Category Archives: Arts

Guantanamo Bay Courtroom Artist Janet Hamlin at Hofstra

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
December 27, 2013

After hearing WNYC’s NPR interview with Janet Hamlin, the only courtroom sketch artist allowed to depict Guantanamo Bay military tribunals from 2006-2012, I was excited to learn Hamlin was coming to Hofstra to discuss her work and new book Sketching Guantanamo.

Hempstead, New York, U.S. 12th November 2013. JANET HAMLIN, a courtroom artist covering the military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay since 2006, shows her drawings and discusses her work at Hofstra University. Much of the time she was the only journalist providing a visual record of the events at the United States naval base in Cuba, and her new book 'Sketching Guantanomo' is a collection of her images. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Hempstead, NY, U.S. November 12 2013. JANET HAMLIN, a courtroom artist covering the military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay since 2006, shows her drawings and discusses her work at Hofstra University. Her new book ‘Sketching Guantanamo’ is a collection of her images. (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Seeing several of Hamlin’s original large sketches on brown paper and hearing her describe the challenging – and, at times, surprising – restrictions placed on her Guantanamo work, gave me a more fleshed out understanding of her unique work and experiences at Guantanamo.

Hempstead, New York, U.S. 12th November, 2013. Janet Hamlin, at back in black pants, a courtroom artist covering the military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay since 2006, shows her charcoal drawings and discusses her work at Hofstra University. A student is looking at sketches displayed on floor. Much of the time she was the only journalist providing a visual record of the events at the United States naval base in Cuba, and her new book "Sketching Guantanomo" is a collection of her images. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Hempstead, NY, U.S. November 12, 2013. Janet Hamlin, at back in black pants, a courtroom artist covering the military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay since 2006, shows her charcoal drawings and discusses her work at Hofstra University. A student looks at sketches displayed on floor. Hamlin’s new book “Sketching Guantanamo” is a collection of her images. (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

During Hamlin’s book signing at the end of her visit, I bought two copies of Sketching Guantanamo – one for my family and one for my illustrator friend Bob.

Janet Hamlin “Sketching Guantanamo”:  PHOTO GALLERY

• Janet Hamlin’s site: JanetHamlim.com

• The Hofstra Chronicle articles:
11/14/2013, Victoria Espinoza:  Guantanamo sketch artist describes restrictive courts
11/20/2013, Kaeli Van Cott:  Janet Hamlon speaks about sketching Guantanamo

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Bryant Park Ice Skating Rink, NYC, Nov. 9, 2013

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
November 17, 2013

When the Nikon D4 class I took with Steve Simon, the Passionate Photographer, finished around dinner time on November 9th, I walked around the block to capture night photos at Bryant Park in Manhattan.

Manhattan, NY, USA. Nov. 9, 2013. Visitors at Bryant Park' look at colorfully lit shops and large fountain. (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Manhattan, NY, USA. Nov. 9, 2013. Visitors at Bryant Park’ look at colorfully lit shops and large fountain. (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

The Winter Village at Bryant Park has long been a visual and sentimental favorite of mine.

Manhattan, NY, USA. Nov. 9, 2013. Visitors at Bryant Park' look at colorfully lit shops and large fountain. (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Manhattan, NY, USA. Nov. 9, 2013. Visitors at Bryant Park’ look at colorfully lit shops and large fountain. (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Elegant crystal chandeliers lit many of the shops.

Manhattan, NY, USA. Nov. 9, 2013. At Bryant Park's ice skating rink that night, skaters cast pink and green shadows on the ice. (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com

Manhattan, NY, USA. Nov. 9, 2013. At Bryant Park’s ice skating rink that night, skaters cast pink and green shadows on the ice. (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Ice skating rink lights cast a lovely pink glow.

Manhattan, NY, USA. Nov. 9, 2013. The ice skating rink lights at Bryant Park cast a lovely pink glow. (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com

Manhattan, NY, USA. Nov. 9, 2013. The ice skating rink lights at Bryant Park cast a lovely pink glow. (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

I’ll never forget that night, even if I hadn’t captured hundreds of photos, during my hours at Bryant Park.

For – though I didn’t know it until after I had a late dinner and was back home – about 90 minutes after I left the park, a shooter sprayed bullets in the rink and shot two people. On what started as a fun, festive night had turned into a tragic one.

UPDATE MID-2017:  On Jan. 25, 2017, a man was convicted of shooting two people at the Bryant Park ice skating rink late Saturday night, Nov. 9, 2013, when he was 16: After trying to take 20-year-old Javier Contreras’s coat, the teen shot him several times; a stray bullet hit bystander, Adonis Mera, 14, who was paralyzed from the waist down.

FEATURE PHOTO at top of post: Manhattan, New York, U.S. Nov. 9, 2013. At Bryant Park’s ice skating rink at night, the colorful rink is filled with people skating, many with friends.

Bryant Park Ice Skating: my PHOTO GALLERY

Steve Simon’s site: The Passionate Photographer

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Huntington, N.Y., U.S. August 24, 2013. SONIC BAD, legendary street artist JESSE RODRIGUEZ from the Bronx, is graffiti painting the 'Art Matters' wall, on the back of the Huntington Arts Council building, during the the art event 'Off the Walls' Block Party, by SPARKBOOM. (© 2013 Ann Parry, annparry.com)

SPARKBOOM Off the Walls art Block Party 2013

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
September 3, 2013

Sparkboom, Off & ON the Walls Art block party

Three world-renowned street artists  – PHETUS, MASPAZ, and SONIC BAD – each used their own distinctive styles to collaborate on metamorphosing the back walls of the Huntington Arts Council into a vibrant vast work of art, during SPARKBOOM’s ‘Off the Walls’ art Block Party, on August 24, 2013.

Huntington, New York, U.S. 24th August 2013. SONIC BAD, legendary street artist JESSE RODRIGUEZ from the Bronx, graffiti painting wall on the back of Huntington Arts Council building, during art event Off the Wall Block Party, by SPARKBOOM. (Ann Parry/nn-parry.com)

Huntington, New York, U.S. 24th August 2013. PHETUS, world famous graphic designer for hip hop artists, and former graffiti artist from Huntington, is painting colorful graffiti on the back of the Huntington Arts Council building, during art event ‘Off the Walls’ Block Party, by SPARKBOOM. (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Visitors experienced this graffiti happening, four bands,  performance artist STEVEN ZALUSKI in  his rolling metal sculpture “Sphere of Hope,” and more. SPARKBOOM Long Island art events showcase talent, present aspiring artists, and give artists opportunities to network.

Huntington, New York, U.S. 24th August 2013. SONIC BAD, legendary street artist JESSE RODRIGUEZ from the Bronx, graffiti painting wall on the back of Huntington Arts Council building, during art event Off the Wall Block Party, by SPARKBOOM. (Ann Parry/nn-parry.com)

Huntington, New York, U.S. 24th August 2013. MASPAZ, world renowned street artist FEDERICO FRUM from Washington DC, is painting black and white graffiti on the back of the Huntington Arts Council building, during the the art event ‘Off the Walls”‘Block Party, by SPARKBOOM. Mas Paz was born in Bogata Columbia and adopted from an orphanage when he was one; and he founded a charitable foundation to help the orphanage and other causes. (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Plus, that night, visitors at the council’s Main Street Petite Gallery viewed the 12 winning posters for its “Post No Bills” public art contest.

Huntington, New York, U.S. 24th August 2013. SONIC BAD, legendary street artist JESSE RODRIGUEZ from the Bronx, graffiti painting wall on the back of Huntington Arts Council building, during art event Off the Wall Block Party, by SPARKBOOM. (Ann Parry/nn-parry.com)

Huntington, N.Y., U.S. August 24, 2013. World-renowned street artists – PHETUS (extreme left), MAS PAZ (2nd from left, in gray shirt), and Sonic Bad (colorful art at right) – are decorating with graffiti the rear walls of the Hunting Arts Council building, at the art event ‘Off the Walls’ Block Party, by SPARKBOOM. At center in orange shirt is INK76, street artist ALEXANDER SILVA from Brooklyn. (Captured with 180 degree fisheye lens.) (© 2013 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

FEATURE PHOTO (at top of post):  Huntington, N.Y., U.S. August 24, 2013.  SONIC BAD, legendary street artist JESSE RODRIGUEZ from the Bronx, is graffiti painting the “Art Matters” wall, on the back of the Huntington Arts Council building, during the the art event ‘Off the Walls’ Block Party, by SPARKBOOM. (© 2013 Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

SparkBoom Off the Wall Block Party: my Photo GALLERY

Huntington Arts Council

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