MITCH TRAPHAGEN'S PHOTOS from AWoW's SHOWCASE AT SID GOLD'S

Mitch Traphagen’s photos from AWoW’s Showcase at Sid Gold’s, March 29, 2016.

Chris Bergson
Chris Bergson
Alison Armstrong
Alison Armstrong
Charles R. Hale
Charles R. Hale
David Lawlor
David S. Goldman
Noel Lawlor
Noel Lawlor
Marty Plevel and Chris Bergson
Marty Plevel and Chris Bergson
Lara Herscovitch
Lara Herscovitch
Lara Herscovitch, Charles R. Hale, Alison Armstrong, Chris Bergson, David S. Goldman and Noel Lawlor
Lara Herscovitch, Charles R. Hale, Alison Armstrong, Chris Bergson, David S. Goldman and Noel Lawlor

VERA HOAR'S PHOTOS from ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS' SHOWCASE at SID GOLD'S

Vera Hoar’s photos from Artists Without Walls’ Showcase at Sid Gold’s, February 4, 2016. 

 

Marty Plevel and Martina Fiserova
Marty Plevel and Martina Fiserova

 

Shu Nakamura
Shu Nakamura

 

Niamh Hyland, Connie Roberts, Shu Nakamura and Annette Homann
Niamh Hyland, Liv Mammone, Shu Nakamura, Connie Roberts and Annette Homann

 

Liv Mammone and Noah Hoffeld
Connie Roberts, Liv Mammone and Noah Hoffeld

 

Niamh Hyland
Niamh Hyland

 

Liv Mammone
Liv Mammone

 

Eric Hoover and Pandora MacLean Hoover
Eric Hoover and Pandora MacLean-Hoover

 

Martina Fiserova
Martina Fiserova

 

Charles R. Hale
Charles R. Hale

 

 

 

MITCH TRAPHAGEN'S PHOTOS of ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS' SHOWCASE at THE CELL, NOV 20, 2015

Mitch Traphagen’s photos from Artists Without Walls’ November 2015 Showcase at The Cell Theater in Manhattan. Performers and presenters included Tara O’Grady, Stella Pulo, Tue Hoe, Faye Franzini, Richard Deane, Martina Fiserova and Alejandro Colon-Rabinowitz. Produced by AWOW’s artistic directors Charles Hale and Niamh Hyland. www.artistwithoutwalls.com. 

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Artists Without Walls November 2015 Showcase at The Cell Theater in Manhattan on November 20, 2015. Performers and presenters included Tara O’Grady, Stella Pulo, Tue Hoe, Richard Deane, Martina Fiserova and Alejandro Colon-Rabinowitz. Produced by AWOW artistic directors Charles Hale and Niamh Hyland. www.artistwithoutwalls.com.

Tue Ho and Faye Fazini

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Artists Without Walls November 2015 Showcase at The Cell Theater in Manhattan on November 20, 2015. Performers and presenters included Tara O’Grady, Stella Pulo, Tue Hoe, Richard Deane, Martina Fiserova and Alejandro Colon-Rabinowitz. Produced by AWOW artistic directors Charles Hale and Niamh Hyland. www.artistwithoutwalls.com.

Justin Colon-Rabinowitz and Connie Roberts

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Artists Without Walls November 2015 Showcase at The Cell Theater in Manhattan on November 20, 2015. Performers and presenters included Tara O’Grady, Stella Pulo, Tue Hoe, Richard Deane, Martina Fiserova and Alejandro Colon-Rabinowitz. Produced by AWOW artistic directors Charles Hale and Niamh Hyland. www.artistwithoutwalls.com.

Justin Poindexter and Tara O’Grady

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Artists Without Walls November 2015 Showcase at The Cell Theater in Manhattan on November 20, 2015. Performers and presenters included Tara O’Grady, Stella Pulo, Tue Hoe, Richard Deane, Martina Fiserova and Alejandro Colon-Rabinowitz. Produced by AWOW artistic directors Charles Hale and Niamh Hyland. www.artistwithoutwalls.com.

Martina Fiserova

Artists Without Walls November 2015 Showcase at The Cell Theater in Manhattan on November 20, 2015. Performers and presenters included Tara O’Grady, Stella Pulo, Tue Hoe, Richard Deane, Martina Fiserova and Alejandro Colon-Rabinowitz. Produced by AWOW artistic directors Charles Hale and Niamh Hyland. www.artistwithoutwalls.com.

Justin Colon-Rabinowitz

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Artists Without Walls November 2015 Showcase at The Cell Theater in Manhattan on November 20, 2015. Performers and presenters included Tara O’Grady, Stella Pulo, Tue Hoe, Richard Deane, Martina Fiserova and Alejandro Colon-Rabinowitz. Produced by AWOW artistic directors Charles Hale and Niamh Hyland. www.artistwithoutwalls.com.

Tue Ho and Faye Franzini

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Artists Without Walls November 2015 Showcase at The Cell Theater in Manhattan on November 20, 2015. Performers and presenters included Tara O’Grady, Stella Pulo, Tue Hoe, Richard Deane, Martina Fiserova and Alejandro Colon-Rabinowitz. Produced by AWOW artistic directors Charles Hale and Niamh Hyland. www.artistwithoutwalls.com.

Richard Deane

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Artists Without Walls November 2015 Showcase at The Cell Theater in Manhattan on November 20, 2015. Performers and presenters included Tara O’Grady, Stella Pulo, Tue Hoe, Richard Deane, Martina Fiserova and Alejandro Colon-Rabinowitz. Produced by AWOW artistic directors Charles Hale and Niamh Hyland. www.artistwithoutwalls.com.

Stella Pulo and Alison Armstrong

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IMG_9879-112015awownovember2015showcase

Tara O’Grady

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Artists Without Walls November 2015 Showcase at The Cell Theater in Manhattan on November 20, 2015. Performers and presenters included Tara O’Grady, Stella Pulo, Tue Hoe, Richard Deane, Martina Fiserova and Alejandro Colon-Rabinowitz. Produced by AWOW artistic directors Charles Hale and Niamh Hyland. www.artistwithoutwalls.com.

Charles R. Hale

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DSC05118-112015awownovember2015showcase

Gary Ryan, Sam Adelman, Pandora Maclean-Hoover, John Moran, Lynnell Herzer, Eric Hoover, Charles R. Hale and Annette Homann

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Artists Without Walls November 2015 Showcase at The Cell Theater in Manhattan on November 20, 2015. Performers and presenters included Tara O’Grady, Stella Pulo, Tue Hoe, Richard Deane, Martina Fiserova and Alejandro Colon-Rabinowitz. Produced by AWOW artistic directors Charles Hale and Niamh Hyland. www.artistwithoutwalls.com.

Tara O’Grady and David Goldman

A KISS REMEMBERED by RON VAZZANO

Unconditional Surrender: A Kiss Reconsidered

by Ron Vazzano

 

The 15th of August represented the 70th anniversary of the news that Japan had surrendered, which in effect ended World War II. Called V-J Day— though technically that is September 2nd with the signing of formal documents— it was a day of euphoria in which people took to the streets across America in a collective spontaneous celebration.

 

One overly exuberant (and inebriated) sailor in Times Square, took liberties in kissing seemingly every woman in his path. Famed photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captured one of those unsolicited kisses planted on a non-consenting nurse—full on-mouth with 45 degree body dip for added flare— in what has arguably become the most iconic of photographs ever taken. And it has only been within the last three years, that the participants, both of whom are still living, have been positively identified as George Mendonça and Greta Zimmer Friedman.

                                Legendary_kiss_V–J_day_in_Times_Square_Alfred_Eisenstaedt

And as a particularly interesting footnote, Mendonça was with his date on that day of his serial kissing; a woman named Rita, whom he would come to marry. (She is standing in the background of the photo.). And according to a news story that ran not long ago, they were approaching their 69th wedding anniversary.

 

That moment in turn, has inspired a series of sculptures by artist Seward Johnson, which in an obvious play on words, he entitled Unconditional Surrender. The original was first installed in Sarasota in 2007, and it has since moved about as if on tour, to San Diego, Hamilton, New Jersey, Pearl Harbor, New York— in Times Square of course. And when it showed up last year in Normandy, France, a French feminist group petitioned to have it removed immediately, claiming that it depicts an act of sexual assault on a woman who did not give verbal consent to being kissed, and essentially being manhandled.

 

When I caught sight of it recently, it did now seem a bit icky. Especially given its mammoth 25-foot size, which only magnifies the transgression as evidenced once again, by the nurse’s posture and body language. It can hardly be called compliant.

 

Statue Of Iconic Image Of Soldier And Nurse Kissing Debuts In Times Square

 

But beyond what is debatable about the appropriateness of that kiss, is that it emerged from a state of mass and spontaneous—the operative word here euphoria. When did that last happen? Where people took to the streets to celebrate as one? And under what circumstances can you imagine something like that ever happening again?

Yes, we celebrate each New Year in this very Times Square. As we do Mardi Gras in New Orleans. As we do in parades for one thing or another in the cities and towns across America every year. But all are planned and well-orchestrated. What now would make us suddenly, and joyously, take to the streets unscripted? If anything, more the likely we would “take to the Tweets.” But even in that contemporary forum of spontaneous expression, there would no doubt be dispute, with not everyone being on the same virtual page. Which brings one to consider war itself: what winning of what war today would be cause for celebration? How do we even define war any more, much less what constitutes the winning of one?

 

Ultimately what grabbed me looking at that statue, is how much more complex our life and times have become; how less black and white than that summer’s day in ‘45.

 

With that, we made our way over to Chez Josephine’s, a retro Paris bistro— circa: pre-war 1930’s— on 42nd Street and 9th Avenue, for a cool drink to beat the summer heat.

 

 

ALL ABOUT MITCH TRAPHAGEN: PHOTOGRAPHER and PHOTOJOURNALIST


1219106_300x300-1“With the web and social media, imagery is more important than ever. When I was a Congressional press secretary, I probably shot 10,000 frames of just one person (itself a challenge). But imagery sticks in the minds of viewers – and my goal is always to accurately show people whom my subject truly is. Through imagery, I’ve tried hard to convey that. With artists – an accurate image showing their passion and talent is worth well more than a thousand words. “
Mitch Traphagen

 

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We’ve had the great pleasure to get to know Mitch Traphagen through his photographs and films taken at Artists Without Walls’ Showcases and now with his photo work on the Artists Without Walls/Charles R. Hale production of a short film, “A Moment.”

 

A Moment Charles Hale Production

 

Who is Mitch?  Mitch is a photojournalist, a former Congressional press secretary, and a former systems developer and senior executive for a Fortune 30 corporation.

 

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He’s based in both the NYC and the Tampa Bay area. He is available to performing artists and for editorial, feature and documentary services — both photography and the written word.  For artists, he will work to not only document their unique talents but will also work within their budget.

 

A Moment Charles Hale Production

 

Since 2011 he has primarily gone to Leica for documentary photography with both the Leica M240 and the Leica M Monochrom cameras. In addition, he has a full compliment of professional Canon gear for both still photography and videography. His equipment also includes full professional audio recording capability and a full video editing suite.

 

A Moment Charles Hale Production

 

Over the years, Mitch has documented hundreds of lives, places and events. He works hard to ensure the images and words he uses accurately portray the subject. Borrowing from Gay Talese, he tells the truth in an interesting way.

 

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Since 2002, he has won more than 70 awards for excellence for editorial writing and photography from the Community Papers of Florida, an organization of newspapers with a combined readership of nine million people. Mitch is a member of the National Press Photographers Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. 

 

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You can learn more about Mitch and see his work by clicking here

 

You can contact Mitch at:

Tampa: (813) 426-4177 (text message preferred)

New York: (646) 926-7309 (text message preferred)

CROSSING IRELAND; "SPIDEIL ROAD, GALWAY BAY II" by ANGELA ALAIMO O'DONNELL

The sixth poem in Angela Alaimo O’Donnell’s series. Click “Crossing Ireland” for the opening essay.  More about Angela Alaimo O’Donnell

 

SPIDEIL ROAD, GALWAY BAY II

 

Here at the margin of the world all is edge.

Rock juts against green hedge,

the sea cuts a long knife of shore,

sky meets sand in a bleared scrim,

all muffled in a cotton of fog.

 

Amid the blab of the pub

I’m made to feel welcome.

Then the savage cut,

sudden as blood,

struck by the stranger

or, worse, my child

irked by my joy and banter.

 

I fade into that fog,

walk among the ghosts

as I hear the dead tales

told of me:

she was a nuisance

and our great fool.

 

The wounds still fresh,

today I eye

the same sea & earth & sky

with a difference.

 –

DSCF0216

 

Photo by Charles  R. Hale

 

 

 

 

VERA HOAR'S PHOTOS from ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS' SHOWCASE at THE CELL THEATRE

Vera Hoar’s photos from Tuesday’s Artists Without Walls’ Showcase at The Cell Theatre. Names appear above the photos.

 

Connie Roberts, Tom Myles and Joe McElligott

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Erin Layton

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Karl Scully

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Jack O’Connell and Joe Goodrich

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Bernard Smith

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The Cajuns

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Charles R.Hale, Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy and Brendan Fay

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The Smiling Faces of AWoW

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CAT DWYER'S PHOTOS OF AWoW'S SHOWCASE AT LEHMAN COLLEGE, 4/25/2013

Cat Dwyer’s photos of the Artists Without Walls’ Showcase at Lehman College, April 25, 2013. The names of the artists appear above the pictures.

 

“Street Genius” Billy Barrett

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Antoinette Montague and Danny Mixon

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Antoinette  and Danny 

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Enjoying Antoinette and Danny

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Marni Rice and Xio Evans

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Koro

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Moley and Owen O’Suilleabhain

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Owen, Koro, and Moley

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Paul Nugent and Katherine O’Sullivan 

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Annette Homann

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Thad DeBrock and Salina Sias

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Honor Finnegan and Aviv Roth

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