Justine Reyes Photography

Home, Away from Home Solo Exhibition

2011-11-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to announce that I will be exhibiting new work from my Home, Away from Home series at the Homefront gallery in Long Island City. I am very thankful to the Queens Council on the Arts for giving me a grant to produce new work from the series and help make this exhibition possible.
Please join me at the opening reception on November 12th from 4-7pm.

The Homefront Gallery
26-23 Jackson Avenue Long Island City, NY 11101

PDN Top 30!

2011-03-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

I am so honored to be selected as one of PDN's Top 30! Much love to my fellow 30 especially Matthew Kristall, Susan Worsham, Will Steacy, Rachel Barrett, Katrina d’Autremont and David Black!

Check out PDN online for the complete list and don't forget to pick up the April issue.

Major Funding Cuts to the NEA!

2011-02-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

This morning, the U.S. House of Representatives approved, by a close vote of 217-209, an amendment to cut an additional $20.5 million from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the FY 2011 appropriations package. The amendment offered by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) would reduce the NEA budget to $124.5 million, turning the clock back four years to its FY 2007 funding level. Considering the fact that the House Appropriations Committee had already cut the NEA’s budget by $22.5 million before it even got to the floor, this additional cut aggravates an already difficult situation. The NEA has not seen this kind of deep cut in 16 years.

To see how your member voted, please visit our Roll Call link by tomorrow at 3pm ET. For a quick preview of key votes, see the chart below.

Republicans Voting AGAINST NEA Cuts		Democrats Voting FOR NEA Cuts
Bass, C. (NH-02) Biggert (IL-13) Buchanan (FL-13) Dent (PA-15) Dold (IL-10) Gerlach (PA-06) Gibson, C. (NY-20) Grimm (NY-13) Hanna (NY-24) Lance (NJ-07) LaTourette (OH-14)	McKinley (WV-01) Meehan (PA-07) Platts (PA-19) Schock (IL-18) Shimkus (IL-19) Simpson, M. (ID-02) Stivers (OH-15) Tiberi (OH-12) Turner, M. (OH-03) Walden, G. (OR-02) Wolf (VA-10)	Boren, Dan (OK-02) Cardoza (CA-18) Costa (CA-20)

Members Not Voting: Boehner (OH-08); Giffords (AZ-08); Green, G. (TX-29); Diaz-Balart, M. (FL-21); Matheson (UT-02); Sullivan (OK-01) ; Wittman (VA-01); Young, D. (AK-AL)

Two Amendments Withdrawn:
The two amendments to zero-out funding to the National Endowment for the Arts by Reps. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) and Connie Mack (R-FL) were in effect withdrawn. The grassroots arts support rejecting these amendments was clearly effective. Advocates sent more than 62,000 messages to Congress within a three-week period.

Next Steps:
Congress will begin a 10-day recess on February 18. When they return, the U.S. Senate will begin consideration of their own version of the FY 2011 funding legislation as early as February 28. While members of Congress are back home in their districts, we encourage you to inform your local media about the devastating impact the House appropriations bill would have on the arts in your community. Americans for the Arts has set up a Media Alert through our E-Advocacy Center to help you quickly and efficiently send your opinions to the local radio, TV, and newspaper stations in your area. We’ve already matched up the media contacts for you based on your zip code. You just need to customize the article’s talking points and hit send.

We need the Senate to reverse the potentially devastating effects that could be caused on the arts that the FY 2011 appropriations bill passed by the House today. Our customizable Media Alert is a fast and easy way to communicate your support for the NEA to local media outlets and help show your U.S. Senators why the NEA is an important grant-making agency in your state.

Help us continue this important work by becoming an official member of the Arts Action Fund. If you are not already a member play your part by joining the Arts Action Fund today -- it's free and simple.

Minor Cropping May Occur

2011-02-15T16:26:00.000-08:00

The artists participating in Minor Cropping May Occur (selected diaries 1962-2011), come from a diverse range of backgrounds and geographic locations: Mike Brodie (USA), JH Engstrom (Sweden), Carl Johan De Geer (Sweden), Janine Gordon (USA), Nick Haymes (USA), Hiromix (Japan), Takashi Homma (Japan), Keizo Kitajima (Japan), Daifu Motoyuki (Japan), Walter Pfeiffer (Switzerland), Jacob Aue Sobol (Denmark), Nick Waplington (UK), and Rona Yefman (Israel). Most of the works featured at Lombard Freid Projects will be premiered in the United States and many of them presented for the first time outside their place of making.

Don't miss the highlights of the exhibition both Nick Haymes's and Daifu Motoyuki's work both dealing with family.
"In Nick Haymes photographic series ‘Zoloto,’ there is a brutal honesty that challenges the cliché portrayal of family life in picture perfect photo albums. Photographed daily over a period of over nine years by imploying a diverse range of cameras and techniques, the series exists as a veristic diary that combines both the high and lows, the picturesque and perverse, the sublime and the banal. ‘Zoloto,’ the Russian word for gold (observed by Haymes through his interactions with his Russian in-laws) reflects his affections for his family life-however unhinged it may appear."

Tokyo based Daifu Motoyuki’s intimate family portraits present us with an idea that runs counter to the stereotype of the average Japanese family. Captured over four years, the photographs detail an honest account of the sprawling chaos associated with his large family’s daily life (five siblings and two working parents under one roof). Often hectic and unkempt, Motoyuki’s scenes are candid portraits of a working class Japanese family capturing the endearing dysfunction within.

Memory and Mortality

2011-01-27T17:22:00.000-08:00

I will be speaking this Sunday January 31st at B&H as part of their Artist Lecture Series. I will be speaking about my work and process and also share my professional practices and experiences, namely how residencies and grants have shaped my development as an artist, as well as defined my work and career.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/eventDetails.jsp/id/896
Please join me on Sunday afternoon from 1-3pm.

The B&H Event Space is located on the second floor of our Super Store, located at 420 9th Ave, New York, NY 10001.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2010-12-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

Check out Danelle Manthey's Christmas USA at Jenkins Johnson Gallery opening tonight from 6-8pm.

"A childhood family ritual served as inspiration for Danelle Manthey’s series of photographs entitled Christmas USA; every holiday season, her family loaded into the car and traveled around their South Dakota area, looking at houses covered in Christmas lights, much to the chagrin of Manthey, who would have preferred to be at home opening presents. When visiting her family as an adult, the renewed tradition sparked curiosity within the photographer, causing her to wonder about the people behind the lights. Manthey, who has twice been selected as Chashama’s Artist in Residence, began documenting the families of these decorated homes in front of their masterpieces in December of 2003, and continues to do so each year at Christmastime, shooting in South Dakota, upstate New York, New Orleans, Florida, and New York City, among others. As Manthey states, her “images are but a glimpse into the world of [her] subjects. Identity and the question of individuality are the themes”that are pervasive within the series”; her ultimate goal is to communicate something about the subject and have it understood through the portrait process."

Christmas USA will be on view until January 8th.

Jenkins Johnson Gallery

521 W. 26th St

5th FL.

Things and Time

2010-12-01T20:07:00.001-08:00

CARIBBEAN IN AMERICA: THINGS AND TIME

Photographs by MADELEINE HUNT –EHRLICH

On view for a limited time at L.E.S. GALLERY AT THE CLEMENTE SOTO VELEZ CULTURAL & EDUCATIONAL CENTER

107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002

A project made possible by THE LOWER MANHATTAN CULTURAL COUNCIL

Opening Night Reception & Fundraiser to benefit the Lambi Fund of Haiti

Friday, December 3rd 6:00-8:00pm

Join in for a special evening of music, food, dancing, and fundraising in celebration of Madeleine Hunt- Ehrlich’s photography exhibition, Caribbean in America: Things and Time. A series of related works will be on display, curated by Legacy Russell (CONTACTPROJECT.NET, Bruce High Quality Foundation), the infamous DJ Deadly Dragon Sound System will spin classic Reggae, Pastry Chef Hannah Sullivan (Baba Restaurant, Brooklyn) will be offering styled bites, and a set of limited-edition prints will be for sale. All profits will be donated to the Lambi Fund of Haiti, a Haitian-American non- profit working to rebuild the city of Port Au Prince. Event is free and open to the public.

A year ago, photographer Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich began working in Little Haiti, the well-known Haitian-

American immigrant community in Miami, Florida. Soon after she began this work, an earthquake devastated

the city of Port au Prince in Haiti. Families were displaced, and one of the cultual capitols of the Caribbean was

left in ruin. The struggle to rebuild Port au Prince has been followed closely by people around the world, and

as we near the anniversary of this tragic event, there is still much work to be done.

Titled after the classic Reggae riddim, Caribbean in America: Things and Time considers cultural memory in Caribbean-American neighborhoods in New York and Miami. An excerpt of this project was published by the Studio Museum in Harlem, and the complete work will be on view at Clemente Soto Velez for a limited time. This project was funded by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

F.L.O.A.T Gallery Opens

2010-11-17T06:40:00.000-08:00

A new gallery is opening in Brooklyn this week. Check out the opening this Friday night:

Things Fall Apart

2010-11-11T21:13:00.000-08:00

I'm heading off to Berlin tomorrow. Next week will be the opening of Things Fall Apart, Curated by Amy Stein at Pool gallery. So excited to be apart of this show which also features the work of Robin Schwartz, Zoe Strauss, Amy Stein, Juliana Beasley, Lisa Kereszi and Stacy Mehrfar. I can't wait! Will also be stopping by Paris Photo next weekend.

Where I'm Calling From

2010-11-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

is pleased to present

Where I'm Calling From

featuring videos by Dale Hoyt, Jan Peacock,
Anna Shteynshleyger, and Regina Clarkinia
and photography by Justine Reyes

Reception for the artists, Friday, November 5th, 5-9
exhibition on view October 29th-November 27th

"I won't raise my voice. Not even if she starts something.
She'll ask me where I'm calling from, and I'll have to tell her.
I won't say anything about New Year's resolutions.
There's no way to make a joke out of this."
-Raymond Carver, "Where I'm Calling From"

"Where I'm calling from" until relatively recently was a static
notion; the phone you were using was stationary, and more
often than not you were phoning from home to someone else
in their home. Now, the cell phone's mobility, and our general
mobility as a society, has shifted that reality and the question
of where you are calling from becomes more literal, just as it
obscures the surety of notions of "home." Each of the video
works in this exhibition employs the phone as the potent,
elliptical tool that it is and explores its simultaneous relationship
to both place and placelessness, home and distance from home.
The photography by Reyes makes palpable the honest yearning
of place through her revelatory portraits of her mother and uncle
in their home and in hotel rooms in various locales from her
series "Home, Away From Home."
www.krowswork.com/calling.html
Krowswork Gallery 480 23rd St. Oakland, CA 94612

Foto Week DC

2010-11-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

I am proud to have my work included in 100 Portraits / 100 Photographers

Selections from the FlakPhoto.com Archive Produced by Andy Adams and Larissa Leclair

Statement

As an added fine art component to the NightGallery projections, this screening features 100 dynamic portraits from an exciting group of contemporary photographers in all stages of their careers, each selected from the digital archive on FlakPhoto.com. Our decision to highlight work from this website celebrates the role that a thriving online photography community plays in the discovery and dissemination of work produced by significant artists in the Internet Era. Contemporary photo culture is marked by a continuous flow of images online, and our aim is to take a moment to recognize some of the noteworthy photographs published in this ever-expanding archive over the past four years. In this context, projected several times larger than life, these portraits look back at us and embody a louder voice in the discourse of the gaze.

Photographers

Amy Elkins /Amy Stein / Andreas Laszlo Konrath / Anna Bauer /Ben Handzo / Ben Huff /Betsy Schneider / Birthe Piontek / Bob Shamis / Bradley Peters / Brea Souders / Brian David Stevens / Brian Ulrich / Bronek Kozka / Caitlin Teal Price / Carl Wooley / Carrie Will / Chris Verene / Claire Beckett / Clayton Cotterell / Daniel Ramos / Daniel Shea / Darin Mickey / Dave Jordano / David Griggs /David Maisel / David Wright / Deborah Mitelstaedt / Dina Kantor / Dorothy Deiss / Doug Dubois / Elijah Gowin / Elizabeth Fleming / Eric Ogden / Eric Weeks / Finn O'Hara / Gloria Baker-Feinstein / Graham Miller / Hector Mediavilla / Jacob Koestler /Jaimie Warren / Jane Tam / Jason Florio / Jason Hanasik / Jen Davis /Jesse Burke / Jessica Todd Harper / Jon Feinstein / Joni Sternbach /Jorg Bruggeman / Justine Reyes / Justyna Badach / Katrina d'Autremont / Keliy Anderson-Staley / Lara Pannack / La Toya Ruby Frazier / Lydia Panas /Manjari Sharma / Mary Amor / Maureen Drennan / Mickey Kerr / Mikael Kennedy / Mikhael Subotzky / Molly Landreth / Mona Kuhn / Monika Merva / Myra Greene / Nadine Rovner /Nathalie Bothur / Noah Kalina / Philip Dembinski / Phil Toledano / Rachael Dunville / Rafal Milach / Sage Sohie / Robin Schwartz / Sage Sohier / Sara Code-Kroll / Sarah Small / Sarah Wilson / Shane Lavalette / Shawn Gust / Shen Wei / Simon Roberts / Sophia Wallace / Sophie Jacobson / Steffanie Halley /Stella Kalaw / Steve Giovinco / Stewart Simons / Susan Worsham / Suzanne Opton /Tamara Dean /Tealia Ellis-Ritter / Todd Hido / Victor Cobo /Wang Yi Fei / Will Steacy / Zoe Strauss / Zwelethu Mthethwa

Foto Week DC Nov 6th-13th 2010

2 Shows, 1 Building. Opening Tomorrow at 111 Front St

2010-11-03T16:35:00.000-07:00

Klompching Gallery presents Jim Naughten’s first solo exhibition in the United States, featuring photographs from Re-enactors.

In this body of work, Naughten has photographed some of the thousands of people, who step out of their daily lives to transform into historical characters from the First and Second World War.

Naughten has investigated the phenomena of re-enactment culture with a formal photographic rigour, that contributes to the role of photography in reinventing history. The portraits, themselves, are mostly three-quarter profile, from the legs up and with a stark, neutral backdrop. The striking detail of each image draws attention to the exactness of the costumes being worn and to the expressions of the subjects. Titled only with reference to nationality, unit and rank — nothing of the real lives of the individuals is revealed. The viewer is compelled to look and to wonder about who chooses to play a WWI Gunner, a US Medic or an SS Officer?

Inspired by Richard Avedon’s In The American West, Naughten has stripped away the context of the participants, heightening the sense of artifice. These flawless digital prints — that include tanks and battle scenes — chromatically echo photographs of the past, yet are undoubtedly contemporary.

Jo Ann Walters Vanity + Consolation at Kris Graves Projects

Jo Ann Walters has been practicing photography since the early 1980's. This selection of exquisite color photographic portraits from Walters' series Vanity + Consolation were made between 1985 and the present. She has been described by seminal photographer William Eggleston as "one of the few independently original photographers working in color today.” These original color prints have never been exhibited in New York. Walters uses her small blue-collar hometown, Alton, Illinois, as her continuing inspiration. Approaching her subjects through the eyes of an insider with all of the ambiguities and contradictions this implies. Walters observes the intimate moments of the women, girls, children, and families pictured within the confines of the domestic space, Walters examines the complexities and forcefulness of inner life.

Both shows run November 4th - December 18th. Join me at the openings tomorrow evening from 6-8pm. Click here for directions.

Senate Arts Vote

2010-11-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

Did you ever make the Honor Roll as a student? Being recognized for being in the top of your class – what an accomplishment! Well, our U.S. Senators brought home their grades and although they weren’t graded on their paintings or musical scales, some managed to make the arts Honor Roll.

The Arts Action Fund graded the members of the U.S. Senate on their support for the arts just like on those report cards that you used to bring home - except we used criteria like voting in support of the arts, joining the Senate Arts Caucus, and more. Senators had three opportunities to vote on the arts during the past two years—from including the arts in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to supporting public art along our nation’s highways to ensuring museums received federal funds. Your senators had the chance to stand up for the arts and many of them rose to the occasion.

Whether they speak out in support of the arts, are aware of the economic role the arts play and the well-being they provide in their state, or simply quietly cast their vote, each of the thirteen Senators we have featured received an A+ to B+ on their support for the arts. And they aren’t the only ones – in fact there are thirty-seven who received a B+ or above on our Congressional Arts Report Card.

Sadly, there are also many who failed in their support of the arts. You can learn more about what it means to fail the arts and who these Senators are in the Dirty Dozen feature of the Congressional Arts Report Card.

Making the Honor Roll affects more than just those Senators who find their names there. Acing the arts as a Senator means supporting the arts for the whole country. It is the support of the arts at the federal level that helps the arts in your community, and communities across the country thrive.

Take a moment to let these Senators know that while they might not receive a gold star for their A grade like they once did, their support is noticed. Share the Honor Roll via Twitter or Facebook with the links below and help get the word out. Or go one step further and support the arts year round by lending your voice to the growing grassroots movement for the arts in America.

View the grades for all members of the Senate.

View the Dirty Dozen.

View Same State, Different Story.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T20:47:00.000-07:00

20x200- Amy Stein's Halloween in Harlem

2010-10-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

Untitled (Hulk) and Untitled (Powerpuff Girls) from Amy Stein's Halloween in Harlem series are now available from 20x200. I have seen the prints in person and they are beautiful. I'm very excited to get my copies and hang them up. This is such a great opportunity for would be collectors and art lovers limited on funds to own works by established and emerging artists. Amy's prints are selling out fast so get yours now!

"I am a big believer in the 20x200 mission of (limited editions × low prices) + the internet = art for everyone and was flattered when they asked me to participate. For my 20x200 edition I made the decision to offer C-prints which meant hand printing every last photo. It almost killed me, but I am in love with the final prints. Check out the 20x200 site to see (and purchase!) the editions." - Amy Stein

PDN Photo Plus Expo

2010-10-27T12:06:00.001-07:00

Its that time of year again and PDN's Photo Plus Expo is gearing up to start tomorrow. Designed for professionals and advanced amateurs in the photographic and imaging industries, PDN PhotoPlus Expo showcases the latest advances in photography. Attendees are able to explore hundreds of exhibits and attend a wide variety of photography and imaging seminars. I will be a panelist on the Grant Writing 101 seminar presented by David Walker, Executive Editor, Photo District News with Ellen Liberatori, Author, Guide to Getting Arts Grants, Yukiko Yamagata, Associate Director, Open Society Institute,and Brenda Anne Kennealy, Photographer

Thursday, Oct 28, 2010 - 8:45 AM to 11:45 AM

Click HERE for a list of seminars.

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
New York City
October 28-30, 2010

Inner Views- Zwelethu Mthethwa

2010-10-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

Don't miss this exhibition on view at the Studio Museum until October 24th.

Zwelethu Mthethwa: Inner Views brings together three series by South African photographer Zwelethu Mthethwa (b. 1960). “Interiors” and “Empty Beds” document the domestic lives of migrant workers around Johannesburg, South Africa, while “Common Ground” focuses on the shared experience of natural disasters in urban areas, featuring houses in New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina and on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, after wildfires.

After All

2010-09-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

Laura Letinsky in Conversation with Lynne Tillman, Wednesday, September 15th, 7 pm at the SVA Theatre. On the eve of her upcoming solo exhibition, Letinsky will discuss her work with fiction writer and art critic Lynne Tillman. Letinsky's solo exhibition, "After All," will be on view at Yancey Richardson Gallery from Sept 16- Oct 30th.

Digression

2010-09-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

Please join me this Sunday for the opening of Digression at Hendershot gallery. I am very excited to be showing my installation Time, in Memoriam. This is sure to be a fantastic show featuring work by my fellow LMCC alums Kenya (Robinson) and Liz Magic Laser as well as Simone Leigh, Chitra Ganesh, Mary A. Valverde and Divya Mehra. Details below:

A New Kind of Beauty

2010-09-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

Michael

A NEW KIND OF BEAUTY — Phillip Toledano

SEPTEMBER 9 — OCTOBER 29, 2010

Opening Reception: Wednesday, September 8, 6:00pm—8:00pm

Brought together for the first time as a solo exhibition, these breathtaking and provocative portraits depict people who have reconfigured their bodies by means of extensive plastic surgery. The photographs raise questions about self-perception and social paragons relating to what constitutes perceived notions of beauty.

Don't miss this exhibition!

KLOMPCHING GALLERY is located in the vibrant district of DUMBO, between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

111 Front Street, Suite 206

Brooklyn, NY 11201

All in the Family

2010-07-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

My work is included in this group exhibition All in the Family curated by Jason Paradis. Join me this Sunday for the opening.

All in the Family

June 23 - September 5, 2010

Reception: Sunday, July 25, 1 - 4 pm

Islip Art Museum

50 Irish Lane

East Islip, New York

www.islipartmuseum.org

(631) 224-5402

Last Day at LMCC

2010-07-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

I have finally come to terms with the realization that my Workspace residency at LMCC is now over. I have completely packed and moved out and its finally hitting me that I won't be back in my beautiful studio on Monday. It was so good while it lasted. These past nine months have been so fruitful and I feel so blessed to have been a part of the program. Many thanks to LMCC's Melissa Levin and Sean Carroll for all of their hard work and dedication and to my fellow residents for inspiring me with their work and gracing me with their time and friendship which I treasure. Above is the last still life I shot in my studio.

Piles

2010-07-07T08:38:00.001-07:00

Just Art 2010

2010-06-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Just Got My Key to the City

2010-06-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you Paul Ramirez Jonas and Creative Time for this unique public art piece. The key unlocks various doors and things in locations across the 5 boroughs until Labor Day. The key and passport are yours to keep and are really nicely made and quite lovely objects in and of themselves. Head down to Times Square to get yours until June 27th.

http://creativetime.org/programs/archive/2010/keytothecity/

Kiosk open June 3 to 27, 2010
Times Square, Broadway
Between 43rd & 44th Sts
Open M–F 2p–8p; Sa–Su 12p–8p

Review Santa Fe Recap

2010-06-21T18:10:00.001-07:00

Its been a couple weeks since my return from Review Santa Fe. I was honored to have my series, Vanitas be recognized with a Juror's Choice award in the project competition by Tina Kukielski of the Whitney Museum.

I was a little nervous about doing another review so shortly after Fotofest, which I found to be ultra-competitive and exhausting. I was pleasantly surprised to find that by the time I arrived in Santa Fe I had already befriended four other photographers and shared a ride from the Albuquerque airport. There was such a sense of camaraderie and it was great to see so much beautiful work and be surrounded by so much talent. The reviews themselves were so well organized that it immediately put me at ease. Laura Pressley, Jessica Parker, and the entire staff and volunteers at Center did a phenomenal job of creating a review that ran like clock work but still managed to create an environment of mutual respect and sharing.

Many people have been asking me lately what my experiences at portfolio reviews have been like. Judging between Review Santa Fe and Fotofest I would have to recommend RSF hands down for many reasons. Keep in mind that each portfolio review is unique and has something different to offer and there are many to choose from: Center, Fotofest, Photolucida, PhotoNOLA, Photo Espana, The Center for Photography at Woodstock, En Foco, and now the Exhibition Lab just to name a few. It is good to be informed before selecting the right portfolio review for your work. Amber Terranova lays it out quite nicely in this month's PDN.

Flak Photo Features 25 Photographers from Review Santa Fe 2010

2010-06-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

Check out Flak Photo this month to see the work of 25 of the 100 participants of the 2010 Review Santa Fe.

http://www.flakphoto.com/archives/6333_1646490288/347108

This image, Al with Eye Patch is featured from my Home, Away from Home series.

Save the Arts Campaign

2010-05-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

SAVE THE ARTS CAMAPAIGN UPDATE
We have written to you previously about the Governor’s plan to cut the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) budget by 40% and we want to thank all of you who have written to and called your legislators. NYSCA is the glue which holds the state’s rich cultural community together and such a cut would be devastating. It would be devastating for NYFA and for museums, theatre and dance companies, film and literary festivals, after-school and education programs and other cultural initiatives and institutions throughout the state. The email below outlines a number of actions you can take not only as an artist, but as a taxpayer.

NYFA is here to help. It you can make it to our office at 20 Jay Street in DUMBO Brooklyn, we have postcards available and you can stop by, fill them out, and we will take care of the rest. Wherever you live, we can also help you find the information for your local officials, simply email your zip code to us at ssherman@nyfa.org and we will get you the information. Then you can just print and mail the postcards below.

We will be posting the Save the Arts logo on our Facebook page and urge you and your Facebook friends to do the same.

Hopefully, by working together, we can make out voices heard.

Thank you and thanks also to Judy Weiner and NYS Arts for providing the vital tools below.

Michael Royce
Executive Director
New York Foundation for the Arts

SAVE THE ARTS starts MAY 20 and continues until we have a state budget.

Here are examples of what YOU can do:

Send the SAVE THE ARTS logo to your constituent organizations and artists so they can take action. Of course, take action yourself.

Download and Print out the SAVE THE ARTS IN MY COMMUNITY postcard. Ask your constituents to do the same.

click image and use it on your website and social networking pages

Distribute the postcards at every performance, exhibition, class, reading, meeting, to your board and to your staff. Then mail the postcards to the appropriate legislators.

Download and customize the press release so it describes what your organization will be doing to demonstrate the impact of the 40% cut.
Post the SAVE THE ARTS logos to your facebook page.
Facebook and Tweet the 40% cut message.
Continue to send emails to your legislators and to the leadership in Albany, Assemblyman Silver and Senator Sampson.

We already have more than 16,000 emails in their inboxes. BUT we must keep up the pressure. So forward the email to everyone you know.

Our campaign strategies were developed in collaboration with your colleagues, NYS ARTS' Regional Captain Network. The Regional Captain in your area will answer questions and help coordinate media coverage in your region. Here is the quick overview of the budget numbers: The Governor's proposal slashes the NYSCA grants budget from $41.6 million to $25.2 million, making it the largest state agency cut. He also proposes a 12% cut to state operations, reducing it from $5.29 million to $4.84 million.

We are told that there is little or no movement on the budget in Albany, although we are already almost two months past the budget deadline.....and the state continues to operate on weekly continuing resolutions. If the legislature does not approve those weekly resolutions, then the state government grinds to a halt. Chaos reigns.

Judy

Judith K. Weiner

Executive Director
NYS Arts

Aperture Foundation | Events | Emerging Artists' Support Systems, Part 1

2010-05-10T09:45:00.001-07:00

Brooklyn, New York

Aperture Presents: at the
2010 New York Photo Festival
Emerging Artists' Support Systems, Part 1
The Artist's Perspective: Justine Reyes,
Brian Ulrich, Hank Willis Thomas

Thursday, May 13, 2010
4:30 pm

Admission required

NYPH 10
St. Ann's Warehouse
38 Water Street
Brooklyn, New York

The Aperture Presents programming series premiers with a two-part event focusing on emerging artists' support systems. Here, in part 1 of the discussion, Aperture brings together three artists to present their work and experiences securing the funding, reviews, fellowships, and grants that are so valuable in earning recognition for their efforts, providing feedback and input on ongoing projects, and often significantly impact the work itself.

JUSTINE REYES received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and her BFA from Syracuse University. She has participated in such festivals as Proyecto Circo at the 8th Havana Biennial and Contemporary Istanbul. In 2009, Reyes' Guayabera series was shown at the Queens Museum of Art, New York. She was recently awarded the Individual Artists Initiative from the Queens Council on the Arts and a workspace residency from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council for 2009–10. Reyes lives and works in New York.

HANK WILLIS THOMAS received his BFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and his MFA in photography, along with an MA in visual criticism, from the California College of the Arts, San Francisco. Willis Thomas is the winner of the first-ever Aperture West Book Prize for his project—and later first monograph—Pitch Blackness. His work was featured in the exhibition and catalog 25 under 25: Up-and-Coming American Photographers. He is a recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship Award, the 2007 Renew Media Arts Fellowship (Rockefeller Foundation), and was commissioned with ©ause Collective to create a video installation for the Oakland International Airport. Willis Thomas has exhibited in such galleries and museums as the Studio Museum in Harlem; Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut; Leica Gallery, New York; and National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.

BRIAN ULRICH earned an MFA in photography from Columbia College Chicago and a BFA from the University of Akron, Ohio. His first monograph, Copia, was published by Aperture in 2006 as part of MP3: The Midwest Photographers Publication Project. In 2007, Ulrich was named one of the year's 30 Emerging Photographers by Photo District News magazine, and a critic's pick by Richard Woodward for ARTnews magazine. He was recently awarded a 2009 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship. Ulrich's photographs portraying contemporary consumer culture reside in the collections of such major museum as the Art Institute of Chicago; Cleveland Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego; and Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago. He currently lives and works in Chicago.
Part 2: Funds, Fellowships, and Reviews will take place on Friday, May 14, 4:30 p.m., and will feature Amy Elkins, Women in Photography; Ariel Shanberg, Woodstock Center for Photography; and Amy Yenkin, Open Society Institute.

The third annual New York Photo Festival (NYPH) will open on May 13, 2010, in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Founded by Daniel Power and Frank Evers, the festival is an initiative of powerHouse Books and is the first international festival of photography in the U.S. The four main pavilions, each showcasing compelling and personal visions of contemporary photography, will be curated this year by Vince Aletti, author, critic, and curator; photography curator, writer, and picture anthropologist Erik Kessels, a founding partner and creative director of KesselsKramer, Amsterdam; Fred Ritchin, professor of photography and imaging at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts; and playwright, poet, musician, and photographer Lou Reed, whose photographs have been exhibited worldwide. The festival features Aperture Presents, a series of panel discussions at St. Ann's Warehouse, curated by Aperture. Panels will take place every day from 4:30–5:20 p.m. Visit our booth in the powerHouse arena to see new, exclusive Aperture books and limited-edition photographs.

> View related events

> Visit the official New York Photo Festival website for more details

50 Artists Photograph the Future

2010-05-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

50 Artists Photograph The Future

Curated by Dean Daderko

May 8 - July 3, 2010

Opening: Saturday, May 8, 7-9 pm

Higher Pictures

764 Madison Avenue (between 65th/66th street)
New York, NY 10065

ANNOUNCING THE DAYLIGHT/CDS PHOTO AWARDS

2010-05-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

DEADLINE: Saturday, May 15, 2010, 8 P.M. (EST)

JURORS:
VINCE ALETTI, writer/critic, the New Yorker magazine;
DARIUS HIMES, editor/curator, Radius Books;
JULIE SAUL, gallery owner/director, Julie Saul Gallery;
ALEC SOTH, photographer;
HANK WILLIS THOMAS, photographer;
JAMIE WELLFORD, international photo editor, Newsweek magazine

TAJ FORER and MICHAEL ITKOFF, editors, Daylight Magazine
ALEXA DILWORTH, publishing director, Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University
COURTNEY REID-EATON, exhibitions director, Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University

In recognition of our mutual interest in documentary and fine art photography, Daylight Magazine and the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University have started an international competition, the Daylight/CDS Photo Awards, to honor and promote talented and committed photographers, both emerging and established.

Two awards, a PROJECT PRIZE and a WORK-IN-PROCESS PRIZE

http://daylightmagazine.org/news/2010-daylightcds-photo-awards

After the Fall

2010-05-03T22:37:00.001-07:00

Aperture and Steven Kasher Tomorrow Night

2010-04-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

Aperture Gallery Presents: Eirik Johnson: Sawdust Mountain

A new exhibition of photographs from Eirik Johnson’s body of work and recently released monograph Sawdust Mountain will open at Aperture gallery April 15th and will remain on view through June 4th.

In Johnson’s words his photographs are “a melancholy love letter of sorts, my own personal ramblings.” This poetic sensibility is apparent in the images of Sawdust Mountain which consider the environmental impact and sustainability of industries reliant on the natural resources of Oregon, Washington and Northern California. Depicting towns at the heart of the worlds of logging and salmon farming in the U.S., Johnson captures the uncertainty that follows after an industry boom has ended as well as the hazy light and landscapes of the Northwest.

Eirik Johnson: Sawdust Mountain

Opening Reception:

Thursday, April 15, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

FREE

Aperture Gallery
547 West 27th Street, 4th floor
New York, New York
(212) 505 - 5555

A group show titled Between the Bricks and the Blood: Transgressive Typologies, co-curated by Steven Kasher and Damon Brandt, will be on view at Steven Kasher Gallery from April 15 to May 8. The show will feature grids of work by Robert Mapplethorpe, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Andy Warhol, Walker Evans, Emory Douglas, the Minneapolis Police Department, Ara Galant, Alexandra Penney, Hyers and Mebane, the IRT Corporation, Anonymous and more. The exhibition will explore a grid of themes, including: the portrait as incarceration, anonymous engineers as artists, the inverse effects of seriality, revolution and repetition, the bureaucratic gaze returned, and chance as a disruptive strategy. The opening reception will take place on April 15 from 6-8 pm.

Steven Kasher Gallery 521 West 23 Street New York, NY 10011

The Phil Toledano Lecture at ICP

2010-04-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

I'm being abused by the lovely Melanie Flood at the opening of America the Gift Shop at House Projects 10-29-09

The Photographers Lecture Series

April 7 | Wednesday | 7:00 pm | $15 each at the door
School at ICP, 1114 Avenue of the Americas

In this lecture series, photographers show their work and share their ideas and concerns with the audience. Join me at ICP to hear "The Mr Toledano" talk about his work. Phil Toledano is as interesting and entertaining as his thought provoking work. This is not a lecture to be missed.

Vestige Opening Reception

2010-04-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday April 9th 7-11pm, 58 Gallery, 58 coles st jersey city nj. 07302

DIRECTIONS: 58 Gallery is easily accessible from NYC by PATH train. Enter the PATH station on 6th Ave. at 33rd, 23rd, 14th, 9th, Christopher St., or World Trade in Manhattan and exit at Grove St. in Jersey City. Take a short walk up Newark Ave., make a right onto Coles St. The gallery is between 3rd and 4th. 58 Coles Street.

For more info, visit: Fifty8.com

Vestige pairs the work of Justine Reyes and Sonja Thomsen. Through both photography and installation both artists’ work tackle the concepts of memory and loss.

Justine Reyes: These Last Things consists of large-scale color photographs of the interior of four drawers. I took these drawers out of my uncle's dresser after he passed away. The title refers to the Novissima or the Four Last Things that every man must face; Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell. I chose this title not only because my uncle was Catholic and very religious but also because it refers to the things we leave behind when we die. These drawers are the last physical trace or vestige of my uncle, left untouched in his memory.

Sonja Thomsen: As the word Lacuna references both intellectual and physical gaps, the temporal installation titled lacuna is a metaphor for memory and aging. 70 small images hang on the wall, some in stacks of reproductions waiting to be peeled away. Throughout the duration of the installation the images are removed, fade and reveal an impression in plexi of the image that was once there. Place and person become symbol and impression in the work creating an emotive narrative suspended in the gap between; a man straddling dementia, a boy in his teenage prime, hands cradling the last harvest of raspberries.

31 Women in Art Photography Panel Discussion

2010-04-02T22:17:00.000-07:00

Women in Art Photography: Past, Perspective
and Projections
Presented by Humble Arts Foundation and
Affirmation Arts, in conjunction with
31 Women in Art Photography

Saturday, April 3, 2010, 2PM

Moderator: Marla Goldwasser, Director,
Affirmation Arts

Panelists:

Charlotte Cotton / Co-curator, 31 Women in
Art Photography,Creative Director,
National Media Museum
Jon Feinstein / Co-curator, 31 Women
in Art Photography,Co-founder and Curatorial
Director, Humble Arts Foundation
Vanessa Kramer / Director of Photographs, Phillips
de Pury & Company
Justine Reyes / Exhibiting artist, 31 Women in Art Photography
Sasha Rudensky / Exhibiting artist, 31 Women in Art Photography

Affirmation Arts
523 West 37th Street
New York, NY 10018
(212) 925.0092
affirmationarts.com

Light refreshments will be served after the panel.

Further information

2010 Center Awards

2010-03-30T20:49:00.001-07:00

I am very happy and proud to announce that Vanitas was selected for a Juror's Choice award by Tina Kukielski of the Whitney Museum in Center's project competition. I am looking forward to attending Review Santa Fe in June!

Please check out Center's site for more stunning work of all the award winning projects.

Don't Miss It!

2010-03-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Don't miss Ruben Natal-San Miguel's solo exhibition NY, NY: Concrete Jungle and Greg Miller's Nashville at Kris Graves Projects through April 10th. There will be a closing reception on April 1st from 6-9pm.

A Little Birdie Told Me

2010-03-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

I just signed up to Twitter. Please follow me:

http://twitter.com/_justinereyes_

Deadlines Approaching!

2010-03-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

Two very important deadlines are fast approaching: LMCC Workspace Residency and The Center for Photography at Woodstock. I am a current artist in residence at LMCC and a past recipient of a CPW A.I.R. Both of these programs have changed my life. I have been able to build my network of peers and arts professionals and have been able to make new work in a supportive and inspiring environment. I cannot express how much these experiences have enriched my creative process and my life in general. I owe so much to everyone at LMCC and CPW for their immense commitment and dedication to all of the artists they serve.

Apply now!

Sheer Craziness! 31 Women in Art Photography Opening Night!

2010-03-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone that came out and made the night so great! Here are some great shots of opening night: http://hafny.org/mar1610.html

Works in Progress

2010-03-04T20:45:00.000-08:00

Workspace Works-in-Progress: Open Studios

Get a behind-the-scenes look at artists’ studios. Workspace, LMCC’s studio residency program

is opening its doors for the first time this year. Meet the 20 emerging visual artists and 9 writers

in their studio spaces and see the work they have been making since September. Residents

are working in all media and genres in unique spaces generously donated by downtown real

estate owners. Come see how LMCC is changing what it means to work Downtown. For more

information about the program, please visit our website.

This event is free, but an RSVP is required.

Works-in-Progress: Open Studios is presented in association with Armory Arts Week.

Dates & Times

Sunday, March 7, 12–6PM

Location

125 Maiden Lane, 9th & 14th Floors

RSVP now!

31 Women in Art Photography

2010-02-25T09:15:00.000-08:00

Ann Woo, Cave, 2007, C-print, 30 x 40 in. Ed. 5

I am proud to announce that I am one of the 31 women selected for this show! I am honored to be included and excited to be showing alongside so many talented female photographers! Please join me at the opening on March 6th.

Press Preview: Thursday, March 4, 12 – 6 p.m.; R.S.V.P. kate{at}hafny.org
Opening Reception: Saturday, March 6, 6 – 9 p.m.
After Party: Saturday, March 6, 9 p.m. – midnight
R.S.V.P required for opening reception and after party:rsvp{at}affirmationarts.com

Music by DJ Brooklyn Dawn

Exhibition on view: Saturday, March 6 – Saturday, April 10, 2010

Location
Affirmation Arts
523 W. 37th Street
New York, NY 10018
(212) 925.0092
affirmationarts.com

Gallery hours: Tues – Fri, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sat 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Directions: A/C/E to 34th Street and 8th Avenue

In March 2010, in honor of Women’s History Month, Humble Arts Foundation in association with Affirmation Arts will present its second edition of 31 Women in Art Photography, a five-week exhibition celebrating 31 of the most innovative women in new art photography. The exhibition, curated by Charlotte Cotton and Jon Feinstein, will present an eclectic mix of new talent, culled from open submissions. 31opens at Affirmation Arts in New York City on Saturday, March 6 during The Armory Show 2010.

The exhibition includes photographs by Erica Allen, Amelia Bauer, Claire Beckett, Gilda Davidian, Jessica Eaton, Naomi Harris, Carmen von Kende, Anna Krachey, Yvonne Lacet, Erika Larsen, Jessica Mallios, Alison Malone, S. Billie Mandle, Paula McCartney, Rachelle Mozman, Yamini Nayar, Sarah Palmer, Kristine Potter, Heather Rasmussen, Justine Reyes, Lisa Robinson, Irina Rozovsky, Sasha Rudensky, Victoria Sambunaris, Robin Schwartz, Emily Shur, Brea Souders, Rachel Sussman, Kirsten Kay Thoen, Carson Fisk-Vittori, and Ann Woo.

The Curators
British curator Charlotte Cotton recently became the creative director for the National Media Museum in Bradford, England and will be heading up the planned expansion of the museum in London. Previously Cotton was the curator and head of the Wallis Annenberg Department of photography at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, head of programming at the Photographer’s Gallery, London photography curator for the Victoria & Albert Museum in London for several years and is the founding editor of Words Without Pictures. Jon Feinstein is the co-founder and curatorial director of Humble Arts Foundation; he has organized numerous exhibitions throughout New York including the recent exhibition “Trying Them On” at Hendershot Gallery.

Instruments of Empire

2010-01-27T15:45:00.000-08:00

Very Excited to see this show tomorrow night at Caption Gallery. Two amazing photographers whose work will create an interesting dialogue on our culture and society. Also they have each created some new work for this show that is inspired by the other's work, ideas and style. This is going to be good! See you at the opening!

Caption Gallery
55 Washington Street, No. 802
Brooklyn, NY

Individual Artist Initiative Deadline Approaching!

2010-01-19T06:47:00.000-08:00

I was an Individual Artist Initiative recipient last year and would reccommend all artists living or working in Queens to apply. This program provides valuable one on one meetings with a career development specialist. This program helped me focus my goals, get organized and create effective business strategies.

"The Individual Artist Initiative (IAI) facilitates goal setting and career planning for artists. Awarded annually to emerging Queens artists in any discipline (performing arts, media arts, literary arts or visual arts), IAI pairs artists with established professional development specialists who act as consultants and guides for recipients in their work toward a specific project goal, career goal or strategic plan."

Deadline: January 21, 2010, 12 noon - APPLY NOW

Text for a Cause: Disaster Relief

2010-01-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

Anyone that knows me knows, I hate texting but in this case I'm making an exception. Wyclef Jean has used Twitter to rally web users to contribute to his Yele Haiti earthquake fund. Text “Yele” to the number 501501. If you send the text, the organization will receive $5. The amount will be added to your next cell phone bill. Another texting option is text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 via the Red Cross. I'm making a donation to both. Even in tough times we can all do something to help. I'm praying that the families of my close friends are all safe and my thoughts and prayers are with everyone there.

Vanitas Exhibition at the Center for Photography at Woodstock

2010-01-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

So excited to be exhibiting Vanitas for the first time at Center for Photography at Woodstock! I began this body of work last year while I was an Artist in Residence at CPW. I owe all of the staff at CPW for the time, support and inspiring environment their A.I.R program provides. Looking forward to seeing everyone again at the opening!

She's Got It, Yeah Baby She's Got It

2009-12-28T22:06:00.000-08:00

Goddess on the mountain top/Burning like a silver flame/The summit of beauty and love/And Venus was her name...

This was one of the presents I gave my mom this xmas! Big thanks to Mikey for his photoshop skillz! I framed it for her, she thought it was weird but she liked it!

We WISH You A Happy Holidays?... and a Happy New Year!

2009-12-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

Finished up my Christmas shopping today and even though the stores are all decked out in Christmas decorations it seems like NO ONE says Merry Christmas anymore! Since Chanukah just ended and Ramadan ended in September this year, it should be all Merry until New Year's.

I think in spite of the recession or maybe because of it I've managed to get my loved ones some really creative and touching presents. I would normally do a wish list around this time of all the geeky photo stuff and equipment i want but this year I've been very blessed. My family is happy and healthy, I'm surrounded by talented and inspiring individuals, I'm in love and am loved, and have had so many amazing opportunities this year, I couldn't ask for anything more.

Happy Holidays!

Sweet Memories

2009-12-17T14:29:00.000-08:00

"This time last year..." is a favorite saying of my mom's. Especially after the holidays or trips. She might say something like "this time last week we were in Madrid!" She does this a lot and usually remembers the exact day and time of things a week or even a year later! I was recently organizing some images and came across this snapshot of my Uncle and I at the Sydney aquarium and I actually thought to myself "this time last year me and uncle Al were just back from our trip to Australia!" Ha! Thought I'd share this funny picture of us, me in my geeky camera t-shirt and Uncle Al's hand unknowingly mirroring the gesture of the sign behind him.

Photos and Philly Cheese-Steaks!

2009-12-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

Photo by Klara Kallstrom
The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center presents it's second exhibition Going from Nowhere: Accumulated Images curated by Sarah Stolfa and Christopher Gianunzio.
For this exhibition, the Internet becomes both a practical means of acquiring imagery as well as a conceptual strategy. The exhibition includes works from 8 artists from around the world shooting with any digital device (camera, phone, computer), who will then submit images electronically to PPAC each week. PPAC will print the images and add them to the exhibition, thereby taking the show from nothing to a full show over 3 months. The exhibition space will continuously change and grow, starting with 2 photographs by each artist and ending with 24.
Rather than presenting finished bodies of work, the aim of this exhibition is to discover what happens when new projects are shown together. The end result is a group show whose appearance may resemble that of a studio rather than the traditional white cube. The gallery will be transformed into a non-traditional exhibition space; work will be hung salon style, without frames and printed at various sizes. This method of presenting work serves as a metaphor for our image saturated culture and reflects how digital imaging and the Internet has changed the way we experience and create photographs.

Artist included are:
Nathan Baker, Berlin, Germany
Jen Davis, New York, United States
Emmanuel Guillaud, Tokyo, Japan
Klara Källström & Thobias Fäldt, Gothenburg, Sweden
Conor O’Brien, Sydney, Australia
Michael Schmelling, New York, United States
Suyeon Yun, Seoul, South Korea

December 1, 2009 – February 28, 2010
OPENING RECEPTION: December 10, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Lecture by Lucy Gallun, Curatorial Fellow of ICA, 7:00 pm

Back to Work

2009-11-29T21:54:00.000-08:00

Back in the studio today. Only shot one picture. Will see if its any good tomorrow. Worked on some applications but couldn't stand the smell of some rotting fruit I was using so I had to get out of there. If the negs look good i will throw out the aesthetically beautiful yet offensive smelling fruit asap. The picture above is from a shoot i did earlier in the week. Glad i shared my grapefruit and got someone else to peel it. Working on pushing the compositions in the still lifes.

Fun and Games

2009-11-28T22:38:00.001-08:00

This is definitely a late night post but I just found this Burger Shop game online and have been playing it for over an hour and I love it! Its hilarious! Maybe my brain is fried from all the applications that I've been working on lately but this game is an instant stress alleviator. My bf just got the latest Call Of Duty and has been playing it for hours on end and I just can't get into it. I think I tried to go into the virtual kitchen at the airport and grab a snack mid-fighting so I guess its fitting i would like this game! Here is a free trial of Burger Shop: http://get.games.yahoo.com/proddesc?gamekey=burgershop try it, its funny.

Still Life Saga Continues

2009-11-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

Worked in the studio yesterday for over 6 hours. Setting up, not liking anything, starting all over and over and over. I did manage to get some images that i like though so it makes it all worth it. Here is a new still life from yesterday's shoot.

Wednesday is the new Thursday?

2009-11-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

Clifford Owens, Text Piece (video stills), 2008, Courtesy the artist and On Stellar Rays Gallery, New York, NY

There are so many things going on tonight it will be hard to make it to all of them. I will definitely be at the Studio Museum tonight for the opening of 30 Seconds Off an Inch. Fellow LMCC resident Paul Mpagi Sepuya will be showing two pieces from his project "Mpagi Sepuya (Or, with your names, you come here, you are home)" 2009. This group show is filled with so many amazingly talented artists: Adel Abdessemed, Edgar Arceneux, Jabu Arnell, Kabir Carter, William Cordova, Thierry Fontaine, Charles Gaines, Deborah Grant, Rashawn Griffin, David Hammons, Maren Hassinger, Leslie Hewitt, Wayne Hodge, Rashid Johnson, Jennie C. Jones, Jayson Keeling, Simone Leigh, Glenn Ligon, Dave McKenzie, Nicole Miller, My Barbarian, Kori Newkirk, Chris Ofili, Demetrius Oliver, Karyn Olivier, John Outterbridge, Clifford Owens, Akosua Adoma Owusu, William Pope.L, Michael Queenland, Robin Rhode, Jimmy Robert, Nadine Robinson, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Gary Simmons, Xaviera Simmons, Shinique Smith, Soda_Jerk, Kianja Strobert, Stacy-Lynn Waddell, and Nari Ward. Also on view will be Wardell Milan's Drawings of Harlem.

This evening also marks the final show at Melanie Flood Projects in Clinton Hill. Even though Melanie is moving out of her current space I'm sure that she is moving on to bigger and better things and I personally can't wait to see what's next for her. I'm hoping to end my evening there to see Erica Allen's Untitled Gentleman series.

I was also invited to the opening of Sharon Core's Early Americans, at the Hermes Gallery tonight which I would love to see. I missed her exhibition at Yancey Richardson last year but am a big fan of this beautiful still life work.

Don't know how I'm gonna make it from Midtown to Harlem to Brooklyn all in the course of a few hours but I'm gonna try.

Boo!

2009-10-30T03:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Roy DeCarava, 1919-2009

2009-10-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

I am so saddened to learn that Roy DeCarava passed away on Tuesday. He was the first photographer that deeply inspired me, whose work moved me. I was in a high school art history class when I was sent on assignment to go to MOMA and write about his retrospective. I was completely transfixed by his images. His intense and rich detail in the blacks but also the subtle spectrum of whites created was so incredible. His tonal range was an exquisite palette of light and dark. One of my photographic heros is gone but his work and legacy live on.

R.I.P. Roy DeCarava, 1919-2009

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/parting-2/

First Things First

2009-10-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick scan of my first still life shot in my new studio. I can't wait to make a print of this in the darkroom. This residency is a dream come true. My studio is beautiful and I'm surrounded by so many talented and inspiring artists. Thank you LMCC!

Something's Missing...

2009-10-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

Sonja Thomsen, Crude, 2007
My good friend Sonja Thomsen came to visit me last week from Milwaukee. We went to grad school together at SFAI but since then only get to see each other once or twice a year. So its always a treat for her to come and stay with me. We looked at a bunch of art in Chelsea, checked out the Robert Frank show at the MET and headed up to Woodstock for CPW's auction. It was a whirlwind four days and I wish she could have stayed longer. You tired me out Sonja but I still miss you!

Click Here to see more of Sonja Thomsen's beautifully subtle yet powerful images.

Syracuse Studio Visit

2009-10-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy Sonja Thomsen

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of hosting a studio visit at LMCC for Syracuse students. Doug Dubois, Yasser Aggour and Laura Heyman brought their bright and talented juniors, seniors and grad students to tour the studios. Myself and fellow SU alum, Latoya Ruby Frazier talked about our work and process along with fellow residents, Michael Paul Britto, Kenya (Robinson), Deana Lawson, Paul Sepuya, Elia Alba and Becca Albee. Thanks to all the artists who opened up their studios and shared their work and insight.

Join me In Woodstock This Sunday!

2009-10-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

Join us for CPW's 2009 Benefit Gala on Sunday October 11th, 2009 at the Bearsville Theater beginning at 2pm.

This year's event will honor our 2009 Vision Award Honoree, W.M. Hunt, collector, curator, educator, gallery owner, writer, and emerging artist advocate and features CPW's 31st annual benefit auction of contemporary and classic photographs beginning at 4pm. Click Here to View the On-Line Catalog.

Admission to the Auction ONLY is by purchase of the Benefit Catalog ($35 / $25 CPW members) which admit two guests to the live sale. Order your copy today!

The Artist's Guide

2009-10-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

LMCC hosted a book signing and talk with Jackie Battenfield last night, author of the newly released The Artist's Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love. I had the opportunity to hear Jackie speak at a seminar for the Queens Council on the Arts last year and found it not only informative but very inspirational and have been anxiously awaiting her book. Last night was no different. Jackie read from her book and speaks from her heart and that is what makes her message resonate. She weaves the voice of motivational speaker, teacher, professional, mother and fellow artist with real world information and tough-love advice. This book is an invaluable tool for artists everywhere. Click HERE to go to the website and buy the book.

Kris Graves Limited

2009-09-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Kris Graves Projects is launching a limited edition print project entitled LIMITED. The project will include ten artists yearly. The works will all be 16x20" C-prints in an edition of 40.

My work is included in the FALL 2009 SERIES along with work by Anna Collette, Sergio A Fernandez, Greg Miller and Jo Ann Walters.

Listed below is the pricing of the print editions (not including taxes).

Print 1-10: $100

Print 11-20: $150

Print 21-30: $200

Print 31-40: $250

This is a great opportunity to get some beautiful prints for a fraction of the price.

The September Issue

2009-09-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Last September I was doing my residency at the Center for Photography at Woodstock. This week I went up there for a few days to visit and finally show them some of the finished prints and get some good feedback and editing advice. It was great to spend a few days there.

This week I also began a workspace residency provided by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC). I will have my own studio space downtown for 9 months and get to work alongside many talented artists and writers!

I started this blog one year ago because I wanted a place to show my work in progress while on residence at CPW. So it seems September is my month for beginning residencies, let's just hope this trend continues next Fall!

Opening Night!

2009-09-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

So this is it. Labor day is here, no more white shorts and dresses, back to school, back to work. Summer is officially over but that means one thing to look forward to here in NYC. First Thursdays are back in Chelsea in full force. There will be a lot of great shows to go check out, but this Thursday I will be at ClampArt for the much awaited New York show of Amy Stein's Domesticated. See you this Thursday 9/10/09 from 6-8!

AMY STEIN
DOMESTICATED

September 10 - October 31, 2009

ClampArt is pleased to announce the exhibition of Amy Stein's photographic series, "Domesticated"- the artist's first show with the gallery.

In this body of work Stein explores the archetypal motif of man verses nature. More specifically, her photographs explore the tenuous relationship between man and animals as human civilization continues to encroach upon nature. Informed by actual newspaper accounts and oral histories from citizens of the small town of Matamoras in Northeast Pennsylvania, which borders a state forest, Stein's photographs are inspired by true events.

The artist writes: "My photographs serve as modern dioramas of our new natural history. Within these scenes I explore our paradoxical relationship with the 'wild' and how our conflicting impulses continue to evolve and alter the behavior of both humans and animals. We at once seek connection with the mystery and freedom of the natural world, yet we continually strive to tame the wild around us and compulsively control the wild within our own nature. Within my work I examine the primal issues of comfort and fear, dependence and determination, submission and dominance that play out in the physical and psychological encounters between man and the natural world."

Amy Stein was raised in Washington, DC, and Karachi, Pakistan. In 2007, she was named one of the world's top fifteen emerging photographers by American Photo Magazine. Her work has been exhibited extensively in the United States and in Europe, and her photographs are represented in such prestigious public collections as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania; the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; the Nevada Museum of Art, Reno; the San Jose Museum of Art, California; and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Arizona.

Copies of Stein's first monograph will be available for sale during the run of the show. [Domesticated (Portland, Oregon: photolucida, 2008), 64 pp., 25 color illus, $24, with an essay by George Eastman House curator, Alison Nordström.]

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Decisions, decisions...

2009-08-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

At the Diane Arbus exhibition at SF MOMA some years back I was really struck by seeing some of her contacts. I think what was so revealing and fun about that was seeing the contact sheet of the "Jewish Giant at Home with His Parents in the Bronx, NY 1970". I had first seen this image at MOMA when i was in high school and it had always fascinated me. Seeing the contact was interesting because most of the photos seemed tender and sweet and somehow that surprised me. Seeing the contact demystified that image for me but gave me a keen appreciation for the editing process. In that spirit I'm offering up two new images from my series of Home photographs. I think both are intense portraits of my mom talking on the phone, the top image a bit more subtle and the bottom somewhat more menacing. I'm finding it very difficult to choose. Maybe the decision will happen later as the work keeps growing but I'd love to hear what you think, so please cast your vote!

Nymphoto Conversation

2009-08-11T15:46:00.000-07:00

Check out the Nymphoto blog for my recent "Conversation". Nymphoto is a collective of women photographers. They produce online exhibitions, curate group shows and have a fantastic blog that has an archive of conversations with some very talented female photographers. I'm honored to be included. My good friend Rona Chang wrote the insightful and funny introduction.

http://nymphoto.blogspot.com/2009/08/conversation-with-justine-reyes.html

Contact Sheet

2009-07-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Amy Stein, Peri, Route 80 Kentucky, Stranded, 2005

Xaviera Simmons, African Grape

Deana Lawson, Anne, 2008

Just received the current issue of Contact Sheet. This special issue, The Light Work Annual, includes work by artists invited to participate in Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence program. There is some impressive work from last year's round of artists, including Amy Stein, Xaviera Simmons and Deana Lawson.

Hush..........

2009-07-16T21:35:00.001-07:00

Let me tell you a little secret I recently discovered: Signature cocktails by Hush. This brand new company is only 2 months old but was whipping up the most delicious drinks at Rush Arts Gallery's Luck of the Draw auction. This one was made with scrumptious strawberry puree and topped off with a beautiful edible flower. I think I drank way too many but they were too good to pass up!
The concept behind Hush Cocktails is "a professional, expertly appointed team dedicated to cocktail development for special occasions. We use only the freshest ingredients and highest quality spirits to create original and custom designed signature cocktails for our clients and their guests. Whether the cocktails are classic or modern, original or a variation on a standard favorite, we take all of the essences that define our client and their event, personalize it and lovingly pour it into a beautiful glass."
They don't have a website yet but can be contacted at hushcocktails@gmail.com.

Luck of the Draw!

2009-07-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

Come get lucky Wednesday, July 8th, for Luck Of The Draw, a raffle of small artworks with proceeds supporting future exhibitions at Rush Arts and Corridor Gallery.

For ticket information and to RSVP please contact us: 212.691.9552 or 718.230.5002

Individual tickets are $175 and guarantees a choice of artwork based on the order of the draw. Artwork will be presented anonymously; artist name will be revealed after the work is chosen.

For 13 years, Rush Arts has introduced to the art world some of the best and brightest creative talent who have gone on to make significant cultural and artistic contributions - several of which have gone on to international fortune and fame. This is a perfect opportunity to show your support and win a great piece of art at the same time.

This festive evening will include music, a live performance, refreshments and end with the raffle call. There will also be artworks for silent auction.

Individual Raffle Ticket $175 Individual Party Ticket w/o Raffle $50

To Purchase tickets for LUCK OF THE DRAW onlineclick the link

For ticket information and to RSVP please contact us: 212.691.9552 or 718.230.5002

Summer Reading List

2009-07-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Haven't had a chance to sit and read by the pool or the beach this summer because of all the rain but I have bought a lot of great photography books recently. I drove up to the Center for Photography at Woodstock last month to hear Linda Connor speak and get my book signed. Her beautiful monograph Odyssey is published by Chronicle books. I haven't seen Linda since graduating from SFAI. Its always a pleasure to listen to her talk about work and it reminded me how much I miss those "double slide" lectures on the "Sacred and Profane".

Aperture's put out some amazing books lately. All the Days and Nights by Doug Dubois is beautiful and touching. Its an inspiration to me. I've been photographing my family now for the past 7 years, but Doug's been doing it since the 80's! The end result is a rich, powerful and wonderfully edited monograph. Sawdust Mountain is also a recent release from Aperture. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak when i ran into Eirik in Syracuse in April. The finished product is stunning. Always a big fan of his work but still waiting for an exhibition/book of the Animal Holes?
And last but not least is Night/Shift by Lynn Saville. I love the way she captures light and color and the filmic quality of the images.
So maybe I haven't been reading a lot this summer but I have been looking at a lot of pictures and getting inspired.

Summer Lovin?

2009-06-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

Doug Hall, Coney Island, New York, 2005

Can't believe June is almost over and i've only gone to the beach two times! If you spent the last 2+ months in NYC you would know how starved we are for sun and warmth. The only plus is that it makes it a hell of a lot easier to be in the darkroom getting work done when its pouring rain outside...

On Beauty and Being Wrong

2009-06-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Loving Zadie Smith right now. I really liked White Teeth but this was so touching, so poignant it brought me to tears. She weaves so much truth and beauty all about and together into a thick, heaping mass of humanity. The breakdown of relationships is heartbreaking and yet, something in the reader is somehow rebuilt. She gives us so much to contemplate: underlying politics of class and race, making the macro micro and vice versa. Awaiting the moment when i pick up the next Zadie Smith novel.

Bushwick Open Studio and Arts Festival

2009-06-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

Come celebrate Bushwick and stop by Eastern District to check out my solo show Home, Away from Home.

BOS Festival Events

The BOS 09 Map and Program is Now Available!

Check out our program listing all of the 250+ open studios, group shows and events that will be going on during the weekend of June 5-7, 2009! You can also browse the open studio and event listings online to get more information about the registered artists and events.

Home, Away From Home

2009-05-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Eastern District is proud to host Home, Away from Home, a solo-exhibit of photographs by multi-media artist Justine Reyes.

Opening Reception 7-10pm Friday May 15th 2009 sponsored by ASAHI.

EASTERN DISTRICT. 43 BOGART STREET

Home, Away from Home draws on images from two bodies of work, “Home” and “Away from Home.” Ms. Reyes spent the past six years photographing her immediate family - her mother and two uncles. This series pairs their portraits with views of empty interior spaces in the house where they all live. In many of the photographs where the figures of her family are physically present a lonely emptiness and unease hovers, often more insistantly than in the vacant spaces. The family is seen engaging in the everyday activities of cleaning, eating, watching TV, doing nothing in particular. The viewer is forced to adopt Reyes' vision, incorporating the artist's own fears of losing her family and trying to capture the moments slipping by with increasing speed as they get older. Ms. Reyes' beautifully sad photographs focus on age, aging, loneliness and isolation, and the fragility of life and family bonds through her stark depictions of details such as her uncle's broken nose.

Home follows the series, “My Uncle Vinnie” (2005), the image of the empty bedroom representing Uncle Vinnie and his absence. After Uncle Vinnie's death Ms. Reyes took numerous trips with her family. Away from Home documents the hotel rooms that became grand stages for dramas that never quite unfold. She focuses on the subtle underlying tension created by dislocation. By staging her family in foreign spaces, costumed to have the look and feel of domestic comfort, Ms. Reyes begins to draw relationships between “Home” and “Away from Home”, both literally and metaphorically, as if Ms. Reyes is preparing herself for her family's journey to the after life through depictions of anxiety and confliction. The images convey no sense of time or place, but only that there is a journey and that the journey requires preparation.

EASTERN DISTRICT. 43 BOGART STREET - L TRAIN TO MORGAN AVENUE.

Queens International 4 Closing Party!

2009-04-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

Bring your bike and meet me at the Queens Museum of Art this Sunday from 12-6pm. Come celebrate, enjoy the gorgeous weather and get a last look at this amazing biennial of Queens artists!

Spotlight: Lars Fisk, Queens International 4

2009-04-16T20:42:00.000-07:00

Its easy to miss Lars Fisk's The Triumph of Styrofoam, a marble sculpture made to look like a discarded coffee cup ( Look for it on the floor to the left of my work, Guayabera Series). This "finely carved marble sculpture asks us to take a second look at the garbage we usually ignore. As facsimiles of real objects, these decoys emit an effortless sense of life, asking us to confront our relationship to consumption and waste.

Fisk employs traditional sculptural materials in unexpected ways."

Queens International 4 is on view at the Queens Museum of Art until April 26th, 2009.

SUrreal

2009-04-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

Crashed Laura Heyman's Grad Critique Seminar, work by Colin Todd

Studio visit with Chris Gianunzio
Went up to Syracuse University last week to give a lecture and do studio visits. It was my first time back since i graduated in 2000. I kept having so many weird flashbacks of my undergrad days. It was a surreal experience to be lecturing there and remembering all of the visiting artist's that I heard speak as a young art student and the profound effect it had on my development. I was really honored to be able to come back to campus in this capacity and meet with the students and talk about their work. I met so many talented and intelligent individuals whose work and process is a reflection of the quality of the photography department and program at Syracuse. It was great to catch up with my old professor Doug Dubois and spend some time getting to know Yasser Aggour, both of whom are an inspiration both artistically and for their dedicated teaching style. Also got a chance to spend some time with my old friend Eirik Johnson, who was by chance, also doing studio visits and crits with Laura Heyman's class.

"To teach is to learn again" - H.J. Brown

Big thanks to Doug, Yasser and Syracuse University for giving me this opportunity!

Individual Artist Initiative

2009-04-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Jung In Kim "being special", 23x30 inch, acrylic & pencil drawing on watercolor paper,Feb.09

The Individual Artist Initiative is intended to invigorate the professional careers of artists. The IAI is awarded annually by the Queens Council on the Arts to ten emerging Queens artists in any discipline (performing arts, media arts, literary arts or visual arts) as a fully-financed consultancy with an established professional development specialist. Recipients complete a specific professional development goal with the guidance of the consultant. Participants also receive mentoring through the community of previous IAI recipients, as well as access to intimate professional development workshops coordinated by Queens Council on the Arts.

This year i was one of the lucky recipients of this unique opportunity. I feel honored to be included in such a talented group of artists: Jung In Kim, Michelle Provenzano, ST Woolf, Monica Velez, Janell O'Rourke, Norma Greenwood and Vivian Fung.

Art for Life

2009-03-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

My work is currently up for auction at Art for Life Miami Beach, benefitting Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. Founded in 1995 by brothers Russell, Danny and Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons, Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation is dedicated to providing disadvantaged urban youth with significant exposure and access to the arts, as well as providing exhibition opportunities to under-represented artists and artists of color. A 501(C)3 organization, Rush Philanthropic fulfills its mission through three core programs: grants, exhibitions and mentoring.

To all those who missed the live event there is an online auction until March 24, 2009. Click here to nab this print for a fraction of the price and support a great organization!

Spotlight: Las Hermanas Iglesias, Queens International 4

2009-03-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Everyone Likes to Dance, 2009

Hanging under these disco balls is a floor diagram and audio lesson that instructs you on a new dance that marries traditional Merengue and Norwegian polka. Las Hermanas Iglesias is the collaboration of two sisters, Janelle and Lisa Iglesias. Born and raised in Hollis, Queens to a Dominican father and Norwegian mother, their collaborative work explores a range of bi-cultural experiences often bridging dissimilar materials and practices.

See and experience Everyone Likes to Dance until April 26th at the Queens Museum.

CPW Residency Application Deadline: 4/3/09

2009-03-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

The Center for Photography at Woodstock is now accepting applications for its 2009 residency program. I was an artist in residence in September of 2008 and would highly recommend this program. I got an incredible amount of work done in such an amazing environment and got to work with an extremely talented and dedicated staff.
I began working on my still life series there. I shot over 100 sheets of film, including working with the 8x10 camera. CPW's facilities are well maintained and well stocked. They have both a Sinar 4x5 and 8x10, B&W darkroom, as well as a full digital lab and digital cameras at your disposal. In adition CPW provides housing, a food stipend and an honorarium! Wow! This is too good to be true, Apply Now!

Analog Girl in a Digital World

2009-02-28T19:22:00.000-08:00

Untitled, Ruben Nusz

Went to an Aperture lecture at The New School earlier this week. The topic, The Obsolescence of the Photographic Object is one that I am forced to think about all the time. My working process hasn't changed too much since I've stocked up on Polaroids and they haven't discontinued any of my film or paper yet, but I still feel like a dying breed.

I was really shocked that in a room full of photographers and photo enthusiasts that no one stood up for the undeniable beauty of the photographic print. I may truly be an analog girl living in a digital world but its really sad to me that a great art form is being lost. Every time I hear that an art school is shutting down its traditional darkrooms I can't help but feel that it is an injustice and a great disservice to the students and to photography itself. People who can't make or never made a good print in the darkroom are making a mess with their digital output. Don't get me wrong I'm not opposed to new technology and I use it all the time. Digital cameras and output should be just another tool in the toolbox. It shouldn't replace traditional photography just because it seems cheaper and faster.

White Teeth

2009-02-15T18:26:00.000-08:00

Finished reading White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Seems like the first two books i chose where similarly about navigating personal/cultural identity as a foreigner living abroad. White Teeth follows the families of a Pakistani immigrant in London and his friendship with a British born man married to a Jamaican woman. It follows the lives of their children and examines being caught between nations, the idea of home and self, cultural imperialism, science vs religion and East vs West.

Spotlight: Omar Chacon, Queens International 4

2009-02-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

The Queens biennial, QI4 at the Queens Museum of Art will be up until April 26th. I am really proud to be a part of such a well curated show and among such a talented group of artists. If you haven't made it out to the museum yet it is definitely worth the trip. For those of you who are unable to make it, I'll be spotlighting artists throughout the duration of the show.

Fellow SFAI alum and friend, Omar Chacon's "abstract paintings refer to rich colors and patterns of indigenous Latin American textiles. By carefully exploring the limitations and possibilities of the medium, Chacon painstakingly formulates each gesture into building blocks that collectively construct three-dimensional surfaces with a wide spectrum of optical vibrancy." He is currently exhibiting new work at Greene Contemporary. Join me at the opening reception on Wednesday, February 11 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Americans for the Arts

2009-02-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

Please note this important message from Americans for the Arts, Arts Action Fund.

The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 is being considered by Congress right now, and a growing number of media reports have portrayed the arts funding included in the House version of the bill negatively. Americans for the Arts is calling on all of our members to provide a coordinated public relations response to educate the public and put pressure on Congress. We ask that you take two minutes to send a short letter to the editor of your local media outlet.

As Americans for the Arts has previously reported, the House bill includes a $50 milllion provision for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). As the legislation states, the NEA "is positioned to use existing mechanisms to allocate lifeline funding quickly to these nonprofit organizations to retain jobs" and there is solid research to demonstrate the stimulus gains that can be provided by this funding. However, there has been some opposition and negative press received from news media across the country.

As Congress spends the next few days completing their work on this legislation, it is the exact time for arts advocates to write to their local media outlets today and fight back against threats to the funding and anti-art amendments. Visit our new Action Alert which will provide you with helpful information to send a Letter to the Editor to your local media outlets.

If you take action today, we expect that this pro-arts message will show up in news reports by early next week, just when Congress is expected to be making final decisions on the legislation.

Ask your Member of Congress and Senators to support the arts in this legislation.

A Frame Apart, Queens International 4

2009-02-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

Join me this Saturday February 7th at the Queens Museum of Art 3:00-6:00pm for: A Frame Apart: Short Films on Queens followed by Q&A with directors & light refreshments.

There are over 118 nationalities and cultural groups living in Queens. Many are recent immigrants while others have been here for several generations. There are stories from around the world on its streets -- some are visible to the casual visitor, while others unfold more discreetly. Queens is the both a muse and a battleground, simultaneously a node connecting world cities and a patchwork of insular neighborhoods. The advent of digital video technologies, has given rise to numerous documentaries on the complex and fast-evolving cultural phenomena of this borough, as well as playful experimentations with forms and genres that come with the meeting of disparate cultures. With A Frame Apart the Queens Museum of Art showcases these singular visions, which are at once intimately local and inexorably intertwined with the tumultuous forces of global capital.

Tata Jesus is Bangala!

2009-02-01T08:21:00.000-08:00

My first book of 2009 was Barbara Kingsolver's, The Poisonwood Bible. The story is about a missionary family that moves to the Congo in the late 1950's. Told from the perspectives of the Preacher's wife and four daughters. A surprisingly, insightful story that describes a country in transition from colonialism to independence and back to neo-colonialism; masked by a puppet dictator after the rise of Patrice Lumumba and his untimely demise orchestrated by Eisenhower and the CIA. This book weaves religion with racial, gender and socio-economic inequity into a beautifully told story that begs the reader to question the repercussions and morality of cultural imperialism.

Resolutions

2009-01-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

As January comes to a close I am thinking about the goals I've set for this year. I don't do resolutions anymore since the one I set for 2008 didn't pan out (flossing). Still haven't mastered that one yet and my dentist keeps sending me cheery reminders to make an appointment. So I'll stick to goal setting and to-do lists and leave the resolutions out of it.

One of the things I want to do in 2009 is to make a list of all of the books I read and each year challenge myself to Read More Books.

Read any good books lately? I'm up for suggestions.

Queens International 4

2009-01-21T17:01:00.000-08:00

The Queens Museum of Art is proud to open 2009 with Queens International 4, the fourth installment of its biennial, on view January 24- April 26, 2009. The exhibition "aims to present the neo-culturation of Queens as a growing model for society at large. The artist's non-conventional collaborative, interactive and public art practices are an example of this cultural theory at work within the realms of culture, identity politics, geo-political spaces, aesthetics and environmental issues."

I will be showing new work from my Guayabera series. Join me at the opening this Saturday January 24th 6pm- 12am!

Cash Rules Everything Around Me- C.R.E.A.M.

2009-01-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

Don't worry C.R.E.A.M. is not my anthem for 2009. I just couldn't help it cause I went to a financial planning workshop today at the Jersey City Museum and then watched a marathon of Entourage at my friend's house in JC, but I am serious about getting my finances in order this year! Susan Lee was the guest speaker and specializes in tax and financial planning for artists/freelancers. She spoke about cash flow, budgeting, tax preparation and goal setting. It was very informative and her personality and anecdotes kept it interesting. The Jersey City Museum is hosting a series of Professional Development Workshops for artists in 2009 so get on their mailing list and get informed.

(Year in) Review

2008-12-31T14:28:00.000-08:00

Took Uncle Al to see Australia today. He really wanted to see it since they premiered it across the street from our hotel in Sydney. I wanted to see it too until I kept reading all the bad reviews it was getting. I went hesitatingly but since Uncle Al bought me the Canon g10 for Christmas I figured it was the least I could do and I'm so glad that I did. I can't think of a better way to spend my last afternoon of 2008. I expected a corny love story; all pink-orange sunsets, dramatic music and the big kiss, and there was some of that, but what I didn't expect was a truly political movie. Good on ya' Baz for tackling Australia's history of racism, colonialism, and oppression. Also for giving us strong female representation, not just Nicole, but many of the supporting characters both Black and white.

This was indeed an epic story about love. Romantic love for sure but more importantly love of family, love of country and love of self. So I'm very happy that me and Uncle Al finally made it to Australia this year both to the country and the movie. Happy New Year!

Espada de Dos Filos, Latina Voices: California – New York

2008-12-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

The Usual Suspects is currently on view at the Ruiz gallery at Arte Americas in Fresno, CA.

This exhibition will feature contemporary Latina artists from California and New York. Approximately 20 artists, 10 from each state, have been selected to participate in this unique show that culminates our 2008 exhibition schedule. Espada de Dos Filos will examine, reveal and highlight the voices of contemporary Latina artists.

Arte Americas, 1630 Van Ness, Fresno, CA

Exhibition runs December 16, 2008 – February 14, 2009

Wish List

2008-12-12T16:15:00.001-08:00

So its that time of year again, to make a list and check it twice. Here are some of my favorite things for the photographer or photo enthusiast in your life.

I love this Lomo Fisheye camera. Lomo has a range of fun toy cameras out like this one and even remakes of old classics like the Diana.

Also for all you young collectors out there Juliana Beasley has a holiday print sale going on. This is a great opportunity to snag one of her photographs for an affordable price. Rona Chang is also offering prints for sale. Get'em while the getting's good!

I've already got my signed copy of Amy Stein's new book Domesticated because i predict they will sell out soon. Aperture is also offering 50% off gift subscriptions so get one for a friend, I've got mine already, thanks Mike :)

Happy Holidays!

Home Sweet...

2008-11-27T17:24:00.000-08:00

Back from Aussieland! The long flight back has got me all discombobulated. Really didn't want to come back. Shot heaps of pictures for my Away from Home series. Think uncle Al needs a break from being photographed for a week or so. Here's a shot from a hotel in Sydney.

Away From Home

2008-11-10T15:12:00.000-08:00

Heading off to Australia tomorrow to shoot some more images for my Away From Home series. This trip is just me and my Uncle Al since my mom is sitting this one out. Haven't booked any hotels yet so i'm gonna have to wing it and hope for some photogenic rooms. I am really excited for the weather, shrimp on the barbie, koala bears and Bondi beach!

Arts For Art, Inc. Photography Exhibit/ Charity Auction

2008-11-03T22:51:00.000-08:00

Exhibition at The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design

2008-10-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

Heading off to Milwaukee tomorrow to install my show at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design's Perspectives Photography Gallery.

I'll be showing new work from Guayabera Series. Looking forward to giving an artist talk and studio visits with the students there and of course spending time with my good friend Sonja Thomsen.

Still Thinking About Still Life

2008-10-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

"It is an art that points to the human by leaving the human out; nowhere visible, we're everywhere. it is an art that points to meaning through wordlessness, that points to timelessness through things permanently caught in time. That points to immensity through intimacy. An art of modest claims that seems perennial, inexhaustible. " - Mark Doty

Thank You CPW!

2008-10-05T12:30:00.001-07:00

Its so weird adjusting back to my normal life after spending such an amazing month away from home. Wow, i can't believe its over. This month long residency at the Center for Photography at Woodstock has been jam packed with making work, being surrounded by great people and thinking about photography 24/7. It's been heaven! I shot a lot of film, used the 8x10 camera, had 24hr access to digital equipment/darkroom, went to lectures by Larry Fink, Angelika Rinnhofer, Keith Johnson, and David Hilliard but the best part was the technical and emotional support of everyone at CPW! I needed a lot of both :) and they were always there for me.

So Ariel, Larry, Liz, Meghan, and Phil-THANK YOU for everything! Also a special thanks to all the interns: Sarah, Emily, Bree, Amanda, Josephine and Kendra for their camaraderie, silliness, and their willingness to be photographed.

Thank You CPW!