Newspaper Page Text
Prodigal son returns from
Caribbean forlocal art exhibit
| he artwork of Yirmeyah Ben Is
rael will be featured at the Christ
mas Open House at Naniyas’son
December 7.
Ben Israel is currently resid
ing between St. Thomas in the
Caribbean and Atlanta, Geor
gia.
The artist’s mixed-media cre
ations is catching the eyes of art
loversand art criticson aninter
national scale. The self-taught
artist has distinguished himself
among his fellow artists for his
unique ability to blend colors.
His most recent efforts painted
whilein St. Thomasand St. Paul
capture the warmth of the is
land with amazing depth. His
work has been described as “sur
real, yet with a 3D character.”
He considers himselfa visionary
and he describes his work as the
“celestial gateway.” Benlsrael’s
work comes alive with the added
touch of a black light.
On St. Thomas, Ben Israel’s
work is on exhibit at the Camille
John Pizzarelli and trio featured
at the Holiday “Pops at the Bell”
MProgram also includes
the Sandlapper Singers
on Friday, December 8.
he John Pizzarelli Trio
featuring Ray Kennedy
(piano), Martin
Pizzarelli (bass) and Tony
Tedesco (drums), accompany
ing vocalist John Pizzarelli will
perform with the Augusta Sym
phony under the direction of
music director and conductor
Donald Portnoy at its annual
Holiday Pops Concert at the
Bell Auditorium on Friday,
December 8, at 8 p.m. Also
featured at the Augusta Sym
phony “Pops at the Bell!” con
cert will be The Sandlapper
Singers, a professional 28-voice
chorus founded in 1996.
Tickets are available in the
first, second and third balco
nies, priced at $35, S2B and
sls, and may be purchased at
the Symphony box office, lo
cated at the Sacred Heart Cul
tural Center in downtown Au-
gusta. Tickets can be reserved with a
Visa/MC or Discover card by calling
826-4705.
John Pizzarelli and the Jazz Trio will
perform a collage of holiday hits with
the orchestra, in addition to some selec
tions without the orchestra. Pizzarelli
and his Trio performed at a Pops at the
Bell concert three years ago. The con
cert was met with such overwhelming
enthusiasm and success that they were
booked again this year for their recently
created holiday program. The concert
opens with the orchestra performing
David Ott’s “Festival Christmas Over
ture,” followed by the Sandlapper Sing
ers and the orchestra in Craig
Courtney’s “Musical Journey Through
the Twelve Days of Christmas” — an
arrangement of the traditional “Twelve
Days...” but sunginstyles ranging from
sixth century Roman through 19* cen
tury U.S. of A. genres of music. “The
Christmas Song” (Mel Torme’s famous
hit) follows, also featuring the
Sandlapper Singers.
The first half of the concert ends with
Conrad Susa’s “Christmas Garland,” a
singalongled by the Sandlapper Singers
and the orchestra, under the direction
ARThéatv
Pisarro Gallery. Naniya’s is located at
1857 Central Avenue in Augusta. The
open house begins at 5:00 o’clock.
R Bn,
= s T W
R L S
RN e
b ey b
.
G i . i
S ]
. b
\ /
5 ‘ » .AR .
P e e
b 4 b 4 k. o
Y X % {‘
(B Y P b
’ = Fo
L X ra ‘. ¥ i
v g » Sy
A ; X
.
Yirmeyah Ben Israel
ence.
Since 1992, the John Pizzarelli Trio
has toured Europe, the United States,
Japan and South America extensively,
i B
A E
: 8]
o
oo
L
a LR w
N
o fa §
[ ’ & i
: .
John Pizzarelli
Japan and South America extensively, k
even opening tour dates for Franke
Sinatra and, along the way, they have
earned rave reviews. Stephen Holden -
wrote in the New York Times in 1999:
“Like the Nat King Cole Trio, Mr. -
Pizzarelli’s trio balances a taut, rhyth- |
mic intensity against an attitude of »
cool, intimate understatement.” For ¢
Pizzarelli, the comparison to the Nat -
“King” Cole Trio is the highest of com- -
pliments. “I’ve always said in my con- )
certs that Nat “King” Cole is why I do
what I do. I was fortunate enough to |
meet (Cole’s widow) Maria Cole, and ,
she mentioned that when she saw us »
on television, she said, ‘My God, it’s
The Trio!’ I couldn’t believe she said ¢
that to me.” Pizzarelli quickly adds, )
“We aren’t trying to copy him. That {
sound was so singular and inspired. f
I’'ve always aid we’re an extension, a
‘9os version of what that group was.” ;
The Holiday Pops at the Bell concert -
on Friday, December 8, is sponsored by -
Hunter Maclean Attorneysat Law. Me- ;
dia sponsors include Action 26 News
and Lite 98 Radio.
Contact the Symphony office, 826- -
4705, for tickets and/or brochures de
scribing the entire Symphony season.
19 Where shopping isa pleasure.
Media MOVERS
Helen Johnson:
FOX 54 sales manager wants youth
to know “hard wotk pays off.
By Timothy Cox
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Helen Johnson’s infectious smile says
it all without her ever reciting, “Ilove my
job.” As national sales manager for TV
stations WFXG-TV 54 in Augusta and
WXTX in Columbus, Ga., Helen is swiftly
finding herself among the stars — with
out ever getting in front of a TV camera.
A native of the northeastern African
nation of Ethiopia, Helen is proud of her
roots, even though she’s been an Ameri
can since she was a little girl. Although
she’s still a petite one, she’s managed to
reach big-time levels in the competitive
world of media sales. In fact, according to
sources, Helen is probably the first Afri
can American to achieve sales manage
ment status at any Augusta TV station.
Helen says it’s important she lets young
people realize achievements are attain
able. “It has taken lots of hard work. And
I’'mnot finished yet, but, I'd justliketolet
young people know that opportunities do
exist out there. But, you have to be pre
pared,” she said. A graduate of Georgia
Southern University in Statesboro, Helen
has a bachelor’s degree in communica
tion arts with a minor in international
studies. After college, she initially worked
at WAGT-TV, Augusta’s NBC affiliate, as
asalesaccount representative. Two years
later, she further honed her sales skills as
a territorial representative for Pitney
Bowes mail machine company. After more
years of experience, it was time to return
tomedia sales. “Iwas told I had theability
to be successful. I've been blessed,” she
said, while especially thanking Carlos
Rojas, her manager at FOX 54. After five
years with the company, in September,
Helen was promoted as the top-level man
ager for national advertising accounts for
two stations. In explaining her job, Helen
said it’s important to achieve challenges
of convincing prospective clients like
AT&T or Pizza Hut, that her station is
Al g
2 S AN o g
. £
e . fi/,,,, ; .
io W |
: R v u.0,...,;,v.47;-,_{54;,_:;g;;:;,:;:.,;,fi:_,,:gaz,,:,:,/,:::::.{', i .
S R R
o i S e g f:Z%‘,/.’z;;;:._'.5:;:;;;:;:5:5:;;gz;;;:g;g:;;:::;g;;;;;;;g:;:- b
eS i o
o A G D ' g
D o e g
R SR R i _,'.»z-."-:j;::;zgfig;;;;;;5:?;2;/4;;;;5:;:;;;5;:5;:5;5;;;%Ej;;5:5:5255_4:5:5.:":' o
5 SR T e 7
S S B R iR, Wi o 1
%%:::E:E.E:E:,;vfi:}; Sl e .4@;325% I . . O
L E G e e i : o
. - . s
. e A o i
e e R R B R R s
R Gk R ss Mo i
BR g o s Sl S L
o o S . i g
Gl eks e e o
NB2 e .
SS B i
o }i: P e e E::_ ,&
.RS i e s ¥
G W SRy e oY v A e
Si T k. e ;;:>::<2-5.1'” s
e e b % - A b L
i GRi % o oA /,0,,/ .
b iR e B < i S s
i HR g ) A‘fiii;'. B G B
o S S P o .
B eG Tm L . -
S BTy g i 3 "% .
L i B e e & R B
e s BRI &“\ R : .y L
R B R A T B g e b s
e e Sl e s R e
SR s PR B 8 ? B e b
eeP @ i
M i % g ’=f:::55::553:-f-:. .
T e S Fa = 7
= 2% . =
» .
L 3 P. G
el ¢ o
o i il ¢ . R :';:5:5:;’:2:I_(:;E;E;i;f;;553;;;3;;:;5;:;;5;5:;35- i
T siy AAR 3 i -5:’5‘\‘55'%iiE=E=:=5555355533';:::3:?!;' -
Y 7 TV 3 /%’% . .
5 A 800 N g g o
e 3 W B oty 5 e s £ ;}5 ,:.5:3:
;e A s i 7R S s G
GeP S R G
g S P s & 8
o e P g?/ i . {&”’ o
e e > 8 e
os S e e G a
i@ g . o
L g« & .
go R s ‘,,_:;(:Z;';Sjr';:‘iff‘:»':s's.s:s:ss{ss;sl:ssl: T e G
2 ,;,j:?sés%;?:ai::;,s;:;.;-§:-5-5e-f:§:;g§s§;3;;g;§§};:,§- G o }43, . . /{%%
’s,‘ G _A__,;::.'-::,-;ggfig;g:;;;;;:::--»--»:--,:.5»;;;;:::;5_;;_:35 ;5?.:555::;:;:;I:Ef'j""a'-}./{%;gzg . .
- R 2;?// . =
2 25:5E:E:E:Eir?;igigi5:;%,-::}::3:2;::555;5;:2;@&:55&&5;%’*, G v S i b '_:',
R ‘:..}:E:i:;:::s:::::::-._4:-5-;:3:;:;:~:.=-‘;.:.;:;:;:;:;:r.,', R e "::"-E:E:Ei:%:: .
;:5:;-;-;:5:;:;:z::‘.,:::t:::;:5-::;»:-z-_,::;;:;;5::-;;:;:5:5:;:4?.,. xS . .
;»»f‘fi’fi L . fi{%
g e B T
BRR P s
B 5:E:5:555::65:5&:5:5:5:2133:,;.;:;?fi,—;q.\'-' e o /4:\::s_ .
R o o
g&t o
.i R G
s A %9% s
CdE o W Vg g
Ea s e i i G
. R b e G e .
Y e . . ;
R l'“v,gag‘ b L o 9?/ ;?;' . .
. i e
o < . =
oo i s i Z
S%. .. L 7%{% o
G e g B S i . /
. & G a .
XT. i&g &
iy . i . i
YA s ;:% o - i
RBsR i F l .
éf“ o o //(«%(/ f{: i 5 .
L , e P G o y
siT G i &
T.¥B e 7 o
o Rk & i
o R O g o ; |
e U P e : : e
o ol o
soy e S s Z ¢
.eSS g 5 B
e R i i G
&« 0 e
L % b Z‘:‘.‘??.'-:E{.-:trr» BHOA sR T
Helen Johnson, WFXG
TV. Photo by Timothy Cox
i O R .
535 gt e R E y 3 3
GO TR oo
R ey
& fi ig,
M e SRR :fik %
PR T RS B e eot B 2
SRR R e
w 0 R
S AgEELRER 4 B o o L A
7 r‘ S P g
L R R R o
G S 2 eTR
SR- B s
e G e
L so 3 ki
R x , ;m._;::_ a 3
o 5 st 2L > £ o
; e LW LR, ‘% : N
f R e v R : 3 A e &
i Mgp 0N })\&)\fl o :
F il g ClEem i
e i%R M ; M;‘
/ Sk .
Helen Johnson is national sales manager at FOX 54 in Augusta and
another station in Columbus, Ga. Photo by Timothy Cox
the most effective local outlet to adver
tise. In further explaining her job, Helen
revealed that shows like Martin, Living
Single, Good Times, Seinfeld and Soul
Train attracts advertisers looking to sell
their product to specified demographic
categories such as 18 to 35 males. Pro
gramming for children and FOX Sports
are also niche shows which help promote
the station’s sales capacity, Helen said.
Due to her neat exterior (she’s about 5-
feet tall) and polite personality, one may
Rt e
S Ry
et 5
2 ST e o
ittt é
R S e
a om B
Rononnll g Uhaan B
eiae . T k.
e U '5::.::;555:‘-322:« )
N SR LR 4
e o 3
e sl o e
e SR
§ E -
B
3 :
e
e
Gordon Parks
poses near his
home in New
York, Nov. 10,
2000. Parks’ life,
from high-school
dropout to a
successful career
as a photogra
pher, filmmaker,
composer and
writer, is the
subject of the
HBO documentary
“Half Past Au
tumn,” which
premieres Thurs
day, Nov. 30 at 9
p-m., EST.
AP Photo/Gino Domenico
1B
NOVEMBER 30, 2000
misread the internal fortitude that has
driven Helen to the upper reaches of an
industry commonly dominated by white
males. “It’s all about the challenge of
succeeding. I enjoy working with differ
ent personalities and think about what
we all, as people, have in common —
we’re all human beings,” she said with a
smile. Her husband of 10 years, William
Johnson, is employed at International
Paper Board. The couple has two chil
dren, Joshua, 4 and Sariah, 18 months.
Big Joe and the
4 i
o
4 ALL NIGHT LONG
Big Joe & the Dynaflows hit the road
to promote the release of All Night
Long, their second release on Severn
Records. The band is coming to Au
gusta for a special appearance at the
Surrey Tavern on December 8 where
they will treat listeners toan evening
of blues, New Orleans swing, and
rock & roll. Come and dance All Night
Long with the Augusta Blues Society
at their first annual holiday party! It
will be a great way to kick off the
holiday season.