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Photography Exhibit and Classes at FVAC
A darkroom is the perfect place for budding photographers to hide away on hot, humid days. This summer, the Farmington Valley Arts Center in Avon is offering courses for those who want to hone their photographic skills, plus a special weekend workshop, free gallery talk and summer-long gallery exhibition by freelance photographer Patrick Vingo of Norwalk, who is known for his black and white landscapes.
Vingo’s photographs will be featured in the Arts Center’s Fisher Gallery through August 23 during regular gallery hours: Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. Vingo has spent 19 years perfecting his own approach to both portrait and landscape photography, and his predominantly black and white images reveal a quiet but strong interpretation of his subjects, suggesting the inner drama within the person or the primal mystery within the land. The public is invited to meet Vingo at a free Gallery Talk on Thursday, July 18 from 7-8 p.m. at the Fisher Gallery, 25 Arts Center Lane in Avon. For details call 860-678-1867, ext 105.
Those who are intrigued by Vingo’s powerful images and who already have a thorough knowledge of their camera’s operation will want to enroll in the "Mastering the Black and White Print" workshop that he will teach at the FVAC on Saturday and Sunday, August 3-4 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. This course in shooting and printing black and white 35mm photographs will feature opportunities to capture images outdoors and then develop and print them with Vingo’s expert guidance. The course fee is $170, and interested participants should register by July 26 by calling 860-678-1867, ext 101.
Vingo has served on the faculty of Pace University’s Journalism Department, is an instructor of photography at the Silvermine School of Art and has curated three national photography exhibits for the Westport Arts Center. He was Artist-in-Residence in 1994 at the Weir Farm National Historic Site, where he documented Connecticut’s only national park and the nation’s only national park designated on the basis of its artistic heritage.
The Arts Center also offers a beginner-friendly "Darkroom Introduction" class on four Wednesdays from 7-9:30 p.m. beginning July 24. Students should bring their own exposed rolls of black and white film for developing and printing. The fee is $135 including all darkroom equipment and chemistry; interested participants should call 860-678-1867, ext 101 to register.
Feel confident in the darkroom? The FVAC offers a darkroom rental option for $60 per month, which does not include supplies. The darkroom is available to renters daily from 8 a.m.-11 p.m., with the exception of scheduled class times. To tour the facility, located in the FVAC Annex on Route 10/202 in Avon, call Pat Parker at 860-674-8315.
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