InVision Photo Festival & Lehigh Valley Photography Month

Before getting into the events mentioned in the title, I feel I should address the simple question of “where have I been the past couple of months?” I wish I could respond with a litany of exotic places that I visited in order to create epic photographs but, alas, that was not the case. But it was a strange albeit rewarding time nonetheless.

I started to write an explanation but it got way too long way too fast. So here is the quasi-Twitter version…

Hospital, doctors, tests, found nothing, I’m fine.

ArtsQuest Member’s Art Show – juried, three prints accepted, sold one, success.

Week in Acadia, always great, got some great images.

Catch up at day job, never fun.

Prepare for exhibit of work, 12 prints, 12×18, matted & framed.

Hang exhibit; most difficult conditions; looks great.

Go to NYC for PDN/Photo Plus.

Which brings us to the present and the events in the title of this post. The Lehigh Valley is really blessed to have an organization like ArtsQuest. They run the Banana Factory in Bethlehem, PA with it’s galleries, artists-in residence and superb art education programs for children and adults. They recently opened Steel Stacks on the site of the now closed Bethlehem Steel plant which features multiple venues for music and visual arts. And they run events like the 10-day Musikfest festival that has been going for more than 25 years now.

InVision is the brain child of Janice Lipzin of ArtsQuest. It began somewhat modestly last year with a three day event with guest speakers and artists. I attended and found it very enjoyable. But Janice had bigger plans… much bigger plans. And this year’s event is the next step in that plan. The event begins this evening (Thursday, November 3) with a “Slideluck” Party at Steel Stacks. There will be a continuously running video slide show of photography by national, regional and local artists as well as ample opportunity to mingle, network, socialize…whatever you want to call it. Then events continue on through Sunday with presentations, book signings, workshops, portfolio reviews and a venue where photographers can bring work, share it with others and talk about it.

In conjunction with InVision, November has been designated Lehigh Valley Photography Month and there are more than 40 venues (ranging from galleries to restaurants to bars to B&Bs and beyond) exhibiting photographic works from national, regional and local photographers. I am one of the artists featured. My exhibit entitled “Current Images of the Past” is hanging in the Asa Packer Room (wall of rock and mortar) in the Sayre Mansion Inn in Bethlehem, just up the hill from the Banana Factory. The Sayre Mansion Inn (beautiful; historic; large B&B with 22 rooms) is located at 431 West Third Street (corner of Third and Wyandotte Streets) in Bethlehem, PA. Please stop by, if you are in the area, and view my work. They are for sale, by the way! And while there, pick up an InVision brochure and visit the other exhibits running through the month of November.

This is a sample of the work on exhibit.

“The Doors”