civilized ku # 808 ~ working, relaxing, working
Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 11:49AM 
Pillows - firm / soft ~ Holiday Inn - Cherry Hill, NJ • click to embiggenIt's Sunday and all the somebody-else-has-to-do-it deadlines have been met. This week is devoted, almost exclusively, to printing, mounting, and hanging the work.
My hardworking assistant from Pittsburgh and I - not to mention the wife who has been picking up most of the around-the-house-stuff slack - are taking it easy today. That is, if "taking it easy" means that Ms. Assistant (who is editing/processing some of her work - event/wedding photography), the wife (who is packing and putting away all the Holiday decorations), and I (who is going up to the gallery and tacking some prints to the wall to see if my print placement hanging strategy is going to work) are actually taking it easy. IMO, considering all the long hours and deadlines of the past week, it seems like taking it easy to me.
In any event, I have a little time to do a blog entry so I thought that I would address the questions, re": the exhibit, from Mary Dennis, who wrote:
I would be interested in hearing about the process you went through to actually get the gallery space and show your work ... Do you see this new gallery, if you are lucky enough to be able to rent it, as your permanent work/creative space? A new role as gallery owner on the horizon perhaps? Also, are you actually going to frame your images?
As I had mentioned in a previous entry, I had been made aware - in an invitation to a come-see-what-we've-done opening reception - that there were plans for the gallery space. The plans were not very ambitious - 1 easel with work in each front window with a different/rotating featured artist every month(?) or there about. The idea was to present a lived-in/in-use feeling to the space and the building in hopes of attracting tenants for the rest of the available building space. IMO, that idea was little better than what most malls do to "disguise" empty-store space - putting some kind of display in the widows together with an "exciting new store coming soon" (so they hope) sign.
In the case of the gallery in question, the gallery itself would rarely be open for business. The only benefit to the featured artist would be in the form of a sign/notice that gave artist contact info - for more information about Joe Bloze Toothpaste and Toothpick Art call/click .....
With little or no foot traffic in the gallery itself and only a few rotating pieces of art, the idea that the gallery would create a "buzz" for the building and/or the notion of Main Street revitalization was, IMO, a bit of a pipe dream. What the place and town needed was a full blown exhibit opening - wine, cheese, live music, lots of people, and some great pictures of the town itself, made by a great picture maker who just happens to be from the town itself.
So, all of those thoughts (and a few more) are what I presented to the building owners at the come-see reception on Dec. 29th.
I did not appear "unannounced" (so to speak) - I had introduced myself to them a year or so ago. During that conversation, I had extolled my creds as an advertising / marketing Creative Director, a Fine Art Picture Maker, the only town resident who had his own PBS television series, the only town resident who had successfully renovated an empty 72,000 sq/ft warehouse (in Rochester, NY) into artist's lofts, and so on and so on. The net result of that conversation was that they recognized and approached me at the opening whereupon I started into my spiel.
When I got to the part about an opening exhibit (with reception) of town pictures that I could have hanging within 2-3 weeks, the hook was sunk and all that was left was to reel 'em in. That effort came in the form of their visit to my home the next day where they viewed some of my pictures, talked a few details, and left me with a set of keys and a happy have-at-it. After which they headed back to their base in NYC and I headed directly to the gallery to reflect in my good fortune and began formulating an actual plan to get things done.
When it started to dawn on me what exactly I had gotten myself into - perhaps too much chutzpah and not enough commonsense - the admonition to "be careful what you wish for ..." started a slow rolling echo in my head.
Now, lest this sound rather flippant and cynical, the truth is that, when all is said and done, I really do care about the success of this renovation venture in particular and that of our Main Street revitalization in general. I would love to be a part of kick-starting and creating a "buzz" that might be contagious to others considering similar Main Street renovation projects (of any kind).
If that involvement could be ongoing in the form of a permanent gallery (here's hoping) - for my work and that of some select others (primarily, but not exclusively*, Adirondack based) - with an adjoining space (behind the gallery wall) for a portrait studio / photo workshop space, I would be absolutely delighted. Although, it would NOT be for use as my "permanent work/creative space" - that will always be in my home work/creative space which fits me like a well-worn glove.
FYI, I am not framing the pictures. They will be mounted on 1/2 inch black archival foamcore which will be backed by a wood backing frame (for strength and stiffness) that will be offset (hidden) from the picture's edge by 1 inch. The pictures will be mounted and trimmed flush with the foamcore edges. There will be no glass involved.
*in part, that means you, Mary.
Reader Comments (2)
No glass???? hmmmm sounds like you need to get back to work, bud.
Thanks for elaborating Mark. Interesting to read about this process. I'm very much looking forward to seeing how the whole thing comes together and I know you will have great images of the event to share with us. Your method of mounting on foam core and putting a backing frame behind the images sounds like a great solution. What's the light like in there anyway?
Best of luck--tomorrow is it?