Tag Archives: Larry Silver

Townwide Youth Concert Adds Chinese Art

Posted on February 4, 2020 | Comments Off

Tonight is the townwide Youth Concert. The annual cross-cultural, collaborative event involves every school’s music department, plus teachers in departments like world language.

This year’s focus is on China. It’s part of the school district’s global initiative project.

Which means there is plenty of opportunity for visual arts too.

Beginning last year, Westport Public Art Collections’ exhibition — “Ties that Bind: Yangzhou and Westport” was displayed in every town elementary school.

The exhibit features ink landscape paintings by a pair of Chinese artists, donated to Westport in 2005 by our sister city. It also includes photos by famed local photographer Larry Silver, who first visited Yangzhou with a town delegation in 1996.

The Chinese government invited him back 3 years later. Both times, Silver took hundreds of black and white photos of the people and places he saw. A little more than 2 decades later, that way of life is very much changed.

Viewing, discussing and doing classroom projects with that artwork has been a great way for students to learn about China, before the youth concert.

Using WestPAC art to teach about China.

Dr. Ive Covaci, an Asian art scholar, adjunct professor at Fairfield University and WestPAC education chair, led professional development sessions with K-12 art teachers.

Then, elementary school students explored — via discussions and projects — the millenniums-old art of Chinese painting. They also compared the painters’ mountain landscapes to Silver’s photos of natural scenery.

Coleytown Elementary School students — who practiced writing Chinese characters, using an actual calligraphy brush — shared their activities on the school blog.

Practicing calligraphy in the Westport schools.

The public can see “The Ties That Bind” at tonight’s Youth Concert (7 p.m., Staples High School auditorium). Its tour ends at Town Hall, this spring.

(For more information on the Westport Public Art Collections, email westpac@westportps.org. The next open meeting is Friday, February 7, 9 9 a.m. in Town Hall Room 201.)

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Posted in Arts, Children, Education, Staples HS

Tagged Larry Silver, Westport Public Art Collections, Westport Youth Concert

Larry Silver Celebrates Leonardo Da Vinci

Posted on November 9, 2019 | 2 comments

It’s been 500 years since the death of Leonardo da Vinci. Museums all over the world are celebrating the life and death of the remarkable inventor/artist/ architect — the literal embodiment of a Renaissance man.

Leonardo da Vinci

In the 16th century, a plague killed nearly a third of Milan’s population. In its aftermath da Vinci designed a city with greater communications, water, services and sanitation — all to prevent future spreads of the plague.

Unfortunately, the city was never built.

Half a millennium later, photographers from around the world were invited to submit images that show da Vinci’s influence, as seen in today’s world.

A thousand entries were submitted. Only 30 were chosen.

One was from Westport’s own Larry Silver. His image — taken in the Florida Everglades in 2001 — will be exhibited at the Trieste Photo Festival, and published in a companion book by Trieste’s Revoltella Museum.

But you don’t have to travel all the way to Italy to see Larry’s work. An exhibit of his remarkable photos is set for the Westport Library. It opens December 7, and runs through February 13.

There’s a reception on Friday, December 13 (6 p.m., Sheffer Room Gallery). And an artist’s talk with Miggs Burroughs at the library on January 23 (6 p.m.).

Florida Everglades, 2001 (Photo copyright/Larry Silver)

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Posted in Arts, History, Library, People

Tagged Larry Silver, Leonardo da Vinci, Revoltella Museum, Trieste Photo Festival, Westport Library

Headstand For WestPAC

Posted on May 23, 2019 | 3 comments

Westporters know Larry Silver for his iconic images of “The Jogger” and “Beach Showers” — photographs taken at Longshore and Compo Beach, respectively.

But to the rest of the world, his most iconic image is “Headstand.”

Silver — a longtime resident whose works have been shown around the globe — took that shot in 1954 as part of a series in Muscle Beach, California.

Years later, the International Center for Photography featured those photos. The rest is history.

“Headstand” hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the RISD Museum, and the Getty Museum, among many others. It’s been shown around the globe.

“Headstand” (Photo/Larry Silver)

History will be made again on Wednesday, June 12.

Friends of WestPAC — the Westport Public Art Collections — holds its annual fundraiser at Rive Bistro (7 p.m.). “Headstand” is one of the world-class pieces in the auction. It’s the first time Silver has donated the photo anywhere.

He’s been urged for years to show the piece here. He was reluctant, claiming it’s not an image of Westport. Finally — thanks to WestPAC — he feels comfortable doing so.

You can bid on many wonderful works at the WestPAC event (and enjoy great food and more, too).

But only “Headstand” will have you doing backflips.

(For tickets and more information about the June 12 WestPAC fundraiser, click here.)

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Posted in Arts, Organizations, Restaurants

Tagged "Headstand" photograph, Friends of the Westport Public Art Collection, Larry Silver, Rive Bistro, Westport Public Art Collection

Larry Silver Goes To Harvard

Posted on November 5, 2018 | 8 comments

Larry Silver has been taking photos since he was a teenager.

Finally — at 83 years old — he’s gotten into Harvard.

The prestigious university’s Fogg Museum of Art has acquired 20 of the world-renowned photographer’s images, for their permanent collection.

Westport is prominently featured in Silver’s work. That’s no surprise: He’s lived here for 45 years.

Among the photos headed to Harvard is “Jogger” (1979).

Larry Silver’s famous 1979 photo is headed to Harvard.

Another is “Shower at the Beach.”

Silver continues to photograph scenes all around Westport — except for his shower series.

A complaint by someone concerned that he had his camera at Westport’s iconic outdoor public shower led town officials to tell Silver: no more photography there.

“Shower at Compo Beach” (Photo/Larry Silver)

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Posted in Arts, Beach, Longshore, People

Tagged Fogg Museum of Art, Larry Silver

Larry Silver’s Connecticut

Posted on March 1, 2018 | 10 comments

Larry Silver is a renowned photographer. His images hang in museums around the world.

Since 1973, he’s been a Westporter. He’s spent all those years documenting life in and around town.

Now — 45 years after moving here — he’s compiled some of his favorite photos into a short video.

“Larry Silver’s Connecticut” includes many familiar scenes: Compo Beach, Sherwood Island, Longshore, roads and barns. There’s his iconic “shower”shot — taken next to Joey’s — and one of the fondly named “Dragon Lady,” a beach fixture for many years.

There are also photos of nearby towns, and many city scenes too.

“The best years of my life have been spent in Westport,” Larry says.

Now he’s shared them with all of us.

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Posted in Arts, Beach, Media, People

Tagged Compo Beach, Larry Silver

Larry Silver And The Art Of Photography (2017-Style)

Posted on October 4, 2017 | 57 comments

Larry Silver is 82 years old. He’s been taking photos since he was a teenager.

His work is warm, evocative and engaging. He is known around the world.

Westport — Silver’s home since 1973 — is an important setting for his work.

Compo Beach is a favorite — particularly the outdoor showers near the concession stand. The parade of people — different ages, shapes and sizes, all set against the brick background — is a photographer’s delight.

In fact, his 1980 “Beach Showers, Westport CT” has become iconic. It hangs in many museums.

Larry Silver’s 1980 “Beach Showers, Westport, CT.”

But what was fine in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s is not okay today. The world has changed — and Silver’s photography is one of the casualties.

To get the spontaneous shots he likes, Silver keeps his camera largely out of sight. “I don’t want to be obvious,” he says. “I don’t want poses.”

But when he is shooting, he spends time focusing. He’s working on his art.

Passersby see a man with a camera, taking photos of people in showers.

Last year, someone — thinking Silver was doing something illegal — called the police. They asked for identification, and reviewed the images on his camera. They found nothing wrong, and returned his camera to him.

Several people who knew Silver confirmed to the police that he is an esteemed professional photographer.

The next day, Silver went to the Parks and Recreation Department. He showed facility manager Dan DeVito samples of his work, and apologized for creating a problem.

“He’s a nice guy — very reasonable,” Silver says of DeVito. “I understand he’s under pressure. He has to react.”

Silver took some more images, until the end of summer.

There is nothing illegal about taking photos in a public place, Silver notes. “If you’re at a place like the beach, you give up the right of privacy,” he says.

This summer, there were additional complaints. One woman called Silver’s wife Gloria a “pervert” for allowing him to shoot near the showers.

Silver tried to reason with the woman, showing her a published catalog of his works. She refused to even look at it.

The police were again called. Again, Silver spoke to DeVito. Silver showed him his images, and said he would stop his project.

DeVito asked Silver why he didn’t ask subjects for permission to shoot. “That changes the dynamics,” the photographer replied.

Still, he tried asking. “I could not get the kind of pictures I was happy with,” Silver says. “The people I asked were suspicious and distrustful. The people who agreed ended up stiff and posed.”

The other day, Parks & Rec sent Silver a letter. It said that he “created a disturbance,” and caused “alarm and discomfort.” It served as a written warning for “unacceptable behavior.” If Silver continued to take photos, he risked the loss of beach privileges for 2 years.

“I’ve been capturing this town with my eyes since I moved here,” Silver says. “I’ve documented the lifestyle of this community.

“I understand what Parks & Rec is doing, and why they have to,” he continues. “This is just the nature of the world we live in today. Photographers everywhere are being confronted and threatened.”

Silver’s shower series is over. Next summer, he won’t take any photos anywhere near there.

“If this disturbed people, I regret that,” he says. “However, I believe the images I have will some day be part of Westport’s history — especially if we approve an arts museum here.”

He’s got plenty of time to figure out his next subject. But he’s also busy preparing for an upcoming event.

On Friday, October 13, the Westport Historical Society throws a big gala. There’s great food, a Prosecco bar, and music.

There’s a special honoree too. His name: Larry Silver.

(All photos copyright Larry Silver)

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Posted in Arts, Beach, People

Tagged Compo Beach, Larry Silver, Westport Parks & Recreation Department

Picasso, Warhol And Matisse Hang In Westport

Posted on May 31, 2017 | 2 comments

The Westport Public Art Collection has been around for over 50 years. It’s grown to over 1,500 works — paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, cartoons, photos, sculptures and murals — by international artists (Picasso, Warhol, Matisse, Mothewell, Miro, Christo, Calder) and, just as importantly, giant Westport names like Stevan Dohanos, Hardie Gramatky, Leonard Evertt Fisher, Miggs Burroughs and Ann Chernow.

But a “Friends” group was formed only last year.

Now they’re planning their 1st-ever fundraiser. Set for Thursday, June 8 (7 p.m., Rive Bistro), it includes a special exhibit of art from the collection — including all those masters listed above.

There’s also an auction of fantastic works — like Larry Silver’s classic “Beach Showers” photo — and a chance to meet and mingle with our town’s top artists.

Larry Silver’s famous “Beach Showers.”
(Photo courtesy of Bruce Silverstein Gallery)

Funds raised will help conserve, maintain and display works in the Public Art Collection.

If you’ve ever been inside a Westport school — or any other public building — you’ve been impacted by the collection. It hangs in hallways, libraries, classrooms, lobbies, offices and conference rooms. It inspires, provokes, soothes and challenges students, teachers, library-goers and Town Hall visitors.

Students in Staples High School’s Inklings classrooms are inspired by photos from prize-winning photographers (and alums) Tyler Hicks, Lynsey Addario and Spencer Platt.

The Public Art Collection is one of those Westport treasures that surround us every day. Most of us seldom think about how the art got there — or what it takes to keep it alive and fresh.

But members of the Westport Permanent Art Collection — and their Friends group — do. That’s why they want to see you at Rive Bistro on June 8.

(For tickets and more information, click here. To learn more about WestPAC, click here. For a searchable online database of works in the collection, click here.)

Westport artist Stevan Dohanos’s Saturday Evening Post cover has special significance. The models were all Staples students. The Westport Permanent Art Collection recently restored the original artwork.

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Posted in Arts, Organizations, Restaurants

Tagged Friends of WestPAC, Hardie Gramatky, Larry Silver, Miggs Burroughs, Rive Bistro, Westport Permanent Art Collection

Larry Silver’s Permanent Collection

Posted on December 18, 2016 | 4 comments

Larry Silver is one of Westport’s best photographers. His images have been admired in galleries around the world.

Those shows end. But now Larry’s photos will be part of a permanent collection.

The museum of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design has acquired 17 images. Though Larry has photographed people and scenes all over the world, Westport is one of his favorite subjects.

RISD has chosen a pair of Westport classics, as part of Larry’s 17 photos.

“Beach Showers” was taken in 1980:

“Dancing on Jetties” was taken in 1979:

(Photos/Larry Silver)

Both are timeless.

And both are perfect right now — 3 days before the shortest day of the year.

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Posted in Arts, Beach, People, Weather

Tagged " Rhode Island School of Design, Larry Silver

Larry Silver Shows New York

Posted on July 27, 2016 | 4 comments

Larry Silver’s show at the New-York Historical Society got a shout-out yesterday from the Wall Street Journal.

The Westport photographer’s images — 45 of them, all shot between 1949 and 1955 — are united by the theme of “lingering.”

They show “everyday New Yorkers” at the then-new UN, the old Penn Station, a D’Agostino grocery store, in subway cars, and staring into store windows.

“Boy on Rooftop,” 1951

“There’s something about the black-and-white images, a meditative quality, that captures the era,” the story says.

“You get the sense that whether it was children rafting at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx or even the bright lights of Times Square, the city wasn’t the frenetic place that it is today.”

“Macy’s Parade,” 1951.

The WSJ piece opens with an anecdote of Silver taking shots of people showering outdoors at Compo Beach. A man objected to his girlfriend being photographed, and called the police.

A bystander talked to the officers. “I know this man,” she said. “He has a show at the New-York Historical Society.”

(Larry Silver’s show runs through December 4. To read the entire Wall Street Journal story, click here.)

Larry Silver, looking at his exhibition at the New-York Historical Society. (Photo/Ralph Gardner Jr. for the Wall Street Journal)

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Posted in Arts, Media, Organizations, People

Tagged Larry Silver, New-York Historical Society, Wall Street Journal

40 Years, 40 Photos Of Sherwood Island

Posted on March 26, 2015 | 2 comments

Larry Silver is well known for his iconic Longshore shots.

But the very talented Westport photographer has spent countless hours a couple of miles away at Sherwood Island too. That’s Westport’s out-of-sight, out-of-mind beach.

Tomorrow (Friday, March 27), the Westport Library introduces “Sherwood Island, 1975-2015”: more than 40 of Silver’s images, from the past 40 years.

“Woman With Boombox” — Larry Silver, 1980.

The photos show the changing styles of visitors to Connecticut’s 1st state park — and its timelessness. The shots — in black and white, and digital color; in every season, all over the park — are classics.

One of the library photos — “Sunset at Sherwood Island State Park” — is included in the Smithsonian Museum of American Art’s permanent collection.