I was approached early last year with a request to take over chairing a
regional annual photography show for the local art association. The two
gentlemen who had done it for five years were ready to turn it over to
someone new and found me a willing victim. The show was installed and
judged a week ago. All that's left now is the artists' reception when the
show closes. It contains 83 works from 30 photographers within about a 75
mile radius, and their work is impressive. It's obvious there each of the
30 had a "vision" of what they wanted to do, put thought, effort and skill
into execution, and didn't cut corners on presentation. As its chairman
and organizer I cannot enter anything. It would be a "conflict of
interest" as I make all the arrangements for the judging (not that I've
been all that inspired to do much for some months now).
I was fortunate my predecessors left behind organized files. Their five
year tenure had also built the show back up from a bad slump they inherited
to a point where it had started attracting some of the best
non-professional photographers within the region.
Found it quite rewarding . . . felt like a kid at Christmas installing the
show the day before the judge went through all the works . . . felt like an
expectant father waiting outside the gallery for the judge to finish (even
though nothing inside was mine). I'll likely be entering some of my work
in another show north of where I live this Fall. If the photographers that
entered this show also enter that one, whatever I do had best be top drawer
work for any hope of an Honorable Mention.
So . . . if you're in a rut, bored, or are suffering from lack of creative
inspiration . . . think about organizing or helping put on a photography
show. I initially took it on feeling an obligation to contribute some of
my time and effort to supporting and encouraging the photographic arts . .
. and found it gives back more than I put into it.
If anyone gets involved in something like this and is looking for ideas
about some of the "nuts 'n bolts" of the "how to" end of it, shoot me an
email and I'll provide details on how the one here is organized.
-- John Lind
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|