Gallery Girl- Ann Arbor style

Bravo debuted a new show this week, Gallery Girls.  

TEASER: A battle is brewing between Brooklyn and the Upper East Side girls. Oh no! 

"They [Brooklyn girls] always get lipstick on their teeth and I hate that," said one exasperated UES actor. 

Really?  This is what Bravo thinks of women artists and gallery owners? No, you don't have to answer that.

When it comes down to it, women who make their living as visual artists, writers, and gallery directors deserve credit for the risks they take in their work, the networks they create, and the visual landscapes they shape for future generations.

That they can accomplish all of this while sporting a little black dress and red lipstick, or not, should be irrelevant.

But, sigh, this is Bravo. The television network whose concept of American geography is portrayed through the over-the-top characterizations of women living in cities like Atlanta or New York City.

Unlike TV's make-believe gallery world, Ann Arbor's artist community is supportive and growing. Established artists, students, and visiting artists work together to create an inclusive gallery season.

A week or so ago, I worked with Deb Greer, co-owner of the Chelsea River Gallery, to brainstorm for Rackham Graduate School's Centennial Exhibit 2012: Artists Innovators Alums.  

In a gallery overflowing with local artists, we shared our vision for the show. Lots of hushed, excited "Oooh, I just love her work, too!"  could be heard as we poured over portfolios.

I'm still deciding which pieces will make the final cut, but Deb asked me to choose among these images of strong, capable women!

Femmes

Watch for more information about the show, confirmed artists, and other gallery events in the area. Rackham's Centennial Exhibit will be an opportunity to see the work of many talented Ann Arbor artists. 

Suki Mail- photo by Kristin Kurzawa

Super Hero

Super Puppy ©2012 Kurzawa Photography

Everybody Say "Moola!"

 Photography is cool, again. Really, really cool.

So cool, that on April 9, 2012, Facebook purchased Instagram for one billion dollars.

Yep, that’s right; $1,000,000,000 for a two-year old company with just 13 employees.

A week earlier, The Philadelphia Inquirer, which began in 1829, was purchased for only $500 million. The buyers also got The Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com.

Let’s see:

• Two well-established newspapers and a website for $500 million.
• A two-year old mobile application for $1 billion dollars.

Hmmmmmmm…….

What does Instagram’s purchase mean— when it comes down to it?

Visual communications (photography, video, gaming) is being recognized for the highly effective and accessible means of communication. A way to reach across demographics, geographies, and languages in a dynamic way.

The camera phone’s ability to upload photos and videos to websites, like Instagram, without cumbersome steps or expensive gear has democratized the imagemaking process. I’m certainly guilty of using the iPhone record life’s precious moments- along with images of my sleeping cat, my neighbor’s snowman, or the shoes I really want to buy next week. I can, because the camera is in the palm of my hand. And so is Instagram.

Kodak’s Brownie camera also put image-making back into the hands of the people. Rather than wait for the professional photographer to come to town, people could photograph their own families. It revolutionized the way people visually communicated the day-to-day stories of their lives.

Whether you love or hate the images, Instagram- the application- got it right. It’s simple and easy to use. Take any ordinary image; apply a filter or two, and voila, you have a work of “art”.

 

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, or what you kind of camera you carry, Instagram encourages community members to keep taking pictures, to be creative, and to communicate their world through images. A snapshot is a snapshot is a snapshot…

To Facebook, these snapshots are worth a billion dollars. And it’s an acknowledgement that visual communications are, once again, an important marker on our social and cultural landscape.

Dinosaurs and Coffee Shops

When it comes down to it, there are days when all you can do is take out the camera and capture the smallest moments at a coffee shop.