Come on out to one of my favorite cities in the world, Astoria, Oregon, to see the show and experience the chaos and quirkiness where the river meets the sea.
The artist reception will be from 6-9pm on April 12, 2014 at Lightbox Gallery.
Acosia at Lightbox Gallery, image by Michael Granger
More importantly, we are happy that the beauty of the Ethiopia spirit is celebrated here.
The Malagasy are beautiful and spirited, and we are happy that “Fetra” will be celebrated in this exhibit.
I am especially happy that not much else is needed in the frame of this picture – the Ethiopian spirit is so commanding in and of itself.
Ten images from my “Market Workers” series will be shown at PushDot Studio. Join me for an opening reception this Friday, August 2 from 6-9pm as we raise a glass of cheer to those who might just be the hardest workers on earth.
All images were printed at PushDot Studio. A very special thank you goes to Laura Domela, who, with her painter’s hand and master photographer’s skill, made the images sing with her magical post processing work.
One hundred forty-four subjects were photographed for this series, and each printed image is mounted on black sintra then framed without glass so that there is nothing between viewer and subject.
It has been exceptionally difficult to select which images are printed, as I dearly love each and every one. In time, I hope to have all of them printed and floating about the world in celebration of the Ethiopian spirit.
Desta, 2012
This exhibit had 12,961 entries from 84 countries, and 201 pieces were chosen. I am very happy that the image they selected represents the beautiful people of Ethiopia. This image was taken in a small village called Sheno, about an hour away from Addis Ababa.
The opening reception is October 12, 2013 in San Diego, and the show will run until November 17, 2013.
So this November, I will be traveling to Ethiopia with a small team of photographers and we will set up a small portable studio in several villages. We will capture portraits and donate the prints to the families we photograph. In addition, each US photographer will be paired with an Ethiopian photographer so there is an exchange of talents: technical skills, cultural awareness, and love for humanity.
We are planning a fundraiser to help with the costs for this project. The concept is simple: we are calling the fundraiser “Prints For Prints”, and we will auction matted prints from photo-loving friends (both amateur and professional photographers). The prints will be sold at a very reasonable “affordable art” cost ($50-100 sliding scale) during a fun and relaxed party, followed by music by Portland’s very own Ethiopian funk band: The Tezeta Band!
This event will be held on August 8, 2013 starting at 7pm at the Secret Society Ballroom and we hope you will be able to attend.
All ages welcome until 8:30pm, then it is 21+.
Follow me at @jkabana on Instagram during November to see this project in action.
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PrintsForPrints
See our Website to view all of the prints and the fabulous photographers!
(Villagers in Marovoay, Madagascar look at a Polaroid photo that was just made with their family.)
“Selam” is a market worker in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. He sells vegetables and performs other labor such as carrying heavy items. It is an honor to represent these exceptional Ethiopians in celebration of their hard working and innovative spirits.
See all of the images selected for this show here. Opening reception and awards ceremony will be on July 6, 5-8pm at the Coastal Arts League Museum in Half Moon Bay, and the show will run from June 28 – August 6, 2013. The show will also be displayed at the Gallery At Calumet in San Francisco from August 9 – September 11, 2013, with an opening reception on August 15.
(Photo by Sean Sheridan for Mercy Corps)
I will be giving a lecture on Thursday night March 14 at 7pm at the same location.
Entry is free, and kids are welcome!
UPDATE:
The lecture was well attended and the kiddos had the BEST questions!
(Lecture photos by Bill Purcell)