The 8 sculptures along Lakeshore Drive are coming down to make way for the next public art exhibit
Penticton artist’s horseshoe salmon sculpture wins People’s Choice award
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Capturing the Beauty of Architecture Through Multiple Exposure
Architecture is an art form that reflects human creativity and engineering ingenuity and is not simply about buildings and structures, and one of the most fascinating ways, for me anyway, to capture the beauty of architecture is through multiple-exposure photography. Photographing architecture using multiple exposures allows you to create unique and visually stunning compositions that showcase the architectural details in a whole new light, capturing the intricate details, patterns, and textures of the buildings and structures in a creative and artistic way.
What Is Multiple Exposure Photography?
Multiple exposure photography is a technique where two or more images are combined into a single photograph, which I’m sure you already knew. In traditional film photography, this was achieved by exposing the same frame multiple times, resulting in the blending of different images on a single negative. In digital photography, multiple exposures can be achieved through in-camera settings or post-processing techniques. Depending on your camera you may be able to capture 2 or more frames as multiple exposure shots. For the examples shown in this article, I used a Fuji XT-5 which captures up to 9 frames.
Control
Perhaps the main difference between multiple exposure and ICM is that you have greater compositional control and details within the final image. With ICM you create your composition relative to your subject matter and then your shutter speed and movement dictate the final outcome. Both do have their plus and minus points and both can be combined to create your image. You could for example use your in-camera multiple exposure setting and shoot any of the sequential shots as an ICM, in manual settings, and then shoot the remaining shot(s) as a focussed composition. Resulting in a mix of both ICM and multiple exposures.
Camera Settings
My own personal preference for this type of imagery is now to shoot solely in jpg format so that I have the final image captured in one frame without the ability to edit the positioning of the captured frames in post-production as would happen if you shot in raw. Even if you do shoot raw your camera’s firmware will create a final blended image of your sequence, however, for me, I did find that with the other single raw images, I would be tempted to realign some of them to get my final image. Whereas shooting solely in jpg meant I had to reflect upon the image and improve my technique to achieve what I was seeking.
If your camera is equipped with a multiple exposure mode, you should have a few blend modes that are available for you to choose from, try them all as each will produce a different result based on your subject matter and available light. My preference is an average blend due to the results it provides. On another note to quickly access the multiple features, I have it stored in the My Menu feature of the XT-5.
There are no hard and fast camera settings to follow for this type of photography as it’s all down to a matter of taste. I personally use between f/8 and f/14 as I enjoy the visual effect of the architectural details that are overlayed in the images as each time I look at the image I see more and more within it. They can also be photographed with wide apertures, on very sunny days an ND filter of about 3 stops is advisable. Manual camera settings or aperture priority again both work depending on what final effect you are after. Personally, I now lean more towards aperture priority when capturing these as I can spend more time focusing on the effect of the overlayed details within the composition rather than exposure and shutter speed.
Lenses, again this is entirely up to you as different focal lengths yield different results. Using longer focal lengths will require less movement in the camera position/angle to create the desired results. However, with the examples shown here in this article a majority of them were photographed at 16mm, so as you can see it’s down to personal preference.
Technique
There are so many different ways to capture these types of images and it comes down to your own personal preference for the final image and how you tackle it. Two or three exposures might be all you need to get your image, or perhaps in my case anywhere between six and nine images.
Each composition for myself is usually tackled in the same way as I like the visual results it returns. It also depends on how much architectural detail there is to have within the image; more detail, tighter movements, less detail, larger movements.
The image above is indicative of the tighter movement scenario. The red lines indicate the first composition with the main subject being the central building framed by the other two. The purple lines indicate the tighter directional movements of this multiple exposures, and with each one, I try to keep the main subject within the frame. This of course is not always the case as each composition will dictate whether your main subject should stay in frame for all of the shots.
You don’t always have to stay focused on your subject matter, as in the image above, where a series of shots were taken of the architecture and then during the series, I shifted my focus to the river and captured a shot, and then returned for the remaining shots of the buildings. Doing this allowed me to add a slight texture of the water ripples over the entire image.
Editing
To get the final results you are seeking you may want to do quite a bit of post-processing or simply just tweak the colors this is where it is entirely up to you as you are creating a piece of unique photographic artwork. For the image below a simple overlay of the bottom image with a lighten blend mode in Photoshop was all that was required to achieve the painterly effect I was seeking.
As this is your photographic art so to speak, there are no boundaries in how you edit to achieve the final effect. Sure, compositional guidelines are still required to control the viewer’s eye, but the coloring, tonality, and all other elements of editing are derived from your choice. Even touching on the abstract nature of a shot and edit can result in some unique images; which of course are subjective.
The following images are a result of various different basic editing techniques including masking to blend various parts of the same image, flipping an image to create a mirrored effect, and blending two images together.
Give it a Go
Ok, so I’m aware that it might not be for everyone, but at the same time, it might be worth giving it a go if you are in a creative rut. Don’t be afraid to experiment and be creative with your images and compositions. Try different combinations of images, exposures, and blend modes to achieve the results you are after. Push the boundaries and think outside the box as your images could create compelling architectural multiple exposure imagery.
Include people in your images if you are in a busy city as it adds to the visual elements within and helps breathe nuances of life into the surrounding architecture. I don’t do it that often myself but each time I do I find it intriguing as the visual details within the scene obviously increase, and I see more and more interest within the image even if the composition is not that great.
Think about the elements you want to include in your images, considering the placement of lines, shapes, patterns, and reflections as they can add depth and interest to your final composition. Above all though, have fun experimenting.
Kootéeyaa Deiyí dedicates a new era of Northwest Coast art
Sealaska Heritage Institute’s name is seen behind the Sealaska Cultural Values Pole. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett/KINY)
Juneau, Alaska (KINY) – A dedication ceremony for Kootéeyaa Deiyí (Totem Pole Trail) was held Saturday afternoon at the Sealaska Heritage Plaza.
12 of 30 totem poles that make up Kootéeyaa Deiyí have been raised along Juneau’s waterfront.
The poles were carved by Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian artists.
The ceremony also celebrated the unveiling of “Faces of Alaska,” a new installation of five, 4-foot bronze masks that represent the diversity of the Alaska Native cultures.
The masks represent the cultures of the Iñupiat, Yup’ik, Alutiiq, and Athabascan people, along with a combined mask for the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples.
The Tlingit Culture, Language, and Literacy program at Harborview Elementary opened the ceremony with a dance of young and old.
Gaawt’ak.aan (In the Lee of the North Wind) Dancers from Hoonah also performed.
Sealaska Heritage Institute President Rosita Kaaháni Worl delivered a powerful message.
“Those children who are speaking our culture, speaking our language, who are dancing on our land, they are going to assure us that we are going to be here for another 17,000 years,” she said. “Gunalchéesh to the clans and tribes whose crests and masks are represented here. And to the master artists, who created these iconic works that will stand among the greatest art collection of the world. We are making Juneau the Northwest Coast art capital of the world.”
Worl commented that the artists spent more than six months creating the poles after being commissioned by Sealaska Heritage Institute.
She remarked that the totem poles weren’t traditionally raised due to their position on the waterfront, and thanked Dawson Construction for their help.
Many master Alaska Native artists and leaders gave speeches at the event, calling Kootéeyaa Deiyí a “revolution” and a “new era”.
The common theme repeated was that by reviving their culture through traditional art, they will continue to serve their children for generations.
The totem poles will tell a story of cultural revival and identity.
“The master apprenticeship relationship is our culture. It’s what’s created our 10,000+ year line of language, arts, tradition. Thank you Master Carvers for bringing your apprentices under your wings, teaching them your knowledge. Anybody who carries our knowledge forward-our weavers, our language speakers, our singers, our dancers, our uncles who take their nephew fishing and hunting, our aunties who take their nieces berry picking,” Anthony Mallott, President and CEO of Sealaska said. “Keeping our people on our lands, keeping us whole in our relationship with our lands. The carvers and apprentices are celebrated today, but all of you are celebrated for moving our culture forward.”
“We’re gonna extend our best to each other with kindness, love. Understanding that these totem poles have been in the works for the last, yes, probably six months, but what’s behind them has been in the works for the last 17,000 years. And it’s all rooted in this place, and we are still here,” Joe Nelson, the chair for Sealaska Board of Directors said.
Above: Anthony Mallott speaks. Below: Joe Nelson speaks. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett/KINY)
“Our Northwest Coast art was almost extinct a time,” Fran Houston, cultural Leader of the A’akw Kwáan, said while recognizing the L’eeneidí Pole. “All of this will bring us together. Support each other; love one another.”
Following the opening dance performance, Southeast Alaska Native Veterans walked the Posting of Colors.
American Indian and Alaska Native people serve in the US Armed Services at a higher rate than any other group.
Above: Alaska Native veterans are recognized. Below: Eagle, Wooshkeetaan present Yéik’ Utee/imitating the spirits. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett/KINY)
Below: Yeilnaawú Joe Zuboff (Raven, Deisheetaan) presents Yéik’ Utee/imitating the spirits. When a Yéik’ Utee/imitating the spirits ceremony is done, it must have balance, which is why both Eagles and Ravens participate. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett/KINY)
Clans have special relationships with the spirits represented in their crests. They also have special spirits that are called upon to provide protection. Spirits are called through clan songs and through dancers. Dancers imitate the animal represented in a shakee.át while dancing behind a blanket.
As they performed their prayer dance, light rain, and strong wind would rise and fade; eagles and ravens could be heard crying out, and a sudden burst of ravens shot overhead. Eagle feathers were collected for good luck.
Above: Kaax̱ḵaatuklag̱é Ken Grant sings a song as Ben Coronell performs a thanking of the spirits of the trees ceremony. Below: Twitchell speaks behind the flames. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett/KINY)
Below: People held their hands up in prayer. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett/KINY)
“We believe everything has a spirit, even the trees,” SHI President Worl said. “So we thank the spirits of the trees and feed them.”
They acknowledge and thank the spirits of the cedar trees for allowing their use in the carving of the totem poles.
“Our ancestors are looking down and smiling,” Grant said, with an eagle’s whistle heard in the distance.
“What was unlawfully and illegally taken from us, we’re legally buying back,” X̲’unei Lance Twitchell, a Professor of Alaska Native Languages at the University of Alaska Southeast said. “We’re just going to buy it all back. Mendenhall and Gastineau, we are coming for you next…It belongs to our grandchildren; it’s a place for them.”
Tlingit & Haida Central Council President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson echoed that sentiment, using T&H’s most recent purchase of the Driftwood Lodge property in the old Juneau Indian Village as an example.
“The languages, art, the foods we eat, the dances, and regalia, are important,” Peterson said. “I see the prejudice changing.”
Above: Peterson and Twitchell hug after Peterson recognizes Twitchell for his role in preserving the Tlingit language. Below: Twitchell and Worl stand side by side. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett/KINY)
U.S. Representative Mary Sattler Peltola, the first Alaska Native person in Congress, attended the ceremony.
Twitchell introduced her after noting how important representation is.
Peltola shared a message the late David Katzeek taught her children.
“You are precious; you belong here,” she called out to the hundreds of people watching and listening.
Above: U.S. Representative Mary Sattler Peltola received a warm welcome from the huge crowd. Below: Deputy Mayor Maria Gladziszewski and City Manager Rorie Watt stand with SHI President Worl. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett/KINY)
The City and Borough of Juneau and Sealaska Heritage Institute successfully worked together to make the vision of Kootéeyaa Deiyí a reality.
“First, I proposed 20 totem poles,” Worl said. “Rorie walked up and down the waterfront, and asked me, could we do 30?”
Also during the ceremony, Worl raised a proposal of changing Seward Street’s name to Heritage Way.
Below: Gladziszewski holds Worl’s street name change proposal. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett/KINY)
Deputy Mayor Maria Gladziszewski spoke at the ceremony.
“I’m honored to be part of this historic event and represent the mayor and the entire Juneau Assembly. As you know, we’re here today in Heritage Square to dedicate the first 12 of SHI’s Kootéeyaa Deiyí lining our waterfront. These poles have been carved throughout southeast Alaska and the City and Borough of Juneau is privileged to be part of this monumental project,” Gladziszewski said. “There are many parts to be played in a project such as this. None of us in the assembly could carve a totem pole or cast a bronze mask. But we can play a small part with our votes of support that enabled city staff to work with SHI on this project. CBJ’s Parks and Recreation, Docks and Harbors, and the Administration Department have been working together with SHI for many months. SHI and CBJ share the goal of making Juneau the Northwest Coast art capital of the world.”
Below: Photos from the dances. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett/KINY)
Muscogee Nation hosts Mvskoke Art Market
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Sunday was filled with plenty of fun activities, including the Mvskoke Art Market hosted by the Muscogee Nation at the River Spirit Casino.
The market featured more than 80 artists representing over 20 Native American tribes selling their art from April 22-23. The various works of art ranged from paintings, sculptures, pottery, carvings, textiles, and more.
This is the second annual Mvskoke Art Market included activities like presentations on Indigenous creativity and Mvskoke culture, traditional demonstrations, and an all-Native comedy show.
“Our goal was to expand and offer additional programming and cultural presentations to increase attendees’ overall experience. I believe this year’s lineup will be a great success,” said Muscogee Nation Cultural Center and Archives Program Manager ShaVon Agee.
If you missed out, you can visit the Mvskoke Art Market’s Facebook page or the market’s website to view the featured artists.
Elden Ring Fan Creates Impressive Iron Fist Alexander Sculpture
A dedicated and talented gamer lovingly recreates Elden Ring’s most prominent talking clay pot, Iron Fist Alexander, in an expertly-made sculpture.
Department of Public Transformation Announces The 2023 Cohort Of The Ignite Rural Artist Residency
The Department of Public Transformation (DoPT) has announced the 2023 Cohort of the Ignite Rural Artist Residency. Ignite Rural uplifts rural arts and cultural workers as invaluable contributors to increasing community connection. 8 artists were selected for the 2023 Cohort, which is in its second year of operation, led by the Ignite Rural Program Director Holly Doll, Anpao Win (First Light Woman). Ignite Rural artists will receive a $4,000 creative fund, an additional $6,000 living stipend, and access to an $800 artistic development/wellness fund, along with six months of cohort model professional and artistic development support through workshops, in-person gatherings, and digital learning exchanges. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
DoPT sees a future where rural communities across the country acknowledge, support, and integrate art and artists as vital contributors to economic, community, civic, and social life. Ignite Rural Program Director Holly Doll, Anpao Win (First Light Woman) says: “All 8 artists are in the early stages of their artistic careers and I’m honored to be part of the process that supports them in their journeys! The artists are all so talented with unique approaches and goals. I’m excited to see what unfolds over the coming months!” The artists and DoPT leadership are preparing to meet at an in-person artist retreat on April 29-30, 2023, and will ultimately wrap up their residency with a final art showcase on September 23, 2023 at The YES! House in Granite Falls, MN. DoPT invites you to get to know the new 2023 Ignite Rural Cohort below:
Rocky Casillas Aguirre
Rocky is an emerging, Latinx and LGBTQ artist originally from Tijuana. His comics and creative efforts aim to create safe spaces to talk about mental health and to empower young people everywhere, especially kids of color and LGBTQ2IA+ identities, in recognizing their true potential and living authentically.
Omani Luger
Omani is a self-taught illustrator of Lakota and Northern Tutchone descent. Inspired by film and comics, she’s on a journey to find her place as a multi-media sequential storyteller.
Lynne M. Colombe
Lynne M. Colombe is a digital storyteller, documentarian, and writer from the Sicangu Lakota (Rosebud Sioux) Reservation. Lynne aims to create space for digital storytelling by Native peoples and build content platforms.
Leticia (Gonzales) Snow
Born and raised in the desert southwest of New Mexico, Leticia is the Assistant Library Supervisor at the Saint Peter Public Library in Saint Peter, Minnesota, overseeing teen and young adult programming. Leticia plans to further develop her writing and publishing skills and will facilitate a youth-centered project that incorporates culture with a focus on community engagement.
Leah Xiuzhen Rathe
Leah was adopted from China and raised in the US. Many of her previous projects have covered topics such as gender equality and the criminal justice system and she has begun diving into her own identity as a transracial adoptee. Leah plans to create projects to help other transracial adoptees feel represented and seen. She is very passionate about the impact of art and aims to create with meaning and intention.
Esmarie Cariaga
Esmarie Cariaga-Whiteman is a self-taught artist based in Vermilion, South Dakota and a citizen of the Isanti Dakota people of Santee, Nebraska. Esmarie is a fashion illustrator who enjoys creating pieces reflecting contemporary fashions, while mixing them with Dakota contour. She wants to see more indigenous representation in the fashion industry and wants to create ways to uplift and support her community through fashion.
Cecily Rose Engelhart
Cecily Rose Engelhart (Ihanktonwan Dakota & Oglala Lakota) is a Master Certified Life Coach and Indigenous arts practitioner. Cecily is interested in creating functional, everyday-use items that incorporate cultural imagery, personal stories, and historical contexts. She has big visions for a contemporary re-emergence of parfleche purses in a range of styles and functions.
Alixena Patnaude
Alixena is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and lives on the Turtle Mountain Reservation. An avid beadwork artist, she is interested in learning diverse art forms, particularly quillwork, and creating pieces that represent her culture and heritage.
Please visit the Ignite Rural homepage for more information on the program, artists, and DoPT: www.publictransformation.org/igniterural
About Ignite Rural:
Ignite Rural is an “at-home” artist residency focused on uplifting and supporting emerging rural artists that engage in social/civic work. To be considered for the program, artists must reside in rural communities with a population of 20,000 or less within the colonial state borders of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and the 23 Native Nations that share that geography, with priority given to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and Native artists and culture bearers. Ignite Rural 2023 operates as a 6-month cohort model to connect rural artists with each other, provides digital learning exchange opportunities, and supports rural artists in their social and civic work within their communities.
Ignite Rural is a program of Department of Public Transformation developed in partnership with Dakota Wicohan, Mni Sota Arts, and Racing Magpie. Ignite Rural is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and shaped by our Advisory Committee made up of artists, community organizers, and changemakers across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota: Angela Zonunpari (Artist + Writer / Arts Midwest | South Dakota); Anne O’Keefe-Jackson (Artist + Advocate / DoPT Board Member | Minnesota); Dyana DeCoteau-Dyess (Artist | North Dakota); Eileen O’Keefe (Dakota Wicohan | Minnesota); Nancy X. Valentine (Artist / Kaddatz Galleries | Minnesota); Peter Strong (Racing Magpie | South Dakota).
About Department of Public Transformation (DoPT):
The Department of Public Transformation is an artist-led nonprofit organization that works to develop creative strategies for increased community connection, civic engagement, and equitable participation in rural places. More information at www.publictransformation.org.
Is Creativity in Photography Being Destroyed?
Camera technology has advanced at a breakneck pace in the last decade, and now, we are on the doorstep of an AI revolution that will cause a fundamental shift in the way we work with, and in some cases, even in the way we create images. And while many of those tools have made our lives easier, they have arguably also sapped creativity from a lot of the craft. Have we lost the fundamental aim of photography? This fantastic video essay discusses the issue.
Coming to you from Craig Roberts of e6 Vlogs, this excellent video essay discusses the issue of obsession with cameras and how we often lose sight of the fundamental craft of creativity because of that. No doubt, cameras are rather nifty gadgets, and it can be a lot of fun to nerd out over them. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that if it makes one happy, but where it often goes wrong is when the pursuit of technology starts to take the place of the creative craft. As much fun as cameras are, at the end of the day, they are the means, not the end. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Roberts.
Free farm, art tour to kick off in SC
Agriculture and tourism are among the primary industries that drive the state’s economy, and the South Carolina Ag + Art Tour has been bringing those two essential elements of its culture together for a dozen years.
Led by the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service, this year’s Ag + Art Tour kicked off in earnest April 18 at the University of South Carolina’s Russell House, where agritourism farm operators, government officials and county committees convened to begin another year of agriculture education, artisan exploration, rural collaboration and farm experience in South Carolina.
The South Carolina Ag + Art Tour itself is a free, self-guided tour of farms and markets featuring local artisans at every stop. During the tour, visitors can see first-hand where their food comes from, watch artists in action and purchase their works, enjoy the melodies of local musicians and learn more about rural life. The tour is the largest free farm and art tour in the nation with over 85,000 visitors participating since 2012.
“We’re all about rural tourism, we’re all about agricultural tourism and the ag experience — that’s what this is all about, and that’s where I see it going for the future,” South Carolina Ag + Art Tour Director Will Culler said. “The Tour has grown over the years and touched the lives of so many people. Not just in agricultural education, but rural revitalization and community revitalization and economic development.”
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The S.C. AG + Art Tour has operated in 15 South Carolina counties over the past 12 years, and the Tour has seen hundreds of farms in dozens of communities embrace agritourism as a method of farm enterprise diversification, agricultural education, and rural revitalization, and economic development.
The tour’s first official stop is May 6 in Lexington County, with numerous dates to follow from York County at the top of the state, to Colleton County near the bottom. For a full list of dates and locations, visit the official Ag + Art Tour website at www.agandarttour.com/.
Culler said the tour has grown so much, in fact, that some of the previous stops have reached the point they don’t need or can’t handle the extra traffic the Tour provides — which, of course, is the ultimate goal.
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“Just this past year I was informed by the York County AG + Art Committee that several of their more mature agritourism farms, some of whom had participated in the tour for the past 12 years, would not be returning for the 2023 season. … It was not that they couldn’t enjoy the Tour or cherish the relationships the Tour offered. The reasons given were that these agritourism venues no longer needed the Ag + Art Tour to realize their goals, to realize their passion. They had gotten their start, they had matured, and they had decided to step aside and let the next potential venue embrace agritourism,” Culler said. “And embrace agritourism is just what they have done. York County will see the same number of Tour stops (28) this year as last year. Some of them may be just a just a little less mature but ready to blossom.”
Culler, who also serves as a senior agribusiness extension agent and Lexington County coordinator for Clemson Extension, was elected last year by the North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association to a three-year term on their board of directors.
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“This was a great honor for me as this organization of over 700 farms in all 50 States, Canada and Europe is doing incredible things for agritourism,” he said.
More information about this organization and the resources it offers is available on its website https://nafdma.com/.
Western’s Annual Student Art Show is Now on Display
ROCK SPRINGS — Western Wyoming Community College’s (Western) Art Gallery is pleased to present its annual Student Art Exhibition. The show is now open and will run to September 1. Western’s Student Art Exhibition will present an eclectic array of artwork, highlighting the many different techniques and approaches students have learned and experimented with over
‘Very Jack in the Beanstock’: S.F.’s new tallest sculpture goes up south of Market
A new public art installation outside Yerba Buena/Moscone Station in San Francisco was installed Sunday, adding 102 feet of twisting tapering steel to the plaza.
