PETERSBURG — Petersburg Area Art League has exciting opportunities this month. Did you know PAAL does not charge to see the art exhibits? If you haven’t been, you really should make a trip to Old Towne to check them out.
Michelle Wilkie, a native New Zealander and now a U.S. resident, will have her art quilt exhibit “Eyes Wide Open” featured at PAAL in the Main Gallery from Friday, June 14 through August 3. The gallery will host an opening night reception with the quilt artist present on Friday, June 21 from 5 -8 p.m.
“Moving to the United States, prompted a profound exploration of connection, community and cultural identity. There are a lot of nuances, socially and politically, in this new landscape [of the US] that are not always easy to overcome but quilting is my bridge to connection and community and now drives my art practice,” Wilkie states in her bio. “I relate to this traditional women’s craft, as it is in essence a way to connect community, the maker and our history. I have been exploring how to continue this through my work, while pushing boundaries of people’s expectation of what a quilt can be.”
Wilkie’s artistic practice revolves around modern quilting where she seamlessly blends traditional techniques with a contemporary twist, embracing both improvisation and minimalism. Her artistic narrative unfolds through a lens that captures her experiences – a visual dialogue shaped by photography, translating moments into textile works. Each quilt becomes a canvas where emotions and connections intertwine and a story is told.
PAAL encourages group visits from quilt guilds around the region. Groups may contact Martha Burton with Petersburg Area Regional Tourism at 804-731-1672 or mburton@craterpdc.org to inquire about lodging and dining. Visit mlwilkie.com to learn more about the artist and designer of modern quilts.
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In the Upper Gallery, “The Photography of Gary D. Jones, A collection of images and memories of Petersburg, the town where I grew up” will be on display. In January, Jones won the prestigious Professional Photographers of America [PPA] 2024 Grand Imaging Award. Included in this show will be the award-winning submission “The Destination Ahead” that earned him the top prize, acclaim and a $10,000 cash award. Don’t miss his exhibit which will also be on exhibit at PAAL June 14 through August 3.
Jones was born in Petersburg and moved to DC at age nine. He returned to the area to attend Virginia State University [VSU] where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Commercial Art and Design. As reported by The Progress-Index in February, Jones has been a member of the Petersburg-based Cockade City Camera Club for the past 10 years. He has instructed courses in Off Camera Flash, Constant light and Print Competition. Currently, the Club meets monthly at PAAL.
The community is invited to PAAL’s “Friday for the Arts!” opening night, Friday, June 14 from 5-8 p.m. Petersburg Area Art League is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday. Art lovers may visit the gallery free of charge, however, contributions are appreciated. PAAL is located at 7 E. Old Street in Petersburg. For more information about the non-profit organization’s programs, history, PAAL membership, gallery hours and more, visit paalarts.org and follow Petersburg Area Art League on Facebook.
At Old Towne Civic Center in Petersburg on Saturday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m., PAAL will present vocalist Gennine Francis. The California native will perform hits by Whitney Houston from her one-woman show “the Essence of Whitney” as well as hits from Anita Baker, Gladys Knight, Sade, Norah Jones and Marvin Gaye and many more.
Years ago, Francis and her sisters had a pop singing group The Jacksonics. They were blessed to perform with Billy Paul, Bill Cosby, Eddie Kendricks, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Three Dog Night, The Pointer Sisters, The Whispers, The Manhattans, Sisters Sledge and more. Since September 2001, she has completed five CDs and is currently working on number six. To learn more about Francis who has been performing since age eight, visit genninefrancis.com.
To purchase tickets to PAAL’s second concert of the summer sponsored by Bill Nicholson visit paalart.org. Tickets are $30 for general seating and $50 for VIP. The VIP tickets with preferred seating also include a Meet and Greet with Francis. Old Towne Civic Center is located at 136 River Street in Petersburg.
’17th year of jamming on the Avenue’Petersburg: Halifax Music Festival, food, vendors, spirits garden, karaoke, dancers, fun
Check out featured lineupPetersburg Public Library: Jazz in the Stacks 2024 concert series
Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly, an award-winning columnist, is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index voted the 2022 Tri-Cities Best of the Best Social Media Personality. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on X and@socialbutterflykristi on Instagram.
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“Reflecting Narcissus.” All images © Tugboat Printshop, shared with permission
For Valerie Lueth of Tugboat Printshop, the final piece is only one stage of the painstaking yet satisfying process of making woodblock prints. The works emerge from meticulous planning and carving of numerous blocks, which the Pittsburgh-based artist layers on top of one another to achieve a variety of colors, patterns, and striking contrasts.
One recent print “Reflecting Narcissus,” depicts five daffodils reflected in a pool of water. The composition references the Greek mythological character, Narcissus, whose beauty and youth were admired by everyone who looked upon him, even though he didn’t love anyone. That is, until he saw his own reflection in a pool and fell deeply for his image, pining away until he died and was transformed into a flower named for him.
Lueth (previously) is known for creating detailed prints that call on the beauty of nature and folklore, and she revels in the process behind each work, which you can explore more in-depth on her website. She was recently featured in issue 25 of the printmaking magazine Pressing Matters and has two prints currently available for pre-order, including “Ladder Tree,” shown below. Follow Instagram for additional updates.
“Reflecting Narcissus” woodblock in progress
Pulling “Reflecting Narcissus” print
Left: One color block for “Reflecting Narcissus.” Right: The first layer of the print
“Ladder Tree” in progress
Left: “Raindrops.” Right: The woodblock in progress for “Raindrops”
“Ladder Tree” block
Detail of “Ladder Tree” block
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Striking New Prints from Tugboat Printshop Reflect on the Mysteries of Nature and Mythology appeared first on Colossal.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) – An Iowa man is using his personal camera collection to help teach and empower young girls through the power of photography.
Dan Troxell, from Des Moines, is using his collection for the “Butterfly Effect,” an after-school program which teaches students the art and essentials of photography, like loading film, and shutter speeds.
It’s part of a partnership aligning with the mission of empowering girls.
Troxell said it’s a way to get students away from selfies and social media to explore photography as an art form.
“Get them away from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, you know, instant gratification, into a more thoughtful, artistic way to view the world,” Troxell said.
It’s just one of 30 after-school programs supported by the Chrysalis Foundation.
To learn more and to find out how you can support the effort, you can head to the Chrysalis Foundation’s website.
Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.
June 04, 2024
Lead ImageThe Filial Daughter孝女Photography by by Mengyu Zhou
The Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Stereo Camera is a new camera with two lenses positioned apart, just like eyes, to capture a stereoscopic 3D image.
The device is a straightforward ‘box’ design, with two eight-megapixel cameras, a weatherproof design, EIS, and a ‘manual mode’.
It is designed to provide ‘eyes’ to Acer’s existing range of 3D products – monitors and laptops which have 3D displays which don’t need glasses.
Acer’s SpatialLabs tech relies on a lenticular monitor, but the technology has moved on a long way from the ridged screens over static images you might remember from years ago (or the Nintendo 3DS).
Acer’s screens use eye-tracking cameras to ensure the correct image is projected, allowing the user a certain amount of movement.
There are still limitations. There are four apps that make up the SpatialLabs suite, all for Windows, so Mac users won’t be able to take advantage. Each requires switching to full screen; the 4K monitors work on a SBS (side by side) approach, which is – in so far as any 3D system is – well-recognised. What that means is video is sent as two side-by-side images; a side-effect in YouTube for a long while was messed-up control icons.
The result, though, is that (in person) objects can appear to be about 10cm / 3-inches closer to you than the surface of the screen itself.
Ok, so the camera…
The camera lenses have an aperture of f/2 with a 21mm EFL. Together the provide an 80-degree horizontal and 52-degree vertical field of view. The ‘eyes’ are 63mm apart, similar to human eyes, and each possesses a 1/2.8-inch CMOS sensor.
These deliver a photo resolution of 7680 x 2160 SBS, or a 30fps video at the same resolution (or 60fps at 3840 x 2160). This lower resolution is also available for stereo webcam and for a 30fps HDR mode.
The back of the camera sports a 2.41-inch touchscreen, though there is also a ‘built-in selfie mirror’ so the camera can be aimed for meetings and the like.
The camera does a boast 6-axis gyro for image stabilization, and a light 220g weight (perhaps as it only has 37 minutes of recording time untethered).
These specs suggest that when Acer say ‘designed for photographers’ they’re using a modern take on the term, very video and streaming bias, but at least the lenses are appropriate positioned (though it is interesting that the EFL is narrower than the 42mm you might expect – presumably this is to allow the user to ‘frame’ themselves/their subject).
The device’s uses aren’t as niche as you might imagine either; 3D content is increasingly standardized (so much so it’s a barely mentioned feature of plenty of TVs). Anything which can handle a video feed can, in theory, handle SBS video, so 3D video calling on Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet are cited by Acer as practical uses.
This, admittedly, is something customers will need to wait for, until another SpatialLabs widget comes along, promised for Q3 this year, but then the camera itself won’t go on sale in Q3 for US$549.
Until then, it is a good reminder that innovations in photography aren’t all being led by traditional photography brands. Sure, faster focusing and eye-tracking are exciting but they’re improvements – but this is a markedly different approach but one which might yet take-off given the impetus coming from the many AR and VR products. This is a more complete example, but Apple Spatial Video can already be recorded on some iPhones, so Acer isn’t alone here.
If you’re interested in 3D, have you considered the best 360-degree cameras?
242 days into the war, the struggle to bring back the hostages continues with a single goal: to bring everyone home, now.
Incomplete, a new exhibition recently opened at the Tel Aviv Culture Hall plaza (running until June 29), showcases photographs offering a personal perspective on the efforts made since October 7 to return the hostages home – and on their absence.
The photos capture some of the most powerful moments of the protests: from the march of the hostages’ families in Tel Aviv the week the UN report on sexual violence against the hostages was published, to the families’ tour of the Gaza border, and the demonstration in front of the Prime Minister’s residence.
They also reflect on the symbols reminding us of the brutal massacre carried out by Hamas that fateful Saturday – and the hope to rescue those still held hostage by Hamas terrorists.
The photography exhibition, open to the public free of charge, is a collaboration between the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, Bank Hapoalim, and “Yoman Masa.” It features photos from dozens of amateur and professional photographers from across Israel.
