Thanking Firefighters

By Andrew Sirocchi, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash.

Feb. 12–Millions of people have gazed up at James Chicouris’ paintings over the years, but these days the 80-year-old painter from Pasco is targeting a much more select group.

Inspired by a black and white newspaper photograph of a firefighter attacking a blaze, Chicouris put brush to canvas late last year and brought color to an overwhelming moment showing glowing flames stretching out into a dark night.

“At the time I didn’t give it much thought,” Chicouris said. “It was just an inspiration. Then I thought, maybe the (Kennewick) fire department would want it for its centennial celebration.”

The artist describes the work, titled Requiem of Fire, as a stark revelation of what a firefighter must contend with. Adding that it sends a message to homeowners to be aware of safety rules and regulations or this may well be your home.

For Chicouris, who worked as a sign and pictorial artist in Chicago from 1955 to 1992, the offering is just his way of privately saying thanks.

Publicly, Kennewick already has made plans to celebrate the fire department’s 100-year anniversary. Mayor Jim Beaver set the celebrations into motion and said thanks on behalf of the community by signing off on a proclamation honoring the city’s firefighters.

Chief Neil Hines said that in May, the department will unearth a time capsule buried in the 1970s. In August, Hines said the department will showcase old and new fire trucks for the community.

“We’ll roll out some old apparatus and new apparatus in the parade,” he said. “And we have the first city fire truck at Station 1.”

Chicouris moved to the Tri-Cities just four years ago but still felt it would be worthwhile to offer thanks for the department’s 100 years of service.

In about eight hours of work, Chicouris said, a 3-by-4-foot white canvas was transformed into an oil painting of dazzling blue skies contrasting with orange fire.

For Chicouris, the size of the painting wasn’t an issue.

His canvases used to be large plywood billboard that spanned dozens of feet across. The largest of his pieces, he said, faced south on Michigan Avenue in Chicago and reached 92 feet wide by 40 feet high. It was a billboard he painted over and over again during his career.

Every few months, Chicouris showed up with gallons of primer and enough paint to fill the board. Over the years, the ad offered office supplies, furniture and flights to Hawaii or Tokyo.

Now that his work has been sized down and his subject matter is not nearly as commercial, Chicouris hopes that painting something once will be good enough. And perhaps, these days, he hopes a few dozen people will get the chance to see his work in Kennewick.

—–

Copyright (c) 2007, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.