached with the most careful traditional/classical method while some of the canvases were approached with fun spontaneous innovative spirit.”

Finding Hidden Treasures reveals scenes of certainty and surprise, calmly tranquil or intensely evocative. During a recent guided tour of the exhibit before it goes on view to the public, I was immersed in a world of soothing still lifes, inviting landscapes, and compelling figures. 

For Adoquei, a Ghanaian immigrant who is also a writer and teacher, oil painting is a language through which he communicates, inviting viewers to enmesh themselves in the core of the work and the feelings they invoke. 

“Oils provide that unlimited range of expressing myself: from the leanest and thinnest effects to the thickest layers of impasto pigments,” Adoquei said. 

In many ways, the show is a reflection and meditation on moments in time, both simple and profound. It is an intimate invitation to become acquainted with new characters and reintroduced to uncommon elements of common knowledge.  

“Sam is very ambitious to be taking on some of the subjects he takes on, like these sort of massive scale history paintings. Then there is the sensitivity that he has in his figurative and portrait work, the expressiveness, the fact that you look at the people in the paintings, you feel a connection,” said LIM’s Co-Executive Director Joshua Ruff. 

Such a kinship is formed via a shared visual dialogue between artist and audience. The paintings in this exhibit entice the breadth of human emotion in what they depict and what they evoke. 

“My approach is diverse: traditional, innovative…Creating a painting to me is always communication with the enthusiasts: whether short and poetic, a short essay, or long and epic depends on the subject and what I aim to extract from it,” he added.

Two of the most arrestingly captivating pieces in the exhibit combine narrative tradition with creative interpretation: a 10-foot-wide triptych titled “The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. (The Entombment)” which was featured in the New York Times and displayed at the S. Dillon Ripley Center of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC., and “Death of a President (John F. Kennedy).” These history paintings reimagine hauntingly human tragedies with interpersonal, even fantastical, elements.

In these renderings, persons from the artist’s life, as well as Adoquei, appear as bystanders or sympathetic participants. Adoquei frequently includes himself or his associates in his paintings, a practice that adds emotional depth to the works.  

“I love people, I am always inspired by the love of people, and humanistic pursuits are part of sentiments that I try to include in my mission to unveil my vision,” he said.

This generosity and warmth extends to pieces that do not include human figures, like idyllic interpretations of Long Island vistas and other settings. They encourage onlookers to step into them, feel the sand beneath their feet, the breeze as it rustles tall grasses, the sun on their faces, the sound of the sea, the taste of salt in the air. 

Adoquei’s still life paintings are intriguing and alluring, alluding to larger stories of which patrons are only catching a glimpse: two quinces with their stems and leaves attached, lilting sunflowers and daisies in vase, a partially sectioned grapefruit, with what appears to be a thumbprint left on the endocarp. 

“All that I do is inspired by nature, life and living, and the needs of the future. Turning nature and people into beautiful timeless paintings to inspire others inspires me daily,” Adoquei said. “As lives, works, and legacies of great minds took me from oceans and cultures away and offered me the support to create art that hangs on museum walls and in private collections, so do I hope to create meaningful timeless art worthy of inspiring future generations.” 

Versatility of technique underscores the scope and impact of Adoquei’s subject matter. His art contains and honors a multitude of human experiences, including his own journey from Ghanaian art student, to sign and billboard painter in Nigeria, and then working artist, educator, and author in the United States, where he arrived in 1987. 

Adoquei’s paintings welcome patrons to participate in moments fraught and freeing, stunning and serene. Finding Hidden Treasures is an opportunity for artist and art appreciators to enter the field of humanistic imagination.  

“I have never seen this collection of my paintings exhibited together, and knowing they wouldn’t be in the same room together again, I hope art lovers of Long Island will take advantage of the opportunity to come enjoy them at The Long Island Museum,” Adoquei said.

Also on view at the Long Island Museum: 

Painting Partnership: Reynold and Joan Ruffins in the Art Museum from Feb. 8 to June 30

Organized in conjunction with The Power of Two (see next exhibit), this exhibition presents a unique story of love, creativity, and art. Sharing 60 years of marriage and settling in Sag Harbor in 1992, Painting Partnership features close to 25 paintings and sculptures from the remarkable artistic duo, Reynold Dash Ruffins (1930-2021) and Joan B. Young Ruffins (1932-2013). Reynold began making his mark in graphic and advertising design in the 1950s and the 1960s, later working on such publications as The New York Times Magazine, Gourmet, and Essence, and creating award-winning illustrations for children’s books. Meanwhile, as Joan raised the couple’s four children, she created a studio in the family’s St. Albans home, creating art and teaching both children and adults.

The Power of Two: Artist Couples of Long Island in the Art Museum from Feb. 8 to June 30

Experience the dynamic interplay of creativity as The Power of Two: Artist Couple of Long Island exhibition showcases over 50 artworks comparing and contrasting the work produced by 14 artist couples of Long Island. From the 1880s to contemporary couples today, this exhibition provides a captivating insight into the collaborative spirit of artist partnerships.

Colors of Long Island in the History Museum from Feb. 8 to April 7

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the  Annual Colors of Long Island Student Art Exhibition, a show that affords an opportunity for hundreds of students from across Long Island to display their artwork in a museum setting. Art teachers from public and private schools in grades pre-k through 12th grade were invited to submit up to two pieces of student artwork that capture the essence of the region’s landscapes, history, and cultural diversity through various mediums including watercolor, sculpture, pencil, ink, oil pastel, photographs and computer graphics.

Located at 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook, the Long Island Museum is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults; $7 for seniors (age 62 and older); $5 for students (ages 5-17, and college students with an ID); $3.50 for persons with disabilities (personal care assistants are free); and, free for active and retired military personnel. For more information, call 631-751-0066 or visit www.longislandmuseum.org. 

Heather Johnson

The board of directors of Hallockville Museum Farm in Riverhead recently announced it has appointed a new executive director, Heather Johnson.

A resident of Smithtown, Johnsonhas significant professional experience in leadership positions at museums and nonprofit organizations, and also worked for several years in communications, administration and instruction within the higher education sector. Most recently, she was the executive director for Friends of the Bay, a nonprofit organization based in Oyster Bay. She was previously the conference coordinator for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and formerly served as the director of the Northport Historical Society. From 1989 to 2006 she worked in a series of administration roles and as adjunct faculty at Hofstra University.   

“With a working farm, a museum with historic buildings and exhibits, and an educational community resource, our executive director wears many hats. We welcome Heather and the diverse experience she brings to this important position,” said Dale Moyer, vice president of the Hallockville Museum Farm Board of Directors.

“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to be the next executive director of historic Hallockville Museum Farm and to guide Hallockville in its mission ‘to take Long Island back to its family farming roots and explore their relevance today,’” said Johnson. “I look forward to building upon the great work that has been done and to find new ways to offer programs and events to engage people of all ages and backgrounds.”

The Whaling Museum & Education Center, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor has announced its third season of Beyond the Book club. After two successful seasons of this unique, thematic book club, the museum has gained a consistent member base. Even so, there is still room for more bookish folks enamored with the sea to participate. Participants will enjoy fascinating stories paired with the museum’s collection and a special matching snack.

This unique book club series has the museum education team hand selecting texts that are inspired by the sea and utilizes the museum’s collection of over 6,000 artifacts to bring club members closer to the story. Participants are invited to make connections, personal and historical, through up close interactions with relevant objects and facts from Long Island’s maritime past.

Through this tangible way of interacting with objects, book clubbers are immersed in the theme of the text and find new perspectives to understand the narrative. In addition, the museum education team pairs a special snack with the text for each session, further engaging participants. 

Liz Cousins, a participant in this past fall and spring book club sessions, had this to say about Beyond the Book — “Thanks again for putting this book club together! I’m not usually a “book club” type  […] but THIS, I LOVE.” The Whaling Museum’s book club aims to gain a new audience of readers through this unique approach. 

The January session will take place on Jan. 25. Book clubbers will gather to discuss The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery followed by an examination of historical documents from the museum’s collection that reveal how 19th century whalers viewed whales and how these views have changed over time.

The February session will take place on Feb. 29 featuring Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar. Enjoy an intimate look at the museum’s special exhibit From Sea to Shining Sea: Whalers of the African Diaspora and discover the surprising role the whaling industry played in carrying people to freedom.

Lastly, on March 28, book clubbers will gather to discuss Ahab’s Wife, or The Star-Gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund. Participants will inspect artifacts and writings left behind by Cold Spring Harbor whaling wives to see how closely Naslund’s fiction imitates fact.

“It has been an absolute joy to watch our book club continue to grow and to be a part of the wonderful community that has formed during these sessions.  We can’t wait to share more of our collection and explore new stories with this group in the new year,” said Brenna McCormick-Thompson, Curator of Education.

Each book club meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. and is approximately 1 hour long. Coffee (compliments of Starbucks of Huntington Village), tea and cookies will be served.

Beyond the Book club sessions are free for museum members and patrons of the museum’s partner libraries, Huntington Public Library and South Huntington Public Library. All others may attend for $15 per session. Register at www.cshwhalingmuseum.org/bookclub. For more information, call 631-367-3418.

This article originally appeared in TBR News Media’s Prime Times senior supplement on 01/25/24.

A personalized instrument case from Charlie 'Bird' Parker is one of more than 50 items that will be on exhibit at The Jazz Loft in February. Photo from The Jazz Loft

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook, has recently acquired a collection of more than 50 memorabilia items from jazz saxophonist legend Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker, that includes master acetates from some of his most important recording sessions; a personalized instrument case; his union card; numerous notes, letters and correspondence; and his Birdland contracts. 

An exhibit highlighting Parker and the newly acquired memorabilia will open in February, along with numerous events and concerts centered on Parker’s music. The concert series will culminate in several performances of “Charlie Parker with Strings,” one of his most well-known recordings. 

A Carnegie Hall poster from 1953 was acquired from the Christie’s of London auction. Photo from The Jazz Loft

Some of the correspondence documents his challenge with the union as he often had his union card revoked for drug offenses. The letters, from him, his agents, promoters, and friends, show Parker’s struggle to stay clean and work. Parker struggled with a heroin addiction and died at the age of 34.

The items were purchased at a Christie’s of London auction which showcased a vast collection of music memorabilia belonging to the late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts. Watts, who had been a beloved member of the Stones since 1963, passed away in August 2021. 

Watts was a huge jazz fan, with a special love of Charlie Parker. 

“I heard Charlie Parker and that was it. It was all over,” Watts had said.

According to David Green, a childhood friend of Watts, his “collection of jazz memorabilia, which he started in his teens, and built up during his years with the Stones is truly astonishing; it reflects his enduring love of the music and the musicians who made it.”

Tom Manuel, founder and president of The Jazz Loft, said he was determined to bring the collection to The Jazz Loft because Parker had deep roots in New York. Birdland, the famous jazz club located on 52nd Street in New York City, was named for Parker, who had a residency there for four years.

“Charlie Parker holds a place on that shelf that few get to join; Jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Ella are all up there. Parker is there because he, along with his bebop colleagues, gave us an entirely new way of speaking the language of Jazz,” Manuel said. 

“Parker’s short-lived life meant that he left us little in terms of personal items related to his career. The sale of the Charlie Watts collection which took him decades to assemble literally was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I just knew that The Jazz Loft needed to mobilize all our resources and support to bring Bird home. I’m still in awe that we are now the only Jazz museum in the world with such an extensive collection of items relating to the life and career of one of the most important figures in Jazz — Charlie Parker. It’s beyond description,” added Manuel.

 Through a fundraising campaign called Operation Bring Bird Home, Manuel raised over $150,000 from over 30 donors to purchase the Parker collection. Lead donors were Dawn and Dan Oliveri and Cynthia and David Lippe, with additional support from the Jazz Loft’s Board of Directors.

 “The acquisition of this Charlie Parker collection will be a game changer for The Jazz Loft,” said Cynthia Lippe. “We have amazing collections of artists who are significant to the history of jazz and well-known among jazz aficionados, but we haven’t had such a household name in jazz until now. Everyone knows ‘Bird,’ and we now have one of the largest collections of Charlie Parker memorabilia anywhere!”

Charlie Parker’s Union Card. Photo courtesy of The Jazz Loft

Glenn Mitchell, senior specialist at antiquarian bookseller Peter Harrington of London, said, “I count myself as extraordinarily fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Charlie Watts in building his jazz collection. He was a passionate and informed collector in a range of areas, but deep down it was jazz that was closest to his heart, and in his heart, he held Bird dearest of all.”

“Charlie didn’t buy a single thing that didn’t mean something to him, and his jazz collection was carefully composed of material that takes you there, puts you in the room, brings alive not just the sounds but the whole scintillating variegated culture of jazz. He’d often say to me, ‘when I’m gone, who’s going to care about all this stuff?’, well evidently quite few people! It was a great pleasure to meet Dr. Thomas Manuel ‘backstage’ at the Christie’s sale and to be able to share the stories behind some of Charlie’s trophy pieces; Charlie would have been delighted to see that many of these have now found a home in a place where jazz truly still lives, and the story is being told for generations to come.”

The Charlie Parker collection will be exhibited at The Jazz Loft in February.  The kickoff will include a reception for donors on Feb. 8 at 6:30p.m. and two performances of “Charlie Parker with Strings” featuring Chris Donohue and Dayna Sean Stephens on April 4 and 6 at 7 p.m. and a third performance featuring Chris Donohue on alto saxophonist at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts on April 5 at 7 p.m. In addition, the exhibit will include a screening of Clint Eastwood’s award-winning film Bird on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.thejazzloft.org or call 631-751-1895. 

The Whaling Museum and Education Center, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor invites kids and families to experience the wonders of winter indoors with new Museum Adventure Activity: Polar Explorers edition. This program is a new interactive way to explore the museum and discover the Arctic as you follow in the footsteps of early polar explorers.

Polar Explorers program has participants traveling on an icy adventure through the museum using a compass to navigate their steps. Their goal is to stock up on supplies for a polar journey while learning facts about the artic regions including the amazing men and women who first stepped foot on these lands.

In this self-guided activity, available daily during museum open hours through March 2024, participants use QR codes to view museum created content that will direct you around the museum hunting for clues to solve the puzzle. Once the key word is uncovered, participants will use that code to unlock the museum’s exclusive supply chest with the designated craft activity inside. For Polar Explorers edition it’s a kit for making a fancy compass box to engrave and take home.

Kids and families working together will hear about polar explorers such as the Vikings and the Inuit and get to know which animals thrive in the polar regions. In addition to the museum created content, participants will find facts and tidbits to mount on their polar expertise in their personal booklets. These booklets can be taken home and kept as mementos of the journey.

Once the supply list is stocked, participants are directed back to the supply chest to retrieve their reward, a craft activity to create and engrave a fancy compass box. Participants can engrave designs such as a ship’s wheel or their initials. Examples are provided for inspiration.

“We are thrilled to offer this new Museum Adventure Activity inspired by the incredible journeys of bygone explorers who traveled to the literal ends of the Earth, navigating unknown and dangerous regions and encountering Arctic animals never seen before.  Our new Polar Explorers experience follows this past summer’s Museum Adventure Activity: Shark Invasion edition, which was a breakaway hit from the start.  We continuously strive to develop innovative and fun learning activities which encourage kids and families to discover something new every time they come visit.  Museum Adventure Activities allow us to expand beyond the museum walls through interactive videos that enable us to explore destinations far and wide.” said Brenna McCormick-Thompson, Curator of Education at the Whaling Museum.

 The museum offers different Museum Adventure Activities every season. This is the first season of Polar Explorers edition which will be available until March 31, 2024.  This program is best for kids ages 6 and up. The cost to participate is museum admission plus $10, members are just $5. There is no registration needed for this activity. It is available now through March 31, 2024 during museum open hours, Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 631-367-3418 or visit www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.

Community members gaze upon the military wall of honor during the grand opening of the Suffolk County World War II and Military History Museum in Rocky Point on Thursday, Dec. 7. Photos by Raymond Janis

The Rocky Point community ushered in history Thursday, Dec. 7, welcoming hundreds to the hamlet to launch the Suffolk County World War II and Military History Museum at the former Rocky Point train station.

In a grand opening ceremony featuring speeches from Rocky Point VFW Post 6249 members, musical performances by local students and even a military flyover, the event formally opened the highly anticipated regional veterans museum to the public.

Attending the event included various public officials, such as Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point), Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (C-Selden) and a representative of Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY1).

The museum showcases various exhibits spotlighting the stories of local veterans. Uniforms, combat gear and memorabilia are out on display. The centerpiece, situated just outside the complex, is a military wall of honor with hundreds of names of local vets.

Joe Cognitore, commander of VFW Post 6249, declared that Thursday’s event was the realization of years of planning. “This is a vision we had many, many years ago, and this vision finally came true today,” he said.

Cognitore thanked the museum’s curator, post member and history teacher Rich Acritelli, for his considerable effort in preparing the museum for launch. “This museum is unbelievable,” the post commander explained. “It’s amazing what he did inside with such little time and little space.”

In his remarks, Acritelli outlined the objectives of the museum. “This story represents the countless Long Island people that have had numerous family members that have served within the Armed Forces and supported America within every military conflict,” he said.

Chronicling the vast contributions that went into the museum’s rollout, the curator added how the facility represents a moment of community building for Greater Rocky Point and beyond. “While there is a small percentage of the population who actually enter the military, the Armed Forces are embedded within every American family,” he noted. “Working on this veterans project, you watch how almost every person said they had a cousin, brother, father, aunt, close friend, mom, who was in uniform and wanted to recognize them for their patriotic efforts and sacrifices.”

Now, their stories are on display for the public. The museum is located at 7 Prince Road, Rocky Point.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2sbdtzM4DGXutANVleYdS7?si=ai8VPxiXQ3G7e9E2YgLevQ

Join us as Governor Kathy Hochul brings big bucks for clean water initiatives, tackling outdated septic systems in Suffolk County. Port Jefferson celebrates 60 years as an incorporated village, and we explore the grand opening of a regional veterans museum in Rocky Point. Turn the page with us for a quick dive into the week’s top stories on The Pressroom Afterhour: Keeping it Local with TBR.

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