Arts & Entertainment
Meet Robert Harrison: The Jack of All Trades
East Meadow resident and Hofstra graduate Robert L. Harrison donates his time and artistic ability to the Long Island community.
Robert Harrison has his eggs in many different baskets.
Photographer, historian, poet, writer and teacher are just a few titles listed on the resume of the East Meadow resident. After graduating from Hofstra with a Diploma of Advanced Studies, Harrison sought out to pursue different avenues in communications.
"I wanted to envelop myself with everything in that medium," said Harrison.
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While attending night classes at Hofstra, Harrison worked as a Special Education teacher and eventually started working as a manager for the Command Center for the MTA Long Island Bus.
Along the way, Harrison photographed nature and abstract art across Long Island, Maine, Washington and Canada. In addition, he wrote a children's novel entitled "Goblin Giggles," published a poem in "The Seventh Quarry Poetry," wrote "The Long Island Tall Tales" and photographed the cover for Gayl Teller's poem book, "Inside the Embrace."
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After Harrison retired from the MTA in 2000, he wanted to "do something no one has done before." Harrison ventured off for 18 months to photograph every place of worship in Nassau County. The collection includes over 1500 works of art. Hofstra's Long Island Studies Institute acquired this collection, which was on display at the Axinn Library in 2004.
A few years later, Hofstra asked the photographer to take on another project; to photograph different Sept. 11 sites throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
"Hofstra assisted with the research process in the beginning," said Harrison. "But then I had to find most of it myself. I had to ask around, look through new clips, talk to people in fire houses and find tips on sites."
However, there were times when he found sites unexpectedly.
"I went to Sag Harbor with my wife, we were going to a reserve," said Harrison. "One day we went golfing and there was a 9/11 plaque near the 18th hole."
Whether its stain glass windows, plaques, gardens or school dedication gardens, to date, Harrison found 161 sites commemorating the victims of Sept. 11. Hofstra's Long Island Studies Institute acquired this collection as well. The project has not been completed as of yet.
Harrison's latest accomplishment is a photo-tile exhibit that will be on display at the Merrick public library in October.
"I want to explore new works of art in a different way."
