Irish heritage month at Ludington Center for the Arts

March is quickly approaching. That means the debut of our exhibit, Emerald Expressions, at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts. Our opening reception will be at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 3. The exhibit will continue through April 7.

 

The center will observe Irish Cultural Month throughout March with special presentations, including:

  • Thursday, March 8: “Emerald Expressions,” Photographer’s Journal. Rob will discuss the photographic journey he and Becky took last May and how they created the images in the exhibit. 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, March 9: “Secret of the Cave” film screening. Scottville native Harold Cronk, co-owner of 10 West Studios in Manistee, will talk about the movie “Secret of the Cave,” which he served as production designer. The movie was filmed on Achille Island, County Mayo, Ireland, which is also where many of the photographs of “Emerald Expressions” were created. 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, March 16: “Reading the Irish Landscape.” Professor Seàn Henne of West Shore Community College will discuss how the Irish landscape influences poetry, art and photography. Professor Henne majored in Irish Studies at Boston College. He is of Irish decent and has traveled there several times.
  • Saturday, March 17: Emerald Ball. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style as the Ludington Area Center for the Arts holds its annual major fundraiser. The event will feature the General Assembly big band.

Looking for help to invest in our art; Ireland photography

As many of you know, we traveled to Ireland last May. During the two weeks we were there, we captured some wonderful photographic moments. We would like to now share those photographs with the world through our exhibit, Emerald Expressions. We are seeking investors to help us make this possible. Our exhibit will debut at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts in March 2012 and will then part of the exhibit will also be our 2012 Grand Rapids Art Prize entry.

Investors may contribute through www.kickstarter.com. This amazing site exists solely for the purpose of helping creative people reach their dreams.

If you would like to help out, please visit our project site at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1600163945/emerald-expressions-a-photographic-tour-of-ireland.

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

 

 

Ireland dreaming

Cruising along N59 in County Galway, we came across this beautiful view, just outside of the village of Letterfrack. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Ireland. I really believe I could live there, at least for a few months out of the year. It’s really hard to put words to how magical this country is. Of course, America is absolutely amazing and offers endless beauty. And, though I may be a little biased, I think Michigan is second to non when it comes to our beaches and sunsets. But, there is just something about Ireland that I love.

I think it’s a combination of geography, history and culture. That sounds kind of cliche but it’s true. Plus, the people of Ireland are just amazing. By no means do I consider myself an expert on Ireland. I have only been there twice. But, I can say without a doubt that I will be there many more times. So far one of my favorite places is what the Irish call Connemara, a region located in County Galway.

In March Becky and I will be exhibiting our photographs from last May’s trip to Ireland at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts. I also plan on exhibiting my prints in Art Prize 2012 in Grand Rapids.

– rob

A journey to Ireland – Ireland Photography

In May of this year Becky and I traveled to Ireland for 11 days. The purpose of our journey was to capture the beauty of the Emerald Island. I fell in love with Ireland in 2006 when I went there for the first time. I just love the rich culture and history of Ireland, blended with beautiful landscapes. Our intention is to hold an exhibit of our images. For that reason we have been hesitant to display many photographs on the web.

However, I created a sneak preview of the exhibit when I was asked to put images in the West Shore Community College Faculty Art Exhibit during the month of September. Those images will now make their way to Redolencia Coffee Shop in downtown Ludington, where they will be for sale. We are planning on holding the full exhibit sometime in the next nine months. My intention is for my images to appear in Art Prize 2012 in Grand Rapids, as well as a Ludington-area exhibit.

– rob

Cruising on the SS Badger – Lake Michigan Carferry Photography

The carferry and Ludington are symbiotic. The SS Badger is the symbol of our town and what it is known for. I will admit, I, like many others in our community, love the carferry. Even more so, I love the heritage of the carferries in Ludington (and anywhere along Lake Michigan). As a kid, I got to ride on the SS Badger, SS Spartan and SS City of Midland. In the ’70s those were the remaining three carferries to operate out of Ludington.

So, naturally as a photographer I take any opportunity I can do ride the big boat, as I did today. I am working on a project for Lake Michigan Carferry (the Badger’s parent company) to help promote the ship’s importance to Ludington and Manitowoc, Wis. Currently the Environmental Protection Agency is mandating the Badger stop dumping coal ash into the lake. To stop doing so means the ship stops operating. LMC has until the end of next year to come up with a solution. While the company is working on a solution (and a pretty darn good one at that) it needs more time. As a community we need to do everything we can to encourage our lawmakers to extend that deadline and save our economy!

Here is a sampling of some of the extra photos from Monday’s trip. I will post the project once it is completed, which should be soon.

– rob