While I’m happy to acknowledge that we’re presently experiencing a bit of “false spring,” with temps soaring into the double digits, the past few weeks have been a bit trying, to say the least. Expressions like “cabin fever,” “stir crazy” and “oh-my-gosh-it’s too darn cold” have been heard ‘round these parts, so I was happy that there were zero weather-related cancellations last week, and that Gidget and I were able to get out and head out, determined to soak up some culture.

That said, I wasn’t looking to shlep around more than a little, and thought myself fortunate to find a twofer at the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA) in Narrowsburg.

Each year the DVAA presents an oh-so-welcome mid-winter program called the “Salon Series.” It premiered last Saturday  with actor/singer Richard Hoehler’s “Songs of Love and Outrage” presented in the Krauss Recital Hall. 

Simultaneously, photographer Michael Salomon’s exhibition, titled “Familiar Terrain,” beckoned in the main gallery on the first floor, while a group show intriguingly called “Let It All Out” filled the gallery upstairs. While Salomon’s artist talk and the reception for both exhibits  are now scheduled for February 21, I had the advantage to preview Salomon’s collection of photographs a week early. I took a look prior to heading upstairs for Hoehler’s program.

While I was heretofore unfamiliar with Salomon’s work, the artist statement I read while perusing his framed pieces spoke to me, since photography is a personal passion at Camp Fox.

“It’s common for a photographer to seek out the majestic landscape, or the monuments that hold our collective attention” he wrote. “I think there is great value in those images, but after a lengthy absence from photography, and years spent trying to capture those grand views, I found there is equal value in the commonplace.” 

His comments further explained that the photos in the exhibit “were all taken within no more than forty-five minutes from my front door” and that he “did not set out with a narrative or specific story to tell.” That said, the images selected certainly tell a story, but perhaps it’s one that illustrates Salomon’s prowess behind the lens. 

While the artist may have described some of his work as “simple,” it is anything but. Whether he is capturing “handprints on the wall of an empty ball field dugout” or a “row of cardboard crucifixes,” Salomon displays a deft hand at selecting subject matter, which he elevates with rich color, informed framing and an innate ability (IMHO) to capture time and place in its striking simplicity. 

Honestly, I found the photos draw the observer into the scenes, each a moment in time, the sort that might otherwise be missed while driving through a rural landscape. Titles like “Shuttered Church” “Fredericks Fill Station,” and “Dawn” exemplify the uncomplicated subject matter, while Salomon’s keen eye for subtle detail elevates the images to that of creative expression. At the risk of appearing artsy-fartsy, I’ll stop waxing rhapsodic over this exhibit and invite you to check it out yourself through March 15. You can thank me later.

Later that same day, I walked upstairs to catch Richard Hoehler and his program, which promised not only love but outrage as well. The latter was more intriguing to me—that guy with the dog who eschews romantic love out of hand. 

I was already familiar with Hoehler, having reviewed a one-man tour de force simply titled “E” at the DVAA a few years back. Although I remembered having seen the last show, it took scanning my review to recall that I found him to be entertaining, thought-provoking, funny and even “riveting” at times. As a result, I felt confident taking my seat for his “songs” program, although completely unfamiliar with his original music. 

A program note that describes his songwriting as “in the spirit of Guthrie, Phil Ochs and Seeger” momentarily threw me, since none of those performers are on my top-10 list, but it only took a moment for me to understand why they’re all referenced, and how Hoehler might have been influenced by the genre defined by their style. 

The same note also informed me that “Hoehler takes an unflinching look at his life and the world around him with original songs of protest, love, and community,” and sure enough, he did, entertaining the room with an affable charm that I’ve come to expect from the man who has made a name for himself at international theatre festivals and right here at home in venues like HB Studios, the Brooklyn Commons and Pangea. 

As for love, I needn’t have worried, since it was familial, and not the mushy, romantic kind that Hoehler addressed through song last weekend. As for his ability to tell a story, I learned about his skill doing that through the written word last time he appeared at the DVAA, but having the chops to do so through music, interjected with thoughtful commentary, was unfamiliar territory for me. 

That said, his set list was a journey, weaving a highly personal narrative that shared intimate details of often-times complex relationships with his father, mother and siblings that evoked memories not everyone would feel at home with sharing publicly. As he strummed his guitar with a deft hand and smooth vocals, Hoehler drew us into his world with titles like “Mama,” “Daddy Don’t,” “Too Old to Sing Love Songs” and “I Wanna Believe.” 

As is often the case, I made copious notes in my program, indicating my admiration for Hoehler’s soft-spoken approach to storytelling and his possession of a way with words that allow him to express “outrage” in a more palatable way than I am used to through my own brand of self-expression. 

Addressing a myriad of complex subjects like cruelty, revenge, big business, women’s rights, the LGBT community, civil rights and supporting the arts, Richard Hoehler had the audience in the palm of his hand throughout, while declaring that “diversity is what makes us strong. I wanna do something,” he declared, “so I just keep writing songs.” 

Fortunately for us, Hoehler is doing just that, and I’ll look forward to his next performance. Clearly he is a man of many talents, so it’ll be interesting to see what he brings to the table when he comes out this way again. As for the DVAA’s Salon Series and what’s on tap at the in the coming weeks, you’ll find more information at www.delawarevalleyartsalliance.org. 

Have I mentioned that all of these offerings are free to the public? No? Well, guess what—they are, although an organization like the DVAA relies on the “generous support of the New York State Council on the Arts, the Nancy Stevenson Memorial Fund, cherished members, valued business sponsors, and individuals like you.”