Art with abandon at Stomping Grounds
GENEVA, N.Y. -- Abandonment Issues, a new exhibition of photographs by local artist Kevin Schoonover that imaginatively inspects neglected and deserted buildings, starts June 25 at Stomping Grounds, 492 Exchange St. The images will be on display until September 17. An open house with Schoonover, featured craftsman Tommy Fish, and featured authors Charles R. Mitchell and Kirk W. House, is scheduled from 3 to 6 p.m., June 25. It is free and open to the public. Wine courtesy of Billsboro Winery will be sampled from 4-6.
From sadly vacant houses and weather-beaten barns to dilapidated institutional structures and old, rusting trucks, Schoonover and his camera have been documenting the decaying relics that litter our rural landscape. His images draw the viewer in and tasks them with uncomfortable ideas about how and why these things came to be, and how they, the viewer, are related back to the landscape.
"I don't know what it is about these artifacts that attracts me," said Schoonover. "But I'm not alone. I've met so many people who respond favorably to my vision and my, seemingly, odd subject matter. They're not pretty pictures and they're not photo-journalistic reporting. I'm trying to interpret reality as I see it, and then share it in a meaningful way."
Shot throughout the Finger Lakes region, Schoonover's work is simultaneously somber and nostalgic, melancholy and dreamlike. He uses a variety of in- and out-of-camera techniques including focus and exposure adjustments, and different filters and lenses, to achieve the desired aesthetic atmosphere.
Schoonover recently won "Third Place in Photography" at the 54th Allentown Art Festival in Buffalo and "Third Place Best in Show" at the Naples Spring Artisan Showcase.
Stomping Grounds is a unique shop offering a fun blend of modern and vintage art, books and gifts, as well as custom printing, matting and framing services. Regular store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Call 315-220-0922 for details.
(June 16, 2011)
From sadly vacant houses and weather-beaten barns to dilapidated institutional structures and old, rusting trucks, Schoonover and his camera have been documenting the decaying relics that litter our rural landscape. His images draw the viewer in and tasks them with uncomfortable ideas about how and why these things came to be, and how they, the viewer, are related back to the landscape.
"I don't know what it is about these artifacts that attracts me," said Schoonover. "But I'm not alone. I've met so many people who respond favorably to my vision and my, seemingly, odd subject matter. They're not pretty pictures and they're not photo-journalistic reporting. I'm trying to interpret reality as I see it, and then share it in a meaningful way."
Shot throughout the Finger Lakes region, Schoonover's work is simultaneously somber and nostalgic, melancholy and dreamlike. He uses a variety of in- and out-of-camera techniques including focus and exposure adjustments, and different filters and lenses, to achieve the desired aesthetic atmosphere.
Schoonover recently won "Third Place in Photography" at the 54th Allentown Art Festival in Buffalo and "Third Place Best in Show" at the Naples Spring Artisan Showcase.
Stomping Grounds is a unique shop offering a fun blend of modern and vintage art, books and gifts, as well as custom printing, matting and framing services. Regular store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Call 315-220-0922 for details.
(June 16, 2011)
Photo exhibit asks "What is home?"
PENN YAN, NY – Flying Whale Studios presents Dreams of Home, an exhibition of photographs by artist Kevin Schoonover that explores the idea of home and its different meanings and interpretations, starting April 15 at Anthony Road Wine Company, 1020 Anthony Rd., Penn Yan. The images will be on display in the winery's spacious tasting room until May 13. An opening reception with the artist is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m., April 15. It is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
From the building one lives in to an overall emotional feeling of contentment, the concept of "home" is infinitely varied and different for everyone. The exhibit asks patrons to consider their own understandings of "home" as a place or a concept or a state of mind while they examine the work.
"It's not necessary a house," noted Schoonover. "It can be that spot where you feel most comfortable or happy. It can be a person or a part of the world or a memory. Or it can be a house. I hope this collection will spur others to contemplate what "home" means to them."
Shot mostly in and around New York's Finger Lakes region, Schoonover's work is oftentimes somber, melancholy, and dreamlike lending itself well to this exploration of emotion and remembrance.
Regular winery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 12 to 5 p.m., Sunday. Call 1-800-559-2182 for details.
(April 8, 2011)
From the building one lives in to an overall emotional feeling of contentment, the concept of "home" is infinitely varied and different for everyone. The exhibit asks patrons to consider their own understandings of "home" as a place or a concept or a state of mind while they examine the work.
"It's not necessary a house," noted Schoonover. "It can be that spot where you feel most comfortable or happy. It can be a person or a part of the world or a memory. Or it can be a house. I hope this collection will spur others to contemplate what "home" means to them."
Shot mostly in and around New York's Finger Lakes region, Schoonover's work is oftentimes somber, melancholy, and dreamlike lending itself well to this exploration of emotion and remembrance.
Regular winery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 12 to 5 p.m., Sunday. Call 1-800-559-2182 for details.
(April 8, 2011)
Major photo exhibit to open at High Falls Art Gallery
Top photographers announced
ROCHESTER, NY – A Photographer’s Path
will lead downtown to the High Falls Art Gallery for the 14th
consecutive year beginning mid-March and running through April 29. High
Falls Gallery is best known for its open shows mixing local artists of
all ages and skill levels; but this juried show has become one of the
most popular in the gallery’s history. A super-jury of six local experts
was enlisted to select the top photographers from a field of more than a
hundred. One gallery will be devoted to their work alone. Other areas
will contain a broad sampling of remaining submissions. The show
attracted many professional level imagists, gifted amateurs, students
and beginners. Visitors year after year enjoy the wide array of works
from traditional to new trends and technologies. Top ranked
photographers for 2011 include Wendy Sacks, Tim Fuss, Brian Dettman, Ron
Brancato, Kevin Schoonover,
and Don Menges. The gallery remains open during installation but other
high scorers and the remaining field will be revealed at an artist’s
reception on March 20 (3-6 pm).
(March 13, 2011)
(March 13, 2011)
Beach photography exhibit goes against the grain
GENEVA, NY – Flying Whale Studios and Billsboro Winery present The Silence of Sand, an exhibition of photographs by local artist Kevin Schoonover, starting Feb. 18 in Billsboro's English barn tasting room, 4760 West Lake Rd. The images will be on display until April 1. An opening reception with the artist is scheduled from 4:30 to 7 p.m., Feb. 18. It is free and open to the public. Musical entertainment is provided by the Cool Club Trio. Light fare from Red Dove Tavern will be available.
As an antithesis to the snow and low temperatures the Finger Lakes is experiencing this year, The Silence of Sand offers an enticing preview of warm ocean breezes, clear blue skies, and nostalgia for the seashores of our youth that never really existed. It features a number of new images celebrating summer vacation and sandy beaches. But with the customary twinge of melancholy and loneliness that the artist's work has become known for.
"I love winter weather as much as the next person -- maybe more, but even I'm ready for it to be over," noted Schoonover. "This show is my way to remind patrons that better days are coming soon. And what better place than a winery for that?"
A graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology's graphic design program, Schoonover served as executive director of Wayne County Council for the Arts for five years and the Finger Lakes Regional Arts Council/Smith Opera House for nearly 10. In 2009, he started Flying Whale Studios, a professional arts business specializing in the creation of photography and fine art, graphic design, and grant writing and publicity for non-profit organizations. He won Best in Photography at the Canandaigua Christkindl Market in November and will be a part of the Finger Lakes Gallery and Frame Beginnings exhibition in March. He lives in Geneva with his wife, Mary.
Regular winery hours are 12 to 5 p.m., Wednesday-Friday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. Call 315-789-9538 for details.
(February 15, 2011)
As an antithesis to the snow and low temperatures the Finger Lakes is experiencing this year, The Silence of Sand offers an enticing preview of warm ocean breezes, clear blue skies, and nostalgia for the seashores of our youth that never really existed. It features a number of new images celebrating summer vacation and sandy beaches. But with the customary twinge of melancholy and loneliness that the artist's work has become known for.
"I love winter weather as much as the next person -- maybe more, but even I'm ready for it to be over," noted Schoonover. "This show is my way to remind patrons that better days are coming soon. And what better place than a winery for that?"
A graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology's graphic design program, Schoonover served as executive director of Wayne County Council for the Arts for five years and the Finger Lakes Regional Arts Council/Smith Opera House for nearly 10. In 2009, he started Flying Whale Studios, a professional arts business specializing in the creation of photography and fine art, graphic design, and grant writing and publicity for non-profit organizations. He won Best in Photography at the Canandaigua Christkindl Market in November and will be a part of the Finger Lakes Gallery and Frame Beginnings exhibition in March. He lives in Geneva with his wife, Mary.
Regular winery hours are 12 to 5 p.m., Wednesday-Friday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. Call 315-789-9538 for details.
(February 15, 2011)
Photo exhibit opens at local credit union
GENEVA, NY – Flying Whale Studios presents Every Specimen Becomes a Relic,
an exhibition of photographs by local artist Kevin Schoonover,
beginning Aug. 5 at the Finger Lakes Federal Credit Union, 27 Seneca St.
The images will be on display in the lobby and Loan Department until
Oct. 28. An opening reception with the artist is scheduled from 5 to 7
p.m., Aug. 5. It is free and open to the public. Refreshments, including
a wine tasting from Billsboro Winery, will be available.
Every Specimen Becomes a Relic is composed of over 20 photos offering depictions of rural and urban blight, and some of the natural wonders that surround us but often go unnoticed. Semi-abstract patterns and textures play an important role in Schoonover's pieces. The interplay of light and shadow on ordinary surfaces combined with muted or jarringly bright colors all help create an original way of seeing the world.
"I've always loved sad, broken buildings and places," remarked Schoonover. "There's something wistful and heartbreaking in the decay and ruin that calls to me. At the same time, I'm also drawn to those spontaneous and uninhibited moments of joy that are constantly occurring... if you know where to look. I hope my work reflects this duality and that the audience shares and appreciates this sensibility."
Whether it's a weather-pounded dune fence receding to the ocean's edge, or the crumbling brick backside of a downtown Geneva tenement, or the serenity of an endless blue sky hugging the even bluer horizon line of Lake Ontario, Schoonover's eye is always on the lookout for that which we all look at, but rarely see.
A graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology's graphic design program, Schoonover served as executive director of Wayne County Council for the Arts for five years and the Finger Lakes Regional Arts Council/Smith Opera House, where he had the same title, for nearly 10. He left The Smith last year and started Flying Whale Studios, a professional arts business specializing in the creation of photography and fine art, graphic design, and grant writing and publicity for area non-profit organizations. He lives in Geneva with his wife, Mary. They have two grown children, Zachary and Hannah. This is the first local exhibition of the award-winning photographer's work.
Regular Credit Union hours are Monday to Wednesday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Call FLFCU at 315-781-1334 for details.
(July 28, 2010)
Every Specimen Becomes a Relic is composed of over 20 photos offering depictions of rural and urban blight, and some of the natural wonders that surround us but often go unnoticed. Semi-abstract patterns and textures play an important role in Schoonover's pieces. The interplay of light and shadow on ordinary surfaces combined with muted or jarringly bright colors all help create an original way of seeing the world.
"I've always loved sad, broken buildings and places," remarked Schoonover. "There's something wistful and heartbreaking in the decay and ruin that calls to me. At the same time, I'm also drawn to those spontaneous and uninhibited moments of joy that are constantly occurring... if you know where to look. I hope my work reflects this duality and that the audience shares and appreciates this sensibility."
Whether it's a weather-pounded dune fence receding to the ocean's edge, or the crumbling brick backside of a downtown Geneva tenement, or the serenity of an endless blue sky hugging the even bluer horizon line of Lake Ontario, Schoonover's eye is always on the lookout for that which we all look at, but rarely see.
A graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology's graphic design program, Schoonover served as executive director of Wayne County Council for the Arts for five years and the Finger Lakes Regional Arts Council/Smith Opera House, where he had the same title, for nearly 10. He left The Smith last year and started Flying Whale Studios, a professional arts business specializing in the creation of photography and fine art, graphic design, and grant writing and publicity for area non-profit organizations. He lives in Geneva with his wife, Mary. They have two grown children, Zachary and Hannah. This is the first local exhibition of the award-winning photographer's work.
Regular Credit Union hours are Monday to Wednesday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Call FLFCU at 315-781-1334 for details.
(July 28, 2010)
Unlikely subject wins at wildlife photo contest
MILTON, DE – Geneva, NY artist Kevin Schoonover won third place in the 2009 Prime Hook Nature Photography Contest.
With hundreds of submission, the annual contest and exhibit at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge showcased some of the more dramatic and beautiful natural resources on the Delmarva peninsula. A panel of three professional photographers judged the entries.
Schoonover's photograph, titled Buzz Kill, features an extreme close-up of one of the ubiquitous horseflies that plague beach-goers each summer especially when the wind comes from the west instead of off the ocean.
"Patience was key," said the artist. "I used a zoom lens. But I also wriggled around in the sand for quite awhile, slowly inching closer to him, and hoping he wouldn't fly away."
Schoonover recently opened Flying Whale Studios in Geneva, specializing in a variety of fine and graphic arts, marketing and publicity, and grant writing.
(October 30, 2009)
With hundreds of submission, the annual contest and exhibit at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge showcased some of the more dramatic and beautiful natural resources on the Delmarva peninsula. A panel of three professional photographers judged the entries.
Schoonover's photograph, titled Buzz Kill, features an extreme close-up of one of the ubiquitous horseflies that plague beach-goers each summer especially when the wind comes from the west instead of off the ocean.
"Patience was key," said the artist. "I used a zoom lens. But I also wriggled around in the sand for quite awhile, slowly inching closer to him, and hoping he wouldn't fly away."
Schoonover recently opened Flying Whale Studios in Geneva, specializing in a variety of fine and graphic arts, marketing and publicity, and grant writing.
(October 30, 2009)
FLYING WHALE STUDIOS • 143 WILLIAM STREET • GENEVA, NY 14456 • 315-719-1499 • FLYINGWHALE@ROCHESTER.RR.COM
