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‘A Disturbance in the Force’ will be screened at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Port Jefferson Station on May 6.
'Story and Pictures By'
OVERCOME WITH NOSTALGIA Catch a screening of the documentary ‘Flipside,’ a comical attempt to save a New Jersey record store and confront a mid-life crisis, at Theatre Three on April 8. Photo courtesy of PJDS
'Stewart Udall: The Politics of Beauty'
'We Are the Warriors'
'Confessions of a Good Samaritan'
'Ukraine: The Other Frontline'

By Tara Mae

From the first actuality motion pictures running a minute or less to present day feature length documentaries, nonfiction films have captured the imagination and provided intimate insight into people and situations that inhabit the world with us.

On select Mondays from March 4 to May 20 at 7 p.m., the Spring 2024 season of the Port Jefferson Documentary Series (PJDS) covers seven tales of the audacity of authenticity, unity in adversity, togetherness in triumph, communal solitude, singular sacrifice for an uncommon goal, and whimsy in misadventure. 

Held at either Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson or John F. Kennedy Middle School, 200 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station, screenings will be followed by Q&As led by Tom Needham, executive producer and host of “Sounds of Film” on WUSB. Guest speakers, involved in the film or experts in its subject matter, will answer questions from Needham and audience members.

Documentary filmmaking is a frank language of cinema, and these conversations are a means by which to continue the dialogue. 

“Film, like other art forms, provides an emotional connection for people to ideas and to one another,” PJDS co-chair Kelly DeVine said. “…This Spring line-up offers seven films and seven opportunities to celebrate cinema and community. The program spans subject areas and moods.” 

Despite divergent topics, emotional comprehension, whether through trauma or triumph, faith or farce, longing for it or security in it, is a theme that permeates the films. 

Sponsored by Maggio Environmental and Wellness; Covati & Janhsen, CPAs; Port Jeff Storage; and the accounting firm Saranto Clamas, CPA with support from Suffolk County and the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council, the season opens with Ukraine, The Other Frontline. It follows five Ukrainian journalists who have the courage to continue doing their jobs, and in doing so, become part of the larger story of Ukrainian resistance to Russia’s war in their country.  

Story and Pictures By explores the efforts of today’s children’s book authors to create stories as diverse as themselves and their readers. 

Flipside chronicles filmmaker Chris Wilcha’s attempt to save the record store that sustained him as a teenager while he examines ideas of artistic identity.

Stuart Udall: The Politics of Beauty traces the life trajectory of Stuart Udall, who served as the Secretary of the Interior for Kennedy and Johnson, championed quality of life over quantity of consumerism, and espoused a political philosophy that celebrated life’s simple pleasures and beauties. 

A Disturbance in the Force honors the seemingly nonsensical “Star Wars Holiday Special” that George Lucas produced in 1978. 

We are the Warriors depicts citizens of Wells, Maine, contending with the town’s colonial history, how its modern manifestations effect the Indigenous residents, and the 2017 incident that galvanized citizens to seek common ground. 

Confessions of a Good Samaritan traces director Penny Lane’s generous decision to donate a kidney to a stranger and how this decision leads her on a quest to unearth the meaning of altruism. 

(For dates and times, please see Film Schedule below)

Those involved in arranging and implementing the Series, including PJDS’ film board as well as volunteers, are eager to enjoy these documentaries with audiences and encounter their original reactions. 

“[We] are looking forward to another exciting season…” co-chair Wendy Feinberg said. She selected Stories and Pictures By. DeVine selected the other six documentaries. It is the first time that the documentaries were not submitted by individual board members and chosen by vote of the board as a whole. 

This change in protocol reflects a shift in leadership. Though they remain on the board, Lyn Boland and Barbara Sverd, co-directors with Feinberg, sought to take a step back from organizing and running the Series. Boland and Weinberg became co-chairs; Sverd is now the community outreach coordinator. Their titles are different this season, but their love for documentaries and PJDS has not waned.

“What I didn’t expect was the bitter-sweet feeling I was left with once I cut the cord. I will miss the relationships made with film makers and the thrill of the chase when trying to land a new film. I do intend to help Kelly during this transition which is going smoothly and remain involved in the PJDS,” Sverd said. 

Once a board member, DeVine was invited by Boland to rejoin and lead the Series. She previously worked as a programmer/acquisitions member for the Independent Film Channel (IFC) and still serves as programmer for the Great Peace Film Festival in Florida.

“I really think this was a very lucky break for the documentary series. Kelly is giving us the benefit of things she has seen. I am staying involved, but my role is changing. People should expect some things to be different and much to remain the same,” Boland said.

Even as alterations to its setup were taking place behind the scenes, DeVine and the other board members made sure that key elements of PJDS’ ethos, such as attention to attendees’ interests, stayed essential to its mission. 

“I start with the audience when considering a film…For PJDS, I am still centering the community in the curation process,” DeVine said. “While a film series like this one provides the opportunity to bring the world to Port Jefferson, I also look to make connections between these stories and our own lives and concerns.”

By identifying commonalities and spotlighting individuality, PJDS strives to foster communication, artistic recognition, and interpersonal acceptance. It continues to incorporate documentaries that appeal to the Series’ existing patrons and invite new appreciators to participate. It is a community that honors its fans and welcomes fresh faces.  

“The most rewarding part of programming is always the audience connection. …I am looking forward to seeing the reaction to the programs, hoping to continue to appeal to the existing audience base for the PJDS while bringing in new audience segments along the way,” DeVine said. “For me, programming is a conversation with audiences, and a conversation that I find enriching.” 

An award winning documentary series, organizers, documentarians, and audiences continue to be inspired by PJDS’ dedication to sharing tales well told and amplifying voices that may otherwise be less audible to the public. For those in attendance, it endeavors to offer insights into the world around them and each other. 

“The stories are important, but almost as important is the opportunity to come together in a  social setting. The purpose of public arts is to celebrate and sustain community. Watching a film by yourself has one effect, but sharing the experience with others and maybe learning something about yourself or others in the process is something else altogether,” DeVine said.

FILM SCHEDULE:

◆ The Spring 2024 season kicks off with a screening of Ukraine, The Other Frontline  at Theatre Three on March 4 at 7 p.m. How is wartime news produced in Ukraine? A gripping and fascinating insight into the upheavals of everyday life in television newsrooms. Guest speaker will be Sarah Baxter, Director of the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting at SBU.

◆ Story and Pictures By, the first feature documentary to take audiences behind the scenes to meet the boundary pushers who create children’s picture books, will be screened at JFK Middle School on March 25 at 7 p.m. Guest speaker will be filmmaker Joanna Rudnick.

◆ Next up is Flipside at Theatre Three on April 8 at 7 p.m.  Filmmaker Chris Wilcha revisits the record store he worked at as a teenager in New Jersey, he finds the once-thriving bastion of music and weirdness from his youth slowly falling apart and out of touch with the times. Guest speaker will be Director Chris Wilcha.

◆ Stewart Udall: The Politics of Beauty will be screened at JFK Middle School on April 15 at 7 p.m. The film examines the trajectory of Udall’s life from his childhood to his years as Secretary of the Interior under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, focusing on his effectiveness as a dedicated, bi-partisan public servant. Guest speaker TBA.

‘A Disturbance in the Force’

◆ The season continues with A  Disturbance in the Force at JFK Middle School on May 6 at 7 p.m. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…In 1978 George Lucas was talked in to cashing in on the STAR WARS craze by producing a holiday variety TV special.  What could possibly go wrong? Answer: Everything. Guest speaker will be Director Jeremy Coon.

◆ We Are the Warriors will be screened at JFK Middle School on May 13 at 7 p.m.  For nearly 70 years, students and alumni of Wells High School in Maine have called themselves the “Warriors.” The school’s mascot, variations of a stoic Native American head in profile with braids and feathered headband, has drawn both support and criticism in the past. However an incident in 2017 shocks the town and reignites the debate. Guest speaker TBA.

◆ Confessions of a Good Samaritan heads to Theatre Three on May 20 at 7 p.m. Director Penny Lane’s decision to become a “good Samaritan” by giving one of her kidneys to a stranger turns into a funny and moving personal quest to understand the nature of altruism. Guest speaker will be filmmaker Penny Lane.

Tickets are $10 per person; season passes are $58 each. For more information, visit portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.  

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'Rodney' by Sam Adoquei
Long Island Museum's Co-Executive Director Joshua Ruff with 'The Art Student' and 'Social Studies' by Sam Adoquei. Photo by Tara Mae
LIM's Co-Executive Director Joshua Ruff views 'The Art Student', oil on canvas, by Sam Adoquei in the Cowles Gallery of the History Museum. Photo by Kristin Cuomo/LIM
'Quinces' by Sam Adoquei

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. 

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Above, children listen to Nana Carol read a picture book during Story & Craft time at the Next Chapter in Huntington while parents and caregivers look on. Photo courtesy of The Next Chapter

By Tara Mae

“It is the perfect job, but it is not work.” 

This is how Carol Parker describes her free weekly children’s Story & Craft, which she hosts on Mondays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., at The Next Chapter bookstore in Huntington. 

Like any good grandmotherly figure, Nana Carol, as she is known, has a generosity and geniality to her that translates into her storytelling. Allaying any shyness and welcoming all who join her, Nana Carol strives to engage her temporary charges with warmth and wonder.  Yet, Parker’s effervescent engagement is not without an outline and structure. Each session follows a loose schedule: gentle movement, spellbinding stories, and creative crafts.

“We begin with our little stretch…I lead them with a little rhyme: tall as a tree, wide as a house, thin as a pin, quiet as a mouse,” Parker, who lives in Huntington, said. “It sets the tone and they have gotten so good at it. All the kids are quite happy to sit down when I ask. We start a book, but I do not just read it, we talk as I read. As the story progresses, the children start out on carpet, then creep closer and closer.”

The attentive tykes move from their spots on the bookstore’s alphabet rug, stealthily moving forward until they are gathered around Parker, at her knee. Enrapturing them with an eclectic assortment of character voices, Parker puts her own touch on modern classics and old favorites. 

Through these personifications, Parker shares stories that have a message. Her favorite books to read to the kids are from the Bad Seed series, written by John Jory and illustrated by Pete Oswald. They tell the story of a bad seed: ill-mannered and ill-tempered. Through the transformative power of will, acceptance, and personal growth, he is able to sprout a new attitude. 

“I love those books…I ask them questions after every page, so they have a memory that coincides with what we are reading. Kids get what is going on; they become so excited and interact,” she said. 

This aligns with Parker’s philosophy of providing the kids as well as their parents/caretakers with more than just story time: she encourages an interactive experience that ignites inceptive imaginations. Originally geared towards infants through four years old, Nana Carol wants to welcome kids of all ages to enjoy stories and a craft.

“Week to week is different since you never know the age of the kids in advance nor how long you can keep them interested,” Parker said. The average audience member’s attention span for active listening is about two books long, then it is craft time.  

Crafts are primarily paper-based to limit mess and mayhem: no glitter allowed. Parker precuts the pieces and individually packs each craft in separate bags for each child. Activities have holiday and seasonal themes. In the fall, the children constructed autumnal wreathes and scarecrows.   

Parker’s attention to detail extends to her craft supplies, which come from her personal collection. A couple of years ago, she found out that a nursery school was closing, and with the assistance of her daughter-in-law, rescued construction paper, markers, and other materials. 

Well-versed in applying ingenuity as inspiration, Parker always plans the crafts, but may not select what to read until she is perusing the shelves of The Next Chapter. 

An avid reader since her childhood in England — her favorite books were by English children’s writer Enid Blyton — as an adult, Parker’s tastes now gravitate towards the writings of Jodi Picoult, Kristin Hannah, and any works that cover World War II as a topic.  

Parker, who came to the United States as a senior in high school, does not have many memories of being read to as a child. But, she has consistently sought to share her reverence of the written word with her kids and grandkids.

In fact it was this passion, and her frequent trips to a former local bookstore, that led to her popular moniker.

“Nana Carol came from taking my grandkids to Book Revue in Huntington all the time; the staff heard me being called ‘nana’ and just applied it to my first name,” Parker said. 

Around 2018, when her grandchildren were a bit older, she volunteered her services for Book Revue’s story time. Nana Carol was an apparent natural with the bookstore’s youngest patrons, who quickly became enamored with her energy and emotional resonance. 

The pandemic halted this progress; the ability to enrapture very young minds was lost in translation on Zoom. In 2021, unable to afford its rent, Book Revue closed. 

What seemed like the end of a saga, was actually the start of a fresh narrative. Staff of Book Revue banded together to open The Next Chapter, and reached out to Parker, inviting her to join them in this new venture. She readily agreed, and together they have been building a literary legacy.  

“They took donations of tables and chairs, set up little areas where you can sit and read; it is very homey. Book Revue was wide, The Next Chapter is long. Its’ set up is lovely,” Parker said. “On Saturdays they have a flea market in the parking lot, with artisans displaying personal crafts, artists showing art, etc. [The staff] is really trying to establish a destination like Book Revue used to be. They are so very good to me.”  

And Parker is good their smallest clients. “I love kids and I love doing this…To make a child smile, make a child happy, that’s like a million dollar check to me,” she said. 

The Next Chapter Bookstore is located at 204 New York Avenue in Huntington. For more information about Story & Craft with Nana Carol, other programs, and the bookstore itself, please visit www.thenextchapterli.com.

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One of the items on display at the new exhibit. Photo by Tara Mae

By Tara Mae

Music is often a meander through memory; it enraptures listeners with emotional remembrance and resonance. Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame’s (LIMEHOF) newest exhibit, Billy Joel, My Life — A Piano Man’s Journey, is a nuanced trip through time and tempo so intuitively evocative that it seemed to stun the piano man himself.

Billy Joel visited the LIMEHOF to view the new exhibit on Nov. 21. Photo by Tara Mae/TBR News Media

“It is a little intimidating,” Billy Joel said to a gathering of press, LIMEHOF board members, and other inductees, at the exhibit preview on Tuesday, Nov. 21. LIMEHOF Chairman Ernie Canadeo, Exhibit Designer Kevin O’Callaghan, and radio personality Bob Buchmann also spoke, remarking on Joel’s legacy and ongoing accomplishments. 

A retrospective revealed through multimedia, My Life spans more than 50 years of the Grammy Award winning artist’s life and career, beginning with his childhood on Long Island through his current residency at Madison Square Garden. With no announced end date, the show, on display now, is an audio-visual sensation. 

Featuring photos, video installations, personal memorabilia, artifacts, and, of course, music, the exhibit includes everything from Joel’s primary school class photo to set lists, instruments, a motorcycle, his MTV Video Music Awards, and many other personal paraphernalia.

“It was incredibly rewarding to watch Billy’s eyes as he was walking around the exhibit, saying, ‘Where did you guys get all of this stuff? It’s unbelievable,’” Canadeo said.

All the items, many from Joel’s personal collection, are notes in the score that comprise the soundtrack of his life. Visitors may enjoy their own theme songs as a jukebox offering Joel’s repertoire helps set the mood, and the piano he played on tour with Elton John rotates on a moving stage. Behind it, on a giant screen, footage plays of him performing at Shea Stadium. 

Providing a multi-tonal presentation of Joel’s evolution from struggling songman to undeniable superstardom, My Life is a multi-sensory experience. The exhibit is a comprehensive homage to Joel’s past, present, and passions. It embodies both the personal and professional elements of his life.

One of the items on display at the new exhibit. Photo by tara Mae/TBR. News Media

“People are going to be emotional and very impressed with what we have collected because they have not seen most of what we have here,” Canadeo added. “It really does represent Billy’s journey: from his humble beginning [on Long Island] to becoming one of the biggest music stars in the world. And, we cover pretty much every aspect of that, all the way through.”

Throughout this trajectory, Long Island arguably serves at both opening act and supporting player. “The show is not only a tribute to Billy, but it is a tribute to Billy’s relationship with Long Island,” Canadeo said. 

Tracing the development of the musician and the man, My Life chronicles different facets of Joel’s story: childhood in Hicksville; teenage keyboardist for the rock group The Hassles; working musician; motorcycle aficionado; and, world renowned artist with many multiplatinum albums to his name. 

This is the first time Joel has agreed to an exhibit of this nature. “We found that he had never agreed to doing an exhibition, ever. And so that was really the big conflict I had; the mission I had was to convince him to let us to do this. And the way I did it was the realization of his loyalty to his friends,” O’Callaghan said. “He is a very loyal guy. So, the show, if you look around, it is about his influences, people who influenced him and vice versa.”

Composed by music lovers for music lovers in honor of an internationally recognized music lover, the exhibit is tribute to more than Billy Joel; it is a communal celebration. Artist, exhibit architects, and audience share one fundamental trait: they are all fans. 

The exhibit lauds this musical reverence. A revelatory reflection on the sustenance for the soul music provides, My Life explores the scope of its impact. As patrons walk in, they are first greeted by The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, a pivotal moment for the development of the modern music scene and Joel’s own artistic awakening. 

Other artists are represented as part of Joel’s musical development and devotion.  

“It is not only Billy Joel, we have on display Otis Redding, we have Paul McCartney, we have George Gershwin. [Joel] loved that idea of showcasing his influences and musical friends.  And, he actually said to me, ‘So, it is going to be a party with my friends,’ and I said, ‘It is going to be a party with your friends.’ And that’s what kind of sold him on it,” O’Callaghan added. 

That sense of camaraderie creates kinship between artist and appreciators as it permeates the exhibit’s atmosphere. Such a symphony of synchronicity is a symbiotic relationship that unites all participants in their mutual musical dedication. Bonds born of these shared interests are key components of My Life, incorporating both the keepsakes themselves and honoring those who treasure them.

Among the items donated by Joel are mementos lent by two of his biggest supporters, Eric Fellen and Paul Fierro. “They found us and were very generous and really this would not have happened without their help. It would have been a much, much softer show; we went over the top with what they had,” O’Callaghan said. 

Such enthusiasm underscores every aspect of My Life. Common appreciation for Joel encapsulates what the artist enjoys as well as the ways he is able to continue connecting with his listeners. 

“I love music…most people do, and I am very glad that we all ended up loving the same thing,” Joel said at the exhibit’s reception. 

Located at 97 Main Street, Stony Brook, LIMEHOF is open Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 11a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $35 for adults; $32.50 for seniors/veterans; and, $20 for students age 13+. For more information, call 631-689-5888 or visit www.limusichalloffame.org. 

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From left, George and Karen Overin and Ken Sanger, among others, will be at the LIM's Carriage Museum on Nov. 25 and Dec. 9. Photo by Frank Pittarese/LIM
Karen and George Overin, among others, will be at the LIM's Carriage Museum on Nov. 25 and Dec. 9. Photo by Frank Pittarese/LIM

By Tara Mae 

In celebration of the 27th Annual Charles Dickens Festival in Port Jefferson Village on Dec 2 and 3, the Long Island Museum (LIM) has collaborated with the Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council (GPJAC) to present  Come In! — Come In! And, Know Me Better, Man! at the LIM’s Carriage Museum on Saturday, Nov. 25 and Saturday, Dec. 9, from 2 to 4 p.m. Over a dozen costumed Dickensian characters will roam among antique carriages as they magically transform the galleries into a London of a bygone century. The event is included with museum admission.

“Some of the beloved longtime Dickens Festival characters are venturing further afield from Port Jefferson Village and heading toward the Long Island Museum to spread some joy in the holiday season, and to share with LIM visitors some of the aspects of their life during the middle of the 19th century,” said GPJAC Program Director Amy Tuttle. 

Portraying a number of the author’s archetypes such as those who populate A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist, they carry the patrons back in time by immersing themselves in their roles. Being surrounded by transportation of yesteryear only enhances the effect. 

“The actors will be wandering around and doing performances as Dickensian characters-situational performances,” explained LIM’s Public Programs Coordinator Emma Backfish. “We have never had something like this, where we have these performers near the actual carriages. It will be interesting to see the actors play off of the different carriages, many of which are tied into that era. And, it will be an unique experience for them.”

“Because the actors are so immersed in their characters, they can not only bring scenes in the Dickens canon to life, they also interact spontaneously with the public. Several of the actors are also very much involved with historical re-enactments, and have appeared in period films,” added Tuttle.

Like the museum itself, the actors are committed to exploring the artistry of enlivening history. Through historical interpretation, a performance art rooted in realism, the actors invite the audience to participate in their play and appreciate history from a more interpersonal perspective. 

“I am excited to see people acting amongst our vehicles. They are bringing the era to life, putting vehicles in motion in people’s minds. Having people there, speaking and acting as they are part of that time, brings them to life in a lot of ways,” Backfish said.

Wardrobes are provided by either the actors or through the estate of Nan Guzzetta, the late proprietress of Antique Costumes and Props by Nan in Port Jefferson. 

These events are the latest act in an ongoing partnership between the GPJAC and LIM. Previously the organizations jointly focused on live musical performances, specifically the Sunday Street Concert Series which is held at the museum’s Gillespie Room. 

“It’s exciting being part of a collaboration which is so unique, enlightening and fun for everyone,” said Tuttle.

The Long Island Museum is located at 1200 Route 25A in Stony Brook. For more information, visit www.longislandmuseum.org.

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'Embracing the Winter Night' by Carol Procopio
'The View' by Beth Atkinson
'Nogh Van Gogh' by Ann Fox
I Never Saw a Poem As Lovely As a Tree exhibit
I Never Saw a Poem As Lovely As a Tree exhibit

TREES 

By Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

By Tara Mae

Art, nurtured and nourished by nature, is a sustenance that sustains the soul. The Firefly Artists’ newest exhibit, I Never Saw a Poem As Lovely As a Tree, is the harvest grown from a sort of artistic cross-pollination featuring works inspired by Joyce Kilmer’s poem “Trees.”

Through painting, sculpture, glasswork, pen and ink drawings, collage, and other mediums, the show, which opened at the Northport gallery on Oct. 18 and runs through Nov. 16, roots itself in the aspect of nature that is its muse. The juried exhibit features the works of approximately 32 visiting artists as well as 20 Firefly members. 

The theme serves as a creative catalyst and reverence for the surrounding environment. 

“An artist came in with a fire in her eyes about ‘Trees,’ and that became the prompt. It was a fantastic subject for so many folks…We get inspiration from everywhere; we are nothing if not creative,” said Firefly Artists Managing Partner Katheryn Laible.

Inspiration found in nature may actually be planted by memory or emotion. As a course of communication, art transcends both distance and time. Beth Atkinson, a  managing partner emeritus, who maintained her Firefly membership when she moved to North Carolina, thought of the poem during a Zoom brainstorming session with her colleagues. Her father, an art teacher and artist in his own right, would recite it when she as a child. 

“We have so many fabulous artists on Long Island, and we have quite a few artists who work with landscapes and nature…I started to think about many of our artists at Firefly — almost all of them have pieces that apply,” Atkinson said.

‘Trees’ is a verbal manifestation of the esteem so many local artists have for the natural world; the Firefly Artists put out an open call to any interested participants, and received an enthusiastic response. This resulting effort broadens the scope of the art and is also an opportunity to introduce new creators to the space.  

“We like to do juried art exhibitions; they are how we have gotten many new members for our gallery. ‘Trees’ felt universal enough that we would have plenty of interest and be able to choose best pieces for the show,” she added. 

Across many different mediums, an artistic arboretum grew from the chosen entries. Though they vary in style and genre, the creative copse they form immerses viewers in verdant vibrancy. 

“This is a beautiful exhibition. We are so blessed on Long Island to have such a robust and talented community of artists. Getting to showcase them is a privilege,” Laible said. 

By spotlighting the work of nonmembers, the gallery branches out into a larger artistic network and makes inroads establishing lasting relationships; many members began as guests artists. 

Current members, six of whom anonymously juried I Never…, did not submit their work for selection, but their art is present elsewhere in the gallery and excavates the essence of the poem.

“Trees are taken for granted,” Firefly member Carol Procopio said. “The tree that inspired my piece sits on my front lawn; I have known it since 1965. Every day when I take my dog out, I look at that tree and it amazes me.”

Instead of poetry in motion, the exhibited pieces employ the studied application of appreciation. Like “Trees,” they require the audience to recognize that beauty, even when familiar, is never banal. 

“Living on Long Island, near the water and near one of the cultural centers of the world gives me a huge ‘canvas’ to work with as an artist. There’s nothing like an historic tour of Northport or a stroll through lower Manhattan to fire up the imagination,” Firefly member Ann Fox said.  

Love for location, whether present or conjured from remembrance, is a shared attribute of the Firefly artists. The community they foster is not necessarily bound by proximity but rather attributed to shared artistic passion. 

Formed in 2011, originally all members lived on Long Island. But, as some of them moved away, they remained connected to the gallery. “Most of Firefly artists stay with us a very long time, even me, who now lives in North Carolina; I just ship my work to Firefly” Atkinson said. 

Comprised of current and retired art teachers, art enthusiasts, parents, and grandparents, members belong to the gallery as long as they pay their dues.

Membership fees go to practical matters such as rent — the gallery is located in the historic former residence of The Northport Hardware Company — and philanthropic pursuits such as scholarships. No one associated with the gallery takes a salary. Three managing partners, Laible, Drigo Morin, and Jennifer Lau, oversee and organize operations. 

“Firefly is one of those places that has been a savior for many of our artists; they needed a community and we gave them that. I think the best part is that we try to make money, not so much for the gallery but rather for our artists and our local artists,” Atkinson said. 

Art, at its core, is an intimate conversation conducted on a communal level. It is a language of emotion and consideration. A project of true passion, the Firefly Artists seeks to plant seeds of understanding in order to cultivate wisdom through wonder. With I Never…, visitors are invited to partake in casual contemplation.  

“I love watching people come in and experience the art, especially when they bring their kids in. It really nice way to connect with all different people…” Laible said. 

A reception for the exhibit will be held on Saturday, November 4, from 3 to 5 p.m. Located at 90 Main Street, Northport, the gallery is open Monday to Wednesday from  11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 631-651-5545 or visit https://thefireflyartists.com.

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Erika Verrill Burke leads a tour of the Old Burying Ground on Oct. 15. Photo by Tara Mae/TBR News Media
The tour begins at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building on Main Street in Huntington. Photo by Tara Mae/TBR News Media
Erika Verrill Burke leads a tour of the Old Burying Ground on Oct. 15. Photo by Tara Mae/TBR News Media
Erika Verrill Burke leads a tour of the Old Burying Ground on Oct. 15. Photo by Tara Mae/TBR News Media
Above, the grave of Henry Titus at the Old Burying Ground in Huntington who died on Sept. 4, 1754 at the age of 31. Photo by Tara Mae/TBR News Media
Erika Verrill Burke leads a tour of the Old Burying Ground on Oct. 15. Photo by Tara Mae/TBR News Media
Erika Verrill Burke leads a tour of the Old Burying Ground on Oct. 15. Photo by Tara Mae/TBR News Media
Erika Verrill Burke next to Ground’s oldest identifiable grave. Photo by Tara Mae/TBR News Media

By Tara Mae

The past whispers lessons to those willing to listen in the present. 

A spooky stroll through Huntington’s Old Burying Ground unearths the town’s human history. Organized by the Huntington Historical Society, participants first gather inside the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building, located at 228 Main Street. Built in 1892 as a memorial to residents who perished in the Civil War, it housed the town’s first library and now hosts Huntington’s History and Decorative Art Museum. 

As leaves crunch underfoot and the sky fades overhead, tour guide Erika Verrill Burke  leads participants on a traipse back in time. Winding through Huntington’s earliest public burial ground, established soon after the town was founded in 1653, she introduces individuals who may have once trod this terrain. 

Approximately 7500 people may be buried here, with roughly 1700 surviving tombstones. By the mid-1850s the rural cemetery on New York Avenue had opened, and the population of the Ground plateaued. Sporadic interments occurred over the years, mainly of people who had relatives already resting there, such as Nelson Smith. A co-founder of Huntington’s first AME Church, he died in 1888 and was buried, per his request, at the Old Burying Ground to be with his first wife who had perished in childbirth. The last burial was circa 1954.

Notably, this location is not a cemetery, which technically refers to a planned area specifically designed to inter the dead. Rather, the Old Burying Ground is simply a communal space where Huntington residents of yore laid their loved ones to rest.

“One of the really great things about the Old Burying Ground is its egalitarianism; this is a nondenominational secular burying ground; rich and poor, young and old, free and enslaved are buried here,” explained Verrill Burke.

Up hills and through paths marked only by memory and the footsteps of those who went before, Verrill Burke guides her audience into the past. Covering the scope of the site, as the group maneuvers among the gravestones, she excavates stories that survive through their retelling. Special occurrences and ordinary persons are enlivened in the process. 

“We walk the entire grounds, discussing early Huntington history, and some key people and events that occurred in and around the burying ground,” she said. “Also discussed are some broader topics such as burying practices, the American Revolution on Long Island, and enslavement on Long Island.” 

Veterans of wars are buried near casualties of disease. Entire family sagas are condensed to the clues inherent in epitaphs: men who were lost to pestilence; women who died in childbirth; children who died of preventable illnesses. A single family plot may encapsulate all of these calamities. 

Citizens overlooked by posterity are in repose near founding family members of the Brookhaven settlement such as Ketchum, Conklin, and Platt.

The Ground’s oldest identifiable grave belongs to perhaps a lesser known name: Silas Sammis. Born in 1676, he died in 1723; his tombstone is a roughly hewn rock with his name, birthday, and death date painstakingly carved into it.    

“Someone cared enough to drag a rock here,” Verrill Burke said. 

Evidence of love is engraved into many elements of the Old Burying Ground; personal tributes and declarations of mournful devotion are interspersed with more traditional, yet poignant, sayings. 

The grave markers themselves offer insights beyond what is etched into surfaces; their very essence speaks to monetary wealth and social standing, economic growth and resource accessibility. 

Many early headstones are made from sandstone, which can be found on Long Island.  Later headstones are made of granite or marble, reflecting the town’s growing prosperity, since the materials were imported from other states. 

Free Blacks have gravestones similar to their white counterparts. Enslaved people were buried with the families of their enslavers; their plots are generally marked by rough field stones. 

The disparity in circumstance invites onlookers to examine their collective heritage from multiple points of view. Trials and triumphs, as shared by Verrill Burke, create a narrative that coalesces into a deeper understanding of how personal anecdotes adorn the annals of history. 

“The tour appeals to our imagination!  The public is invited to imagine what life was like for the earlier residents of Huntington. I also think that discussing the life and death of certain residents helps us feel a more tangible connection to the past, and a more relatable view of the human condition. Times may change, but people are people,” she said.

It is this interpersonal connection that Verrill Burke emphasizes with the human interest she highlights. More than enchanting listeners with legend and lore, she enraptures them with the tenacity of truth and a winsome wit. 

An engaging orator, Verill Burke is a public interest lawyer by trade. She has been a guide since 2014, but the tours have been going on for many years. 

Verrill Burke became involved with the Huntington Historical Society while on sabbatical from her job, volunteering first for different programs, including its Passport to the Past camp for children. 

“I wanted to do field trips for the campers, and the burial ground seemed like a good fit. Kids love all things macabre and so do I,” she said. The popular tours have since found fans of all ages.

Intrigued by the Old Burying Ground, Verrill Burke sought the knowledge of Huntington Town Historian Robert Hughes and the late Huntington Historical Society Historian Rex Metcalf. She also scoured the Society’s archives, one of the largest collections on Long Island. From there, she developed a routine that encompasses centuries and sense memories. 

“People are fascinated.  Even if individuals are coming along to keep a history buff friend company, there is something of interest for almost everyone on this tour, and questions are very, very welcome (that’s how I know everyone is staying awake!),” Verrill Burke said.

This meander through remembrance is next scheduled for Saturday, October 28, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers, and $5 for children. They must be purchased in advance and are not sold the day of the tour. To make reservations, please visit www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org. For more information, call 631-427-7045.

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'Illuminations' will be presented during the Long Island Fall Festival on Oct. 7 and 8. Photo courtesy of Heckscher Museum

By Tara Mae 

As Columbus Day weekend draws near, many look forward to the annual Long Island Fall Festival at beautiful Heckscher Park in Huntington. Presented by the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce, the four day event, from Oct. 6 to 9, will feature carnival rides, an international food court, music, over 300 vendors, and much more. 

One of the highlights of this year’s festival is a multimedia art installation titled Illuminations 2023: The Many Faces of Home.

If home is where the heart is, then leaving one home for another is perhaps a sort of heart transplant. A fresh lease on life: wistful and wondrous. On Oct. 7 and 8, from 7 to 8 p.m., the digital art show will spotlight the physical and emotional journeys immigrants undertake as they settle in foreign places and seek to make them familiar. 

Featuring the work by Stony Brook University adjunct art professor and digital artist Han Qin as well as other international artists, this digital art show features three intricately connected yet distinctive works, which will be projected onto the facade of an artistic hearth: the Heckscher Museum of Art located in Heckscher Park.

“It feels like the perfect space for such an event,” said Heather Arnet, Executive Director of the Heckscher Museum.

My New Home, by Qin, depicts and celebrates the immigration experience through a 3D image projection showing portraits of diverse community members who immigrated to Huntington and made it home. 

Journey Home, also by Qin, is an animated film projection. In ocean hues, it spotlights a school of fish that transforms into groups of people swimming to their new island home.  

The Grand Finale is a collaborative collection of engaging animation by six different international artists: Blake Carrington, Koi Ren, Yehwan Song, Silent Desautels, Shuyi Li, and Colton Arnold. 

The show is choreographed to original music composed by Professor Margaret Schedel, co-director of Stony Brook University’s Computer Music Program. “Margaret’s music…has dark energy that transforms into immense joy,” Illuminations co-curator Chiarina Chen said.

Shown consecutively, the elements of Illuminations likewise take patrons on a sojourn of the soul: from pensive introspection to audacious hope. The show immerses its audience in artistic excavation of existential inquiries. 

These questions were initially posited by Qin as part of her continuous exploration of, and meditation on, the identity quandaries immigrants may endure as they transition from their homeland to the precarious promise of a settled future. 

“My digital art piece works with the community of immigrants who speak different languages on Long Island. Its purpose is to show this group of marginalized immigrants — who they are looking to become or who their kids are looking to become, who holds the community together…this is a self-help project to figure out who those immigrants become,” Qin said. 

Such an investigation is personal for Qin who, during lockdown, began examining feeling adrift in her own immigrant identity: not quite of China, her nation of birth, nor the United States, her country of choice. 

“I was looking for a way to find people who know who they are,” Qin added. She got involved with different organizations that focused on the immigrant experiences of adolescents and adults. The relationships she formed through these endeavors answered questions her art was striving to ask.   

With a New York State Council of the Arts (NYSCA) grant processed through the Patchogue Arts Council, she was able to develop her artistic thesis from a intuitive theory into an expansive experience. 

As Qin crafted personal connections that revealed uncovered communal correlations, she utilized her professional network to recruit colleagues in curating and creating the third segment of Illuminations. 

“We invited six very interesting, talented international artists of various backgrounds. We have six parts in that: traversing memories, dreams, identities that are searching for belonging-cohesive with unique parts…digital art can be a public art form that brings people together, a sort of enchantment,” Chen said. “When connected stories are projected on the building, it becomes another level of togetherness.”  

Schedel’s music both belies and enhances the union. She composed six segments of music. Each has its own tempo and mini theme that nonetheless coalesces into a cohesive whole. Included in the piece are interviews with community leaders as well as water sounds; many people interviewed mentioned water as part of their immigration experience.

“It is a piece of music I composed to go along with the timeline that Han and I developed together, thinking of structure, movement, and emotion,” Schedel said. 

In its entirety, Illuminations is a medley of form, motion, and feeling. At its essence, the art is an overture of communal acceptance and understanding.  

“Illuminations celebrates immigrants, their influence on our community, and why they chose Long Island…It [seems] like a wonderful opportunity for the museum,” Arnet said. 

This is the Hecksher Museum’s first exhibition specifically designed for the Long Island Fall Festival, although the concept of home is one that is currently studied in its Raise the Roof exhibit, which is a study of the spaces people inhabit. 

Arnet approached Qin, who has pieces in the museum’s permanent collection, about doing a digital art projection on the front of the building. Qin was already in the process of developing My New Home and Journey Home. Illuminations was born of those discussions.

“What is exciting is that we are trying something new, which always involves risk. This is innovative, we are trying out the unknown, none of us quite know what it will be like…I am very interested in moving beyond four walls, engaging community in unique ways,” Arnet said.

Illuminations 2023: The Many Faces of Home at the Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington is free to the public. For more information, call 631-380-3230 or visit www.heckscher.org

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The first of eight documentaries will be 'Rather' on Sept. 18 — At the age of 92, iconic journalist Dan Rather reflects on his career that spans seven decades.

By Tara Mae

Whether there is too much or never enough of it, time may either soften memories with nostalgia or sharpen remembrances with accrued insight. Through art and action, the Fall 2023 Port Jefferson Documentary Series (PJDS) highlights the intricacies of this dynamic both onscreen and behind-the-scenes. 

On specific Monday evenings between September 18 and November 13, at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson and John F. Kennedy Middle School, 200 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station, the award-winning doc series will share eight distinct stories.  

Encompassing reflections on a career well-chronicled; a quickly encroaching catastrophe; a calamitous crisis averted; or, a curious occurrence, screenings will be followed by Q&As with guest speakers. Tom Needham, executive producer and host of “Sounds of Film” on WUSB, will once again serve as moderator. 

“Our setup has not changed either behind-the-scenes or in how we choose the documentaries,” said PJDS co-director Lyn Boland. “We assess production values, whether it is a good story, and if it is available to film festivals instead of streaming — we want it to be new. We also prefer films where the director is available to talk in one sense or another.”

Now in its 38th season, the PJDS, which began in 2005, excavates tangible accomplishments and existential inquiries. In interactive interviews with documentarians, it seeks answers from those who first sought to ask the questions. 

Sponsored by Maggio Environmental and Wellness; Covati & Janhsen, CPAS PC; and Port Jeff Storage,  the season opens with Rather, a film that examines Dan Rather’s ongoing seven decade journalistic career and his continued dedication to making a difference.

We Dare to Dream traverses the triumphs and trials of 29 elite athletes. Deprived of their home countries, they strive for international success while preparing to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as part of the International Olympic Committee’s Refugee Olympic team. (This event will also feature a pre-show concert at Port Jefferson Methodist Church by pianist Jacqueline Schwab.) 

Time Bomb Y2K revisits when, on the verge of a new millennium, the world feared that all of technology was about to have a nervous breakdown on New Year’s Day. 

Between the Rains covers a 4 year period when record low rainfall in Kenya caused a reckoning for children caught in a culture being eroded by climate change.

Israel Swings for Gold traces the trajectory of Israel’s baseball team as it makes it Olympic debut in 2021.

Rolling Along recounts Bill Bradley’s revelatory professional career as informed by his personal ethos: Rhodes Scholar, champion New York Knicks recruit, and noted New Jersey senator.  

Maestra showcases the melodious moments and discordant dilemmas women face as they compete in the world’s only all-female conducting competition. 

Lastly, A Revolution on Canvas investigates the intriguing disappearance of more than 100 “treasonous” paintings by contemporary Iranian artist Nickzad Nodjoumi. 

(For dates and times, please see Film Schedule below.)

Each documentary is selected by one of the “film ladies,” as Lyn Boland, Wendy Feinberg, Barbara Sverd and Honey Katz are known. They present their choices to the PJDS board. Top contenders from those viewings are shared with three esteemed longtime volunteers, Denise Livrieri, Yvonne Lieffrig, and Debbie Bolvadin, who then also vote on the films. 

“It is important to have a wide variety of people choosing films; we know we each have private preferences that we always gravitate towards. If you do not have a wide group, you may leave out some of your audience,” Boland said. “We are lucky that our audience really trusts us. They know that we are invested and looked into the films personally, so we feel the documentaries are special to include.”

According to Boland, once the films are chosen, securing the rights to them and gaining access to the speakers is a game of cat and mouse. So, the hunt is on as soon film festivals announce their lineups. The Series’ cast of characters divides and conquers, attending screenings and identifying potential contenders for PJDS. 

“Once I have focused on a film I would like to present, the fun of the chase begins! Nailing down films, dates, directors or producers, and working out schedule conflicts are issues we have to contend with when programming a series. So, it [helps] when you have a connection to anyone associated with the film,” explained Sverd.  

Such relationships have been forged and nurtured over the years with different producers and directors who have previously shown their work during the Series. Rather and Time Bomb Y2K come from creators who screened earlier films through PJDS. Between the Rains and Rolling Along were acquired through Sverd’s and Feinberg’s respective personal connections. 

“I am looking forward to seeing many of our repeat guests and also the new folks who will be attending the films this season,” said Feinberg.

In addition to making contacts and advancing the films, each member brings their individual skill sets, contributing what best aligns with their interests and industries, including law, event planning, education, and graphic design. Primary and paramount requirement for joining the team — it is looking for new volunteers — is simply being a film buff.  

That passion translates to the audience, which includes familiar faces and new fans.

“In this day and age, with so much available to see and watch, it is just great that people appreciate the kind of experience that we offer,” Boland said.

Individual tickets are $10 (cash only) at the door, a combination ticket for the concert and documentary on is $15, or in advance at www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.

FILM SCHEDULE
A scene from ‘Rather’

◆ The Fall 2023 season kicks off with a screening of Rather at Theatre Three on September 18 at 7 p.m. Guest speakers will be Co-Producer Taylor Wildenhaus and Sarah Baxter, Director of the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting. Co-sponsored by the Stony Brook University School of Communications & Journalism and the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting. 

‘We Dare to Dream’

◆ We Dare to Dream will be screened at Theatre Three on October 2 at 7:30 p.m. Preceded by a special concert featuring pianist at First United Methodist Church, 603 Main St., Port Jefferson at 6:30 p.m. Guest speaker via Zoom will be Director Waad Al-Kateab. Sponsored by Danfords Hotel & Marina and The Waterview at Port Jefferson Country Club.

‘Time Bomb Y2K’

◆ Next up is Time Bomb Y2K at Theatre Three on October 9 at 7 p.m. Guest speakers will be Co-Directors Brian Becker and/or Marley McDonald.

‘Between the Rains’

◆ Between the Rains will be screened at JFK Middle School on October 16 at 7 p.m. Guest speakers will be co-director Andrew H. Brown via Zoom and Dr. Dino Martins, CEO of the Turkana Basin Institute. Co-sponsored by the Turkana Basin Institute of Kenya and its affiliate, Stony Brook University.

‘Israel Swings for Gold’

◆ The season continues with Israel Swings for Gold at JFK Middle School on October 23 at 7 p.m. Guest speaker will be Co-Director Jeremy Newberger. Co-sponsored by North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jefferson Station and Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook.

‘Rolling Along’

◆ A special screening of Rolling Along will be held at JFK Middle School on October 30 at 7 p.m. Guest speaker will be former U.S. Senator and screenwriter Bill Bradley in person.

‘Maestra’

◆ Maestra heads to JFK Middle School on November 6 at 7 p.m. Guest speakers will be Director Maggie Contreras via Zoom and Melisse Brunet, Conductor and subject in the film. Sponsored by Danfords Hotel & Marina and The Waterview at Port Jefferson Country Club.

‘A Revolution on Canvas’

◆ The season concludes with a screening of A Revolution on Canvas at Theatre Three on November 13 at 7 p.m. Guest speakers will be Co-Directors Sara Nodjoumi and Till Schauder. Sponsored by Danfords Hotel & Marina and The Waterview at Port Jefferson Country Club.

For more information, call 631-473-5220 or visit www.portjeffersondocumentaryseries.com.

 

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Above, a large group of people sitting in the surf on the shore of Long Island Sound. Pine View, West of Crane Neck, Stony Brook. 1907.(West Meadow Beach). Photo courtesy of Port Jefferson Village Archive, Kenneth Brady Collection

By Tara Mae

Saltwater and sea air can replenish, rather than rust the spirit. Any means of water conveyance is a line to liveliness and livelihood, a rope that links us to the generations that came before. Set sail into Long Island’s local maritime past with Small Wooden Boats: The Forgotten Workhorses and Leisure Craft of Old at the Port Jefferson Village Center, on view now through October. 

Located on the second floor of the building, with a topical view of the harbor, the photo exhibit features approximately 60 photographs, mainly ranging 24-36 inches. Through the lens of wooden boats, it explores the labor and leisure of primarily 19th and early 20th century islanders and vacationers. 

“There are two distinct categories of images. People using small boats to fish, clam, transport items, and people enjoying the summer in the bathing fashion of the period,” Port Jefferson Village Historian Christopher Ryon, who curated the exhibit, said. 

Marshall’s Pier was located on the East shore of Poquott. Belle Terre and Mount Misery are in the background. Photo courtesy of Port Jefferson Village Archive, Kenneth Brady Collection

Skimmed from the village’s own archive, first compiled by previous historian Ken Brady, the catalog has amassed tens of thousands of photographs. Its selection includes access to pictures that other organizations, like Three Village Historical Society, possess. The breadth and depth of data highlights the profound impact of beach culture on this area. 

Small Wooden Boats is a tribute to and testimonial the scope of people’s sometimes shifting, yet still steadfast, relationship to the sea. 

“The photos in this show capture the serene atmosphere of small boats and people on the shoreline of harbors and ponds. From clammers and fishermen to women in dresses, you can imagine the feel of the water on their feet and the sound of the water as they walk,” explained Ryon during a tour of the exhibit.

In locations familiar to residents, such as West Meadow Beach, Pirates Cove and Port Jefferson Harbor, their predecessors pose in the Long Island Sound and from shore.

Penn No. 1, a small tugboat that maneuvered goods and equipment for Suffolk Dredging Corporation, seems at a standstill as two presumed employees appear portside. One man, still wearing his work gloves, leans jauntily against an unidentifiable object.     

Girl standing in water on the East side of Port Jefferson Harbor. Photo courtesy of Port Jefferson Village Archive, Kenneth Brady Collection

A little girl in a swim costume, somewhat faded with age, grins at the camera as she wades water with a flotation device tied around her waist. 

Men, women, and children, wearing street clothes, sit in floating repose aboard rowboats as three other male figures, perhaps lifeguards, stand behind them, staring purposefully into the distance. An empty dinghy is tied up to their right as waves break against the mooring. 

Individuals who appear as salt of the earth or buoyantly effervescent, all of these figures are both anchored to their era and adrift on the sea of time. Though their attire and apparel are different, they share a relationship with the water that is more familiar than foreign. 

“This exhibit exemplifies Port Jefferson’s history as a shipbuilding port, a transportation hub, a fishing, clamming, oystering community, and, of course, a tourist destination,” Ryon said

Penn No 1 was a small tugboat that worked for Suffolk Dredging Corporation. It was used to maneuver barges and equipment. Photo courtesy of Port Jefferson Village Archive, Kenneth Brady Collection

Essential elements of this dualistic dynamic have evolved or become endangered but their essence remains accessible to those who seek to acknowledge, even enjoy, the ebb and flow of  people’s dependence on the surrounding water. 

By design, the show displays the dichotomies of work and play. Pictures in Small Wooden Boats are harbingers of changing tides, before nautical industry was overtaken by seaside recreation. 

Such developments are embodied by the Village Center itself, which has its own ties to maritime history. Situated on the grounds of the Bayles Shipyard, the building originally housed a machine shop and mould loft, established in 1917 during World War I. 

That same year, the Bayles family sold it. After changing hands, it was acquired by the New York Harbor Dry Dock Corporation, which in 1920, closed the shipyard, and fired all of its workers except for a skeleton crew. Following different business iterations, the Village Center was founded there in 2005. 

The enmeshment of past and present also underscores how the Sound remains intertwined in life on land, a message that Ryon seeks to bring to the masses through ongoing nautical projects.  

Besides the exhibit, another such endeavor is the construction of a replica whaleboat, dubbed Caleb Brewster, a seafaring vessel that will ideally launch in 2024. 

Summer of 1906, Pine View. Photo courtesy of Port Jefferson Village Archive, Kenneth Brady Collection

Named in honor of the Culper Spy Ring member who ran messages via his whaleboat between Long Island, under British occupation, and Connecticut, where General George Washington was stationed, it is a community undertaking. A crew of volunteers, among them students from an Avalon Nature Preserve program, is helping construct and assemble the whaleboat. And, in part as an homage to the village center’s heritage, it is being built in the Bayles Boat Shop located just a stone’s throw from the Village Center across from Harborfront Park. 

Construction of the Caleb Brewster and the Small Wooden Boats exhibit are part of a continuous effort to bring more attention to the common, simple sea craft that are so integral to the existence and entertainment an island provides. 

“The bigger boats, like schooners tend to get more notice, while the smaller ones are doing hard work moving materials and people,” Ryon said. “We [the village center] have this huge collection of stuff. We have done lots of different types of shows here, and small boats are part of the collection that I now want to showcase. I look forward to seeing people enjoying the exhibit.”

The community is invited to an opening reception to Small Wooden Boats: The Forgotten Workhorses and Leisure Craft of Old on Sunday, Sept. 10 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 East Broadway, Port Jefferson. Viewing hours for the exhibit are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. For more information, call 631-473-4778.

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