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Hampton Photo Arts proprietor Ben McHugh and show organizer Eric Segura help photographer Lizzy Goldstein choose photos for printing to be included in the store's upcoming "Shelters" photography exhibition at Ashawagh Hall on Saturday. Michael Heller photo.[/caption]
By Emily J. Weitz
For the past few years, Hampton Photo Arts in Bridgehampton has nudged the art community out of its sleepy winter slumber to share work in the darkest days. Artists often work in a vacuum, and the opportunity to show their work and see the work of others is not only good for business: it’s good for inspiration.
This year, Eric Segura, the manager at Hampton Photo Arts, will be curating the show for the first time. It’s an open call to artists of all stripes. For a $40 hanging fee, they will get to see their work hung on the historic walls of Ashawagh Hall and will be part of an event that draws people out of their hibernation for a hit of culture.
“Shelters” is a photography-only art exhibit offering a home for local artists to showcase their work.
“You have to keep seeing what people are doing to inspire yourself,” said Mr. Segura, who himself will have two works on display. “In the winter, it gets quiet around here, and this gives people something to do and a deadline to work towards.”
Mr. Segura works in a business that has been shrinking due to the ease of digital photography. Hampton Photo Arts has managed to remain an integral part of the community because there will always be those who value the artistry of film. Mr. Segura, who works primarily in black and white film, is one of these.
“I hear people talking about how digital is the new thing,” he said, “but sometimes you have to go back to the basics and hone your craft. You can’t forget where everything started from.”
He believes the time invested in the process is something you can actually see in the end product.
“When you look at a piece of artwork,” he said, “whether it’s painted or photographed, you can appreciate the process, the effort people put into the work. I always take that into account.”
The two pieces Mr. Segura will be displaying are black and white photos from a recent trip he took to England.
“I went to Bath on a recommendation by a photographer from the shop,” he said. “It was pretty inspiring. The architecture in England is beautiful, but it’s amazing how you can go from inner city to open land in a couple of minutes.”
One of the pieces he’ll show is a castle he saw out his hostel window.
“I woke up in the morning, and it was directly in my face,” he said. “I took that shot and I just loved it.”
The structure of the open call allows anyone who has ever claimed to be an artist to own it and join in the show. You can sign up at the store or online, and work is to be dropped off at Ashawagh Hall on February 26 between 5:30 and 8 p.m. The work will be hung, and prices will be set by the artist. After the $40 hanging fee, any sales go 100 percent to the artist.
The show will open on Saturday, February 27 with a reception from 5:30 to 10 p.m. There will be homemade food and a live band, and Carissa Waechter of Carissa’s Breads will donate. It was an event Ms. Waechter donated to because she believes in the cause.
“I’m asked to donated often throughout the year,” she said, “but high on my priority list to advocate for are other local artisans and small businesses. We face similar challenges in our efforts to produce the highest quality products possible with limited means, and we need the support of each other to survive and grow.”
Ms. Waechter has known Ben McHugh, an owner of Hampton Photo Arts and lifelong resident of the artistic enclave of Springs, for several years.
“He’s an amazing representative of the year-round local artist/artisan community that makes the East End such a special place to live,” she said.
Mr. Segura is excited to be hosting an event that will bring this year-round community out to share.
“The slightest thing could inspire your work,” he said. “And it’s fun you get a community of artists from around here. Everybody knows each other, but they rarely share their work.”
Here’s their chance.
To be a part of this open call, go to the Hampton Photo Arts home page at www.hamptonphotoarts.com or stop in to their shop in Bridgehampton Commons.
