NEWBURYPORT – The city official you might call the Godfather of the popular Clipper City Rail Trail has hidden talents that the Newburyport Art Association is about to expose in a gallery exhibition.
Geordie Vining, who has brought his exceptional creativity and perseverance to various city projects for 25 years, is also a photographer. The art association is presenting his collection of photos in an exhibit, Fleeting Moments:
Spontaneous Photography, from Sept. 2 through Sept. 13.
Vining wrote that his photos “speak to the human condition, tell a story and hold on to a glimpse of fleeting beauty.”
His photographs are nearly all spontaneous and unplanned, ranging from close-ups to wide shots, and from vibrant colors to classic black-and-white. The images are of people; townscapes and cityscapes; landscapes; the natural world, and abstract or ambiguous scenes.
Many of the pictures are of his home in New England, but also from other parts of the U.S., as well as Norway, Portugal, Canada, France, England, Italy, Croatia and Japan.
Vining, the Senior Project Manager for the Newburyport Planning Office, managed the creation of the Clipper City Rail Trail from concept to completion. He also managed the design and construction of the Senior Community Center, the John F. Cutter Jr. Fire Station, the Harbormaster Visiting Boater Facility and the Merrimack River boardwalk.
He may be most proud of his work to co-found the award-winning Newburyport Black History Initiative and the erection of dozens of signs downtown commemorating the contribution of African Americans to Newburyport’s history.
The association is hosting a free opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 2, The exhibit is partially supported by the Newburyport Cultural Council, West Newbury Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.
The galleries are free and open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Find more information at newburyportart.org. ♦
