All the Better to Pack Your Calendar With, My Dear...

"Copy of Self Portrait" by Jen Chappell, from her exhibit "Volume"

The following are announcements of events this weekend through next week from The Pink Line, Civilian Art Projects, Ten Miles Square, Jen Chappell & Artomatic.

Do it!

First on 1st
Neighborhood Art + Music Walk
Pink Line Project / North Capitol Main Street

Saturday, August 1, 2009
12:00pm - 4:00pm

Along 1st St NW, Between Florida Ave and Rhode Island Ave.
Washington, DC

Pick up programs at Big Bear and Windows to find out where to see art and listen to music.

Big Bear is at 1700 1st Street, NW.
Windows is at 101 Rhode Island Avenue, NW.

Free beverage to those who complete the walking tour game! Drink specials for everyone!

Artists:
Lisa Marie Thalhammer
BK Adams
Margaret Boozer
Peter Wood
Chris Tousimis
DECOY
Patty Firestone
Amber Robles-Gordon
Ten Miles Square
Serinity Knight
Megan Blafas

Music program:
Michael Trotter
Senetra Bridgette
Tek X Millennium and Friends
3rd Generation Band
Joy Dion
Tameka
Kool K and the KL Movement
(We're still adding acts so check back here for updates.)

"A New Currency: Shared Resources"
A group exhibition organized by Civilian Art Projects for 87FLORIDA, (part of First on 1st)

Civilian Art Projects

Saturday, August 1, 2009
12:00pm - 4:00pm

87FLORIDA
87 Florida Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
As part of the "First on 1st Neighborhood Art + Music Walk" sponsored by the Pink Line Project and North Capitol Main Street

CIVILIAN ART PROJECTS has cooked up a summer show for 87FLORIDA:

Organized in conjunction with the New York City based School of Visual Arts MFA 2009 class who instigated a series of exhibitions and projects across the country called "A New Currency," Civilian asked the following artists to create new or existing work that shared a common spirit of abundance.

In new and imaginative ways, artists in the exhibition interpret art and ideas as resources with a currency unlimited by monetary definition.

More information can be found on the SVA's "A New Currency" project here: http://anewcurrency.blogspot.com/

This group exhibition organized by Civilian Art Projects for 87FLORIDA includes:

Seth Adelsberger
Nicholas Carr
Anthony Dihle
Carole Wagner Greenwood
Ryan Hill
Erick Jackson
Amanda Kleinman
Kate MacDonnell
Cara Ober
Trevor Young

August 1 - September 26th

Opening Reception: Saturday, August 1, 12-4pm

Join us for refreshments, conversation, and art.


Ten Miles Square
Visit us at Windows Cafe during the First on 1st Art + Music Walk
Saturday, August 1, 12 to 4 p.m.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join Ten Miles Square and the work of four photographers at Windows Cafe this Saturday as part of the First on 1st Art + Music walk, organized by the Pink Line Project and North Capitol Main Street.  Grab a map at one of the participating venues all along 1st Street NW between Florida and Rhode Island Avenues to enjoy music, drinks, art and more from noon to 4 p.m.

Ten Miles Square is doing a four square at Windows Cafe -- between nature and street photography, and portrait and action shots.   Jo Ann Tooley's serene black and white outdoor images play up the colors of Tracy Clayton's urban scenes, while Katy Ray's playful, feminine models increase the brutality of Brian Knight's adventure race crashes.

Windows Cafe is at 101 Rhode Island Avenue NW.  Take the metro to Shaw on the Green line and your art + music walk starts a few blocks away, just keep walking up Rhode Island Ave.


Volume by Jen Chappell
Jen Chappell

Saturday, August 1, 2009
7:00pm - 9:00pm

Workhouse Arts Center, Building W-6
9601 Ox Road
Lorton, VA

Photography show beginning July 15th, through September 13th.

Join Jen in the gallery on August 1st for a reception...check out some of her older work, newer work, and to just have a good time!

"I make photographs of those things that speak to me.

"Often these items are either of two opposites. The burgeoning bud or the rusted, decaying sheet metal; the early morning fog rising off a lake or a punk rock show. Each has its place in world. Both tell of life. And, both are beautiful.

"I title my photographs only when I have to and only for cataloguing purposes and ease of identification. I hope not to bias or lead the viewer to any conclusions with my work. Look at the piece for what it is…to you. Even if you dislike a photograph, I have done my job – I have created an emotion.

"Nan Goldin, Diane Arbus, Walker Evans, and Eugène Atget are among my favorite photographers. Each celebrated the beauty of the normal everyday (even if not societally normal, or conventionally beautiful). The beat inside, the life force, the God in every and all.

"I have chronicled my life through those things I see around me. I am a juried member of the Workhouse Photographic Society at Lorton, a member of Del Ray Artisans, and have shown my work in many shows throughout the area.

"Day in, day out.

"Conventionally, or absurdly beautiful."
-Jen Chappell

Artomatic Happy Hour at The Science Club

ARTOMATIC

Wednesday, August 5, 2009
6:00pm - 8:00pm

Science Club
1136 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC

Are you already getting those Artomatic withdrawal pains?

Do you need a fix soon or you’ll bust? You could come help move lumber at the site, and/or, you could come to Happy Hour.

We’re starting back up at the Science Club, 1136 19th St NW, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 775-0747, the first Wednesday of every month.

It gets crowded so get there early.

NOW YOU KNOW, SO MAKE PLANS TO GO!!!

XOXO,
DC SHOT LIST

Flaunt Fashion Show, A Sold Out Success

Article and Images by Shawn Duffy, http://shawnduffy.com

Undeterred by traffic and closed streets, hundreds of people in DC's art community descended on the Honfleur Gallery Saturday night to participate in the culmination of the "Flaunt: A Photography & Fashion Collaboration" exhibition. 

Flaunt launched at the Honfleur Gallery on April 25 and features the collaborative work of local photographers Meaghan Gay, Joshua Yospyn, John Ulaszek, and Steve Goldenberg, along with DC fashion designers Taimur Baig, Lara Akinsaya, Dana Greaves, and Will Sharp. 

While the exhibition had already proven to be a success, Flaunt organizers Ten Miles Square and Project Beltway, took it up a notch by producing a full-scale fashion show on Saturday night. 

The runway show featured work from the Flaunt exhibition designers while the Flaunt photographers enjoyed a front-row seat.

The featured photographers were some of the only people sitting, however. 

Since the show had sold out by Friday afternoon, gallery was standing-room only by the time the first model hit the runway a little before 9:30pm.

After viewing the great photos and fashion, each of the show's attendees must have left Honfleur certain that DC's fashion scene is just as vibrant and full of talent as anywhere else.

Congratulations to the designers, photographers, models, volunteers, and organizers for a truly memorable show!

ABOUT SHAWN DUFFY

Shawn is a freelance photojournalist based in the Washington, DC Metro area, who has traveled and shot in locations such as India, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Ireland, France, and DC.

Currently pursuing projects in the Washington, DC area, Shawn plans to be traveling again to Israel/Palestine in mid-2009.  Though he finances all of his own projects and travel, donations to assist him in his work are greatly appreciated.

For more information or to contact Shawn directly, please visit his website at http://shawnduffy.com.

A Week (or More) In the World of DC Photography

Image from Heather Goss

First off, a special shout out to a couple photographers I recently met, Stirling and Rachel Elmendorf, Frank Salieri, and Russell Hirshon. If I forgot anyone, put me in check and shout right back in the comments!  Stirling and Rachel are a power-duo in events.  Frank is a master of flexibility, managing head shots for the Junior League of Washington.  Russell is one of the most helpful photographers for other photographers to know during events.  All four are talented, energetic and fun to know! 

Second - DC Shot List has a fan page and a group page on Facebook.  Check 'em out!

Now, on with the latest in photography news...

I'm With the Band at Dahlak EXTENDED, New Critical Mass Update and Flaunt Runway Show
from Heather Goss of Ten Miles Square...

NEW DATE! Celebrate Critical Mass on Saturday, May 15th (And celebrate the birthdays of Heather Goss and Jayme McLellan!!!)
EXTENDED! I'm With the Band at Dahlak
Don't Miss Flaunt Runway Show on Saturday, June 6th

Ann Curry Darfur Photography on Display at Washington School of Photography
from Patrick of Metroblogging.com...

Daily DC Item: Ann Curry Explores Darfour Through Photos
I learned via Ann Curry's twitter feed that the Washington DC School of Photography opened a new exhibition of photos taken by Curry. ...

Fotoweek's FOTOBAMA Winning Shots Up at Newseum
from Alison McSherry of Roll Call...

Newseum Photos Snap Obamamania
... features the winning images from a photo contest sponsored by the Newseum and FotoWeek DC, a nonprofit organization that promotes photography. ...

Celebrate International Year of Astronomy with Smithsonian Photography Initiative
from Art Daily...

Smithsonian Photography Initiative Celebrates the International Year of Astronomy in May and June
WASHINGTON, DC.- During May and June, the Smithsonian Photography Initiative offers three ways to celebrate both the International Year of Astronomy and the ...

Architecture Photography Exhibition at The National Building Museum
from jasmine of We Love DC...

Architecture of Authority=DC
The National Building Museum has a photography exhibition up right now called Architecture of Authority that explores exactly those kinds of “powerful ...

Founder of Association of International Photography Art Dealers Closes Her Doors
from Jessica Dawson of The Washington Post...

Doyenne of DC Photography to Close Her Gallery
By Jessica Dawson In 1976, when a 28-year-old Kathleen Ewing ditched her National Gallery of Art job and decided to sell photographs instead, photography ...

The Many Colors of Joshua Yospyn 

Article and Interview by Betsy Spruill Clarke.  Photography by Joshua Yospyn...NATCH!

What do flying tortoises, crushed food and fashion have in common?  Well, besides being the key elements of an insanely mad, yet couture-savvy chef's dream, they are also the lucky subjects of Joshua Yospyn's photography.  His signature recipe--vivid color and straight-forward angles, mixed with a dash of occasional conceptual cropping--pops with drama while complimenting the viewer's imagination. 

Currently exhibiting with John Ulaszek, Meahgan Gay and Steven Goldenberg in "Flaunt: Photography & Fashion Collaboration" at Anacostia's Honfleur Gallery, Josh is also a virtual resident of Heather Goss's Ten Miles Square.  And, if you regularly read the Washington Post, you can also see his photojournalist side.  

Very open to discussion on his photography experience, Josh is also laid back, yet, quick with the wit.  Through the following interview, as he shares his thoughts on exhibiting in Anacostia, color and concept, and flying tortoises, we get to see the multi-faceted side of Josh that is, much like his art, very prismatic...

DCSL:  How did the idea for FLAUNT come about?
JY:  I think a trifecta formed between Ten Miles Square, Honfleur Gallery, and Project Beltway.  Months ago they probably banged heads and came up with an idea to showcase locally made portraiture and fashion.  FLAUNT aside, I met Amy Cavanaugh with the Honfleur Gallery during FotoWeek last year and she sold me on Anacostia.  That part of town doesn't get enough attention from the D.C. arts community.  It houses fewer galleries than 14th Street, but they make up for it with temporary exhibitions and art fairs inside vacant buildings.

DCSL:  The use of color in your work is outstanding and the creative "subtraction" or cropping out of certain aspects of your images is absolutely interesting as it all seems to work together.  Can you shed some light on how you develop your concepts?
JY:  Thank you!  What's a concept?  But seriously, I'm a minimalist.  I keep it simple and do my homework.  When I shoot models in remote cities, I'll get there hours ahead of time and drive around looking at the sides of buildings.  Or locally, I'll spend hours taping origami paper to the wall.  Or I'll spend half a weekend and rearrange my house to paint pieces of plywood.  When I'm done I'll say, "ok, I need a subject."  Then the process begins again.  Can she also bring her two cats?  Would she mind vacuuming? 

Are those blue eyes?  Can we also use her wiener dog?  Do you have orange lipstick?  Would you mind smoking this cigar?  Where can I get a red snapper?  It doesn't always work.  But I keep trying new ideas and moving through the process.


DCSL:  Did you study photography your whole life?  How did you get into it?
JY:  I didn't discover it until a few years after college (I'm 32 now), when I dated a photographer/painter for four years.  I started shooting and got hooked.  Before I met Kristen I used an Advantix point-and-shoot.  Do they still make those things?  I got a Canon A40, shot some 35mm with her dad's F3, bought a Nikon 990, a Mamiya AF, a D100, so on and so forth.  Immediately after college I was building websites and pretty good at Flash, but my interest there waned as I found photography.


DCSL:  Is there anyone in specific who inspires you?
JY:  The painter Nuno de Campos.  He placed in the National Portrait Gallery competition a few years ago and I saw him speak during the exhibition.  His "Magnet #3" is brilliant and I began to think more anonymously.  He succeeds with a brush where I attempt with a camera.  Other heavy influences include Annie Leibovitz's DVD inspiring me to buy the Mamiya RZ67 Pro II and Richard Avedon's American West.  The digital cameras I want are ridiculously expensive, so I've returned to shooting and scanning medium format film.  And I've never been happier.

DCSL:  Flying tortoises...I love it, but where did this come from? 
JY:  The flying tortoises began in the summer of 2005 after I took a picture of a farm field in Mt. Airy, Virginia.  It's this empty field with hay bales and a red barn in the background.  It bored me and I thought about adding something in the foreground.  So I stitched helicopter blades on a helmeted tortoise and their invasion began.  In general I avoid shooting landscapes because there's not enough subject matter to grab my interest.  But if I add some turtles...  One day I'd like to a make a children's book with them.  My sister is an editor and a mother, so I'd like to make it a family project.

"Fascinated by what one cannot see, he captures faces and poses with something always crucial missing from the frame, whether it is something physical or an emotional connection between viewer and subject. Vibrant colors create impact, but as an empty messenger of what should really be there."
--Ten Miles Square 

DCSL:  Looking forward to it as I know a niece and nephew or two that would absolutely love a book like that.  What was your inspiration behind the crushed food - which is BAD ASS!!!
JY:  The crushed food was the first project I ever did with a ringflash.  My original intention was to take close-ups of a grapefruit.  It wasn't working.  Grapefruit is a very reflective and glossy surface, plus its rind wall is white.  The entire image was blown out and I wasn't getting any detail.  So I gave up, crushed it, took a picture, and drank the juice.  Julia Childs said, "The grand thing about cooking is you can eat your mistakes."  In this case I photographed my mistakes.

DCSL:  Okay, now I'm craving French food.  In addition to artist, you are also a photojournalist.  Are there other areas of photography that you work in?
JY:  I'm one of those nerds who has a 200mm macro lens on a tripod and will sit for 30 minutes in front of a flower, waiting for the wind to calm.  I get excited about dogwoods blooming, magnolia trees, lotus blossoms, asparagus beetles, ladybugs on queen anne's lace, etc. 

Much of my color influence comes from this type of work.  You can't beat nature's palette.

Photography by Joshua Yospyn, listed from top to bottom:  "Guardian Angels 38," (self portrait); "Sara 30;" and "Malinda 31."

Discover Amazing Photographic Art Work Through Ten Miles Square

Article and Photos by Betsy Spruill Clarke

The Managing and Arts Editor for DCist is a busy woman. Just earlier this month, Heather Goss, opened I'm With The Band at Dahlak, featuring the concert imagery by Kyle Gustafson (shown in image to the left), Nestor Diaz and Martin Locraft.  (And if you haven't been yet, you have till May 3rd, so you better get crack-a-lackin if you want a tasty combination of rockin' photography paired with an Eritrean dinner and washed down with a $3 Stella).  And, this Saturday night, Heather does it again with the opening of  "Flaunt: Photography & Fashion Collaboration," at the Honfleur Gallery.

Produced in association with Rachel Cothran's Project Beltway, Flaunt features four outstanding photographers--Joshua Yospyn (shown on the left in image on the right), John Ulaszek, Meaghan Gay, and Steve Goldenberg--paired with four local fashion designers--Dana Greaves, Taimur Baig, Lara Akinsanya, and Will Sharp--creating an ultimate combination in the visual arts.  This exhibit also appropriately includes a fashion show on June 6th, so mark your calendar.

Because of people like Heather, Rachel, as well as Philippa Hughes (The Pink Line Project), DC is discovering how rich it's art, fashion and photography scene truly is and many local, up-and-coming artists are finally getting the platform and exposure they deserve.  Not to mention, those who would love to indulge in the hobby of art collecting, now have a true starting point.

Having covered visual art in DC for DCist, since 2006, Heather also created and now organizes their annual Exposed Photography Show, which has exhibited at Warehouse, Civilian Art Projects and Flashpoint.  Through this experience, she discovered an opportunity.  Recognizing the amazing amount of unknown talent in DC, Heather created Ten Miles Square and uses an unconventional formula that appeals to present times:  promoting local photographers through independent businesses, while fostering a new generation of art collectors by offering genuine pieces at affordable prices--a similar method that also works for Philippa Hughes (shown in photo on left).

Even though she doesn't market Ten Miles Square as a mentor program, she often finds herself treating it as a mentorship.  Pricing, for example, can be quite a mystery for many a modest artist.  Heather encourages pricing to sell, but discourages undervaluing, as well.  This basis for pricing speaks more to the reality of today's economy, rather, than the opinion of the art peice.  "It's not a discussion of how great your work is," Heather explains.

Heather's efforts show that it's not necessary to spend $10K, say, on a work of art, just to be a "true" art collector.  However, spending $50 on a framed photo at Pier 1 or IKEA doesn't count, either.  Going to these artshows and exhibits is a great way to find out what moves you, meet the artists, visit with other art collectors, and maybe even get something original and meaningful to you at an affordable price.

Many who want to start collecting are intimidated, at first.  They are often a bit worried about what others may think of their opinions, tastes, etc, when, in fact, that is not the case, at all.  "It's good because you say it's good.  It's good because you bought it," advises Heather.

As for artists who are interested in working with Ten Miles Square to showcase their work, Heather suggests getting out more often and going to these and other shows to discover more work, get your name out there, visit and network with other artists and find inspiration in their work.  She also advises shooting often, while keeping an eye on what you like.  Finding the niche, so to speak.  "Take one picture that you like and find what you like about it and keep shooting like that." 

Plus, she says getting on Flickr and contributing to things like DCist is also a great way to get noticed.  One of the reasons why Heather is so great at what she does is her visual memory and she browses Flickr, all the time. 

Heather admits that she is also a photographer, but not to the degree of the photographers she represents. When asked what her niche is, she laughs and says "My niche is  to organize these shows!"

Let's not forget that her niche also includes writing about art, which she loves to do and it shows.

Heather's experience puts her in a prime position to advise both artists and collectors.  Considered one of DC's top experts in photography art, she has been a guest on the Kojo Nnamdi Show, speaking on the topic of art in the metro area and, in addition to DCist, her writings have also appeared on the Washingtonian web site.  Most recently, for the first annual FotoWeekDC contest, Heather was chosen to sit on a jury panel that included Pulitzer Prize winner Deanne Fitzmaurice and Joyce Tenneson, who is the 2005 Fine Art Photographer of the Year.   Top all of this off with a day job working as an attorney at a large law firm in downtown DC, and you have what could be one of the busiest Washingtonians of today.

Honfleur Gallery Presents FLAUNT: 

Photograph by Joshua Yospyn
Photography & Fashion Collaboration,
A LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION AND RUNWAY SHOW
April 25, 2009 - June 13, 2009

This spring, The Honfleur Gallery will premiere Flaunt: Photography & Fashion Collaboration, a special exhibition showcasing emerging local talent in photography and fashion design. To highlight the synergy between the two mediums, the show will feature two events:  an opening launch on Saturday, April 25, 2009, and a runway show on June 6, 2009. 
 
Flaunt, produced in association with Ten Miles Square and Project Beltway, LLC, will feature new fashion portrait work by photographers Joshua Yospyn, John Ulaszek, Meaghan Gay, and Steve Goldenberg.  The work is the result of collaborations with local fashion designers Dana Greaves, Taimur Baig, Lara Akinsaya, and Will Sharp, who will showoff their talent as their clothes grace the runway.
 
An artistic experiment of sorts, Flaunt aims to challenge and explore the notions of what constitutes fashion photography. "This unique visual event revolves around the concept that the beauty of art is its lack of fixed rules and definitions," says Heather Goss, founder of Ten Miles Square. "Each photographer captured the essence of high fashion in their own terms, as did each designer."
 
The show is meant not only to ignite discussion about fashion photography as a genre, but also to remind DC residents and artists of the ongoing need for a strong artistic- and affordable- voice in the community. "Creativity is something we can't afford to lose in this economy, but unfortunately so many designers are limited by what sells," says Rachel Cothran, founder of Project Beltway, LLC. "This show in many ways is about the artists and their explosive creative vision; visions that should not be hindered by a desire to sell, but rather embraced for their desire to create works that define their style."
 
The opening exhibition and runway show promise an outstanding soundtrack further promoting local artists including DJ Felipe. The Honfleur Gallery is located at 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE within Historic Anacostia, between the 11th Street Bridge and Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE. Free and Open to the Public- Don't miss out on this first-time collaboration.
 
The Honfleur Gallery exhibits & represents both fine contemporary arts & artists, while also incorporating non-salable, socially-minded exhibitions & installations. Honfleur aims to provide better access to The Arts for residents "East of the Anacostia River," D.C., Affordable Artist Workspace and a diverse range of Artistic Opportunities for Washington D.C. www.honfleurgallery.com  

Ten Miles Square is a venture to promote local photographers through independent, art supporting businesses, while also nurturing a new generation of collectors by offering real art at affordable prices. www.tenmilessquare.com
 
Project Beltway started as a local street-style blog and has evolved into an insider resource for all things fashion in D.C. www.projectbeltway.com

Had a great time at HABATAT Gallery, last night, for their Habatat for Healing kick-off party.  Turns out co-owner, Lindsey Scott, is actually a nominee for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Woman of the Year.  It was also her birthday, so it was truly a festive night.  I will post these very soon.  Great event, special pictures, and lots to share, so check back in.

Also, coming up on Thursday night is the opening to the "I'm With the Band" exhibit, produced by Ten Miles Square.  Featuring the works of local photographers Kyle Gustafson, Martin Locraft, and Nestor Diaz.  This will be at the Dahlak, 1771 U Street NW and the opening reception will run from 6-8pm with drink specials and local DJ Chris Nitti on the decks.  A $5 donation is suggested but it's more than reasonable when you're attending a Ten Miles Square exhibit.

And on Friday, come out and celebrate the Cherry Blossoms in super style at Cherry Blast!  From 9pm - 2am, $10 at the door will get you full access to art + music + dance + fashion + anime + origami and more.  A true Pink Line Project in association with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, this will take place at the Warehouse at 2020 Shannon Place SE.  There will be plenty of parking, but there is also a FREE shuttle bus service to and from the Anacostia metro and the island in DuPont Circle. 

I plan to be at both of these events, taking pictures, so come on out, show your support, & get your picture taken!

See you there!

Ten Miles Square's newest exhibit, "I'm with the Band,"

features the works of Kyle Gustafson (who is also responsible for the above photo of Michael Stipe), Martin Locraft, and Nestor Diaz.

Where:  Dahlak
1771 U Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
(On the corner between Florida Ave and 17th Street)

Opening Reception:
Thursday, April 9th from 6 - 8p.m.
Rock out with local DJ Chris Nitti
Drink specials
Suggested $5 donation

A few years ago, I went on a concert photography binge--contacting indie bands and asking if I could photograph their shows at various venues like The Black Cat, 9:30 Club, Velvet Lounge, etc.  A colleague of mine once remarked that there were only so many ways one could capture a concert until the photographyit looses it's appeal.  Not true.  The thrill of concert photography is actually the challenge posed in that statement:  finding different ways to encompass the meaning of "live" for each unique act.

"I'm with the Band," boasts the work of three talented, DC photographers who have successfully met this challenge and captured the spirit and energy of the live act: Kyle Gustafson has been used in several major publications including the Washington Post; Martin Locraft has been featured in DC Magazine; and
Nestor Diaz has had images on Pitchfork.com and DCist.com.

Image of R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe by Kyle Gustafson, courtesy Ten Miles Square.

Sponsoring this exhibit is Ten Miles Square, a venture to promote local photographers through independent, art supporting businesses, while also nurturing new collectors by offering real art at affordable prices.