FROM THE DIRECTOR
August can be a slow-moving month in southern Louisiana. The heat and humidity are a way of life and we spend most of our time indoors ducking the heat and rain or get out of town altogether. NOPA is taking advantage of this slow-moving month to close the gallery, limit our programming, and plan for 2017. Your input is invaluable so please take a minute (literally) to complete this survey and tell us what you would like to see NOPA prioritize next year. -Amy Dailey Williams, Executive Director
PhotoNOLA Call for Exhibitions, Proposals & Venues
The 11th annual PhotoNOLA Festival is around the corner! The festival will take place in New Orleans from Dec. 8-11 and we are seeking proposals to establish exhibitions and spaces for the event. We are delighted to welcome Muffin Bernstein to the PhotoNOLA team as our Exhibitions Coordinator. She has been a long-time PhotoNOLA volunteer and participant and is actively reviewing proposals, so if you have an exhibition proposal, the deadline is August 15th! Exhibition space deadline is September 1. Finally, established exhibitions that will be showcasing photography during the festival and wish to be included in the 2016 festival guide, submit no later than September 15. Click here for more information and submissions.
IN THE GALLERY
Maximize Window: The Expanded Photograph in Contemporary Art of New Orleans
Opening Reception Saturday, Sept. 10, 6:30-9:30PM in the NOPA Gallery, 1111 St. Mary Street, New Orleans
Mark your calendars for the opening event for our fall exhibition! Todd Rennie, NOPA Programming Chair, has curated a thought-provoking and gorgeous exhibition focusing on photography in expanded formats; bringing together contemporary sculpture, installation and video from New Orleans that has roots in, or ties to, the straight photograph. This group show will feature the work of artists Srdjan Loncar, Sophie T. Lvoff, Colin Roberson, Brittan Rosendahl, Jonathan Traviesa and Bob Weisz. This is photography with a twist: sculptural and audio elements, digital processes and displays will challenge viewers to examine notions of what photography is today. Stay tuned for gallery talks and workshops that will allow the public to participate in this exciting conversation.
AT NOPA
Full Aperture Film Series: Flaming Creatures by Jack Smith | Saturday, August 20, 8PM (doors at 7:30) in the NOPA Gallery, 1111 St. Mary Street, New Orleans
$6 general public | $5 NOPA members
In partnership with Shotgun Cinema, NOPA is opening our doors for a summer screening series focusing on the intersections between film and photography. August’s screening ushers in Southern Decadence with a special 16mm screening of the iconic underground film Flaming Creatures by Jack Smith. Smith started his career as a photographer and shot this piece outdoors using extremely expired film stock giving the images and ethereal quality. Released in 1963, the graphic images and sexuality on display pushed boundaries and was even shown on the floor of the Senate. We’ve been packing the house, so arrive early to secure a seat.
NOPA Needs You!
If you are interested in affecting change through photography in the Gulf Coast and beyond, please consider applying to be an officer of the New Orleans Photo Alliance. Our board is actively engaged in setting directions and providing leadership that impact photographers and photography in tangible and important way. The work is demanding but highly rewarding. As a board officer/committee chair, you will work with like-minded people and the experience you gain and people you meet will inform your own work. Send us an email with your resume and qualifications to apply. The New Orleans Photo Alliance is committed to diversity in all aspects of its business and programming and encourages and promotes considerations of diverse candidates in the nomination and election of board officers. Please share freely! Current board and contact info here.
We are also seeking volunteers to work in the gallery, assist with social media, and general office/gallery support. Please contact Amy to learn more about our volunteer opportunities.
AROUND NOLA
If you have a photography event you would like to share, let us know by submitting the info here. Please pass the link along!
Ogden Photography Camp Exhibition | Opening reception during White Linen Night: Aug. 6, 5:30-9:30PM at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp Street, New Orleans
Last month, we welcomed young photographers from Odgen’s Photo Camp to the NOPA gallery. Aubrey Edwards, photographer and educator, brought groups of talented young people to see the exhibitions of Cate Sampson and Adam Davies, explore the library, and learn about our programming. We can’t wait to see their work in the student-curated exhibition!
Workshop with Jen Shaw | SxSE Photoworkshops, Mobile + Monroeville, September 14-17
Most of our readers know Jen Shaw through her role as the director of PhotoNOLA. Jen is also an accomplished photographer and has published two monographs and her work is held in the permanent collections of NOMA, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Jen is hosting a workshop through SxSE Photoworkshops in Mobile, Alabama, with four days of field-tripping including private boat rides in the bay as well as a day trip to Monroeville where To Kill A Mockingbird‘s Harper Lee spent her writing life. This is an incredible chance to have one-on-one time with Jen including critiques, portfolio reviews, photography talk, and (of course!) cocktails and Southern meals. Info.
Art of the Photographic Portrait workshop with Zack Smith | Saturday, August 20th, 8AM to 7PM, New Orleans Academy of Fine Art
Designed for the emerging professional as well as serious photographers who wish to improve their knowledge of mixed light portraits and gear. Working directly with Zack, participants will learn hands-on how to apply lighting schemes using natural light, reflectors, speed lights and studio strobes both in the studio and outdoors. Info.
Mixed Messages 6: Race-Identity-Love | Through August 13, Myrtle Banks Building (3rd Floor of the Dryades Market), 1307 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans
Mixed Messages 6 is presented by the New Orleans Loving Festival with support from Alembic Community Development, Creative Alliance of New Orleans and Ashé Cultural Arts Center. The New Orleans Loving Festival is a Multiracial Community Celebration and Film Festival that fights racism through outreach and education. Featured artists: Sean G. Clark, Iris Crey, Belinda Shinshillas, NOPA member Leona Strassberg Steiner, José Torres-Tama, Donna Woodley and Bottletree.
The Louisiana State Museum opens The Plantation Photographs of Robert Tebbs at the Wedell-Williams Aviation & Cypress Sawmill Museum in the Jackson Square on August 24. In the 1920s, Tebbs was hired by historic preservationists to record and produce a photographic survey of Louisiana’s plantations. His widow, Jeanne Tebbs, sold the collection to the LSM in 1956.
CALLS FOR ENTRIES
APG is taking submissions for Arnika Dawkins Selects, submission deadline is August 21. The show will be featured in Atlanta Celebrates Photography’s Festival Guide and will offer two $500 awards. Info.
LensCulture is accepting submissions for Street Photography Awards 2016. Enter a series of 5+ single images for $50 and receive a submission review. Deadline August 16. Info.
The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities is accepting applications for its Rebirth Grants through October 1. The grant program supports projects that provide access to the humanities for citizens of Louisiana. Documentary photography is included among eligible projects with special emphasis given to projects that generate new content for Louisiana Cultural Vistas magazine. Awards range from $500 to $3,000. Info.