OTMJ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL u OTMJ.COM
SOCIAL
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2023
Oscar Worthy
SPORTS
Journal photo by Solomon Crenshaw; Johnny Cash photo by Art Meripol
Birmingham Filmmakers in the Spotlight on a Global Stage
E Art Meripol says he began photographing live music on campus while pursuing a degree in journalism at the University Arkansas. “The first time I shot a concert, I just fell in love with it.”
EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY
A New Exhibit at Aldridge Gardens Shines a Light on Art Meripol’s Rock Star Photography By Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
A
rt Meripol would smile and quietly agree when people pointed out the coincidence of his name. The career photographer was an artist, they surmised, whose name is Art. But Meripol, whose given name is Arthur, never saw it that way. “No, not at all. Other people would point it out to me before, once my career got going,” the 68-year-old Hoover resident said. “But I never thought of myself as an artist. If I did think of myself in that respect
at all, it was as a craftsman. “I think I’ve taken pictures that were artful, but I still think of as myself as a craftsman,” he continued. “You learn the trade and that’s kind of what I did. You learn techniques and experience teaches you things. The more mistakes you make, the more you learn, and I made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot.” The product of Meripol’s craft – a collection of photos from live music concerts – is on display in the art gallery at Hoover’s Aldridge Gardens. The showing runs Mondays through Fridays until March 3. An artist reception will be held Feb. 16.
The exhibition includes a collection of rock, blues, jazz and country concert photographs that Meripol captured from 1974 to 1990. It includes photos of B.B. King, Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Merle Haggard, Chick Corea, KISS, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Eddie Van Halen and other artists. “We originally planned for 38 (photos) and I kind of snuck four more in,” the photographer chuckled. “The people at the gallery have been fantastic. We talked about having a show and I showed (Rip Weaver,
See ART, page 8
verything Everywhere All at Once” is certainly all that: an of-the-moment, global box-office sensation with 11 Oscar nominations, more than any other film in the running this year. And it’s locally relevant. Two Over the Mountain natives, director and screenwriter Daniel Scheinert and film editor Paul Rogers, have been nominated for Oscars for their work on this buzzy film. Scheinert has two nominations: Best Director, along with co-director Daniel Kwan, and Best Original Screenplay. Scheinert and Kwan make up the filmmaking duo is known as “Daniels.” Rogers is nominated for Best Film Editing. Paul Rogers, The film leads all nomiwho attended nees at the 95th Annual Academy Awards with nomi- Homewood High nations for best picture, direc- School, received a Best Oscar nominator, actress (Michelle Yeoh), tion for his work on supporting actor (Ke Huy “Everything All at Quan), supporting actress Once”. (Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu), original screenplay, film editing, costume design, original score and original song. This year, Oscars Night is March 12. In celebration of all these Oscar nominations and the movie’s cool hometown connection, Sidewalk Cinema will show “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Feb. 10-12. A modern science fiction/comedy/adventure film, described as “an assault on the senses,” it’s about an aging Chinese immigrant who, while being audited by the IRS and going through a midlife crisis, realizes that she –and she alone – can save the world by connecting with parallel universe versions of herself. The New York Times called the film a “swirl of See OSCAR, page 6
Courtesy Melissa Spdringer
By Susan Swagler