29.11.09
23.11.09
Exhibition Program
This is my exhibition program. I uploaded a PDF version of the document to Issuu (I website I think is great and has a lot of potential). We are selling the 30-page booklet at the exhibition for a nominal fee and it is doing well. With a combination of print sales and the program, hopefully I can at least break even.
I'm now planning a closing party-an idea that I got from a Wimba Arms discussion. I'm going to keep it a lot simpler and more casual than the opening, and am asking one of my subjects (a capoeira group) to perform there. Of course, I plan on paying them. Yesterday, I did another interview in Portuguese. This time it was for television. It went okay, but they just popped in without any warning yesterday morning when I was looking pretty ragged in jeans and a t-shirt. It ran yesterday evening on a weekend cultural show. I guess my whirlwind visit to press offices last month worked.
22.11.09
21.11.09
EXHIBIT OPEN
Tonight I finally had my opening. It was an incredibly long day starting with my framers who took it to the last minutes to finally get things right. I had to finally be the agressive American and went in full of attitude and amazingly it worked and the shop closed with all of the front desk people helping to complete the matting and framing of my pictures. It was much more stressful and energy-draining than it should've been, but it got done leaving enough time to hang the show for the evening opening reception.
My handymen did a great job of getting the frames put up. Melissa (my assistant) and my wife helped me arrange all of the photos in linear order for them to be hung. We then put up all of the caption information that I printed on glossy photo paper and used double-sided tape to stick to the wall--it looked good. For every region of the Marginal, I posted a summary of the area, its characteristics and problems. I also put my 3-dimensional map, a miniature replica of the Marginal made by a Mozambican folk artist, on display on the gallery floor. And finally, I had my recorded sound which I mixed into 30-minutes of various songs, prayers and music playing through my iPod on to portable speakers.
The attendance was good with a steady flow of people through the night. The staff I hired (two handymen, bartender, gallerista, waitress, and security guard) worked wonderfully. My worst problems were the Portuguese Consul General and her friend knocking down a barrier which they were leaning against and a small group of gate crashers who were filling coke cans full of wine and wrapping food in napkins and sticking them into their bags.
It went well. The experience was new to me. It was fulfulling having people compliment me and then be eager to talk about my experiences photographing various groups, about my project or substantive topics which seemed more sincere than someone just superficially saying they liked my pretty pictures. I appreciated that a number of people actually saw the purpose of my project and came out actually saying they learned about Maputo's coastal erosion. Another was about captions. Although I liked seeing people studying and reacting to my photographs but also reading my captions.
All in all it was a huge relief to get this thing off the ground and up and running. It took way more work than I would ever have imagined. I'll be stopping by the exhibit daily over the next couple of weeks to make sure all's well and chat with my gallerista. There was plenty of left over wine, so now I have to plan a closing party.
One sad note is that my Canon G10 –which I loved– is MIA and a casualty of a day when there were lots of bodies in the gallery who could have casually picked it up and I was a bit dazed and confused. Maybe I'll find someone selling it on the street.
My handymen did a great job of getting the frames put up. Melissa (my assistant) and my wife helped me arrange all of the photos in linear order for them to be hung. We then put up all of the caption information that I printed on glossy photo paper and used double-sided tape to stick to the wall--it looked good. For every region of the Marginal, I posted a summary of the area, its characteristics and problems. I also put my 3-dimensional map, a miniature replica of the Marginal made by a Mozambican folk artist, on display on the gallery floor. And finally, I had my recorded sound which I mixed into 30-minutes of various songs, prayers and music playing through my iPod on to portable speakers.
The attendance was good with a steady flow of people through the night. The staff I hired (two handymen, bartender, gallerista, waitress, and security guard) worked wonderfully. My worst problems were the Portuguese Consul General and her friend knocking down a barrier which they were leaning against and a small group of gate crashers who were filling coke cans full of wine and wrapping food in napkins and sticking them into their bags.
It went well. The experience was new to me. It was fulfulling having people compliment me and then be eager to talk about my experiences photographing various groups, about my project or substantive topics which seemed more sincere than someone just superficially saying they liked my pretty pictures. I appreciated that a number of people actually saw the purpose of my project and came out actually saying they learned about Maputo's coastal erosion. Another was about captions. Although I liked seeing people studying and reacting to my photographs but also reading my captions.
All in all it was a huge relief to get this thing off the ground and up and running. It took way more work than I would ever have imagined. I'll be stopping by the exhibit daily over the next couple of weeks to make sure all's well and chat with my gallerista. There was plenty of left over wine, so now I have to plan a closing party.
One sad note is that my Canon G10 –which I loved– is MIA and a casualty of a day when there were lots of bodies in the gallery who could have casually picked it up and I was a bit dazed and confused. Maybe I'll find someone selling it on the street.
20.11.09
Last Minute Framing Blues
On opening day eve, I spent most of my day dealing with my framers from hell. It's been such a fiasco dealing with these people. Mozambique hasn't quite gotten down the idea of customer service, so it has been extra frustrating. In essence, I've been lobbying these people to hand over or just let me see my frames that they had promised me would be done last Saturday. They were finally ready to be picked up this morning. They packed them into my car quickly trying to beat the rain. When I got home and had a chance to really examine them it was a glaring mess.
First, they didn't properly mat them. They used black construction paper rather than the white bevel-cut traditional mat I had requested and paid for. Thank goodness I had my receipt with all of this documented along with their stamp (they're big into stamps in this country). Besides the "mat," there was crud inside the glass of virtually every picture such as sawdust, cardboard and paint chips, and the backs of the custom frames had been taped shut. The nominal mats were poorly cut with slice marks, crooked lines, and creases.
I returned to my framer with a Mozambican friend, who as a native Portuguese speaker with cultural prowess that I just don't have, was able to navigate through the layers of workers in the shop and get them to agree to do what they should have done in the first place. We had to negotiate the time that they would be done which was gut-wrenching because we were supposed to have hung the show this evening. They said they'd be done at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. I'll be there at 9:00.
I told the handymen I hired to help me hang the photos to meet me at the gallery tomorrow at noon. It's going to be an incredibly busy day hanging the show and preparing the gallery for the opening reception at 6:30. I did get the keys to the gallery and I do have two big pictures that I printed for the window front in place there. So, at least there will be something to see along with wine, food, cool programs, caption boards and a soundtrack.
First, they didn't properly mat them. They used black construction paper rather than the white bevel-cut traditional mat I had requested and paid for. Thank goodness I had my receipt with all of this documented along with their stamp (they're big into stamps in this country). Besides the "mat," there was crud inside the glass of virtually every picture such as sawdust, cardboard and paint chips, and the backs of the custom frames had been taped shut. The nominal mats were poorly cut with slice marks, crooked lines, and creases.
I returned to my framer with a Mozambican friend, who as a native Portuguese speaker with cultural prowess that I just don't have, was able to navigate through the layers of workers in the shop and get them to agree to do what they should have done in the first place. We had to negotiate the time that they would be done which was gut-wrenching because we were supposed to have hung the show this evening. They said they'd be done at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. I'll be there at 9:00.
I told the handymen I hired to help me hang the photos to meet me at the gallery tomorrow at noon. It's going to be an incredibly busy day hanging the show and preparing the gallery for the opening reception at 6:30. I did get the keys to the gallery and I do have two big pictures that I printed for the window front in place there. So, at least there will be something to see along with wine, food, cool programs, caption boards and a soundtrack.
17.11.09
Countdown
There are only a few days until my exhibition, and this morning I discovered it's going to rain heavily on Saturday, my opening day. Besides decreasing attendance, it will make things messy, but I have to plan to try to make is smooth as possible.
Besides the bigger chores like having photos printed and framed, there are a lot of details I overlooked. I'm still putting together sound (editing and mixing it on Garage Band). I also have to make sure the printers are on time for the exhibition programs. Some things I've taken upon myself to make the gallery more pleasant. For instance, now with the rain, I'm going to have to get some mats, throw rugs, and make sure to have extra towels on hand because here you just never know what kind of crazy things might happen with a lot of rain.
I've been making final preparations the past few days. I've sent out invitations and reminders aimed mostly at the expat and diplomatic community. I printed formal invitations and am going to make a final run through to hang up more posters and personally take invitations to select people. I had my summary printed and am finishing captions, sales lists and title cards. I bought and assembled hanging supplies like fishing line, adhesive velcro, hooks and various glues and sticky things.
Odds and ends that are on my list for the opening are items like wood spray (for fixtures) and glass cleaner. But bigger things on my checklist include the food and beverages: wine, juice, coke, water, food (I made it myself: small empanadas (meat pies), cheese, crackers, spiced almonds, and a vegetable tray with dip), nice plastic cups, napkins, tablecloths, folding table, purified ice and an ice chest, and garbage bags. I hired a bartender, waitress, gallery attendant (gallerista), a security guard and a couple of guys to hang the show.
Other little things I've done at the suggestion of Melissa, my assistant, are getting a register or guest book, putting together a price list for anybody who might want to purchase a print, getting a business card holder for my cards, and a cup of sharpened pencils. Pledge, wood cleaner, has to be found to tidy up the stands which will hold the three-dimensional map of the Marginal I had an artisan make.
Today, I have to go back to my framer and pressure them a bit. A thing that drives Americans here crazy (and just plain confuses Scandinavians) is the lack of promptness. Last week I was told that my frames would be finished this past Saturday. When I went to pick them up yesterday, they weren't done. Unfortunately it is to be expected, and I prepared for this cultural laxness so I wouldn't be completely out of luck on Friday when we hang the show. Such is life in Mozambique.
Besides the bigger chores like having photos printed and framed, there are a lot of details I overlooked. I'm still putting together sound (editing and mixing it on Garage Band). I also have to make sure the printers are on time for the exhibition programs. Some things I've taken upon myself to make the gallery more pleasant. For instance, now with the rain, I'm going to have to get some mats, throw rugs, and make sure to have extra towels on hand because here you just never know what kind of crazy things might happen with a lot of rain.
I've been making final preparations the past few days. I've sent out invitations and reminders aimed mostly at the expat and diplomatic community. I printed formal invitations and am going to make a final run through to hang up more posters and personally take invitations to select people. I had my summary printed and am finishing captions, sales lists and title cards. I bought and assembled hanging supplies like fishing line, adhesive velcro, hooks and various glues and sticky things.
Odds and ends that are on my list for the opening are items like wood spray (for fixtures) and glass cleaner. But bigger things on my checklist include the food and beverages: wine, juice, coke, water, food (I made it myself: small empanadas (meat pies), cheese, crackers, spiced almonds, and a vegetable tray with dip), nice plastic cups, napkins, tablecloths, folding table, purified ice and an ice chest, and garbage bags. I hired a bartender, waitress, gallery attendant (gallerista), a security guard and a couple of guys to hang the show.
Other little things I've done at the suggestion of Melissa, my assistant, are getting a register or guest book, putting together a price list for anybody who might want to purchase a print, getting a business card holder for my cards, and a cup of sharpened pencils. Pledge, wood cleaner, has to be found to tidy up the stands which will hold the three-dimensional map of the Marginal I had an artisan make.
Today, I have to go back to my framer and pressure them a bit. A thing that drives Americans here crazy (and just plain confuses Scandinavians) is the lack of promptness. Last week I was told that my frames would be finished this past Saturday. When I went to pick them up yesterday, they weren't done. Unfortunately it is to be expected, and I prepared for this cultural laxness so I wouldn't be completely out of luck on Friday when we hang the show. Such is life in Mozambique.
5.11.09
Press and Promotion
I've spent this week taking newly-printed posters and postcards around town. It reminded me a lot of my music days. When I was a guitarist in bands we used to spend days putting our flyers for our gigs at record and music stores, clubs and shops. My sponsor payed for the posters which turned out quite nice.
The U.S. Embassy public affairs office sent out a press release to their contacts in the country as well. My relationship with a member of the embassy has been a slippery slope. Because of nepotism rules, I'm bot eligible for a lot of benefits. For instance where they might bring in and pay a photographer to speak, I cannot do it (at least I can't be paid). I am not eligible for funding and various programs. However they have asked me to do a number of things and have taken advantage of my being here. In this case, they're able to promote themselves and American journalism, etc. by helping promote my exhibit. Since the people there are new (the staff arrived when I was away on my sick leave) I am comfortable with their involvement since they expressed interest on their own.
A friend of mine, Carlos Litulo, a Mozambican photojournalist who works for AFP and is with Redux, took me around town yesterday to line up interviews and press coverage with the local newspapers, radio and television stations. I'm a bit nervous because they were all interested and I'll have to sit down for interviews in Portuguese which I can speak but not terribly well. I imagine I sound like a little kid to most native speakers. It should be interesting.
I've also made multiple trips to the printer who is working on the exhibition program. It's been a bit of a hassle because it's out of the way to drive to. They've had some trouble with the size of the pages and then, oddly, the amount of pages. It's 28 pages, but for automation purposes, they needed it to be 24 pages. They took the liberty of redesigning it which we firmly rejected. In the end, the agreed to print it the way we needed but will have to do a lot of manual work.
Finally with the actual show, I spent the beginning of the week changing my frames at the urging of my wife. Fortunately the framers hadn't started yet. I did measurements for a display which will have my show summary which will be in Portuguese and English. I'll have that printed and put on foam core. I also had two large prints matted on foam core which I will display in the gallery windows to increase visibility and, hopefully, draw foot traffic. They look great. I also hired a gallerista, gallery attendant, and lined up two people to hang my work, and have a bartender and two servers for my opening in three weeks.
I still have to line up a guard/bouncer for opening night which is important to me because there is a group of local artists who are notorious for crashing openings, drinking all the free booze they can and becoming obnoxious and rowdy. Essentially, I'm focused on keeping them out.
The U.S. Embassy public affairs office sent out a press release to their contacts in the country as well. My relationship with a member of the embassy has been a slippery slope. Because of nepotism rules, I'm bot eligible for a lot of benefits. For instance where they might bring in and pay a photographer to speak, I cannot do it (at least I can't be paid). I am not eligible for funding and various programs. However they have asked me to do a number of things and have taken advantage of my being here. In this case, they're able to promote themselves and American journalism, etc. by helping promote my exhibit. Since the people there are new (the staff arrived when I was away on my sick leave) I am comfortable with their involvement since they expressed interest on their own.
A friend of mine, Carlos Litulo, a Mozambican photojournalist who works for AFP and is with Redux, took me around town yesterday to line up interviews and press coverage with the local newspapers, radio and television stations. I'm a bit nervous because they were all interested and I'll have to sit down for interviews in Portuguese which I can speak but not terribly well. I imagine I sound like a little kid to most native speakers. It should be interesting.
I've also made multiple trips to the printer who is working on the exhibition program. It's been a bit of a hassle because it's out of the way to drive to. They've had some trouble with the size of the pages and then, oddly, the amount of pages. It's 28 pages, but for automation purposes, they needed it to be 24 pages. They took the liberty of redesigning it which we firmly rejected. In the end, the agreed to print it the way we needed but will have to do a lot of manual work.
Finally with the actual show, I spent the beginning of the week changing my frames at the urging of my wife. Fortunately the framers hadn't started yet. I did measurements for a display which will have my show summary which will be in Portuguese and English. I'll have that printed and put on foam core. I also had two large prints matted on foam core which I will display in the gallery windows to increase visibility and, hopefully, draw foot traffic. They look great. I also hired a gallerista, gallery attendant, and lined up two people to hang my work, and have a bartender and two servers for my opening in three weeks.
I still have to line up a guard/bouncer for opening night which is important to me because there is a group of local artists who are notorious for crashing openings, drinking all the free booze they can and becoming obnoxious and rowdy. Essentially, I'm focused on keeping them out.
2.11.09
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