Saturday, February 16, 2013

A Father's Promise Springs True

The father promised the kid, "first warm day I'm off of work, I'll take you down to the Drive with your new bike, we'll ride together." The kid's been itchy since Christmas Day when she got her first two-wheeler to take a real ride, not down the block in front of her house on 83rd Street off East End, a ride along the East River. The father's been working OT and weekends since November for the MTA - still reeling from Sandy's storm damage. Kid heard her father tell the mother, "Jeez, we need the money." The kid understands but she doesn't, 'I want to get on my bike.' 


Yesterday, Dad was off. It climbed to 54 degrees. Time. The kid and her father rode from 81st Street on the Drive all the way up to Harlem in the 120s and back down two times. Almost did it a third time but it was getting dark. The father promised to take the kid and their bikes over the 103rd Street Walk Bridge to Wards Island in the summer so they could circle Ward & Randalls Island, they'd bring sandwiches and view the skyline of Manhattan across the silver water. The kid smiled up at her father and thought to herself, 'I'm not gonna hold my breath on that one, but it sounds great.' Pictured above: the kid hitting her first puddle ever on the Drive inside Carl Schurz Park at 88th Street. She got muddy, didn't notice, and promised herself, 'In a few years, when I'm in 3rd grade, I'll come down the park by myself, all alone, and ride my bike until my legs turn numb. Yes, I will.'




If you are in West Village over the next six weeks, please stop by Cornelia Street Cafe and sit a spell. My first photo exhibition, "New York Scenes from a Bicycle," is on view through the end of March. 48 framed prints are for sale or just enjoy them. You can also buy my book, "River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle," at the Cafe or online at Amazon.

Visit my online gallery to view all the work from the Cornelia show and if you like you may prints there at a reasonable price. I plan to add more photographs in the late spring. In time, there will be albums dedicated to Yorkville "Now & Then", Carl Schurz Park, Central Park, The Hudson Seawall, Lower East Side, West Village, Rockaway Beach, and Coney Island.



Friday, February 15, 2013

Brilliant Photos ~ Free Exhibit @ Pratt @ Mon, Feb 18 @ 5-9pm

Monday, Feb 18th @ 5pm, join me at the opening reception for my friend, Laura Thompson's provocative photo exhibition, "Roanoke, VA: preserving the past, building the future" @ Pratt Institute.

Merging brilliant intimate photos that invite the viewer inside the town with her critical background support, Laura's exhibit urges a discussion to explore Roanoke's race relations in the past, present and future.

In addition to the amazing work, there will be real food, not light opening reception food, real food. Details on the location and exhibit hours are on the postcard displayed here. Hope to see you there on Monday.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Stoops to Nuts ~ Sometime in Winter

Sherryl Marshall & Friends @ Cornelia Street Cafe
Here are photos from Tuesday night's "City Stories: Stoops to Nuts" show @ Cornelia Street Cafe, thank you for a wonderful show: Barbara Aliprantis. Alex De Suze, Daniela Schiller, Mickey Wyte and Sherryl Marshall with her amazing guest artists whose names I'll add asap. Thank you, Steve & Natalie for making us feel at home. Thank you, Robin, Angelo & Josh for letting us exercise in your playground.

Also pictured: Downing Street at twilight, Pet Central's ghost store and uptown through the trees from Bleecker Street. I'm pleased I could put these photos up with one good arm. Surgery went well yesterday, with discipline and good luck I'll be throwing a football by the 4th of July. I love catch.

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If you are on Facebook, here is a photo album from Tuesday night. Our next "City Stories: Stoops to Nuts" show is March 12th.

Please drop down to the Cafe and see my photo exhibition, "New York Scenes from a Bicycle," on view through March 31st.  My book "River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle," is on sale at the Cafe or you can purchase it through Amazon online.


Barbara Aliprantis

Daniela Schiller

Mickey Wyte

Alex DeSuze


Thomas Pryor

Downing Street at Twilight

Pet Central Ghost store

Looking up 6th Avenue from Bleecker Street

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Time Out Magazine Recommends "Stoops to Nuts" Tonight @ Cornelia St. Cafe

Time Out Magazine recommends tonight's "City Stories: Stoops to Nuts."

Please come down to Cornelia Street Cafe @ 6pm to enjoy a great show with these artists: Alex DeSuze, Sherryl Marshall, Daniela Schiller and Mickey Wyte. Admission is $8, and includes a free drink.

My photography exhibition "New York Scenes from a Bicycle" is on view upstairs at the Cafe. It runs through the end of March. All the framed work is for sale, and copies of my book "River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle" are available for purchase ($12).


I'm having shoulder surgery tomorrow. Anticipating a long recovery, I took many photos this past week: at the Losers Lounge Cat Stevens vs. James Taylor shows at Joe's Pub, in Greenwich Village, Yorkville and down Carl Schurz Park with Sophie the puppy running the Hockey Field.  If you are on Facebook you can view my public albums.

I may lay low for a time after the surgery but I will be back with new stories and photos soon.

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

"New York Scenes from a Bicycle" - Photos from the Reception

Thomas R. Pryor at exhibit - photo by Anthony Piscitiello
"New York Scenes from a Bicycle," opened with love and lots of friends, old and new at Cornelia Street Cafe Tuesday night.  Last week on the First Avenue Select bus, I met a woman with short hair listening to her iPod, I told her a St. Stephen's grammar school story between the U.N. stop and 79th Street, and asked her to stop by Tuesday. She did, brought a friend and purchased  "Yorkville Sunset."

The day before the show headed uptown on the 7th IRT subway, I scooted over to give a woman with a killer smile room to sit. When she did I asked her would she mind reading my artist statement. She took her time, laughed twice, and came to the opening at Cornelia Street with a friend. Her friend bought, "Bay Ridge Sunset Over the Bay."
Tricia Alexandro

Four strangers becoming new friends in one week, pretty cool.

This morning viewing my buddy, Phillip Gambri's terrific photos from Cornelia, I counted 102 people in the space. Thank you, everybody for your support. I was touched. And folks bought stuff. I sold nine frames, 34 books and three prints.

Robin Hirsch, Angelo Verga, Melissa Perez-Halley, Josh Rebell, Steve Northeast, Nick, Mike and the entire staff at Cornelia Street Cafe, thank you, for a sweet night I'll never forget and this wonderful opportunity.

Thank you, Laura Thompson, Amanda Thorpe, Jon Calvert, Peter Calvert, Michele Pryor, Stef Uddo, Anne Pechstein, Casey Pechstein and Jane Moss for encouraging my work, helping me put the show together and never letting me down.

Thank you, Gordon Balkcom, for being my friend, promoting my work, and always seeking new opportunities for me.

Thank you, Phillip Giambri and Anthony Piscitiello for all the photos here.

All the work in the exhibit is for sale.  Purchase directly through me at tommy.pryor@gmail.com or call me at 917-648-2414.  Also, the Café Host will accept your check or cash to reserve the framed photo when the exhibit ends March 31st. You can purchase prints of any photo in the exhibit through my photo gallery at thomasrpryor.photoshelter.com or through “Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts,” home page.  Print sizes and prices are listed.  If you are interested in other photos of mine you see in my book, at my blog, or on Facebook, I will fill your order.

“River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle,” my first book is available for sale here at the Café for $12. Please ask the Café’s Host for assistance and browse through a copy at the Host Stand if you like. You can also order the book through Amazon books online, or YBK Publishers.

I’m in the middle of my second childhood, photographing and writing stories about our changing beautiful City, merging the old with the new.  My stories and photographs have been published The New York Times, A Prairie Home Companion and other periodicals.  I’ve told my tales on NBC TV, public radio’s “This American Life” and Channel 13’s “Baseball: A New York Love Story.” If you enjoy storytelling and narrative songsmiths, please join us at our monthly “City Stories: Stoops to Nuts” show every second Tuesday @ 6pm downstairs at the Café.  The New York Daily News, Time Out Magazine and CBS News highly recommend, “Stoops to Nuts.”
Melissa Perez-Halley
Leslie Goshko

Thank you, Cornelia Street Café for inviting me to host this exhibit and for treating me like family. Thank you, Otto Barz and YBK Publishers for releasing my first book of photography.

love, Tommy


Jon Calvert and Barbara Aliprantis
Joani Ryan and  Michele Pryor



Barry Stabile, Manal Morcos, and Raski Patel
Eric

Debbie Baker






Kurt
Lena, Laurie, Karen, Doreen, Stef




Susan Neuffer



Leslie, Peter & Jon Calvert, Manal


Amanda Tommy
Thank you, Phillip Giambri (these are his photos but two) & Woody Salvan