While using these techniques to capture the whimsical and vibrancy displayed through their structures, I also used other techniques to instill a sense of a decaying reality such as implementing a subtle distortion of the images to lend the sensation that something feels amiss.   Shooting under the harsh mid-day sun to capture high contrast helped facilitate the notion that nothing is subtle about Pigeon Forge.  Telephone wires and poles wrap around this land of concrete and neon signage to remind the viewers that even the best of plans here have been well challenged by the forces of consequences.                                                                           

Exhibition dates: March 2 - May 30, 2019, at Martin House Workspace, 69 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge, New York, 10576 - www.martinhouseworkspace.com . On May 19, 2019, a special event will take place for the Pound Ridge Land Conservancy whereby the works in this Exhibition will be offered with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Pound Ridge Land Conservancy.  Please visit their Web site to learn how to attend this event at https://prlc.net/.  This portfolio of metal prints was previously exhibited at Soho Photo Gallery in New York City, NY in 2013.  The full portfolio is online to view by clicking here.

Pigeon Forge 1Medium: Inks infused into coated aluminum, floating over a second metal print also designed by the artist, and embedded into a wedge-shaped black wooden frame. Inner Metal Print Size: 24" x 16." Frame Size: 32" x 24." Limited Edition of Three Prints, 2013.

Pigeon Forge #1

Pigeon Forge 4Medium: Inks infused into coated aluminum, floating over a second metal print also designed by the artist, and embedded into a wedge-shaped black wooden frame. Inner Metal Print Size: 24" x 16." Frame Size: 32" x 24." Limited Edition of Three Prints, 2013.

Pigeon Forge #4

The Arctic Wolf's Pursuit

Arctic Wolf

The images displayed in this collection highlight the Gray Wolf, its subspecies’, Arctic Wolf, and the Critically Endangered Red Wolf. The wolves in this collection were not photographed in the wild, but in preserves. Multiple facilities exist throughout the U.S. and Canada for safeguarding the genetic integrity of the species, to provide additional animals for reintroduction back into the wild, or for educational purposes. I had the opportunity to visit and photograph in a few preserves, including the nearby Wolf Conservation Center of New York and Lakota Wolf Preserve, Inc., of New Jersey.

Threats to the Wolves include hybridization with Coyotes, human induced mortality (vehicles, gunshot, poisoning), disease, malnutrition, and parasites. While fear of these canids are pervasive, the majority of such attacks are attributed to animals suffering from rabies. Non-rabid wolf attacks are considered rare.

The Growl of the Black Wolf

Gray Wolf

The Red Wolf (Canis rufus) is still listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. By 1980, it was considered extinct in the wild, but has been successfully reintroduced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and about 150 of them now roam in the wild in eastern North Carolina.

The Gray Wolf (Canis lupus), also known as the Timber Wolf or Western Wolf, is considered stable, with a Least Concern rating from the IUCN’s Red List. However, for its survival, the Gray wolf has also relied on legal protection, fostered natural recolonization and reintroduction. The Gray Wolf is native to Eurasia and North America and its subspecies’, the Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus arctos), is native to the Canadian Arctic. The Gray Wolf specie was once the World’s most widely distributed mammal, but has now become extinct in many of its native places. The estimated numbers in North America are approx. 7,000 to 11,000 in Alaska, 3,700 in the Great Lakes Region, and 1,675 in the Northern Rockies.

The Wolf by the River

Red Wolf By River

The idea to present this collection of images at The Kitchen Table occurred over a conversation about how we might provide for a photographic exhibit that benefits a local wildlife organization. To inspire local awareness and education of these majestic animals, we plan to host a closing reception whereby these prints will be offered to benefit the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, NY. To learn more about this organization in South Salem, NY, and how to visit their wolves, please visit their Web site at www.nywolf.org. The Kitchen Table is located at 71 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge, New York.

The source for the information above was obtained from the Web sites of IUCN’s Red List (www.redlist.org) and from Defenders of Wildlife (www.defenders.org).

Arctic Wolf On The Prowl

Arctic Wolf on the Prowl

Photographing Mesquite Flat Sand DunesA quadriptych in edition of five.

Photographing Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

A Quadriptych, Photographed in 2011

The 2017 New Members Exhibition exposed the public to the newest Artist Members of the Salmagundi Club.  On display was a piece of my work from the second series, "Forgotten" which depicted an abandoned military base on the East Coast of Greenland.  The Salmagundi Club is located at 47 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10003, USA.  Their Web site is www.salmagundi.org.

Forgotten #5"Forgotten" is a portfolio of images that depict an old abandoned World War II U.S. Military Base in East Greenland, that is yet, to this day, to be cleaned up. The fuel drums continue to leak over a half-century later, reminding the viewer of the lingering destructive cost of war. The digital technique used in this series metaphorically combines the historic black & white photographic style with the contemporary color edge-bleeding technique to represent the lingering passage of time.

Forgotten No. 5

The Salmagundi Club was founded in 1871 and is one of the oldest art organizations in the United States.  The Club owns a collection of over 1,500 works of art spanning its 140 year history and has a membership of 850 artists and patrons. Its members have included important American artists such as Thomas Moran, William Merritt Chase, Louis Comfort Tiffany, N.C. Wyeth and Childe Hassam.  Honorary members include Sir Winston Churchill, Buckminister Fuller, Paul Cadmus, Al Hirschfeld, Thomas Hoving and Schuyler Chapin.

Forgotten No. 8

Forgotten No. 8

The selected image, "Forgotten No. 8," is from the Forgotten - Series II.  "Forgotten" depicts a World War II U.S. military base in East Greenland whose scattered fuel drums continue to leak more than a half-century later. This second series integrates a stylistic technique that merges low-key, historic-appearing black & white photographic style with contemporary bleeding-edge-color to metaphorically remind us of the cleanup that remains.  The complete portfolio is available online to view at http://georgegrubb.com/p1057186646.

For this exhibition, the print selected, "Forgotten No. 5" is from the "Forgotten" Series II, which depicts a World War II U.S. military base in East Greenland whose scattered drums continue to leak fuel more than a half-century later. The second series integrates a stylistic technique that merges historic-appearing black & white photographic style with contemporary bleeding-edge color to metaphorically expand our awareness of the cleanup that remains as well as remind us how the cost of war haunts us so many decades later. 

The prints will go on exhibition at the DNJ Gallery, opening July 30th, and remain on display through August 26, 2016.  A digital version of the images will also be displayed on the LACP's DNJ Gallery's Web site is at www.dnjgallery.net.  More information about the LACP may be found on their Web site at www.lacphoto.org as well as on their facebook page at www.facebook.com/losangelescenterofphotography.  LACP is located at 1515 Wilcox Ave., Los Angeles, California, 90028.  

Forgotten #5"Forgotten" is a portfolio of images that depict an old abandoned World War II U.S. Military Base in East Greenland, that is yet, to this day, to be cleaned up. The fuel drums continue to leak over a half-century later, reminding the viewer of the lingering destructive cost of war. The digital technique used in this series metaphorically combines the historic black & white photographic style with the contemporary color edge-bleeding technique to represent the lingering passage of time.

Forgotten No. 5

The Center for Photographic Art is located at Sunset Center at the intersection of San Carolos Street at 9th Avenue, in Carmel, California, and their Web site is www.photography.org.  An opening reception is held, Saturday, June 11, from 5pm-7pm; with the exhibition running through July 24th.   A soft-cover catalog featuring all gallery and online selections is available at their Web site.  

Forgotten 3"Forgotten" is a portfolio of images that depict an old abandoned World War II U.S. Military Base in East Greenland, that is yet, to this day, to be cleaned up. The fuel drums continue to leak over a half-century later, reminding the viewer of the lingering destructive cost of war. The digital technique used in this series metaphorically combines the historic black & white photographic style with the contemporary color edge-bleeding technique to represent the lingering passage of time.

Forgotten No.3

Forgotten 3"Forgotten" is a portfolio of images that depict an old abandoned World War II U.S. Military Base in East Greenland, that is yet, to this day, to be cleaned up. The fuel drums continue to leak over a half-century later, reminding the viewer of the lingering destructive cost of war. The digital technique used in this series metaphorically combines the historic black & white photographic style with the contemporary color edge-bleeding technique to represent the lingering passage of time.

Forgotten No. 3

For this exhibition, Mr. Fulton designated a select group of images as a "Gold Selection," meaning these images are presented in a print exhibition. An additional group of images, designated as a "Silver Selection," are being exhibited in a digital slide show and on the NVAL Web site.

The Gallery is located at Caldwell Park, 48 Quartz Hill Road in Redding, California 96003.  An opening reception is being held at the Gallery on Saturday, May 7, from 6 to 8pm.  The North Valley Art League is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the visual arts in the northern California region.

Forgotten 1"Forgotten" is a portfolio of images that depict an old abandoned World War II U.S. Military Base in East Greenland, that is yet, to this day, to be cleaned up. The fuel drums continue to leak over a half-century later, reminding the viewer of the lingering destructive cost of war. The digital technique used in this series metaphorically combines the historic black & white photographic style with the contemporary color edge-bleeding technique to represent the lingering passage of time.

Forgotten No. 1 (Honorable Mention)

The selected image, "Forgotten No. 1," is from the Forgotten - Series II.  "Forgotten" depicts a World War II U.S. military base in East Greenland whose scattered fuel drums continue to leak more than a half-century later. This second series integrates a stylistic technique that merges low-key, historic-appearing black & white photographic style with contemporary bleeding-edge-color to metaphorically remind us of the cleanup that remains.  The complete portfolio is available online to view at http://georgegrubb.com/p1057186646.

Selected for the exhibition is "Forgotten No. 3" from the Forgotten - Series II.  "Forgotten" depicts a World War II U.S. military base in East Greenland whose scattered fuel drums continue to leak more than a half-century later. This second series integrates a stylistic technique that merges low-key, historic-appearing black & white photographic style with contemporary bleeding-edge-color to metaphorically remind us of the cleanup that remains. The exhibition runs April 24 through June 5, at the Sohn Fine Art Gallery in Lenox, Massachusetts, with an artist reception scheduled for Saturday, May 7, from 4:00 - 6:30 pm. Further details of the gallery and the show may be located at their Web site at www.sohnfineart.com and also in their press release.
 

Forgotten #3"Forgotten" is a portfolio of images that depict an old abandoned World War II U.S. Military Base in East Greenland, that is yet, to this day, to be cleaned up. The fuel drums continue to leak over a half-century later, reminding the viewer of the lingering destructive cost of war. The digital technique used in this series metaphorically combines the historic black & white photographic style with the contemporary color edge-bleeding technique to represent the lingering passage of time.

Forgotten No. 3

The article, titled "Trails and Beehives to Protect Chimpanzees," is a conservation story about the efforts underway to protect the chimpanzees of Uganda's Budongo Forest. The article describes a partnership with the African Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Uganda's Biodiversity Program and  the Jane Goodall Institute, all working together in launching a beekeeping program throughout local communities as a way to inhibit humans encroaching into the chimpanzees' habitat.  The article, found on page 3 of issue #72, features this image of a wild chimpanzee I photographed in Uganda's forest in 2014.

Chimpanzee Sitting In Kibale National Park, Uganda

Chimpanzee, Photographed in Uganda, 2014

Jason Horejs is recognized as the author of "Starving to Successful-The Fine Artist's Guide to Getting into Galleries and Selling More Art."  He began his gallery career at Legacy Galleries in Scottsdale, and in 2001, opened his own gallery, Xanadu Gallery also in Scottsdale.  Mr. Horejs will award a First, Second and Third Place honor among the exhibited works for the exhibition.  The benefit commences at 6pm (VIP at 5pm), and tickets range from $200-$300.  For additional information, please visit www.studiochannelislands.org/events/collectors-choice/ .  The event is held at Blackboard Gallery, located at 2222 Ventura Blvd., Old Town Camarillo, California.  

Forgotten #1"Forgotten" is a portfolio of images that depict an old abandoned World War II U.S. Military Base in East Greenland, that is yet, to this day, to be cleaned up. The fuel drums continue to leak over a half-century later, reminding the viewer of the lingering destructive cost of war. The digital technique used in this series metaphorically combines the historic black & white photographic style with the contemporary color edge-bleeding technique to represent the lingering passage of time.

Forgotten #1

Forgotten #6"Forgotten" is a portfolio of images that depict an old abandoned World War II U.S. Military Base in East Greenland, that is yet, to this day, to be cleaned up. The fuel drums continue to leak over a half-century later, reminding the viewer of the lingering destructive cost of war. The digital technique used in this series metaphorically combines the historic black & white photographic style with the contemporary color edge-bleeding technique to represent the lingering passage of time.

Forgotten No. 6

Forgotten #5"Forgotten" is a portfolio of images that depict an old abandoned World War II U.S. Military Base in East Greenland, that is yet, to this day, to be cleaned up. The fuel drums continue to leak over a half-century later, reminding the viewer of the lingering destructive cost of war. The digital technique used in this series metaphorically combines the historic black & white photographic style with the contemporary color edge-bleeding technique to represent the lingering passage of time.

Forgotten No. 5

The selected image is part of a larger portfolio of images captured of an abandoned World War II U.S. military base in East Greenland, called "Bluie East Two."  This abandoned base leaves behind as its legacy, thousands of fuel drums, that continue leaking to this day. More images submitted for exhibition consideration may be viewed on this Web site at www.georgegrubb.com/p1057186646. 

The Center for Fine Art Photography was founded in 2004 and is a nonprofit organization that provides three public galleries, classrooms and support to photographic artists through exhibition, promotion, education and connection to a large community of artists, curators, gallery owners and industry leading photographic professionals.  The Center is located at 400 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80524. More information may be obtained by visiting their Web site at www.c4fap.org.

Forgotten 2"Forgotten" is a portfolio of images that depict an old abandoned World War II U.S. Military Base in East Greenland, that is yet, to this day, to be cleaned up. The fuel drums continue to leak over a half-century later, reminding the viewer of the lingering destructive cost of war. The digital technique used in this series metaphorically combines the historic black & white photographic style with the contemporary color edge-bleeding technique to represent the lingering passage of time.

Forgotten No. 2

http://www.socialdocumentary.net/exhibit/George_Grubb/3339

Orangutan Care Centre And Quarantine

The Orangutan Care Centre, located in the village of Pasir Panjang, near Tanjung Puting National Park, Borneo, Indonesia.

Orangutan Care Center

The center was developed to rescue orphaned baby orangutans whose mothers had either been poached, or had been held captive as pets. The center provides medical, emotional and parental care in a long process that will attempt to prepare them for reintroduction back into the wild. Picture here, juvenile orphans are released daily to play on the grounds supervised by the staff. This daily contact with the forest helps prepare them for the day they can be fully released into the wild.  

Orangutan Care Center

Pictured here, the renowned primatologist, Dr. Birute Mary Galdikas, carries one of the orphaned baby orangutans along with her staff. Dr. Galdikas has worked extensively with the orangutans in Borneo, studying their behavior and habitat, and is considered the World's foremost authority on the orangutans. Like Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, Dr. Galdikas also was a protege under Kenyan anthropologist, Dr. Louis Leakey. 

Orangutan Care Center

The staff carries the younger orangutans from their holding bins for their daily feeding and playtime excursion. When a new baby arrives at the care center, it will undergo a thirty day quarantine whereby an extensive health examination is given to assess the special needs of the newly rescued orphan. 

Orangutan Care Center

At the care center, medical attention is provided for treatment of parasites, malaria, tuberculosis and hepatitis, along with other potential ailments and diseases. Pictured here, juvenile orangutans need little guidance to find their way around the grounds, yet the small rope acts more as a lead to help the move about with their guide.  

Borneo

Caregivers at the center, take the orangutans out daily for exercise and feeding. This experience enables them to explore and discover life in the forest while staying under the watchful eye of their caregiver.   

Borneo

The number one threat to orangutans is currently clear-cutting and poaching derived from coming into conflict with palm oil plantations. It is estimated that up to 5,000 orangutans are killed annually due to the Palm Oil industry's practices, and widespread deforestation. The clear-cutting by these plantations wrecks even more havoc on their habitat than illegal logging. For this reason, many conservation groups implement boycotts on palm oil and products utilizing this ingredient. 

Borneo

One of the key challenges in preparing an orphan for the wild, is a condition known as "failure to thrive." This is the equivalent of losing the will to live, and rejuvenation from this condition can require many years of attentive care at the center. 

Borneo

The center was originally designed to support about thirty orphans, but the crisis has grown so vast that the center is overpopulated with nearly 300 orphaned orangutans. 

Borneo

In the covered shelters, orangutans are able to feed and exercise on a daily basis. They do not leave their caregivers, and thus, there is no need for a fence to contain them. Orangutans are native only in Indonesia and Malaysia, and fortunately, it is against the law to keep them as pets in those countries, but not so in other countries. Thus, the illegal pet trade thrives, which usually involves poaching the mother in attempts to steal her baby. 

Borneo

When orangutans are ready to be released into the wild, they have access to a feeding station to help stabilize their new transition. Here, a caregiver is pouring milk into a container on an outdoor feeding station in Tanjung Puting National Park, which is nearby the care center. 

Borneo

Sometimes, orangutans from the wild will also take advantage of the feeding stations. 

Borneo

The care center is staffed full-time by veterinarians, along with support staff, and medical doctors are available on an as-needed basis. Approximately 130 people work at the center, in helping to care for the approximately 300 orphaned orangutans. The care center is outfitted with emergency operating room technologies, including x-ray, lab and special quarantine living quarters. 

Borneo

The baby orphans enjoy playing in the jungle, always keeping their caregivers in sight. There is no netting or fence to prevent them from escaping, as the orphans will quickly return to their caregivers when they see them start to depart. 

Borneo

Infant orangutans usually require up to eight or nine years of care from their mother before they are able to venture out on their own. Thus, without their mothers, the bonds with their caregivers becomes critically vital for their mental and emotional well being. 

Borneo

The orphans are given a plastic bottle of milk, and they know exactly how to drink from it with little help. 

Borneo

Following an active day of play, this orangutan returns with his caregiver back to his pen to sleep. 

Borneo

Some of the younger orphans fall asleep before they even make it back to their pens, after a day of play. 

Borneo

Borneo

Dr. Galdikas and her staff return to the center, after a day of active play and feeding the orphaned orangutans. For information on how to support the orangutans and their cause, Dr. Galdikas's foundation can be visited online at www.orangutan.org. 

While in Tanjung Puting National Park, I set my digital camera to video mode and recorded the following video for this presentation.

Click To Watch Video

(Opens Up In Another Window on Youtube)

Saving Andi

Saving Andi

In 2014, North Carolina animal shelters euthanized 119,751 dogs and cats due to an "unwanted" status.  Sadly, many of these domesticated animals were just starting their lives and shared an eagerness to learn about and be a part of this world as much as humans.  The problem of high kill rates is not necessarily lower for smaller shelters versus larger ones.  A closer look at the statistics from the North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture reveal wide variances between animal shelters.  For example, a smaller shelter in Polkton, NC, took in 678 dogs in 2014, killing 587 of them (86.6%). By contrast, a larger shelter in Henderson, NC, took in 1,566 dogs in 2014, and only killed 39 of them (2.5%). So why is Henderson's animal shelter so much more successful with their pet adoption rates than Polkton's animal shelter? 

Saving Mojo

Saving Mojo

Proximity does not play much of a role either.  Two small towns next to each other and of approximately the same size, have startling different euthanasia rates.  Salisbury, NC, took in 2,250 cats and 2,189 dogs in their shelter in 2014. Of those, they terminated 20.36% of the cats, and 10.28% of the dogs. They ran a very effective adoption program, whereby 1,511 cats were adopted and 1,584 dogs were adopted.  Lexington, which is about 15 miles away, took in 2,849 cats and 2,757 dogs. Of those, they terminated 91.82% of the cats and 67.39% of the dogs.

Saving Minnie

Saving Minnie

Fortunately, concerned citizens of Lexington, NC, fed up with the high kill rates in their town, convinced their county commissioners to vote five to two to turn over the County's animal shelter from the sheriff's department to a nonprofit organization on Dec 9, 2014.  This organization was currently running Guilford County's animal shelter, which increased adoptions there from a paltry 3% to 52% as of 2014 and increased return of animals to rightful owners nearly 20%. 

Saving MilaSaving Mila was selected for exhibition in the 4th Annual Jackson Hole Photography Competition. More details at http://georgegrubb.com/blog/2015/4/Mila

Saving Mila

Sadly, as long as people are regarding domestic pets as disposable property, this problem will remain difficult to resolve. However, concerned advocacy at the local level, as occurred in Lexington, NC, can start to show surprisingly better results. This project seeks to provide creative support for organizations seeking to address this problem. Through donations of this work for benefit auctions, to raising community awareness and combining animal welfare with artistry, the Artist hopes to inspire renewed energies for tackling this global problem. The metaphor of the puzzle used in this series is done in part to describe a difficult problem that can be solved, as well as to appeal to the viewer to reach out and to be the missing pieces in these unwanted dogs lives through adoption.  Thus, the Artist is donating all proceeds he receives from the sale of this work to a local charitable animal rescue organization.

Saving Olive

Saving Olive

The SPCAs are a group of local humane societies around the world that operate independently from each other and are not affiliated with a national organization, as most people may presume.  Each SPCA is a separate entity governed by its own policies and board of directors.  To learn more about the Wake County SPCA in North Carolina, please visit their Web site at www.spcawake.org.  On October 11, 2015, twelve metal prints from this collection were donated to their Annual Fur Ball Benefit Auction to help raise funds to support their operations.

Saving Monte

Saving Monte

The opening reception is tonight, Dec 1, from 6-8pm at Soho Photo Gallery.  The public is invited.  The gallery is located at 15 White Street, between W. Broadway and Church Street in the TriBeCa neighborhood of New York City.  Gallery hours are available by visiting their Web site at http://www.sohophoto.com .   Also, a special event is being held at the Gallery on Dec 13th, from 1-6pm, with Mighty Mutts Rescue and WaggyTail Rescue bringing their dogs available for adoption to the gallery for a special awareness event, that will feature a silent auction to make for an exciting afternoon.  All proceeds from the sales of these works have been donated to these two animal rescue organizations.

Dogs At The Davidson County Animal ShelterThis image is presented as an actual, 1,000 piece magnetic jigsaw puzzle on magnetic board which enables the viewers to interact with and have fun with this giant-size work of art. The image features the dogs in need of rescue at the Davidson County Animal Shelter in North Carolina. Fortunately, thanks to diligent work of volunteers at the shelter since they were photographed, these animals have all been successfully adopted.

The (Unwanted) Pooch Puzzle

The above image is an actual jigsaw puzzle of the animals photographed at the Davidson County Animal Shelter, presented in the exhibition.

On Salisbury PlainPhotographed in October, 2012, this image was captures King Penguins and Fur Seals in the Island of South Georgia on Salisbury Plain.

On Salisbury Plain, Island of South Georgia

24" x 16" Pigment Ink Print

Saving Jonah

Three Acceptances in Austria's Trierenberg Super Circuit, Experimental Category, 2015

All of the dogs depicted in this exhibition were photographed at the Wake County SPCA, a no-kill animal shelter. The work in this exhibition has been fully donated by the Artist to the Wake County SPCA to help raise awareness and funds at the upcoming Fur Ball Benefit, which will be held at the NCSU State Club on Sunday, October 11, 2015.  The Artist will be in attendance. The metaphor of the puzzle used in this series is done in part to describe a difficult problem that can be solved, as well as to appeal to the viewer to reach out and to be the missing pieces in these unwanted dogs lives through adoption. Tickets are available online by visiting their Web site at http://spcawake.org/events/fur-ball-gala-event/

Saving Mila

Saving Mila

"4th Annual Jackson Hole Photography Competition," Jurors Tom Mangelsen, Karolina Karlic, Ramak Fazel, Art Association Gallery of Jackson Hole, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA, Apr 17 - May 22, 2015

The SPCA of Wake County is a local, independent, non-profit organization that receives no government funding or tax dollars.  They  are a no-kill shelter that relies almost entirely on private donations to fund their annual operating budget of $2.4 million. The SPCAs are a group of local humane societies around the world that operate independently from each other and are not affiliated with a national organization, as most people may presume.  Each SPCA is a separate entity governed by its own policies and board of directors.  To learn more about the Wake County SPCA in North Carolina, please visit their Web site at http://spcawake.org/events/fur-ball-gala-event/  The work in this exhibition may also be viewed online by clicking here.

Tulips of Skagit Valley

Tulips of Skagit Valley

Abandoned House in Wheatfield ​

Abandoned House in Wheatfield

Photographer At Mesquite Dunes ​

Photographer At Mesquite Dunes

A Weave of Light, No. 220" x 20" Coated Aluminum Metal Print, Edition 1 of 3

A Weave of Light, No. 2

Medium:  Coated-Aluminum Metal Print, 20" x 20", Edition 1 of 3

Founded in 1871, the Salmagundi Club is one of the oldest art organizations in the United States.  Housed in an historic brownstone mansion in Greenwich Village, New York City, the club includes three galleries, a library, a parlor and a restaurant and bar with vintage pool tables.  The club owns a collection of over 1,500 works of art spanning its 140 year history, and has a membership of nearly 850 artists and patrons.  Its members have included important American artists such as Thomas Moran, William Merritt Chase, Louis Comfort Tiffany, N.C. Wyeth and Childe Hassam.  Its honorary members have included luminaries as Sir Winston Churchill, Buckminister Fuller, Paul Cadmus, Al Hirschfeld, Thomas Hoving and Schuyler Chapin. Today, the Club builds on its legacy by providing a center for the resurgence of representational art in America.  The Salmagundi Club is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Aliki McCain is an Artist, Exhibition Manager and Curator for ArtHaus Gallery. Based in Denver, Colorado, she oversaw the ArtHaus Gallery for four years with Michael Gladin, where she recently also facilitated Project Education South Sudan. She works as an artist and also obtained her Masters in Fine Art and her Bachelors in Art History at University of California Irvine. She explores the human condition and examines these relationships in her work.

Saving OliveSaving Olive is part of "The (Unwanted) Pooch Puzzle" project, an art exhibition that was coordinated with the SPCA of Wake County, North Carolina, to photograph their dogs to help raise awareness of the need for pet adoption. More details of this exhibition are available on this Web site by clicking here.

Saving Olive

This print is part of a larger solo exhibition titled, "The (Unwanted) Pooch Puzzle," that is currently on exhibition at the SPCA in Wake County, North Carolina.  The project was designed to help support efforts underway to raise funds and awareness of the need to support adoption efforts to rescue domestic pets from euthanasia.  It is estimated that every 9 seconds, an unwanted domestic pet is put down in the U.S., based on studies from the National Council on Pet Population which estimates that 3.7 million are put down each year in animal shelters across the country.

"Gone To The Dogs" Exhibition

African Elephants (Loxodonta africana)African Bush Elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Okavango Delta, Botswana, Africa, Page 83.

African Elephants (Loxodonta africana), Page 83

Female Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) With BabyFemale Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) with Baby in Tanjung Puting National Park, Borneo, Indonesia, Page 17.

Female Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) With Baby, Page 17

Lake Edward, UgandaView of Lake Edward, Uganda, Africa, Page 177.

Lake Edwards, Uganda, Page 177

Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) Silverback male in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, Africa, Page 181.

Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, Page 181

Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) in ArcticMale Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) on Arctic Ice, Arctic Ocean, Page 353.

Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) in Arctic Ocean, Page 353

Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) On Arctic Ice Pack, Arctic Ocean, Page 324.

Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) in Arctic Ocean, Page 324

Letter from Trustee of Synchronicity Earth

The chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is listed as Endangered by the IUCN’s Red List. Their population is projected to decline by more than 50% between 1970 to 2030, primarily due to human activity; habitat destruction, exploitation, reduction in habitat quality, political instability and the transport of diseases, such as Ebola.  Deforestation and slash-and-burn agricultural practices have depleted about 80% of the forests in Western and Central Africa. And to the surprise of many, poaching continues with chimpanzees sold as bushmeat in urban markets in Cote d’Lvoire, and the illegal pet trade continues, which usually involves slaughtering the mothers and other members of the group to capture the babies. Chimps are also slaughtered for crop protection, and still captured for medicinal studies in certain countries.  Illegal logging not only destroys habitats, but creates roads for poachers to access them more easily.  And the increasing human encounter is increasing the chimps’ exposure to more diseases.  While protected by law in many countries, stricter enforcement of existing laws and effective management of protective areas is urgently needed.

Chimpanzee At Rest IIKibale National Park, Uganda

Chimpanzee At Rest II

This image was recently on exhibition (without the jigsaw puzzle effect) in a photographic salon in 2014 at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, as well as awarded an Honorable Mention in 2014 (again, without the jigsaw puzzle effect) from the International Photography Awards.  The jigsaw puzzle effect was digitally added specifically for this competition. 

Subway To South Georgia, The Puzzle

Saving Jonah

Three Acceptances in Austria's Trierenberg Super Circuit, Experimental Category, 2015

All of the dogs depicted in this exhibition were photographed at here at the Wake County SPCA, a no-kill animal shelter.  In 2014, North Carolina animal shelters euthanized 119,751 dogs and cats due to an "unwanted" status.  Sadly, many of these domesticated animals were just starting their lives and shared an eagerness to learn about and be a part of this world as much as humans.  The problem of high kill rates is not necessarily lower for smaller shelters versus larger ones.  A closer look at the statistics from the North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture reveal wide variances between animal shelters.  For example, a smaller shelter in Polkton, NC, took in 678 dogs in 2014, and put down 587 of them (86.6%). By contrast, a larger shelter in Henderson, NC, took in 1,566 dogs in 2014, and euthanized 39 of them (2.5%). So why is Henderson's animal shelter so much more successful with pet adoption rates than Polkton's animal shelter? 

Proximity does not play much of a role either.  Two small towns next to each other and of approximately the same size, have startling different euthanasia rates.  Salisbury, NC, took in 2,250 cats and 2,189 dogs in their shelter in 2014. Of those, they terminated 20.36% of the cats, and 10.28% of the dogs. They ran a very effective adoption program, whereby 1,511 cats were adopted and 1,584 dogs were adopted.  Lexington, which is about 15 miles away, took in 2,849 cats and 2,757 dogs. Of those, they terminated 91.82% of the cats and 67.39% of the dogs.

Fortunately, concerned citizens of Lexington, NC, fed up with the high kill rates in their town, convinced their county commissioners to vote five to two to turn over the County's animal shelter from the sheriff's department to a nonprofit, United Animal Coalition (UAC), on Dec 9, 2014.  UAC was currently running Guilford County's animal shelter, which increased adoptions there from a paltry 3% to 52% as of 2014 and increased return of animals to rightful owners nearly 20%. 

Sadly, as long as people are regarding domestic pets as disposable property, this problem will remain difficult to resolve.  However, concerned advocacy at the local level, as occurred in Lexington, NC, coupled with compassionate and caring citizens, can start to show surprisingly better results. This project seeks to provide creative support for organizations seeking to address this problem. The work depicted in this exhibition has been fully donated by the Artist to the Wake County SPCA to help raise awareness and funds at the upcoming Fur Ball Benefit, which will be held at the NCSU State Club on Sunday, October 11, 2015. The metaphor of the puzzle used in this series is done in part to describe a difficult problem that can be solved, as well as to appeal to the viewer to reach out and to be the missing pieces in these unwanted dogs lives through adoption.

Saving Mila

Saving Mila

"4th Annual Jackson Hole Photography Competition," Jurors Tom Mangelsen, Karolina Karlic, Ramak Fazel, Art Association Gallery of Jackson Hole, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA, Apr 17 - May 22, 2015

The SPCA of Wake County is a local, independent, non-profit organization that receives no government funding or tax dollars.  They  are a no-kill shelter that relies almost entirely on private donations to fund their annual operating budget of $2.4 million. The SPCAs are a group of local humane societies around the world that operate independently from each other and are not affiliated with a national organization, as most people may presume.  Each SPCA is a separate entity governed by its own policies and board of directors.  To learn more about the Wake County SPCA in North Carolina, please visit their Web site at http://spcawake.org/events/fur-ball-gala-event/  The work in this exhibition may also be viewed online by clicking here.

Saving JonahJonah was photographed at the SPCA of Wake County, North Carolina, and was available for adoption at the time this image was captured. The project is another effort to rally the arts to help solve the problem of over 3.7 million domestic pets that are euthanized in U.S. animal shelters each year due to an unwanted status. The puzzle concept is used as a metaphor that reaches out to the viewer to help solve the puzzle of unwanted pets, and to become the missing piece in their lives through adoption. Saving Jonah was accepted, by jurors, into three salons at the 2015 Austrian Trierenberg Super Circuit, an annual photography competition held in Linz, Austria, that attracts hundreds of thousands of submissions from all across the globe. It is considered one of the largest photography salons in the World.

Saving Jonah

Lost In ThoughtDigital Composite, Image Size 8x10, Print Size 11x14, Signed on Verso, Edition Size 5

Lost In Thought

To view the other prints submitted to this event, please visit http://georgegrubb.com/p147656158

https://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/788420

Reigning Over Central Park took 2nd Prize in the “Fine Art” Category in the 6th Edition of the Pollux Awards in York, United Kingdom. From there, it would be juried into the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts’ 103rd Exhibition in 2014. Following this exhibition, the image would participate in a solo exhibition at Soho Photo Gallery in New York City, and then go to Malaga, Spain, for exhibition in the “3rd International Biennial of Fine Art and Documentary Photography” exhibited at the Municipal Heritage Museum. The image was also awarded an Honorable Mention and given recognition in the “2014 Cottingley Lens Competition” produced by the Buffalo Almanack and published in their June issue, 2014.

In a small limited edition of 3 prints, “Reigning Over Central Park” is a cornerstone piece in the “New York City Wildlife” series, which uses amusing absurdity to re-imagine that if we do not protect our endangered wildlife in their own natural habitats, they will have to seek refuge in a protected environment that is heavily regulated…New York City.

Reigning Over Central Park

This print is sized 23” x 16”, signed, dated 2013, edition size of 3, and stamped on the verso. It is printed with pigment ink on acid-free & lignin-free 100% cotton rag paper to maximize its lifespan. It has been printed and framed by Duggal in New York City, using natural reclaimed wood with a linen liner. A certificate signed by the Artist accompanies the piece. 

Three works from this series recently sold at the BioPhilia Ball, a benefit for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s 50th Anniversary at the Natural History Museum in London, UK for a combined total of over $25,000. Many other works in this series have gone on to win awards and exhibitions around the World, including a first prize at the Center of Photographer Arts’ 2014 Juried Exhibition in California, as well as exhibitions at Aperture, Houston Center of Photography, Garrison Art Center, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Carter House Gallery, Providence Art Club, Jacksonville Center for the Arts (Virginia), and a first prize at the 2014 Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts in Washington State.

In June, the Crocker Museum in Sacramento, California, (the oldest public museum in the Western US and one of 800 accredited museums by the American Alliance of Museums) will put up for auction, following an exhibition of it, another piece from this series, "Escaping Central Park."

"The (Unwanted) Pooch Puzzle" is a project developed in coordination with the SPCA in Wake County, North Carolina, to help rescue domestic pets from euthanasia.  The project seeks to cultivate a fresh perspective using the creative arts to bring additional awareness and support for the problem of unwanted domestic pets.  Every 9 seconds, an unwanted domestic pet is put down in the U.S., based on studies from the National Council On Pet Population which estimates that 3.7 million are put down each year.  

All of the dogs depicted in this project are rescued dogs, with the majority of them being photographed at the Wake County SPCA in North Carolina, a no-kill animal shelter.  In 2014, North Carolina animal shelters euthanized 119,751 dogs and cats due to an "unwanted" status.  Sadly, many of these domesticated animals were just starting their lives and shared an eagerness to learn about and be a part of this world as much as humans.  The problem of high kill rates is not necessarily lower for smaller shelters versus larger ones.  A closer look at the statistics from the North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture reveal wide variances between animal shelters.  For example, a smaller shelter in Polkton, NC, took in 678 dogs in 2014, killing 587 of them (86.6%). By contrast, a larger shelter in Henderson, NC, took in 1,566 dogs in 2014, and only killed 39 of them (2.5%). So why is Henderson's animal shelter so much more successful with their pet adoption rates than Polkton's animal shelter? 

Proximity does not play much of a role either.  Two small towns next to each other and of approximately the same size, have startling different euthanasia rates.  Salisbury, NC, took in 2,250 cats and 2,189 dogs in their shelter in 2014. Of those, they terminated 20.36% of the cats, and 10.28% of the dogs. They ran a very effective adoption program, whereby 1,511 cats were adopted and 1,584 dogs were adopted.  Lexington, which is about 15 miles away, took in 2,849 cats and 2,757 dogs. Of those, they terminated 91.82% of the cats and 67.39% of the dogs.

Fortunately, concerned citizens of Lexington, NC, fed up with the high kill rates in their town, convinced their county commissioners to vote five to two to turn over the County's animal shelter from the sheriff's department to a nonprofit, United Animal Coalition (UAC), on Dec 9, 2014.  UAC was currently running Guilford County's animal shelter, which increased adoptions there from a paltry 3% to 52% as of 2014 and increased return of animals to rightful owners nearly 20%. 

Saving JonahSaving Jonah (under the alternative title, Rescued Dog Number 2) was accepted into three salons at the Trierenberg Super Circuit, one of the World's largest photography competitions, located in Austria. This competition features hundreds of thousands of images from around the world competing for exhibitions and awards.

Saving Jonah (From the Wake County SPCA Animal Shelter)

Sadly, as long as people are regarding domestic pets as disposable property, this problem will remain difficult to resolve. However, concerned advocacy at the local level, as occurred in Lexington, NC, can start to show surprisingly better results. This project seeks to provide creative support for organizations seeking to address this problem. Through donations of this work for benefit auctions, to raising community awareness and combining animal welfare with artistry, the Artist hopes to inspire renewed energies for tackling this global problem. The metaphor of the puzzle used in this series is done in part to describe a difficult problem that can be solved, as well as to appeal to the viewer to reach out and to be the missing pieces in these unwanted dogs lives through adoption.

[SOLO] Exhibitor - Booth S409At ArtExpo New York, April 23-26, 2015

"The (Unwanted) Pooch Puzzle,"  Booth S409

The SPCA of Wake County is a local, independent, non-profit organization that receives no government funding or tax dollars.  They  are a no-kill shelter that relies almost entirely on private donations to fund their annual operating budget of $2.4 million.  The SPCAs are a group of local humane societies around the world that operate independently from each other and are not affiliated with a national organization, as most people may presume.  Each SPCA is a separate entity governed by its own policies and board of directors.  To learn more about the Wake County SPCA in North Carolina, please visit their Web site at www.spcawake.org.  To learn more about [SOLO] at ArtExpo, visit their Web site at www.artexpo.com. To view the prints online, please click here.

The Museum was established in 1885 and is the only museum in the Sacramento region accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), a recognition given to less than 800 of the nation's 17,500 museums. Currently, the Museum houses two of my works in their permanent collection; Visiting The New York Public Library, and Leaving Subway At 23rd Street. For more information about the Crocker Art Museum, please visit their Web site at www.CrockerArtMuseum.org.  To purchase tickets for this event, please visit their Tickets & Info page.

Escaping Central Park

from "The New York City Wildlife" Series

Pigment Ink on Acid-Free 100% Cotton Rag

30" x 20" Inches,  Edition Size  of 3, Signed & Stamped on the Verso

Reclaimed Wood Frame with Nonglare Plexi

This image is part of "The (Unwanted) Pooch Puzzle," a collection of images created to help rescue domestic pets from euthanasia by seeking to cultivate a fresh perspective using the creative arts to bring additional awareness and support for the problem of unwanted domestic pets.  Every 9 seconds, an unwanted domestic pet is put down in the U.S., based on the latest estimates from the National Council On Pet Population.  

Mila (aka Saving Mila)Accepted in the "Wildlife/Animal" Category of the 4th Annual Jackson Hole Photography Competition, produced by the Art Association of Jackson Hole, with print exhibition of accepted work opening April 17 through May 22, 2015 in the Art Association Gallery of the Center for the Arts in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Jurors for this competition were Ramak Fazel, Karolina Karlic and Tom Mangelsen. See blog entry for further details.

"Mila" (also titled as "Saving Mila")

All of the dogs depicted in this project are rescued dogs, with the majority of them being photographed at the Wake County SPCA animal shelter in North Carolina, a no-kill animal shelter.  In 2014, North Carolina animal shelters killed 119,751 dogs and cats due to an "unwanted" status.  Sadly, many of these domesticated animals were just starting their lives and shared an eagerness to learn about and be a part of this world as much as humans.  The problem of high kill rates is not necessarily lower for smaller shelters versus larger ones.  A closer look at the statistics of North Carolina reveal wide variances between animal shelters.  For example, a smaller shelter in Polkton, NC, took in 678 dogs in 2014, killing 587 of them (86.6%). By contrast, a larger shelter in Henderson, NC, took in 1,566 dogs in 2014, and only killed 39 of them (2.5%). So why is Henderson's animal shelter so much more successful with their pet adoption rates than Polkton's animal shelter?

Proximity does not play much of a role either.  Two small towns next to each other  and of approximately the same size, have startling different euthanasia rates.  Salisbury, NC, took in 2,250 cats and 2,189 dogs in their shelter in 2014. Of those, they terminated 20.36% of the cats, and 10.28% of the dogs. They ran a very effective adoption program, whereby 1,511 cats were adopted and 1,584 dogs were adopted.  Lexington, which is about 15 miles away, took in 2,849 cats and 2,757 dogs. Of those, they terminated 91.82% of the cats and 67.39% of the dogs.

Fortunately, concerned citizens of Lexington, NC, fed up with the high kill rates in their town, convinced their county commissioners to vote five to two to turn over the County's animal shelter from the sheriff's department to a nonprofit, United Animal Coalition (UAC), on Dec 9, 2014. UAC was currently running Guilford County's animal shelter, which increased adoptions there from a paltry 3% to 52% as of 2014 and increased return of animals to rightful owners nearly 20%. 

Sadly, as long as people are regarding domestic pets as disposable property, this problem will remain difficult to cure. However, concerned advocacy at the local level, as occurred in Lexington, NC, can start to show surprisingly better results. This project seeks to provide creative support for organizations seeking to address this problem. Through donations of this work for benefit auctions, to raising community awareness and combining animal welfare with artistry, the Artist hopes to inspire renewed energies to tackling this global problem.  The metaphor of the puzzle used in this series is done in part to describe a problem that is difficult to solve, but not unsolvable, as well as to appeal to the viewer to reach out and to be the missing pieces in these unwanted dogs lives through adoption.  

Update:

Mila has been adopted.  The shelter staff at the SPCA of Wake County has this to say about her.  "Mila. What can you say about a gal like Mila? Well, she's the most gorgeous dog you've ever met, that's for sure. She's an energetic girl that loves playing with people of all shapes and sizes. She's even been known to jump a fence or two. Is it a bit pretentious of me to be speaking in the third person? I'm Mila, and I'm so happy you're spending some time with me today. I may be a little bit timid when you first meet me, but who can blame me? So many changes have been happening lately that I just need some stability. I love playing in the yard and catching the Frisbee, but I'm a bit of an escape artist. My outside time will always have to be supervised. I've been doing great on my house-training, but don't get too upset if I still have some accidents. I'm still a young girl that will need help adjusting to my new home. I would appreciate some tough toys for me to chew on - a Kong or a Nylabone would be great for that! I would really appreciate if you could spend some time with me to really get me out of my shell. I'm sure you'll be in love the second I start warming up to you! I currently weight 46 lbs., and I may reach 60 to 75 lbs., when I'm full grown."

Juror Bios:

Tom Mangelsen: Thomas D. Mangelsen has long been recognized as one of the world’s premier nature photographers. Mangelsen’s limited edition prints have been collected by more people worldwide than any living nature photographer. Not only an artist but also a conservationist, he was recently named Conservation Photographer of the Year by Nature’s Best Photography. Mangelsen’s images are known for their exquisite composition, light, and animal behavior as well as illustrating a strong sense of place. Sensitivity to his subjects and a deep reverence for their surroundings is a defining mark of Mangelsen’s work. In 2006, Tom was chosen as one of Jane Goodall’s Heroes of the Animal Planet and profiled in the television series of the same name. During his 40 years of image making, he has been profiled on CNN, National Geographic, NBC’s “The Today Show,” as well as many other television programs. Mangelsen has been recognized as Wildlife Photographer of the Year by BBC Wildlife, as well as Outstanding Nature Photographer of the Year by the North American Nature Photographer Association and named one of the “100 Most Important People in Photography” by American Photo Magazine. In 2002 he received an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society. Tom’s outdoor ethics are deeply rooted in a childhood filled with adventure along the Platte River in Nebraska where he gained a passion for the wild that launched a lifetime commitment to the natural world. 

Karolina Karlic: Karlic is a recipient of the 2011 - 2012 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in Photography, which supports her investigations in diasporic existence and the human condition, more specifically surrounding Brazil’s rubber industry and Henry Ford’s influence on the industrial and agricultural landscape. She holds a MFA in Photography and Integrated Media from the California Institute of Arts and a BFA in Photography from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Karolina Karlic is a Los Angeles-based photographer, born in Wroclaw, Poland. Karlic’s work is invested in the representation of American culture and diasporic existence surrounding industry. In search of the American dream, her family immigrated to Detroit in 1987 when her father fled communist Poland to find work in the U.S. auto industry. As the stock of Ford, General Motors and Daimler Chrysler’s North American operations eventually crumbled, Karlic’s work continues to focus on labor, immigration, outsourcing and diaspora. From this uprooted childhood, her practice concentrates on the human effects of social upheaval: Close to Home (2005) focuses on Ukraine’s post-Soviet conditions; The Dee (2007) depicts Detroit’s de-industrialization; Dear Diary (2008) explores one online community searching for companionship; RE:What Color is the Sacred (2009), sponsored by Tim Wride and the French Consulate, examines Western views of French Polynesia and the “re-birth” of Tahitian culture. Aberdeen Sierra Leone (2011) portrays a group of progressive post-war adolescent males in West Africa. Rockin’ the Backen (2012) documents a modern day boomtown of North Dakota, USA. Most recently, her new work Rubberlands (2014) weaves together research materials from the Henry Ford archives, fieldwork in Brazil’s rubber plantations and the history of Henry Ford’s forgotten jungle city – Fordlandia, in the Amazon. She has self produced multiple artist books, The Dee (2006), which is a collection of images depicting the City of Detroit, and ELEMENTARZ (2010), which uses the auto industry in Detroit (stretched across the US) and over to Eastern Europe as a framework to discuss current issues in America. It is a story told through a father daughter relationship, doubling on what evolves and shifts between them both. A self-published limited edition of PRIMER (printed 2014) is conceived as a single cohering essay, albeit quite deliberately departing in its ending from the standard, sometime monotonous, road trip. In this 2014 edition, the afterword essay, "Bread and Roses" by Sally Stein (who also excerpts a passage from her late husband, Allan Sekula, Karlic’s late mentor), writes about the the car-culture oriented road trip that in this case extends over two continents back home to an émigré, automotive engineer father's backyard in Detroit. She was a participant in Center 2007, awarded the Minnesota State Arts Board Initiative Grant 2008, a participant in ATOUT France, collaboration with curator Tim Wride and the French Consulate of Los Angeles 2010. She was awarded the International Photography Award IPA 2011 by the Lucie Foundation in the field of Industrial Photography. She was awarded artist in residence at Light Work in 2013 and the Cultural Exchange International Fellowship through the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs & the Sacatar Foundation in 2013. Her series: The Dee, Close to Home, Primer/Elementarz, Rubberlands have been exhibited nationally at galleries including Franklin Art Works, Minneapolis College of Art and Deisgn, Intermedia Arts, Independent Feature Project in Minneapolis; Wall Space of Seattle, Atmosphere Group in Chicago; Louis Stern Fine Arts, and Stephen Cohen Gallery in Los Angeles; The Art of Photography Show 2011 at the Museum of Photographic Arts of San Diego; The Consulate of France in Los Angeles, NYC, and New Orleans. In 2010 her film “This Part of the Legend of a Dream” screened at REDCAT, the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater in Los Angeles.

Ramak Fazel: After earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, Ramak Fazel began an immersive study of photography and graphic design in New York City. His developing professional practice took him to Milan, Italy, where from 1994 through 2009 he lived and worked as a photographer. Through a series of personal displacements and migrations, Ramak developed an acute sense of cultural fluidity while his interest in observation continued to impact his artistic practice. Born in Iran and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, his youth simultaneously embodies and subverts the ideal of the American Midwest. Fazel’s personal projects and artistic practice address his interest in the affects of geographic displacement and the inherent contradictions of cultural identity. In a series of photographic portraits, Fazel has examined the idea of the individual as a reflection of place and an expression of influences, seeking to undermine rigid constructs and locate what is common in the conditions of diverse individuals. Ramak completed his M.F.A at Cal Arts. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California. In 2008, Ramak exhibited his project "49 Capitols," a photographic essay on his trip through 49 U.S. State Capitols, at Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York City. Along with photographs of the journey, the project provides a narrative of the search of an increasingly complicated idea of American identity. An installation of his ongoing project “The Business of People” was on exhibition at the Monditalia Section at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition la Biennale di Venezia in 2014. Ramak Fazel explores the affect of geographic displacement and inherent contradictions of cultural identity. Working within, around and sometimes against the traditions of photography and installation, he has examined the idea of the individual as a reflection of place and an expression of influences. 

Mr. Sempere is currently the Executive Director of PhotoAlliance, a non-profit dedicated to supporting contemporary photography.  He is also currently a visiting faculty member at the San Francisco Art Institute as well as a lecturer in Continuing Studies program at Stanford University, teaching photography.  His work in curatorial and arts administration began in 1983 in Seattle, as curator of the Joseph and Elaine Monse Collection of Photography, and later as Director of Education and Exhibitions at Photographic Center Northwest.  Subsequently, he worked ten years at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art with that institution's distinguished collection of photography.  He received a BGS degree with a concentration in Art History from the University of Michigan, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from San Francisco Art Institute and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Washington.  His photographs are in the permanent collection at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and have been exhibited in venues across the United States as well as in China.

As the digital artist of the piece, and a owner of a rescue dog as well, I have recently been working with and photographing rescue dogs, primarily with the Wake County SPCA in North Carolina.  In that state, 119,751 dogs and cats were put down just in 2014. The National Council On Pet Population estimates that 3.7 million unwanted pets are put down annually nationwide. Through photography, I hope to bring further support and resources to the organizations helping to address this issue and encourage viewers to consider adoption of these pets.

The Exhibition opens April 28 and will run through May 30, 2015. A reception will be held May 2, from 6:00-800 PM.  For information about the North Valley Art League and Carter House Gallery, please visit their Web site at http://www.nval.org

Saving Waffles

This digital composite of four images tells a linear story using just a single frame.  Photographed in Katmai National Park, this Kodiak bear had his eyes set on this fisherman's catch, of which he would soon win his prize. Forced to avoid an encounter with the approaching bear, the fisherman tossed his catch back into the sea. The techniques used in this photo montage enable the viewer to follow an abstract timeline of events, which today are more easily produced using current photography and digital editing technologies. This image seeks to challenge our normal way of viewing an image as a snapshot of a single moment in time. A preview reception will be held on March 13, with a lecture by Dr. Carol Damian, starting at 4:00pm before the reception. This competition consists of juried works by artists from across the nation. 

The Fish That Almost Got AwayEncapsulated dye-infused coated-aluminum metal with black wood frame. Image size is 24" x 16" and limited edition of 3.

The Fish That Almost Got Away

Encapsulated Dye-Infused Coated-Aluminum Metal, Limited Edition of 3

Juror’s Statement

To jury a broad selection of artwork of different media, different subjects, and different artistic experience is always a challenge, and this project included all the variables that one might expect.  A quick run-through of all the entries set the parameters as certain skill sets began to emerge that distinguished the work of what appeared to be excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail that served as the first qualification for me.  Whether the artist is a traditional painter or sculptor, photographer or digital media specialist, or creates work that mixes media in unusual ways, the work itself must be of the highest quality and presented with the care that all good art deserves and reflect the best the artist has to offer.  My second criterion was uniqueness that set forth a personal vision.  It is easy to imitate, appropriate, even emulate the work of others, but once an artist determines that his or her work can elevate itself above the familiar fields (abstraction, realism, impressionism, conceptualism, etc.) to become one of a kind, it will stand out from the rest.  The works that made me look twice in subsequent reviews of the field and question whether the artist had a firm understanding of what he or she was doing and why, are the ones that scored the highest.  Generally, such jury processes quickly see the best rise to the top immediately, and the least effective fall to the bottom.  It is the middle ground that often presents the most problems – artists just on the edge of realizing their own direction that must promise a consistency going forward.  These artists still have work to do but show ability.

I enjoyed seeing work from such an interesting group of artists and look forward to the final exhibition and hope it lives up to my and the organizer’s expectations.

Dr. Carol Damian

Professor Art History, Florida International University, Miami, Florida

Mountains of Hokkaido

CMYKThe Los Angeles Center for Digital Art has selected CMYK for exhibition in their "Electron Salon" Exhibition running March 12 through April 4th. The "Electron Salon" series is an international group exhibition designed to feature work that highlights the emerging digital artistic methods applied in digital art, today. More information is available on their Web site at http://www.lacda.com

CMYK is a project designed to illustrate some of the latest techniques in digital manipulation, processing and presentation of digital photography. In this image, the Artist has captured a single photograph, and from it, digitally altered its colors into four separate images. Slicing each image into a triangle, the four triangles are then digitally reassembled into a composite to form a single square. From this square, the new image has then been extruded into a 3 dimensional cube, altering its original axis. A directional lighting effect has then been applied to create spacial depth. This altered 3-d image is then set against one of the CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) color backgrounds, and digitally cut into a jigsaw puzzle. This final image is then set into a digitally created metallic border for presentation.

CMYK is reference to Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, the four color model that was used in traditional offset full-color printing. In traditional four-color printing, all colors could be described as a mixture using these four process colors. This historic method of printing has created the ground work for today's digital photographic software and printing technologies. Using the reference of CMYK, this project seeks to bridge the gap of modern day digital photographic processes in comparison with their earlier days of chemical processes, by demonstrating how the general theory of color processing remains intact while the technological mythologies have greatly evolved.

CMYK

Intrepid Museum as Captured on October 29, 2012, 11:27pm

Intrepid Museum, October 29, 2012,  11:27 PM

The jurors for this exhibition were Carolyn Benesh, Thom Collins and Joel Sartore.  Carolyn Benesh has been a Coeditor and Copublisher of Ornament magazine since 1974.  She currently serves on the board of the PBS series, Craft in America. She has served as juror for many of the nation's top craft shows such as the Smithsonian Craft Show and the Excellence in Art to Wear at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. Thomas Collins is an arts administrator, art historian, educator and author with more than 15 years of experience serving as director and curator at several of America's top museums, including director of the Neuberger Museum of Art in Westchester County, New York; director of the Contemporary Museum in Baltimore, Maryland; and chief curator at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was recently named director of Perez Art Museum Miami, formerly Miami Art Museum in August, 2010.  Joel Sartore is a photographer, speaker, author, teacher conservationist, National Geographic Fellow and a regular contributor to the National Geographic Magazine. He is founder of The Photo Art, a multi-year documentary project to save species and habitat, and he has written several books including RARE: PORTRAITS OF AMERICA'S ENDANGERED SPECIES; PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR FAMILY, and NEBRASKA. He has been a contributor to Audubon Magazine, Time, Life, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and his work has been the subject of several national broadcasts, including National Geographic's Explorer, the NBC Nightly News, NPR's Weekend Edition and an hour-long PBS Documentary, At Close Range. 

Visiting The New York Public Library

Visiting The New York Public Library

Work accepted into this juried exhibition were required to reflect on the theme of "Endangered" as it applies to animal or plant species, the environment, ecosystem or natural world.  Species, while not required to be listed as Endangered, were to have some element of threat to their survival. The selected print, "Visiting The New York Public Library," was the 1st Prize winner of the 2014 Juried Exhibition at the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel, California in 2014. This print was also most recently exhibited at the 3rd Biennial for Fine Art & Documentary Photography at the Municipal Heritage Museum in Malaga, Spain.  It has also been acquired for their permanent collection by the Crocker Museum in Sacramento, California. In the summer of 2014, the print was exhibited with its series, "New York City Wildlife," at SohoPhoto Gallery in a solo exhibition. The print went on to be exhibited at the Houston Center of Photography's "32nd Annual Juried Membership Exhibition" as well as being juried into Aperture's "2014 Summer Open" Exhibition in New York City. More about this unique exhibition may be found at the Art4Apes Web site.

The Prowler

The Prowler

The Innovator

The Innovator

The 36 Print Exhibition At the Davidson County Community College Is Now Available In A Book Benefiting the DCCC Foundation.  

Online bidding has commenced at http://www.ibidmobile.net/fwab for the pieces (see lot "61" for Wandering Over Manhattan).  This pigment ink acid-free cotton rag print is sized at 20x30 inches, signed and dated in ink with photographer's stamp on the verso, and is edition 1 of 3.  The exhibitions that this work has been presented are numerous; most recently being chosen by juror, Marvin Heiferman, for the exhibition, "PHOTOcentric 2014" held at the Garrison Art Center in New York.  The piece was also exhibited in the 3rd Biennial Art Fair at the Municipal Heritage Museum in Malaga, Spain in 2014.  The print is framed with reclaimed wood, which reflects the environmental theme of the series, and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Other notable artists whose work has been donated for the live part of the auction include signed prints by Herb Ritts, Berenice Abott, Daido Moriyama, Adam Fuss, Lee Friedlander, Louis Faurer, Elliott Erwitt, Michael Kenna, Hiroshi Watanabe, Annie Leibovitz, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Lynn Saville, George Tice, Irving Penn and Horst P. Horst.  

Wandering Over ManhattanFrom the "New York City Wildlife" series

Wandering Over Manhattan

20" x 30"  Pigment Ink on Archival Paper, Framed in Reclaimed Wood, Edition 1 of 3

(Click Image To Bid)

Juror, Brian Vanden Brink, in addition to his award-winning architecture photography, has been featured widely in dozens of design and consumer publications including Architectural Digest, Architectural Record, Metropolitan Home, View Camera and many more.  His published books include: ICONIC: PERSPECTIVES ON THE MAN-MADE WORLD, the book titled, RUIN: PHOTOGRAPHS OF A VANISHING AMERICA, which was awarded a Photo District News Photo Annual Award; the book titled PORCH; AT HOME BY THE SEA: HOUSES DESIGNED FOR LIVING AT THE WATER'S EDGE; and the book titled, AT HOME IN MAINE: HOUSES DESIGNED TO FIT THE LAND.  To view more about his work, please visit his Web site at www.brianvandenbrink.com. More information about the exhibition is available at http://www.​vtphotoworkplace.​com/​id269.​html

Foro Romano I, from the book, ROME AT NIGHT

The event will bring together global dignitaries, wildlife ambassadors, artists, musicians and actors -- all united in their passion for nature. The benefit will raise funds which will be distributed by Synchronicity Earth to partners that restore degraded habitat project species on the brink of extinction and support local communities.

The Biophilia Ball will be held at the Natural History Museum and the venue will be transformed to recreate the biosphere in all its glory through the creative use of sound, light, performance and food. Guests will wear unique hand-painted masks by artist, Alice Shirley, each representing a unique species, and a sustainably sourced menu designed by Michelin rated chef, Bruno Loubet. A live and silent auction featuring beautiful and inspirational art will lead to the Ball's grand musical finale. 

Three framed prints from George Grubb's "New York City Wildlife" series will be offered up for auction at this event. They are "Wandering Over Manhattan," "Strolling Through Bryant Park," and "Riding The New York Subway." The prints are framed in reclaimed wood, and have an edition size of only 3. Click Here For Detailed Report on Prints Up For Auction.  For more information on this event being held in London, please visit Synchronicity Earth's Web site.  These prints will be on view in London at the Natural History Museum for the event.

Wandering Over ManhattanClick for Detailed Report on Print

Click for Paddle8.com BIDDING information for "Wandering Over Manhattan"

Strolling Through Bryant ParkClick for Detailed Report on Print Click for Paddle8.com BIDDING information for "Strolling Through Bryant Park"

Riding The New York Subway Click for Paddle8.com BIDDING information for "Riding The New York Subway"

Click Here For Detailed Report on Prints Up For Auction

On October 16, I was invited to the IUCN Open House and a Reception for the World Conservation Congress National Host Committee in Washington, DC.  The evening was an opportunity to meet the staff of the IUCN working in that office, as well as to get a personal introduction to the events being planned for the World Conservation Congress, a global event that occurs only once every four years. The USA will be hosting this global event for its first time in Hawaii in 2016. For more information, please visit the World Conservation Congress Web site.

3 Star Exhibitor - Nature Exhibitions Category; Photographic Society of America

Visiting The New York Public Library received broad recognition from around the world.  In early 2014, it received the First Prize in the “2014 Juried Exhibition” at the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel, California.  From there, it would go on to be selected by curator, Chris Boot, for Aperture’s premiere “Summer Open” in 2014.   Juror, Malcolm Daniel, the Curator in Charge of the Department of Photography and Curator of Special Projects at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, would select it for exhibition in the Houston Center of Photography’s “32nd Annual Juried Membership Exhibition.”  The print would also be exhibited as part of the Artist’s solo exhibition at SohoPhoto Gallery in the gallery’s entrance hall in the summer of 2014 in New York City.  Following this exhibition, this print, along with thirteen of the Artist’s other works, would be selected for exhibition in the “3rd International Biennial of Fine Art and Documentary Photography” held in the Municipal Heritage Museum in Malaga, Spain, which ran September 18 through November 9, 2014.  Most recently, the print has also been selected for an upcoming exhibition, "Endangered," which will be held in the Wynwood district of Miami during Art Basel Week this year.

Leaving Subway At 23rd Street also received recognition.  In addition to being exhibited in the solo exhibitions at SohoPhoto Gallery in New York City and also in the "3rd International Biennial of Fine Art and Documentary Photography” at the Municipal Heritage Museum in Malaga, Spain, the print had an exhibition at "The 50th Founders Juried Awards Exhibition," juried by Erin Wright, the Director of Artist Initiatives and Special Projects for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), which was organized by the Naples Art Association and held at The von Liebig Art Center in Naples, Florida.  In addition, the image was also selected for inclusion in the catalog for the "2014 Juried Exhibition" at the Center for Photographic Art, too.

Visiting The New York Public LibraryFrom the series, "New York City Wildlife." Medium: Pigment ink on acid-free cotton rag paper (Moab Entrada Rag Bright). Edition 3 of 3. Printed 2013. Size 23" x 16" Inches. Signed, Dated & Editioned on the Verso.

Visiting The New York Public Library

Leaving Subway At 23rd StreetFrom the series, "New York City Wildlife." Medium: Pigment ink on acid-free cotton rag paper (Moab Entrada Rag Bright). Edition 3 of 3. Printed 2013. Size: 24" x 20" Inches. Signed, Dated & Editioned on the Verso.

Leaving Subway At 23rd Street

Looking Out Over Oberlech

Looking Out Over Oberlech

Looking Out Over Arlberg

Looking Out Over Arlberg

Looking Out Over Cortina

Looking Out Over Cortina

Click to view the "Print List," which itemizes the Awards and Acceptances into Competitions/Exhibitions for each print.  This data may be helpful for bidders in their print purchases.

On September 30, 2014 the International Photography Awards competition (IPA) announced Category Winners of 2014 Competition!

This year, IPA received over 27,000 submissions from 104 countries across the globe and is pleased to declare that George Grubb was awarded Honorable Mention in the "Fine Art - Collage" Professional  Category in the 2014 International Photography Awards (IPA) Competition for the winning series entry "New York City Wildlife".

Honorable Mention

ABOUT George Grubb

Focusing on creative reinterpretation of landscapes and wildlife photography.

About the International Photography Awards
The International Photography Awards conducts an annual competition for professional, non-professional, and student photographers on a global scale, creating one of the most ambitious and comprehensive competitions in the photography world today. Each year, the International Photography Awards (IPA) invites passionate photographers, to compete for the title of Photographer of the Year, Discovery of the Year and Deeper Perspective Photographer of the Year. A board of esteemed professionals in the field juries the competition: curators, photo editors, gallery owners, art directors, and other luminaries from the international photography community. The awards includes a Lucie Statue and cash prizes totaling over $20,000, exhibition and publication opportunities.www.photoawards.com

About the Lucie Awards
The Lucie Awards is the annual event honoring the greatest achievements in photography. The photography community from countries around the globe will pay tribute to the most outstanding photography achievements presented at the Gala Awards ceremony. Each year, the Advisory Board nominates deserving individuals across a variety of categories who will be honored during the Lucie Awards ceremony. Once the nominations have been received, the votes are tallied and an honoree in each category is identified. The honorees are pre-announced months before the Lucie Awards. The Lucie Awards are a signature program of Lucie Foundation.www.lucieawards.com

About the Lucie Foundation
The Lucie Foundation's mission is to honor master photographers, discover and cultivate emerging talent, and promote the appreciation of photography worldwide. In additional to Month of Photography Los Angeles (MOPLA), the foundation presents year-round programming to support high school students through SNAPSHOP!, emerging and professional photographers through the Lucie Scholarship Program and master photographers through The Lucie Awards. The Lucie Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable foundation. www.luciefoundation.org

The photographs below were selected for this event, given their metaphorical theme of rescue and nurturing and caring for these endangered orphaned young orangutans in Borneo, who are struggling with the slaughter of their parents and destruction of their habitat by palm oil plantations, illegal loggers and poachers.

Rescued Baby Orangutans in Borneo

Rescued Baby Orangutans of Borneo,  Limited Edition of 5

Rescued Orangutans On Daily Walk

Rescued Orangutans on Daily Walk,  Limited Edition of 5

Leaving Subway At 23rd Street

Leaving Subway At 23rd Street

Riding The New York Subway

Riding The New York Subway

The first edition of the Biennial was held in June 2010, at the Circle of Fine Arts in Madrid, under the name of "2009 WPGA Awards." It was converted into a Biennial after deciding to organize a second edition in Buenos Aires in January 2012 at the Borges Cultural Center.  For the 3rd Biennial, the event was moved to Malaga, Spain.  The fair combines award winning artists from the 2012, 2013 and 2014 editions of the Pollux Prizes and the Julia Margaret Cameron for Women Photographers Prizes.  This Biennial resulted in a selection of over 500 art pieces that ranged from consecrated artists to emerging talents from 27 countries.  The curators of the event were Analy Werbin, Victoria Werbin and Julio Hardy.  More information about the event is available at http://www.malagabienal.com/

Selected prints from the "New York City Wildlife" series, as well as from my recent trip to Borneo to photograph the wild orangutans, were featured in this exhibition.  All-in-all, fourteen prints, measuring 40x60cm, were presented in a dedicated wall at the exhibition. From the "New York City Wildlife" series, the images exhibited images were, WANDERING OVER MANHATTAN, ADMIRING LUGGAGE IN WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK, REIGNING OVER CENTRAL PARK, LEAVING SUBWAY AT 23RD STREET, RIDING THE NEW YORK SUBWAY, ADMIRING WOMAN ADMIRING GAZELLE, ESCAPING CENTRAL PARK (which was also selected to be featured on the cover of the exhibition catalog), STROLLING THROUGH BRYANT PARK, and TAKING OUT THE GARBAGE (pictured below).  From my wildlife series, the images exhibited were FEMALE BORNEAN ORANGUTAN WITH BABY, BORNEAN ORANGUTANS IN TANJUNG PUTING NATIONAL PARK, JUVENILE BORNEAN ORANGUTAN, and ALPHA MALE BORNEAN ORANGUTANS. These images may be viewed on this Web site at http://georgegrubb.com/p522401439

Collecting The Garbage

COLLECTING THE GARBAGE

Wandering Over ManhattanAn image from the "New York City Wildlife" series.

Title: Wandering Over Manhattan

"Picturing The Built Environment" designates the structures and spaces humankind has created in which to live, work, and play.  It presents a diversity of creative viewpoints that reveal many of the ways we live and co-exist today.  This exhibition, supported by SohoPhoto Gallery, is comprised of 34 SohoPhoto Members who were juried into this exhibition by committee at SohoPhoto Gallery, and then the exhibition was juried into Photoville by its curators.  My selected image, titled "The Urban Jungle," captures viewers gazing across the landscape of Tokyo City from atop one of its many towers.  SohoPhoto is exhibiting half of the selected images (17 images) during the first week, Sept 18 - 21, of which this image below will participate.  SohoPhoto Gallery will then rotate out those prints and replace them with the second half remaining 17 images for the following weekend exhibit Sept 25-28.

Photoville is located at Pier 5, in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, New York City, NY.  It will be on display from September 18 - 21; & Sept 25 - 28, 2014.  More information about the exhibition may be found at http://www.photoville.com/2014-exhibitions/picturing-the-built-environment/

The Urban JungleView atop tower in Tokyo City, Japan

Title: LITTLE FURRY WONDERS     Edition: 1/10

Title: TOIL AND TUG   Edition: 1/10

The 36 artists represented in the show include:Karen Ahuja, Joel Armstrong, Allyson Block, Roxanne Butterfield, Barbara Cade, Emily Denlinger, John Faginkrantz, Margaret Foote, James Daniel Gaar, George Grubb, Bob Harvey, Jonny Haydn, Pat Langewis, Lane Last, Russell Lemond, Diane Lorio, Bryan Massey, Sayeed Mehmood, Elizabeth Morisette, Earl Mulley, Loretta Lynn Owens , Alan D. Pocaro, Desiree Quinn, Allison Rosh, Cynthia Schanink, Jane Skafte, Mike Spain, Gertrude Tara-Casciano, Roxy Rose Wallace, Jane Bonady Watson, Mark Webster, Cathy Wester, Susan Whiteland, and Ray Wittenberg.

Fireworks Over Manhattan, #3This image is part of a series of fireworks celebration photographed in New York City on July 4, 2012. The negative inversion of the positive image is captured using digital techniques to illustrate a unique perspective on this event.

Provided next to each print is a brief summary of the obstacles to survival for the species shown.  This includes the current threat rating from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.  The IUCN is the World’s largest global environmental network, consisting of a democratic membership union with more than 1,000 government and NGO member organizations, and over 11,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries, that are supported by a staff of more than 1,000 professionals in 160 countries.  The IUCN’s primary purpose is dedicated to finding pragmatic solutions to pressing environmental and developmental challenges.  The organization publishes the IUCN Red List of threatened species, which assesses the conservation status of over 70,000 species, including plant, marine, arid, semi-arid and the most threatened of all, freshwater species.  For more descriptive information on the IUCN, please visit http://georgegrubb.com/iucn

The idea of offering all of the prints in this exhibition in a silent auction at the closing reception is an idea that grew from my parents' support for the DCCC.  My parents were strong believers in helping challenged youth to meet the obstacles of today through education. It is in recognizing their past contributions that inspired me to offer my work to the foundation.  Each image is printed using pigment ink on acid-free 100% cotton rag paper, signed and stamped on the verso, and offered in a limited edition size of ten prints.  I would like to recognize the Picture Frame Outlet in Lexington, North Carolina, for their custom-frame and matting for each image.  

Video Introduction by Jenny Varner, Executive Director, DCCC Foundation

Click Here (Opens in YouTube)

Most viewers today recognize the topic of wildlife conservation, but very few recognize the urgency of it.  I hope to help increase awareness of the urgency of this crisis through my work.  It is my hope the viewer will take away from this exhibit, the breathtaking beauty of these majestic creatures, be invigorated with renewed enthusiasm to learn more about conservation, and feel more inspired to help protect our planet’s natural resources. On November 6 at 6:00pm EST, all of the signed and limited edition prints will be offered to the public in a silent auction in which all of the proceeds will go to benefit the DCCC Foundation.  More information about this exhibition may be viewed at the college's Web site at http://www.davidsonccc.edu/georgegrubb .  An online auction will commence Sept 1 for select pieces in the exhibition.  The exhibition is now open in the Mendenhall building for the public.

Polar Bear On West Shore Of Hudson Bay, Manitoba, Canada

Polar Bear on West Shore of Hudson Bay

Many of the prints in this exhibition have received many awards and juried exhibitions; both in the United States and abroad.  These include: "Visiting The New York Public Library" won first place at the "2014 Juried Exhibition" at the Center of Photography in California; "Skinny Dipping on Park Avenue" won first place at the "Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts" in Oregon; "Riding The New York Subway" won first place in the "2014 Cottingley Lens Competition" in New York and an Honorable Mention in the Providence Art Club's "2014 All Media Juried Competition" in Rhode Island.  This print also was selected for exhibition at the Houston Center of Photography's "32nd Annual Juried Membership Exhibition," received a Gold Selection and exhibition at the North Valley Art League's Carter House Gallery in the "Photography: The Full Spectrum" exhibition, and also was selected for exhibition in "The 50th Founders Juried Awards Exhibition" at the Naples Art Association in Florida as well as the upcoming Houston Center for Photography's "32nd Annual Juried Membership Exhibition." "Reigning Over Central Park" won 2nd place in the 6th Pollux Awards in York, United Kingdom.  "Leaving Subway at 23rd Street" was selected for exhibition at the Naples Art Association's "50th Founders Juried Awards Exhibition."  The print, "Visiting the New York Public Library" was also selected for exhibition at Aperture's "Summer Open" exhibition this July in New York City, and the print was also selected for exhibition at the Houston Center of Photography's "32nd Annual Juried Membership Exhibition."  The Los Angeles Center for Digital Art selected four images for exhibition in their "Electron Salon" this June, and the Jacksonville Center for the Arts selected "Escaping Central Park" for exhibition in the Hayloft Gallery for the "2014 JAX Juried Exhibition."  The "New York City Wildlife" project will have its 2nd solo exhibition at the 3rd International Biennial for Fine Art and Documentary Photography, to be held at the Municipal Heritage Museum in Malaga, Spain, that will run September 18 - November 9, 2014.

The animals depicted in the “New York City Wildlife” series are all wild and were photographed during my journeys to their natural environments in threatened regions around the World.  From the Arctic to Africa, Asia, Australia and Antarctica, my travels to every continent have enabled me to witness the effects of globalization on our World.  The message is the same around the globe…these animals and their habitats are threatened by humans, either through climate change, poaching, urban development or other intrusions into their environments. 

With each print at the exhibition, I provide a written summary of the obstacles to survival for the species shown.  This includes the current threat rating from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.  The IUCN is the World’s largest global environmental network, consisting of a democratic membership union with more than 1,000 government and NGO member organizations, and approximately 11,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries, supported by a staff of more than 1,000 professionals in 160 countries.  The IUCN’s primary purpose is dedicated to finding pragmatic solutions to pressing environmental and developmental challenges.  The organization publishes the IUCN Red List of threatened species, which assesses the conservation status of over 70,000 species, including plant, marine, arid, semi-arid and the most threatened of all, freshwater species.  

Most viewers today recognize the topic of wildlife conservation, but few recognize the urgency of it.  I hope to help increase awareness of the urgency of this crisis through my work.  With each print sale, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to a conservation organization seeking to protect that species shown.  The images provided in this exhibit are a portion of the collection in the “New York City Wildlife” series; a collection which is continuously growing. 

The image depicted with this blog is "Wandering over Manhattan," which received an honorable mention.   It features the wandering albatrosses and golden eagles soaring above the Manhattan skyline, while giraffes stand on the outdoor decks of the penthouses in the towers.   The wandering albatrosses, rated "Vulnerable" by the IUCN, were photographed out over the sea while cruising from the Falkland Islands to the Island of South Georgia.  The biggest threat to their survival is long-line fishing and pollution in the form of plastics and discarded fishing hooks.  The golden eagles were photographed in Neah Bay, Washington state.  Pesticides wrecked havoc on the population of these birds at one time, and while they now enjoy a "Least Concern" status, they still struggle with being poisoned, trapped or shot.  The giraffes are South African giraffes photographed in Botswana.  This image, an edition of 1 of 3, will be up for the charitable photography auction, "Friends Without A Border," in New York City later this year.  The other two images have received notable recognition in previous competitions, and you may find further information about them in earlier blog postings.

The king penguins’ (Aptendoytes patagonicus) featured in this image have a population size that is growing (for now) and have a Least Concern status from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List; unlike 15 of the 18 species of penguins tracked by the IUCN.  Of those, 4 species are rated Near Threatened, 6 rated Vulnerable and 5 rated Endangered.  And this doesn’t include two penguin species now extinct...the Chatham Penguin and the Waitaha Penguin, believed to result from over-hunting by humans.  The king penguins’ Least Concern rating may be in jeopardy.  The warming of the Southern Ocean is anticipated to cause a reduction in their food supply, causing them to have to swim further to find food leaving less time for mating and chick-rearing.   Scientists at the CNRS Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien in Strasbourg, France, studied king penguins in the southern Indian Ocean over nine years.  Their study discovered a nine-percent decline in the adult penguin population for every 0.26 degree (Celsius) of sea surface warming.  These king penguins were photographed in their wild habitat on the Island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic Ocean near Antarctica by the Artist.  The setting for these birds used in this image was photographed in the wintertime in Central Park, New York City. 

Information on the exhibition may be viewed at the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts' Web site at http://ctacademy.org/annualEx1910.html

The prints selected for the exhibition by Erin Wright are from the "New York City Wildlife" series, and are titled "Riding The New York Subway" and "Leaving Subway At 23rd Street."  Both images feature two different subspecies of giraffes, and are framed in reclaimed wood for the exhibition.   The former image features the Angolan giraffe, of which about 20,000 remain today in the wild and sadly, is no longer found in Angola; and the latter image features the Rothschild giraffe, of which less than 500 are believed to remain in the wild today, and which now relies primarily on a preserve centers for protection and breeding and reintroduction for their survival of the subspecies.

Juror Erin Wright has over 20 years of experience in the art world, having worked for Sotheby's auction house, to grant making for the Lannan Foundation to organizing exhibitions and project management for Gagosian Gallery.  Her current work at LACMA is focused on artist projects and producing films about artists and their work, including notable artists such as John Baldessari, Michael Heizer, Ed Ruscha, James Turrell and Peter Zumthor.  More information about the exhibition may be found on their Web site at http://www.naplesart.org/event/50th-founders-juried-awards-exhibition/

The selected print features harp seals which I photographed on the ice floes in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Northern Canada just prior to the seal hunt.  The Canadian government had authorized a kill quota of 400,000 harp seals for the year.  The means of killing the young pups for their coats is to strike them on their head with a club called a hakapik.  The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has noted that the quotas set by the sealing countries are unsustainable.  More information on the harp seals may be found at http://www.harpseals.org and information on the exhibition is available at http://www.jacksonvillecenter.org .

The King Penguins (Aptendoytes patagonicus) are the second largest penguin species and are known to dive to depths of over 300ft for their food, and have been recorded as deep as 980ft.  These birds were photographed in their natural habitat on the Island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic Ocean near Antarctica. Their population is considered stable, unlike their cousins, the Emperor Penguin, which is listed as "Near Threatened" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The King Penguins' numbers are, fortunately, growing and have a Least Concern status.  However, a recent study by French scientists of this particular species indicates that they are having to swim further for food in the Southern Ocean, increasing stress and leaving less time for mating and rearing chicks. These scientist attribute this cause to the gradual warming of the Southern Ocean.

The WPGA is located in Regency House, Westminster Place, York Business Park, in York, United Kingdom.  More information about the gala awards may be located by visiting their Web site at http://thegalaawards.net/

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) designates the Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) as "Endangered" with their population having declined approximately 50% in the last sixty years.  Palm oil plantations and illegal harvesting of timber have been the primary threat to this species, which has been resulting in rapid destruction of their habitat.  The Orangutan Care Center in Borneo that I visited, operated by Dr. Galdikas, has over 300 rescued orphans.  Sadly, almost all of their mothers were slaughtered to prevent encroachment onto palm oil plantations and the babies were fortunate to have gotten away.

The WPGA is located in Regency House, Westminster Place, York Business Park, in York, United Kingdom.  More information about the gala awards may be located by visiting their Web site at http://thegalaawards.net/

The image selected is a digital composite of two photographs; the winter scene was photographed in Yellowstone National Park, using a vertical shaking in-camera technique to achieve the painterly effect, and the gentleman sitting on the park bench was photographed on a trip I took to Guatemala, in the Tikal National Park.

The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs is one of the oldest non-profit arts organization in Arkansas. The gallery and headquarters is located in the Historic Downtown Arts District. The strength and vision of this organization continues through it's members, it's board of directors, supporters of the arts, and leaders in the community, including former President Bill Clinton.  The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs is located at 626 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR, 71902, USA.  More information about them may be located on their Web site at http://www.hsfac.org/

George's work integrated the work of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s Red List, which is the World standard for evaluating risks of extinction of the World's species.  This organization is the World's oldest and largest global environmental organization with over 160 countries participating, more than 11,000 voluntary scientists, 900+ NGO's, and over 200 governments.  The organization is headquartered just outside of Genève, Switzerland.  George's images concentrated on wildlife from around the World with a threatened status, and were projected in juxtaposition with the IUCN's Red List ratings for each species.  A brief discussion of the current population numbers, their rates of decline and their current threats were discussed for each species.  Also, a general overview with charts about the IUCN was presented at the start of the presentation.  A Q&A session followed afterwards.  

George selected over 150 images for this presentation, which included artistically selected photographs taken during the last five years of his travels, as well as diagrams and charts from the IUCN's Red List.  Examples presented included the endangered orangutans of Borneo and mountain gorillas of Rwanda, to the African wildlife with "Vulnerable" ratings such as the elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs and hippopotamuses.  Other species depicted and discussed included the rhinoceros, polar bears, penguins, walruses, moose, bison, whales, wolves, sea otters and birds such as the wandering albatrosses, steller-sea eagles, and the red-crowned cranes of Japan.  Subspecies of many species were presented and discussed, such as the very, very rare, Rothschild giraffe, the black rhinoceros, the kodiak bears, and subspecies of penguins, like the emperors, kings, macaronis, rockhoppers and gentoos.

The press release for the presentation may be viewed here.  http://georgegrubb.com/2014_01-02_sierraphotonyc_newsletter.pdf

Image: Two Faces of One Cow - Honorable Mention in the Fine Art - Other Category

Image: Pigeon Forge - Honorable Mention in the Digitally Enhanced Category

Image: New York City Wildlife - Admiring Luggage in Washington Square Park - Honorable Mention in the Deeper Perspective Category

Image: New York City Wildlife - Admiring Luggage in Washington Square Park - Honorable Mention in the Fine Art-Collage Category

The competition is based out of Los Angeles, California, USA.  Winners are honored at the Lucie Awards held at Carnegie Hall in New York City.  More information about this competition may be located at their Web site at http://www.photoawards.com

"Bluie East Two" - Honorable Mention, Photojournalism Category

"Kodiak Bear With Salmon in Alaska" - Nature Category

"Kodiak Bear With Spring Cubs" - Nature Category

"Svalbard Reindeer" - Nature Category

Public presentations are scheduled for January 26, 2014 at 2:00pm and January 27, 2014 at 8:00pm, at the Toronto Camera Club, 587 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA.  Additional information about the Salon, which is PSA, CAPA and FIAP recognized, may be located on their Web site at http://www.torontocameraclub.com

The public is invited and also welcomed to join the opening night reception.  The gallery may be accessed either through Calumet Photo on the first floor, or via the building's lobby entrance.  The gallery's hours are Mon-Fri., 8:30am-6:00pm; and Sat., 9:00am-6:00pm.  A portion of all print sales will benefit the Sierra Club. The Photography Committee hopes that this exhibit will capture nature's beauty and majesty in such a way so that people come away with a renewed desire to preserve and protect our planet's magnificent treasures.

The three images of mine chosen for this exhibit by Anastasia Tompkins, an award-winning photographer and former Exhibit Director of the Westchester Photographic society, are titled; "King Penguins in the Island of South Georgia," "Walruses in Svalbard," and "Polar Bear on Arctic Ice Pack." As has become customary with my work, I am offering the prints in a limited edition of just 3 for each image.  The medium is pigment ink on archival 100% cotton rag, and framed.  Print sizes are 20" x 16". More information about the New York City Sierra Club Photography Committee may be found on their Web site at http://www.sierraphotonyc.com .

Three works of mine will be exhibited in the juried group show, "Artists Celebrate The Holidays," at the Monmouth Museum in Lincroft, New Jersey, from Nov 22, 2013 through January 5, 2014.  The Juror for the show was the Monmouth Museum Executive Committee. The images captured were of New York City's Santa Pub Crawl, otherwise known as SantaCon in December of 2012.

Each year, thousands of young adults descend upon New York City dressed in Santa outfits and holiday attire for the annual Santa Pub Crawl, dubbed SantaCon.  Depending upon perspective, these sometime revelers dressed in Santa costumes tour city bars, and sometimes cause mayhem in parts of Manhattan where locals have accused some of flouting public drinking and urination laws, and leaving in their wake, trash and traumatized locals.  Another side to SantaCon involves the food-drive donations, and last year, the event was projected to bring $45,000 in cash from the 60+ participating venues, for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Also, 6,850 lbs of canned food was reported as being raised for the local food banks. 

The event is billed as non-political, non-denominational, non-commercial and non-sensical, according to organizers.  The crawl takes place from lower Manhattan up to Mid-town Manhattan neighborhoods.  While New York locals may feel that their city is overrun with Santas each year on this day, they may take some satisfaction in knowing that while their pub crawl may not be the largest in the World, it may very well be the most colorful.

For the display of these images, which represent a small portion of the portfolio, these images will be framed as pigment ink on archival paper.  The images are created in black and white medium, while allowing the color red to accentuate through to illustrate the visual impact this event creates upon the local neighborhoods.  

The print was released in a limited edition of five black & white archival digital laser gelatin silver prints.  One of the prints has been donated for a charitable auction for Friends Without a Border to help raise funds for that organization.  An auction preview will be held October, 24, at Rick Wester Fine Arts Gallery, located at 526 W. 26th St., Ste. 417, in New York, NY.  Visit Web site for times.

The auction will be held on December 10, 2013, at the Metropolitan Pavilion, located at 123 W. 18th St., 2nd Floor, New York, NY.   Details of the Friends Without A Border's Photography fundraiser may be found on their Web site at http://www.fwab.org .  In addition to my print, other works by notable photographers such as Annie Leibovitz, Steve McCurry, Herb Ritts, and Hiroshi Sugimoto will also be offered at this benefit auction.  A catalog of the images up for auction is now available for download in PDF format:

http://file.fwab.org/fwabthanks2012/images/catalog2013.pdf

This image was captured by shaking the camera vertically while the shutter was opened for 1/20th of a second, at an f/22 aperture, ISO 200, at an 82mm focal length.  The exposure program was set to manual, on a Canon EOS 5D-Mark II, with an EF24-105mm lens.  The image was captured on January 17, 2013 in Yellowstone National Park.  The image is available to be viewed on Duggal's Connect Blog at the following URL:

http://duggal.com/connect/get-connected/landscape-photography-contest-winners-announced

The exhibition will be installed in Building 19, a historic former officer's house in the Nolan Park area of Governors Island (one of the boroughs of New York City), from August 24 - September 29, the last day the island is open to the public. Exhibition hours are 12 noon to 6pm each Saturday and Sunday during that period, as well as 12 noon to 6pm on Labor Day Monday, September 2nd. As many people are away at the end of August and the beginning of September, they are having a closing celebration in lieu of an opening reception. We hope you will all be able to join us for that on Saturday, September 28. 

The juror for the show was Alan Nyiri, who is notable for his books on mountains and seas, which include The White Mountains, Exploring the Maine Coast, Cape Cod and others.  In addition to the 40 photographs that Alan chose for this exhibit, he selected an additional 35 images that will be displayed just on the gallery's Web site.   The photographic prints are for sale.  Following the exhibition, a book will be released showcasing all the selected images for this exhibit.  

The image depicted herein was taken in the Lake Kussharo region of Hokkaido, Japan, this past March.  It captures the story of a flautist that has been serenading these Whooper swans at sunset for over 30 years.  I just happened to be here, set up with my camera for a sunset shot of the swans, which fly into these thermal hot springs to stay warm through the cold winter night.  This gentleman walks down through the woods and sits right in my shot, and pulls out, what I thought was a sandwich at first.  I thought, "Gee thanks Mr., you have just ruined my sunset shot."  I am laying on my stomach on the cold frozen ice of the lake attempting to take this shot at the eye level of the swans, and as this gentleman began playing his flute, these squawking swans, which had been noisily horrendous for hours, suddenly became very quite and still.  It was as if they had flown in for this nightly performance, and how ironic this image would make it into the semi-finals of what is arguably, the greatest nature photography competition in the World.  Fingers remained crossed.  

While using these techniques to capture the whimsical and vibrancy displayed through their structures, I also used other techniques to instill a sense of a decaying reality such as implementing a subtle distortion of the images to lend the sensation that something feels amiss.   Shooting under the harsh mid-day sun to capture high contrast helped facilitate the notion that nothing is subtle about Pigeon Forge.  Telephone wires and poles wrap around this land of concrete and neon signage to remind the viewers that even the best of plans here have been well challenged by the forces of consequences.

The images are infused into a high-gloss aluminum metal surface, rather than on it, to enhance its luminescence.  Each image is then mounted onto another larger metal print of a metallic illustration to give the illusion that it is floating off of this surface.  These two metal prints are then encased in a black, wedge-shaped wooden frame, and offered to the public in a limited edition series of three.    The collection is available to view on this Web site.                                                                            

The show is scheduled to run from July 3-27, 2013 at Soho Photo Gallery, on 15 White Street, New York, NY  10013.   The opening reception will occur Tuesday, July 2^nd, from 6-8pm.  The public is invited.  More information is available at www.sohophoto.com .

In addition to this being a unique trip for me, I was also surprised to see that I came home with over 12,000 images for this trip.  I am generally one to be selective in my shots, and this has never occurred before, but given the extensive birding photography on this trip, I was often shooting in burst mode to capture these incredibly beautiful creatures.  The trip also provided quite a variety in lodging, and at times, my room consisted only of a foam pad, pillow and sheet, and nothing else.  Bathrooms were often shared in the hallways, and meals almost always consisted of something from the sea, plus a few fried grasshoppers, too boot.  The region we mostly focused in was Hokkaido, where a national park was nearby, though unfortunately closed for the winter.  One of our goals was to capture the world's largest owl, the Fish Owl.  Sadly, our day set up in the blinds to capture this bird was the day a severe blizzard blew in, and like a wise owl, it stayed away and probably kept to its current comfort and safety.  But that gives me another reason to go back, as if I really need a reason.  Temperatures were quite cold in the mornings...reaching minus 18 C.  But well after sunrise, became much more manageable.  The swans swimming in the hot springs may have been one of the highlights for me.  I felt I could never have taken enough of those images as they majestically moved and flew about.  The eagles were voluminous and seemed to be everywhere behind the fish laden boat we rode in.  And the monkeys showed no timidity sometimes hissing into our faces if they felt we were in their way.    But the Red Crown Cranes were the stars of this show, and their dancing and courting of mates was truly a site to behold.  Supposedly, less than 3000 cranes exists today, and their near extinction is due to man's intrusion into their wetlands for resources and land usage.

There is much that can be written about this trip and I will try to add more to the blog here about it soon.  I also experimented with taking video of the monkeys using my Canon 5D III, and some of the footage has been quite exciting to watch.  The facebook link on this site will take you to some of the ones I have put up online there.  Also, many of the images from this trip will be posted there and on the Google+ link, so be sure to visit those links, too.  

One of my prints is up for auction at the charity, HousingWorks.  You may view it in the display window in their Hells Kitchen Store on 9^th Ave by 50^th St.  Here is a link to bid.  The pictures they took are quite awful, so I'm including a more realistic picture here.  They do not ship.  One must pick it up.  Thus, for the New Yorkers out there, this is an opportunity to pick up a Duggal printed, 40”x50” black and white metal (dibond) mounted photograph with their wall floating mount.  Duggal's printing cost alone was about $700.  So this is a steal.  Current bid is only $95.  The picture is of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.  The picture is signed and is a limited edition 1 of 10.  Proceeds go to benefit Housing Works HIV initiatives.  Stop by their store on 9th Ave around 50th St., to view it in person.  About 10 days remains on the auction.

http://shop.housingworks.org/lot.cfm?lotID=91777

This was my third trip back to Yellowstone National Park, and second time in winter.  The peace and serenity that accompany one during their travels throughout the park this time of year cannot be underestimated.  Over three million people visit the park annually, and most of this traffic is during the warmer seasons.  This was undoubtedly my favorite trip yet, with an abundance of wildlife so easily accessible from a short drive, a short hike or a snow coach ride away.  The elk and bison were numerous, and I found myself encountering several wild coyotes during this trip.  The wolves and the moose continued to elude me, and for some time, the horned sheep as well, till I finally spotted a ram and these sheep just outside the park on my way back home.  Eagles, ducks, geese and many other species of birds were abundant too, but I think the spiritual reward was simply being in the park this time of year with the absence of traffic and tourists.  I hope you enjoy this new collection of photographs from Yellowstone.  I don't think I would ever grow tired of photographing this wonderland of a park.

For me, personally, this project rises from my desire to forego the isolating intellectual compartments of “Urban” and “Rural” photographic experiences I have had in my years as a photographer.  In trying to wholly assimilate these urban and rural experiences, I have turned to photography and its modern day tools in an attempt to merge these two worlds together to create a unique identity of our World.  In addition to trying to raise collective consciousness of the social issues involved, I am personally seeking to reduce the perceived boundaries and question the identities that we create to separate ourselves from the animal World. Through greater compassion and understanding of our kindred spirits, I believe we are able to expand our understanding of ourselves and of our purpose for being here on this Earth.

The methodology used to slaughter horses is that similar to cattle, processing them in industrial abattoirs (slaughter houses) in similar fashion to cattle.  Typically, a penetrating captive bolt gun or gunshot is used to attempt to destroy the animal's higher brain tissue.  The blow is intended to either kill the horse instantly or stun it, with immediate exsanguination (bleeding out) being used to both ensure death and begin the process of meat harvesting.  This method is controversial in that horse welfare advocates have raised concerns that the particular physiognomy of the horse cranium, which is thicker than cattle, means that neither the penetrating captive bolt gun nor gunshots are reliable means of ensuring that the horse is in fact killed or stunned, and that the animal is more likely to be simply paralyzed, and to therefore experience the full pain and awareness of being skinned and butchered alive during the final phase of the slaughter process. It is my intention to capture these majestic animals through photography and to raise awareness of these concerns and conditions.  The Equine Research Foundation has been conducting scientific research into the intelligence of these animals, and their studies show that human kind greatly underestimates the intelligence of these animals.  

Meanwhile, winter is now over and Spring has begun to show itself in New York.  I am taking the Easter weekend to visit Bogota, Columbia; a country I have never before visited.  Earlier today, I was hiking in a beautiful cloud forrest in a nearby national park, and have now wrapped up a wonderful dinner out on the town.  I must say, the cuisine here is something to really appreciate, and the mountainous range that envelopes this city is quite stunning, too.  I don't know if I will break my camera out to try to capture some of the interesting finds on this trip, but I can say that there is plenty to see in this city with a population the size of New York City.  For now, I am sort of taking in the sights, and basing myself in the Northern part of the city.  

On the second helicopter flight out two days later, our copter traveled offshore for twenty-five minutes before finding the seals on the ice.  This was disturbing as the flight last time was only ten minutes offshore.  But fortunately, this ice seemed to be significantly more sturdy to walk on and we encountered no one falling through.  This was also later in the afternoon when we could have encountered softer ice, but as luck would have it, we had a perfect setting....warm, no wind, and perfect setting sun light.  

Today, I was taken to the airport for my flight and train ride home.  I was told that rains were now projected for the next day and reminded how incredibly lucky I was to have gotten on the ice in such incredible conditions.  I will have to express my thanks to the weather Gods soon, as I am still digesting this experience.  The time I got to spend on the ice with the Harp Seals truly was spectacular.  It was nine hours in total, including helicopter flight times.  It saddens me that many of the younger ones will soon be hunted and killed for their pelts, but I tried to not dwell on that aspect of this and to use this opportunity to photograph these creatures in all their beauty and surroundings.  One thought I did have was that given the thinning ice, it will be much tougher for the hunters in their boats to figure out how to reach them, and that may serve as a small blessing for some of them.

When I wasn't out on the ice, I took time to explore and tour the island.  The Ilse de Madeleine is really a beautiful island and I left wanting to return in the summer sometime when I could enjoy its warm and vibrant habitat.  In the winter, about two thirds of the population vacates the island and it kind of felt like a ghost town in some ways.  But it also added to the serenity and starkness to see the landscape blanketed in white snow with so few tourists.  One museum I took in was the Seal Museum, where they explain the evolution of the Seal Hunt and what it has evolved to today.  The government regulates this hunt supposedly quite strictly.   There is a permit now required to captain a boat for the hunt, and each hunter who kills a seal must have a permit.   Then the person who skins the seal, which is usually done out on the ice must have a permit, as well as any observers of the hunt must also have a permit.  No one can have two permits, meaning one who kills a seal can not skin the seal, and these permits can not be sold or traded or passed down in their family.  I got the impression that the government was, over time, hoping to slowly reduce the number of permits available.  The government regulates the design and size of the tool that is used to kill the seal, as well as requires that seals be of a certain age before they can be slaughtered, which I think is about 21 days minimum.  The seals are killed by using the wooden bar with the metal blunt end (not the blade) and crashing it down onto the seal's skull.  This is supposedly a soft part of the Seal and if one blow is properly done, it would kill the young seal. The Humane Society, though, claims to have witnessed that it can take up to thirteen blows to kill a seal.  The current market value for a Seal's pelt is approximately $80 to $100.  Last year, the Canadian government issued a quota of 330,000 kills for the seals, a larger number than the prior year.  For 2012, that quota was raised to 400,000.  Some sources claim this to be the largest marine mammal slaughter on Earth.

With over six hundred images taken out on the ice, it will be awhile before I am able to select and edit the final images for this site.  To learn more about this hunt from the Humane Society, please visit www.HarpSeals.org

Imagine my deep concern when I looked out of my plane window as we were landing in Quebec City, and saw what looked like a blizzard....with the city blanketed in snow.  I thought...Ouch....this is going to be challenging.  It was after 10pm, and I would soon discover that this small airport had no such stores, and for the most part, nothing would be open anyway at this hour.  I knew I had till my 10am flight the next day to solve my problem.  As I waited in the immigration line, I looked at all the other passengers in line wearing their big thick winter coats...and I was just in a tee shirt and a dress shirt.  I eyed this one guy wearing this big polar down jacket and thought...that is what I need....just go up to him and offer $400 for it. But I made my way through immigration, got my bag, and after asking one of the authorities for suggestions on how to find a coat, I realized I was going to have to look elsewhere.  

Meanwhile, have you ever tried to call an airlines' lost and found department?  I was told it is basically impossible, but after an hour or so trying, was given a web form to fill out, an email address, and a phone number to leave a message....and was assured no response would be forthcoming unless they found it.  Thus, seeing the situation getting more helpless, I hailed a taxi to the Comfort Inn by the airport to catch up on the six hours of sleep I would hopefully get.  It was at the hotel where the late night clerk suggested the Walmart, which would open at 8am, might be my only option.  So that became the plan.  As my alarm went off at 6:30am, I looked out the window and discovered it had been snowing all night.  I thought....can a taxi even drive in this stuff?  But sure enough, that is what I did....hailing a taxi to Walmart, purchasing a fleece with an outer shell jacket, and making it to the airport in time for my 10am departure.