What does Portland, Oregon and Ft. Collins, Colorado have in common?

 

Both geographic places are home to important contemporary photography centers:  Blue Sky Gallery and Center for Fine Art Photography will each host a different solo show award exhibition in conjunction with Critical Mass 2012.

Photolucida's collaboration with Blue Sky yields another solo show award, third year running. Previously, Mitch Dobrowner (2010) and Nigel Dickinson  (2011) were recipients of the Critical Mass solo show award, each photographer exhibiting during the month of April during Portland Photo Month. This year's recipient will have their solo show in April 2013, during Photolucida's Reviews, our biannual event that brings 60 curators, publishers, gallerists, and collectors to Portland, along with 160 mostly out-of-town participating photographers. Plus, the attention of the river of public passing through during Portland Photo Month. So - many curious and important eyes will see the exhibit!

Image by Ferit Kuyas

A gorgeous, gracious, space, Blue Sky (founded as Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts in 1975) has exhibited a long history of important and socially relevant work.

The Center for Fine Art Photography is also extending a solo show award to a finalist in this year's Critical Mass. Founded in 2004, the Center for Fine Art Photography houses two galleries, educational facilities, and a membership base of 1,300 representing 33 countries worldwide. It has quickly become and important visual and educational reference in the fine art photography world. Past exhibitions have been juried by Susan Spiritus, Catherine Edelman, Mary Ellen Mark, Nick Brandt, Michael Itkoff, Chris Jordon, and Darren Ching & Debra Klomp Ching.

Image by Skott Chandler

We extend our thanks to these two prestigious institutions in working with us to provide exhibition opportunities to two finalists from this year's Critical Mass!

 .

Speaking of going to China...do you want to?

 

Wanted: Quickly! Landscape photographer willing to travel to China mid-July. Must submit work and information below by June 25!

 

Theme:       Landscape

Location:   Panjin, Liaoning (Northern China)

Date:          Mid July, 3-5 days

Expenses: All expenses covered, including international travel, local transportation, hotel and food

Travel:      Round trip to Beijing, and then take express train (airport pickup and drop off in Beijing)

Delivery:   Each photographer will need to deliver 10 landscape images and statement within 7 days  after the trip. the images will be used for possible exhibition and local tourism promotion. Photographers retain copyright.

Contact:    If you are interested in the project and can go, kindly contact Yan Li (yanli88@yahoo.com) with the following information:

               100 words of bio
               Artist statement (100 words)
               15 landscape images (300k)
               Portrait
               Nationality

Please contact Yan Li directly at e-mail address above with any questions!

.

Juror Profile: Yan Li of High Noon Culture

Part of our goal here at Photolucida is to develop relationships with jurors/reviewers who are able to provide opportunities for participants in our programming. Here is a profile of a great opportunity-giver that we have worked with over the past few years, Yan Li of High Noon Culture, who is based in Beijing, China. 

Yan Li © Noelle Swan Gilbert, 2012 

Yan Li has tirelessly funneled both photographers and curators into many exhibition opportunities in various photography festivals in China, resulting in a multitude of group field trips that were over-the-top educational on many levels: photographically, culturally, socially. To be able to travel to China with one's work and with a community of one's photographic peers has been a valuable artistic and life experience for many Photolucida/Critical Mass participants. Certainly the long bus rides, Walmart excursions, and 'guess-what-is-for-dinner' jokes have helped build community as much as hanging an exhibition together in a culture with a different but ever-curious photographic sensibility.

Yan Li has worked with several Chinese photography publications including 'China Photographers' and 'China Popular Photography' in publishing the portfolios of many American photographers listed below, furthering the exposure quotient of the work.

I will attempt a rough summary of all the cultural opportunities that Yan Li has brought to both photographers and curators (most people listed below have been part of Photolucida's programming, apologies if I have left anyone out). Please click on linked names to read about personal experiences/imagery connected to trips to China:

2009 - Dali Photo Festival (Brad Tempkin)

2009 - Lishui Photo Festival -  (photographers: Ernie Button, Cat Gwynn, Joni Sternbach, Mitch Dobrowner, David Ellingsen, Douglas Ethridge, Catharine Stebbins, Rich Scott, Rita Maas, Betsy Schneider, Susan Lakin, Mark Tomkins, Cyrus Karimipour, David Wolf, Stan Raucher, Karen & Stephen Strom, Loli Kantor, Rick Scott, Mark Tomkins, Mark Jaremko, Sarah Hadley, Jonathan Lipkin, Philipp Scholz Ritterman, Charles Rozier, Mary Parisi, Mariette Pathy Allen, Carol Isaak. Curators: Laura Moya, Paula Tognarelli, Carol McCusker, Crista Dix, Eric J. Keller, Evan Mirapaul, Ellen Boughn, Jason Houston, Brooks Jensen, and Taj Forer)

2010 - Tangshan/Daquing Photo Trip (Brad Temkin, Shawn Records, Victoria Sorochinski, Michael Itkoff)

2011 - Xiang Sha Wan Photo Week Exhibition - Inner Mongolia  - (Brooks Jensen, Brendan R. Kingsley, Chris Rauschenberg, Harold Ross, Justine Reyes, Lauren Semivan, Mo Ruddy Burkhart, Tom Alleman, Walt Strickland)

2011 Yu Tai Shan Exhibition - curated by CM juror Kirsten Rian - (10 photographers)

2011 Lishui Photo Festival - (photographers: Rachel Barrett, Jesse Burke, Susan Worsham, Jamie Gordon, Fran Forman, Noelle Swan Gilbert, Chris Churchill, Michael Kirchoff, Kirk Crippens, Lori Hepner, Ken Sklute, Andy Freeberg, E. Brady Robinson, Wendy Sacks, Amy Stevens, Aline Smithson, Susan Worsham, curators: Ellen Fleurov, Bob Morton, Ann Jastrab, Jennifer Schwartz, Crista Dix, Karen Irvine, Larissa Leclaire, Melanie McWhorter, David Bram)

2011 Xiang Sha Wan Photo Week Exhibition - Inner Mongolia - curator: Laura Moya (Kathleen Laraia McLaughlin, Nancy Newberry, Jane Alden Stevens)

2012 - Wudong Mountain Photo Festival - (Josef Hofleher, Lauren Semivan)

And this from Yan Li last week:

I want to let you know that I am planning to submit the work of 12 photographers' portfolios as candidates for Shanghai International Art Show in October, 2012. The theme of the show is "CITY", and I chose the work from Critical Mass photographers. At this point, these are the photographers I have included in group of candidates: Susan A. Barnett, Victoria Bjorklund, Tami Bone, Andrew Burman, Bryan David Griffith, Gabriaela Herman, Liz Hickok, Joseph Holmes, Borhisa Hosaka, Chris Rauschenberg, Traer Scott, and Jacqueline Walters.

Thank you Yan Li, for bringing so many adventurous opportunities to our photographers! And, in a larger sense, helping to further the ongoing dialogue about cultural perspective, personal motivation, and the genre definitions of photography.

Crista Dix © Ann Jastrab

Desiree Edkins, her exhibit 'Borderline', Lishui Photo Festival

Nancy Newberry, Magnum photographer Eli Reed & friends

Kathleen Laraia McLaughlin, Laura Moya, Nancy Newberry

Focus on CM2012 Travelling Exhibition - W.M. Hunt curates and show tours SE

One of the programming perks of those who make the Critical Mass Top 50 is the inclusion in the traveling exhibition. For the past three years, we have worked with PCNW in Seattle, Newspace Center for Photography in Portland, and Rayko Photo Center in San Francisco, bringing great emerging photography to the people of these great cites. A successful run by all means (education of the public as to what strong emerging photography looks like, and yes, sales happen!), we decided this year we would change direction geographically, and bring the tour to the southeast region of the United States.

Darius Himes & Ann Jastrab © David Lees 

Contents: Love, Anxiety, Happiness and Everything Else Critical Mass 2011

This year, the tour will start at the Jennifer Schwartz Gallery in Atlanta in June, and then travel down to the Southeast Museum of Photography in Daytona Beach and be on exhibit there July through September, 2013.

Photograph of W.M. Hunt © Elizabeth Paul Avedon

Historically, we can brag that we have had some pretty awesome curators for the TOP 50 shows - Andy Adams, Todd Hido, and Darius Himes. We are honored that W.M. Hunt will lend his great, talented eye to giving order to this year's edition of the traveling exhibition. Who is W.M. Hunt? Hello! Where do we even start? He is one of the foremost champions of photography, including emerging work - he collects, curates, writes, lectures, teaches, has co-founded a gallery (Hasted Hunt, now Hasted Kraeutler), and if you meet him in person, he has you laughing in 3.5 seconds. His recently published book 'The Unseen Eye: Photographs from the Unconscious' (Aperture) focuses on Collection Dancing Bear, his largest collection of photographs, is currently on exhibit at the Eastman House.

We look forward to working with W.M. Hunt, Jennifer Schwartz, and Kevin Miller on the southeast-bound show this spring!

*

The Johnny Appleseed Theory, Lucas Foglia and Deborah Hamon

 

What is the 'Johnny Appleseed Theory'?  It is the idea that one can plant numerous seeds out in the world, and hopefully, over time, some seeds will grow into trees. 

What does this have to do with Critical Mass?

If you are a finalist, Critical Mass puts your work in front of 200 people, and the idea is that people will remember your work, will hopefully connect with it immediately, or pass it onto someone who might use it, or perhaps come back to it over time. The seed of seeing your work has been planted in people's 'eye-memory', and sometimes that leads to bigger things down the road.

Andrew and Taurin Drinking Raw Goat's Milk, Tennessee,  ©Lucas Foglia

An example: Lucas Folgia submitted his work to Critical Mass in 2008. Photolucida did an interview with him on our blog the following November. We watched his great series filter out into the world over time and were happy to see that Nazraeli Press just published his monograph titled "A Natural World".  I was happy to do an interview/book review for the book, which is currently on photo-eye's blog. Long story short, the work has sprouted and grown, and hey, if you are in New York City, tonight is Lucas' book signing at International Center for Photography.  Go!

Photographer Deborah Hamon's note to us illustrates the 'Johnny Appleseed Theory' as well, remarking on juror connections sometimes being immediate, and sometimes taking time:

Manicured, ©Deborah Hamon

"Critical Mass is a great marketing tool for giving ongoing exposure to photographers. Sometimes there may be a fast “success story” that is a direct result of CM, as when Dana Salvo of Clark Gallery invited me to be in a group show after seeing my work in CM 2009. Or, when the editor of ‘Picnic Magazine’ out of Mexico City was introduced to my work through a CM juror, and they published a 5-page spread of my work.

Sometimes it may take more time: the editor of ‘The Picture Professional’ Magazine contacted me about featuring my work in their summer 2012 issue. The publisher, Jain Lemos, had seen my work in CM 2009 and had commented positively so I had kept in touch. Additionally, I have been juried into exhibitions where the juror was a CM juror, so perhaps this was an indirect result from participating in Critical Mass. And finally, there are a number of contacts that I have made over the years, and Critical Mass is a nice way for them to see my new work and keep my work in the forefront of their minds for possible new opportunities."

*