After school on Wednesday, I drove to Braddock. Directly across from the Edgar Thomson USS Mill is an old Catholic school building that’s been transformed into a spacious art gallery. UnSmoke Artspace.
This Friday night (May 11th 6-9PM) is the opening of (Voice of rational being) An exhibition featuring the works of Aaron Meyers and Justin Sorensen.
I was fortunate to spend an hour or so watching Aaron set up some of his work and followed him around, shooting and talking and only once did he ask me to hold a plank while he drilled into the brick wall so I wasn’t too useful. He was gracious and explained his exploration of materials and how he had transported the art in a truck and what his performance would be during the exhibit.
One thing that struck me is how Aaron inquired about my teaching at school AND about what my blog is about. So although I was there for the purpose of photographing him and his art, he expressed interest in what I do and it was an easy exchange. Aaron has empathy and understanding for the teaching as his mom and I are colleagues. He told me how almost every school he attended in the city is now closed.
As I’m sure you have, I’ve been to my fair share of gallery openings and exhibits but I’ve never been to one when it was being set up. I would find it fascinating to see and hear the process that an artist uses to do it and to learn how much of a say the gallery owner has in the process. Yep, fascinating!
Very nice photo shoot Ruth.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Can’t go to the opening, but I would like to see the exhibit. Looks interesting.
Nice photo – essay! Lots going on “behind the scenes!” And at the Whitney in NYC, where tomorrow evening Braddock native LaToya Ruby Frazier is bringing her photos in the Show to life with a piece of performance art about the reality of the closing of Braddock Hosp and Levi’s fiction about Braddock in their ad campaign. She’ll be in Braddock this summer as the first Artist in Residence at the Braddock Carnegie Library – maybe she and Aaron will meet!!?
Good stuff Ruth. Love the ‘Footloose’ contraption, i wonder what the missing big toe is all about? :-0)
You pick such wonderful subjects and expose yourself and your readers and viewers to so much. Very cool.
The foot playing piece looks super-interesting! Such creativity.