Broadway in downtown Asheville
While discussing my process of street photography to the gentleman on the right making the hand gesture, I grabbed this shot. I told him that one always has to be looking.
May 24, 2014
April 12, 2014
The 2nd Annual Photography Competition of The Arts & Culture Alliance in Knoxville, Tennessee
April 12, 2014
Earlier this year I was honored to be selected as the sole juror for the 2nd annual photography competition held by The Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville, Tennessee. Open to anyone in the United States, the exhibition will run from from May 2 to May 31, 2014 at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville.
I was initially contacted by Suzanne Cada of the Arts & Culture Alliance/Emporium Center in early February 2014. I was recommended by Jeffery Stoner, a member of the Culture Alliance and a great photographer, whom I met in early 2013 at a seminar held by Asheville Art Museum in conjunction with the f/32 Group. The seminar was part of a day long fund raising event in which I participated as an instructor offering advice and new insights in the ever expanding vocabulary and technology of digital photography.
I had deliberated as to when to create a blog on this event. I concluded that it would be best to hold off until I made my decisions as to which pieces would be included in the upcoming exhibition. The role of an outside juror is to maintain objectivity, and therefore I felt it best to keep a distance, minimizing any influence save for my bio on the The Arts & Culture Alliance website.The contest was widely publicized with some 400 pieces submitted before the cut off of March 23, 2014. I had but a week to select up to no more that 50 photographs for exhibition so that the artists can be notified by April 7. Needless to say, with so many wonder photographs to choose from, it rattled my nerves to know that there was no possibility for everyone to have a work selected for the upcoming show.
Photographs could be entered into any of four categories. This included Our Earth, The Human Experience, Digital Imagination, and Travel. Curating such an event is no easy task, and it was necessary to abide by a number of criteria in deciding what images warranted consideration. This included the originality of each work, composition, technical excellence, impact, and artistic merit. This was the cheif rubric that I used, but I also considered vision, intent, appropriateness of the work’s technical applications and a series of other guidelines to help in the selection process. Stepping outside myself as a photographer, meeting only four of theses five criteria did not necessarily negate inclusion.
I will be in Knoxville on May 2nd to give a talk and to make the final judging for first place in each category as well as best of show. For a breakdown of the prizes being offered, visit knoxalliance.com. For more information on those selected, please go to the Arts and Cultures Alliance press release.
April 11, 2014
Spring in Asheville
April 5, 2014
[flickr]https://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_longobardi/13785029654/[/flickr]
Spring in downtown Asheville–finally! And what better way to snub the past several months of frigid temperatures than the consumption of vast amounts of cold ice cream!
With any luck we will actually have a real Spring and not rush into a blistering Summer by the end of the month.
All photos are Copyright 2014 Joe Longobardi. All Rights Reserved. joelongobardiphotography.com/
March 15, 2014
Asheville Mardi Gras, 2014
March 2, 2014
Considered the biggest and most elaborate Mardi Gras ever staged in Asheville, NC, the annual parade ran for some 90 minutes starting at 3 p.m. from Wall Street and returning back to its starting point. Below are a few of my favorite photographs I had taken of the the event.
[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_longobardi/12914184755/[/flickr]
[flickr]https://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_longobardi/13221601135/[/flickr]
[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_longobardi/12940036464/[/flickr]
[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_longobardi/12919952034/[/flickr]
[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_longobardi/12915621995/[/flickr]
[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_longobardi/12939983813/[/flickr]
[flickr]https://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_longobardi/12980216344/[/flickr]
All images © Joe Longobardi. All Rights Reserved. joelongobardiphotography.com/
September 30, 2013
Art in the Airport
Every three months, the Asheville Regional Airport showcases regional/local artists on a rotating basis in a gallery located in the center of the airport’s terminal. I have four photographs that will be featured as part of the current group exhibition running from October 1, 2013 to January 3, 2014. All art is for sale. For more information, visit Asheville Regional Airport and keep up with all updates on Facebook and the site’s blog.
Below is “Silver City” which is a one of my photographs in the show.
Silver City by Joe Longobardi
September 6, 2013
Skateboarding on Biltmore
Sometimes in the aftermath, one can find the order out of chaos. A simpler approach to the nuances of life.
August 29, 2013
UNCA Reception for Urban Photography from the Streets of a Bohemian Mountain Town
August 27, 2013
At the last minute, I was informed that WLOS News in Asheville would be coming in to interview me and video tape my UNCA photography exhibit for the 6 o’clock news. With a heads up of no more than ten minutes, I think it came off rather well.
You can view the brief story here.
The show will run until September 27, 2013.
August 6, 2013
July 28, 2013
The Final Act: Bele Chere, 2013
Asheville, NC.
After 34 years, the annual three day street event known as Bele Chere bids a fond adieu to those who patronized its last 34 years of offerings of music, food, beer, and the ever increasing ubiquity of street preachers. Begun in 1979 as an attempt to revitalize the economy of downtown Asheville, the event continued to reinvent itself over the years. Abhorred by some, loved by many, the festivities provided a boost to the image of the little bohemian town of the hills.
Over the last several years, I enjoyed wandering the streets during the early setup of the event on Fridays, capturing a tapestry of intimacy and serendipity that caught my eye. Vendors seemed more relaxed. Street performers are livelier. People are less inebriated!
I caught a few images for my liking: various performers, people just strolling and eating, cops—those overcome with religious fervor! While preparing to leave, I noticed a street performer dressed in a black and white striped costume replete with a red tutu. He was dancing in front of some street preachers that were engaged in a yelling match with onlookers.
I snapped off several shots documenting this narrative that played out before me. The image of the final embrace I believe summed up a positive lasting image of a street event that I’ve both enjoyed and tolerated since my first Bele Chere in 2000.
Bele Chere, you’ll be missed, and definitely remembered.
For more photos, go to 34th Annual Bele Chere on Flickr.
All images © Joe Longobardi. All Rights Reserved. joelongobardiphotography.com/
July 7, 2013
Asheville: Urban photography from the streets of a Bohemian Mountain Town.
Asheville: Urban photography from the streets of a Bohemian Mountain Town. Street Photography by Joe Longobardi.Street photography in Asheville
UNCA Exhibition from August 16 to September 27, 2013
My latest exhibition being held at UNC Asheville takes a more academic approach in street photography revealing the dualities of traditional and conventional temperaments in Asheville—from the traditional Southern lifestyle to the influx of a greater ethnic diversity. The exhibition concentrates on varying dichotomies contrasting an array of subjects ranging from a prominent senior population against a growing youth culture; to focusing on conservative vs progressive values and bohemian temperaments. I have also attempted to afford a fair amount attention depicting examples of economic and philosophical disparities from street preachers to street performers to street people. The city itself becomes a backdrop that serves as host to the many faces and lifestyles that make up the whole of Asheville.
The juxtapositions of city life revolve around the contrasting attitudes and cultural climate of Asheville. I strive to capture frozen moments in time exploring the subtle transitions from chaos into a a synchronized uniformity and harmony—a oneness with the people—before transitioning back into the hustle of urban life. Each image is a personal sentiment extracting the essence of the memory of that moment. My aim is to show the gradual transition from a small bohemian Southern town into an emerging city.
The show will be held at the Mel Blowers Gallery in the Ramsey Library at UNC Asheville. The exhibit will run from August 16 to September 27, 2013. Opening reception is on a Tuesday, August 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. All works on display are for sale.
For further information, visit the Ramsey Library website for updates of upcoming exhibitions and News & Events, or contact Nancy Hayes at nhayes@unca.edu.
All images © Joe Longobardi. All Rights Reserved. joelongobardiphotography.com/