Lishui Photo Festival: Awards and Pageantry

We were delighted to learn that we won a grand prize for our exhibition of Natural History portraits at the 2013 Lishui International Photographic Exhibition and Cultural Festival.

Above, Yan Li, (in pink) accepting the award on our behalf. In addition, Yan won best curator along with Blue Mitchell,  Fritz Leidtke's work also won grand prize and Susan Kae Grant's exhibition won an honorable mention out of over 1000 Chinese and international exhibitors. Many thanks to Yan Li and Blue Mitchell for their excellent orchestrations.

A short clip of the opening ceremony of the exhibiton which was an hour and half of rich spectacle that celebrated photography and the culture of Lishui. Never have I seen photography so exalted!

Lishui Photo Festival: On Giving and Receiving

 Giving & Receiving Present, © Unknown,
from the Three Shadows Photography Art Center Collection

Bowing in gratitude for the many wonderful exchanges during our time in Lishui:

My team of sweet, enthusiastic volunteers who helped frame the work. The young men were architecture students from the University of Lishui. At right, Rainbow and Mushroom, their chosen names, who are are studying English at the University and had never spoken English with a foreigner before. We are now pen pals. When Rainbow asked me about our work, I said  we use old photographic processes in a new way and after looking at the work, she replied "Oh I understand. Like daughter paying homage to father." Their openness was a highlight of the trip.

High school students peppered us with questions, practicing their English and giggling, and we were interviewed and photographed like celebrities.

 

Meeting the other Chinese photographers exhibiting was an honor and cause for exchanges that would inevitably draw a crowd who photographed us. We even made the Lishui newspaper.

 We visited the studio of one of the artists we met at the exhibition and were served tea in his hand thrown celadon glazed exquisite teacups. We all came away with his beautiful pottery.

Here enjoying the cultural treasure of Chinese foot massage at Leisure Foot in Lishui.

And the sweetest gift of traveling with engaging, talented, and fun photographers.

The “Unconventional Photographers” with curator: l to r: Barbara Ciurej, Jim Leisy, Bill Vaccarro, Yan Li, Clay Lipsky, Fritz Leidtke, Susan Kae Grant, and her consort Rich Klein, Heidi Kirkpatrick and Ryan Zoghlin. We missed Lindsay Lochman, Kim Kaufman and co-curator Blue Mitchell.

Our embedded portrait photographer: Fritz Leidtke

Usually we are behind the camera and rarely in the pictures. One of the benefits of traveling to China with photographers was that I came away with some wonderful portraits from the time in Lishui by Fritz Leidtke, who intently photographed us all. See more of his great work and read his accounts of his experience at http://fritzphoto.com/arts/

China Bound

Fifteen portraits from Natural History (and Barbara) will be heading to the Lishui Photo Festival in  Zhejiang Province, China from November 4-10, 2013. Curated by Yan Li of High Noon Culture and Art Corp. and Blue Mitchell, the show "Unconventional Photography" includes works by these outstanding unconventional photographers:
Jim Leisy "American Scientist"
S. Gayle Stevens  "Allegory"
Clay Lipsky  "Exposed"
Fritz Leidtke "Astra Velum"
Heidi Kirkpatrick "Lost and Found"
Ryan Zoghlin "Aerotones"
Bill Vaccaro "The Things She Left Behind"
Kim Kauffman "Confluence"
Jennifer B. Husdson "Medic"
Susan Kae Grant  "Theatrical Realms of the Whimsical and Tragic"
It ought to be an adventure traveling with these visionaries.