Archive for the ‘Features’ Category

‘Standing Ovation’ set for May 4; Meier receives ‘Gratitude of a City’

Monday, April 22, 2013 by:Phyllis Boros

From the desk of arts writer Phyllis Boros.

A few things about Maestro Gustav Meier, who ended his 41-season tenure with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony with an extraordinary concert Saturday night at the Klein:

1. Just in case you missed the Editorial Page on Sunday (4/21),the Post’s “Gratitude of a City” editorial is attached below. … short and very, very sweet.
2. Saturday’s GBS concert (4/20) at the Klein turned out to be one of the most touching events seen in Bridgeport in a long time. The packed theater was full of appreciative music-lovers who gave Meier and orchestra round after round of applause. The guest pianist — Vanessa Perez of Venezuela — was sensational during the first half; the second part of the program was all-GBS & Gustav performing Brahms Symphony No. 1.
For an encore, the orchestra & the maestro performed the rousing overture to the “Marriage of Figaro,” by Mozart (Gustav’s favorite composer).
3. Now that his “work” is done, Meier will fly in (from his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan) to “party” at a “Standing Ovation” gala in his honor on the evening of Saturday, May 4, at the Patterson Club in Fairfield.
For tickets, and more info, contact Alex Morr, GBS executive director, at 203-576-0263 or visit www.gbs.org.

Gratitude of a city
Bravo, Maestro.

After 41 extraordinary seasons wielding the conductor’s baton with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, Gustav Meier is calling it quits.

At age 83, he’s lost none of the gusto that he brought to performances in Bridgeport, but has decided the time is right to put his tie and tails away and pursue other projects, including, perhaps, the writing of a memoir.

Times are never easy for cultural institutions, particularly in a city like Bridgeport with its mix of urban problems.

The Swiss-born Meier, though, added the grace notes of elegance and sophistication to the song of the city and certainly was instrumental through the sheer force of his personality in helping to keep the symphony, truly a community symphony, on its feet.

We thank him for his commitment to the city and its symphony and wish him well with his plans.

Steve McCurry visits Greenwich gallery 4/18

Tuesday, April 16, 2013 by:Phyllis Boros

You many not know his name, but chances are you know his photos.

For decades, photojournalist Steve McCurry has been traveling the world to document the human experience in all its beauty, chaos, diversity and struggle — a mission to which he remains committed.

Many of his magazine photos have become iconic, such as “Afghan Girl” (National Geographic, June 1985), with stunning, penetrating eyes who he photographed in a refugee camp near Peshawar, Pakistan. That image was subsequently named as “the most recognized photograph” in the history of National Geographic and has been frequently used on Amnesty International brochures, posters and calendars.
In celebration of his life’s work, Cavalier Galleries in Greenwich has mounted a 30-year retrospective that runs through May 6. On Thursday, April 18, the gallery will host an evening public reception for McCurry.

Cavalier Galleries is at 405 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich. Reception: Thursday, April 18, 6 to 8 p.m. Free. www.cavaliergalleries.com; 203-869-3664.
NOTE: FOR A full interview with the photographer, see Sunday’s Pulse, April 21.

Art-lovers invited to 3 new shows

Tuesday, April 9, 2013 by:Phyllis Boros

By Phyllis A.S. Boros
Rabbits aren’t the only thing hoppin’ at this time of year.
For arts lovers, spring means the beginning of a new gallery/museum season throughout the region.
And in the next few days, three major shows will be opening in the region. So it’s time to get out the calendar and join the social whirl — and see some great art in the process.

City Lights Gallery
From Thursday, April 11, to Thursday, May 23, Bridgeport’s nonprofit City Light’s Gallery will present “Sketch.”

“The first manifestation of a good idea is usually a quick sketch,” explains curator/gallery director Suzanne Kachmar.
“The synthesis of thought or observation transposed to paper through immediate marks — made with simple tools — is a sublime marvel.
“This exhibit will consider the creative thinking process through sketches, drawings, renderings and plans of artists and designers,” she added.
Artists featured from throughout the region include Tom Brenner, Janice Bielawa, Robert Gregson, Carol Heft, Charlie Walsh, Rebecca Schwartz, Joel Spector, Greg Van Antwerp, Mary Witkowski and students from Housatonic Community College.
Also on view will be a working cartoon (a preliminary sketch) for one of the many murals and large-scale paintings created by the late Bernard Riley in preparation for his now-famous mural on the second floor of the Burroughs-Saden Library in downtown Bridgeport.
For hours and other events, visit www.citylightsgallery.org; 203-334-7748.

Bellarmine Museum
The streets of New York are fodder for “Excavation: Recent Photographs by Stanley Greenberg” at Fairfield University’s Bellarmine Museum of Art Friday, April 12, through Friday, June 14.

According to the museum, “ ‘Excavation’ is the artistic culmination of critically acclaimed architectural photographer Stanley Greenberg’s quest to walk every street in New York City, documenting the typologies (such as little streets, rocks, buttresses and empty spaces) he encounters while traversing the island in search of remnants of a forgotten urban past.”
The show will feature nine large format black-and-white images and about 50 smaller color photographs.
The artist, born in 1956, explores “that which is hidden in plain sight,” the museum notes.
Among exhibition sponsors are the Whole Foods Market, Moffly Media, Fidelity Investments, the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Greenberg has authored four photography books: “Invisible New York: The Hidden Infrastructure of the City” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998); “Waterworks: A Photographic Journey Through New York’s Hidden Water System” (Princeton Architectural Press, 2003); “Architecture Under Construction” (University of Chicago Press, 2010) and “Time Machines” (Hirmer Verlag, 2011).
Upcoming: Saturday, April 13, is Family Day from 1 to 4 p.m., with activities planned for children age 4 and older. The museum also will be open April 13 to the public from noon to 5 p.m. Free admission.
For additional information and events: visit www.fairfield.edu/museum; 203-254-4046.

Crash in Southport
“Hide ‘N’ Seek,” an exhibition of new paintings by urban street artist John “Crash” Matos, is at Southport Galleries in Fairfield.
Matos, 51, considered among the pioneers of the graffiti art movement of the 1970s, will be on hand to meet with guests.
For directions: 203-292-6124; www.southportgalleries.com.
pasboros@ctpost.com; http;//www.twitter.com/PhyllisASBoros; www.ctpost.com/boros/

Litter pick-up effort in Milford begins today

Monday, April 1, 2013 by:John Burgeson

We received this press release from Milford City Hall recently:

MILFORD — Mayor Ben Blake and the Milford Conservation Commission are challenging the citizens of Milford to pick up 50,000 pieces of litter by May 11 when the city will celebrate Earth Day.

Called the “50K by Earth Day Litter Challenge,” this campaign offers all individuals, households, school groups, scouts and civic organizations the opportunity to work together in cleaning up the city’s streets, open spaces and beaches in an all-out spring cleaning.

If each citizen picks up one piece of litter, Milford will reach its 50K goal. Mayor Blake will help kick off the campaign on Monday, April 1, at 3:30 p.m., at the Fowler Pavilion with students and other participants cleaning up the field and adjacent Wilcox Park.

Litter should be bagged and left for regular curbside pickup or recycling according to the normal rules. The approximate number of items (doesn’t need to be exact) can be reported online at this website or by filling out and dropping a form in a box at the Milford Public Library or at the Milford Earth Day registration booth.

The public is urged to be safe – use caution when cleaning up near high traffic areas, wear gloves, and be careful when handling sharp objects. Large objects or hazardous materials not suited to curbside pickup, or evidence of dumping, should be left in place and reported through the Milford Conservation Commission Facebook page, or reported to Milford Public Works (203-783-3265).

Boehm Porcelain collection on view in Redding

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 by:Phyllis Boros

Stunning vibrant flowers (that never wilt or lose their color) and beautiful birds (that never roam from their perch) are specialties of Boehm Porcelain, one of the world’s most famous makers of floral, wildlife and religious porcelain sculptures.

Other than at its Trenton, N.J., showroom, it’s rare to see more than a few at a time in one location. But now through April 14, more than 60 early works from the Boehm workshop are on view at the Mark Twain Library in Redding.
All the works are from the private collection of KT Carter, whose wildlife photography exhibit, “Birds of Winter,” also is on display.

Edward Marshall Boehm (1913-1965) was a self-taught American sculptor who achieved enormous fame and success during his lifetime for his porcelain designs.

His company continues in the same Trenton studio that he founded in 1950; http://boehmporcelain.com. Many of the works sell for thousands of dollars.

From the White House to the Vatican, Boehm Porcelain is renowned. Queen Elizabeth II, Pope John Paul II, Mikhail Gorbachev and every U.S. president since Dwight Eisenhower has collected Boehm, according to its website, which noted that such museums as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Hermitage in Moscow and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., are among its prominent patrons.

“Boehm porcelain is the only American art form to have two dedicated rooms in the Vatican Museum in Rome,” the website reports. June Miles, who is affiliated with the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, is show curator.

“The exhibit is a wonderful opportunity” to see these exquisite pieces, said collector Carter.

The Mark Twain Library, 439 Redding Road, Redding. Hours are Monday to Wednesday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursdays 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fridays, Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays noon -5 p.m. Free. 203-938-2545.
— Phyllis A.S. Boros

Musical memorial service set for Robert S. Tellalian

Thursday, January 17, 2013 by:Phyllis Boros

A musical memorial service for lawyer and community leader Robert S. Tellalian will take place Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, at 1 p.m. at the 1,100-seat United Congregational Church, 877 Park Avenue (at the corner of State Street) in Bridgeport. The service will be open to the public.

Mr. Tellalian died at his Stratford home on Christmas, Dec. 25, 2012, just a few weeks following the death of his wife, Jean Hamilton Tellalian. He was 91.

Known throughout his life as a choral singer and supporter of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, Mr. Tellalian will be memorialized by more than 75 GBS musicians and chorale singers from around the state. All are volunteering their time.

An event spokesman, John Polo (a GBS board member) said that Mr. Tellalian’s long and rich life will be celebrated with several masterworks from Mendelssohn, Brahms and Rutter as well as with pieces on pipe organ by Dr. John Michniewicz, the church’s director of music.

Mr. Tellalian was predeceased by his older brother, Judge Aram Tellalian, with whom he was partner for more than 50 years in the downtown Bridgeport law firm of Tellalian & Tellalian. The firm moved to Trumbull a few years ago.

Mr. Tellalian served on numerous committees and boards, most notably as chairman of GBS since the mid-1990s and a leader of Goodwill of Western & Northern Connecticut (portraying Santa for 54 years at parties for the disabled and impoverished children).

Prior to his passing, Mr. Tellalian asked that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions benefit the organizations that he loved:

Greater Bridgeport Symphony,
446 University Avenue,
Bridgeport, CT 06604

Goodwill Industries,
165 Ocean Terrace,
Bridgeport, CT 06605

United Congregational Church,
Special Music Fund,
877 Park Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06604

For a full obituary, written by Phyllis Boros:

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Community-leader-lawyer-Robert-S-Tellalian-dies-4147314.php

For an OP-ED tribute, written by Dave Keyes, in Sunday’s paper, 12/30/12 :

http://www.ctpost.com/opinion/article/Tellalian-man-of-many-roles-4152732.php

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Tellalian memorial set for Jan. 19

Wednesday, January 2, 2013 by:Phyllis Boros

A memorial service for lawyer and community leader Robert S. Tellalian will take place Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, at 1 p.m. at the United Congregational Church, 877 Park Avenue (at the corner of State Street) in Bridgeport. The memorial is open to the public.

Mr. Tellalian died at his Stratford home on Christmas, Dec. 25, 2012, just a few weeks following the death of his wife, Jean Hamilton Tellalian. He was 91.
He was also predeceased by his brother, Judge Aram Tellalian, with whom he was partner for more than 50 years in the downtown Bridgeport law firm of Tellalian & Tellalian. The firm moved to Trumbull a few years ago.

Mr. Tellalian served on numerous committees and boards, most notably as chairman of the board of trustees for the Greater Bridgeport Symphony since the mid-1990s and a leader with Goodwill of Western & Northern Connecticut (portraying Santa for 54 years at parties for the disabled and impoverished children).

Prior to his passing, Mr. Tellalian asked that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions benefit the organizations that he loved:

Greater Bridgeport Symphony,
446 University Avenue,
Bridgeport, CT 06604

Goodwill Industries,
165 Ocean Terrace,
Bridgeport, CT 06605

United Congregational Church,
Special Music Fund,
877 Park Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06604

For a full obituary, written by Phyllis Boros:

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Community-leader-lawyer-Robert-S-Tellalian-dies-4147314.php

For an OP-ED tribute, written by Dave Keyes, in Sunday’s paper, 12/30/12 :

http://www.ctpost.com/opinion/article/Tellalian-man-of-many-roles-4152732.php

David Pogue talks about his tech-savvy marriage proposal

Friday, August 24, 2012 by:Brittany Lyte

David Pogue, the New York Times tech columnist who lives in Westport, proposed marriage to his girlfriend last week in true tech guru fashion: He persuaded a theater at a summer resort to play a mini-movie he commissioned that tells the story of how he and his now-fiancee fell in love.

He captured the emotional reaction of his bride-to-be on a spy camera concealed in a ficus plant.

The proposal video has since gone viral, an appropriate nod to the tech writer who has 1.4 million Twitter followers. The seven-minute skit has been viewed online more than 170,000 times in six days. (Read our full story about the proposal video here.)

Pogue’s Proposal from david pogue on Vimeo.

Early this morning Pogue answered a few questions rom a reporter about his creative proposal.

Q&A with David Pogue

1. Who is your finance, Nicki, and how did you meet?

She’s Nicki Dugan, who works in high-tech PR. (Don’t worry–I don’t review anything she reps. )
I met her on a NOVA shoot, when she was representing a company where we were filming.

2. How did you come up with the idea to craft a video proposal?

It was my kids’ idea! They described it in detail–how *I* should not be in it (until the very end), and how it should not even reveal itself to be about US until halfway through!

3. Who are the actors in the movie?

“David” is Sean Hingston, and “Nicki” is Sarah O’Gleby. Both are fantastically talented Broadway performers. They’re “triple threats”–they sing, dance, and act. It’s just a shame they didn’t have an opportunity to dance in my video!

4. When did you film it and how long did it take?

We crammed 22 scenes into two days of filming in July. Both were very long days. It takes a long time to set up each shot so that it looks great–that, as I learned, is why filming a REAL movie takes so long!

After we were done, it took me about a week to edit the finished thing together–not nonstop (I was busy shooting a NOVA series for PBS), but on and off.

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