Photo Exhibit at Art Society of Kingston Shows Off Local Artists
Walking into the Arts Society of Kingston (ASK) in the early afternoon on a Wednesday, you might be the only one doing so. I was accompanied only by three staff members, and they had to turn the light on for me in the 2016 Juried Photography Exhibition I was there to view. However, if you think this is indicative of the exhibition’s success, you are sorely mistaken.
“We had at least 350 people on October first — opening night,” said Vindora Wixom, executive director at the ASK. The society hosts openings for their various art shows on the first Saturday of every month, but this show was something a bit different.
Juried by professional photographer Jim Smith, the exhibition accepted submissions from both ASK members and non-members. The best pieces were selected to be displayed, with one piece being selected as best in show. This year the honor — along with a prize of $250 — went to Jeanne C Hildenbrand for her piece entitled “Squatters.”
A small sign in the exhibition room touted Smith’s experience as a freelance photographer, declaring that “his work has appeared in over one hundred books and magazines.” The sign also stated that Smith has worked in the publishing and advertising business for over 25 years.
While it was indeed photographs that the public submitted to be displayed, a large number of the pictures looked like paintings or digital creations, with many pieces digitally edited to create the artist’s vision. The subjects varied from local — such as John Mizel’s photo of the Mohonk Mountain House — to international — Larry Arvidson’s piece of St. Michel’s Church in Dijon, France.
Nearly all photographs were for sale, with the lowest price observed being $150. The highest price tag — $580 — was asked for an abstract piece by Ardis Ratski entitled “Artist Table”. It is not known how the pictures were priced, although presumably there are some people who are interested enough in abstract art to pay the hefty fee for some paint splatters.
Pasquale Leuzzi’s submission, “Majestic View of the Hudson Valley” combines multiple pictures of the same spot to create a composite piece. It features two woman in the background of the photograph, sitting on a peak high in the mountains with their backs facing the camera. The foreground is filled with near transparent images of other, perhaps past visitors to that spot. Some of these individuals are shown taking pictures of the view, and some are just looking.
A similar idea was had by Michael Citron, whose photograph of the Metropolitan Opera House combined the view of the exterior and interior of the museum. Both Citron and Leuzzi’s pieces also had to deal with the reflections of the room, creating an interesting — although assumably unplanned — effect.
While it is visual art that is most often on display at the ASK, Wixom said that they also host performance art. In particular, she mentioned an all-female group of comedians that performed recently. Furthermore, it is not only professionals that can submit art pieces. Along with the photography exhibition, the ASK is currently displaying a collection of pieces by students at nearby Marist College.
“I like that we get to work with students…it gives them a chance to be part of an art community,” said Aija-Rose Farnill, who does graphic design work for ASK. She added that she believed all art students should get involved with ASK, since they will gladly display their work.
The Juried Photography Exhibition is available to view until the end of October.
