The 2010 edition of the FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA Festival is just around the corner. We are very excited with how the festival shaped up this year, as we’ve mentioned before, aside from our Signature Exhibits (which we program several years in advance), we really don’t know what most of FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA will look like until June or July of each year. Every year we are surprised by the enthusiasm and commitment of San Antonio’s growing arts community.
This year we joined the 2010 Mexico-San Antonio initiative by the City of San Antonio to recognize and celebrate the centennial of the Mexican Revolution, and the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence from Spain. Our core Signature Exhibits at Instituto Cultural de México, San Antonio Museum of Art, Witte Museum, City of San Antonio International Center, and Bulverde Library, are all part of this effort.
FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA 2010 includes a series of significant milestones, both for the festival, and for the City’s cultural landscape. Listed below, in chronological order, are some of the unique highlights of this year’s festival.
• UTSA, 1604 Campus. Images Speak To The World – Today’s China. An important outreach effort by the China Photographer’s Association in Beijing, promoted and coordinated by Don Lien at UTSA. This exhibit is the first official cultural exchange between a Chinese photography association and San Antonio.
• UTSA, Satellite Space. The exhibit Long Range Collaborations is UTSA photography professor Libby Rowe’s curatorial debut for FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA. The exhibit eatures photographic collaborations by Nate Larson & Marni Shindelman, and Anne Leighton & Chelsy Usher.
• Unit B Gallery – Blue Star Contemporary Art Center. An infrequent interesting notion, a two-venue exhibition, This Is Not A Photo Show, curated by Kimberly Aubuchon (her first for a FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA exhibit), features the work of Thomas Cummins, Helen Maureen Cooper, Matthew Noel Todd and Michael Eddy.
• San Antonio Museum of Art. Gerardo Montiel Klint and Fernando Montiel Klint. No Escape: Photographs from the brothers Montiel Klint. Curated by David Rubin, this marks the first time that SAMA presents an ad-hoc, curated exhibit of contemporary Mexican photographers. This exhibit is presented in conjunction with Instituto Cultural de México, and City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs.
• San Antonio Museum of Art. Hugo Brehme (1882-1954), Tierra, Libertad, y No Re-eleccion!. From the collection of SAMA, this exhibit is Museum Director Marion Oettinger’s curatorial debut for a FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA exhibit.
• Instituto Cultural de México. The world premiere of Oyeme Con Los Ojos, a new body of work by Josephine Sacabo (Laredo, Paris, NY, New Orleans), based on the life of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a Mexican nun from the 17th Century who was one of the most important literary and cultural figures of her time. This exhibit is presented in conjunction with with Jennifer Shaw and the New Orleans Photo Alliance.
• Instituto Cultural de México. The world premiere of Halfway Child an unpublished series of images and ephemera by Josefina Niggli (1910-1983), author, teacher, playwright, actor, and photographer, who was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and lived in San Antonio at the start of the 20th Century. This exhibit is co-curated by Michael Mehl and Bill Fisher, and is presented in conjunction with Gemini Ink.
• Instituto Cultural de México. The world premiere of Slanted Glances, an exhibit of work by artists in Mexico, USA, and Canada, exploring contemporary notions of independence and revolution in Mexico. Curated by Michael Mehl.
• Instituto Cultural de México. Patricia Mendoza presents her lecture, Land, Identity, and Image, which addresses the cultural impact of historic social shifts such as the Mexican Revolution. An art historian and curator based in Mexico City, Patricia is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in contemporary photography, and it is an honor for us to host her lecture, which is one of two significant lectures in FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA 2010.
• San Antonio Museum of Art. A Conversation With Fernando & Gerardo Montiel Klint. A singular opportunity to hear from two of Mexico’s most important contemporary photographers, in an informative interview format conducted by David Rubin.
• City of San Antonio International Center. Mexico-Beyond The Revolution!, an exhibit of images from the Historic Casasola Archives, presented by the City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, in another first-time cultural collaboration between Mexico’s Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores and the City of San Antonio.
• There are two notable instances this year in which photographic artists/instructors are organizing and curating their own, and other artists’ exhibits. Rebecca Dietz (San Antonio College) is curating Trace Elements, an exhibit at San Antonio College, featuring the work of Jessica Mallios, Victor Pagona, Jason Reed, Libby Rowe, Kent Rush and Jason Urban, regional photography artists who are professors/instructors as well. Rebecca is also presenting an exhibit of her work at La Casa Rosa Gallery, in the Tobin Hill District. Nancy Cavender-Garcia (Southwest School of Art & Craft, Art Institute of San Antonio, Inspire Community Art School), is coordinating a collaborative effort for a site-specific photography installation at Land Heritage Institute, which includes herself, Robert Garcia, Jennifer Martin and Whitney Smith; and she is also curating Landscapes: Wet & Dry, an exhibit of images by Nancy Damron and Joyce Seibel at the Boerne Convention & Vistors Bureau. Both Rebecca Dietz and Nancy Cavender-Garcia have exhibited with FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA for several years, and we are glad to see that their dynamic personalities are moving them to expand their roles in our community, becoming organizers and curators as well.
• San Antonio College – McAllister Auditorium. Keith Carter lecture. Autobiography In Fiction. The second of our two significant lectures this year, and a coup which is the result of the dedicated efforts of Debra Schafter at San Antonio College. Keith Carter is a photographer and Distinguished Lecturer at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He is one of the most influential contemporary photographers in the United States. We are very pleased he joins us this year.
• Southwest School of Art & Craft. And finally, Kent Rush is presenting In Choate And Sublime, his first, comprehensive solo exhibition in over a decade. Throughout his career, Kent has produced a unique, iconic, elegant body of work which is always striking in its simplicity and depth. We look forward to seeing his exhibit.
As always, producing a festival like FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA is hard work. Long, hard work. It takes a lot of planning and maneuvering to make these exhibits happen. Sometimes it seems like an endless effort. But then, come final deadline time, when we see how our whole community coalesces with a full range of exhibitions and events, the hardship becomes not only worthwhile, it also begins to dissipate as we feel the cool breeze of artistic enterprise flow from all of you.
As is the case every year, but this year more so, FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA would not happen without the support of our community. We are always thankful for this.
We are especially grateful for our FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA 2010 Partners, who were instrumental in making it all happen. Our most sincere appreciation goes out to:
City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, 2010 México-San Antonio, Fall Art Festivals, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, Instituto Cultural de México, Gemini Ink, William Fisher, New Orleans Photo Alliance, Jennifer Shaw, San Antonio Museum of Art, Land Heritage Institute, SAPL Imaging, and Texas Commission on the Arts.
FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA 2010 is just around the corner. We are very excited with the way our festival shaped up this year. As we’ve mentioned before, aside from our Signature Exhibits (which we program several years in advance), we really don’t know what most of FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA will look like until June or July of each year. And after everything is said and done we continue to be surprised by the enthusiasm and commitment of San Antonio’s growing arts community.
This year we joined 2010 Mexico-San Antonio, the City of San Antonio’s cultural initiative to recognize and celebrate the centennial of the Mexican Revolution, and the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence from Spain. Our core Signature Exhibits at Instituto Cultural de México, San Antonio Museum of Art, Witte Museum, City of San Antonio International Center, and Bulverde Library, are all part of this effort.
FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA 2010 includes a series of significant milestones, both for the festival, and for the City’s cultural landscape. Listed below, in chronological order, are some of the unique highlights of this year’s festival.
• UTSA, 1604 Campus. Images Speak To The World – Today’s China. An important outreach effort by the China Photographer’s Association in Beijing, promoted and coordinated by Don Lien at UTSA. This exhibit is the first official cultural exchange between a Chinese photography association and San Antonio.
• UTSA, Satellite Space. The exhibit Long Range Collaborations is UTSA photography professor Libby Rowe’s curatorial debut for FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA. The exhibit features photographic collaborations by Nate Larson & Marni Shindelman, and Anne Leighton & Chelsy Usher.
• San Antonio Museum of Art. Gerardo Montiel Klint and Fernando Montiel Klint. No Escape: Photographs From The Brothers Montiel Klint. Curated by David Rubin, this marks the first time that SAMA presents an ad-hoc, curated exhibit of contemporary Mexican photographers. The exhibit is presented in conjunction with Instituto Cultural de México, and City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs.
• San Antonio Museum of Art. Hugo Brehme (1882-1954), Tierra, Libertad, y No Re-eleccion!. From the collection of SAMA, this exhibit is Museum Director Marion Oettinger’s curatorial debut for a FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA exhibit.
• Instituto Cultural de México. Premiere presentation of Slanted Glances, an exhibit of work by artists from Mexico, USA, and Canada, exploring contemporary notions of independence and revolution in Mexico. Curated by Michael Mehl.
• Instituto Cultural de México. Premiere presentation of Oyeme Con Los Ojos, a new body of work by Josephine Sacabo (Laredo, Paris, NY, New Orleans), based on the life of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a Mexican nun from the 17th Century who was one of the most important literary and cultural figures of her time. Coordinated by Michael Mehl, this exhibit is presented in conjunction with Jennifer Shaw and the New Orleans Photo Alliance.
• Instituto Cultural de México. Premiere presentation of Halfway Child an unpublished series of images and ephemera by Josefina Niggli (1910-1983), author, teacher, playwright, actor, and photographer, who was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and lived in San Antonio at the start of the 20th Century. This exhibit is co-curated by Michael Mehl and Bill Fisher, and is presented in conjunction with Gemini Ink.
• Instituto Cultural de México. Patricia Mendoza presents her lecture, Land, Identity, And Image, which addresses the cultural impact of historic social shifts such as the Mexican Revolution. An art historian and curator based in Mexico City, Patricia is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in contemporary photography, and it is an honor for us to host her lecture; one of two significant lectures featured in FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA 2010.
• San Antonio Museum of Art. A Conversation With Fernando & Gerardo Montiel Klint. A singular opportunity to hear from two of Mexico’s most important contemporary photographers, in an informative interview format conducted by David Rubin.
• City of San Antonio International Center. Mexico-Beyond The Revolution!, an exhibit of images from the Historic Casasola Archives, presented by the City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, in another first-time cultural collaboration between Mexico’s Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores and the City of San Antonio.
• There are two notable instances this year in which photographic artists/instructors are organizing and curating their own, and other artists’ exhibits. Rebecca Dietz (San Antonio College) is curating Trace Elements, an exhibit at San Antonio College, featuring the work of Jessica Mallios, Victor Pagona, Jason Reed, Libby Rowe, Kent Rush and Jason Urban, regional photography artists who are professors/instructors as well. Rebecca is also presenting Asylum, an exhibit of her work at La Casa Rosa Gallery, in the Tobin Hill District. Nancy Cavender-Garcia (Southwest School of Art & Craft, Art Institute of San Antonio, Inspire Community Art School), is coordinating Diverse Cultures – One Land, a collaborative effort for a site-specific photography installation at Land Heritage Institute, which includes herself, Robert Garcia, Jennifer Martin and Whitney Smith; and she is also curating Landscapes: Wet & Dry, an exhibit of images by Nancy Damron and Joyce Seibel at the Boerne Convention & Vistors Bureau. Both Rebecca Dietz and Nancy Cavender-Garcia have exhibited with FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA for several years, and we are glad to see that their dynamic personalities are moving them to expand their roles in our community, becoming organizers and curators as well.
• San Antonio College – McAllister Auditorium. Keith Carter lecture. Autobiography In Fiction. The second of our two significant lectures this year, and a coup which is the result of the dedicated efforts of Debra Schafter at San Antonio College. Keith Carter is a photographer and Distinguished Lecturer at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He is one of the most influential contemporary photographers in the United States. We are very pleased he joins us this year.
• Southwest School of Art & Craft. Kent Rush is presenting In Choate And Sublime, his first, comprehensive solo exhibition in San Antonio in over a decade. Throughout his career, Kent has produced a unique, iconic, elegant body of work which is always striking in its simplicity and depth. We look forward to seeing his exhibit.
As always, producing a festival like FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA is hard work. Long, hard work. It takes a lot of planning and maneuvering to make these exhibits happen. Sometimes it seems like an endless effort. But then, come final deadline time, when we see how our whole community coalesces into a full range of exhibitions and events, the hardship becomes not only worthwhile, it also begins to dissipate as we feel the cool, balming breeze of artistic enterprise flow from all of you. FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA is a community-based festival. It is enriched by the participation of our community. We are thankful for this.
And we are especially grateful for the involvement and commitment of our FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA 2010 Signature Exhibit Partners. Our sincere appreciation goes out to them for their support.
Our FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA 2010 Signature Exhibit Partners are:
City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, 2010 México-San Antonio, Fall Art Festivals, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, Instituto Cultural de México, Gemini Ink, William Fisher, New Orleans Photo Alliance, Jennifer Shaw, San Antonio Museum of Art, Land Heritage Institute, SAPL Imaging, and Texas Commission on the Arts.
