Koenig Frameworks' Spring Photography Show 2011: Call for submissions

Koenig FrameWorks in Newtown is hosting a juried spring photography show on the theme of "Fantasy." They are receiving submissions between April 9th and April 23, 2011. The exhibit will run from May 6-May 27, 2011.

They define fantasy as "a supposition based on no solid foundation; visionary idea; illusion; something that people believe is false." They are encouraging photographers to enter "images of any location, setting, or thing that portrays a fantastical element. It could be hidden, or leak into the real world. It may entirely occur in a fantasy world."

The opening reception and awarding of ribbons will be on May 6th.

Koenig FrameWorks is located at 97 South Main St. (Rt. 25) Newtown, CT.

Loft Artists Gallery: LAA Draws III, "An Examined Life"

Loft Artists Association is hosting an event in conjunction with the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum's "Draw On" from March 11 to April 17, 2011. LAA Draws III, "An Examined Life," features original drawings of Stamford, CT scenes.

There is an opening reception on March 13, 2011 from 3-6 pm.

Free workshops are being offered Saturday, March 19, 2-5 pm and Saturday, April 9 from 2-5 pm. On March 19, guests will have the opportunity to sketch their favorite scenes of Stamford from provided photographs. On April 9, as part of "Draw On!", the LAA hallways will be covered in paper, and public will be invited to create drawings on the wall.

LAA is located at 845 Canal St., Stamford, CT

Other Draw On! events are taking place later in the month at The Aldrich and Silvermine Art School.

~Lys

Monitor tuneup without a hardware calibrator



We are always getting asked "How do I know my monitor is calibrated"?

Well there is several factors that come into play. If you are using a inexpensive one or one that came "free" with your computer deal, all the adjusting in the world may just be a frugal effort. And if you are using a old and tired one, it might be time for a new one. A good monitor is your eyes to what you are doing on your computer, especially in Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, or one of the many other graphic programs out there. It is one of the key elements to a good digital workflow.

Recommendation 1: Get a good monitor, spend a little bit more then you think it should cost, it will save you time and money later. Do your research and stick with major brands, they have been around for years and have the most advanced technologies and features. Laptop monitors are not very accurate, so if your laptop supports an external monitor, use that as you main work screen and your laptop screen for tools.

Recommendation 2: Get a hardware monitor calibration device of some kind, they start at $99 but can  go up to hundreds. If you purchase a more expensive one, share the cost (and it) with a few friends, you really only need to use 10-12 times a year.

If you decide NOT to get a hardware calibration device you can attempt to calibrate using your eyes, but of course it becomes very subjective. Here is a good website that has many technical test screens and procedures to use. 

Mark

James Grashow's Corrugated Fountain at Allan Stone Gallery, NYC


"Corrugated Fountain"
© James Grashow

James Grashow’s sculpture,  Corrugated Fountain, will be exhibited from March 3-April 23, 2011, at Allan Stone Gallery, 113 East 90th St., New York, NY. There will be an opening reception with the artist on Saturday, March 12, from 4-6 pm. 

Grashow works in cardboard. That sounds like it might look blocky until you see the result. The sculpture, inspired by Rome's Trevi Fountain, looks incredibly fluid, full of graceful curves and sea creatures, at the center of which is a very mighty-looking Poseidon. The cardboard looks hardly monochromatic—the dimensionality enhances the rich, brown tones of the paperboard. 

The gallery will also be screening excerpts from The Cardboard Bernini, a documentary on James Grashow by Olympia Stone. A fully-illustrated book of his work will be available.

~Lys

Announcing Still River Editions' Website Redesign

We would love it if you would check out our improved website, and give us feedback if you can. Your feedback will help us do a better job serving your needs. 

We've changed the menu a bit, moved a few things around, and have added some pages to help folks find what they're looking for. 

If you have any suggestions, we'd love to hear them, whether positive or negative.

Keep watching the blog, because we have exciting things in store for 2011.
~Lys


Eight by Ten Concealed: Film Festival Benefit in New Milford

This Saturday, March 5, 2011, from 5-7 pm, an event called Eight by Ten Concealed will take place at a "pop-up" gallery at 77 Railroad St., New Milford. It is a secret photograph sale to benefit the Litchfield Hills Film Festival (formerly the Kent Film Festival.) From their website: "the event will consist of over 75 unique photographs by acclaimed and emerging artists will be for sale, and the artists’ identities will be revealed only after purchase."

Mark (Savoia), Cathy (Vanaria) and I (Lys Guillorn) each donated photographs, but we can't tell you what, because we are keeping the secret.

Local film festivals are great community boosters. Hills Film Festival is now based in New Milford, and the events will all be within walking distance of the town green, centered around the Bank Street Theater in New Milford. (If you haven't been to New Milford, it's got a cute little downtown.) Organizers Patrice and Frank Galterio are hoping to be able to host indie film events year round.

In addition to the secret image sale, there will also be a silent auction of photographs by Bill Eppridge, Garry Burdick, and J. Barry O'Rourke, three  accomplished photographers who are Connecticut locals.

~Lys

Upcoming Bill Eppridge Exhibition, and Call for Submissions from the Fairfield Museum


Fairfield Museum and History Center is hosting its Third Annual Juried Photography Exhibition,  IMAGES 2011, which will be held from May 1 to August 28, 2011. Serious amateurs, professionals, and students may enter. A direct link to the entry may be found here. The deadline for submission is Monday, March 28, 2011.

The exhibition will be juried by extraordinary photojournalist, Bill Eppridge (LIFE, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated), Adrienne Aurichio, photo editor and director of Bill Eppridge Photography, accomplished photographer Stephen Wilkes, and photographer and teacher Tom Mezzanotte.

From the Fairfield Museum's website: "The Fairfield Museum will also feature a retrospective exhibition celebrating legendary photojournalist Bill Eppridge,  whose storied career spans over fifty years. His iconic collection of work for magazines such as LIFE, National Geographic and Sports Illustrated captures many of the most important moments in American political and cultural history."

Saying that Mr. Eppridge created many iconic images is an understatement, and I will write a more detailed description of his exhibit as that date approaches. His most recent book is A Time it Was: Bobby Kennedy in the Sixties; it shows RFK during his incredible, energetic 1968 campaign to which Eppridge was given all access, right up to its tragic end. 

There will be a Gala Preview (tickets are needed), and also a free artist reception and awards ceremony with the jurors on Sunday, May 1, 2-4 pm. 

The Museum is located at 370 Beach Rd. Fairfield, CT.

Call for Submissions: Small Works at Koenig FrameWorks in Newtown

Koenig FrameWorks in Newtown, CT is calling for submissions for their upcoming show "Small Works: Art for small spaces". Entries should be dropped off between March 21st through March 26th, 2011 (10 am to 5 pm)

Accepted media: "Acrylic, oils, watercolors, mixed media, pen and ink, charcoal, pastel, sculpture, etchings, monoprints. Photography and jewelry are not being accepted." For full details, exact sizing and framing regulations, please see their website--entry information and an entry form are linked here as pdfs. Art must be for sale.

The show will run from April 1 through April 23, and there will be an opening reception on Friday, April 1, from 6 - 8 pm.

Koenig FrameWorks is located at 97 South Main St., Newtown, CT.

~Lys

City Lights Gallery hosts Taino Art

City Lights Gallery in Bridgeport is exhibiting Taino artifacts and pottery in part to celebrate Dominican Independence Day. The ancient Taino culture migrated into Cuba, Dominincan Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico.

The opening is Friday Feb. 25 from 5:30-8:30 pm, and features a Latino poetry reading. City Lights is also  hosting a party for Dominican Independence Day on Sunday Feb. 27 at 12:30 pm and a movie screening of "The Time of the Butterflies" on March 4 at 6:30 pm.

City Lights Gallery is located at 37 Markle Court, Bridgeport, CT.

Nancy Lasar: Inter-Action at Silvermine Art Gallery

"Pirouette"
© Nancy Lasar
Printmaker, painter, and multi-media artist Nancy Lasar of Washington, CT is one of four selected for a Director's Choice solo show at Silvermine Art Gallery, 1037 Silvermine Road, New Canaan, CT. Lasar's show, titled "Inter-Action", runs until April 1, 2011.

Lasar works in large scale abstractions in mixed media. She incorporates giclee prints into her traditional printmaking and painting practice, making them one part of her multi-layered compositions. Sometimes natural forms are recognizable among her incredibly fluid and dynamic lines, and everything is bursting with energy.

The three other artists who are exhibiting simultaneous solo shows at Silvermine are Martin Kremer, Aleksandr Razin, and Lori Glavin.

There is an opening reception, Sunday, February 27, from 2-4 pm.

~Lys

Keith Johnson in "systems/fictions"

Photographer Keith Johnson, who specializes in what he calls "The Extended Landscape", is featured in "systems/fictions", a group show at the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism Gallery that runs until April 8, 2011.

Other artists participating include: Marguerite French, Brad Guarino, Insook Hwang, Janet Lage, Martha Lewis, Lisa Seidenberg, and Cary Smith. The artists are a selection of the recipients of the CCT Artist Fellowship for 2010.

The gallery is located at One Constitution Plaza, 2d Floor, Hartford, CT (sign in at security desk and take the elevator to the 2d floor).

~Lys

You say bah-ree-tah, we say Baryta

Recently I was asked a bit about the paper choice Hahnemuhle/ Harman Gloss Baryta, which was formerly known as Harman Glossy. That led me to find out what "baryta" means (FYI It's pronounced bah-RYE-tah) and why the paper name includes that term.

According to Wikipedia, "baryta" is another word for barium sulfite, which has been used in the coatings of high-quality darkroom photographic papers. These inkjet papers also have a multi-layered coating that includes baryta. And they look great.

And that's that!

~Lys

The Guy Show at ArtPlace Gallery, Fairfield

© Chris Durante
The Guy Show, curated by Gerald Saladyga, includes artists Chris Durante, Joe Fucigna, Silas Finch, Keith Johnson, Christopher Joy, Joseph Saccio, Felandus Thames, Zachary Keeting, Jeremy Saladyga, and Jonathan Waters. The artists work in a lively mix of media--sculpture, drawing, painting, photography.

The exhibition runs February 1-26, 2011. There will be an opening reception Saturday, Feb. 5, 3-5 pm, and an artists' talk Sunday, Feb. 13 at 3 pm. ArtPlace Gallery is located at 11 Unquowa Rd. Fairfield, CT 06824.

~Lys

Connecticut Film Festival Weekend in Torrington, CT

It's only Monday, but I wanted to write about the Connecticut Film Festival 2011, February 4-6 at the Warner Theatre in Torrington, CT. Both feature length and short films will be shown; documentaries, works of fiction, web series, and comedy shorts. In addition to showing films, there are workshops and round table discussions tailored to those interested or involved in the independent film industry.

Of particular interest to photographers and nature buffs is the screening at 11 am, Saturday, February 5 of two environmental films with National Geographic filmmaker and photographer Jon Bowermaster.

Also of interest, on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 6 pm there will be a program of "Connecticut Grown Films".

When film festival events were held in Danbury for the past few years, I enjoyed both the films and the feeling of communal experience.

The Warner Theatre is located at 68 Main St., Torrington, CT.

~Lys

Simpson Kalisher: The Alienated Photographer

© Two Penny Press
Two Penny Press in New York City is publishing a book of photographs by Simpson Kalisher titled The Alienated Photographer. His black and white street photographs captured 20th century life in east coast cities, particularly New York in the 60s. In them, you see the urban landscapes populated with all kinds of characters caught in the act of being human.

The introduction by Luc Sante suggests that the role of the photographer is to be an observer in the middle of, but separated from the action by the camera, which is why Kalisher considers himself "the alienated photographer".

Simpson Kalisher is perhaps best known for his book, Railroad Men: Photographs and Collected Stories from 1961. He is represented by Keith de Lellis Gallery in New York.

~Lys

The Gallery at Black Rock is now 305 K, Grand Opening Saturday, Feb. 12

© 305K Gallery
The Gallery at Black Rock, which helped put Bridgeport on the map as an arts destination, has moved to 305 Knowlton St., Bridgeport, CT on Bridgeport's East Side. The new gallery is aptly named Gallery 305K and is part of a growing community of arts-based businesses in the historic Knowlton St. building.

Weds., January 25, 2011 at 7 pm, the gallery is hosting University of Munich students who will be participating in a presentation along with Bridgeport Design Group called "After Industry: Recycling the City of Bridgeport", and looks at possibilities for sustainable urban planning in Bridgeport.

Sunday, February 5, 2011 at 3 pm [opening rescheduled to Saturday, February 12 at 3 pm] There will be a grand opening for 305K in conjunction with a group exhibition of works by artists who had previously shown at Gallery at Black Rock, or who will be in upcoming exhibits. Artists include Joan Fitzsimmons, Liz Squillace, Marcella Kurowski, Felipe Soltero, Mark DeRosa, Ricky Mestre, Michelle Beaulieu, Greg Olfanos, Marcella Kurowski Tom Mezzanote.

~Lys

Ruth Newquist in "Investigation, Imagination" at the Bruce S. Kersher Gallery

© Ruth Newquist
The Bruce S. Kershner Gallery in the Fairfield Library is host to a three-artist exhibition that opened January 9, 2011 and will run until February 27, 2011 during regular library hours. The exhibit, titled "Investigation, Imagination," features watercolorist (and client) Ruth Newquist, painter Duvian Montoya, and sculptor Roe Halper.


Newquist's watercolors are photographic, but not rigidly so. Her paintings, whether New York street scenes, or snow-covered New England houses, seem illuminated from within. From her website: "Sunlight is the focus of my paintings. I am drawn to make a painting when  I see dappled light or interesting shadows falling on historic New England buildings or barns." Many of her cityscapes capture the feeling and light of walking around New York City on a gloriously sunny day, of looking at the architecture and people.

Newquist is a member of several prestigious arts organizations, including National Watercolor Society, Connecticut Watercolor Society, the Salmagundi Club, and Allied Artists of America.

The opening has already happened, but on Thursday February 3, at 2 pm there will be a "Walk and Talk" with the artists. The Fairfield Library is located at 1080 Old Post Rd., Fairfield, CT

~Lys

New Takes on Portraiture - Thilo Hoffmann and more opening at The Aldrich Museum, January 30, 2011

Thilo Hoffmann, ME AND MANHATTAN
CAELEY PERRINE/NEW YORK CITY
(detail), 2010
Figurative work is back in style, as evidenced by the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum's Portraiture exhibition.

Still River Editions made the large-scale digital giclee prints of Swiss artist Thilo Hoffmann's work for this exhibition. Hoffmann works in collaboration with his subjects to create unique environmental photographic statements. His series "High School Portraits" puts much of the creative direction in the hands of those pictured in them. 

Also showing: Shimon Attie: MetroPAL.IS., James Esber: Your Name Here, Hope Gangloff: Love Letters, Timothy White: Portraits, and Jenny Debnau: Head On.

The opening reception and opportunity to meet the artists takes place on Sunday, Jan. 30 from 3:30-5:30 pm. The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is located at 258 Main St., Ridgefield, CT.

~Lys

City Under Lights: Photographs by Morgan Kaolian at City Lights Gallery in Bridgeport

© Morgan Kaolian
Morgan Kaolian, pilot and photographer, will be exhibiting his evening photographs of Bridgeport at City Lights Gallery, 37 Markle Ct. Bridgeport, CT until February 19, 2011. Kaolian was the voice of aerial traffic reports on WICC when I was growing up, and his photographs often appear in CT publications.

This is the first solo exhibition to be taking place at City Lights Gallery. There will be an artist's reception, Friday, Jan. 21, from 5:30 pm to 8 pm. A special mini-fundraiser for the gallery called "City in Flight" will be taking place on Fri., Feb. 4 with videos about flight, food, and presentations by flight experts.

Fairfield County Weekly's story on the exhibit