Eye for Art: Ruchlewicz an avid photographer
by Lyndi McNulty in The Advocate
February 7, 2007
http://westminsteradvocate.com/
07.FEB.07 Eye for Art: Ruchlewicz an avid photographer
Stan Ruchlewicz is the administrator of Economic Development for the City of
He said his first love is teaching and judging high school marching bands and drum and bugle corps.
Through traveling as a judge, he said he visited many interesting places.
“So, I took pictures,” Ruchlewicz said. “Back in the dark ages, I was using a small Instamatic. Eventually, I grew out of the Instamatic into a 35mm camera.”
In 1989, Ruchlewicz was hired in Havre de Grace as director of Planning. He was also appointed to the governor’s Save the Lighthouse Commission.
“Then, I really needed to get a good camera to take pictures since we toured the various Chesapeake Bay lighthouses on our annual visits,” he said,
Also at that time, Ruchlewicz began to take photographs of downtown buildings, streetscapes and events for promotional and reference materials for his job, he said.
Later, his financee, Pat Miller, converted him to go digital.
“Now, I can take hundreds of photographs at a time and not worry about printing costs since I can view the shots on the computer and choose to print only the best,” he said.
Ruchlewicz and his fiancee both take photos.
“I do the large scale photos, such as buildings, landscapes and event crowds, while she enjoys doing architectural details, like gargoyles and grotesques and individual people,” he said. “Grotesques are the funny little guys that are on old buildings but don’t put out rainwater like gargoyles do.”
Today, Ruchlewicz is still shooting buildings and street scenes along Main Streets, events in downtown
“A lot of the photos I take are of streetscape features such as signage, trash cans, benches, streetlights, window displays, storefronts and building facades,” Ruchlewicz said. “I use them as examples of how to improve local buildings and to give local store owners new ideas on how to improve their businesses.”
Casey Willson, retail industry manager for the Maryland Small Business Development Center, uses some of Ruchlewicz’s pictures for his presentations to small business owners around the state.
Ruchlewicz’s work is everywhere in town.
The postcards of downtown Westminster, such as the view of Main Street from the roof of the old fire house, the downtown mural, the McDaniel College entrance, City Hall and the train passing in front of Johannson’s are all his work.
The postcards are all copyrighted by the City of
Ruchlewicz’s photographs also appear in the
Additionally, his photos from the Corbit’s Charge event can be viewed on the Pipe Creek Civil War Round Table Web site at http://www.pccwrt.addr.com.
“The most utilized image of mine is of the old clock tower in
Ruchlewicz’s newest project is converting his photographs into digital art.
“For example, I take photos of
In the future, Ruchlewicz said he would like to put his photographs in an art show and perhaps sell some commercially.
And his travels continue.
“I plan to go to
— Lyndi McNulty owns Gizmos Art in
Art – Eye for Art by Lyndi McNulty in The Advocate
“Vota for Moana”
©
August 16th, 2006
Westminster, MD - - This is the season for signs.
Recently your intrepid blogger found this group of signs at
Mystery surrounds just what Ms. Mona Lisa is running for.
In a related matter, we asked
Asked if he knew just what office Ms. Lisa was running for, Mr. Ruchlewicz responded, “Don’t know. Don’t really care as long as the mysterious sign brings money into
Asked how long the sign for Ms. Lisa has been at the intersection, “Don’t know. Been kinda busy recently,” remarked the assistant director for parks, buildings, streets, water, wastewater, kitchen sinks, development review, planning, fly swatters, public works, fleet management, kite flying, road sign, grass clippings removal, utilities maintenance and the soundtrack division of old silent movies.
Marianne Sheehan, the administrative assistant for the assistant director for parks, buildings, streets, water, wastewater, kitchen sinks, development review, planning, fly swatters, public works, fleet management, kite flying, road sign, grass clippings removal, utilities maintenance, letters and art, heavy metal music and the soundtrack division of old silent movies, remarked that the sign “looked good in that location and that it went well with the overall ambiance of downtown Westminster.”
Wayne Reifsnider, the assistant superintendent for streets, buildings, and parks said, “Well, ya know… Well, it’s a free country and people have a right to put up signs on private property, ya know. But I don’t know, ya know. Then on the other hand, well, ya know, it’s a neat sign and I just do my job. Mind my own business, ya know. Well, I best be moving along. See ya.”
More on this developing story as the city continues to unravel.
E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
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Great Stan Ruchlewicz photograph of the Clydesdales in
July 21, 2006
Stan Ruchlewicz is one of the better artists/photographers around. Since he first came to
Mr. Ruchlewicz was the primary lead on getting the Budweiser Clydesdales to come to
Although Mr. Ruchlewicz came to
For many years before he came to
Additionally, Mr. Ruchlewicz has served as President of the Maryland Downtown Development Association since 1997. He has also served on the Main Street Maryland Main Street Review Committee since 1997.
What many in
According to information on the TOB web site, the TOB “is one of the largest competitive band organizations in the country…” It “sanctions approximately 140 field band events, about 100 indoor events and several comprehensive music festivals each year.”
“Tournament of Bands is a non-profit educational organization that is available to any middle, junior high, senior high, college or university. Founded in 1972 by the National Judges Association, Tournament has grown to over 400 active schools. Tournament provides performance opportunities in field band, indoor guard, majorette, percussion and dance team as well as comprehensive festivals with instrumental and choral events.”
When he is not promoting economic development for the City of
Until I can find an extra minute to post the number of pictures I took last Monday when the Clydesdales in town, please enjoy the picture posted above graciously provided to KDDC courtesy of Stan Ruchlewicz.
Kevin Dayhoff writes from
E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
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The Budweiser Clydesdales in will be in
July 16, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff
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If you have ever had the interest in seeing the gentle giants of the horse family, the Budweiser Clydesdales,
The Clydesdales visit to
According to
Mr. Ruchlewicz advises that: “Beginning about 12:30 p.m., the magnificent Clydesdales will travel down
“They will make a right onto
“They will then travel down
For a cute video (Budweiser commercial) featuring a baby Clydesdale, click here.
There are six “hitches” - eight-horse teams of Clydesdales - which pull a red, white and gold 1903 Studebaker-built beer wagon. Five of the hitches are traveling hitches. The hitch that will be visiting
The tradition of the Clydesdales began as a celebration of the repeal of Prohibition on April 7, 1933, when August A. Busch Jr. had the team of horses ceremonially deliver the first case of post-Prohibition beer from the
Published reports reflect: “Realizing the advertising and promotional potential of a horse-drawn beer wagon, Mr. Busch had the team sent by rail to
From there, the Clydesdales continued on a tour of New England and the
Over 70 years later, the tradition continues as the “Clydesdale hitches travel some 100,000 miles a year…”
The especially large breed of horses traces its beginnings in the early 1800s in
Today, Clydesdales have evolved to a horse that is six foot tall (18 hands) at the shoulder and weigh approximately one ton each – between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds.
To qualify to be a Budweiser Clydesdale, they must be “geldings, bay in color, have four white stockings and a blaze of white on the face, as well as a black mane and tail. A gentle temperament also is important, as hitch horses meet millions of people each year,” according to promotional accounts.
And oh, a Clydesdale’s horseshoe measures more than 20 inches from end to end and weighs about five pounds.
They eat two meals a day, which includes 20 to 25 quarts of feed, 50 to 60 pounds of hay and up to 30 gallons of water.
When they arrive in
The Clydesdales will probably be accompanied by one or more Dalmatians, which have traveled with the horses since the 1950s.
In the early days, the Dalmatians “were bred and trained to protect the horses and guard the wagon when the driver went inside to make deliveries. The black-and-white spotted dogs were swift enough to keep up with the wagons, and their light-colored bodies and markings made them easier to see during the twilight hours.”
I’ll see ya in
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Kevin Dayhoff writes from
E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
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20060516 WR Wster FJFest
Flower & Jazz Festival Kicks Off the Spring Event Season in
May 16, 2006 By Kevin Dayhoff
Last Saturday, almost 6,000 visitors joined the
For this year’s nineteenth annual Westminster Flower and Jazz Festival Westminster opened up its historic downtown-shopping district with open arms.
This year 72 craft and commercial vendors, four nurseries, 4 non-profits, ten to fifteen Carroll County Health Department Child Safety booths – and most importantly, five food vendors, made
The nurseries included: Cowlick Gardens, M&W Nursery, Sue’s Flowers and Wakefield Valley Nursery.
Stan Ruchlewicz,
Ron Schroers Director of Recreation and Parks and former mayor Dayhoff’s personal assistant emeritus said, “It was a beautiful day. It was great to see all the Mom’s and Dad’s. You’ll come back now ya hear.”
Kevin Dayhoff writes from
E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
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