Under Sail​:​ ​Experiences, People, and Destinations​​

Under Sail​:​ ​Experiences, People, and Destinations​​

Whether seen from sea, land, or air, sailing vessels have ​had a timeless attraction for many.​ For centuries, sailing has harnessed the power of the wind to propel us across water, ice, or land. Sailing, its activities, and its destinations have attracted the artistic efforts of many creative spirits…

Even if you ​have ​never sail​ed ​yourself, ​your​ ​view of boats under sail, or experience of being a passenger on a sailboat, has likely been enjoyable and memorable. For those who have found sailing a pastime, sport or passion, the wind and spray of water, and the boat rocking beneath you can be a calming, energizing, and challenging experience. For many, the people and destinations involved in sailing offer an opportunity to gain a new perspective, learn a skill, or experience a destination in a unique way.

The exhibition presents a selection of work from:  Christine Acebo, Roger Archibald, Ray Avitable, Sharon Bibeault, Aaron Bickford, David Black, Beatta Bosworth, Patrick Burks, Jenny Carey, Barbara Crane, Alyce Croasdale, Christopher Fowler, Donald Johnson, John Lincourt, Mary Jo Marquis, Colleen Reilly, Katerina Stepanova, Inge Vautrin, Romi Voorhies & Allan Weitz

We hope you enjoy this exhibition, originally conceived to motivate our members and followers to get out and explore the great outdoors.  After the better part of two years of limited travel options, accessing the world through Zoom all while firmly planted in front of a computer for work… for recreation… for shopping and… to keep connected with friends & family, our goal was to provide an opportunity to break this cycle. Under Sail intended to provide an incentive to step away from the computer and experience the world first hand. Sailing was selected as a topic largely because of easy access to subject matter (locally at least), an incentive to enjoy the outdoors and for many, an excuse to try a photographing a new subject. In a state with over 400 miles of coast line, we have a long history with sail, easy access to sailing related locations and no good excuse not to get out and try…

David DeMelim
Managing Director

DATES:

Opening Reception: October 20th  5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Exhibition: Thursday, October 20th, thru Friday, November 11th, 2022

From the Jurors:

For us, “Under Sail” was an opportunity to appreciate your vision of sailing from whatever viewpoint you chose wherever that might be. The call for entry intentionally encouraged diversity, and as jurors, we sought to remain open to that goal while still evaluating the technical excellence, composition, craft, and imagination of the submissions. 

As photographers, ‘Being There’ is one of our basic tenets. What ’There’ is, is a bit more complicated to describe, and often can quickly be the decisive factor along with timing, light, gesture and color or tone in creating a stunning image. In our jurying, we focused on the image that we saw in front of us rather than written comments. 

We were happy to see the variety of approaches that many took, and found ourselves at times reflecting on what that reminded us of in our own work. Many images were straightforward to evaluate, but others took more time to appreciate. 

We thank all of you who submitted your work which takes effort and a willingness to be evaluated. In the end, decisions have to be made for the exhibition content and awards. We were unanimous in our decisions, and hope you enjoy the show that you helped to create. 

Best wishes in your creative efforts,

Daniel Forster and Paul M. Murray

Reflecting on the experience, Daniel offers this poetic summary…

It was exciting to jury the entries,

There were more than excepted, so many attendees.

The choice was not easy,

We didn’t expect it to be easy peasy.

Some eclectic submissions from so many countries.

About the Jurors: Paul M Murray and Daniel Forster 

Paul M Murray is an internationally recognized color photographer and skilled journalistic writer. His expression in images, words and design reflect a blend of his lifelong interests in art, nature, technology, aviation, urban life, and societal change. His approach to photography and life is to remain open, trust his instincts and discard labels that are divisive. He uses technology to increase his creative options and productivity but not to replace his vision and responsibility. His artistic skills have been recognized at the highest levels of achievement at the Salmagundi Club of New York, Copley Society of Art, Providence Art Club, Art League Rhode Island, Mystic Museum of Art, Wickford Art Association, Plymouth Center for the Arts, and Cape Cod Art Center. Paul’s solo exhibition at the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts, “Riding the Wind” runs through June 10th and is available online at https://www.riphotocenter.org/riding-the-wind-paul-m-murray

Daniel Forster is a Swiss born photographer, who has made a career of photographing sailing competitions around the world.  He has covered thirteen America’s Cups and twelve Olympic Games along with doing the Uruguay to England leg of the Whitbread Round the World Race on board the UBS Switzerland as a crew member and photographer in 1986. Along with his many other assignments Daniel currently is one of the official photographers in charge of the Rolex Yachting events, covering regattas around the world. Daniel’s curated exhibition at the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts runs through June 10th and is available online at https://www.riphotocenter.org/voyages-and-victories-an-invitational

Awards 

First Place: Takedown – ZENJI Style, by John Lincourt of Lincoln, RI – jlincourt.wixsite.com/photography

Second Place: Old Sails, by Ray Avitable of Bourne, MA – rayavitablephotography.com  

Third  Place: Daughter of Earth and Water, by Romi Voorhies of New Orleans, LA – romivoorhies.com 

Honorable Mention: 11. 10. 9. , by David Lee Black of Wrentham, MA – DavidLeeBlack.com

Honorable Mention: Long, long thoughts, by Mary Jo Marquis of South Portland, ME – 

Honorable Mention: Late Afternoon on the River, by Allan Weitz of West Hartford, CT – www.allanweitzdesign.com

Located in the heart of Providence, RICPA was founded to inspire creative development and provide opportunities to engage with the community through exhibitions, education, publication, and mutual support.

RICPA exists to create a diverse and supportive community for individuals interested in learning or working in the Photographic Arts. We strive to provide an environment conducive to the free exchange of ideas in an open and cooperative space. Members should share a passion for creating, appreciating, or learning about all forms of photo-based media. We work to provide a platform for artistic expression, that fosters dialogue and drives innovation in the photographic arts.

The Gallery at the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts is a member of Gallery Night Providence https://www.gallerynight.org/

Want to become a RICPA Member? Membership brings many benefits and discounts, for more information and to find the membership level that fits you, visit our website at https://www.riphotocenter.org/membership-info/ You may become a member at entry, member benefits begin immediately and run 365 days from your start date.

Questions: Contact gallery@riphotocenter.org  To learn about other RICPA exhibits and programs, visit https://www.riphotocenter.org/