PhotoNow 2017 Artists’ Talk and Reception

Stephanie Spyker, Cannon Beach Oregon, Fuji Film, Instax Minifilm, Winner of the PhotoNow 2017 Juror’s Choice Award

PhotoNow Artists’ Talk and Reception:  Wednesday, October 4th.  6:00-8:30 pm.

Talks will take place between 6:30 – 7:30

Location:  Tri-C Gallery East located at 4250 Richmond Rd, Highland Hills, Ohio 44122

Show Dates: 9/15/17 – 11/4/17

Gallery Hours: Monday – Thursday from 10:30am to 3:30pm.

As part of it current satellite exhibition, PhotoNow 2017, the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve is pleased to announce an Artists Talk & Reception to be held on Wednesday, October 4th, 6:00 – 8:30pm at Tri-C Gallery East located at 4250 Richmond Rd, Highland Hills, Ohio 44122.  The event will feature some of the exhibition’s most innovative artists, speaking about the difficult or unusual processes used to create their work.  Presentations will also be made this year’s award recipients, including Joe Polevoi, whose kaleidoscopic digital print Clowning in Red won the 2017 prize for “Best Color” photograph.

2017 marks the fourth year that AAWR has held the PhotoNow™ (formerly The Western Reserve Open Photography Competition) satellite exhibition and the third year that it will be held in the Tri-C East Galleries. By partnering with Cuyahoga Community College on a biannual basis the Archives can host a larger show than would be possible in its own gallery space as well as attracting a more diverse audience. This exhibition continues to be used as a teaching tool for classes held at Tri-C as well as expanding AAWR’s community reach.

Unlike other regional photography exhibitions AAWR has consistently hired professionals from outside of Ohio to select the works on display. This creates opportunities for local artists to have their work seen by someone who may further their career in new directions as well as assuring that jurors remain impartial.  The result is a unique exhibition showcasing different artists each time.  This year, 75 photographs were accepted by the juror Aline Smithson from almost 300 entries submitted by 82 artists. Smithson, who currently lives and works in Los Angeles, has curated and juried exhibitions for galleries, organizations, and on-line magazines, including Review Santa Fe, Critical Mass, Flash Forward, and the Griffin Museum. In addition, she is a reviewer and educator at many photo festivals across the United States. In 2014, Smithson received the Excellence in Teaching Award from CENTER. She is a founding member of the Six Shooters Collective and has been teaching at the Los Angeles Center of Photography since 2001.

Overall Smithson preferred dramatic, impactful images for this years competition. Despite the diversity of subject matter, the chosen works relate one to another well and create a flow for the exhibition.  In her comments on the selection process she writes, “As a juror, the first consideration is to look for a level of excellence. I consider if the work challenges, transports, and delights, and I also consider the show as a whole. The PhotoNow 2017 Exhibition happily showcases a wide range of photographic approaches. From more traditional portraiture and landscape, to alternative processes, double exposures, diptychs and triptychs, constructed images, and lensless photographs, it is truly an exciting time to be a photographer.”

Photographers accepted into PhotoNow™ include: Jim Aho, Joe Alven, Joe Applebaum, Herbert Ascherman, Philip Balin, Darlene Beiter, Jeff Benedetto, Keith Berr, Susan Bestul, Christina Bock, Morris Burke, Rick Carrello, Marsha Carrington, Tim Carroll, Janet Century, Ryn Clarke, Laura D’Alessandro , Joanne Damian, Amber Ford, Al Fuchs, Andrew Gacom, Jacqueline Grimm , Ben Hauser, Bob Herbst, Sheila Hernandez, Zachery Hoon, Barbara Howell, Paul Jacklitch, Eric Johnson, Kelly Joslin, Maria Kaiser, Larry Kasperek, Jack Koch, Joan Lederer, Michael Levy, Susie Lilley, Rosalie Litt , Wayne Mazorow, Marina Neyman, Jeannette Palsa, Robert Parry, Stuart Pearl, David Perelman-Hall, Karoline Pimplikar, Joseph Polevoi, Kolman Rosenberg, John Saile, Jackie Sajewski, William Sheck, Bruce Sherman, Maurice Sherman, Frank Shoemaker, Stephanie Spyker, Barney Taxel,  Nico Pico Train, Eric Vaughn, Michael Weiss, Abe Wolf and Hugh Wonderly.

PhotoNow™ 2017 runs through Thursday October 12. Tri-C Gallery East hours are Monday – Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the school is closed Friday through Sunday. Gallery East is in the Eastern Campus Education Center near the Harvard Road entrance – Room 135 (EEC) Cuyahoga Community College Eastern Campus, 4250 Richmond Rd., Highland Hills, OH 44122. Gallery East is wheel-chair accessible and free parking is available in lot B or H Lot. After taking the Harvard Road Entrance, take the first left to park

PhotoNow Artists’ Talk and Reception is free and open to the public, no need to register.  Light refreshments will be served.