Einstein Celebrates the Arts

Albert Einstein once said that had he not been a scientist, he would have been a musician.  He discovered his best "friend" and lifelong companion at the age of six, when he first began to play the violin.  As he flourished into a brilliant scientist, his violin remained an essential component of his life, adding serenity and inspiration to his mind clouded with numbers, theories, and formulas. Whether through Einstein's violin, the poignant poetry of a graduate student, or the paintbrush of a busy mother, expressing oneself through art is a valuable tool for shaping our human existence. This ability of art to inspire, relax, and express oneself was recently demonstrated  at Einstein through two events held at the medical school during December — the third annual Ad Libitum Literary and Art Night and the opening of an art exhibition, "Something to Say," featuring the drawings of Einstein staff member Mark McBride.

Mark McBride poses beside his very first
drawingWhile both of these events succeeded in celebrating art, it is Mr. McBride's artwork that has drawn extended attention — adorning the main hallway of the Leo and Julia Forchheimer Medical Sciences Building through the end of 2009. Using pen, marker, and color pencils, Mr. McBride transforms white paper into portraits of colorful landmark buildings featuring faces with unique and lively expressions. This concept, which he has affectionately dubbed "Building Character," was imagined and realized only a year ago. "I've always loved art and finally I just decided to try it myself," he said.

A staff member of the Einstein mailroom, Mr. Mc Bride always appreciated and admired art, but it was only recently that he began creating his vibrant drawings. It was quickly noticed and appreciated by family, friends, and colleagues. "People became excited about what I was creating," he recalled. "That's how it was decided to showcase my art," he noted further, referring to the special opening that took place on December 10, featuring more than 20 pieces prepared for display through the efforts of Einstein's creative services staff. 

Throughout the month of December, Mr. McBride's artwork will be on display. As members of the Einstein community walk by the pieces, they can view the portrait of Radio City Music Hall transformed into toy soldiers, or marvel at Chicago's Sears Tower and John Hancock Center morphed into the Blues Brothers, complete with sunglasses, microphones, and groovy attitudes.  Even the buildings of the medical school have been personified into doctors and scientists.

In addition to his art opening, Mr. McBride joined the enthusiastic group of artists, photographers, poets, and musicians who united on the evening of December 9 to take part in the Ad Libitum Literary and Art Night.  This annual event provides an evening of excitement, where members of the Einstein community mingle while enjoying art in all its forms.

"The evening offers students, postdocs, faculty, and staff an opportunity to recognize that they are more than just a collection of scientists, doctors, students, and professionals. They also are a diverse group of people with talents that extend beyond the lab bench, hospital, or office," noted Alexandra Ogorodnikova, editor-in-chief of Einstein's art and literary magazine, Ad Libitum, and one of the event's organizers.

Art and Literary Night event organizers
(left to right): Chris Hawk, Sarah Lutz,
Chrissie Besanceney, Masha Kon, Chelsea
Higgins, Alexandra Ogorodnikova,
Bret Negro, and Ashrei Bayewitz.Those entering Lubin Dining Hall, where the event is held each year, were greeted by the soft and soothing sounds created by the Einstein String Quartet — consisting of four Einstein student-musicians. Later in the evening, the Einstein Jazz Ensemble took the stage, filling the room with cool drums beats, tangy trumpet and saxophone notes, and rich vibes from electric guitars.

Alex Pyronneau, a second-year M.D.-Ph.D. student and trained pianist, created the jazz group about a year ago. He said, "I saw that the Albert Einstein Symphony Orchestra was quite accomplished and thought it would be fun to have another genre of music available for students to enjoy."

Within just a few months, Mr. Pyronneau — who serves as conductor for the ensemble — recruited other jazz enthusiasts and the newly formed band had their first gig at last year's Literary and Art Night. "It was really exciting for us and, after the event, we became well-known within the Einstein community," he recalled. "Tonight feels like an anniversary for us. This is where it all began."

In addition to the stirrings of classical and jazz music, the night included a different sort of music — the voices of creative writers as they read aloud from original poetry and short stories.  One poem even included segments that were sung by its creator, Dr. No� Romo, an alumnus from the Class of 2008 who is now a resident in pediatrics at Jacobi Medical Center.  Growing up in East Los Angeles, violence and poverty surrounded the area that he called home. "I started writing in high school, mostly about stuff going on in my community and how it affected me," remembered Dr. Romo.

He added, "In college, I began writing about bigger issues, not just those that directly affected me.  During college, my mind opened and the writing I completed during those years symbolizes that awakening."

During the summer before his junior year, Dr. Romo spent the summer in New York City. As a frequent visitor to the lounges that offer open mic opportunities, Dr. Romo gathered the courage one evening to leave the audience and take the stage.  "I started performing in small caf�s during the open mic sessions and I realized that I not only loved it, but I was also really good at it."  Years later, Dr. Romo continues to write and perform, now including pieces that convey the inequalities of health care, as well as his adventures transitioning from medical school to residency.

While music flowed throughout the room, eager participants chatted as they viewed the countless photographs, paintings, and drawings on exhibit throughout the transformed dining hall.  Some artwork combined the sciences with the holidays, such as a unique painting by Peter Schmidt that portrayed a jolly, rosy-cheeked Santa and a playful-looking Albert Einstein engaged in conversation.  Other pieces highlighted the beauty that can be found in Einstein's backyard, exemplified by a six-foot-long photograph of New York City's skyline.

Individually and collectively, the Ad Libitum Art and Literary Night and the opening of Mr. McBride's art exhibition convey the meaning of the word most frequently used to describe the atmosphere at Einstein: collaborative. The scientists and doctors who unite to discover new medical advances, the students and professors who come together in learning, and the postdocs and staff who provide the support essential to all of the medical school's endeavors also are artists, writers, and musicians who share talents that extend beyond the scientific and academic realms. Their passion and effort represent the true qualities that equate to success. As Mr. McBride noted in discussing his nascent artistic ventures, "There is no talent required to give effort."

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