Photo Op at Photo Show

Richard Rahmlow had a plan, bring together top photographers and top educators and work together to make photography a true art form and not the red-headed step-child of South Coast art. Last night at the Second Street Gallery in beautiful, downtown, Old Town Bandon, some of the most beautiful, inventive and imaginative photographs brought that vision into reality.

The boutique gallery was host to a reception for the first annual Celebrate Photography Exhibition 2010. Even with darkness falling in mid-afternoons, these days and the clouds looking ominous the glitterati turned out. Ava Richey, sponsor and engineer of the Artist and Writer’s Exchange was there, so was Victoria Tierney, the guiding force behind Lifer, prison art show currently on exhibit in Coquille. There were hopeful photographers, and anxious fans, family and friends all driven out of their homes on a football night to see who won and who lost and who was hanging around.

Fortunately, if you weren’t there, and you should have been, you can still see the photographs, all winners, but some with ribbons of official approval, for the show hangs until the Christmas Season makes everyone completely crazy with panic.

Sometimes I think we could recycle some of those nineteenth century “No Irish” signs and just say, “No Photographers.” So many shows bar photography and so many art associations are not welcoming to photographers, but now there is a local show at an established art venue which not only welcomes, but encourages photography.

And did I mention that Richard has also organized Workshops for photographers? Of course you are Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovitz, (although truthfully I always favored Pompeo Posar and Francesco Scavullo), and you don’t need and skill sharpening, but if you did could you pass on an opportunity so close to home? It’s like Monday Night Football with a Cannon!

So shake off those Daylight Savings Time Turn-back Blues and go to Second Street Gallery and see what sixty talented photographers can offer the South Coast Art scene.

While you are there sign up for a workshop, even if you are, gasp, a painter. Winter is coming and there won’t be any out-of door painting, but if you had a camera and knew how to use it the studio wouldn’t gather dust between now and Spring, just a thought and how handy, those workshops might just give you the skills, so…go, see the ART and sign up and oh yes, buy something. Richard won’t mind and you’d be helping keep Second Street strong and healthy and offering the South Coast new and exciting adventures. No, you cannot have the walrus. I have my eye on it I just need a coupla thousand more square feet and then…