Weston's Open New Community Darkroom near Monterey, CA

[Merg Ross]

http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/news/cover_collections/the-weston-collective-s-new-community-darkroom-aims-to-bring/article_9cd9cf38-f367-11e8-a09b-27a1c42471c8.html

[bloodhoundbob]

http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/news/cover_collections/the-weston-collective-s-new-community-darkroom-aims-to-bring/article_9cd9cf38-f367-11e8-a09b-27a1c42471c8.html

That is indeed great news. Thanks for sharing, Merg!

[Tin Can]

Great news!

Both the HS and College close to me have teaching darkrooms.

Southern Illinois!

[Joe O'Hara]

Thinking of SIU Carbondale, Randy? I attended there in the early 70's but decided it wasn't the right place for me.

They had a heck of a nice darkroom at the time.

I agree that that's great news about the Weston Collective, for sure.

[Thom Bennett]

Very cool!

[Tin Can]

Joe,

Yes SIUC. I first saw campus in 1968. Started classes in 1969, which we never finished after all Hell broke loose 1 week after Kent State. Martial Law, National Guard in Barb Wire Jeeps and 6 to 6 curfew. Very nasty, I didn't go back until recently. I like Shawnee National Forest and Giant City.

SIUC is losing ground and asked for unpaid help from retired Professors. I volunteered with the photography department, but got nowhere. Except an email that just passed the buck. I have an MFA and most likely more gear than they do...I'll try again as I am gaining contacts at the school, but in the Theater Dept!

It was also the wrong school for me...

As for the politics of the day, SIUC was a Vietnam Vet Rehab Center and students helped where we could. I have some strange but interesting tales from that era...




Thinking of SIU Carbondale, Randy? I attended there in the early 70's but decided it wasn't the right place for me.

They had a heck of a nice darkroom at the time.

I agree that that's great news about the Weston Collective, for sure.

[Joe O'Hara]

Small world.

The State of Illinois is teetering on the edge financially, perhaps it is not surprising that the school struggles today. Even when I was there (1973), they felt that upstate schools got first dibs on the State money.

Anyway, go Salukis!

[bloodhoundbob]

Small world.

The State of Illinois is teetering on the edge financially, perhaps it is not surprising that the school struggles today. Even when I was there (1973), they felt that upstate schools got first dibs on the State money.

Anyway, go Salukis!

It's a little more complicated than that. SIUC is floundering while SIUE is thriving. There is a lot of racial tension at SIUC and in Carbondale in general, which doesn't help recruiting, obviously. Combine that with rising tuition costs makes for a bleak outlook, unfortunately. They would do well to accept Randy's offer to help!

[Ron McElroy]

Small world.

The State of Illinois is teetering on the edge financially, perhaps it is not surprising that the school struggles today. Even when I was there (1973), they felt that upstate schools got first dibs on the State money.

Anyway, go Salukis!

Was Lawrence Jasud there when you attended?

[Joe O'Hara]

Ron, I don't recall any instructors there with that name (there was a commercial and a fine-art track; I was
in the latter).

I remember instructors David Gilmore and Charles Swedlund. I don't recall the name of the head of the department, though.

[Merg Ross]

Ron, I don't recall any instructors there with that name (there was a commercial and a fine-art track; I was
in the latter).

I remember instructors David Gilmore and Charles Swedlund. I don't recall the name of the head of the department, though.

There's a blast from the past, Charles Swedlund! I exhibited with Charles in several group shows in the 60's, the most important being "Photography 63/ An International Exhibition" at George Eastman House. Charles was a student of Siskind and Callahan at the Institute of Design, Chicago. His early work was ahead of the time, experimental and done in-camera rather than darkroom manipulation. As noted, he became an instructor of photography until retirement from the school.

[Tin Can]

Daniel Overturf (https://mcma.siu.edu/people/faculty/cinemaphotography/overturf.html)a long time SIUC Photography Professor has a current 113 print exhibit at Cedarhurst (https://www.cedarhurst.org/MitchellMuseumMainGallery.html) our local big time museum.

I went to the opening. He exhibited a large range of mostly B&W prints, some contacts and a few color Inkjet. Of course the Cedarhurst link shows only Inkjet color.

Mr Overturf was surrounded by admirers and retired faculty, a poor time to introduce myself. So I did not.

[Merg Ross]

As an upate to my original post, the darkroom rental fees have been announced:


https://www.thewestoncollective.org/hourly-rates-memberships/

[Andrew O'Neill]

Very reasonable fees, I'd say.

[Merg Ross]

Darkroom Orientation, January 12, 2019 (Free)

https://www.thewestoncollective.org/fundraisingproducts/twc-darkroom-orientation