Marlon Wayans

ASK BRIAN: Do you always have a camera with you?

by Brian Smith on February 6, 2012

Q: Do you always have a camera with you? Even if you are running out the store? Or do you only shoot when you have an assignment?

A: Well, now that an iPhone is considered camera category, I’d have to say yes I do. Beyond that I tend to either take along a Cybershot or Sony’s sweet little compact Sony NEX-5 with me when I don’t want to carry something bigger. Here’s what I’m talking about. The most surreal experience I’ve ever had was walking onto the red carpet at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner between Marlon Wayans and Adrian Grenier. Given the company, it’s an enormous understatement to say that no one was there to see me. But it did give me an opportunity to see things from a different point of view. So with my handy and discreet Cybershot I captured the red carpet the way the stars see it.

Mingling with the stars is best done without calling attention to yourself. Instead of a big camera and flash, my tiny Cybershot was just the thing to snap a couple frames of Tracy Morgan looking all Presidential in The New Yorker’s hospitality suite. As the saying goes, the best camera you can own is the one you actually have with you.

Tagged as: Camera, Cybershot, iPhone, Marlon Wayans, Red Carpet, Sony NEX, The New Yorker, Tracy Morgan, White House Correspondent's Dinner

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ART & SOUL AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!

by Brian Smith on October 6, 2011

in Art & Soul

After two years and over 25,000 photographs, my first book, ‘Art & Soul: Stars Unite to Celebrate and Support the Arts’ is NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON. Just in time for National Arts Month, ART & SOUL is a wonderful way to support the arts. A generous portion of the proceeds from the book will go to advocate funding of the Arts and Arts Education through The Creative Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community. Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community, The Creative Coalition is dedicated to educating its members on issues of public importance.

Through generous support from Sony, the ART & SOUL arts advocacy project features my portraits of artists from the entertainment industry accompanied by handwritten personal testimonials from each artist expressing the importance of the arts education in our culture and the positive impact the arts has on our lives. The project was twice taken to Capitol Hill to rally support for funding the arts and arts education.

Artists photographed for ‘Art & Soul’ include Adrian Grenier, Adrien Brody, Alan Cumming, Alfre Woodard, Alyssa Milano, Amanda Peet, Anne Hathaway, Barry Bostwick, Ben Vareen, Chazz Palminteri, Cheryl Hines, Chris Botti, Dana Delany, David Hyde Pierce, Debi Mazar, Dule Hill, Eddie Griffin, Jr., Ellen Burstyn, Evan Handler, Fisher Stevens, Harry Belafonte, Hill Harper, J. Alexander, James Denton, Jamie Kennedy, Jason Ritter, Jesse Williams, Joe Mantegna, Joel Schumaker, Josh Radnor, John Turturro, Kelsey Grammer, Kerry Washington, Lynn Whitfield, Marlon Wayans, Matthew Modine, Melissa Manchester, Mo’Nique, Oliver Platt, Omar Epps, Patricia Arquette, Paula Abdul, Peter Gallagher, Richard Belzer, Samuel L Jackson, Spike Lee, Steven Weber, Taraji P Henson, Taye Diggs, Tim Daly, Tony Bennett and Wendie Malick.

ART & SOUL is the cornerstone of a grassroots campaign to focus national attention on the need to ensure that arts in America thrive and flourish. A preview of the project was shown at the Library of Congress in May 2010.

ART & SOUL is a wonderful way for those of us lucky enough to make a living from the arts to have an opportunity to show our support and give back.

Order yours today at: http://amzn.to/saveart

Tagged as: Adrian Grenier, Adrien Brody, Alan Cumming, Alfre Woodard, Alyssa Milano, Amanda Peet, Anne Hathaway, Art & Soul, arts, Barry Bostwick, Ben Vareen, Brian Smith, Chazz Palminteri, Cheryl Hines, Chris Botti, Dana Delany, David Hyde Pierce, Debi Mazar, Dule Hill, Eddie Griffin, Ellen Burstyn, Evan Handler, Fisher Stevens, Harry Belafonte, Hill Harper, J. Alexander, James Denton, Jamie Kennedy, Jason Ritter, Jesse Williams, Joe Mantegna, Joel Schumaker, John Turturro, Josh Radnor, Jr., Kelsey Grammer, Kerry Washington, Lynn Whitfield, Marlon Wayans, Matthew Modine, Melissa Manchester, Mo'Nique, National Arts Month, Oliver Platt, Omar Epps, Patricia Arquette, Paula Abdul, Peter Gallagher, Richard Belzer, Samuel L Jackson, Spike Lee, Stars Unite to Celebrate and Support the Arts, Steven Weber, Taraji P. Henson, Taye Diggs, Tim Daly, Tony Bennett, Wendie Malick

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Julia and Me in Elle Magazine!

by Brian Smith on September 2, 2010

in Press

In what ranks as possibly the most unlikely statement of an outrageously lucky career, Julia Roberts and I are in the September 2010 issue of Elle Magazine. Julia is on the cover where she belongs but the massive 562-page issue also spotlights my ‘Art & Soul’ celebrity portrait project that I photographed for The Creative Coalition with the generous support of Sony.

The spread in Elle previews a few of the images of creative artists Jimmy Smits, Alyssa Milano, Samuel L Jackson, James Denton, Spike Lee, Harry Belafonte, Taraji P Henson, Portia Doubleday, Debi Mazar, David Hyde Pierce, Jesse Williams, Tony Bennett, Dayna Mendoza, Kim Kardashian, Kerry Washington, Miss J Alexander, Marlon Wayans and Taye Diggs in the project that showcases the importance of support for the arts and arts education.

Big THANKS to all the Creative Artists who have lent their voices to this cause and to Sony and Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. for their support!

Click here for a PDF of Brian Smith in Elle Magazine.

Tagged as: Alyssa Milano, Art & Soul, Brian Smith, David Hyde Pierce, Dayna Mendoza, Debi Mazar, Elle, Elle Magazine, Harry Belafonte, James Denton, Jesse Williams, Jimmy Smits, Julia Roberts, Kerry Washington, Kim Kardashian, Marlon Wayans, Miss J Alexander, Portia Doubleday, Samuel L Jackson, Spike Lee, Taraji P. Henson, Taye Diggs, Tony Bennett

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Press Coverage of Art & Soul Exhibit at Library of Congress

by Brian Smith on May 3, 2010

in Exhibits

My Monday morning in New York started off with the great press clippings we received from our ART & SOUL Exhibit at the Library of Congress last week. Started off with a great interview with Aimee Agresti of DC Modern Luxury about the Art & Soul project. Thank you Aimee or the kind words and thanks for the Fab red carpet photo of me with Entourage’s ‘Vinnie Chase’ Adrian Grenier.

Nice photo showing off the opulence of the Library of Congress venue in The Hill

DC Metromix

ABC News.com has a photo of me as Steven Weber and Tim Daly’s new Wings-man

The Epoch Times has a nice shot of new pals Omar Epps and Marlon Wayans

http://dc.guestofaguest.com/events/adrien-grenier-dana-delany-attend-art-soul-premiere/

Politico has another nice shot of me with Adrian Grenier

http://ronmwangaguhunga.blogspot.com/

Tagged as: Adrian Grenier, Art & Soul, Art and Soul, Exhibit, Library of Congress, Marlon Wayans, Omar Epps, Politico, Press, Steven Weber, The Hill, Tim Daly, Wings

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The Creative Coalition Hits Capitol Hill

by Brian Smith on April 30, 2010

in Art & Soul

For the second year in a row I’m hitting Capitol Hill with The Creative Coalition to lobby for funding for the Arts. Led by The Creative Coalition co-presidents Tim Daly and Dana Delany along with actors Adrian Grenier, Omar Epps, Marlon Wayans, Cheryl Hines, Steven Weber, Gloria Ruben, Wendie Malick, CCH Pounder, Caroline of Caroline’s Comedy Club, TCC CEO Robin Bronk, Emmy Award-winning producer Tom Fontana…and of course, no trip to the DC would be complete without The West Wing’s Richard Schiff…

BIG THANKS to Alaska Senator Mark Begich for the Senatorial Shout Out to the ART & SOUL project a lunch for the STEM project. We gave Senator Begich a copy of the original ‘Art & Soul’ book when we with him last year and he says that it’s one of the only books he keeps in his DC office. Wow! Thank you Senator!

Tagged as: actors Adrian Grenier, Alaska Senator, Capitol Hill, CCH Pounder, Cheryl Hines, Dana Delany, Gloria Ruben, Mark Begich, Marlon Wayans, Omar Epps, President, Richard Schiff, Steven Weber, The Creative Coalition, The West Wing, Tim Daly, Tom Fontana, Wendie Malick

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ART & SOUL Goes to Congress

by Brian Smith on April 20, 2010

in Exhibits

Mr. and Mrs. Smith Go to Washington

A beautiful day in Washington at the Library of Congress

Anne Hathaway in the Library of Congress 'Art & Soul' Exhibit

The Creative Coalition will host an exclusive one-night-only sneak preview of my portraits of performing artists from the entertainment industry with an exhibit of the ‘Art & Soul’ project in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress on April 29th. ‘Art & Soul’ is the cornerstone of The Creative Coalition’s arts advocacy campaign to focus national attention on the need to secure federal funding and support for the arts.

Entertainment for the evening’s star-studded event will be The Creative Coalition’s one-night show by the same name, ‘Art & Soul’. The show, written and produced by multiple Emmy Award-winning producer Tom Fontana (Oz, Homicide: Life on Street) starring Co-Presidents of The Creative Coalition, Tim Daly (Private Practice) and Dana Delany (Desperate Housewives); director Spike Lee (Do The Right Thing); actors Adrian Grenier (Entourage), Omar Epps (House); Marlon Wayans (White Chicks, Scary Movie), Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm); Steven Weber (Brothers & Sisters); Wendie Malick (Confessions of a Shopaholic, Just Shoot Me); Richard Schiff (The West Wing) and CCH Pounder (Avatar) among others to be announced.

The portraits of artists including Anne Hathaway, Samuel Jackson, Alyssa Milano, Tony Bennett and Kerry Washington are accompanied by handwritten personal testimonials from each individual, expressing the positive impact art has had on their lives which will appear in a book to be published by Filipacchi Publishing. The exhibition is sponsored by Sony and Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. and it will showcase 20 photographs from the project printed by Duggal Visual Solutions.

“We are proud to enlist the members of The Creative Coalition to bring arts to the top of the American agenda,” said The Creative Coalition Executive Director Robin Bronk. “Art & Soul is The Creative Coalition’s initiative that brings together today’s greatest artistic voices and storytellers to illuminate the importance – to every American — of support for the arts and efficacy of arts in education.”