Patton Avenue, downtown Asheville, North Carolina.
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Patton Avenue, downtown Asheville, North Carolina.
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Revisiting some of my old black and white negatives of scenes from downtown Asheville, North Carolina.
These women were performing outside Greenlife Groceries just off of Merrimon Avenue in Asheville.
From 2007, shot on Kodak Tri-X.
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From a series of shots I had taken of these cake designers closing shop at the end of the day. Rather reminiscent of French street photographs I’ve come across in old books.
Of the entire series, I found this image the most intriguing. A narrative of what came before, what is current, and how it will be resolved sometime later. The design works as well.
Design is all around us–a grand design, if you will! We just need to makes sense of it and put it into action.
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Summer 2015, Downtown Asheville, North Carolina.
Anticipation is key to street photography. You may never have a concrete idea of what you will capture at a moment’s notice, but always anticipate that something will eventually cross your path. At the last second, while observing the performers and onlooking crowd, I noticed the gentleman to the very left slowing sneaking up behind the very surprised girl in the orange shirt. A bit off setting? Sure. But it was quite obvious from how it turned out that it was the young girl’s father. Photos can lie. But an explanation of the story behind the image can put things into perspective.
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Lexington And College, Downtown Asheville, North Carolina.
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September 11, 2015, Asheville, North Carolina.
On Friday, September 11, 2015, the Asheville Area Arts Council (AAAC) held an opening reception for Aurora: A Healing Light, a group art show featuring the work of nine emerging and experienced artists who have battled with varying degrees of mental health and behavioral disabilities. The show was organized and funded by Aurora Studio & Gallery located in Asheville, North Carolina. This collaborative effort affords viewers a range of visual art; from outsider to abstract and expressionism.
Aurora Studio & Gallery is a program in Asheville, North Carolina that has been offering classes to artists in recovery since the summer of 2013. Founded in 2012 by Program Director, Lori Greenberg, M.Ed, the studio collaborates with local artists and healing arts instructors in the local community in order to offer a collective art space for artists affected by mental health needs, homelessness and/or addiction.
The studio provides artists with the space and art supplies to explore their personal creativity, which they could not otherwise obtain or afford. The studio and gallery defines it’s mission as follows:
The groups of artists functions like a family, supporting each person’s creative endeavors and personal growth. Prior to the start of the event, Greenberg and the participating artists gathered into a circle of support which is an integral part of Aurora Studio’s program.
The participating artists of this event are Dawn Eareckson, Trey Mourey, Sheil Okelberry, Robert Ransom, Rhonda, Tela, and Gail Stoneman. Most of the work on display is available for purchase. Greenberg feels that guests “will see that there is a light that shines for everyone visiting this exhibit.”
A short film by author/artist Rita Zoey Chin (who could not make the opening reception) was presented to guests at 6:30 pm. The film explored creativity and the healing process as it pertains to wellness and the author’s own experience with panic disorder.
Food for the event was donated and catered by Everyone Cooks located in Asheville.
Aurora Studio & Gallery offers a supportive art studio for artists in recovery from mental health needs, addiction and/or homelessness. Individuals with experience in counseling and the arts are encouraged to volunteer or participate in the studio’s ongoing programs.
As part of the exploration of art and healing, there will be a panel discussion held on Saturday, September 19th, from 3:30 – 5pm also at the Asheville Area Arts Council. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Daniel Johnson and panelists will include artists from Aurora Studio and other area artists, who will discuss the link between the arts and their own healing process.
The AAAC is located at One Page Avenue in the The Grove Arcade Suite 143A & 144 in downtown Asheville. The exhibit runs from September 10-20, 2015.
Aurora Studio is a non-profit that accepts donations. For further information, visit http://www.aurorastudio-gallery.com/
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Early evening in downtown Asheville, North Carolina.
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I recently was called upon to photograph a family reunion in Montreat, North Carolina earlier this month. It had been a while since I had the opportunity to capture a large family event, in this case some 50 family members of various extended relationships. The large gathering was held at the Montreat Conference Center outside the town of Black Mountain. The session was about two hours of indoor and outdoor shooting as I ran about organizing large and small groups of families. But I also took the time to capture some candid moments for myself (yes, I’m a street photographer at heart!) that I felt the family may also appreciate. I caught up with one person in particular that truly stood out from cacophony of the afternoon–the women pictured below. Her name is Rachael. 94 years old, born in 1925. I engaged in some polite conversation as she regaled me with stories of her life. I managed to grab a number of quick shots hoping to capture the essence of this gentle woman. She was completely void of all ego, and was very relaxed in her attitude and acceptance of everything around her. At almost a century, she had no problems getting up and around and sitting in on the group portraits outside on the hotel deck, or indoors by the large fireplace that served as a backdrop for many of the family members. The photo below is my personal favorite from my ten minutes of time I spent with her, hence its inclusion in this blog.
At almost a hundred years, we should all be in this place in our lives.
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Off of Haywood Road in West Asheville. One of the few shots I have ever posted that does not contain any real people.
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August 2, 2015. LEAF in Downtown Asheville, North Carolina
Although it took some rearranging of plans, I did manage to make it to the first annual LEAF (Lake Eden Arts Festival) in Downtown Asheville. I only spent a few hours at the event as it was winding down on the second day of the two day festival. As always, LEAF promotes cultural diversity, and what did catch my eye was the stage near the Pack Square fountain hosting traditional Latin American dance. Although the view from the front of the stage was enticing, It was also congested with spectators. But it was from the back of the stage that I felt I managed to catch some wonderful interactions.
The adult male pictured below in the first photo had just finished dancing with his partner. He then walked towards the awaiting young dancers taping the heads of each young male and high-fiving the girls at the side of the stage in a gesture I can only construe as a passing of the torch to the aspiring entertainers.
Although I managed to catch a series of dance narratives, these photos I felt best conveyed the mood of that moment.
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