For my immersion project I chose to visit a local photo
gallery called the Silver Eye Center for
Photography, it is a non-profit gallery that operates solely off of donations
and sponsorship. I’ve always been more interested in learning more about
Pittsburgh’s art scene but I’ve never gotten around to it therefore I’d like to
take the opportunity to explore one of Pittsburgh’s many galleries.
I started first by visiting their website which gave me
an overview of the gallery and the services they offer. According to the site the
gallery features exhibits, workshops, lectures, and
classes. It is open to the public and also free. They’ve been around since 1985
and are a premiere part of Pittsburgh’s art scene. The website also discusses
past events and exhibitions while promoting current and upcoming ones. Since
they are a non-profit they also have a place specified where donations can be
made to the gallery.
The first article I found concerning the gallery focused on
the September 11th commemorative exhibition that ran there through
this past December marking the 10-year anniversary of the tragedy. According to
the website the exhibition focused on “the far reaching impact of wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan.” The exhibition featured multimedia projects by almost a dozen
artists. There is also a brief summary about the gallery included for those who
may be unfamiliar.
The Pittsburgh Post
Gazette ran an article when Ellen Fleurov, the current director, was
appointed to her position. It discusses Ellen’s background as a curator and has
her talk about how she hopes to improve the gallery and looks forward to her
new post. The article goes into depth about Fleurov’s art background and the positions
she has held at various art intuitions around the country. It also shows the enthusiasm
members of the gallery’s board had for bringing her in as the new executive
director.
Every year the gallery hosts a benefit auction to help fund
it since it is a non-profit, and this article focuses on the auction in 2010
and briefly tells the history of the auction and it features a photo gallery of
pictures from the event including those of the director, artists, and
participants. The photos are the
main point of the story.
5. Abstract Photography
A feature that ran in the Point Park Globe covers an exhibit that the gallery featured of abstract photography and focused on several artists that were included in the exhibition. It also contains interview with employees about the exhibit and their opinions of the pieces, as well as the opinions of visitors. This serves as mostly a promotional and informational piece about the gallery.
A feature that ran in the Point Park Globe covers an exhibit that the gallery featured of abstract photography and focused on several artists that were included in the exhibition. It also contains interview with employees about the exhibit and their opinions of the pieces, as well as the opinions of visitors. This serves as mostly a promotional and informational piece about the gallery.
An article in American Town is the most recent and probably most relevant to right now. It
discusses the exhibition “Class Pictures: Photographs by Dawould Bey” which is
currently on display in the gallery. It tells the background of the artist and
the vision he had while creating it.
This particular article is older but most definitely still relevant. It features a very
in-depth look at the gallery. The article talks about how the gallery is
unique, some of the many features that are available for those who choose to
utilize them as well as the history of the gallery. A focal point that is
heavily discussed is how accessible the gallery makes the art to the community.
Many of these articles focus on the history of the museum
and the pieces that have been featured inside. They’re helpful because they
give me a general idea of what is going on and how the establishment is run. This
background info came in handy when I visited the gallery. For my immersion I
plan to discuss the current exhibition as well as my thoughts about the pieces.
I’m also going to discuss the actual gallery though, like the look and feel and
not just the artwork. A lot of the articles feature the people who are higher
up in management like the director and members of the board and I’m going to go
in depth speaking to just a gallery worker. I’m definitely going to reiterate
how great of an asset the gallery is to the community and how it can and should
be utilized.
I think it's a good idea to talk to a worker. They can tell you things that the higher ups may not want to. If stuff like that goes on there, I don't know. It might also be interesting to meet one of the artists. If it's a local gallery one of the local artists might want to talk about their work, or the process of getting their art accepted in a gallery. They're probably trying to get into the art world in a similar way to how you are for this project. If you want this piece to become bigger, that could be a way to go about it.
ReplyDeleteReally nice background info, Victoria. I like Bill's idea of talking to a variety of workers. I also wonder what would happen if you talk to someone who has no idea about or inclination towards art at the gallery. That might mean needing to bring a friend, but it might add to your understanding of the place with another perspective.
ReplyDeleteThe research you present here certainly helped in your understanding of the gallery when you wrote about it. Most importantly, it is good you took on this sort of research as when you go to ask people questions, they are more comfortable and willing to talk to you when you have confidence in the knowledge of what you are asking about. They are able to relax and give you more information when they know you understand what you are asking, and they feel as if you share something in common.
ReplyDelete