A unique gallery will be adding its presence to the Vineyard art scene starting this weekend. Unique in part because it occupies some of the common areas of the Kelley House in Edgartown. And unique to the Vineyard also because it’s a showplace dedicated solely to the work of Island-based photographers, most of whom have not previously had a presence in other Vineyard galleries.
The opening exhibition, which kicks off with a reception on Thursday, August 20, from 5 to 8 pm, will be on display along the walls of two floors of the historic hotel on Kelley Street. Along with the framed artwork on the walls, three monitors have been installed, which will display a rotating selection of other works by the featured photographers. Visitors interested in purchasing the photos can select the size and the frame of their choice. The prints can be ordered through iPads stationed in the lobby, and shipped directly to a designated location.
The initial show was curated by Moira Fitzgerald and Yann Meersseman, the team known collectively as Vineyard Colors. To date, Ms. Fitzgerald and Mr. Meersseman have been offering their work through their website, vineyardcolors.com, as prints, cards, and calendars. Their photographs are also featured at the gallery Island Images on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs.
A selection of Vineyard Colors’ stunning Island scenes will be included in the show. Additionally, the two veteran photographers have recruited a group of Islanders whose work shows a wide range of styles and subjects. “We wanted to keep it as local as possible,” says Ms. Fitzgerald. “And to provide space for artists who didn’t really have any other outlet for getting their work out there.”
Currently there are 11 artists displaying their work, although more will be added as the exhibit evolves. In addition to Vineyard Colors, the list of opening artists includes Michael Blanchard, Tim Johnson, Steve Myrick, Gwen Norton, Peter Simon, Josh Robinson-White, Ben Scott, Maria Thibodeau, Christine Scott Snyder, and David Welch. The roster boasts both longtime professionals and up-and-coming photographers.
Among the newcomers is 31-year-old Joshua Robinson-White. His specialty is night photography, which he prints on aluminum, adding extra glow and drama to his stunning shots. “The great thing about night photography is that with extended exposure you don’t really know what you have until you get home,” says Mr. Robinson-White. Artificial illumination and colorful reflections in the water play a big part in his shots of the steamship, the Chappy ferry, and other nighttime scenes. The longtime Vineyard resident (he grew up on the Island, and now works as a property manager) has only recently turned to photography, but it’s a passion he’s had for many years. “This is a great opportunity. I’m a relatively new photographer, and sometimes as a young person on the scene it’s kind of hard to break in,” says Mr. Robinson-White.
Others, like David Welch, have enjoyed success elsewhere, but have not had much exposure on the Island. The seasoned Edgartown-based photographer has shown his work in London and New York City, but has had limited gallery presence on the Island.
This is due in part to the fact that Mr. Welch is not so much interested in typical Island scenes but likes to experiment with different processes and subjects. For his latest series, “Beach Finds,” Mr. Welch gathered a number of “wishing stones” — rocks with striations and other interesting markings — and created cameraless digital contact images via precision scanning. The results are extreme close-ups, in striking black and white, that capture all of the details of the stones with amazing clarity, and a detailed and polished contemporary look.
But not all of the photographers have set their lenses on the Vineyard. Gwen Norton has contributed some stunning shots taken during her travels in Norway and the Arctic Circle. Ben Scott, co-owner of Blue Rock Design graphic design and marketing, is displaying both Vineyard scenes and some dramatic images from another island, Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
Christine Scott Snyder has focused on a lesser-documented side of the Vineyard in her series of portraits of carnival employees shot over the course of many years at the annual Agricultural Fair. She has developed a relationship with her subjects, and the photos display an intimacy and a playful sense of humor.
Many of the photographers have captured iconic Vineyard scenes, but with a unique process or an eye for a specific element — vibrant colors in the case of Maria Thibodeau, or Tim Johnson’s focus on the detail and contrast in small subjects like the hull of a boat, a collection of shells, or the twisting roots of a tree.
There’s such a wide range of styles, subject matter, and price range that the exhibit will have a very broad appeal. And it’s exciting to welcome a new gallery in a different sort of space to the Island.
For more information on what’s happening at the Kelley House, visit kelley-house.com.