A new visual arts exhibition is opening on October 25 at the John D. Spreckels Center to celebrate its reopening and the community members who bring it to life. Over the summer, the Coronado Cultural Arts Commission put out a call to Coronado-based photographers involved in the community to capture portraits of Coronado seniors.
“We have a Visual Arts team led by Commissioner Michelle Darnell and we meet and talk about different types of exhibitions,” Kelly Purvis, Senior Management Analyst for Arts & Culture, said of how this project began. “We knew that October was Senior Month throughout the nation and we thought, ‘How can we celebrate our seniors?’ We have this gallery here at the John D. Spreckels Center, and one thing many people don’t do later in life is have their portraits done.”
Photographers Barry Alman, Kelley Casey, Keith James, Katie Karosich, and Bill Sandke were selected by the Commission, and each worked with a handful of patrons of the Spreckels Center who volunteered to be a part of the project to create 21 featured portraits for the exhibition.
“They’re all different, all taken in different styles, and I think the finished exhibit will be lovely,” Purvis described. “What’s been really exciting about this project is the process. Even from the photographers talking to me about taking the photos and how they got to know their subjects, which they do that normally but it was a different feel on this one.”
Casey photographed five local women at or around the Spreckels Center and explained her process. “Before I began photographing, I sat down with each of them for a few minutes to chat, which gave me the opportunity to learn about their interests, style, and personality,” she said. “Those few minutes allowed them to relax before we got started, and helped me determine the best way and the right location to capture each of them.”
That included a strong connection to activities like mahjong for some, where they set up a game for some of the photos. “Each woman I photographed had a strong sense of self, and I enjoyed matching their personalities with my style of photography,” she commented.
“I photographed 4 women over the hour I was on site and enjoyed meeting each one,” Sandke said of his experience on the project. “They had all prepared carefully and looked marvelous. One even brought along a gorgeous plate that was reflective of her artistic talent and I did several frames to add personality to the shot.”
Sandke similarly felt that building that relationship is a key part of the process that allows people to feel comfortable as the subject of a portrait and him to figure out the best way to capture them through the lighting, camera settings, and helping them pose. “The camera stuff is only 10% of making the image – the other 90% is building that relationship while maintaining the flow of the session and that allows me to get the best expressions.”
“I love that each photographer approaches their craft in a unique way,” he added, noting that his approach for this project was to vary the traditional studio portrait style with different light techniques and stylistic choices. “My sole goal in any session is creating pleasing images for my customers. Sharing my approach as well as having the visitors see how each shooter created their pieces will be a visual treat and hopefully build appreciation for professional photography.”
For James, studio portrait photography like this was a new experience. “It was a terrific opportunity to learn new skills and was personally very fulfilling for me. My first step was to practice using some lights I had borrowed from a friend, and I then invested in a lighting system of my own,” he noted.
“I encouraged the five people I would be photographing to bring along a personal item that reflected their interests, or the activities they engaged in at the Spreckels Center,” James added. “We tried different poses and different ways of incorporating the items they had brought, and we had a blast taking the photos. The end results were fantastic. In each case, I felt I had captured a true likeness of the person, and something of their personality. I hope they enjoy seeing their portrait displayed for everyone to admire.”
Alman was similarly excited to participate in the project and meet the people he would be photographing. “I love doing photography all over 92118 and I knew that the experience would be inspiring and memorable,” he commented. “It was truly enjoyable watching them go from being slightly uncomfortable and a bit nervous, to becoming comfortable with me, and ultimately pleased with their performance. Each walked away feeling like a winner and I walked away feeling great for having been given the opportunity to make a memory, and give them a reason to be happy.”
Karosich, too, was drawn to project for the subject matter and getting to help share people’s stories in some way. “I like to take pictures because I like to try and find someone’s core, and the folks who I took pictures of I got to know a little bit about their lives,” she said of her experience. “I also really like portraiture and I invest in portrait lenses and always have my eye on the next lens.”
She approached her shoots through two different lenses for this project; one she described as a newer lens that provides a more crisp, Hollywood style image, and an older German lens that she adapted to be able to use with her camera. “It’s an old film lens that I used for a few of the portraits, too. I like what it does to the skin tones and it’s got character that’s different from some of the [newer lens].
Getting to know the seniors she photographed and their motivations for being a part of the project gave Karosich a sense of profoundness to her experience working with them. One participant wanted to be able to present her portrait to her family as a gift, which Karosich says lent a unique sense of sweetness to the photo. Another had been known for his tennis prowess and provided a great sense of the past, while someone else shared her enthusiasm for an upcoming road trip, an adventure that would be taking her all around the country.
“It was different for each person,” she described of the portraits. “One gal brought a ceramic animal and she said, ‘I have all kinds of things but this one is my favorite, so my kids had me take it with me.’ And she was lit up like a little girl with a toy on Christmas.
“So it was nice to take those pictures and I was glad to be a part of it,” she added. “I hope that people see the character of the people I took portraits of. I hope the exuberance of what excites them or what is on their mind comes through, that sense of a life well lived. You want their character to shine through and that’s what I liked, and it was neat to celebrate them.”
Purvis noted how excited she is alongside the photographers for the exhibit to open on the 25th. “[The photographers] did the project pro bono. They’re highlighting their work and capturing the people who have been in our community, some who have been here a long time and some who are brand new, who are enjoying our facilities and are a part of the fabric of our community. And I hope we do it again, that maybe that we can make this an annual thing, even if we don’t do an exhibition around it.”
An opening night event for the Celebrating Seniors exhibition will be held at the Spreckels Center from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will feature food, a no-host bar, live acoustic music from guitarist Daniel Gioconi, and is free and open to the public.
For more information about the Coronado Cultural Arts Commission and their Visual Arts team, visit their website at https://www.coronadoarts.com/444/Coronado-Cultural-Arts-Commission. Volunteers interested in helping to promote the arts and work on exhibits such as this one are always welcomed by the Commission and can contact Visual Arts Commissioner Michelle Darnell at [email protected] or attend a Visual Arts public meeting, which are generally held every third Wednesday of the month in the Winn Room at the Coronado Public Library.
VOL. 114, NO. 42 – Oct. 9, 2024