mayson gallery: may 8th 2012

My good friend and fellow CTT board member Carol, who has traveled to Uganda several times now, was the person responsible for getting me the exhibition/fundraiser in New York. I owe her a huge debt of gratitude. It was an amazing opportunity for this Kentucky/Kansas City girl.

The Mayson Gallery is on the lower east side in an area where galleries are starting to pop up all over the place. The space is small, but they managed to install over thirty-four photographs on the top floor. 

On the basement level, there were several paintings by the kids from the orphanage, as well as two large prints of mine. The kids’ pieces were sold in a small, but fiercely competitive silent auction. There was also a small version of the Kajjansi Marketplace, where Ugandan crafts and my books were sold.

The opening was from 6 – 8 PM. Over the course of the evening, there was a steady stream of people coming to see the show. Most of these folks I did not know, but a highlight of my evening was seeing some of my photo pals (some of whom I had not seen in years) and meeting someone with whom I’ve corresponded but never laid eyes on before!

Monika Merva (who I first met at an Andrea Modica workshop in Santa Fe) was there. So was Brian Riesinger (we met at Thatcher Cook’s workshop in Uganda) and Susan Tannenbaum (Mary Ellen Mark’s workshop in Oaxaca was where we first met). Fellow University of Wisconsin photo student Cynthia Bittenfield came by, as well. Then there was Kate Fridkis, the wonderful young blogger for whom I did the “women eating cake” photos. (She writes two blogs, one of which explores womens’ body image issues and is called “Eat the Damn Cake.” She and I are now plotting another collaboration!)

Some awesome cousins, some non-photo (but very dear) pals, some friends of friends, a couple of past CTT team members and lots of new acquaintances helped round out what was a spectacular night for me in my journey as a photographer/non-profit director.

Thanks to all of you who stopped by to see the exhibit. Your friendship and support of my work mean the world to me. Thanks to gallery owner and director Susan and Ronni. And most especially, thank you to Carol Joseph, someone who has believed in me as a photographer and humanitarian from the very beginning.

The exhibit will remain at the Mayson Gallery, 254 Broome Street, for approximately two more weeks. Hopefully there will be lots of sales, because this is a fundraiser for Change the Truth.

I took the installation shots. The photos from the opening were taken by Susan Rae Tannenbaum. Enjoy!