New Kensington Camera Club celebrates the power of the flower
Don Henderson says that life is remembered through flowers.
“We save them. We press them into books and cherish them. Flowers mean love. A simple single rose can say more than mere words can convey,” says the co-founder, with Lower Burrell's Bill Hall, of the New Kensington Arts Center.
“In sickness and in health, 'til death do us part, flowers fulfill the deepest meaning in our lives. Their colors and beauty enliven and enrich our lives. Flowers are part of the circle of life.”
That's one of the reasons why the New Kensington Camera Club, now an entity of the Arts Center, decided in 2012 to celebrate the power of the flower with its own artistic expression, launching an annual show inviting photographers to capture flowers from their own perspective. The show has since expanded to include art and other creativity. Henderson, president of the Camera Club, will enter flower photos, including results of his experimenting with vintage lenses
The annual “Art in Bloom” exhibit will be Fridays and Saturdays, April 21 through May 26, at the Arts Center.
“We were looking for something that would have a universal theme that would encourage people to join the Camera Club,” Henderson recalls of the show's origins. “We all shoot flowers, even hardcore street and urban decay shooters like me shoot flowers.”
Usually the shows do quite well, says Robert Sudy of Brackenridge, project director for the Arts Center.
“I think we've had up to 30 some people exhibit at one time, with over 100 works to look at on the walls and on easels around the gallery,” he says. Sudy encourages everyone to visit to see the depth of talent in the Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond.
“There's always something good on display. It's nice to do something different. Usually people think they have to head (to Pittsburgh) to view good art, not realizing the talent we have here,” he says.
It's a nice way to welcome spring after a long winter, says Patti Giordano of Lower Burrell, founder and president of the Allegheny Valley Artists League, also under the Arts Center's umbrella.
“It's about beauty after the death of winter,” says Giordano, who works primarily in watercolor.
“It's fun and interesting to see artists' interpretations of flowers in paintings, mixed media, drawing and sketches, painted glass, photography, digital media and more,” says Terri Bertha of Allegheny Township. She will be represented with a single acrylic tulip. “I normally work in watercolor, but wanted to experiment and explore a different medium.”
Last year was Cindy Downard's first year in the show. “It was a great experience,” she says, “a beautiful appreciation of nature around us.”
The Lower Burrell resident has been working on a new watercolor for the exhibit. She designed this year's flower show poster using a photo of mums she entered last year. “It is one of my favorite flower photos,” she says.
Joni Marcy of New Kensington, who will be in her fourth show with her photography, appreciates that this is a no-pressure event.
“It is an opportunity for photographers and painters of all skill levels to showcase their work in a safe environment. Critique is not what the show is about,” she says. “Everyone can show their unique perspective. And, hey, who doesn't want to celebrate spring?”
For Gordon Sarti of Plum, making his debut in the exhibit, the show is about “nature, life, the beautiful things around us.” He is entering three photos he believes are unique. “I love to explore the finer, up close, areas of my subject,” he says.
Harry Shipman of New Kensington also appreciates that this show allows artists and photographers to display the beauty of nature as seen through their eyes. He is entering four photographs.
“With the prospect of finding entries for the flower show, I've found that I've really started to pay more attention to flowers and to try to find a way to capture the color and beauty in a manner that will help the image stand out,” he says. “For my entry of a fish and two water lilies, I spent a lot of time by the pond trying to capture the fish in a graceful manner and draw the viewers' eyes to the image.”
He feels that people love looking at examples of what nature provides.
“There are so many different perspectives and outlooks that the different artists and photographers use. Anyone viewing the show will be sure to see flowers that either they've never seen before, or in some viewpoint that emphasizes the beauty of the flower,” he adds.
Rex Rutkoski is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
