A Tale of Two Artists: in Conversation with Chris Frantz and James Prosek

A Tale of Two Artists: In Conversation With Chris Frantz and James Prosek We had only an hour to hear from these two interesting artists at a live Facebook event with Fairfield University Downtown Bookstore. With over 500 viewers, the time seemed to go by rather quickly. Chris Frantz and James Prosek spoke about how their journeys unfolded as a result of certain mentors, peers, individual talent and being in the right place at the right time. We learned that Chris, cofounder and drummer of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, and James, Environmental Artist, have similar stories in that they both found success at a relatively young age, by following their passions. Talking Heads opened for the Ramones at CBGB’s in 1975, when Chris was just 24 years old. The band debuted on the cover of the Village Voice several months later and was offered a cover story with Rolling Stone in 1979, which the band refused and later accepted in 1987. Similarly, James published his first art book with Alfred Knopf at age 22, which impacted the art world and marked the beginning of a prolific career. While Chris’s book is filled with details about his life, gigs and music, James’s book contemplates the connection between language, art and how human beings categorize the natural world. Both stories are a testimony to different creative paths that can unfold by following a calling. If you weren’t able to listen live, you can catch the recording on the event link below, which is also on the Fairfield University Bookstore Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FairfieldUBookstore/videos/437359054175346/ James Prosek and Chris Frantz Together in Fairﬁeld University Virtual Bookstore Author Event The Fairfield University Bookstore located at 1499 Post Road in downtown Fairfield, Conn. invites the public at large to join us on Facebook @ FairfieldUBookstore, Thursday, February 18, at 7 p.m., for a live virtual conversation with Artist/Naturalist, James Prosek, and Chris Frantz, co-founder and drummer of Talking Heads, as they discuss their latest publications. Prosek and Frantz will sit down with Dr. Gale Bellas-Papageorge, Professor of English at Fairfield University and Craig Kennedy, Fairfield University Bookstore Manager for a lively discussion. This is a free event. Event books, Remain in Love and Art, Artifact, Artifice are available for purchase online at www.fairfieldbookstore.com or for in-store pick up. There is so much to be said about Prosek’s and Frantz’s important contributions to art and music, both internationally and within American Culture. Remain In Love scales the Talking Heads’ journey, from the forming of the band at RISD (Rhode island School of Design), to the band’s iconic rise to fame during the 70’s and 80’s Punk/New Wave scene at CBGB’S in NYC and worldwide. Frantz also discusses the formation of the Tom Tom Club and his long time musical collaboration with his talented wife, bassist, Tina Weymouth. Frantz’s memoir has been praised by Billboard, Rolling Stone, and has made numerous 2020 best music book lists in the US and the United Kingdom. Art, Artifact, Artifice is a discussion of Prosek’s current exhibit at Yale University Art Gallery and his philosophy on art, language and the environment. Prosek, who has been compared to the late naturalist painter James Audubon, is well-known for creating the first comprehensive catalogue on North American Trout, which was published while he was an undergraduate student at Yale University. Since then, Prosek has held hundreds of exhibits world and nationwide and has published multiple Illustrated books. He is the author of the Ted Talk, “Why We Draw,” and a regular contributor to National Geographic and the New York Times. His current exhibits are: “Art, Artifact, Artifice” at Yale University Art Gallery, running through Feb 28, 2021. “Made in Connecticut: Celebrating 25 Years of the CT Art Trail” running through February 7, 2021 The Fairfield University Bookstore, located in the heart of downtown Fairfield, is operated by the Follett Higher Education Group and proudly serves Fairfield University, the Fairfield County community and beyond. For more virtual events visit www.fairfieldbookstore.com and www.facebook.com/FairfieldUBookstore and follow on Instagram and Twitter @ FairfieldUBooks. The Upside to Hybrid and Online Learning As students, teachers and parents embark on a journey into uncharted territory, there is much concern about how hybrid and online education will impact student learning. The outcome will largely depend on how teachers and parents alike, use resources available to them. Sure, online learning is a different experience, but it has been proven to have many advantages. One valuable asset of online learning is that discussion forums on platforms such as Quip or Blackboard are more in-depth. Students can take time to read and reflect on their peers’ entries in order to compose and revise a well thought out response. They can also go back and revisit a current or previous thread, enabling them to draw more substantive conclusions on a specific topic. Students are often more comfortable participating and asking questions online than in a traditional classroom. They also tend to be more honest and open about their thoughts, especially when confronting difficult topics. Education goes far beyond teaching academic and technical skills as it is also designed to educate students to be compassionate and civically engaged citizens. Jesuits call it “ Care for the individual person.” When it comes to teaching an appreciation of cultures in elementary school or teaching the different manifestations of racial inequality and injustice in the United States to middle and high school students, online learning can have more of an impact, as it allows for a variety of different formats and modalities. Using visual representation such as pictures and videos of individuals telling their own stories, side-by-side written histories, helps to create a more accurate account and a more engaged connection with other human beings while challenging familiar and preexisting narratives. Some of the more common visual online resources include: eBooks, text and digital images, animations Interactive maps, images, and video Interactive journals and blogs Podcasts James Prosek, artist and author, challenges the limitations of language when he discusses his exhibit, Art, Artifact, Artifice at the Yale University Art Gallery. He says, “We prefer the world as filtered by our minds, where it can be made orderly and intelligible, because then we feel we know it, and knowing brings comfort.” He goes on to say, “Racism, sexism, religious discrimination, intolerance of myriad kinds emerge from a belief that there is some ideal form or way of being.” There are certain downsides to online learning, as in any model, such as an inequity in access to technology, which is an important issue and challenge throughout public education. And of course, it is a given that nothing replaces the valuable social interaction that students glean from an in-person classroom experience. But during a time where the overarching concern and goal is individual and public health and safety, online learning should not be feared or stereotyped as an inferior method of learning. On the contrary, it can be quite exciting and effective if done properly, with the added benefits of fostering self-discipline, time management and self- agency skills. So as the fall semester approaches, don’t be afraid to get right in there and create a multidimensional and interactive experience for all. Editor’s Note: Gale Papageorge has served on multiple higher education diversity curriculum committees and has designed American Diversity Requirement classes at Fairfield University, where she currently teaches. She’s been noted as a Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Scholar in Harlem, N.Y., and holds a Master’s degree in American and African American Literature and a PhD in Comparative Ethnic American Literature. She is the author of several books including, New Rhetorical Strategies for Reading African American Texts, A Dialogic Approach to Reading and Teaching Ethnic American Texts, and a contributing author to Patriarchy in Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street: Social Issues in Literature. Aquarion Water Company Acquires Conservation Easement in Easton Over 15 acres of pristine watershed land to be preserved for future generations Aquarion Water Company announced it has acquired a conservation easement on 15.34 acres of land in Easton adjacent to the company’s Easton Reservoir property. Located on Kachele Street, the property hosts streams that directly feed the reservoir. By acquiring the easement, Aquarion is better positioned to ensure that these vital sources of water are protected. Additionally, keeping water sources clean helps to reduce the amount of treatment that water needs before being delivered to customers. “It was critical that Aquarion acquire a conservation easement for the Kachele Street property,” said Donald Morrissey, president of Aquarion Water Company. “Not only is the parcel an important water source, it is also located in an area with significant potential for real estate development. Were the parcel to be developed, we would have lost the opportunity to permanently conserve the land.” The Kachele land now adds to nearly 20,000 acres of watershed land managed by Aquarion, underscoring the company mission as stewards of the environment. “We wouldn’t be here today without the neighboring property owners who made it possible to secure this easement,” said Morrissey. “Thanks to the leadership of Kachele Street residents James Prosek, Andrew Kachele, and Shari Jones, this property will remain in its natural state for many years to come.” Prosek helped to spearhead the years-long effort to preserve the property. A veteran outdoorsman and environmental advocate, Prosek’s efforts were vital to securing the easement.

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