Camera Craft: Clubs, Salons, and Exhibitions in the photographic community -- a panel dIscussion before the ImageMakers opening

Location: CPA Gallery
Date: December 12, 2009
Time: 2PM – 3:30PM

Moderated by Richard Gadd, Executive Director of the Weston Gallery in Carmel.

Throughout photography in the 20th century photographic clubs, salons and magazines
have existed as a means to exhibit photographic work, critique works in progress, discuss technical issues, and inspire further exploration into the photographic craft. Magazines such as Camera Craft, founded in 1900, connected photographers by not only the exhibition of photographs but through articles written by dedicated craftsmen such as Edward Weston and Ansel Adams. Often clubs or salons would hold annual invitational exhibits such as the Camera Club of New York City, organized by Alfred Stieglitz, in the late 1890s or the Camera Enthusiasts of San Diego, California in the 1930s.

Fast-forward to the 21st century.

How have these organizations evolved over this past century? Do they continue to serve
the same purpose? How has the process of exhibiting evolved? How do these
organizations affect their communities? Do these types of organizations and exhibitions
continue to play vital role in the photographic communities? How has the digital
revolution altered these dynamics?

Join the ImageMakers of Monterey and the Center for Photographic Art as they present a
discussion on the role of photographic clubs, salons, and exhibitions (past, present, and future) on the communities they serve and their membership. Moderated by Richard
Gadd, Executive Director of the Weston Gallery, and featuring members of the
ImageMakers of Monterey including Richard Garrod, Nancy Raven, Jack Wasserbach,
Shirley West, and Ken Parker, this panel discussion will continue the conversation about the role of organizations such as the Center for Photographic Art and the ImageMakers of Monterey in our community.

Richard Gadd is a fine art photography expert with over 25 years of museum & fine art gallery experience, and is the director of the Weston Photography Gallery in Carmel.
 
Richard is an authority on 19th, 20th, 21st century fine art photography. His expertise includes extensive knowledge of archival conservation and preservation methods, care and handling of rare prints, and collection management.
 
Richard enjoys building relationships with collectors, connoisseurs, artists and other professionals in museums and educational institutions.

He is experienced in exhibition design and gallery management. His education includes the Getty Museum Institute, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and the Museum of American Art, Reynolda House.

Richard worked as the Curator of Photography at the Monterey Museum of Art for 9 years, following which he became the Executive Director of the museum until 2004, a total of 18 years with MMA.
 
The Weston Gallery is the oldest and most respected gallery of its kind, a world leader in the field of fine vintage and contemporary photography.
 
Richard's specialties are the buying, selling, and displaying fine art photography.

Panel Members:

Richard Garrod

Richard Garrod has been involved in fine art photography and teaching workshops for over 30 years.  He was both a student as well as a teacher for six years with the Ansel Adams Yosemite Workshops.  He also studied with Minor White, Brett Weston, and Wynn Bullock and taught workshops for the University of California Santa Cruz, Friends of Photography, the Center for Photographic Art, and other private workshops.  Art in America magazine selected Garrod as one of seven featured photographers in a "new talent USA" issue.

Kenneth Parker

Kenneth Parker is a large format landscape colorist working principally in remote pristine wilderness areas and ancient Asian sacred sites throughout the world where he has trekked extensively. His early experience as fine art color pioneer Eliot Porter’s field assistant helped to nurture a loving eye devoted to isolating and capturing the mysteries in nature that he struggled for decades to unravel as a research scientist in oceanography and global climate change. Parker is represented by leading galleries and museums nationwide including the prestigious Weston Gallery in Carmel. From the lips of the late great Ruth Bernhard: The way in which Ken works with the light is simply inspiring. It feels as if he has an arrangement with God.

Nancy Raven

I've been taking photographs for years of my kids, my garden, my trips, but never with any formal education.  Moving to Monterey in 1991 I realized that I was really interested in photography, and 
signed up for a class with Henry Gilpin, who whetted my appetite with  his wonderful knowledge.  After that, I went on to Martha Casanave's classes, and the one on lenseless photography really grabbed me.  Although I still like to use film, and an old trusty Minolta 35mm.,my tin can pinhole cameras have become a passion.

Jack Wasserbach

I am currently the Director of the ImageMakers and have been involved with the group since 1996.  I hold an Associates Degree in photography from the Art Institute of Boston and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the California College of Art, where I majored in photography and my minor was art history.  My work is in various collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Center for Creative Photography in Arizona.

Shirley West

Shirley started photographing with a Brownie camera in Wales at the age of twelve.  Then it was black and white.  Her cameras and styles have changed over the years.  Shirley travels all over the world chasing storms, deserts, oceans and sunsets. Wishing to have complete control of the finished product she scans, prints and frames her own work to be sure it is the highest quality.