hello art

Last night I had the pleasure of taking a group of "Hello Art" members through my exhibit. They were so attentive and appreciative. They could not have made me feel more comfortable talking about my work - in fact I talked for an hour and a half about it!! They were curious and engaged. They asked great questions. 

One of my favorite questions was this: "So, how would the 2 1/2 year-old photographer Gloria feel about the work the 58 year-old photographer Gloria has made and is making?"

(That was fun to consider.)

Executive Director Kelly Jander sent me the following information about Hello Art, which, by the way, is a very cool organization:

"Hello Art was established to create access and enrichment opportunities for anyone interested in exploring the arts in Kansas City. Over the past decade, Kansas City has become internationally recognized for its thriving arts scene, yet many people locally still aren’t sure how to (or if they’re welcome to) engage in it. It is our goal to help change that.

We believe that everyone - from the curious novice to the established art expert - should have the opportunity to engage in the arts. That's why everyone is invited to participate in the conversation and explore the arts through Hello Art. We understand how challenging it can be to navigate the arts - from exploring/finding galleries to gaining access to artists’ studios -so we create events for the curious to discover the creators.

There is great benefit in bringing audiences and artists together. Establishing a personal and meaningful connection between artists and audiences can significantly enrich an arts experience. For this reason, our events are designed to give audiences the opportunity to meet the artists, directors, curators, etc. - each offering additional insight into the works being viewed. Artists also appreciate these opportunities to connect with and receive feedback from new audiences.

Our fun, enriching events introduce participants to artists, studios, galleries, theaters and a variety of other arts organizations/venues throughout Kansas City. Our activities create an opportunity for participants to engage in dialogue, explore new venues, meet and learn from artists, and learn from one another."

photos by Kelly Jander

on the radio

I'm happy to say I did a fun interview with Sylvia Maria Gross for the local NPR station's show "KC Currents." It's about my Estate Sale photographs.

Here is the link to the KCUR website, which has a link to the show itself.

poland portraits

"Can You See Me Now?" is made up of several different bodies of work, some of which haven't been shown much (if at all) before. Three pictures from my Poland Portrait series have been getting some attention, so I thought I'd feature them here. I've added two others to the mix.

These are 16" x 16" prints. I shot them with a close-up lens, but even then, I had to get right in the face of these subjects. They are from 2001 when I was when Krakow and Warsaw on one of two trips I made while working on my "Among the Ashes" project (photographs made at the sites of former Nazi death and concentration camps).

I love the paper thin depth of field of the close-up lens afforded me here. I love that these complete strangers were willing to let me invade their space and get so close. I love that sometimes photography lets me dance with people - even if only for a few moments - I do not know and won't ever see again.

review of my show

Today the KC Star published this review of my show "Can You See Me Now?" which is on view at the Bohemian Gallery through June 15th. Hope you'll have a chance to see the exhibit, if you haven't already. Catalogues are still available for a suggested donation of $10.

installation shots

more pics from opening

opening reception

Here are more of Steve Wilson's fabulous shots from the opening at the Bohemian Gallery this past Friday night. Tomorrow I'll post his installation shots.