The score was close through 3 1/2 innings of play when Newfield’s bats began to crack in a home game against Ward Melville outpacing the Patriots, 24-12, for the win in for both teams’ season finale Saturday, May 14.
By Bill Landon
Saturday, May 7 was truly a day of remembrance for Mike Bowler, the legendary Rocky Point boy’s lacrosse coach, in the school’s second annual Mike Bowler Tribute Day.
Bowler, who passed away in Dec. 2019, was someone who left his mark on the community throughout his 43 seasons at the helm. His impact on student athletes was felt well beyond the playing field. He established the boy’s lacrosse program in 1978, amassing more the 600 wins during his career. Bowler also led his team to a state championship in 2008.
In 2020, coach Bowler was named New York State Coach of the Year in boys lacrosse by the National Federation of High School Sports. The award is presented to those who have made the greatest impact on student athletes in their respective sport.
It was a cold, windy and wet day on Saturday, but that didn’t dampen the spirit of the game as the Eagles hosted Bellport in this Division II matchup.
Sophomore attack Ryan Meyers had an assist and six goals to top the Eagles scoring chart in the 16-7 victory. Senior Tyler Moeller had a goal and five assists and teammate Kyle Moore had four goals and two assists for the Eagles. Eighth grader DJ Xavier had six saves in net and Aidan Donohue, a sophomore, also stopped two.
— Photos by Bill Landon
Artist statement:
‘I paint as if in a dream highlighting my everyday experiences in poetic color and form with emotion. My subjects range from still life, landscapes, and portraits in the photorealistic style and futuristic visionary paintings with a surreal edge.’
By Irene Ruddock
In this interview, you will gain insight on a remarkable artist; a photorealist and visionary explorer who seeks to discover the inner world through art. Born deaf, Charles Wildbank achieved degrees from Yale, Pratt, and Columbia. After a few years of teaching deaf students, Wildbank burst upon the art world with his Fifth Avenue window showcases in New York City, portraits of David Hockney and Luciano Pavarotti and his famed eight foot tall rendering of the Cartier diamond. Read on to be amazed and uplifted by his fascinating career and inner depth that has transformed this artist’s vision and ours along with it.
Tell us about your beginning forays in the world of art? How did being deaf affect your choosing art as your life’s work?
There were hardly any options when it came to communicating as a deaf child other than pointing or drawing sketches to have others understand me. This was followed by strong approvals and eventually requests for some art from me. That is how my art career blossomed since I got adept at rendering just about anything.
How do you hear now? How did you learn to speak so well which is a difficult obstacle for the deaf?
Without wearing a hearing device, I am deaf as a stone, oblivious to all sounds. My parents, in realizing my lack of hearing as a toddler, brought home a rather large amplifier with headphones. For me, it was one of the best gifts. Music would be one of my first sounds. Also, I would wear them in front of a black and white television watching cartoons. This was followed shortly with a large new hearing aid which I could wear strapped around my chest for play outside. This helped me learn to speak and listen and not just read lips.
It was only recently that I received a pair of cochlear implants. That is when I first picked up the sound of fizz when opening a bottle of Perrier water! Every morning since, i woke up to a cacophony of bird songs outside.
For the most part, I enjoy painting in complete silence. Music is always my love as it was my first sound. For instance, I get so moved by the vocal range of one of Maria Callas’ arias, only possible through my cochlear implants. I am so grateful for this timely modern technology. Also, I am grateful for the closed captioning, for through this, I hear most everything, I am still learning how to listen and recognize language by ear. In retrospect, all those years of speech therapy after school hours were worth it!
Being understood has been a very challenging feat for me and it was though family and friends who would help me enunciate new words. It was perhaps through my willingness to accept feedback without feeling criticized which may have been an essential key to this day.
As a former teacher, I was most impressed by your heartfelt desire for parents to encourage children in their passions and gifts. Can you tell us about your family and the importance of their support in your life’s choice of art.
The idea of praising children for any accomplishment became the norm in my family and it is likely not just love, but the side benefit of children giving back. All my siblings had many talents and in turn received their nourishment and it made us all so proud. I’d wish this for every child in this world as it has such a transforming effect on their overall being. Literally, vices such as bullyism and wars would vanish. One cannot underestimate the power of the arts in our love starved world of today. All it would take is some beautiful architecture, some color in the room, some fashion, some life changing art, or a song to make one’s life turn around for the better!
How has your art progressed since the initial foray into the art world?
Though I was mostly self-taught, attending art college landed me into such a creative and stimulating environment among like peers. We visited many museums and galleries and took opportunities to remain inspired such as meeting older professional artists. My art output increased among the local art fairs in the Hamptons due to the delightfully growing demand for my art.
Can you describe the exemplary ‘Hado Series?’
After many years of paving out a career in such hyper- real fashion on Fifth Avenue, I wished to make a leap of imagination by adding a touch of surrealism in my newer work. Since many of my dreams contain a common element of water with giant waves throughout, I adopted this Japanese word HADO, which means “wave”. To achieve this subliminal oceanic effect, I incorporated some of my photographs with digital tools such as photoshop. I do anything I wished with my more mundane images thus transforming them into another realm from my imaginative choosing. This is followed by using these final images as notes as I paint from my laptop onto a very large canvas. This visual show can observed in my recent “Tempest” and “Emergence” murals.
A lot of us are lost when it comes to understanding digital art, yet you have achieved remarkable work that is not remote or cold in feeling but touches the soul. Can you explain this?
Instead of a computer mouse, I use a special stylus digital pen and tablet with my laptop in creating new images. My photo diaries are uploaded for this purpose, and I often start with a dream in mind’s eye and find elements in reality that I can morph into the composition on the screen. This would take many hours to achieve to my satisfaction. Finally, a grid is laid upon the approved image and sketched by hand onto a new blank canvas. Digitally I can add and take away elements that do not belong and amplify to match any given emotion or whim. Once sketched upon the canvas in pencil, I proceed to paint and brush onto that canvas with acrylic paint. This process usually take several months to complete.
Your portraits of everyday people are as mesmerizing as your famous portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. What is it that draws you to a person?
Portraits are a very dear subject for me, particularly large ones. Whenever someone visually grabs my attention for any reason, I usually make a request for a pose which often goes rewarded. Perhaps it is their hair or certain attitude that I find appealing. Essentially, I look for that timeless feeling.
Your commission to paint for the ocean liner The Queen Mary 2 had to be an exciting honor.
For those murals on board the QM2, I was approached by agents representing Cunard Lines in Amsterdam by e-mail because my website must have captured their strong interest. There were requirements to be met and one interesting one was that the murals had to be flame proof. After some search online then, I was able to locate a canvas manufacturer that makes this Trevira (TM) brand and ordered 10-foot-wide rolls 40 feet long from Nurnberg, Germany. The ship’s insurance company in London requested my canvas sample and it passed the flame test. These tall murals depict coastal scenes of England and America and are now hung by the elevators on board the QM2. Fans having sailed on board would thoughtfully send me selfies confirming they have admired these murals. Such gestures would make my day.
You are presently showing your work at the Reboli Center’s Bloom exhibit in Stony Brook. What piece do you have on exhibit there?
Originally, I was going to include my latest “Grand Florale” at this Reboli Exhibition “Bloom”, however, fortunately and unfortunately, I had sold the mural, all 11 feet of it to a private collector. I decided to exhibit one of my favorites titled, “The Path” which depicts one of my refreshing walks by the beach path covered with rugosa roses in bloom.
How can the public view your work ?
Visit my latest website, http://wildbankfineart.com and facebook page under “Charles Wildbank” and view my story on the Reboli Center website. Also, I welcome visitors to my studio in Jamesport to see my work in person or to join a group for art lessons by appointment.
By Tara Mae
Proud portraits. Mixed media meditations. Vibrant colors and muted tones. A true exploration of artistic expression, the 26th annual Long Island’s Best: Young Artists at the Heckscher Museum student exhibition is now on view in Huntington through May 29.
Jurors Karli Wurzelbacher, (Curator, at The Heckscher Museum), and local artist Emily Martin (a weaver, installation artist, and textile designer) had the difficult task of selecting 79 works out of 399 entries from 55 different schools. “It is our most competitive year yet,” said Director of Visitor Experience Kristina Schaaf.
Top awards went to four distinct mixed media works of art. 11th grader Ashley Park of Half Hollow Hills High School West won the Celebrate Achievement Best in Show award for This is Who I Am; 12th grader Anjali Gauld of Manhasset High School received Second Place for Bowerbird’s Baubles; 12th grader Khizran Fatima of Hicksville High School captured Third Place for Sinf e Aahan (Women of Steel); 12th grader Charlotte Quintero of Hicksville High School received Fourth Place for Tattered Flesh.
“Long Island’s Best is a way to highlight the talent we have in our communities and connect it with the public. People come in and cannot believe that teenagers have created such high caliber art,” said Director of Education and Public Programs Joy Weiner.
The museum is an educational institution at its core and Long Island’s Best is the culmination of its school outreach program. High school art teachers arrange for their students to visit the museum either in person, or since the pandemic began, virtually.
Educators at the museum guide the students through detailed study and discourse about works of art; students then select the works of art that most appeal to them as inspiration for their own pieces. Participants include Artist Statements in their submissions, describing their methods, inspirations, and reactions to what they saw in the museum, as well as how it led them to creating their art.
“Jurors reading about their work in their own words is a huge part of the process; it is so important for students to have to speak about what they are making,” Schaaf said. “The statements are also on view in exhibition. We take what every student has written about their process and ideas and we put it on the walls. Visitors hear from students themselves when they visit and we include little images of works that inspired them.”
There are two awards that have not yet been determined: Visitors’ Choice, for which museum-goers may vote in person and Virtual Visitors Choice, for which website viewers may vote online.
In addition to the month-long exhibition in the galleries, Mitchell’s, the Huntington-based retailer, and Firefly Gallery in Northport are currently showing select student works in their stores through May.
Beyond the immediate satisfaction of having their efforts recognized, guest juror Martin, a finalist in Long Island’s Best when she was a junior at Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School in 2014, identifies with the impact participating in the exhibit can have on the students.
“I was always interested in art, but was unsure if it would be something I would pursue until I got into the LI Best show. Being chosen for this exhibit jump started my journey to become an artist,” Martin said.
The Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Avenue, Huntington is open Thursday to Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m. $5 admission is suggested for adults, free for children under the age of 13. For more information, call 631-380-3230 or visit www.heckscher.org.
On April 26, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich attended the 22nd annual Brookhaven Chambers of Commerce Coalition (BCCC) Awards Night at the Meadow Club in Port Jefferson Station.
Established in 1992, the Brookhaven Chambers of Commerce Coalition represents more than 16 chambers in the Town of Brookhaven. The awards reception honors members that represent the values and mission of the coalition.
During the evening, Brookhaven Town chamber members were recognized by the Supervisor and Councilmember for their service to the business community. In addition to running their own businesses, members share the understanding that small businesses provide jobs to thousands of people and help create a sense of place in the community.
“Congratulations to all the award recipients. This recognition of service to the business community is well deserved, especially after the difficulties brought on by the pandemic. Small business was hit hard, but now it’s their time to rebound and get back to business as usual,” said Supervisor Romaine.
“I was so proud to see our own Jennifer Dzvonar from the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce; James Luciano from the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and Colette Frey-Bitzas from the Three Village Chamber of Commerce be nominated as members of the year,” said Councilmember Kornreich.
“The town wide winner was our very own Jen Dzvonar. Thank you, Jen and all our Chamber members for everything you do to make Council District 1 a great place to live and do business. Special thanks to Indu Kaur for hosting the event at the elegant Meadow Club, and a shoutout to Barbara Ransome for running a great event,” he added.
Middle Country stayed within striking distance through the first 24 minutes of play, but the Huntington Blue Devils slammed the door in the second half with seven unanswered goals to put the game away, 16-4, in a Division-I matchup May 10.
Huntington packed a one-two punch with Robbie Smith on attack scoring four goals and two assists along with teammate Liam Lennon who had three assists and four goals in the win. Huntington mid-fielder Aidan McNulty was in on four assists with two goals, and Chris Maichin scored twice.
Middle Country senior Justin Robbert had two goals for the Mad Dogs, and Colin Cleary and Charlie Cavalieri both scored.
The win lifts Huntington to 10-3 in league, 10-4 overall, with one game remaining before post season play begins.
The loss drops the Mad Dogs to 6-7.
The Patriots of Ward Melville went into the half time break, protecting a two-goal lead , before exploding in the second half rattling off ten unanswered goals against Lindenhurst to win 15-3 at home on senior day May 5.
Senior attackman Tyler Ruffini led the way with three assists and two goals. Kevin Dolan netted two goals and a pair of assists and Andrew Belli stretched the net three times in the Division I match-up. Goalie Zachary Licavoli had six saves in net.
The win lifts the Patriots to 9-2 in the division, 9-4 overall, trailing Smithtown East and Northport with three games remaining before post season play begins May 17.
It was a steady drizzle that made for a wet Port Jefferson lacrosse field where the Royals (5-6) hit a roadblock hosting the 9-2 Bulls of Smithtown West in a Division II match-up May 6.
The Bulls took a 13-0 lead at the halftime break before Port Jeff senior midfielder Blake Roberts scored midway through the third quarter to avert the shutout. Smithtown West’s offensive attack was too much as the Bulls cruised to a 20-1 victory.
West’s senior attack Ryan Trebing had five assists and three goals. Colin Hansen scored five, and teammate Tom Hyland found the cage three times along with two assists.
The win keeps Smithtown West solidly in third spot in the division, behind Shoreham-Wading River and Mt. Sinai with three games remaining before the playoffs begin May 17.
MAKING BEAUTIFUL MUSIC
All Souls Church in Stony Brook welcomed the renowned Euclid Quartet on April 30 as part of the church’s Saturdays at Six concert series. Pictured from left, violinist Jameson Cooper, violinist Aviva Hakanoglu, cellist Chris Wild, violist Luis Enrique Vargas, concertgoer Kathy Donnelly and Dan Kerr of All Souls Church. “We had a full house, and the music was world class!” Kerr said.
By Bill Landon
It was all Comsewogue in the first 24 minutes of play when senior attack Michael Katz had his hat-trick two minutes before the halftime break.
Miller Place co-captain Anthony Bartolotto arrested the Warrior scoring frenzy when the senior buried his shot to take the goose egg off the board in this Div. II showdown on May 3. The Warriors stood on the gas and never looked back, putting the game away 10-3.
Katz finished his day with four goals and two assists. Teammates Justin Bonacci had an assist and three goals, Brayden Arias scored twice and James Krieg stretched the net. Goalie’s Adam Wachholder had eight saves in net and Gavin Larsen stopped five.
Miller Place senior Devon Duchnokski and Robby Cunningham each had a goal apiece and keeper Kenny Leen had six saves.
The win lifts the Warriors to 8-3 in league and the loss drops the Panthers to 7-4 with three games remaining before post season play begins.
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