Jennifer Schwartz, owner of Jennifer Schwartz Gallery, fund-raiser, educator, and photographer in her own right, completed a successful campaign recently to buy a VW bus, deck it out with flat files, and create a Crusade For Collecting. Jennifer is genuinely invested in making art accessible and affordable. Taking the van to multiple cities she'll be pitching an art tent and giving away photographs! "Creating collectors on the spot." As Jennifer says, people care so much more these days about the source of the goods they purchase, they could be experiencing the pleasure of buying art directly from artists, instead of buying mass-produced.

"This is about bringing attention to photography and the work of emerging photographers. It is about opening people up to the idea of supporting, patronizing and buying art. I hope there is enthusiasm and support out there from photographers, artists and students."

Trust me, when you see her make the pitch, you'll be on-board. Nobody denies la Schwartz. "I am willing to crash on couches and eat beef jerky, but gas takes cash money. I'll do the driving, you just give a few bucks and spread the word."

Here's the original campaign. Now help her take the art to the people!

DONATE $1 + HERE.

Andy and Tanner © M Sharkey

Galerie de la Main de Fer is pleased to announce 'Queer Kids' by M. Sharkey, a solo exhibition of works produced over the past six years documenting gay youth in the United States. 'Queer Kids' will be on view August 31 - September 30, 2012 (coinciding with the Visa pour l'Image photo festival). An opening reception will be held on Friday, August 31st from 6 - 8 pm.

Those of you paying attention will know that I feel strongly about these.... which makes it even more irritating that nobody is paying for me to go to Perpignan. Who do you have to sleep with 'round here...

For those of you who will be there, submit your images of the show and I'll publish some here in the blog.

Updates on QK @ FB.

And because I can never get enough:

Setting up before the rain, Friday June 23rd, Brooklyn. Courtesy of Rock Paper Photo

Photoville opened this past, steamy weekend. The festival features some 30 shipping containers showing mini-exhibitions curated by some great people and organizations, with photographs hung using various creative methods. The other rather wonderful element is the quality of talks and presentations being hosted. Happily, I will be one of the talkers this coming weekend, on June 30th, where I am thrilled to be hosted by Rock Paper Photo with two of their photographers - my long-term colleague and dear friend Baron Wolman, and the impressive, prolific, relative-newbie,  Anna Webber. Join us at 1.30 pm for "Beyond the Picture: The Art of Selling Music Photography" What does it take for music and entertainment photographers to successfully market and sell their work?

Photoville and all the talks are FREE so come on over to Brooklyn Bridge Park. We'll see you on Saturday!

 
"Blinded By The Light" Rock Paper Photo's container, packed with great music photography.

...to Hendrix and Joplin (by Baron Wolman) All images Courtesy of Rock Paper Photo

Get your photos ready! The International Fine Art Photography Competition is now open for submissions. The first year of this annual competition is gaining momentum - with the express purpose of celebrating fine art photography and discovering new talent. Promising emerging and mid-career photographers will receive the recognition they deserve - a path to have their work seen and appreciated by a wider audience, with a rich exhibit and publication schedule for the winners and finalists.
 
A diverse jury will review the work - a panel noted for their creativity, expertise, and support of emerging photographers. We're honored to have two of the most distinguished museum curators of their time, Jean-Claude Lemagny of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and David Travis of the Art Institute of Chicago, both making significant contributions to the appreciation of fine art photography around the world. We're also honored to have two talented and successful contemporary photographers, Michael Kenna (who had a major retrospective at the Bibliothèque Nationale last year) and Jane Evelyn Atwood (who had her retrospective at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie). And rounding out the jury panel are Alexandre Percy, owner of the Acte2 experimental gallery in Paris and Julie Grahame, publisher of aCurator magazine in New York.
 
Also called the Grand Prix de Découverte, this international competition is open to photographers around the world. The images submitted can be far reaching - any subject - as long as they fit into one (or more) of the seven categories - People/Portraits, Landscape/Seascape/Nature, Cityscape/Architecture, Street Photography/Documentary, Still Life, Abstract, Experimental.
 
What are the Paris connections? The exhibit of finalists will be presented in Paris in November at NoFound Photo Fair in the Marais (more than 10,000 visitors), in conjunction with Paris Mois de la Photo and Paris Photo 2012. The awards ceremony will take place the week-end of November 17-18, and there will be a special event at the American Library for the jurors and the Grand Prix winner on November 13.
 
The winner of the Grand Prix de Découverte (the best image in the competition) will be awarded travel to Paris and accommodations for the awards ceremony, in addition to the cash prize of $5,000. There are cash awards for the winners of each category, and winners and finalists' work will be accepted into the prestigious collection of the Bibliothèque Nationale. There will also be a catalog of the winners and finalists' images and publication in aCurator magazine (seen by curators all around the world).
 
So, take a look through your photographs (or get your camera ready) and find/make images that have the elegance, impact, or creative chutzpah to make them speak out to the jurors.
 
Bonne chance! Bon courage! Go get 'em!

The residency is for nine months, and the artist will be involved with various aspects of the museum, and will receive a stipend. You'll need to either live in Staten Island or demonstrate a strong connection thereto and eligibility marvelously includes 'Photographers who are members of groups under-served by the museum community.'

"When Alice Austen turned eleven in 1877 she received a camera from her uncle Oswald. Over the following half a century she developed into one of America's earliest and most prolific female photographers. Her technical skills and strong aesthetic eye continue to fascinate us."

Contact Alice Austen House for details.

Partners in Preservation is a community-based program which provides preservation grants for local historic places. All you have to do is Vote! and help Alice Austen house win the grant.

Alfred Eisenstaedt pushes photographer Alice Austen in a wheelchair, Staten Island, New York, in 1951, one year before Austen died. Alfred Eisenstaedt - TIME & LIFE Pictures

Marlon Brando on the tarmac, "The Ugly Americans" © Leo Fuchs, courtesy V&M

Soon Fuchs was working directly with the studios, prompting his move to Hollywood in 1961. As a freelance magazine photographer, Fuchs was one of the rare outsiders invited onto movie sets, where he captured candid shots, during both shooting and after hours while socializing with the stars and directors. His immense talent and the rapport he built with his subjects allowed him to capture intimate moments that few others were able to accomplish. (He always let the actors see his photos before he sent them to his agent.) Then, in 1964, with the support of his dear friend Cary Grant, Fuchs gave up photography and spent the next 20 years as a motion picture producer, starting with Gambit, starring Shirley MacLaine and British import Michael Caine.



Shirley Maclaine and daughter Sachi, "Irma la Douce" Paris © Leo Fuchs, courtesy V&M

Recently, Leo's son, Alexandre Fuchs, found 30 trunks in storage, filled with contact sheets, negatives and original prints. Now, limited edition archival prints of some of Leo Fuchs' most famous subjects are available on V&M.



Paul Newman, "Exodus" © Leo Fuchs, courtesy V&M

My long-lost relative, Tony Curtis, "40 Pounds Of Trouble" © Leo Fuchs, courtesy V&M and another Paul Newman without his shirt because, well, yes.