Tomorrow evening at 7 pm, Venice Arts will present the first of their upcoming series of “Conversations with Artists, Idea Makers, and Educators”. The series is open to the public and admission is free.
The first program, held on Wednesday, October 20 at 7pm is “Documentary Photography, Photojournalism & Visual Storytelling in the Digital Age,” and will be a conversation with Brett Abbott, Associate Curator, Department of Photographs, The J. Paul Getty Museum; Jim Hubbard,Documentary Photographer & Photojournalist; and Michael Shaw, Publisher of “BagNews.”
Abbott curated The Getty Center’s current exhibition “Engaged Observers: Documentary Photography since the Sixties.” Hubbard’s work is the subject of a 40-year retrospective exhibition currently on view at Venice Arts Gallery. Shaw’s blog “BagNews” seeks to better understand the levels of meaning, underlying story lines, and various agendas reflected in prominent news photographs. The three will bring various perspectives to bear on a conversation about the changing place of documentary photography and visual storytelling in our increasingly visual culture.
Upcoming series events include:
Wednesday, October 27 at 7pm
Artist Natalie Bookchin will discuss her ongoing work entitled “Testament,” in which she uses material from culled from online video diaries (vlogs). These moving and insightful video installations focus on collectively told vignettes, stories, proclamations, and meditations reflecting on topics such as identity, the economy, illness, and politics. Bookchin’s work has been exhibited widely, including at LACMA, PS1, Mass MOCA, the Generali Foundation, the Walker Art Center, the Pompidou Centre, MOCA Los Angeles, the Whitney Museum, the Tate, and Creative Time. She has won numerous awards for her work and is co-Director of the Photography & Media Program in the Art School at CalArts.
Wednesday, November 10, 7pm
Neal Baer, M.D., Showrunner & Executive Producer of Law & Order: SVU will discuss “Mash-Ups: Merging Photography with New Media for Social Change.” Drawing on the work of Venice Arts and other organizations, photographers, and writers, Dr. Baer will give a visual exploration of how photography and new media are acting as compelling advocacy tools for community storytelling and social change.
About Venice Arts’ Gallery and Public Programs
The Venice Arts Gallery primarily features the work of Documentary Photographers and high-caliber Participant-Produced Photography. The Venice Arts Gallery is a program of the non-profit Venice Arts that, since 1993, has received critical acclaim around the world for its innovative mentoring and educational programs for Los Angeles-area youth in Photography, Filmmaking, and Multimedia. Venice Arts also conducts Documentary Programs locally and internationally with adults and children; runs the Institute for Photographic Empowerment with USC; and consults with other organizations, foundations, and individuals on the development of similar programs. Venice Arts’ newest partnership is a consulting contract in Hong Kong for the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation, for whom Venice Arts has developed a photography curriculum, is training their Teaching Artists, and will curate an exhibit of work by Hong Kong youth at The Hong Kong Cultural Art Center in July 2011.
Venice Arts Gallery
1702 Lincoln Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
310.392.0846
