Mary Beth Bjork
Equinox Staff
Michael Reilly, a KSC alumnus jazz musician featured his artwork “Portrait of Jazz” Exhibit at the Jazz Hall of Fame in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 12, 2012.
Reilly said that he did face challenges, stating, “The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame wanted me to paint some of their inductees in the hall of fame. I had to do a whole new batch of paintings [of] musicians I’ve never painted before. Part of my process is I can’t take a photograph or paint the musicians without knowing about them,” he said. “I had to go find their albums. I listen to LPs, not CDs not iPods. LPs there’s a truer sound to it. That way I can listen to the musicians on my stereo as I’m painting them…it helps tremendously when I’m painting.”
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Although Reilly was faced with challenges, he was able to experience some excitement and fun in Oklahoma.
Reilly said, “While I was in Oklahoma, I often went to jazz concerts and paint live and so I did almost 50 paintings live there during the concerts. And one of the concerts I was on stage painting. I’ve never done that before, it was really fun.”
Along with the current exhibit in Oklahoma, Reilly also shared a bit about his history: painting jazz artists, how KSC helped him to become the artist he is today, and how he is still connected with the campus.
“I’ve been painting jazz musicians for about eight years. That’s been my primary subject that I’ve concentrated on. The first event that I had actually displaying with a jazz concert was actually at Keene State with Don Baldini.”
“Portraits of Jazz” was collaborated with Don Baldini who celebrated his thirtieth year performance at KSC on April 30, 2008.
Reilly explains his thoughts about galleries and how it differs from having a concert.
He said, “It’s very often when you see artwork, particularly paintings, that’s usually the gallery setting. Galleries are pretty sterile; they’re like operating rooms, no germs, don’t touch. Put it into a concert it’s a different thing completely.”
Going further back in history, Reilly explains where he got the idea to paint jazz musicians.
Reilly said, “The whole series of the jazz musicians started actually from a trip to the Keene dump…there was a book of black and white photography…of jazz musicians that was in the throw away book pile and I picked it up and that’s when I started painting.”
When asking Reilly what made him think to go through the trash at the dump he said, “I do it all the time.”
Reilly remembered his days at KSC.
Reilly said, “My professors at Keene State were tremendous. My advisor, main professor, was Robert Neuman, he retired in 1990, and the other big influence was Jack Marshall. He also retired, and he’s passed away now.”
Reilly also said, “Robert Neuman really taught us that if you’re going to be an artist, it’s going to take the rest of your life and it’s going to take a lot of work and dedication and he was very dedicated to his work and he inspired many of my classmates.”
Reilly continued, “They’re still painting, they’re still creating which is really exciting to see. Brian Jenkins he graduated from Keene State …and we have studios right next door to each other, I see him all the time he’s continuing painting…if it wasn’t for Robert Neuman, I probably wouldn’t be painting now.”
Future plans for Reilly are to continue to dip the paint on his brush.
Reilly said, “[My plans are] to keep painting and the exhibits are great and all but where the work happens is showing up at the studio everyday whether you want to or not. Sometimes you’re tired and don’t want to go to the studio but you go anyway, it’s part of who you are, we don’t have a choice, [with] the process of creating. I’ve been painting nonstop since I graduated. There’s no such thing as taking a break or taking time off. To continue, you have to produce no mater what.”
Currently, Reilly is working with Professor Craig Sylvern from KSC.
Reilly said, “I’m working on a project right now with Craig Sylvern a professor at Keene State, he’s on sabbatical this semester and he’s putting together a CD, a performance this Sunday at the Almni Center so I’m going to go to the concert and paint live and hopefully something will wind up for a CD cover for him. See, it’s nonstop. It just keeps going!”
Mary Beth Bjork can be contacted at
mbbjork@keene-equinox.com