Friday, December 28, 2012

PGH Photo Fair Speaker Series #2: Deb Bell at Mattress Factory January 9th

In 2011, after 23 years in art sales, Deborah Bell became Vice President Specialist of the Photographs Department at Christie's auction house. Today, she admits, she is “still new to the business.” In the strictest sense, this may be true, but her long engagement with photography is as multifaceted as the medium itself. As a volunteer tour guide at the Walker Art Center during her teens, then as a BFA student, later as a freelance photographer, a printer, a professor, and, finally, as a professional dealer with her own gallery, Bell's scholarship and experience set a high standard.

Deborah Bell will share her insights and expertise as a part of the impressive lineup at the PGH Photo Fair Speaker’s Series. The evening will discuss market trends, the differences between running her own gallery and managing a full department at a major auction house, and the work she’s been doing to consolidate Christie’s tremendous reputation for “single-owner sales.” These sales consist of works drawn exclusively from a single collection. As more important early collections from the 1970s and 80s appear on the market, Bell explains, her department becomes more sensitive to their peculiarities. Unlike the “various owner” sales that feature objects from various consignors, single-owner sales often take fascinating biographical or aesthetic shapes, reflecting the character of the collector in surprising ways. Beyond the obvious appeal to collectors of photography, this talk will interest pretty much anyone who has an interest in the medium. But photography is not the sole topic of interest here. Anyone who has a passion for contemporary art and the role of the major auction houses in that market will be curious to hear what Ms Bell has to say.  

This is the second talk of the ongoing PGH Photo Fair Speakers Series. The first was delivered earlier this December by the curator and author Marvin Heiferman to a jam-packed Carnegie Museum apartment space in Lawrenceville. Following the format of this earlier event, Bell’s presentation will include a conversation with me followed by audience questions.

January 9, 2013
Mattress Factory Lobby
6:30, talk starts at 7:00, finish around 8:00
500 Sampsonia Way
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

(guest contributing writer, Alexandra Oliver) 

Monday, December 17, 2012

New speaker series in Pittsburgh

The PGH Photo Fair is pleased to announce the PGH Photo Fair Speaker Series. The PGH Photo Fair, through the auspices of Fugitive Vision, LLC, is sponsoring six talks on photography at a variety of venues in Pittsburgh on the 2nd Wednesday of every month leading up to the fair on May 18-19, 2013. The series aims to augment the already rich art and photography scene in Pittsburgh with speakers who will focus on the state of the art, collecting, and connoisseurship. Please visit our website, www.pghphotofair.com, for more information, venues, and bios of the speakers.
 

Marvin Heiferman, author, curator, educator. Event date passed.
December 12, 2012 6:30pm
2013 Carnegie International Satellite Apartment

Deborah Bell, Vice President Specialist of the Photographs Department at Christie's, NYC
January 9 2013 6:30pm
Mattress Factory
500 Sampsonia Way Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Tom Gitterman, owner/founder of Gitterman Gallery in NYC
February 13, 2013 6:30pm
Mattress Factory
500 Sampsonia Way Pittsburgh, PA 15212


Fred & Laura Ruth Bidwell, noted collectors and founders of the Transformer Station in Cleveland, OH
March 13, 2013 6:30pm
The Andy Warhol Museum
117 Sandusky Street Pittsburgh, PA 15212


David Howe, artist and collector. Founder of 601 Artspace in NYC
April 10, 2013 6:30pm
The Andy Warhol Museum
117 Sandusky Street Pittsburgh, PA 15212


Nora Kennedy & Peter Mustardo, photo conservation experts; Ms Kennedy at the Met Museum and Mr Mustardo at the Better Image in NYC.
May 8, 2013 6:30pm
Carnegie Museum of Art Theater
4400 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213


Friday, June 29, 2012

Critical Mass 2012

As I have for the past few editions, I will be a juror for the final round of Critical Mass. The deadline to participate is coming up, so don't hesitate to submit. I'd love to see more work from photographers I know. Text from Critical with submission details is below. Check it out:


Photolucida's Critical Mass, now in it's 9th year, is a program about exposure and community. Not a traditional photography competition, the goal is to provide participants with career-building opportunities and to promote the best emerging photographers working today in a multitude of ways.

In addition to putting the participants' work in front of 200 (yes, 200!) of the best industry professionals internationally, photographers from the finalist group will be chosen for awards:  A book award in collaboration with publisher Kehrer Verlag, solo shows given by Blue Sky Gallery and The Center for Fine Art Photography, and exposure as part of the Top 50 traveling exhibition curated by W.M. Hunt showing at Jennifer Schwartz Gallery and Southeast Museum of Photography.  And…three coveted 'golden tickets' to Photolucida's next biennial Portfolio Reviews event! All who submit to Critical Mass receive the monograph of the book award winner, once published.

For complete submission information, visit Photolucida's Critical Mass homepage.
For Critical Mass juror list, success stories, and details on awards and collaborations, visit Photolucida's blog.
Check it out!

DEADLINE: JULY 16th!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Open Submission Contest in Ireland

My friend, Peg Amison, who runs an art residency program in Cork, Ireland, just sent me this notice of an open call for a contest in Cork. Details and weblinks are below. Sounds like an interesting platform to me. Give it a shot if you agree and have some compelling work to show:


ASPECT: an open submission exhibition

The Organisers

RightBrain is a fine-art printing service for visual artists and creative professionals based in Cork city.
RightBrain specialises in exhibitions, portfolios and editions. It is a Hahnemühle Certified fine-art print studio and the only Digigraphie Certified Lab in Ireland  www.rightbrain.ie
Stag & Deer is an exhibition-making team whose objective is the innovative promotion of lens-based work. www.staganddeer.com
Tactic Cork is an artist-led exhibition space in Cork City Centre www.tactic-art.info

Remit for Open Submission

This exhibition is a platform for emerging/early career national and international photographic/lens-based artists, graduates and undergraduates. We are looking for imaginative and inventive high-quality work. There are no limitations on theme, genre, technique, process, or approach. The selected work will be exhibited in Cork city in October 2012.

The Exhibition

RightBrain will be sponsoring the exhibition in full by printing all selected work on behalf of the artists. The approximate print size of each work will be approx 16 X 20 inches (40x50cm). There may be some size variation for presentation purposes. The work will be presented in a contemporary style to a professional level. The hanging of the work and the presentation approach will be at the discretion of the organizers.
Stag & Deer and Tactic Cork will be supporting the exhibition by providing exhibition-making services as well as the exhibition space. Aspect will take place at Tactic Cork, 3rd floor, Former Government Buildings, Sullivan’s Quay, Cork, Ireland. It will be part of the Stag & Deer event THERE THERE which will be taking place in October 2012.

How to Submit

A submission can have no more than five images. Work can be submitted by email or in the form of physical prints. There is an entry fee of €10 per submission to be paid through PayPal on the the Stag & Deer website. Please use PayPal button below for entry.
All submissions must quote a relevant PayPal Transaction Number or your entry will not be considered for selection.
Images can be emailed in JPEG format together with an artist’s statement / small bio, your PayPal Transaction Number, name, address and website/blog address (if applicable) to rightbrainbox@gmail.com
If you would prefer to submit physical prints then please post 5 prints at 10 X 8 inches or similar to RightBrain, 9 Sidney Place, Wellington Road, Cork, Ireland. The prints must reach us before the submission deadline. You must also include your PayPal Transaction Number, artist’s statement/small bio, name, address and email address. Prints will be returned if a fully paid stamped addressed envelope is enclosed.
Submissions will be accepted from Monday May 21st 9am until Friday June22nd midnight, 2012.
The selection process will take place during the final week of June and the first week of July. Selected artists will receive notification by email when the selection process is complete.
In the event that you are selected for ASPECT, all images must be made available to RightBrain as high resolution digital files for exhibition printing within one week of receiving the notification email from us.

The Panel

The selection panel will consist of:
Matt Packer of The Lewis Glucksman Gallery - http://www.glucksman.org/
Pádraig Spillane & Pamela Condell of Stag & Deer - http://www.staganddeer.com/
Pamela Myers Artistic Director, TACTIC Sample-Studios, Cork - http://www.tactic-art.info/
Sheelah Moloney of 2020 Art Gallery, Cork - http://www.2020artgallery.com/
Tony O’Brien owner of RightBrain - http://www.rightbrain.ie

Thursday, May 10, 2012

F295 photography symposium in Pittsburgh

My friend, Tom Persinger, runs a very cool and useful symposium on photography every year in in Pittsburgh called F295. If you'll be in Pittsburgh the weekend of June 7-10, by all means check it out. The website is: http://www.f295.org/2012/

Sunday, April 15, 2012

More on PGH Photo Fair

If social networks are your thing, you can go to the fair's Facebook page here: facebook link.

We were included in a write up about collecting in one of the local papers. You can read the article here.

Of course, the website is full of helpful information: www.pghphotofair.com.

Shameless self-promotion, I know, but I can't help it. I really want the event to be a success. Check it out....

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

PGH Photo Fair

Pittsburgh’s First Art Fair for Photography 

PGH Photo Fair
APRIL 21 & 22, 2012
PITTSBURGH, PA

I'm thrilled to announce the first public project of Fugitive Vision, LLC, my new company to promote photo-based events and projects as well as art advisory to a few select clients. You can find all the details, participating galleries, and background for the fair by clicking the above link to take you to the fair's website.

I give my special thanks to the fabulous galleries who were willing to take a chance on an inaugural event like this. I also want to thank the Ace Hotel. The fair will be housed in a fabulous former YMCA building which will be developed into the Ace. Both Ace and developer Edile have been essential to making this the great event it will be.

I hope to see lots of friends as well as 100s of new faces. Check it out!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

PhotoIreland Portfolio Review

 
International Portfolio Review

13 – 15 July 2012

Submissions are still open until Friday 16th March 2012.

PhotoIreland Festival’s portfolio review weekend 2012 will take place from 13-15 July 2012 in Dublin city, representing a unique opportunity for emerging artists worldwide to highlight new photographic projects and meet with international professionals.

During the weekend of the portfolio reviews your work will be evaluated by international and Irish curators, gallery owners, festival directors, publishers and other photography professionals. You will also be invited to our opening networking event on 13 July, where the selected submissions for portfolio reviews will be presented in a series of projections.

The reviews will offer insights, critique and advice on your work, providing you with invaluable feedback on your artistic development and expanding your professional network.

The international portfolio reviewers are:
• Walter Bergmoser – Curator & Photographer, Soul
• Reinhard Braun – Camera Austria, Graz
• Stefanie Braun – Photographers’ Gallery, London
• Gösta Flemming – Journal, Stockholm
• Nora Hauswirth – former CEO Sodapix, independent curator, Zurich
• David Kronn – Private Collector, New York
• Trish Lambe – Gallery of Photography, Dublin
• Dewi Lewis – Publisher, London
• Louise Mazmanian – FORMAT Festival, Derby
• Andreas Müller-Pohle – European Photography, Berlin
• Moritz Neumüller – PhotoIreland, Dublin/Barcelona
• Markus Schaden – schaden.com, Cologne


Successful portfolio submissions should consist of a body of work or a project in progress. All submitted portfolios will initially be reviewed by a selected Jury who are looking for new, emerging talent and works by established artists using photography. The members of the selection jury are: Peggy Sue Amison (Sirius Arts Centre), Nora Hauswirth, Leszek Wolnik (Fire.ie), Tanya Kiang and Trish Lambe (Gallery of Photography), Richard Mosse, Moritz Neumüller and Ángel Luis González.

The Jury will select 30 portfolios for review from all submitted work. Among those 30 selected portfolios one overall winner will be chosen by the reviewers on July 15th, who will get the opportunity to exhibit in a solo show during the 2013 festival.

While there is an open theme for the portfolio submissions, we particularly welcome portfolios and photobooks around the festival theme of ‘Migrations: Diaspora and Cultural Identity’, to enjoy the opportunity to participate in the main exhibition of 2012.

Deadline
Submissions for portfolios are open from Wednesday, 4 January to Friday, 16 March 2012.