12.10.09
Posted in NW Arts, Photography at 2:04 pm by Michelle
I’ve known Marita Holdaway since I moved to Seattle in the early 1990′s. It’s almost impossible to be in the Seattle photography community and not cross paths; with her seemingly limitless energy and passion for photography, she’s been making things happen for over 20 years here. Needing a change of scenery, she’s decided to close Benham Gallery, and keep working in the field through Benham Fine Art – stay tuned!
I’m honored to be part of the last set of exhibitions at Benham, with my new series, Exquisite Decay. This series was taken in Israel in summer of 2008, in a field of decaying parade floats. To me, they’re a fascinating combination of my years of parade imagery and the series After the Fire, which I took at a friend’s house to capture the transformation caused by fire.
The show is up through December 12th (possibly a few days after – call to find out).
The reception was on December 3rd, and lots of fun!
A clump of friends at the reception
Me and Marita Holdaway
Friends and visitors checking out the show and the Moisture Festival book (which includes my photos)
Come by Benham on December 20th for the farewell party!
Thank you Marita!!
~Michelle
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11.24.09
Posted in NW Arts, Photography at 11:44 pm by Michelle
Its first year, 2004, the Moisture Festival was in a circus tent in a parking lot in the middle of Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. I went to one show, and mostly remember dancing to the band afterward, the cold air blowing in under the tent flaps. What a long way the festival has come since then, and I’m so happy that I’ve gotten to be a part of it! Since 2005, Moisture Fest’s home has been Hale’s Palladium, a warehouse that’s part of Hale’s Brewery on the west edge of Fremont. It’s grown to 40 shows over 4 weeks, at several venues, including ACT Theatre, with partners such as SIFF Cinema (with more venues and partners coming up for 2010).
I’ve been there with my camera since 2005, as have John Cornicello & Mark Gardiner, as the official festival photographers. It takes over our lives during the weeks of the festival, getting to as many shows as we can, hanging out with all the performers, and reveling in the fun atmosphere it creates, and for weeks and months afterward, editing the photos. After all these years, but the time has come for the Moisture Festival Book!!
Working in fits and starts throughout this year, we’ve had a fun and crazy process of collecting the best images from all three of us; for the last few weeks we’ve spent days at a time camped out in front of several computers and screens laying out the photos, making sure we have everyone included, doing the layout, captions, and editing.
Ron W Bailey has been our inspiration, cheerleader, visionary and sponsorship genius, and his infectious laugh has kept us going even after our eyes started to cross from looking at way too many images. Since the idea first came up, we all have had good intentions toward this project, but it probably never would have actually happened if Corey Scheerer hadn’t stepped up to the plate to do the real work of putting it together. It’s been a fun (and OK, sometimes frustrating) collaborative process, and I am profoundly grateful to Corey for making it real! The book is in its last editing phases, and ready to be born next week, November 25th, with a celebratory exhibition and reception at Hale’s, from 7-9pm (the night before Thanksgiving). Please join us! The show will be up for a while afterwards too, so stop in to Hale’s and check it out.
The first printing of the book (100 copies) is $30, and will be available at the reception, the Moisture Festival New Year’s Eve party at Hale’s, at Fremont Place Books, and at the festival in 2010!
Here is the cover and a sneak preview sample spread from my section.
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10.08.09
Posted in NW Arts, Photography at 3:10 pm by Michelle
The last weekend of September, I once again drove down to Portland, Oregon, this time with a van full of photographs, hanging tools, and other show paraphernalia.
I went early, to check out Alberta Last Thursday, which is an art walk crossed with a street fair, in Portland style. They close down the whole street from 7 til 10 or 11, and it’s full of booths, performers, people hanging out, the whole scene. And it was one of the last beautiful warm nights of summer.
On Saturday, with the help of one of my Penland students, who recently moved to Portland, I hung my new exhibition at Camerawork Gallery. And later that afternoon, we had the opening. Camerawork is a fascinating little gallery. It’s the oldest photo gallery in the country, started around 1970 by Minor White, to show work by the students he was teaching in Portland. Part of this is on the gallery website, but also, a man named Eugene Lee stopped by while we were hanging the show, and then came back during the opening, and he was one of those students. Fascinating to hear his stories of those days, and of studying with a master.
Eugene Lee, who showed at Camerawork Gallery over 30 years ago. Ian Dobson & Julia
The show is a combination of old and new for me. A black and white series of classic images, near and dear to me, and new to most of the people who’ve been coming in. On the other wall is a brand new series, taken last summer, of a bizarre spot I was directed to in Israel last summer. In this otherwise barren field, the remains of a collection of parade floats slowly decay. Colorful, full of artist beauty, yet crumbling and sad… It’s a strange place, but I’m in love with the photos, and can’t wait to go back another time.
The opening was very fun, with friends, photography folks, and Camerawork regulars coming in. I wish I could spend more time hanging out in the gallery while the show is up!
Hurray for Portland!
~Michelle
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09.14.09
Posted in NW Arts at 9:37 pm by Michelle
This past weekend I had a full complement of circusy fun on the road in Oregon. Two days included a New Old Time Chautauqua performance, a killer benefit for Portland’s Circus Project and the classy Cirque de la Symphonie. Awesome!
NEW OLD TIME CHAUTAUQUA in McMINNVILLE
Starting off, I trekked down to McMinnville, Oregon to meet up with the New Old time Chautauqua. It was a lovely little reunion of some of the tour folks from this summer with other old-time Chautauquans. We roved through a little town park, did our parade (yes, I played my clarinet) and two half-hour shows in the September heat.
CIRCUS PROJECT *ANIMARE*
The Circus Project, started by my dear friend Jenn Cohen, wowed everybody who was lucky enough to attend the Animare benefit night on Saturday at Disjecta in Portland. The night was long and the weather hot, but I’ve never been to an event so well designed, that kept everyone happy, entertained, engaged, and reached their fundraising goals.
We started off outside with a performance by the Sprockettes, the audience happily lounging on comfy couches.
Inside was a silent auction as well as gallery shows, one up in Disjecta’s gallery, and my showing of photographs of aerial performers from the Moisture Festival, as well as Solstice Parade photos made with my Holga camera.
The night of performances featured several sections, each with one of Portland’s best circus acts (Kazum, Bellini Twins, Nanda & March Forth Marching Band), and one of the Circus Project’s graduates premiering their pieces. Each of the Circus Project acts blew the audience away, not just because we knew they’ve only been working on these acts for 8 months (or, in one case, two), but because all three acts were superb and the performers confident and beautiful. Jenn was the proud leader of the group, but the magic was in seeing the students shine, and hearing their stories in the video (produced by one of them) that left not a dry eye in the house.
Nicolette Render, Jessica Dennis
Jessica Dennis
This project, which teaches circus arts to homeless and at-risk youth, brings together several elements that create magic: use of the arts to give people focus for their energies, the caring of a dedicated mentor, the opportunity to perform for their communities (and eventually, for money), and accountability to earn their place in the group. Circus Project is a non-profit organization which is looking for a new home to host aerial and circus arts classes in Portland, and can always use financial and other assistance. See www.circusproject.org for more information.
Petra de la Rocha
Aaron Guerrero & Nicolette Render
Jenn Cohen & the Circus Project graduates
As the crowning glory of the weekend, the Circus Project and a few of us who volunteered were treated to free tickets to Cirque de la Symphonie. I love the melding of worlds, and seeing the aerialists twirling away high over the symphony orchestra and the clown messing with the conductor just made me smile.
Another fabulous Portland weekend down.
~Michelle
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08.06.09
Posted in NW Arts, Photography at 6:11 pm by Michelle
Outside of my life with toy cameras, I spend lots of time photographing performers (yes, with a digital camera!). Mostly these are folks in the worlds of vaudeville, variete and circus, and you can be sure they are always fun and fascinating to work with! This summer I once again joined up with the New Old Time Chautauqua on their summer tour, this time in the island of Washington and British Columbia.
The tour, dubbed Aqua Chautauqua II (last year being I), and also Eau Canada, involved 4 islands and traveling by a combination of boat and land. A logistical challenge, to be sure, but we got to experience Lasqueti Island, which is totally off the grid, in addition to Gabriola, Salt Spring and Orcas Islands, and finished up at the Future Festival in Port Gamble, WA.
In the past, I’ve been exclusively the tour photographer. This year I also added a new role as clarinetista in the band – The Fighting Instruments of Karma Marching Chamber Band/Orchestra – a longtime dream come true!
The group goes to a variety of communities, usually underserved, and does public parades, free workshops, community shows at senior centers and other places, and finishes off with a full-blown show (often free). We partner with community non-profits, have pot-lucks with the locals, and spend time getting to know each other and playing at our various skills. It’s a fantastic group!
A selection of my photos from the tour are up here: Aqua Chautauqua photos.
Enjoy!
~Michelle
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04.13.09
Posted in NW Arts, Photography at 6:04 pm by Michelle
When I’m not running around in my little white van snapping away with my Holgas, I’m often in the company of delightfully wacky performers in a variety of contexts. I’ve been photographing the Fremont Summer Solstice Parade since 1994, attending the Oregon Country Fair almost as long, and in recent years have become photographer for both the New Old Time Chautauqua and the Moisture Festival. OK, you probably don’t know what these are, or aren’t sure that you want to. But really, this is fun stuff – a resurgence of a type performance that used to be Americans’ main source of entertainment – traveling variety & vaudeville shows.
New Old Time Chautauqua has been around for over 30 years, taking performers on the road around the Northwest (sometimes Alaska, and the Gulf Coast in 2006) doing *free* parades, workshops and shows in little towns that don’t usually get much in the way of arts. It was born out of the community of the Oregon Country Fair, with the Flying Karamazov Brothers leading the way – they still come along on most of the tours. See my photos of the Big Sky Tour and the Gulf Coast Jambalaya Tour.
The Moisture Festival has taken these performers, and now others from all over the world, to become the longest festival in Seattle, and the biggest vaudeville festival in the world. In its 6th year, it has reached the point where all the shows sell out, and performers from everywhere beg to come to be part of the family, to commune with other performers, and perform to loving and enthusiastic audiences. This year there were almost 40 shows, mostly at Hale’s Palladium in Fremont/Ballard, with one weekend, which included burlesque shows, at ACT Theater. For the first time this year, SIFF Cinema hosted a series of related films during the festival, with live performances introducing each film. See some of my photos from 2007 and 2008. My 2009 photos here, and a collection by all three MF photographers here!
I love working with these people, making images that both help the performers further their careers and delight in their own right. I’ll be showing prints of some of these images for the first time this spring and summer in the Northwest – stay tuned! See a selection of photos on my website.
love & art,
Michelle
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12.01.08
Posted in NW Arts, Photography at 11:07 am by Michelle
For a nice change, last week the Holga fun was in downtown Seattle. Rosanna Salonia & Matthew Yates, two fabulous photographers from Tucson, are sharing an exhibition, called “Breaking Tradition”, at Benham Gallery (along with David Amator). Rosanna’s work is all Holga, and her prints are created in a way that they are objects in themselves, not just a vehicle for an image, as most photographs are. They’re all individually messed with, toned, and coated with beeswax; some are mounted on the wall, while others are in funky little wooden boxes. Matt’s photographs are dark and moody, and find homes in unique antique frames. The show is fantastic to explore; the variety of formats and the way it’s hung give it many layers, and it takes a while to explore them all.
The opening party was a blast, with loads of people through and lots of munchies, and even champagne!
Rosanna Salonia & Matthew Yates at the opening.
A visitor looking at Matt’s work.
On Sunday, Nov 23rd, we had a photo afternoon, starting with an artist talk by the 3 photographers leading the crowd around the gallery explaining their processes and inspiration. Afterwords, we had a Holga Meet-up. Holga photographers emailed in images and brought prints along. We projected images, talked about process and image, and generally gabbed about Holgas and how much we love them. The photographers included Ryan Synovec, who shoots stunning infrared landscape images that I hadn’t seen before (wow!), and Shannon Welles, who makes great lith prints of her Holga images.
Matt & Rosanna speaking at the artist talk
Marita Holdaway, owner of Benham Gallery
“Breaking Tradition” is up through Dec 24th; check it out.
~Michelle
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12.06.07
Posted in NW Arts, Photography at 10:38 pm by Michelle
It’s been a fun week here in the Northwest! I just got back from 4 weeks in Nepal and Thailand, found myself in some crazy Northwest weather, and managed to make it north, south and back home to my house on the hill.
First, I made it back in town for the last 2 days of “Cheap Shot: Plastic Cameras – The Low Tech of High Art” at the Photographic Center Northwest. I was delighted to see my images on the front panel, visible from the street (of course, I forgot to photograph it from outside). I’ve been a part of the PCNW community for a long time, and am honored to have been featured so prominently in this exhibition. The show included 6 of us toy-heads: me, Rosanna Salonia, Gordon Stettinius, Susan Burnstine, Jennifer Shaw, Shannon Welles. I’ve met all of them somewhere around the country except Jennifer – it’s a small toy camera world!
Last Friday, I drove down to Portland for a thrilling experience – giving a talk at Powell’s Books! Powell’s is an incredible independent bookstore; there are few like it left anywhere, and it’s a lofty achievement to get into their speaking schedule (I was turned down before the book came out, but once they got to know it, and see how well it sells, I got in!). I had no idea how many people would come, except the friends I was expecting, but, people just kept pouring in, until the crowd topped 40 people (that with two of my friends managing to miss most of it)! Not sure how everyone found out about it (shoulda asked for a show of hands), but the Portland Mercury did a funny little blurb on it that drew a bunch of folks in. Everyone stayed until the end, and they asked lots of questions. I signed books and got to sign their author’s book, in some very good company!
Many thanks to Aubrey Pullman for taking photos!
The following day, I was supposed to drive right through Seattle on up to Bellingham, but, strangely for this part of the world, it was snowing! The opening was canceled, so instead I went up on Sunday to give my talk to the Bellingham folks. This talk was less formal, but still lots of fun, with 15 people braving the weather. Hopefully we can do it again during the show when more people will know about it and can make it.
Afterwards, we trekked over to the Whatcom Museum, where my work is part of the “Photography Biennial: 9 to Watch from the Pacific Northwest.” This museum to be one of the great artsy secrets of the Northwest. It’s in a spectacular building, even stranger for being in such an out-of-the-way place. My show is actually across the street, in a great space that actually managed to present 9 complete exhibitions (mine has 26 photographs) in a space that still feels intimate. And in the main building is a world-class exhibition by Lewis Hine, showing his images of child labor in the early 1900s. It’s an incredible exhibition.
The Photo Biennial is up through April 27, 2008, so plenty of time to check it out. I’ll post if the reception gets rescheduled.
I’m happy to be back in Seattle, and looking forward to all the fun coming up!
Michelle
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09.12.07
Posted in NW Arts, Photography at 12:48 pm by Michelle
I can’t believe how much is going on these days, in both the worlds of fun and play, and how often they are one and the same!
I just got back from teaching at the Julia Dean Workshops in Los Angeles. This was a delightful workshop; the facility is right on Venice Beach, the weather was gorgeous, the staff is great, and the students were enthusiastic and ready to learn and play. The icing on the cake was running into my good friend Mik right there on the beach – she was also visiting from Seattle; what are the chances??? After my workshop, I sat in on Julia Dean herself teaching a class on pinhole photography (using 4×5 Polaroid film), Polaroid transfers and emulsion lifts.
Before that trip, I spent a dust-filled week at Burning Man, which is what I call the World’s Biggest Art Playground. It was a dusty year, and the city was full to the gills, and, as usual, there was tons of great art! Photos coming at some point…
In other news, “Plastic Cameras: Toying with Creativity” is going into a second printing! I just got the word from the publisher, so now the race is on to make corrections and tweaks for them. For those wondering – the first printing was 4000 copies! Imagine that, 4000 copies of the book off in the world in the happy hands of toy camera enthusiasts worldwide. Amazing. No word yet on what the second printing will be.
Coming up this fall are the talk at SF Camerawork on September 27th at 6pm, a talk at Powell’s Books in Portland on November 30th, the ICP workshop in New York, and book signings at Photo Plus. In December, I’ll be opening an exhibition at the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, WA, an hour north of Seattle. This is a biennial photography exhibition featuring 9 photographers from the Northwest. Time to get into the darkroom once again!
Oh, and on September 29th, I’ll be the auction reader and sort-of host for the Photographic Center Northwest‘s Photovision Awards and auction. Fun!
Whew! That’s a lot to keep track of!
Thanks for all the great opportunities and support out there!
Michelle
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08.14.07
Posted in NW Arts at 6:16 pm by Michelle
It’s well into August already, but I spent a good chunk of July running around northwest Montana with the fabulous New Old Time Chautauqua, and wanted to let y’all know about it.
You may remember last year we traveled to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi & New Orleans on the Jambalaya Tour, performing for battered communities and relief workers. That was a powerful experience, unusual for NOTC in leaving the Northwest. This year’s Big Sky Tour was back on more familiar territory for most of the group, but new for me. Instead of being parked at one campsite, this time we spent 2-3 days in each town, did our thing, and then moved on. Now, “our thing” is no small deal. We set ourselves up to camp in a field, or a school, or some other place with room for 50, created a kitchen, group space, and a little community. For the communities we were visiting, we started out with a full spectrum of workshops, including juggling, a song-swap, mask-making, drumming, instrument-making, acrobatics, and quilt-making. At some point in the day, sometimes twice, we paraded through the town (often through the town’s one supermarket), the Fighting Instruments of Karma Marching Chamber Band/Orchestra in full chaotic glory, along with jugglers, stilters and a variety of other colorfully dressed troupe members handing out flyers for the show. In Hot Springs, we shocked the old folks by parading through the halls of the local nursing home. That was loud.
The grand finale in each town was the show. In the smaller towns, the shows were free, while in Spokane and Missoula, the cost of admission was donated to local non-profit organizations that helped bring us to town. The shows were quite an eclectic collection of acts, as usual. This time, they kicked off with a rock band, The Planets, part of the huge under-25 contingent on this tour. For a nice counterpoint, our matriarch, Faith Petric, came next, her voice and guitar playing still lively at 91. Then there were the jugglers, several, with very different styles and acts, acrobatics, aerialists, musicians, magicians, an abbreviated version of The Inconvenient Truth, and usually a local act thrown in (these ranged from a bagpipe band to a one-armed guitar player to a girl who did the darnest manipulation with what looked like a dangerously loose pocketknife). The evenings always capped off with the stunning Nanda, a group of acro-juggly-fighting-fabulousness. They’re kind of hard to describe, but never fail to impress.
Most of the shows were outdoors, in varying degrees of sun and heat. In Spokane, we enjoyed the luxury of a beautiful old theater, The Bing Crosby Theater. In Polson, we were in a high school auditorium, and in Browning, on the Blackfeet Reservation, we were in their high school gym. That show was interrupted by a pulling of the fire alarm, with a brief interlude of music and juggling in front of the school, and ended with a Chautaquans vs Blackfeet basketball challenge. Of course, they won.
Other highlights of the tour for me included a hike in Glacier National Park, swimming in Polson, huckleberry shakes, and getting to know a fantastic group of people!
Of course, I was photographing the whole tour; photos are here. Check back in for a link. And I can’t wait to see what NOTC has up its sleeve for next year!
~Michelle
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