Hurricane Story Book Signing at Octavia Books, July 7

Join Octavia Books for a book signing and launch party celebrating the release of Hurricane Story by Jennifer Shaw

Thursday, July 7 at 6pm

Octavia Books
513 Octavia Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
504-899-7323

Hurricane Story is a spellbinding odyssey of exile, birth and return told in forty-six photographs and simple, understated prose. This first-person narrative told through dreamlike images of toys and dolls chronicles one couple’s evacuation from New Orleans ahead of the broken levees, the birth of their first child on the day that Katrina made landfall, and their eventual return to the city as a family. Shaw’s photographs, at turns humorous and haunting, contrast deftly with the prose.

This clothbound hardcover edition, published by Chin Music Press, includes an introduction by Rob Walker, author of Letters From New Orleans and “Consumed” columnist for The New York Times Magazine.

PPLA holds state convention in NOLA this summer

The Professional Photographers of Louisiana (PPLA) organization's state convention will be held at The Westin New Orleans Canal Place hotel in the Crescent City from Saturday, July 30 through Tues., Aug. 2.

Registration for the event is $169. You may find a registration form at PPLA website.

Among the speakers at the convention will be Richard Sturdevant, who runs a portrait studio in suburban Dallas TX, and Gary and Pamela Box, who operate a portrait studio in the Tulsa OK area.

The convention will also include trade show, featuring vendors of photography equipment, including cameras, lenses, light modifiers, flash units, backgrounds, frames, photographic labs and website designers.

For more information, or to register offline, you may call PPLA Executive Director Roch Eshleman toll free at (800) 915-7752.

Darkroom Sale

Sale of the decade at The Darkroom

Dear Photographer,

The Darkroom will be holding a 2-day sale on Friday and Saturday from 10am to 6pm, during which we will sell all of our supplies and equipment at rock-bottom prices.

Here’s what we’ve got:

Hard drives
Mac Pro
G5
PCs
Monitors
High-res scanner
9800 Printer
Work benches
Framing equipment
Film
And much, much more

Come and check it out: you’re bound to find something you really need at a price you can afford.


Charles Mégnin

The Darkroom
1927 Sophie Wright Place
New Orleans, LA 70130

(504) 522-3211

Bywater exhibit looks at Civil War in 'Grant v. Lee'

Good Children Gallery of New Orleans is presenting an exhibit of works that consider the American Civil War and its most famous generals through a contemporary lens. "Grant v. Lee," curated by NOPA member Sophie T. Lvoff, opened on Sat., June 11, and will run through Sunday, July 3.

The gallery is located at 4307 St. Claude Ave. in the Crescent City's Bywater neighborhood. It is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 5 p.m.

Photography was granted priority for "Grant v. Lee," although art from other media are showcased. The stress on photography was decided upon in tribute to Matthew Brady, Timothy O’Sullivan and other photographers of the era whose work brought home the horror and carnage of the war to the nation. (Brady also just happened to take famous photos of Ulysses S. Grant, commander of the U.S. Army during the war, and Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederates' Army of Northern Virginia.)

According to organizers, the exhibit gently and subtly evoke the times and culture of the Civil War while bringing up questions regarding race and nationalism.

The Civil War is being remembered in official ceremonies and exhibits nationwide this year, since 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the war's beginning. The war began with the April 1861 Confederate attack on Ft. Sumter in the harbor of Charleston SC.

The Good Children exhibition features work by James Taylor Bonds, Jason Derouin, Chris Domenick, Markus Fiedler, Lindsay Foster, Harvey Loves Harvey, Rachel Jones, Erik Kiesewetter, Nikki Pressley, Nina Schwanse, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Grant Willing, Katherine Wolkoff and Agustina Woodgate.

For more information, you may see the gallery's website.

Focus is on the line for Octavia juried exhibit

Octavia Art Gallery of New Orleans is calling for entries for a juried exhibition, "Drawing the Line," that is open to artists working in any medium, including film or digital media, as long as the focus is on lines. The deadline for entry is Friday, July 1.

To clarify, the focus of entries should be on lines, in case you misread that as "online."

The gallery suggests that, although drawing has been conventionally associated with pen, pencil and paper, artists have conceptually redefined the use of line via other materials and media.

"Drawing now encompasses film, computer screens, earth, walls, and materials ranging from sticks to pixels," the gallery's announcement noted. "The nature of drawing is not limited by media, nor is it characterized by a format."

The exhibit is to be held August 6-27 at the gallery, located at 4532 Magazine Street.

Crescent City artist Rebecca Rebouche will serve as the exhibit juror. There are no fees for entry. Individuals may submit up to five pieces, in digital format only, for consideration. Artists interested in submitting their work may request an application by writing art@octaviaartgallery.com.

Shared Office Space Available in Healing Center

From Lee Celano:
I am looking to share this office at the Healing Center with someone: 200SF, Internet, phone, utilities and printer/copier/fax included- $375/month. A really great space. 
 

Please email lee@leecelano.com if interested.

Farewell to The New Orleans Darkroom

We are organizing a bon voyage gathering for Charles Megnin. Please come out to thank him for all that The Darkroom has done to help bring our photo community together in its seven years of existence.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011
7pm
The Columns Hotel
3811 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70115

Since 2004 The Darkroom has been a great place for photographers to connect and learn from each other, serving as a hub of dialogue and creativity.  

The exhibitions, workshops and printing and framing services offered there will all be missed. As will the library, which gave us opportunity to sit on comfy couches and peruse wonderful books for education and inspiration. Many great conversations transpired at The Darkroom, over wine at art openings, during the workshops which brought an impressive roster of renowned photographers here to teach, or simply while popping in to pick up film and supplies.

Jock Sturges critique with NOPA members, 2010

Over the years, Charles has been a great friend, adviser and partner to the New Orleans Photo Alliance. It was the "Carnival" group show The Darkroom organized in February 2006 that initially reunited photographers after Hurricane Katrina, planting seeds which helped to form NOPA. The Darkroom hosted some of our earliest meetings while we were in the initial brainstorming phase, and some of our earliest programming events before we found a physical home. In 2010 Charles stepped up to serve as our treasurer, and we will miss him dearly in that capacity as well.

The doors will close at the end of June, when Charles and family will move to France. Please join us next Tuesday to raise a glass in celebration of his many contributions and wish him the best as he moves on to the next adventure.

*****

Dear Friends of The Darkroom,

I'm very sad to say that at the end of June, The Darkroom will
permanently close its doors. Our timeline is to continue taking
orders until the end of May and to keep open hours until the end of
June in order to allow you to pick up any work. All scheduled
programming and workshops will also continue through June.

In the meantime, I would like to extend to you an additional 25%
discount on all of our services and supplies until the end of the
month.

Mostly, I want to thank you for your support over the last seven
years and tell you how much we have enjoyed working with you. If you
have any questions or comments regarding the business closure or any
other matter, feel free to contact me via email:
charles@neworleansdarkroom.com

Sincerely,
Charles Megnin

Louisiana Photographers: Call for Photographs, Videos

Pelican Bomb, an online platform dedicated to the growing Louisiana arts community, invites all Louisiana photographers and video artists to submit work for consideration in its "Pic(k) of the Week" section.

Each week, Pelican Bomb spotlights a single work by a Louisiana photographer or video artist, allowing site visitors to interact with a new work of art unmediated by text or commentary.

If you would like to participate, please contact editor@pelicanbomb.com.

For previous examples, please visit http://pelicanbomb.com/search/cats/33.

Entry deadline is June 7 for post-9/11 photo exhibit

The website SocialDocumentary.net will be accepting entries through Tuesday, June 7 for a juried exhibition, "Ten Years After Nine Eleven: Searching for a 21st Century Landscape." The exhibit is to be held from Aug. 20 to Sept. 16 in Brooklyn, NY.

The call for entry is open to all photographers, whether professional or amateur or based in the United States or elsewhere. The entry fee is $35 for anywhere between six and 36 images, all of which must have been taken after Sept. 11, 2001.

For more information on the exhibit and competition, including the exhibit theme, details about prizes and a list of judges, you may visit the SDN website.