The Faces of a Generation

Living in Pittsburgh for the past two years I’m constantly being reminded that “the city is full of hidden gems, you just have to find them.” I set out to do just that by creating a “Pittsburgh Bucket List” or a list of things to do before I graduate. Among the things included on this list was “explore the city’s art scene.” Not being much of an art expert and not knowing exactly what the city had to offer I did what anyone in my position would in pursuit of a new discovery, I Googled “Pittsburgh Art” and boy did I get more than I bargained for. An extensive list came up including museums, places of higher education, and a plethora of “related searches.” Needless to say I was overwhelmed and decided to regroup. I realized if I was going to sift through all of this information I needed to narrow my search so I decided to focus on a specific type of art.

Photography has always been something that I’ve wanted to get more into, I even asked my parents for a brand new camera for Christmas and sadly have barely taken it out of the box. With this in mind I wanted to look for a place that centered on photography. Having this in mind I went back to the drawing board, or rather Google search engine. This time around the Silver Eye Center for Photography came up. I did a little preliminary digging on their website and figured they’d be a great place to visit. It seemed like a smaller gallery and with that in mind it would be easier to access people who worked there for longer periods of time.

Dawoud Bey, Kevin, 2005, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts Courtesy of the artist

I sent a preliminary e-mail to the education coordinator Richard Kelly and he was fascinated by what I told him I was doing and said I was free to come and go in the gallery as a I pleased.

I ventured into the gallery on a Saturday, a day that I figure plenty of people would be in and out of the gallery and it would mean optimal observation.

When I got there it was raining profusely, I noticed the mesh umbrella holder outside the entrance, and luckily there were other umbrellas in the holder or else I may not have thought twice about bringing my dripping wet umbrella into a gallery full of art and hardwood floors, Something that would have been understandably awkward.

I’m greeted by the smiling face of a man sitting behind a desk, he’s wearing a read and blue plaid shirt and has tortoise shelled thick rimmed glasses, he looks to be in his late 20’s and very approachable. I let him know what I’m there to do and he is very welcoming even offering me a chair, which I happily oblige seeing as I’d be there for the next 5 hours. I know I’d have to interview this man but I didn’t want to come through the door bombarding him with questions so I took a seat in my plastic folding chair in the back of the gallery and proceeded to observe.

When I arrived the gallery was empty except for the man at the desk, and it was deathly silent. So continued to observe my physical surroundings. The smell of the hardwood floors is quite evident. The gallery is composed of hardwood floors and plain white paint covers the walls. It is very trendy, with white fixtures, and studio lights focused on the artwork. The gallery is spacious yet still small, I notice that there is no furniture.  Which is probably what makes the gallery seem so spacious.

While checking my phone for the time I noticed that I had no cell phone service, something I’m not used to but it forced me to concentrate on the gallery and the art.

After about 30 minutes the first visitors come in, they’re an older couple; their initial presence was noticed by the beeping of the alarm, which chimed whenever the front door was opened. They briefly perused the gallery looking at the pictures and noting the captions, they looked very into the art so I didn’t bother them with questions.

After the first couple left I took the opportunity to chat with the friendly gallery attendant, Jeffrey. Jeffery was more than happy to answer any questions I presented him with and happily interjected his opinions. “So Jeffrey tell me a little about yourself?” I began as a way to let him open up on his own terms. He went over his employment history informing me he has only been employed at the gallery for a short time, only since last October. He was very well informed about the gallery and the artistic process, Probably due to his time as a student of photography at Pittsburgh Filmmakers “I’m studying alternative processes, which is photography before black in white…. [the purpose] is to find new ways of using the origins modernly.” Jeff happily informed me regarding his particular craft. Jeffrey only works Saturdays and sees anywhere between 5-10 people come in on any given weekend.

Dawoud Bey, Odalys, 2003, Chadsey High School, Detroit, Michigan Courtesy of the artist

“The gallery features both local and national artists” Jeffery told me. I was surprised by his depth of knowledge and wondered how he came to be employed at the gallery. “I got started just be visiting the gallery, and then I was eventually hired, I love it.” He went on to say. Jeffrey was so enthusiastic when talking about the gallery it was hard not to admire him.

He also took it upon himself to tell me some of the unique things about Silver Eye “The gallery also features a fellowship competition which has a $3000 prize that is essentially used to produce a piece of work that is exhibition ready.” According to Jeffery.

Jeffery also wanted to make sure I knew everything the gallery had to offer. “There are Classes, offered on-site on the second floor where we have offices; we also offer professional workshops, which show how to integrate photography into business and we also offer 'photo-safaris’ which include learning the basics of DSLR cameras and special trips to places around the city to work on various photography skills.” It seemed as if he was raking his brain to make sure he’d mentioned everything, but that was enough by far. I was starting to realize what an asset to the city this place truly was.

Jeffery shared that in between shows he has helped take down and install exhibitions which he enjoys “It gives me a behind the scenes look at how a gallery functions, and has taught me a lot about marketing myself.” Jeffrey hopes to one day establish himself as a professional photographer and praises working at the gallery, which has helped him make well-known contacts in the photography community that will help him in the future.

Jeffrey is simply a man trying to make it in a profession he loves, starting at the bottom in hopes of making it by networking and using the connections he acquires at the gallery.

The next visitors were a woman and her stepchildren. The teenagers’ names were Alice and Marianna, I asked if they’d like to answer a few questions and they happily obliged. They said they’d found out about the gallery through their step-mom who had heard about it and thought the girls may be interested.

“I’m impressed with the pictures and their great quality and she would love to come back.” Marianna informed me. She said photography is something that really interests her and now that she’s seen the place she will most certainly take advantage of it.

I decided to ask Alice what she believed to be Arts place in society.

Dawoud Bey, Lauren, 2006, Gateway High School, San Francisco, California Courtesy of the artist

“Everybody should be able to clear their mind and be with family and look at nice art.” She thought art was relaxing and she was particularly enjoying the current exhibit.

Jeffery, the gallery attendant was also very excited about the current exhibition in the gallery, and shared with me a little background information about it. “It is a collection of classroom photos by national artist Dawoud Bey.” He said, clarifying that currently there was only one artist on display.  Initially I believed that the gallery featured works by multiple artists.

I moved on from observing the visitors to observing the actual art. The pictures are absolutely captivating, when one walks into the gallery, the sheer size and quantity of the paintings makes one feel as if they have 27 pairs of eyes on them.

The photographs are chromogenic prints of 27 very different teens plagued by death, disease, teen pregnancy, and stereotypes all trying to find their place in the world.

The thing that is probably the most moving about these pictures is that the people featured are very real. They’re what high school students look like, what I looked like and what I saw. These were not images you come to believe are real like the ones you see photo shopped in magazines and on TV, with overly attractive people. These kids have scars, chipped nail polish and messy hair, all visible

Imperfections. They have far from the perfect wardrobe, and that doesn’t bother them one bit, The kids are photographed as they are.

Each picture features a white caption with black text. The captions are first had accounts of each teen’s struggles, passions, and hopes for the future.

The photographs and stories behind them make you wonder where the subjects are now and what became of these people since the some of the photos were taken almost a decade ago. It makes me wonder if they are accomplishing their goals as adults,

Some of the back-stories are rather tragic and almost o bring tears to the viewers eyes. You feel for them and wonder if they made it out of their situations, want to root for them. Which is precisely what the artists intent was I firmly believe.

Seeing the pictures made me think back to when I was in high school and remember what I wanted then, and reflect on it. The photographs made me realize that I was once them, maybe not completely but I was once that semi lost and confused girl behind the camera.

After visiting for an extended time on Saturday I was very pleased with what I’d experienced. I however felt like I was still missing something so I decided I needed to speak with someone else regarding the gallery. I took the opportunity to coordinate with Richard Kelly and he was more than happy to meet with me. 

I showed up the next Thursday and was greeted by Mr. Kelly. He was a nice man with a gentle smile, Brown hair, a bit of a 5 o’clock shadow, and dressed in an indigo button up shirt with black slacks. He was very professional and had a kind face. “I saw [in the guest book] you were here there other day, what’d you think?” He asked me as he opened the locked gallery door. I told Mr. Kelly how I loved the exhibit and he seemed genuinely interested in what I thought. Mr. Kelly then pulled out two chairs for us to sit and chat very casually about the gallery and the exhibit. He informed me that he hadn’t been working at the gallery for very long himself, but had been a member for many years. I had been curious about what it meant to be a “member” of the gallery since beginning the project and he finally cleared things up for me.  “As a photographer you want to belong to something bigger than you. Members are photographers, artists, and people who just love art. As a member you get special benefits like discounts and making connections, while being around people who appreciate the same things as you.“ he clarified.

Dawoud Bey, Sarah, 2005, Lawrence High School, Lawrence Massachusetts Courtesy of the artist

Add captionSince I had only visited one day I was still curious as to how many people frequent the gallery and what types of people come. Mr. Kelly described several types. “Well you get a range of people. You’ve got the regulars who come to every exhibit, you’ve got the people who just happened to be in the area and stumble upon us, and then you’ve got the people who have never been to an exhibit in their life but find something intriguing about what we have to offer and come looking for a connection.”

Mr. Kelly is a photographer and a teacher so I felt it was only right to ask him what he thought of photography. “Photography is very accessible to most people, you can collect what you like and want to enjoy in your own setting, and it’s definitely always evolving.”

I was also quite curious as to how showcased artists are selected and the process behind that. “In terms of this particular gallery the director makes the choices and she has a long term plan that spans 18-24 months.”  According to Mr. Kelly each exhibit, which typically spans between 2-3 months can see over a thousand visitors. 

As for specialty events when they’re looking for submissions such as for their auction they hold every other year that helps fund the gallery, Mr. Kelly said it is not uncommon for them to receive over 100 submissions, but ultimately the director of the gallery decides what will be displayed.

I asked Mr. Kelly to address common misconceptions regarding the gallery and art . “Well, art can be intimidating for people who didn’t grow up in an art enriched environment, and they tend to think art is ‘not for people like me’ but photography is a good way for people unfamiliar to art and museums to ease their way into the art world.” He also addressed how the gallery is bigger than it looks on the outside. “You have an experience when you come in. The size of the gallery is not so big that you feel like its too much.” He insists the gallery is a unique space and community in Pittsburgh, and after doing this I couldn’t agree more.

Mr. Kelly was right about having an experience when visiting the gallery; I defiantly came out having been exposed to something new and loving it. It also jumpstarted my desire to explore more of Pittsburgh and monitor future exhibits the gallery will be displaying. 

Silver Eye Articles & Features

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.

1.Silver Eye Homepage

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.

2. Exhibit Overview

The first article I found concerning the gallery focused on the September 11^th 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.

3. Director Focus

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.

4. Benefit Feature

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.

6. Class Pictures: Current Exhibition

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.

7. Gallery: In Depth

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. 

Immersion Ideas

For my immersion Project I've narrowed it down to several prospective ideas.
since my blog is going to be historically based I'd like to incorporate some potential ideas that have some sort of emphasis on history.

1. The first potential immersion idea I have is to focus on a non-profit particularly any of the museums in Pittsburgh, They offer so much history and immersing myself in the environment of someone such as a docent would be ideal.  Other non-profits are also an option.

2. A local government agency. As well as history I'm very interested in government and politics, therefore shadowing a local elected official or observing a campaign office is a viable idea as well.

3. Pittsburgh is full of little bakeries and gourmet shops that I've not had the opportunity to visit. I'd like to find one that really interests me and learn all about it.

4. There are also many neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, I think i'd be interesting to pick an area and just immerse myself in that area by interacting with the residents, visiting the shops, and just seeing the world through the eyes of the people who live there.

5. Find an activity of local significance and explore what that activity is as well as its enthusiasts and why they love it, as well as explore the history of the activity.