BAY CITY, MI - Have some old vintage photos laying around? Bay City’s new artist-in-residence is asking the community to dust off their family photo albums and to submit photos to be a part of his long-term project.
“We all have a photo album from our parents or grandparents that’s up on that shelf in that closet that you haven’t looked at in at least a dozen years,” said Jay Handy, Studio 23′s artist-in-residence.
Handy is a printmaker who was born in Bay City but left the area to pursue a career path that made him part businessman and part artist. Handy currently resides in Wisconsin and has had his work featured in galleries both in the U.S. and abroad, but he is returning to his hometown to create a series of nostalgic works honoring and celebrating Bay City’s history and legacy. To do so, Handy is asking the Bay City community to dig threw their family archives and albums and to submit photos that he can use in his printmaking process.
“I wanted imagery from the citizenry of Bay City, I wanted it to come from them,” he said.
He added, “It’s not about me, it’s about the community.”
According to Handy, ideal images for the project are those that focus on residents’ memories of growing up in Bay City, iconic settings like buildings or events, family scenes and historical events such as the Third Street Bridge collapse and the Wenona Hotel Fire. Handy is primarily looking for photos that are more than 20 years old. Those interested in submitting their vintage photos are asked to do so at JayHandy.com. The deadline to submit photos for Handy’s project is Nov. 1, 2021.
Handy emphasized that the photos don’t have to be perfect - in fact, he prefers the rough, spur-of-the-moment style photos that one’s often going to find in their family album.
”I like blurry, I like things that are a little bit not perfect, not poised, not posed, I like a little more activity.”
Handy is planning on creating 30-40 etched prints using the submitted photos, which will be displayed on exhibition at Studio23 from March 24-May 14, 2022.
Pictured is a sample of Jay Handy's printmaking work. Handy is looking for vintage photos from the Bay City community to make a series of pieces focusing on the area. Photo provided by Jay Handy, used with permission.
Handy’s printmaking work takes photos such as the ones he’s looking for in this project and weaves them together with other techniques such as using pens and ink to produce what he calls an “otherworldly” feeling.
“Like most artists, I find myself reaching back into my history and memory for art subject matter. I want my work to conjure up memorable moments in life that can trigger a feeling and capture that moment for the viewer,” said Handy in his artist statement. “It is striking and humbling to me that I can make something that came from within me, and then touches someone else in a completely different way.”
Handy left town at the age of 18 to go to Michigan State University and eventually the Havard Business School before ultimately moving to Boston and then Wisconsin. But he never expected to return to Bay City as an artist.
“I never thought I would come back as an artist, I thought if I came back I would be involved in like business and working on land development or economic development for the city, which really is a passion of mine,” he said.
“We all come from somewhere and this is where I come from, I really appreciate it, he added. “I embrace it, I want to celebrate it, and I want to help celebrate this community as a wonderful place to be and to grow up and raise a family.”
This artist-in-residence project at Studio23 is being funded by the Bay Area Community Foundation.
More from MLive
Traffic lights not needed in downtown Bay City, according to study
Skymint expands to downtown Bay City with a new cannabis storefront
Bay City YMCA launches family fitness challenge with a $5,000 vacation package up for grabs
New co-op retail store ‘The Sunshine Shoppe’ opens its doors in downtown Bay City
Bay Area Community Foundation accepting applications for grants to strengthen neighborhoods
"artist" - Google News
July 25, 2021 at 06:16PM
https://ift.tt/3zx6tYh
‘I want to help celebrate this community,’ says artist looking for old photos of Bay City for Studio23 exhibit - MLive.com
"artist" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2FwLdIu
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "‘I want to help celebrate this community,’ says artist looking for old photos of Bay City for Studio23 exhibit - MLive.com"
Post a Comment