Orange County Artists Guild Exhibition Opening

Thursday evening at 6pm, FRANK hosted the Opening Reception for the Orange County Artists Guild’s Exhibition in Chapel Hill. From October 25-November 11th, seventy-five members of the Guild have their works on display at FRANK and the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts. On the weekends of November 3 &4 and 10 &11, participating artists will have their studios open for public visitation.

This event marked the beginning of the exhibition and of the 18th Annual Studio Tour. Visitors to the gallery had the opportunity to meet and greet the artists and see the new works in the space.

Upcoming Events:

1. Salon: Documentary Storytelling and Social Change, Thurs., Nov. 1 at 6 pm at FRANK

Join Kathryn Stein, Catherine Orr, Elena Rue, and moderator Barbara Tyroler for a multidisciplinary look at how we use photography and videography to make a difference in our world and community.

2. Ackland Film Forum: Barefoot Gen, Thurs., Nov. 1 at 7 pm at the Varsity Theater

Watch Barefoot Gen, a Mori Masaki 1983 film at the Varsity.

3. Bunka no HI: Japanese Culture Day, Sat., Nov. 3 at 10 am-5 pm at the Ackland Art Museum

Celebrate the Japanese national holiday honoring culture and the arts! Explore the Ackland’s exhibitions of Japanese art, take part in a hands-on workshop, and marvel at demonstrations of traditional Japanese arts and crafts throughout the day. We’ll explore haiku, oragami, bonsai, and more.

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Mondo Public Slide Show

Saturday, October 13th, FRANK in collaboration with the Town of Chapel Hill hosted the Mondo Public Slide Show on top of the Wallace Parking Deck. Photographers of all ages gathered to celebrate their artwork against the backdrop of a clear, crisp October night.

FRANK opened up the opportunity to the public to submit between 15 and 30 slides of personal work to share through projection onto a large screen. Local artists Barbara Tyroler, Bryce Lankard, and Lori Vrba were among the photographers who participated, showing works both old and new. As the slideshow rotated through the art, the crowd enjoyed complementary popcorn and live music by Mahalo Jazz and Friends.

Upcoming Events:

1.Tea Tasting, Thurs., Oct. 18 at 6-7:30pm at the Ackland Art Museum

Sample a variety of teas while learning about traditional and contemporary tea practices in Japan. Led by Nancy Hamilton, Cultural Programming Coordinator, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, and instructor in the Urasenke Tradition of Tea.

2. Salon: Taming Technology for the Photographic Creative Process Thurs., Oct. 18 at 6pm at FRANK

Creating fine art photography in the digital age requires more than a push-button solution. From custom made programs to mastering your cell phone camera. Dispelling myths of the “magic button” are Goodloe Sutter, Sam Kittner, Irene Owsley, and Shawn Rocco.

3. Music in the Galleries Sun., Oct. 21 2pm at the Ackland Art Museum

Enjoy the dynamic, traditional drumming of Triangle Taiko, the only taiko ensemble in North Carolina.

The American Landscape Opening

Friday, October 12th, also marked the Opening of FRANK intern Kaitlin Knapp’s show, “The American Landscape.” As a part of the FRANK: In Focus photography festival, this show featured works of photography or works with elements of photography. Four UNC Undergraduate Studio Art majors explored the cultural and political landscape of America.

At 8:30pm, Knapp gave a short introductory speech, presenting the theme and the featured artists to the visitors. Jeremy Bass, Senior Studio Art major with Entrepreneurship minor, focused on the food industry and the influence major corporations have on our lives. Diego Camposeco, Sophomore Studio Art major, used photographs to explore Latino-American identity and the common representation of this group as hybrid or spectacle. Kaitlin Knapp, Senior Studio Art with Art History Emphasis major, used collagraph prints to discuss suburbia and its effect, both physically and aesthetically, on the American landscape. Hannah Shaban, Senior Studio Art major, explored Middle Eastern-American identity and the experience of a veiled woman in a Southern town.

A light reception followed and visitors had the chance to talk with the artists. The gallery will be open Saturdays and Sundays 2-6pm through November 4th.

Border Glitches Opening

Friday, October 12th at 6pm, FRANK hosted a reception for the Opening of Ali Halperin’s show, “Border Glitches.” At 6:30pm, Ali Halperin led a discussion on both her works and that of the other featured artist, Michael Lauch. Halperin’s exhibition theme is “Border Glitches,” exploring the blurred line between our digital lives and our corporeality, perpetuated by recent technology.

Halperin’s works are layered images of hoarders superimposed over their hoarded goods. Through photography, she aims to show the muddied distinction between the two separate worlds.

After her speech, Ali Halperin encouraged the visitors to attend the Opening of her Undergraduate students’ show “A Sense” at the Allcott Gallery of Hanes Art Center. This show explores the five senses through digital photography. Featured artist Deigo Camposeco gave a short speech introducing the theme and the artists.

Daily Tar Heel Publication

Friday, October 12th, the Daily Tar Heel featured an article on “The Lens of the Emerging Artist,” the series of exhibitions of UNC student work at FRANK, UNC, and University Square. The article by James Smith can be found here.

 

Special Focus: The Curatorial Perspective

Sunday afternoon, FRANK hosted “The Curatorial Perspective,” a 6pm panel discussion in UNC’s Wilson Library with Stephen Fletcher, Dennis Kiel, Roger Manley, Linda Dougherty, and moderator Xandra Eden.

To begin the event, each panelist introduced both themselves and their background in curating. Linda Dougherty, chief curator and curator of contemporary art at the North Carolina Museum of Art, published critic, and exhibition cataloger, started by talking about her museum and its rotating exhibits. Dennis Kiel, chief curator of the Light Factory, specialist lecturer, and North Carolina Arts Council Visual Artist Fellowship Panel and NEA Panel member, followed Dougherty, explaining his process of selecting theme then artist for exhibitions. Roger Manley, director of the Gregg Museum and grant and fellowship-awarded published artist, spoke about the expanding collection at his museum. Stephen Fletcher, Photographic Archivist for the NC Collection and photographer, presented last, introducing the collecting and archiving process used at Wilson Library.

After the short presentations, the panel, moderated by Xandra Eden, published curator of the Weatherspoon Museum, opened up for discussion. When asked about their institution’s involvement with photography, the panelists had different responses. Stephen Fletcher answered about promoting the use of archival photographs as a parallel means of research to text over its common use as a secondary source in accompanying analysis. Dougherty and Manley spoke of the increasing presence of photography in museums of today. Kiel added that although more commonly seen, some places such as Charlotte require photography be defended as an art form now more than ever.

The panelists discussed the increasing ease of access for photographic production and reproduction in the digital age. All agreed that the omnipresence of photography today was beneficial to the visual literacy of the public.

Dougherty, Kiel, Fletcher, and Manley are all excited about the trajectory photography is taking, re-exploring alternative processes and expanding through digital means.

Following the panel discussion, panelists and FRANK members gathered at the gallery for a celebratory cocktail party. Board members mingled with curators over hors d’oeuvres and a live band.

Upcoming Events:

1. Tea at Two, Wed., Oct. 10 at 2pm at the Ackland Museum

“Colors of Confinement: Rare Color Photographs of Japanese American Incarceration in World War II.” Join Eric Muller as he looks at and discusses Bill Manbo’s documentation of his family’s experience in a Japanese-American internment camp.

2. Salon: Alternative and Legacy Processes Thurs., Oct. 11 at 6pm at FRANK

Discover the appeal of the hand-made, getting your hands dirty approach to photography with Alan Dehmer, Bryce Lankard, and Brady Lambert.

3. Curator’s Seminar Thurs., Oct. 11 6-7:30pm at the Ackland Art Museum

Ackland curators Peter Nisbet and Timothy Riggs present on and look at Noh Kabuki theater woodblock prints.

4. Opening: “Border Glitches” UNC MFA Visions in Contemporary Photography Fri., Oct. 12 at 6pm at FRANK

Ali Halperin discusses the blurred line today between our digital lives and our corporeality through her works.

5. Opening: “A Sense” UNC Undergraduate student photography exhibition Fri., Oct. 12 at 7pm at the Allcott Gallery of UNC’s Hanes Art Center

6. *Opening: “The American Landscape” Fri., Oct. 12 at 8pm at 143A University Square

FRANK intern Kaitlin Knapp is curator of this show, delving into the topic of the political and cultural landscape of America. Featured artists are Knapp, Jeremy Bass, Diego Camposeco, and Hannah Shaban.

7. Photo Gazing: Mondo Public Slide Show Sat., Oct. 13 at 6pm at the Wallace Parking Deck

All are welcome to bring 15-30 images on a CD or thumbdrive to share your work on a giant projector. Bring a blanket, lawn chair, picnic, and friends to enjoy a night of art and live music.

8. Public Tour: “Perspectives on Japanese Painted Screens and Scrolls” Sun., Oct. 14 at 2pm at the Ackland Art Museum

This tour explores the history and aesthetics of the Japanese painted screens and scrolls on view in New Light on Japanese Painting: Recently Conserved Screens and Scrolls.

The Documentary Project

Thursday, October 4 at 6PM, FRANK hosted The Documentary Project, a Salon with Vincent Joos, Jessica Kennedy, Christopher Sims, and Jeremy Lange. Through the evening, the four speakers shared their documentary work exploring, as Bryce Lankard noted, “themes unseen.”

Jessica Kennedy, UNC undergraduate student and grant recipient, began the night with her presentation on “The Shifting Face of Agriculture in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.” Kennedy’s project documents her hometown and the new direction farmers have been taking within the past few years there. Her photographs explore a new approach at sustainability, seen in Half Hippie Farm’s promotion of hand-picking produce and Boone’s community garden.

Christopher Sims, instructor at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University and represented photographer at Ann Stewart Fine Art, spoke about his work, “Theater of War: The Pretend Villages of Iraq and Afghanistan.” Through his photographs and film, Sims investigates life on the military base and the military’s use of fake villages. His images capture the foreign environments of conflict simulated for training and the strong impact they have on the troops.

Vincent Joos, UNC Graduate student and grant recipient, continued next, speaking about his project “Little Haiti, Mount Olive, North Carolina.” Joos’ work documents the development of a Haitian community in Mount Olive, North Caorlina. After settling into the community, Joos was able to photograph the everyday life of the Haitian immigrant and capture the tight-knit sense of community and family that is alive there.

Following Joos, Jeremy Lange, published, award-winning, and internationally exhibited Independent Weekly staff photographer, spoke. Jeremy Lange’s works focus on the unseen side of military culture. In a four year series, Lange documented the funerals of military soldiers and the sensitive environment of their return. His more recent work, “The Farmer Veteran” explores the meditative role farming plays in the life of a military veteran.

The evening ended with a short reception.

The Informed Collector

Sunday, September 30th at 1pm, FRANK hosted “The Informed Collector,” a panel discussion at the Carolina Inn explaining how and why to collect fine art photography. Gallery directors Roylee Duvall, Gabrielle Larew, and Jennifer Schwartz, fine art photography collector Frank Konhaus, and moderator Kelly McChesney of Flanders Gallery delved into this topic, addressing the process of collecting for galleries and personal collections.

Roylee Duvall, director of Durham’s Through This Lens Gallery, kicked off the afternoon with a description of the photograph selection process he employs for his gallery. Duvall buys a range of works, some outside of his personal taste, to appeal to the palate of the general public.

Gabrielle Larew, director of the Doma of Charlotte, proceeded after, advising the buyer to purchase works that resonated with them. In her gallery, she promotes the displaying of both purchase-ready work and “museum-type work,” art that may not be as likely to sell but that is educational on the “breadth and depth of photography,” for the benefit of the community.

Frank Konhaus, Chapel Hill private collector, continued the afternoon with a discussion of his personal collection techniques. He explained from his gathering experience, artwork could be collected from many venues, traditional or non: photo fairs, museums, or even from the occasional juried college or high school photography competition.

Jennifer Schwartz, of the Jennifer Schwartz Gallery in Atlanta, GA, followed with her spin on collecting. Schwartz’s gallery focus is in presenting the emerging photographer to the public both in the gallery and community setting. Many of her recent and/or current projects involve traveling exhibitions and active community engagement in the arts.

During the discussion, speakers debated the topic of the edition in the digital age. In her Atlanta gallery, Jennifer Schwartz encourages artists to work in smaller edition sizes, no greater than 25 in number. Frank Konhaus acknowledges the importance of editioning contemporary works, but does not see a negative consequence of deciding against such. Roylee Duvall explained the changing nature of edition pricing, describing how as the edition dwindles, the remaining prints become more expensive.

Chief Curator of Charlotte’s The Light Factory Dennis Kiel launched a conversation on the traditional darkroom-based edition and how, in his opinion, those works are technically monoprints due to the sometimes unpredictable properties of darkroom chemicals.

A reception sponsored by the Carolina Inn followed.

Artistic Trajectories: Voices in Contemporary Photography

Saturday evening, FRANK hosted a 6pm lecture on Contemporary Photography at UNC’s Carroll Hall. Speakers Jackie Tait-Leebrick, Lori Vrba, and Jeff Whetstone presented on their works and experiences in the art scene of today.

Jackie Tait-Leebrick, internationally exhibited, award-winning photographer and Associate professor in the School of Art and Design at East Carolina University, began the night with her presentation. Many of Tait-Leebrick’s works are collaged photographs, created with the layering of photographs and addition of photo oils and pastels. Through the years, Tait-Leebrick has explored themes like a search for the home and, as with her later works, transition. In working with the idea of transition, Tait-Leebrick pulls images from her dreams and personal stories and incorporates them in her photographs.

Lori Vrba, internationally exhibited and award-winning photographer, spoke after Tait-Leebrick. Vrba is a self-taught artist whose art career began after the birth of her children. What started as a job in portraiture soon developed into a love for the photographic process and a full-time career in fine art photography. In her latest series, “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” she studies elements of life that bring tension due to their dual nature as both uncomfortable yet beautiful.

Jeff Whetstone, UNC Associate professor of photography and award-winning, published, internationally exhibited, Guggenheim Fellowship winner, followed Vrba in the night’s discussions. Whetstone graduated from Duke with a degree in Zoology, a background that would influence his art through his life. His works touch on the idea of the “wild” and its presence in humans, animals, the environment, and in the interaction of all three. His more recent works focus on cave art and the collapsing of the visual and historical that occurs within.

Upcoming Events:

1. Art for Lunch Wed., Oct. 3, 12–1pm at the Ackland Art Museum
“Transwar Design: Yusaka Kamekura from Nippon Kobo to the Tokyo Olympics.” Gennifer Weisenfeld, Art History, Duke University.

2. Public Lecture and Film: “Fire and Water: The Apocalyptic Imagination of Hayao Miyazaki” Thurs., Oct. 4, 5:30pm at the Nelson Mandela Auditorium, Fed Ex Global Center, UNC Campus

Susan Napier will explore the artistic practices of Hayao Miyazaki. Her talk will be followed by a screening of Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies (1988).

3. Salon: The Documentary Project Thurs., Oct. 4, 6pm at FRANK

Vincent Joos, Jessica Kennedy, Christopher Sims, DL Anderson, and Jeremy Lange.

4. Art Adventures Sat., Oct. 6, 10:30am-12pm and 1-2:30pm at the Ackland Art MuseumEnjoy looking at modern Japanese prints and do some oraigami.

5. Special Preview: Photographic Angles–News Photography in the North Carolina Collection Sun., Oct. 7, 4:30-6pm at Wilson Library Gallery, 200 South Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Stephen Fletcher, Photographic Archivist of the NC Collection and curator of this exhibition will be on hand for a guided preview of this special exhibition.

6. Critical Focus–The Curatorial Perspective Sun., Oct. 7, 6pm at Pleasants Family Room, Wilson Library, UNC Campus

Stephen Fletcher, Dennis Kiel, Roger Manley, Linda Dougherty, and moderator Xandra Eden.

Thursday Salon: David Spear

Thursday evening at 6pm, FRANK hosted a salon with David Spear. Spear is a Guggenheim Fellowship and NC Artist Fellowship award-winner and nationally exhibited photographer. Through the evening, Spear showed examples of his work and explained his processes.

David Spear spent the majority of his career as a darkroom photographer, developing works from his travels within the United States and abroad through traditional means. With the introduction of the digital darkroom, Spear has become acquainted with new methods, incorporating new technology in the development of his photographs.

The discussion following the lecture touched on the controversy of manipulation in the darkroom and on the computer. Artists present supported the addition of the DSLR and computer to the photographer’s toolbox, recognizing them as new ways to create and refine artwork. Bill McAllister noted how manipulation in photography has been present from the beginning with the alteration of the image from color to black and white.

After the discussion, a short reception followed.