2010 Fundraiser Print Auction for InFocus at Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ, Nov. 9

2010 INFOCUS Fundraiser

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 • 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Bentley Gallery • 4161 North Marshall Way • Scottsdale, Arizona 85251

Join us Tuesday, November 9th between 5:30 and 8:00 pm at The Bentley Gallery in Scottsdale for our Annual INFOCUS Fundraising Auction.

The INFOCUS auction is a great opportunity to see the work of nearly twenty photographers, shop in advance of holiday gift-giving, and show your support for the Phoenix Art Museum’s INFOCUS support organization. This event is targeted at the new collector and bargain hunter, with silent auction bidding beginning at just $150. Historic and contemporary works will be sold and some of the photographers will be attending the event. A range of photographic media, subject matters, and styles will be included so there will be something for everyone. It is a wonderful occasion to get involved with the Phoenix photographic community, and is open to the public – all are welcome!

The auction will feature three framed showcase photographs: an Edward Curtis gravure of San Xavier, a Cole Weston cibachrome of kelp, and a Harold Jones gelatin silver print of an Arizona monsoon sky, with higher starting bids and buy it now prices.

Light refreshments will be served.

A PDF of the flier can be downloaded here:
http://www.infocus-phxart.org/pdf/In...aiser_2010.pdf

INFOCUS
Phoenix Art Museum
1625 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85004-1685
For more information about INFOCUS please call (602) 307-2079 or visit us online at www.infocus-phxart.org.

I am also very honored to have been invited to donate a print.

Ansel Adams: Discoveries at PHX Art Museum

Michael Pesselato views "Monolith" in its various incarnations.

Last Friday I had the privilege of attending the opening of the "Ansel Adams: Discoveries" exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum. Accompanying me were Michael Pesselato, from Phoenix Country Day School, John Prouty, and the Famous Larry Golsh and his wife, Sharon. This was a special opening for museum Circles members and members of our support group, InFocus.

This expansive exhibit was curated by Dr. Becky Senf of the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, where Ansel's archives are located. The usual suspects are present and, in some cases, in forms you may not be familiar with. One of the highlights of the exhibit was Ansel's color work, which is not widely seen. Although interesting, it just doesn't have the impact of his black & white work.

The reception featured wonderful food and drink and lots of photography talk.

The Famous Larry Golsh, Randy Efros, Judy Zuber and Juan Garcia (l to r)

John Prouty, Juan Garcia, Sharon and the Famous Larry Golsh

The "Moonrise" section... negative, straight print, early and later finished prints

There was a video of Ansel in his darkroom.

Some of Ansel's color work, much of it from Arizona Highways.

The exhibit is up until June so I plan on visiting it several times where I can go at my own pace. If you're in the Phoenix area make a point to see this important exhibit as it will not be traveling.

InFocus: Face to Face at Phoenix Art Museum

Last night I attended the first official event sponsored by InFocus, the Photography Support Organization at the museum. It featured a talk by Dr. Rebecca Senf, the Assistant Curator at the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson. Also in attendance from the Center was Linda Truesdale, Director of Development.

Dr. Rebecca Senf leads a discussion on photographic portraiture.

Among topics discussed were the stories portraits can tell, the ways photographers convey the essence of their subjects and the impact of the relationship between photographer and subject. Including nearly 60 portraits from the Center, as well as key loans from a few local collections, the exhibition raises engaging questions:

New York City, Gary Winogrand, 1968

How does a portrait become iconic?
What is unique about a photographic self-portrait?
What are the advantages of working in the studio, or in the field?

Alfred Steiglitz, by Paul Strand, 1924

How do photographers use setting, pose, camera angle, or scale to add meaning to a picture?

Prints by some of the greatest portraitists and photographic image-makers of the 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century are included: Southworth and Hawes, Gertrude Kasebier, Edward Weston, Dorothea Lange, W. Eugene Smith, Ansel Adams, Diane Arbus, Yousuf Karsh and Richard Avedon.

Bob Dylan, by Richard Avedon

Our friend, Randy Efros, Brett Weston's last assistant.

A private reception for InFocus members followed.

Photographers Randy Efros and John Prouty

The exhibit continues through January 10, 2010 in the Norton Photography Gallery at the Phoenix Art Museum.

InFocus Fundraiser a Success!

The fundraiser for InFocus, the new photography support group of the Phoenix Art Museum, held on August 1st was a big success!

The show was well attended, and all thirteen of the photographs donated were sold during the silent auction. In attendance were Jim Ballinger, director of the Phoenix Art Museum, and his wife, Linda, Annie Waters, a noted Phoenix artist, and many other patrons of the Phoenix art scene. The auction brought in just under $2800 for the fledgling group.

There are several upcoming InFocus events being planned, including an exhibit of photographs by Randy Efros and John Kitts. Look for more details here as they become available.

From left: Randy Efros, Jim and Linda Ballinger, John Kitts

From left: Contributing photographers Judith Andersen, Joyce Bealer and John Prouty.

Reminder: InFocus Benefit Saturday, August 1

Just a reminder that the InFocus benefit at 422 Gallery is tomorrow, Saturday, August 1 from 6:00-9:00 PM. The images for up for silent auction will be viewable from 12 Noon, in case you already have plans for the evening. Opening bids start at $100, except for the Kim/Edward Weston image, which starts at $500. Refreshments will be served. Call John Kitts of 422 Gallery at 602-670-1342 for more information.

License Plates and Signs, Hackberry, AZ, 2008 by Richard M. Coda


Spring, 1943, Negative by Edward Weston, Print by Kim Weston

InFocus Fundraiser Exhibit and Silent Auction - August 1, 6:00 PM

422 Gallery is hosting a fundraiser for IN FOCUS on
Saturday, August 1, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

IN FOCUS is the dynamic new photography support group
of the Phoenix Art Museum.

The fundraiser will feature a silent auction of a dozen
fine photographs donated by some really great
photographers along with a framed Edward Weston
photograph printed by Kim Weston.

Preview and bidding are available anytime after noon.

The silent auction photographs are 4” x 5” to 8” x 10”
in size and bidding starts at $100.

Photographers donating prints to the auction:

• Judith Andersen
• Joyce Bealer
• Rich Coda
• Randy Efros
• Matt Hojnacki
• Linda Ingraham
• Don Kirby
• John Kitts
• Rod Klukas
• John Prouty
• Craig Smith
• Lonna Tucker
• Kim Weston
  

422 Gallery is located at 4115 North 44th Street, Phoenix.

Refreshments will be served.

Please call 602-670-1342 with any questions.

InFocus - a new photo group at Phoenix Art Museum

At a recent Imageworks meeting, Randy Efros, last assistant to Brett Weston, and John Kitts, owner of 422 Gallery in Phoenix, gave a presentation on a new and exciting venue for photography in Phoenix – InFocus.

In a nutshell, it is a group within the umbrella of the Phoenix Art Museum, dedicated exclusively to photography. Their mission is to promote photography in Phoenix and to bring monthly photographic events to its members. These events may be held in Phoenix, but may also involve exhibits and discussions elsewhere, such as the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, and other venues.

One of the events scheduled so far is a fund raiser at 422 Gallery on Saturday, August 1, which will include a silent print auction. As more details and events are added I will forward them along.

Phoenix Art Museum membership is a prerequisite for InFocus membership. Yearly membership for a single (even if you’re over 40) is $50 and a “Member” (includes two adults in one household) is $75. Patron and Corporate levels are $200 and $400, respectively. I have linked the membership application card that Randy and John handed out. Please feel free to forward it along to others who may be interested in this new group. The more interest we can generate in InFocus, the more we, as photographers, and Phoenix, as a photographic destination, will benefit.

For more information, please call Randy Efros at 602-973-2321 or John Kitts of 422 Gallery at 602-670-1342.