John Shearer: America (Continued) at the Aldrich Contemporary

"Pritchard, Alabama Jail"
© John Shearer
at Aldrich Contemporary

John Shearer's show America (Continued) recently opened at the Aldrich Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Shearer has been a photojournalist since the '60s, first as one of the youngest staff photographers hired at LOOK magazine, and then as a photographer at LIFE until the magazine ceased publishing. Among Shearer's achievements is having covered the civil rights movement of the '60s, the Attica Prison riots of 1972, and the first Ali-Frazier fight--the "Fight of the Century".

A portfolio of Shearer's images can be seen here. The "News Events" section gives a good cross section of his most powerful work. In addition to his photography, Shearer is an author of fiction and nonfiction for children.

Still River Editions printed two large-scale photographs for Shearer's show--the image above, and also the image below. Richard Klein, exhibitions director at the Aldrich, mentions the two images as bookends for the show in the last paragraph on the museum's page about Shearer's show.

artwork 
© John Shearer
at Aldrich Contemporary

The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art is located at 258 Main St. Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Steve Boyle's Photography at Primer, Inc. in Hatboro, Pennsylvania

© Steve Boyle

Philadelphia-based photographer Steve Boyle is in a solo show at Primer, Inc. during the month of July, 2010. 

There will be an opening reception on Friday, July 2, at 6 pm.

Though Steve Boyle's imagery is usually centered around the athlete as individual and as archetype, and his photographs are varied in texture and feel. Several distinct bodies of work are on exhibit, including an intriguingly different black-and-white series of a dancer in deep shadow and contrast that focuses the viewer on her musculature--dancer as athlete. There are more traditional sports-related photographs, paired with almost abstract shots of winter sports. There are close-up color portraits, and a series of dramatic, colorful sleeping bags, undulating abstractly on a black background. Boyle's work has been commissioned by clients including ESPN Magazine, Runner's World, Gatorade, and the History Channel.

Primer, Inc. is located at 15 Byberry Rd., Hatboro, Pennsylvania. Primer, Inc. is a branding house/design studio that features a gallery with monthly shows.  Boyle's other website is The Philadelphia Photographer.

Still River Editions printed the photographs for this exhibit.

~Lys

Demystifying "Where did my files go?" for newer computer users

Understanding "Where did my files go?" (or the concept of "files" and "folders" in general) is probably one of the most basic problems newer computer users can face. I just stumbled across an article this morning that might help with that question. It's geared toward teachers of computer skills, but I think it might help regular folks. I'm working on a tutorial to illustrate these concepts. Coming soon. In the meantime...

Here's the article.

If you're trying to send us files and you're running into problems--call or stop by! I won't judge you!

~Lys

Equine Expressions: Leslie Hudson-Tolles at Koenig's Newtown


"After the Dance"
© Leslie Hudson-Tolles

Leslie Hudson-Tolles of North Carolina will return to the northeast next week for "Equine Expressions", a show of equine art at Koenig's FrameWorks that includes Hudson-Tolles, Adele Goodman, and Shelley Hunter. 

Leslie Hudson-Tolles is a nationally recognized Equine Artist who works in pastel, pencil and colored pencil, monoprints, block prints and painting. Her knowledge of horses, and mastery of technique create nearly human expressions in those big eyes, and attitude in their demeanor. 

Hudson-Tolles was based in Newtown, Connecticut for 32 years until a relocation a couple of years ago. She will be signing prints at the opening reception on Thursday, July 8, from 6-8 pm.

Adele Goodman works in pastel, and is from Mooresville, North Carolina. Shelley Hunter is a bronze sculptor from Lexington, Kentucky. Their work harmonizes with Hudson-Tolles' perfectly, in that they are not mere illustrators. They use their selected mediums with an eye toward creating emotion and motion.

The show runs from July 8 until August 6. Koenig's Picture Framing and Art Gallery is located at 97 South Main St. (Route 25), Newtown, CT. Opening July 8, 6-8 pm.

~Lys

Cliff Abrams' Dualities at the Greenwich Art Society

Greenwich Art Society will be hosting photographer Cliff Abrams' solo show "Dualities" from July 7-31, 2010. There will be an opening reception Wednesday, July 7, from 6-8 pm.

In "Dualities", Abrams couples his images; the architectural, industrial, and geometric are paired with florals, botanicals, natural processes, or soft things (like skin, in one image). Abrams designs exhibitions, giving him experience grouping objects and images to create emotions or elicit questions. Proximity may change the meaning of his individual photographs, and the viewer must either connect or ultimately disconnect their relationship to each other. In that, there is both duality and simultaneity--which is its own duality.

Greenwich Art Society is located at 299 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, Connecticut.

~Lys

Bill Eppridge: An American Treasure at Monroe Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe, NM

© Bill Eppridge
As is the case with most great art--the deep impact of the work often renders the creator invisible. Seeing a cross section of a lifetime's output turns the focus back onto the artist, when a thread of continuity is seen even between vastly disparate subjects.

This is the case for Bill Eppridge, a master photojournalist whose 50 year career is distilled into 50 photographs for the exhibition "Bill Eppridge: An American Treasure" at Monroe Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe, opening July 2, 2010. Connecticut Photographics and Still River Editions printed both traditional gelatin silver prints and digital archival color and black and white prints for this show.

Though Eppridge may be known best for his iconic images of Bobby Kennedy before and during the "Heartbreak Campaign", and his gorgeous black and white coverage of the Beatles' first visit to America, it is the scope of his career that is most remarkable. All of the images are connected by Eppridge's hungry eye and poetic gravity. Quoting from Monroe Gallery's website, "he has covered wars, political campaigns, heroin addiction, the arrival of the Beatles in the United States, Vietnam, Woodstock, the summer and winter Olympics, and perhaps the most dramatic moment of his career - the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy in Los Angeles. Over the last 50 years, his work has appeared in numerous publications, including National Geographic, Life, and Sports Illustrated."

And when you see the photographs, you understand. Forgive me if I lapse into stream-of-consciousness--going from the Beatles' arrival in America, and the unbridled optimism of the Bobby Kennedy campaign, to Woodstock, America's Cup, you find your heart in your throat seeing the busboy kneeling over a dying RFK, and the funeral procession of James Cheney ("Missisippi Burning"). Portraits of Barbara Streisand, Jonas Salk, and Cesar Chavez... and then sports coverage... and Apollo 11... the shockingly beautiful, but devastating coverage of "Needle Park"... and these are only fifty prints out of an astounding body of work.

Bill Eppridge will be present at the gallery's opening reception on Friday, July 2, from 5-7 pm. The Monroe Gallery of Photography is located at 112 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

There's a cover story about Eppridge from 2008 in Double Exposure which gives some good background.

~Lys

Artist As Curator at Kehler Liddell in New Haven, Opening July 11

The artists for "Artist As Curator" were chosen by artists represented by Kehler Liddell Gallery in New Haven. Each artist represented by Kehler Liddell chose a regional guest artist to be in the show.

The guest artists are: Gulgun Aliriza, Melody Best, Janice Bielawa, Richard Carleton, Terry Dagradi, Jean Dalton, Catherine Doocy, Chris Durante, Alanna Fagan, Andrew Hogan, Lori Glavin, Richard Lytle, Fethi Meghelli, Jason Noushin, Douglas Nygren, Tom Reilly, Jeremy Keats Saladyga, Thomas Stavovy, Susan Cutler Tremaine, Kevin Van Aelst, Ting Ou-Yang and Jonathan Waters.

The opening reception is Sunday, July 11, from 3-6 pm, with an artist talk at 3 pm. Kehler Liddell is located at 873 Whalley Avenue, New Haven, CT. The gallery is located in the Westville section of town, and there is parking behind the building.

~Lys

Banjie Getsinger Nicholas Open Studio June 26-27 in Warren, CT




"The Attic of My Soul"
© Banjie Getsinger Nicholas


The studio tour takes place on Saturday, June 26 from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday, June 27 from 10 am to 4 pm. There are 24 artists participating the free tour in Bantam, Cornwall, Goshen, and Warren. Connecticut's northwest corner is full of creative people making contemporary art who are generously opening their studios for the general public.

Banjie Getsinger Nicholas creates delicate drawings in silverpoint, and luminous painting in egg tempera. Birds, nests, feathers, flowers, and landscapes are often paired with intriguing objects, like antique toys, or paper cutouts. Sometimes text is part of her silverpoint drawings. 

For the studio tour, she will likely go into detail about the processes she uses, and the inspiration she gets from birds (she is also a certified wild bird rehabilitator).

Here's a previous post about Banjie, and an article from the Litchfield County Times that features video about how she makes her own paints.

Information about where to go is on the Open Studio Tour's website.

Go! Have fun!

~Lys

Western Connecticut State University MFA Show in NYC

"Bret Michaels: Rock 'N' Roll Survivor"
©Hiroshi Mizuno

This year's crop of MFA recipients in painting and illustration from Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT is showing at Blue Mountain Gallery, 530 W. 25th St., 4th Floor, NYC.

The artists participating in painting are: David Brownell, Betsy Davidson, Brie McDonald, Renee Rossi, and Jill Sarver. Those participating in illustration are: Danielle Alpert, Thomasina Beasley, David Ferreira, Annie Lane, Barbara Mansilla, Hiroshi Mizuno, and Jamison Odone.

Still River Editions printed Hiroshi Mizuno's colorful and cheeky illustrations of celebrities included in the exhibition. Mizuno's eye is sharp and critical, and sometimes he cuts to the quick. Sometimes, though, he gently (and humorously) amplifies the already oversized qualities of the personalities he draws.

The opening reception is Thursday, June 24, 5-8 pm, and the show will run until July 10, 2010.

~Lys

The Gallery at Black Rock: Amber Maida artist talk

"Between the Stars"
© Amber Maida


Amber Maida, whose solo show "Labyrinth" opened earlier this month at The Gallery at Black Rock, will be giving an artist talk on Saturday, June 19 at 1 pm. This new series of mixed-media paintings was inspired by the lyrics of David Bowie. Found materials are often used to create texture to good effect in her abstractions, which are darkly intriguing.

~Lys

Show us your books

One of the amazing things about technology these days, is the evolution of the d.i.y. photo book. Many are geared toward regular folks making photo albums, however the art community has found an amazing way to make no-overhead books for show catalogs, portfolios, and anything else dreamed up. There are many sites like Blurb and Lulu where an artist can make a book and have it distributed on the Web.

So... have you made one of your own artwork/photographs? If so, we'd love to see, so leave a link in the comments or email me at lysbeth[at]stillrivereditions.com (replace [at] with the @ symbol)
Custom books are shockingly easy to put together if you use ready-made layouts. They can become more labor-intensive projects if custom page layouts are needed (we know this from personal experience), but the reward is having a book that is 100% your expression.

A couple of years ago, Mark and I put together a book of Cathy's photographs from Boston in the late '70s/early '80s. We auditioned several services before committing, however, quality changes from time to time, so it's good to shop around periodically. The experience of designing it 100% from cover to interior was challenging, but we are happy with the end result.

Show us your stuff!

~Lys

Eddie Adams: Vietnam at Bethel Woods Arts Center through July 11

Fifty black and white photographs from Eddie Adams: Vietnam are being exhibited at Museum at Bethel Woods in Bethel, NY until July 11, 2010. Still River Editions printed work for this exhibition which highlights the photojournalist's coverage of the Vietnam War, including the controversial image for which he was awarded the 1968 Pulitzer Prize. Adams' images were not published outside of their use for the Associated Press until after his death, when a book and exhibition were put together titled Eddie Adams: Vietnam by Adams' wife Alyssa.

Also notable is that the museum is offering free admission for U.S. military veterans, active duty, retired, or reserve troops with an ID at sign in during the Eddie Adams exhibition.

Bethel Woods Art Center is located at 200 Hurd Road, Bethel, NY at the site of the original 1969 Woodstock Festival. The museum's focus is the Woodstock era in art, culture and politics. In addition to the museum, the Art Center holds concerts, craft and other festivals, and country fair-type events.

~Lys

Tatiana Golovnya-Miller at 25CPW in New York City











©Tatiana Golovnya-Miller

Tatiana Golovnya-Miller will be exhibiting giclée prints of her drawings at 25CPW in "Images: Six Perception" from June 16-19, 2010. The opening reception will be June 16 from 6-8 PM. 25 CPW is located at 25 Central Park West, NYC. The show is presented in collaboration with Grant Gallery.

Golovnya-Miller's drawings are colorful and lively, and straddle the border between folk costume design and fine art. The drawings are part of a book project that has a seasonal focus, and pieces from each season will be exhibited. These are not simple fashion illustrations. Ms. Golovnya-Miller's artist statement grounds the costumes in the context of their role as documents; Russian costume reflects the influence of surrounding and far-flung nations over hundreds of years while remaining "Russian".

Golovnya-Miller was born and educated in Moscow, having achieved degrees in both piano and screenwriting, and worked in the Russian film industry.  When she moved to New York City nearly thirty years ago, she attended FIT and the School of Visual Arts while working in advertising and fashion design. She began making drawings and writing while absorbing and mastering the English language. She continues to work in both mediums.

Others in the multiple-discipline show include Natalia A. Kram, Udita Leberg-Shapiro, Tatiana Migdal, Edina Seleskovic, and Natasha Zyablova.

~Lys

Added 6/17/10 at 4:36 pm
Below are a few photos from the opening of the show (click for larger images)
























Michael Elsden: Pogonophora at Westport Arts Center's SOLOS 2010










matt g. #1
© Michael Elsden


Photographer Michael Elsden will be exhibiting at Westport Arts Center's SOLOS 2010 from June 11 to July 25, 2010. Elsden's body of work is called Pogonophora (the beard bearers), and features monumental photographs whose light and feel resemble old master paintings. In each, a solitary man with a beard stands out against a dark background. There is a great richness of detail, as Elsden shot the portraits with a large-format camera. Any prior associations with beards and hyper-masculine gruffness (a "mountain man" preconception) are set aside, and instead there is beauty. Elsden says of the work, "In these images I was looking for a feeling of the reflective, classical, even 'monastic' quality seen in renaissance period portrait painting."

SOLOS 2010 is Westport Arts Center's annual juried members exhibition. Other artists included are Harriet Diamond, Michele Gage, Claire Watson Garcia, Mary Jo Lombardo, Barbara Salinas, Forrest Solis, and Megan Youngquist. The juror was Richard Klein, artist and Exhibition Director at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Ridgefield, CT.

The opening reception is on Friday, June 11, from 6:30-8:30 pm. Westport Arts Center is located at 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT.

~Lys

Ruth Newquist featured in Hospice Art Show Friday, June 11







"National Arts Club"
© Ruth Newquist

Watercolorist and painter Ruth Newquist of Newtown is the featured artist at this year's The Art of Caring, the Regional Hospice Art Show. The annual event benefits Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut, and takes place at 7 pm on Friday, June 11 at Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation, 900 Ridgebury Rd., Ridgefield, CT.

Newquist's work often depicts New York cityscapes, and New England scenes. Her work takes those sunny afternoons walking down the street in SoHo, and freezes their light in time.

Clients who are among the over 100 participating include watercolorists Betty Clark and Vicki Stevens, and photographer Kyle Riordan of Danbury, and others (if you are included, please let me know asap, and I will add your name here.)

Hospice serves almost everyone in some way, and has a huge, positive impact on patients and families during extremely difficult times. This is the 25th anniversary of The Art of Caring. The Danbury News-Times did a story which can be read here.

~Lys

Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism Announces 2010 Artist Fellowship Recipients






"Fried doe, just a buck"
© Mark Savoia

The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism has announced 2010 recipients of artist fellowships from the state. The fellowships are awarded on an alternating annual basis, and applicants are judged solely on artistic merit.  This year's categories were craft, new media, painting, photography, sculpture/installation and works on paper. Alternating years recognize choreography, fiction, film/video, music composition, playwriting and poetry.

Among this year's 37 recipients is Mark Savoia, co-owner of Connecticut Photographics and Still River Editions. Mark submitted a portfolio of black and white images that highlight his wry observations of unusual nooks and crannies of American culture. In addition to the award, recipients usually have the opportunity to participate in a group exhibition in Hartford.

If you are a Connecticut resident, keep the CCT's website bookmarked, and check back periodically for application materials. The website features numerous resources for state artists of all disciplines. New York residents, you have a great resource in the New York Foundation for the Arts website.

~Lys

Making Art in Connecticut

Last week, I heard an interview with The Gallery at Black Rock director Eileen Walsh on WPKN, 89.5 Bridgeport. It's a hard thing, talking about art on the radio, but Terry Hopper interviewed her well. Walsh is one of a coterie of dedicated folks who are pulling Bridgeport up by the bootstraps and encouraging artistic growth in the area. Glad to hear an art-related success story.

On a sad note, unfortunately, we got word that the Brookfield Craft Center has ceased operations. Director Richard Herrmann sent a press release earlier this week detailing the dire state of financial affairs at the Craft Center and expressed regret over the decision to shut the doors. The Craft Center had been in operation since 1954.

If you've got shows or events happening in the near future, please drop an email and I will post about them.

~Lys

Loft Artists Association gets "Big, Bigger, Biggest"

The Loft Artists Association in Stamford is now hosting a members' show titled "Big, Bigger, Biggest" featuring art larger than 36"x48".  Their press release calls it "a rare opportunity to see how LAA artists are experimenting with size and scale".

The Loft Artists Association is located at 845 Canal Street in Stamford, CT. Gallery hours are Friday through Sunday, 12-5 pm

Though we missed the opening, it looks like a good show. It's up until June 20.

~Lys