my exhibit in chicago - please share your experiences

don sorsa

don sorsa

pointer, shooter
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Sep 26, 2004
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Hi - This afternoon I hung about 35 photos in The Handlebar, a local bar & grill frequented by bicyclists. http://www.handlebarchicago.com/ The owner contacted me just over a week ago and offered the space, so I've been scrambling to print and frame everything without spending a fortune. Whew, my first "exhibit" and it was a lot of work. Many of my biking shots are posted in my gallery here and your compliments gave me the confidence to continue working on the project.

Lessons learned: Almost everything is B&W and I can see now that many were printed too dark, especially the night time shots. Good frames would have been great but too expensive. I'll go back in a couple days and if it doesn't look too terrible I'll have a little reception. If local RFF folks get a chance to stop by, I'd really appreciate your ideas and suggestions. Details of the restaurant are available at the url above.

So, your turn. Where was your first exhibit or show and how'd it go?
 
my first exhibit was actually quite exciting.
i signed up for a photo documentary course at the local university, evening program.
we were to document the local fringe theatre event, an annual summer theatre event. we had access to dress rehearsals but not live plays.
anyway, the university was celebrating their 75th anniversary that fall and the class was invited to exhibit our shots as part of a much larger celebration.
we had large coverage and large crowds simply by being part of the anniversary celebrations. the best part was that one of my photos was picked to grace the poster advertising the event.
it was fun.

enjoy your exhibit don!!

joe
 
I've never had one but I'd like to congratulate you on yours! :) For sure I will have one in 2008 'cos I'm working on the project for that now. Plenty of time to get anxious about it... :)
 
im working on my first right now to be shown in portland in march....it is slightly nerve wracking...but great...
 
Congratulations, Don! That is a learning experience, isn't it! I was half of a two-man show about 20 years ago at the Ellensburg Community Art Gallery here in Washington state. I matted and framed 20 or so 11x14 black & white prints, and one was used on the cover of their monthly promotional flyer. Your preparing and hanging 35 prints is a big job!
 
I never had an exhibition. :( I don't really have plans in that direction either but maybe a book would be nice. :)

Congrats, Don! Enjoy your 15 (a bit more in your case, it seems) minutes of fame! I'm really happy for you.
 
Thanks, all. I took the advice of someone on this forum and focused (no pun intended) on the theme of bikes in a fast, dark, urban environment (although I shoot other things as well). The theme is helping me learn more about photography, and the exhibit is forcing me to revisit what I've done so far. It's all a learning experience.

Chaser, do you have a theme for your exhibit?
 
Congratulations, Don! Where's The Handlebar?

I had one exhibit once, Photos from a market in Costa Rica, in a local coffeeshop. I was working in another, Street Images from Hispanic Countries (CR, Spain and Colombia) when the coffee shop closed. My prints are in an art gallery whose owner also does professional framing, so I'll have to retrieve them before he works on them.

Either that, or I'll have my exhibit at his gallery...

Thanks for the good news!! And, again, congratulations! :D
 
its a group show and i am working on 16X20 nudes for the most part...and because of my recently aquired fuji it is a rangefinder project, i wish i was over there to check out your show 35photos is animpressive amount...congrats
 
Francisco, Chase, Allen - thanks. I want to see what it looks like in the daytime since it was dark by the time I had everything hung. I'll put together an electronic version of the prints that made the final cut, many rangefinder but also slr stuff 'cuz Oscar sold me a cute little Minolta.

The Handlebar is at 2311 West North Avenue. Location, menu and other details are available at the link above.
 
don sorsa said:
Francisco, Chase, Allen - thanks. I want to see what it looks like in the daytime since it was dark by the time I had everything hung. I'll put together an electronic version of the prints that made the final cut, many rangefinder but also slr stuff 'cuz Oscar sold me a cute little Minolta.

The Handlebar is at 2311 West North Avenue. Location, menu and other details are available at the link above.
Click to expand...

You know, I've a preference for cute little cameras :D

Congrats on your exhibition Don, I'm very very happy for you !!! I'd love to see the real version but if you upload an electronic one I'll appreciate it as well.

Oscar
 
Thanks, Oscar and LilRed. A handful of people from my photo club checked out the exhibit last night and didn't kick me out of the club, so that's good. (Of course a few beers along with some delicious appetizers food might have made all the difference in the world!) I'll put together an electronic version one of these days, but organizing this show really wiped me out.
 
congrats! will this be a semi-permanent exhibit? I don't make it to Chicago that often.. but I might plan a trip there in a couple months.. I'd love to check out your work
 
Re: my exhibit in chicago - please share your experiences

Congratulations, Don! I had my 1st show in April of last year, @ a local coffeeshop (http://www.trystdc.com) similar to the Handlebar. Having more money than time, I ended up paying to have my 50-odd prints professionally matted & clip-framed. Still, the logistics of hanging & display were a lot of work, so I certainly empathize w/your experience.

Although I've been meaning to visit Chicago again (lived there for 3 years, but last visit was a couple years ago), I doubt I'll be able to soon enough to check out your show. Best of luck, anyway.


don sorsa said:
Hi - This afternoon I hung about 35 photos in The Handlebar, a local bar & grill frequented by bicyclists. http://www.handlebarchicago.com/ The owner contacted me just over a week ago and offered the space, so I've been scrambling to print and frame everything without spending a fortune. Whew, my first "exhibit" and it was a lot of work. Many of my biking shots are posted in my gallery here and your compliments gave me the confidence to continue working on the project.

Lessons learned: Almost everything is B&W and I can see now that many were printed too dark, especially the night time shots. Good frames would have been great but too expensive. I'll go back in a couple days and if it doesn't look too terrible I'll have a little reception. If local RFF folks get a chance to stop by, I'd really appreciate your ideas and suggestions. Details of the restaurant are available at the url above.

So, your turn. Where was your first exhibit or show and how'd it go?
Click to expand...
 
The exhibit should be up for a couple months. Maybe we should organize a get together with members and visitors in the area, mainly to wander around town and watch each other get in trouble!
 
I mean.. not shooting the breeze (although I won't object to that), but shooting the town.

Not painting it red either... Just shoot it with a camera. I've got lots of Chicago images, some good, some decent, many of them simply snapshots.

Do they sell Irish focusing fluid there at the Handlebar?
 
Congratulations, Don. That is quite an honor. I wish I was back in Chicago to see your exhibit -- good luck with it!

D2

P. S. My first exhibition was a Western Photographers show in Nevada; it turned out to be a very humbling experience. Second show was here in Sun Valley -- deeper humiliation (I just don't have the "finesse").
 
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